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Luxury Goes To Our Heads

Japanese beauty empire Shu Uemura now peddles premium hair care products. Art of Hair harnesses the powers of precious natural oils and soothing Depsea water extracted from 1,000 feet beneath the ocean’s surface in Cape Muroto, Japan (also home to Shu Uemura’s luxuriant new spa).Only elite salons carry the collection; fewer still offer Ceremonies in which the scalp is massaged Shiatsu-style with guru-prescribed Art of Hair products. New levels of luxury (think black kimonos and iPods with water sounds) will be added to these exquisite treatments in coming months.

Visit www.ShuUemuraArtOfHair.com for a participating salon near you.

-Stephanie Simons

Martin Margiela Takes It to the Net

Maison Martin Margiela women's collection

Avant-garde and reverential eccentric fashion designer, Martin Margiela wares are now available at eLuxury.com. The elusive label's cherry-picked retail accounts include Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman and Margiela's flagship boutique in New York's West Village. eLuxury.com offers Margiela at his finest- from kimono sleeve cardigans, a convertible leather bomber jacket, flowing jersey dresses, and a expertly cut suit jacket with reversed notch collar are at once cool and original. Margiela's MMM6 line of urbane sportswear infused with his subtle sense of wit and style are available along with accessories and menswear.

MMM6 available exclusively at eLuxury.com

Yamamoto ComingSoon

Yohji Yamamoto’s entry into the lucrative contemporary market has been white-hot since he unveiled his plans for ComingSoon, a casual and affordable off-shoot line aimed at young fashionphiles upgrading from streetwear to mature sportswear pieces. The collection features wardrobe staples- jeans, tees, jackets, and knitwear with retail price ranging from $160 for a tee to $1060 for a jacket. ComingSoon will hit stores in July.

Miu Miu for Men Says, Bye Bye

Prada has discontined the Miu Miu men's line to focus on the growth of the women's collection. The Miu Miu line débuted in 1992 as the less expensive little brother and sister line of Prada. The spring 2008 men's collection will be last manufactured and sold by Prada.

A look from Miu Miu spring/summer 2008. Photo credit: Style.com

Fendi Baguette Turns 10

Can you believe it’s been a decade since the Fendi Baguette started our insatiable accessory addiction and catapulted the “It bag” phenomenon. “It bag” mania has subsided, but the Fendi Baguette will prevail in fashion infamy. More than 1,000 variations have titillated fashionistas worldwide. Fendi is celebrating the Baguette’s 10^th anniversary in grand style with new designs that were unveiled on the spring runway. The limited-edition versions are more functional than their predecessors with mini and enlarged versions that convert into both clutches and messenger bags. Fendi is also releasing the “10+”- an all-white canvas bag that looks to the Baguette's next 10 years,comes with a set of pantone markers to spurn creative personalization. The Pantone baguette, a logo-stamped leather baguette comes in the ten pantone marker  colors. Available at Fendi boutiques.

Fashionable loaves. (top left) Fendi anniversary baguette ($6,670). (l to r) Fendi 10+ baguette ($1,300) and Fendi Pantone baguette ($975). Photo courtesy of Fendi.

Up close and personal. Fendi Baguettes on the spring/summer 2008 runway. Photo credit: Style.com

Optical Alluring

British accessories brand Mulberry is branching into eyewear with a collaboration with chic English eyewear maker Cutler & Gross. The début five-piece collection of sunglasses is inspired by the Cutler & Gross archives from the Eighties and Nineties. The line features a classic aviator design rimmed in gold titanium with styles dubbed the Jackie, Betsie, Francis and Debbie ($440). The retro shades are handmade in Italy and France and are available exclusively at the Mulberry flagship on Bond Street.

Honey, I Shrunk Karl Lagerfeld

Leave it to design maestro and renaissance man Karl Lagerfeld to keep pushing the envelope of fashion, celebrity, and creativity. Karl Lagerfeld has collaborated with Pixi on a mini-statute of himself sporting his ubiquitous emsemble while working on a movie set. The $300 limited-edition figurine is amazingly life-like with only 1,000 figurines produced. Available exclusively in Paris at Colette.

Donna Karen Bags It

Donna Karen has launched a collection of handbags inspired by astrology. The stars are aligned this time for Donna Karen after two thwarted attempts to launch a successful accessories line, Karen has introduced a début collection of handbags inspired by the zodiac. Of course, having the financial backing of the venerable luxury conglomerate LVMH and its history of fine craftsmanship at your fingertips is a gift of the gods. The collection includes hobos, satchels, totes, and saddle bags that embody the names and characteristics of their astrological sign. Leo’s bags are extravagant and confident, Virgo’s are solid and grounded and Scorpio’s are fearless which fashionably translates into exotic skins- shellac goat, ostrich, French bull and supple leathers. The shapes are sexy and feminine with sculptural hardware embellishments of intertwined zippers, asymmetrical tucks, seams, pleats and contrast stitching. The collection is available in Donna Karen Collection stores and upscale department stores worldwide.

Photo courtesy of Donna Karen.

Fashion IPO Update

The spiraling global economic downturn has snared a fashion victim. After our report on the year’s top fashion IPO’s, the Tommy Hilfiger Group has indefinitely postponed its scheduled listing on Euronext in response to the current volatile global markets. UK investment company Apax Partners, the owner of the Tommy Hilfiger Group  confirmed positive investor feedback but would like to take a wait-and-see approach until the stabilization of world markets. As the luxury market contracts from the jolt of the economic  downturn will Prada and Ferragamo follow suit?

Boucheron Celebrates 150

Boucheron has kicked off its yearlong 150^th anniversary celebration in majestic style. The eminent jeweler invited 150 privileged guests to a private mansion in the 8^th arrondissement of Paris to preview its ephemeral “Collections Particulieres, Paris” exhibition, a display of the jeweler’s “Enchanting Boucheron” masterpieces culling together the house’s 150 year history, elegance, and daring designs. “Enchanting Boucheron” takes inspiration from the jeweller’s seven values with seven categories: Audacious, Magic, Voluptuous, Mysterious, Dangerous, Curious and Gourmand. The exhibition dèbuted alongside today’s hottest contemporary art works from artists- Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Richard Prince to Maurizio Cattelan. Guests were treated to an intimate dinner at the Petit Palais with French singer, Emmanuelle Seigner crooning a seductive “Happy Birthday Boucheron”. Guests included Anna Wintour, Julianne Moore, Suzy Menkes, Naomi Campbell, L’Wren Scott, Danielle Steel and Suzy Menkes. The anniversary gala marks the start of Boucheron’s 150^th celebration with the exhibition travelling to Moscow, Tokyo, Hong-Kong, the French Riviera, London and Dubai.

Boucheron celebrates it's 150th anniversary.

(l to r) François-Henri Pinault and Jean Christophe Bedos attend the Cocktail Reception for the 150 anniversary of Boucheron.

Actresses Diane Kruger (l) and Julianne Moore (r).

Naomi Campbell (l) and Francois-Henri Pinault (r).