Leader of the fashion pack: Why Mandi Lennard is more than simply a PR

Thanks to the extensive media coverage now given to all things fashion-related, young designers can move from cult status to stardom increasingly swiftly. Key to any such meteoric rise to the top, however, are those working behind the scenes.

With this in mind, it is to the legendary fashion PR Mandi Lennard, whose London-based company this year marks its 10th trailblazing anniversary, that many past and present young design talents here owe a serious debt. The designer Kim Jones, for example, worked closely with Lennard even before he graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2001. These days, having proved himself internationally as a serious talent, he is the creative director at Dunhill, and remains good friends with his earliest supporter.

Lennard is not so much a straightforward press officer, however, as a fosterer of fresh talent and a symbol of the more adventurous elements of London's fashion scene. In her trademark caps, dripping in Chanel and Vuitton jewellery and sporting elaborate nail art and parkas from ultra-niche Japanese labels, she is equally at home promoting must-see catwalk shows and events and securing collaboration and sponsorship from major international brands for her often impoverished charges, as she is hanging out with club kids in east London.

On a rare sunny morning in the run-up to London Fashion Week, Lennard's spacious and eccentric Hoxton showroom sounds and looks superb: hip-hop beats from DJ Premier throb at a decibel-defying level and rail upon rail of her clients' ingenious designs vie for attention – including vibrant Cassette Playa clobber and Gareth Pugh's creations – amid well-used pieces of classic 20th-century Italian furniture and walls adorned with works by Tracey Emin or kooky neo-Pop Art prints.

Having grown up in Leeds, she recalls her early fashion experiences when visiting London: "I'd go to Jean Machine on Oxford Street, where staff on roller skates had to go into the window display to get out the baseball jacket with a huge 'M' on it, just for me! The magic I recall from this is how I want guests to feel at our events."

Employed at the local Benetton, she then worked her way up to being an area manager in London, before becoming a buyer at Browns for six years, and starting her own agency in 1998 for the sheer indulgence of working with everything she loved.

"My friend Gil rented me a desk for £20 a week off Bond Street," Lennard remembers. "It was terrific fun – you have nothing to lose when you start a business, although I lost count of the number of times in the first year my head fell on the desk in despair!

"My first client was Dazed & Confused magazine, which paid me £150 a month." Other early clients included Eley Kishimoto: "Mark Eley came to see me with some of their designs and we clicked instantly when I said, 'You've just brought me Emily Bishop's wardrobe to see!'."

Then there was the soon-to-be unveiled Browns Focus boutique: "I told Mr Burstein, the owner, that he was really silly not to use me as I was on his doorstep and he knew me – within five minutes, his daughter called me and asked me to launch Browns Focus."

Current beneficiaries of the Lennard touch make for a who's who and what's what of all that is deemed cool: Aitor Throup, Roksanda Ilincic, the Brazilian footwear label Melissa, David David, Pam Hogg, plus Pop magazine and Bistrotheque (the restaurant, arts space and cabaret bar, with whom she is helping to launch Flash, a temporary eaterie within the Royal Academy of Arts, this November). Not to mention Danielle Scutt, House of Holland and the hot new hatter Nasir Mazhar (all awarded British Fashion Council/Topshop New Generation sponsorship), and MAN (the London Fashion Week menswear event she helped to launch three years ago with Topman).

Lennard has also this year worked with Burberry, Nike, Moët & Chandon, MAC, Colette and Pitti Immagine, and for London Fashion Week she organised some very high-profile parties.

Collectively, then, this stable of clients gives her a strong power base. Hence, every influential stylist, fashion editor and journalist regularly passes through the showroom, and many top recording artists, too: Rhianna, Kylie, Kanye West, Dizzee Rascal, Roisin Murphy and Gwen Stefani have all had their existing style credentials further boosted by a visit.

Lennard's approach to PR is, however, discerning and modern – never desperate or Ab Fab naff: "It's gut feeling. I work on instinct. It's not difficult to get press on my clients so I police the interest in them rather than promote them openly." She continues: "I'm a brand protector – I can't stand hype, so I do everything possible to hold them back. Laying a foundation is key – once you have that, hype can't touch you. As an agency, we are incredibly focused, we don't waste time on stuff that isn't what we want."

And that is? "We want glamour at an international level – W magazine, Japanese and American Vogue – we want to work with top creators. My clients demand this audience; they are working so hard in freezing studios without any bucks."

Surprisingly, perhaps, it initially took some coaxing to persuade her to agree to be interviewed; that less-is-more approach to promotion seemingly carries through into a (very Northern) reluctance for blowing one's own trumpet: "You can hit a brick wall if you do that sort of thing!" she says, laughing. Others in her orbit prove far more eager to big up her achievements, though: Melanie Rickey, fashion news and features editor of Grazia magazine, says: "She supports those who need to be supported with no agenda, but with conviction. And there's not enough of that in this world."

The stylist Thom Murphy is another fan: "I have worked closely with her for 10 years, and she is what most PRs can only dream of being." And Ben Reardon, editor of i-D magazine, enthuses: "I love my Mandi! She sends work emails all through the night – does she ever actually sleep?"

Gareth Pugh (with whom Lennard has worked since his first season in 2005) sums her up thus: "She believes in all of her clients. She works as hard, if not harder, than her designers do. She knows when to say no, and does so, often. Her reputation precedes her. What I love, though, is that she doesn't take herself too seriously."

As the phones ring with increasing frequency, Lennard, amazingly calm amid the storm, needs to crack on with tackling that day's 38 page-long to-do list. Small wonder that the fashion website hintmag.com described her as "London's hottest PR".

"Well, that's nice," she says, with a smile. "But, of course, I don't want to peak just yet, thanks."

Public relations, private lives

Making a living promoting someone else's talent is far from easy. The push-pull of getting clients noticed for all the right reasons, while keeping your own head – and keeping it well out of the spotlight – is a balancing act that not all PRs pull off.

The stock-in-trade of the fashion PR, both real and fictional, includes the wooing and wining and dining (aka bribing) of clients, the choosing of magazines that will be allowed to feature their creations, and the ruthless cutting of guest lists and banning of journalists. These powers are behind the image of the fashion PR as both fawning and ruthless, as embodied by Edina and Patsy in the TV series Absolutely Fabulous'.

It was the late Percy Savage, who died earlier this year, who really created fashion PR, advising Christian Dior to employ Yves Saint Laurent in 1955, and creating the first celebrity whirlwind (now a PR staple) when he persuaded Elizabeth Taylor to wear Lanvin to a film premiere in 1954. He famously said of his trade that "PR is vitally important because it costs so much less than advertising". The fomenting of hype with merely a sighting here and a guest list there is a skill that is hard to learn, but is invaluable – after all, everyone wants to be part of something to which they haven't been invited.

Disciples of Savage know that the first rule of PR is to spin the story, rather than star in it. Someone should have told this to the celebrity agent Lizzie Grubman, the PR Machiavelli behind Britney Spears and Jay-Z, whose cover was blown when she drunkenly reversed her SUV into a crowd outside a club, after shouting, "Fuck you, white trash!". She was charged on 26 counts.

As self-appointed patrollers of profit and propriety, PRs deal with the whims of designers, celebrities and the general public. Many PRs are like mothers to disobedient children; others are spiritual rocks; some are just good friends. Tom Cruise famously ditched his publicist and replaced her with his Scientologist sister. After much ill-advised leaping around on Oprah's sofa, his subsequent film was a flop.

Real women: the latest fashion

Size, age and colour are no longer a barrier to a career on the catwalk – that was the message from London Fashion Week. Fashion editor Susannah Frankel reports

Muscular athletes in Stella McCartney's sportswear line for Adidas, Christopher Kane's blonde bombshells, models well into their thirties at Giles Deacon, a little ethnic diversity across the board ... One could be forgiven for thinking that fashion had developed a conscience, if this week's London collections were anything to go by.

The reasoning behind such a move is as likely to be commercial and aesthetic as it is ethical – fashion is famed for a ludicrously short attention span, after all – but the fact remains that designers are increasingly hiring a wider variety of models and it is likely that this will continue next week in Milan and straight after in Paris.

Not many people working outside the fashion industry will recognise the name Russell Marsh, but as the casting agent behind many of the world's most high-profile advertising campaigns, glossy magazine editorials and catwalk shows, he is extremely influential.

On Wednesday he told The London Fashion Week Daily, a free news sheet funded by the British Fashion Council: "I like reality, especially in times like these. We need a wake-up call. I think it's time people saw things for how they are. Grow old gracefully, I say."

Given that, for years, Marsh has been at the forefront of a mindset decreeing that seeking out the youngest waifs in the world to model is the last word in high style, this seems like quite a radical about-turn. In particular, Marsh works for Prada, whose catwalk famously launches the careers of a fresh crop of models every season. Because of this, the more established names (and established can mean a model who has worked for six months or, if she's lucky, two or three years) have become almost as disposable as the clothes they wear. But that, may be about to change.

"The models need to be athletic, confident, powerful," Marsh continued, putting his money where his mouth is by casting Lara Stone – who is positively pneumatic by fashion standards – to open Christopher Kane's show on Tuesday. "Lara is everything you want," Marsh said. "She's slightly bigger than the other girls and on the runway that really makes a statement."

Marsh made a not entirely dissimilar "statement" when he cast Jourdan Dunn, an 18-year-old British-born model, for Prada's previous show six months ago: she was the first black model employed by this designer since a young Naomi Campbell. Dunn has appeared in every heavyweight fashion and style magazine and stars in Topshop's current advertising campaign. "I think the look of the models is definitely changing," said Sarah Mower, a contributing editor to the American Vogue website style.com, reporting from London this week. "Fashion is always changing and people are just really bored by that characterless, Caucasian look. Neither is it demonstrable that it sells clothes any more.

"Because of the economic climate, designers are perhaps more aware of their customer now than they have been: she's got money, she's over 35 and she wants to see people like herself as opposed to women half her size and age."

Mower cited the July issue of Italian Vogue, which famously featured only black models, as having raised awareness about expressing racial diversity. "That really moved things on," she said. "Now we have Alek Wek, Sessillee Lopez, Jourdan Dunn. We know their names and their faces are instantly recognisable. Fashion is a soap opera and we want to know who these women are."

The halcyon days of the supermodel are gone, but she is still in demand. Linda Evangelista is the current face of Prada and Claudia Schiffer has returned to represent Chanel. Campbell fronts the latest Yves Saint Laurent advertising campaign.

The designer Giles Deacon brought back Emma Balfour, who rose to prominence alongside Kate Moss but has since retired, Liberty Ross, who appeared not long after, and Christina Kruze to model in his show. Deacon said backstage: "Christina Kruze is 39. She's the same age as me. I think those women are just as beautiful as any eighteen-year-old."

Until recently, the major shows and campaigns "have featured girls who may be no more than sixteen, who are generally white and whose career is very short," said Cathy Edwards, the fashion director of Another Magazine, the biannual edited and published by Jefferson Hack. "It's not just about that any more, though. There's much more variety. There are more black models and you only have to look at the current campaigns to see that designers are using older models too, models who people recognise and respond to on an emotional level. It's much easier to make a connection with those women and that is definitely a good thing."

Edwards, who also styled Emma Cook's show, said good health and natural beauty, as opposed to a younger, more waif-like aesthetic, were her criteria. "Clothes are always going to look good on skinny people," she continued. "Models are like other-worldly creatures, they don't look like the rest of us but we wanted ours to be aspirational, to look healthy and to have a good colour. There's a big difference between a woman who is born that way and someone who has to starve herself to fit the mould."

Erin O'Connor, herself successful on runways and billboards, is more aware of this fact than most. Today she vice-chairs the British Fashion Council, is vice-president of London Fashion Week and is founder of the Model Health Sanctuary, a refuge for models working at London Fashion Week where they can eat well, rest in between shows and benefit from relaxation therapy and even counselling, should they need it.

"When I started out it was very different," O'Connor said. "We had a longer period of time to cultivate our careers and enjoy the moment. Fashion is all about a search for newness and often today new means young." She agreed, however, that the difference this week was remarkable. "You can actually see the girls gaining confidence, literally finding their feet." She also attributes the changing environment to the model-of-the-moment, Agyness Deyn, who with her peroxide blonde crop, determinedly individual wardrobe and idiosyncratic good looks leads the new individuality. "I think Agyness represents something really healthy," O'Connor argued. "Because her look and personality is so strong, the designers work with her, it is a collaborative process, she has a certain amount of power."

She concluded: "Over the past year the look of the catwalk has been overwhelmingly positive, but we have to keep going with this. It would be wrong to say that all the problems have been solved because I've seen how young and vulnerable some of the models still are. It's going to be a constant challenge ... and it is up to all of us in the industry to take responsibility for that."

Catwalk highlights

Best show

Giles Deacon: Couture polish meets pop culture. Sculpted 60s shapes were combined with 90s minimalism, sporty, techno fabrics and metallic hats inspired by Pac Man, designed by Stephen Jones.

Most star-studded front row

Vivienne Westwood: Guests included Kate Moss, Pamela Anderson and Dita von Teese

Most royal front row

Issa: Included princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and Charlotte Casiraghi, daughter of Caroline of Monaco.

Best model moments

Naomi Campbell and Jourdan Dunn closing the Issa show hand in hand with the designer; Emma Balfour at Giles; Cilla Black, left, in top hat and tails at Fashion for Relief.

Most 'resistance is useless' trends

Jumpsuits, playsuits (including all-in-one knickerbockers at Henry Holland), crop tops, cropped leggings, 80s headbands à la Bananarama (Danielle Scutt and Topshop), distressed denim (Meadham Kirchoff and Henry Holland) and snow-washed denim (Topshop).

Most striking colour combination

Pink (particularly guava) and orange, as seen at Richard Nicoll and Sinha Stanic.

Best dressed

Roisin Murphy:For her multiple outfit changes and genuine originality; for example, a pork pie hat worn with a white dress and shaggy fur.

Most imaginatively dressed guest

Kabir:The stylist was a one-man fashion show. Outfits included a grey feathered wig, emerald green suit and furry bear suit with drawn-on whiskers.

Best muse

Peter Jenson based his show on Jodie Foster's film costumes, from Freaky Friday (1976) to Silence of the Lambs (1991).

Carola Long, Deputy Fashion Editor

Fashion Trends for Spring 2008

Fashion Trends for Spring 2008

Bold bright colors are big among spring fashion trends. Cheerful, bright colors walked down the runways for spring 2008. These optimistic hues are a welcome departure from fall's gothic obsession with all things black. Color-happy fashionistas will dress from head to toe in eye-popping colors like daffodil yellow, vermillion orange, verdant green, hibiscus red, bold fuchsia, wild violet and cobalt blue. Whether you go intense all over or simply go bright with an accent, just look to the crayon box to follow this trend.

Bold Red Tunic Top



Florals for spring are back again this year. The season of spring itself was the obvious inspiration for this blossoming trend, with designers displaying vibrant illustrations and blurred floral motifs in their delightful spring fashions. If your not a fan of large, graphic floral prints and oversized patterns, you can opt for a more subtle way of keeping in style. Choose dresses and accessories like silky scarves in mid-sized floral prints.

Floral Print Cotton Skirt



Styles that left little to the imagination were also on the runway, transparent fashion. Entertaining for the men, but in real life, women will be wearing designs featuring layer upon layer of translucent clothing, revealing their body with equal doses of subtlety and taste. This trend's sheer fabrics are accentuated by sorbet hues and washed-out tones for a nude to neutral palette.

Designer Sheer Top



Draping as one-shouldered dresses, intricate pleating, and creative twists and folds of fabric flowed gracefully down runways for spring. The designers who worshiped this roman goddess inspired trend showcased many toga-style goddess gowns, gladiator skirts, and even harem pants.

Grecian Cutout Dress



The runways revealed lingerie-like pieces making unmentionables a bold fashion statement for spring. Designers made underwear part of a woman's outerwear as they flaunted gossamer slips, naughty nighties, satin boxers, silky robes, bras and panties. This also is entertaining on the runway but could get you arrested in real life. Good advice is to take only a small dose of the trend by looking for flirty dresses with boudoir details such as lace, bows, boning and ribbons.

Corset Blouse



For ladies with a rebellious streak, designers played with tuxedo style suiting, smart trousers, boyfriend blazers, tailored vests, and even borrowed-from-the-boys extras like bow ties, boutonnieres, and cummerbunds. Try wearing the softer side of the trend by nabbing a must-have bow tie blouse or tie-top dress.

Bow-Tie Top



Designers carried forward their infatuation with the razzle-dazzle of metallics and sequins. In addition to the trendy, glitzy sequin-covered dress, silver, gold, bronze and copper shimmered down runways in futuristic high-tech metallic fabrics and glossy satins.

Textured Silk Jacket Dress



African field jackets, zebra and leopard prints, khaki, and chunky tribal jewelry all were seen on the runways with designers set out to send you on an African safari. You can incorporate this trend into your wardrobe by picking up a safari suit and adding an animal print accessory.

Zebra Print Dress

I hope this helps you decide what you'll be wearing for Spring 2008. If you need further fashion advice please stop by Classy-Gals Fine Fashions.

Transparent Dresses

10 Sexy Italian Bikini Swimsuits

Who doesn't love the beach? Sand, sun and beautiful water. The beaches of the Mediterranean are stunning. Italy is full of beach babes and what do those beach babes wear? Swimsuits, especially the barely-there bikinis. It's enough to make your head spin, right? Personally, I'm a swimsuit watcher. I love to see what the designers do with the flimsy fabric. It gets sexier all the time. In this article, we'll explore 10 of the sexiest and hottest Italian-made suits to ever hit the beach.

1) This bikini (left) comes to us from Roberto Cavalli, a master Italian fashion designer. It's green and has a fish-like scale print. It's just oh-so-sexy.

The piece has a triangle top that closes in a halter in the back and a bottom that gently cups the rear with string enclosures on the sides.

2) How can you not love this sexy black number from Giuseppe Mulier of the Bikini Company? It's little but provides enough coverage to leave something to the imagination. The starfish print is used in strategic places such as the left breast and the middle of the bottom front as an accent. This creates a very adult - and very sexy - look. This is great for swimming and for sunbathing.

3) Be a heart-breaker in this Heart Print triangle bikini from Malizia by La Perla Mare. The triangle halter top neck caresses the chest. A string holds the cups of the bikini bra together. The briefs are side-tie for easy on and easy off flexibility. In red, white and black, this suit may not make you the Queen of the Beach but it could make you the Queen of Hearts!

4) From the design geniuses of Dolce & Gabbana, we have this white one-piece suit with peek-a-boo front and criss-cross halter top. The D&G logo is strategically placed in the front bottom of the suit.

The high-cut legs and flattering design have a surprisingly-slimming effect too! It's D&G! It's fantastic! It's swimwear that will make anyone look hot, hot, hot!

5) Missoni Sport brings us this sexy little number that's practical and adorable. This is catwalk style that you can swim Olympic-type laps in. The cut-outs on the side flash some sexy, sexy skin and the stripe print which is a trademark of Missoni's helps to draw the eye to the exposed flesh. The shoulder straps are thin. The neckline plunges; and, the thigh slits are high cut. The material is 80% nylon and 20% spandex which makes it perfect for any swim-type activity you love to indulge in. On the right we have another elegant swimsuit outfit by Missoni.

6) This polyamide/lycra suit from Verde Veronica by La Perla has an innovative, metallic look with fantastic accents.

It'll make you the hottest thing on the beach, ladies. The bottom is cut at a generous angle in the back to skim your bottom and expose some sexy skin. The triangle halter top is just gorgeous. On the top of the bra and brief, we have stunning gold rings that add some bling to this bikini.

Ties enclose the piece from all sides. This is the perfect bikini to wear if you'd rather be noticed for your curves than your swimming ability. It's a piece of art.

7) Versace is known for its artistic and sexy creations. This bikini doesn't disappoint on either front. A double triangle-halter top string gives extra support for the breasts which are gently cupped in movable mostly-nylon fabric. The print is part floral but totally avant-garde. The colors are white, pink and black with a hint of yellow to draw the eye to specific points. This suit is a visual feast for the eyes.

Absolutely stunning!

8) This sexy gold-toned one piece from Blumarine is just a dream. It looks like it was made for a goddess. The fabric skims the curves every so gently, practically caressing them. The shiny, gold-tone insert is not only creative branding that says "Blumarine", it's also eye-catching and a great way to camouflage a wee bit of a tummy.
The generous high-cut thigh will make any leg appear longer and prettier. The bottom is cut to skim the derriere and meets in a "v" at the lowest point.

9) The apricot color of this Fendi bikini is best worn with tanned skin. It shoes an olive complexion off to its best advantage. I love this piece because it's sexy but not too over the top. The bust is almost a sports bra in appearance. It gives great coverage and provides just a tease of what lies beneath.
The bottoms of this piece are what is most striking. Of course, both pieces have the Fendi logo. The bottom has cut-outs on the side with just a string holding the piece together. The brief falls perfectly and flatters those with bottoms that nature already blessed. It's a stunning piece that is elegant, simple and very sexy.

10) Last, but not least, is this retro bikini inspired by Emilio Pucci. Step back in time to the 1950s with this sexy paisley print bikini with a colorful striped band underneath the bust that is almost like a color chart for the entire piece.
Ties on the back and neck of the top and sides of the panty ensure full coverage at all times. This piece is absolutely fantastic and a throw-back to a simple time. It's a shout out to one of the innovators of the bikini. Che cosa meravigliosa!
So, there you have it, ten of the hottest, sexiest, most beautiful swimsuits to ever hit the beach. Enjoy!

_{...and Finally Pasquale's friend at the beach:}

by Domenica DiPiero

10 Terrific Italian-Made T-Shirts for Ladies

I love my t-shirts. They're young. Hip. Trendy. They can also be worn under a business suit to add some funk to an otherwise drab look. Of course, we know they can be worn with jeans. Whether casual, flirty, sexy or just plain old comfortable, t-shirts are a must-have in anyone's wardrobe. C'mon. Admit it. We all have them.
In this article, I'm going to focus on ten t-shirts from Italy's best and brightest fashion houses that show that t-shirts don't have to be grungy. They are often quite fashionable. And, as I firmly believe, they'll never go out of style!

1) Hey, who says a t-shirt has to look casual! Hmm? I know I didn't. This long-sleeve jersey from Blumarine has a boat-slit neckline. The fabric is smooth and looks almost silky. The piece is unlined and made of 100% rayon! I love the little shoe-string laces on the sides and the sexy peek-a-boo sleeves that show a hint of skin! You can pair this shirt with a skirt of any length, dressy or casual pants and; of course, jeans. It's so versatile you will probably want to buy more than one!

2) From the Armani Collezione, we get yet another gorgeous, designer t-shirt. This stretch jersey tee has a boat slit neck. Its sheer print gives the hint of skin while covering you up in complete comfort. The long sleeves are great for winter or spring.

The item is beautiful enough to be worn dressed up and can also look great with a pair of tight jeans and stiletto hills. This piece is hot!

3) Marni is a designer label that knows women. Just look at this t-shirt. This isn't your boyfriend's (or husband's) t-shirt, is it? It's soft and supple. The cowl-neck is loose and oh-so-feminine. It's comfortable and skims your curves without clinging to them too tightly. This is a piece that travels well whether you wear it on the plane or pack it in your best luggage. This cotton tee looks - and feels - fantastic!

4) Don't you just love Dolce & Gabbana? Yes, this is a D&G t-shirt! Can you believe it? Sleek. Sexy. Form-fitting. Curve-hugging - and with a touch of feminine lace. This may be the perfect t-shirt. It's almost dressy. However, the Elastane and Viscose combination make this tee one that will fit you like a second skin. It looks great with jeans as seen in this picture; but, could work well with a teeny-weeny black mini - what a perfect club outfit, right?

5) From Alberta Ferretti we have this classic t-shirt. The lines are simple as is the design, the cut and the fabric. This tee is smooth - made mostly of Rayon. It will glide over your curves. You can wear it with a business suit, a skirt or dress pants for work. You can pair it with jeans or capris for a casual, summery look. Do what you will with it - this t-shirt can take whatever you can dish out!

6) Who better than Versace to create a t-shirt fit for a rock goddess? This sleeveless piece is perfect to show off your toned arms. The metallic silver on the shoulder is picked up throughout the piece in the logo in the front and in chunks of color on the back. The color splashes vary between lighter purple and a deep, dark purple. This shirt oozes sex appeal and begs to be worn when you are sure to take center stage. It's an attention-grabber!

7) I loved the last tee so much that I stuck with Versace for this piece! I guess it's the little bit of rock n' roll that grabs me so. I really love the look and feel of this piece. It's just cool. Did you know that the t-shirt is encrusted with studs! How great is that? I love the long-sleeves and the color scheme. If you love the front, though - the back is even better. See the sexy cutouts. Aren't they awesome?

8) From Moschino Jeans we have this lovely turtleneck t-shirt. The heart-shaped design with the pretty pink embellishments is really what caught my eye. Of course, I also love the t-shirt turtleneck. It's comfortable and warm - great for a cold winter day or night. This t-shirt brings me back to my upbringing in Boston. I love the way it feels. I love its sleek look. The sassy design makes me feel like I'm wearing a painting. It looks great with a white wool skirt - or any a-line skirt you can find. I also love to wear it with jeans for a casual yet elegant look.

9) This turtle-neck t-shirt may be my favorite piece in this article. It comes to us from Daniela Vecchi. Daniela knows beauty. She's not afraid to shy away from it even with a t-shirt. Look at the lace accents with the sheer, wool/nylon jersey underneath! The high-color of the turtleneck is exquisite and the rear-zip enclosure is sexy and chic. The two-tone lace is a touch of design genius. I really can't say enough about this piece. I absolutely adore it!

10) I was going to include a basic white short-sleeved tee for the last item. Then, I spotted this Marni t-shirt and fell in love. Yes, I am a fickle, fickle girl when it comes to fashion. There is nothing basic about this t-shirt. It's short-sleeved and made of poplin. The neckline is asymmetrical. The cut is flowing - and flattering to most body types. The design is romantic and feminine. It's an exquisite piece that belongs in anyone's collection, really.

There you have it - ten terrific Italian-made t-shirts. They're not your mamma's or your boyfriend's t-shirts. They're feminine. Flirty. Fun - and fashionable. They work with jeans, skirts and more.

By Domenica DiPiero

Fashion Update February 2008

New Fashion Trends Revealed on High Fashion Week in New York

Head Band

High Fashion Week in New York revealed - the headband is the "hottest" hat! Fine vintage accessories help create a complete image. The headband is not as pretentious as a hat and can be combined with casual styles. However, it will look particularly striking with evening dresses.

_{Models from Left to Right: Sass & Bide, Alexander Wang and Erin Fetherston.}

Bows

Large bows at the neck visually enhances a small chest and attracts attention to your charming face.

_{Models: Charles Nolan, Doo Ri, Alexander Wang}

Purple

Purple is still the fashion's favorite color right now. All shades of purple swayed on the runway during the Fashion Week in New York: from the saturated bright purple (Abaete) to the delicate muted purple (Oscar de la Renta).

_{Models: Diane Von Furstenberg, Abaete and Oscar de la Renta.}

Fishnet

Sexy fishnet stockings is another trend of the Fashion Week in New York. In addition, mesh fabric is added into the blouses.

_{Models: Verrier, Baby Phat and Sass & Bide}

Whiter than White

Most men consider white the sexiest color. It seems like designers listened to their opinion. The abundance of white dresses was blinding at some shows.

_{Models: Abaete, Verrier, and Erin Fetherston.}

Maxi

"Evening dresses must be floor-length" - this is a mandate of the designers at the High Fashion Week in New York. Romantic maxi for a reception or a black-tie dinner? Why not!

_{Models: BCBG, Lela Rose, and Oscar de la Renta.}

Forest Nymphs

Juicy foliage color is still a designer's favorite. Pair it with deep brown and you won't go wrong!

_{Models: Catherine Malandrino, Cynthia Steffe and Doo Ri.}

What We Love from the 80's

Eighties are back. And so are all the consequences: shoulder pads, leggings, and pattern sweaters.

_{Models: Betsey Johnson, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Preen.}

By Daria Kozyr

_{Source for photos: http://omiru.com}