Solar powered handbags? That is a totally killer idea! C'N'C Costume National designer Ennio Capasa has designed a Solar bag with fine strips of mini solar panels that decorate the front of the bag provide power to a supply concealed in the lining. We are thinking this could be super useful for powering that Macbook Air during fashion week.

If the bloggers with laptops photos cliché wasn't yet dead Vogue Australia is intent on bringing it back. Apparently editor Damien Woolnough is quite fond of his Mac Book Air. We don't notice him twittering though so we are still siding with Patty Huntington on the tech savvy editor front.

Nolita-chic shoe line Sigerson Morrison is opening up shop in Malibu at the Malibu Country Mart. We so want to make sure sort of joke but none of them sounded funny but we think you will get where we are coming from. The store will carry the full Sigerson Morrison line as well as lower-priced Belle and their handbag line.

Its a tough time to be in designer retailing. And not just because the dollar is so weak. Supply chain issues thanks to expansion in the far East may be causing several large design houses to miss delivery dates. Rumored late are Chanel, Zegna, Nina Ricci, Roberto Cavalli and Prada.

American Eagle is so not frat boy chic anymore. In fact they seem to be taking some very scary style cues from on neighbors in Williamsburg. Or at least the ones not so up on the trends. Not that we have anything bad to say about scarves in the summer or blue pastel framed glasses. Just saying the merchandising is dated.

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Costume National's new fragrance, '21', was created in honor of the company's 21st anniversary. Our network partner, A Wee Bit Skint, toasts to the new fragrance by trying it out after years of wearing another scent by the brand, namely, er, 'Scent'. The new fragrance apparently encapsulates 21 of Ennio Capasa's favorites scents. That is, bergamot, milk, orange blossoms, saffron, cumin, pepper, cashmere wood, royal jelly, moss, clary sage, patchouli, olibanum, amber, sandalwood, oudh wood, cedar, vetiver, labdanum, tonka bean, vanilla and musk. Whew, as if they needed to justify the name. In the end, the new perfume smells 'heady and milky' and joins the ranks of slick product the brand is known for turning out. Like Commes des Garcon wallets, you'll see it in all of the boutiques where people buy posh designer accoutrements to go with their Hanes undershirts and Cheap Monday jeans.

There has been hearsay about financial investing group Apax’s possible interest in buying out the majority of Escada’s shares. However, the Munich-based luxury fashion label confirms today that Apax is reluctant to take such action. Since last summer, Escada’s shares have dropped thirty percent. A new CEO will be assigned on April 17th in an attempt to restructure the fashion brand.


Known for his Indian-inspired work, English designer Matthew Williamson returns to Manchester to celebrate the exhibition of his 10 Years In Fashion at Urbis Centre. The collection of the designer’s contributions to the fashion industry has been featured at the Design Museum in London last October. Williamson was also the former creative director for Pucci.


British designer Anthony Cuthbertson is appointed to be the new creative director for German fashion house Rene Lezard. He has been the former creative director at Burlington and creative consultant for MaxMara. Cuthbertson will showcase both the men’s and women’s collections for Rene Lezard next fall.


A series of online journals called, 'Costumers And Plug Generation' is set to be launched by Ennio Capasa, mastermind behind Italian fashion label Costume National. This series of journals along with Capasa’s personal page will provide visitors the latest updates stemming from the fashion industry including campaign shoots and live commentary. Capasa is known for his use of subtle shapes, dark tones, and sharp tailoring, his personal page can be viewed here.


Delphine Arnault-Gancia advances to the position of Deputy Managing Director at Christian Dior Couture. Formerly Senior Vice President of Marketing, she has greatly contributed to the development of Dior Parfums. Arnault-Gancia is a billionaire business-savvy woman who also works with LVMH, the world’s largest luxury conglomerate.


Research Assistant: Zoe Su