Despite the opulent party ensembles associated with Cary Mulligan’s character Daisy Buchanan, Miuccia Prada insists that designing the costumes for the upcoming film adaption of The Great Gatsby “was not about glamor.” ~ Telegraph

Hollywood icon Catherine Deneuve will see a return to the big screen at next month’s Cannes Film Festival thanks to LVMH’s restoration of the 1964 classic, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. ~ WWD

Balenciaga’s first ad campaign under Alexander Wang has landed, revealing the back side of a very mysterious campaign star! ~ Elle UK

Downton Abbey has inspired designers from Ralph Lauren to Marc Jacobs, but now the British period soap is receiving its own branded apparel, beauty and home goods collection! ~ Racked

Curious to know more about the new Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design?  Principal Susie Forbes explains what the university has to offer and why she believes that the Condé Nast education is worth its designer price tag. ~ The Cut

Pop Art returns to the limelight this season as Barneys New York prepares to launch a limited edition home collection created with Roy Lichtenstein’s iconic artworks! ~ WWD

Red hair is sweeping the nation! Here are some tips on how you can achieve this fiery hair color with ease. ~ Modelinia

She’s an all-American top model who has walked the runway for the likes of Chanel, Versace and Proenza Schouler, but it was Jacquelyn Jablonski‘s philanthropic work that had our office the most inspired this month.  While working with “Autism Speaks” to raise awareness and funds for autistic children and their families worldwide, the runway beauty has taken on a passionate new role, using her growing star power as a platform for the cause that remains close to her heart.  Having grown up with an autistic sibling at home, Jacquelyn understands first hand the difficulties faced by families with autistic children and the attention the cause deserves today.  In honor of April as Autism Awareness Month, we caught up with Jacquelyn to discuss her latest work with “Autism Speaks” and how she plans to get the fashion community involved in the future. See the full interview with Jacquelyn after the jump!

1.  Tell us a little about your involvement with Autism Speaks.  How long have you been working with the organization?  What drew you to the cause?

I attended events for Autism Speaks in the past here and there but I feel that this year is when I really became more involved. I have gotten the chance to meet some amazing people from the charity, including co-founders Bob and Susan Wright, and see how devoted they are. My little brother Tommy was diagnosed with autism at age 2, so I really enjoy being surrounded by people as passionate about the cause as I am.
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“Fashion royalty” is a term that gets tossed around quite a bit throughout the fashion industry, but today it’s actually applicable.  Top model Kendra Spears has just announced her engagement to Prince Rahim Aga Khan, son of His Highness Aga Khan IV, the current Imam of Shia Ismaili Muslims, which means we have a new model princess on our hands!

According to a press release on the Aga Khan’s web site, the 24-year-old American beauty is set to marry her 42-year-old fiance in an upcoming Muslim ceremony, the date for which has yet to be announced.  Just looking at the family tree, it seems as if Kendra will have some big shoes to fill as she’s not the first international-recognized beauty to marry into the royal family.  As the Telegraph notes, Kendra’s beau comes from a long linage of beautiful women, his father having married British model Sarah ‘Sally’ Croker-Poole— once considered “one of the 12 most beautiful women in the world” according to the publication— while his grandfather, Prince Aly Khan, was once married to Rita Hayworth.  Talk about good genes!

Of course, that’s not to say that the brunette stunner isn’t impressive in her own right.  Previously dubbed the ‘mini Cindy Crawford,’ the catwalker is better known for her campaigns with Calvin Klein, Armani and Diane von Furstenberg, not to mention her runway appearances for the likes of Chanel, Marc Jacobs and Dolce & Gabbana to name a few.

Based on protocol followed by her fiance’s mother when she married into the family, it appears that Kendra is likely to take on the  title of Princess, while also adopting an Islamic name.  Like a modern day Cinderella tale, Kendra’s engagement has the making for the biggest royal fete since Prince William and the lovely Kate Middelton wed two years ago. Already, we find ourselves daydreaming about what the gorgeous American model will wear for her nuptials, as there’s not a designer out there who wouldn’t want the chance to dress a true fashion Princess!

Congratulations to Kendra and Prince Rahim Aga Khan on this joyous day!

With summer quickly approaching, it won’t be long before we’re once again forced to deal with our hair’s worst nightmare: i.e. humid temperatures, scorching heat waves and summer showers galore! Rather than hiding your beautiful mane under a oversized floppy hat (you can’t take that topper with you everywhere!), or letting it fall flat under the sun’s sweat-inducing conditions, why not take a page out of the models’ books and slick it back into the season’s easiest hair DO, the beloved ponytail!

What was once the classic look of our childhood, is now the perfect go to hairstyle for those lazy summer days when blow drying seems like a cruel and unusual punishment. Don’t just take our word for it.  From the Spring/Summer ’13 runways to the city streets, models and fashion tastemakers have been spotted embracing the tied-back style at every corner, demonstrating not only its grown-up sophistication these days, but also its versatility.  Just look at the options! For beginners, a classic, slicked back ponytail is a clear favorite, as it keeps things simple while allowing your face and makeup to remain the center of attention.  Looking for a little more edge?  Try adding a tease at the top of your hair for a voluminous pony, which will scream sexy!  For a more romantic style, try a low and loose ponytail, or curl the ends of your tresses for textured, back-from-the-beach vibe.  From there, you can easily change the style of your ponytail by simply parting in a different place, playing with the height of the ponytail’s placement, or by accessorizing the look with an embellished headband or a silk scarf.  Here, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite models and their gorgeous ponies to help you get inspired before the summer humidity gets the best of your tresses.  Check out all of the hot summer looks below!

See the full slideshow on modelinia.com

This morning, Chanel has released a teaser of its latest Karl Lagerfeld-directed short film honoring Coco Chanel and as it turns out, Kiera Knightly isn’t the only screen siren capturing the camera’s attention.

Entitled, Once Upon a Time, the upcoming period flick will also star an impressive list of the French house’s reigning model muses— among them Lindsey Wixson, Stella Tennant, Saskia de Brauw, Tallulah Harlech, Jamie Bochert, Caroline de Maigret and newcomer Ashleigh Good— making for one of the most A-list model flicks we’ve seen in quite some time!  Joining the British actress on a journey back in time, 1913 to be exact, when the legendary designer opened her first boutique in Deauville, France, it’s been said that the Chanel beauties play an assortment of decadently-clad female characters including the famed socialite Lady de Grey, played by Stella, and writer Vita Sackville-West, played by Saskia, not to mention the rich and snobby American shopper whom Lindsey impersonates with the skill of an Oscar-winning star (see the teaser below for the evidence)!

While little else is known yet of the models’ roles and their performances under the Kaiser’s directorship, we can be sure that the film will be nothing less than mesmerizing, considering the sheer beauty and fashion credits behind its making.  We for one will be counting down the days until we can catch more of Lindsey’s on-point snarky shopper routine and the effects of Lagerfeld’s reported line improvisation technique on Jamie, Saskia and the rest of the catwalking cast.

Chanel will screen the full film in Singapore on May 8th, the day before the house hosts its Cruise collection, and will make the film available to those of us unable to attend the grand fete online via chanelnews.com.  In the meantime, catch the preview below now:

Moda Operandi has joined forces with the Met Gala team to make this year’s red carpet looks available for purchase as early as the next morning! ~ PopSugar Fashion

Nicolas Ghesquière is speaking out about his shocking departure from the house of Balenciaga for the first time since stepping down last November! ~ Telegraph UK

Following the success of her debut River Island collection, Rihanna has revealed plans for a follow-up venture! ~ The Cut

Proenza Schouler is set to launch a new limited-edition capsule collection in partnership with Net-a-Porter, marking its first retail collaboration! ~ Vogue UK

Hollywood starlets and fashion tastemakers descended upon our nation’s capitol this weekend for the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner, bringing with them a jaw-dropping collection of red carpet gowns.  See each of this weekend’s winning looks here! ~ FabSugar

Anna Wintour and Marc Jacobs were spotted donning identical Prada women’s coats last week, sparking yet another round of ‘who wore it best?’ ~ Huffington Post

You’ve seen the hip-shaking new video, now catch Beyonce in action on the set of her H&M swimwear campaign! ~ Styleite

Give your abs a workout this morning with a look at the hilarious viral videos that have Coco Roca, Alyssa Miller, Lindsay Ellingson and others crying tears of laughter! ~ Modelinia

It’s a flashback Friday with icons Naomi Campbell rocking red lips for Vogue while Cindy Crawford tops it off in style in today’s model Twitpics!

See the full slideshow on modelinia.com

Red hair may be the talk of the town in Hollywood these days, but as Naomi Campbell proves on this month’s cover of Vogue Brazil, it’s blondes that are still having the most fun!

Never one to follow the trends— she’s the one setting them after all— Naomi stars on the May cover as none other than a flaxen-haired stunner, working her blonde tresses like she was born with them!  Shot by photographer Tom Munro, the supermodel’s hair makeover was a special treat in honor of the glossy’s 38th anniversary issue, which has previously seen the likes of a cheeky Kate Moss and midriff-barring Gisele Bündchen.  But let us remind you that the The Face coach is already a big fan of the lighter look.  Do some digging in the old model archive and it’s easy to see that Naomi has rocked golden-tinged highlights before, albeit never quite to this extent.  Even more apparent is the comparison of the supermodel then and now and the fact that while time has certainly passed, Naomi’s incredible beauty is (among other things) positively ageless.  While rocking micro hot pants, a leopard-print leotard and some Beyonce-style bling, the British beauty is as fierce as ever, but you already knew that, didn’t you?

Check out more of the super’s stunning new spread below!

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