So tell me what you want, what you really, really want? FashionTV can tell you what we want--a Spice Girls reunion! Fortunately for us, we got just that and so did the rest of the world when Ginger, Baby, Sporty, Scary, and Posh Spice appeared at the St. Pancras Renaissance London Hotel to promote the new Spice Girls jukebox musical Viva Forever, featuring many of the girl group’s greatest hits. While the five fashionistas won’t star in the production starting December 11, we’re hoping that at least Geri Halliwell’s British flag bodysuit and Victoria Beckham’s leather dress getup will make an appearance. (Huffington Post)
The Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton may be known for recycling Alexander McQueen dresses and LK Bennett pumps, but she isn’t known for spending a whole lot of money on her wardrobe. Still, just exactly how much is she spending? The details will be found out in a few days when Prince Charles’ financial statements are officially revealed to the public. Her clothes have been said to cost in the $54,000 and up range, thanks to designs from Jenny Packham, Roland Mouret, and more for high-end functions. (The Cut)
She’s baaacck! Shalom Harlow was popular in the 90's, modeling for big brands like Valentino and Thierry Mugler. Since then, she hasn’t stopped modeling, but she hasn’t had the fame of model counterparts Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford, even with an MTV reality show. This may all change with her newest campaign to date---Shalom is the face of the Jason Wu fall campaign where she poses as a Chinese warrior in the style of Wu’s most recent Fall 2012 collection. (Fashionista)
Kate Moss is a top model and after her stylish wedding to Jamie Hince, there was talk of her little sister Lottie taking the modeling reigns from her big sis. Now there’s another Moss hoping to step in and she may do it sooner than you think--if god sister Iris Law has anything to say about it. Law, the daughter of Sadie Frost and Jude Law, told Amuse magazine that she has been setting up photoshoots with Lila because it’s fashion. Let’s just hope that when Lila Moss finally makes her runway debut, she won’t be into the anti-model heroin chic look like mother Kate. (Telegraph)
The word is out on Margherita Missoni’s big wedding to race car driver Eugenio Amos and while it turns out that Giambattista Valli did not actually make her wedding dress, he was available for consultation on the couture elements. In an update, Grazia says Margherita Missoni herself created the gypsy stunner, using tailors in Sumirago to piece together the Missoni silk and organza in a setup she designed. (Grazia)
You may know him as sneaky rich kid with a good heart Chuck Bass on Gossip Girl, but now Ed Westwick can also add fashion model to his already full resume. Westwick strut his stuff down the catwalk at the Philipp Plein show during Milan Men’s Fashion Week. He also appears in the Swiss brand’s Fall/Winter ad campaign shot by photographer Terry Richardson. (WWD)
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One chart really jumped out of BofA Merrill Lynch's latest global fund manager survey.
According to BofA Chief Investment Strategist Michael Hartnett, "Hedge fund net exposure to equities jumped to its highest level since August 2006 (net 45%)."
Hartnett also says that "More broadly, the percentage of investors who say they are taking higher-than-normal risk in their portfolio is now highest since April 2011."
These numbers have been rising steadily throughout 2012, as we noted in November.
Bentley Motors
Climb behind the wheel of the new apple-green 2013 Continental GT Speed, and whatever notions you have about driving a Bentley go out the powered window.
The car will make you grin from ear to ear—and that gleeful feeling ratchets up on Germany’s infamous Autobahn, where speed limits matter little. The $215,000 Continental GT Speed (bentleymotors.com) can hit 205 miles per hour, but traffic concerns constrained us to a comfortable 140 miles per hour.
Check out the other ultra-fast cars >
The two-door sedan boasts a six-liter, twin-turbo W-12 engine and can sprint from zero to 60 miles per hour in four seconds. You won’t, however, feel like a rocket man—the super-smooth ride made it feel as though we were well below an American speed limit.
Our road trip began after a night’s stay at the elegant Bayerischer Hof hotel in Munich (Promenadeplatz 2–6; 49-89-21-20-0; bayerischerhof.de). The next destination was the InterContinental Resort overlooking Berchtesgaden (Hintereck 1; 1-800-652-3705; ichotelsgroup.com), an area famous for being Adolf Hitler’s Alpine retreat.
The InterContinental is built on the site of a villa once owned by Nazi henchman Hermann Gring. Though some scribes have dubbed travel to Berchtesgaden a trip to “evil mountain,” 50 years of allied occupation seems to have quieted the ghosts of World War II. The hotel is lovely and home to some stunning views.
Back on the road, we realized there are few seats more luxurious for enjoying the Bavarian countryside than the one in the Bentley GT Speed.
The cabin interior features diamond-quilted, perforated leather on all four seats, door trims and rear-quarter panels. An eight-inch touch screen controls navigation and entertainment options, among them an impressive 11-speaker setup from Naim, the British audio company.
The return trip included a detour through parts of the Austrian Alps, where the car exhibited superb handling capabilities, particularly in the sport mode, on the windy road leading to a delicious coffee-and-strudel break across the border at the Feuriger Tatzlwurm Hotel Resort & Spa (D-83080 Oberaudorf; 49-80-34-3008-0; tatzlwurm.de), which is named for a mythical cat-size Alpine dragon and located in Oberaudorf, Germany. Everyone smiled as the Continental GT Speed pulled away, and while the car does indeed take the cake (or, in this case, strudel?), Bentley doesn’t have a lock on fast autos.
Take a look at these other models—from the likes of Audi, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla and Jaguar—and hit the road.
More from Departures:
World's Most Thrilling Drives >
This story was originally published by Departures.
Raf Simons showcases his first collection for Christian Dior in an outstanding Haute Couture show in Paris this week. The former Jil Sander designer managed to attract nine heavyweight designers to watch his show, including top names Marc Jacobs, Alber Elbaz, Donatella Versace, Pierre Cardin and several more. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Tight dresses and bold colors were the dominant styles on the red carpet at the 2012 BET Awards. Beyonce Knowles, who is an inspiring example for the look, walked the carpet wearing a bright yellow satin gown by Stephane Rolland. Beyonce was also one of the big winners of the night, voted Best Female R&B Artist as well as Video Director of the Year. (CBS News)
Carine Roitfeld, the former chief editor of French Vogue, styled three covers for V Magazine’s “Youth Quake Issue” featuring up and coming models such as Kati Nescher and Ava Smith. The issue, due out July 5, will also include a bonus preview of Roitfeld CR Fashion Book magazine which will launch this September. (Styleite)
Following a Mad Men collection, Banana Republic has declared to launch an Anna Karenina inspired Fall collection. Tolstoy’s classic book will be released as a film this November, starring Keira Knightley and Jude Law. (WWD)
Rihanna covers Harper’s Bazaar August issue in a dramatic golden Tom Ford gown from his Fall 2012 collection. This will be the 24-year-old’s first ever cover for the US magazine and by the looks of things, it will probably turn out more successful than her last “big and blonde” US cover for Elle. (The Fash Pack)
Closing our list of fashion highlights for this week, 29-year-old Anja Rubik is launching a new fashion magazine named “25”. The first issue will focus entirely on erotica from a woman’s point of view. For the launch of the new magazine, photographer Barnaby Roper has teamed up with Kanye West to create an interesting artistic short video. Take a look:
