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.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Claire R. Greenway/Getty Images

From what we could tell, only two celebrities’ names were bandied about after the Love Ball last night: Natalia Vodianova, for being the face of the De Beers Magic Moment necklace, and Elizabeth Hurley, for wearing a see-through sari—recalling that 1994 moment when she wore a revealing Versace dress held together with safety pins. There are more celebrity pics in the main part of the Lucire website.

We have more news from several worldwide events. New York Fashion Week news tends to go to print, which is why we are a bit sparing online, though some info will head here. Doug Rimington has shot some lovely photographs for us from London, while Rola Saab will shortly report from Paris and Thomaz from Milano. And we expect to get extra news from De Beers for the Love Ball London, which is being held today.
   By way of preview, the Love Ball is a charity event benefiting the Naked Heart Foundation. The event features an auction, where The Magic Moment Necklace, designed by model Natalia Vodianova and created by de Beers, will be offered alongside art from Marc Quinn, Anselm Reyle and others.
   The Magic Moment Necklace’s central pendant features a 1·1 ct fancy intense pink heart-shaped diamond paired with a 3·06 ct white heart-shaped diamond and hand-set in delicate micropavé. The pendant dances on a chain of white gold studded with white, pink and yellow diamonds (totalling 1·81 ct, 1·65 ct and 1·94 ct respectively); part of the chain is detachable for versatility. The Magic Moment Necklace can be worn either as an intricate statement or a sophisticated pendant, says De Beers.
   Says Vodianova in a release, ‘The Magic Moment Necklace was inspired by that precious instant when two people meet and immediately connect. Two stunning De Beers diamond hearts fit perfectly together becoming one—symbolic of a great love. I was reminded of the famous love poem by Pushkin and of the first playground we opened when I saw the children’s happiness and excitement. That was a magic moment I treasure and I instantly knew that the Naked Heart Foundation would be an integral part of me.’
   For further information about the Love Ball and the Naked Heart Foundation, visit www.nakedheart.org/loveball.

Jewellery Shop Online has been very generous in offering all Lucire readers a 15 per cent discount on all costume and designer jewellery until midnight on March 31, 2010. To qualify for this offer, type in the coupon code LUCIRE on Jewellery Shop Online to claim your discount.
   Owner Susan Salkeld explains, ‘Jewellery Shop Online specializes in bringing variety, colour and glamour to the jewellery accessory market. Our prices are already up to 20 per cent lower than high street shops so a further 15 per cent should be very welcome in these recessionary times—allowing ladies to spoil themselves without feeling guilty!’
   Designer collections include Krystal London, manufacturing exquisite designer jewellery using only the highest grade Swarovski crystals. Designer Kish Vasa has over 20 years of experience.
   Susan has called upon the services of Lola Rose’s leading modern jewellery creator, the highly talented Nicola Gewirtz, to offer pieces which catch the eye with great effect (right). And Gemini has gorgeous Swarovski crystal jewellery with chunky designs available.
   Visit www.jewelleryshoponline.ie to buy.

Above Jewellery from Krystal.

The inquest into Lee McQueen’s death, which opened today at Westminster Coroner’s Court, has found that the 40-year-old designer had hanged himself in his wardrobe.
   McQueen had died of asphyxia and hanging, according to a post mortem, and had left a suicide note.
   Det Insp Paul Armstrong told the coroner, Dr Paul Knapman, that there were no suspicious circumstances, and that McQueen had suicided.
   McQueen, who had been the founder of the Alexander McQueen label, was found by emergency services at his Green Street, Mayfair flat last Thursday morning.
   He had been bestowed the CBE in 2003 and was a four-time winner of the British Designer of the Year award.
   The inquest continues April 28.

Peter Ashworth/www.ashworth-photos.com

Above Milliner Stephen Jones in 2008 (image from the Victoria & Albert Museum).

The Queensland Art Gallery will present an exclusive-to-Australia exhibition, Hats: an Anthology by Stephen Jones, a collaboration between the Victoria & Albert Museum and milliner Stephen Jones, from March 27 to June 27, 2010.
   The exhibition features over 250 hats and headpieces. The Gallery notes there will be ‘a twelfth-century Egyptian fez, a wide-brimmed black silk tulle hat from Christian Dior’s first collection in 1948, Mary Quant’s c. 1968 navy blue béret, and Stephen Jones’s Wash and Go hat from spring 1993.
   ‘It also features hats worn by historical and cultural icons:­ Elsa Schiaparelli’s black felt beret worn by Marlene Dietrich in Witness for the Prosecution in 1957, Philip Treacy’s bridal headpiece created for Camilla Parker-Bowles’s marriage to the Prince of Wales in 2005, and Jones’s own creations such as Mick Jagger’s hat worn for the Rolling Stones’ A Bigger Bang World Tour and Kylie Minogue’s visor headdress on her Showgirl tour.’

Giorgio Armani has dressed Martin Scorsese and Leonardo di Caprio for the première of Shutter Island at the Berlinale, the 60th Berlin International Film Festival, the company has announced.
   The company is a key sponsor of the New York première of the movie, with Armani’s niece, Roberta Armani, attending.
   The cocktail party for the New York première on the 16th is to be held at Armani Ristorante, within Armani Fifth Avenue.

Designer Lee McQueen, better known by his label’s name of Alexander McQueen, has been found dead at his home, a victim of suicide.
   McQueen, 40, had found it difficult to come to terms with his mother’s passing on February 2. Her funeral was scheduled to take place tomorrow.
   His Twitter postings reflected his sombre mood after his February 3 announcement of his mother’s death.
   He was found hanged at his flat in Mayfair around 10.20 a.m. GMT today (February 11).
   The Metropolitan Police has said in a statement that McQueen’s death is not being treated as suspicious.
   His body was taken away from the flat before 5 p.m. GMT.
   His company’s website posted the message, ‘On behalf of Lee McQueen’s family, Alexander McQueen today announces the tragic news that Lee McQueen, the founder and designer of the Alexander McQueen brand, has been found dead at his home.
   ‘At this stage it is inappropriate to comment on this tragic news beyond saying that we are devastated and are sharing a sense of shock and grief with Lee’s family.
   ‘Lee’s family has asked for privacy in order to come to terms with this terrible news and we hope the media will respect this.’
   One of McQueen’s earliest supporters, the magazine editor Isabella Blow, had taken her own life three years ago.
   The designer had come to most people’s attention after he succeeded John Galliano at Givenchy in 1996. He was later hired by the Gucci Group, joining the group in 2000. Gucci had bought a controlling stake in McQueen’s own label.
   McQueen had planned for a spectacular collection at Paris Fashion Week later this season.

Gok’s Fashion Fix will return for its third series this summer as the stylish survival guide to looking great on a budget, production company Remarkable Television has announced.
   The new series will again feature celebrity stylist Gok Wan and fashion buyer Brix Smith-Smart of Smart Boutique. The pair will continue going head to head, with Gok trying to demonstrate that the high-street looks of Smith-Smart can be beaten on a budget.
   Colette Foster, Managing Director of Remarkable Television says in a release, ‘Gok’s Fashion Fix aims to make women feel fantastic, no matter the size of their budget or their body. We love making this show for Channel 4 and a third season underlines the show’s status as a proven hit. It’s a credit to the great team here at Remarkable Television.’
   The six-part series is commissioned by Andrew Jackson of Channel 4, and will be executive-produced by Colette Foster and series-edited by Kitty Walshe.

We know it was a quiet news weekend for the fashion scene, but that’s no need for headlines hinting that supermodel Kate Moss’s earning power has dipped to a “mere” £1 million per annum, as some media are reporting.
   Both the Daily Mail and NineMSN report that Moss’s Skate LLP business earned £1,091,304 last year, based on Companies’ House filings. Compared with the former business, Skate Enterprises, this represents a drop of some £4 million on 2008.
   The Mail even has a ‘financial expert’ commenting to make the story look more legit.
   What is conveniently ignored is that Skate LLP forms only a portion of Moss’s income. It’s more than likely that her 2009 earnings will be close to the $8·5 million that Forbes estimated last May.
   We don’t doubt that Moss’s earning power is not as strong as it was five years ago, but her star has far from faded.
   Even accounting for budgetary cuts, Moss—with endorsement deals with Longchamp, Coty and Topshop—is unlikely to slip below her 2008 Forbes figure of $7·5 million. Each one of these deals is a multi-million-dollar one.

After the hatchback, coupé and estate, Renault will release a Coupé–Cabriolet version of its third-generation Mégane model. It is to be built alongside the Scénic and Grand Scénic models in Douai, France.
   The Mégane Coupé–Cabriolet has a folding hardtop, but with a difference: this time, the roof is all glass, with a transparent glazed area of 0·47 m² (the largest in the segment, claims Renault). The top folds in 21 seconds.
   There are three petrol and three diesel engines at launch for the UK market, along with a dual-clutch system that aims to decrease carbon dioxide emissions.

Bentley has released video of the building of a body-in-white of its new Mulsanne saloon at its factory in Crewe, Cheshire. The flagship model is made from high-strength steel and aluminium, and assembled using a combination of traditional British craftsmanship and robotic tools.
   The body alone takes 125 man-hours to create, according to Bentley, and the cars’ high-quality appearance can only be assured by hand and eye methods impracticable to mass-manufactured vehicles.
   The front wings are superformed by heating aluminium to 500°C and forcing it on to a single surface tool using air pressure.
   ‘The quality of this type of work has earned Crewe’s craftsmen the rare distinction of a medal from the British Institute of Sheet Metal Engineering,’ says Bentley.

Giorgio Armani has released its winter 2010 eyewear collection, all with a slight ’50s–’60s retro style, paying tribute to designs in its archives. The first collection comprises thirteen men’s and one women’s models. (Below are the men’s styles first, with the women’s style at bottom.)

Jane Iredale has introduced its Sample Starter Kit, a good way to get introduced to mineral make-up. The kits are available in Light, Medium and Dark, and feature Amazing base, the best selling PurePressed base, Lip Drink, lip colour, a PurePressed blush, eye shadow, under-eye concealer, lip plumper and three application brushes.
   The kits are available nationally in the UK at £19·95. For stockists, call 44 20 8450-7111 or visit www.janeiredaleuk.eu.

Mini has tried to extend its range while it was under British ownership, but it seems, as with so many things automotive, the Germans have been more successful. BMW has announced that the regular Mini hatch, the Mini convertible and the Mini Clubman will be joined by the five-door Mini Countryman, a taller SUV-style model with more practicality.
   Although BMW has not said so, it’s likely to be joined by a lower, two-wheel-drive model in the near future.
   The new model lacks the cuteness of the originals, but it may be very successful for the lifestyle brand. While it might not get new SUV owners, it might get those who are downsizing and who still want something stylish.
   The Countryman name was originally used by the British Motor Corp. to denote estate car versions of its saloons.