From top Tesla’s Elon Musk, TAG Heuer CEO Jean-Christophe Babin and Leonardo DiCaprio. Leonardo DiCaprio and J.-C. Babin with the Grand Carrera Pendulum concept watch. Leonardo DiCaprio, J.-C. Babin and TAG Heuer honorary chairman Jack Heuer. The unique TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster.

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio spoke highly of TAG Heuer’s social responsibility in fighting climate change at an event in Basel, earlier this week at the BaselWorld shows.
   TAG Heuer, supporting the NRDC and Green Cross International, launched what it called the Odyssey of Pioneers, a travelling roadshow promoting its timepieces between March and October this year.
   Tesla Motors is supporting the promotion, with a special edition of its Roadster. The TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster led the roadshow, which departed from Basel at dawn today.
   The Odyssey is planned to be the first round-the-world tour by a zero-emission sports car.
   DiCaprio said TAG Heuer has a ‘global mission … to protect our planet.’ He commended the company for its donations to NRDC and Green Cross International which, he says, are part of the company’s business model.
   He made his support for President Barack Obama publicly known, calling him a leader who understands the necessity of a ‘green revolution’.
   At the event, as part of its 150th anniversary, TAG Heuer launched the Grand Carrera Pendulum concept watch, which is the first watch without a hairspring, replacing it with magnetic fields. Over 600 people attended the celebration.

This very attractive estate is the new BMW 5-series Touring, unveiled officially today. It’s more elegant than its predecessor, and has many of the features of the saloon announced last year.
   There is an optional eight-speed automatic transmission to aid fuel economy, and, depending on the model, brake energy regeneration and an automatic start–stop function.
   Other driver aids include a Parking Assistant, collision warning with brake activation in conjunction with active cruise control, lane-change and lane-departure warnings, BMW Night Vision with detection of persons, as well as Head-up Display.
   The BMW 520d Touring reaches 54·3 mpg (5·2 l/100 km) with carbon dioxide emissions of 137 g/km.

We couldn’t let the day pass without showing you some of the Oscar gowns. These images are courtesy Giorgio Armani, who dressed many of the celebrities at the 82nd Academy Awards last night.

   As previewed yesterday in Lucire, Jennifer Lopez’s Giorgio Armani Privé iridescent icy pale pink silk organza evening gown was much talked about by the public, especially on the Tweetstreams. ‘The dress features high-tech, futuristic fabric with a revealing front slit and a crescent-shaped bustier that cascades into a dramatic side train accented by Swarovski rock crystals. The mermaid silhouette gown is part of the 2010 Privé collection inspired by the romance and mystery of the moon,’ says the company.

   Amanda Seyfried wore a Giorgio Armani Privé soft green silk strapless princess ball gown, again with high-tech materials. The gown has a geometric bustier encrusted with Swarovski crystals and a full skirt accented with mesh panel overlays.

   Academy Award winner Hilary Swank attended the Vanity Fair party wearing a Giorgio Armani Privé black gown with Swarovski beading. Swank can get away with a plunging neckline without looking trashy, and continued her smouldering style with a cut-out back on this dress.

Thierry Mugler today announces a new website, Womanity.com, which aims to connect women in an interactive platform.
   The idea behind Womanity.com is to spark creative exchange between women, says the company, ‘where members can share knowledge, trade experiences, express their creativity, and—above all—have fun.’ Members are invited to share video, photography, and writings with one another.
   The site will also include special guest contributors from the literary, artistic, journalistic, cinematic and fashion industries. It is online today, with full functionality expected by June.
   The site appears to have been developed with the cooperation of Microsoft, whose copyright notice features at the foot of the web page. At first glance, it has a fairly complex appearance.
   In 2007, Thierry Mugler introduced the Blogalaxy, where fans could set up their own blogs to share experiences about the brand. It also created the Island of Dr Muglerstein on Second Life. It has been using ecommerce since September 2007.

It’s easy to forget that the Oscars were not the only awards for the Hollywood set over the last few days. Last Friday, Film Independent had its 25th Spirit Awards, championing independent film at an awards’ ceremony where the word Avatar was not uttered. (Interestingly, The Hurt Locker was in the running last year.)
   While our article has some photographs, the video below supplied by Piaget has even more celebrities, including Mariah Carey and Pierce Brosnan.

Giorgio Armani has shown a drawing of the dress it has supplied for Jennifer Lopez at the 82nd Academy Awards tonight.
   Lopez will present wearing a Giorgio Armani Privé iridescent icy pale pink silk organza evening gown, says the label. ‘The dress features high-tech, futuristic fabric with a revealing front slit and a crescent-shaped bustier that cascades into a dramatic side train accented by Swarovski rock crystals.’
   Other celebrities that Armani is dressing include Amanda Seyfried, Hilary Swank, Eugenia Silva, George Clooney, Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds), Steve Martin, Samuel L. Jackson, Sean Penn, John Travolta, Robin Williams and Lawrence Bender (producer, Inglourious Basterds). Apolo Ohno, Adrien Brody, Cory Montieth, J. C. Chasez and Jordi Mollà will attend Oscar-night parties wearing clothing from the Armani labels.

The venue is filled with only standing room. The lights are dim and a mystical tune fills the air. While the crowd glares at the stage, a slender silhouette appears in the background. As the light shines more brightly, the crowd is progressively enchanted by a sleek, dark-haired model with an unusual grin. Her movements are dramatic and flamboyant. Walking slowly toward the throng, she is vintage glam personified. Who is she? Her name is Monica Palatnikov.
   At first glance, Palatnikov is strikingly more reserved than most models with her résumé. She has loads of print ad, runway, film, and even theatre credits under her belt. This 23-year-old Russian beauty is more than just a pretty face. Born and currently living in San Francisco, she’s recently been showing up on advertisements and runways in the Bay Area.
   Wearing a simple graphic T and dark denim jeans, Palatnikov has the casual style that makes you think she’s too down-to-earth to be a model. But, as a new and fresh-faced local choice of many designers, she has a distinct and refreshing look about her. At a very young age, she knew modelling was her destiny when she played dress up, just as any little girl in her mother’s clothing. There was something about the way a garment made her feel when she slipped into it, allowing her to transform any mood into exuberant.
   Palatnikov shows a wide range of versatility in her modelling—from Lever 2000 soap and tequila commercials to Davidoff cigarette ads. So, she may very well be a household face already to some people.
   She’s received adoration for her almost theatrical expressions while on the runway, which has paid off from formal training at acting school. Although she enjoys having fun on stage and is passionate about modelling, Palatnikov’s equable temperament is fine-tuned by the people she surrounds herself with daily. ‘My family is very supportive as long as my career doesn’t consume me,’ she says.
   The clothing isn’t the only part that’s remembered in a fashion show, it’s also the model’s presence and energy exuded while on the runway. ‘I love how all eyes are on me while the audiences watch the clothing look even more stunning than just lying on a shelf in retail stores. It’s that personality of the model that really makes it,’ says Palatnikov.
   One thing is certain, this young lady has absolute staying power. Why do we love her? Maybe it’s because she mesmerizes you with her hazel eyes and innocent glow. It might also be the fact that she’s a professional ballroom-dancing, Japanese-speaking, health science major. Palatnikov is clearly well-rounded and has the essence of a seasoned supermodel. So, be sure to look out for her, whether it’s in a TV commercial, at the theatre or, better yet, on the runway.

Normally, we don’t profile concept cars in Lucire: cars that appear at shows but are not available to the public. They usually demonstrate the company’s advanced thinking, but they tend not to be things we can buy for some years.
   However, we’ll make an exception for the Porsche 918 Spyder concept shown at the Salon de Genève. This mid-engined sports car is a hybrid that can see 100 km/h in 3·2 seconds, weighs less than 1,400 kg, and has carbon dioxide emissions at a possible 70 g/km. Excuse the cheesy voiceover, claims of ‘Porsche DNA’ and the soundtrack: the message itself is more important here.

Nintendo knows how to engage the tech-savvy, as the idea of having an online fashion store as part of a gaming environment steadily becomes mainstream. Those who own its Style Savvy game for the DS can, as of March 1, access fashions from Deréon, the fashion line created by Beyoncé and her mother, Tina Knowles.
   Players with internet access can choose from five real-life designs for the clientèle in the game. Below are an interview with Beyoncé and some behind-the-scenes footage.