Amy Winehouse Gets Own Inspires Someone Else's Clothing Line

By TatianaTheAnonymousModel | May 22, 2009 | 3:30pm

Funny, this picture of Amy Winehouse looking “healthy and stylish” still looks off. British label PPQ is bringing the troubled singer’s long-rumored fashion line to fruition — if you count PPQ “providing all materials and doing the design,” as anything like having your own collection. [This is London]
Here are about 500 words on how Michelle Obama sometimes lets the press know what she is wearing, and sometimes doesn’t. [WWD]
Designers at Sao Paulo Fashion Week have agreed to cast a minimum 10% quota of models of African or indigenous South American descent. Last year, only 2.3% of the models — 8 girls out of 344 — were non-white. The quota will be enforced by a hefty $120,000 fine. [BBC]
In more news from the annals of New York real estate envy, Sally Singer, fashion news and features editor of American Vogue, lives in an eclectic apartment in the Chelsea Hotel. [The Selby]
Pat McGrath, one of the sweetest and most talented makeup artists around, was in New York to publicize Dolce & Gabbana‘s new makeup line, which she helped develop. What McGrath would like most, however, would be the fountain of youth in a pill, or her own, namesake line, like François Nars, Laura Mercier, and Bobbi Brown. One of those things just might come true, in a just world. [NY Times]
Since Gisele and Tom got married and became 78% more boring, voilà: your new model/quarterback couple is Hilary Rhoda and Mark Sanchez of the Jets. [P6]
Complicated modern woman Miuccia Prada: “If you compare with philosophy, [fashion] is frivolous, but frivolity may be something good, something that is part of our lives, so I don’t dislike it and what I like is the mix, that in your life you can have serious things, [and] more frivolous ones…Beauty is not something that is contrary; it is the right of everybody.” [CNN]
Thierry Mugler earned a kind of fashion comeback when Beyoncé chose him to design the costumes for her current world tour. And why not? Cinched waists, severely cut skirts, and padded shoulders are everywhere now. While Mugler has no plans to re-start his label, which he had already sold to Clarins long before he quit designing in 2000, this profile explains just how a ballet dancer from Strasbourg came to fashion prominence, via driving a van around Afghanistan and living in the Haight-Ashbury in the late 60s. Interesting start for a man who’s made all his money from perfume since 1992. [Telegraph]
“I don’t like most perfumes,” says Nicole Miller. Which is why she had to make another one of her own! Perfectly logical really. [WWD]
And Armani, too, has a new perfume. His scent pays tribute to his muses. [WWD]
How does El Museo Del Barrio in New York raise funds? Why, by getting Isabel and Ruben Toledo to tutor students from Spanish Harlem in art, and then auctioning their work — “portraits of Latin icons like Salvador Dalí and Christina Aguilera,” reports Style.com. Also, by throwing a kick-ass party where Gloria Estefan took the stage. [Style.com]
Burberry, which moved into the space vacated by New York magazine on Madison Avenue, will turn on its big neon sign next Thursday. Designer Christopher Bailey and CEO Angela Ahrendts will fly in from London for the vernissage. Neon signs of this type aren’t normally permitted in that part of Midtown, but because of New York‘s iconic sign, now dismantled, Burberry has a rare opportunity to grandfather its own in. [HintMag]
Oh, how cute. The Daily Mail have an anonymous fashion mole. Today, s/he reveals that — gasp — models aren’t paid very much (but do get to meet a lot of the rich menz, which we of course totally love, since we’re all privileged alphas doing this to snag hubbies anyway) and are often required to change their names. For practical reasons, such as our agencies not wanting four “Jennifers” on their books. Shocking. [Daily Mail]
Aeropostale‘s profit for the first quarter grew a whopping 81% on last year. Sales were up 21%, and same-store sales jumped by 11%. [The Street]
First quarterly profits at Gap Inc. dropped by 14%. [WSJ]
Aquascutum‘s chief executive Kim Winser has resigned after the rejection of her bid to buy out the company. [WWD]
Designer denim sales are one thing that is not going soft in the current economic climate — high-end jeans sales grew by 2.3% in the quarter just ended. [LA Times]
Brooks Brothers luggage: launching just in time to take to Southampton for the opening of the summer place. What a relief! [WWD]
Linda Morand, who runs this website — probably the best compendium of 60s fashion magazines out there, and the members who scan and post to it care about identifying models to boot — is to be one of the producers of a two-hour television tribute to the supermodels of the last six decades. The idea is to make it an annual event, and impanel judges of industry prominence to induct models into it. I can’t lie; I would probably watch this. Especially if it turns out better than the Vogue/VH1 Fashion Awards. God knows I’ve happily killed far more than two hours on MiniMadMod60s. [PR Newswire]