Supermodel Hélèna Christensen proves that she still has recognition and appeal as she becomes the latest model for American intimate apparel company Bali.
   In the new online, print and TV campaign, Christensen introduces the Bali Comfort-U back design.
   The new advertising campaign has been created by Kraftswork NYC. The first TV commercial aired March 15 on ABC’s All My Children.

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.

MAC has unveiled its latest Viva Glam campaign, featuring Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper. Proceeds from the sale of its Viva Glam VII lipsticks will benefit the MAC Aids Fund.
   The spring 2010 edition sees two new lipstick shades, with a light coral red lustre bearing Lauper’s name and a light blue–pink lustre with Lady Gaga’s.
   The collection hits counters on March 1, retailing at NZ$40.
   The MAC Aids Fund will announce $2·5 million in new donations to fund model programmes that address the vulnerabilities and inequities that place women at increased risk for HIV and Aids, says the company.
   To date, the MAC Aids Fund has already raised over $150 million to combat HIV and Aids.
   ‘I think it’s absolutely insane that some people have fewer rights than others, and I’m grateful that MAC has decided to focus on women while I’m a Viva Glam spokesperson. I have so much to say and so much to share, and I’m going to let my lips and lipstick do the talking!’ says Lauper in a release.
   ‘I’ve been familiar with the campaign and have been wearing MAC since I was 10 years old. To be joining the likes of iconic former Viva Glam spokespeople is an honour. My new Viva Glam lipstick colour is amazing. It’s very me—a bluish pink, great for every day, a little bit ’80s. I hope that women buy this lipstick, and honour themselves and honour the cause,’ says Lady Gaga.

Looks like it’s finally farewell to New York Fashion Week at Bryant Park, something that we’ve heard mooted for years. The spring 2011 shows will be at Lincoln Center.
   The Daily Front Row is doing a commemorative issue (above) to say au revoir to the venue, which has been the home to every New York Fashion Week this title has covered—would you believe it’s been 11 years for us?
   In September, the shows move to Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center.
   Lucire is having a low-key fall 2010 presence, but will gear up for a larger one for the spring shows.

Sports Illustrated has tried to tie in digital content more closely with its latest Swimsuit Issue than before, with a cooperation with Jagtag.
   By sending a photo of the image at left, users will be able to get swimsuit videos via MMS to their phones.
   Videos feature Brooklyn Decker from the cover shoot, Olympian Lindsay Vonn, Bar Rafaeli, Jessica White, the 2010 “rookies” and more.
   Jagtag claims that its technology will work with 90 per cent of cellphones in the US.

Brooklyn Decker, who appeared in a Lucire swimwear shoot by Jon Moe some years ago, has scored herself an even higher-profile accolade: the cover of the 2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
   The Ohio-born model appears on the cover in a shoot in the Maldives, photographed by Walter Iooss Jr.
   The issue also features models Bar Refaeli, Hilary Rhoda, Julie Henderson, Rookies Christine Teigen and Dominique Piek, US Olympians Lindsey Vonn, Hannah Teter and Lacy Schnoor, US Dancing with the Stars’ Cheryl Burke and Edyta Sliwinska, women’s tennis sensation Ana Ivanovic, and World Cup WAGs in body paint.
   As cover model, Decker joins a legacy of supermodels who have adorned the cover including Kathy Ireland, Cheryl Tiegs, Hiedi Klum, Elle Macpherson, Tyra Banks and Petra Nemcova. Many of these covers were shot by Iooss who, with the addition of this year, has eleven SI Swimsuit covers to his name.
   The online complement, SI.com/Swimsuit, features more than 1,400 photos and 100 videos of the models taken during shoots spanning six countries: Chile, Portugal, India, the Maldives, Canada and the US.
   Decker began appearing in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2006 and has appeared in every year since.

Ryan McGinley

Levi’s and Opening Ceremony have announced a co-branded venture with a US-made range of cords. The spring 2010 collection, entitled Levi’s Cords by Opening Ceremony, takes the Levi’s 505 jean as a base and introduces a new palette of colours including teal, fuchsia, lavender, olive, curry, navy and optical white.
   In addition to the unisex corduroys, there are unisex cut-off shorts, unisex button-down shirts and men’s and women’s trucker jackets.
   Photographer Ryan McGinley shot the campaign.

If you haven’t helped already, or would like to again, please do what you can for the victims of the Haïti earthquake. Mia Farrow appears in this latest PSA for UNICEF with some sober reminders of the situation.

Tickets have just gone on sale for Naomi Campbell’s Fashion for Relief fashion show, to take place during the fall 2010 collections at New York Fashion Week.
   Taking place on February 12 at 7 p.m., tickets cost between $100 and $150 and are available via Ticketmaster.com.
   The runway show will be hosted by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, and will feature internationally recognized designers, celebrities and VIPs. All the donated garments will be auctioned online at Net-a-Porter starting February 15. The donation is tax deductible and 100 per cent of the event ticket sales will benefit CARE.

Above, from top The venue at the Friedrichstadt Palast, Berlin. The Trio Style Nite team. On the stage. Below Trio creative director Reinhard Olschowsky.

While we did not attend Berlin Fashion Week, we did get some images courtesy of Trio Hair & Company.
   Last Friday, to conclude Berlin Fashion Week, Michalsky held his Style Nite.
   Michalsky did what he did best: be the showman. His autumn–winter 2010 show featured a stage-musical production on German history. Trio worked backstage on the hair.
   Trio also worked on the hair for Lala Berlin and Kaviar Gauche.

Knitwear label St John has shown the first of its advertisements featuring model Karen Elson, 30, who has replaced Angelina Jolie as the brand’s face.
   Elson, who is well known to fashion-watchers, is the wife of musician Jack White.
   St John CEO Glenn McMahon said it was time for a break from actresses and blondes, referring to Jolie and St John’s original model, Kelly Gray, the daughter of one of the founders and a former creative director at the company.
   McMahon also wanted a model that would not overshadow the brand, which had not been the case with Jolie.
   Jolie’s contract with St John had ended amicably in 2008 and there was no controversy, contrary to the reports in gossip magazines.
   Photographer Greg Kadel shot the latest campaign.

Afingo (www.afingo.com) says its new website, newly launched this month, will connect fashion designers directly to their audiences in a social network.
   ‘For consumers, Afingo.com will give exclusive access to learn about the latest fashion trends directly from their favourite designers. Designers and retailers can share behind-the-scenes industry information with customers in exchange for immediate consumer reviews and opinions,’ says its release today.
   ‘The multi-functional fashion portal allows consumers to offer input directly to designers and retailers about their collections, provides designers with necessary information to give consumers exactly what they want, assists retailers by selling products directly to consumers and helps “in the biz” suppliers to develop a thriving business.’
   Consumers will be able to rate designs from their profile pages, while designers can post look books and give information on when new products become available to the public.
   The site will also connect retailers, providing store location information and contact with designers.
   Basic membership is free, with VIP access for consumers beginning at US$49 per annum. Designers and retailers can expect a fee of US$29·99 per month or US$299 per annum beginning in February.
   The site has been founded by Canadian-born Liza Deyrmenjian. Moe Somani serves as COO.

Tyra Banks has announced that her daytime talk show will end, with the last episodes to be made in the spring.
   Even after the end of production, the show will continue to air for 2010–11, though with best-of episodes, says Variety.
   The Tyra Show began in 2005, and has won Daytime Emmys in 2008 and 2009.
   Banks says her plans after the show ends will be to focus on a new film company, Bankable Studios. In addition, she would continue to be involved with reality series America’s Next Top Model and True Beauty.

Looks like 2010 will begin with more celebrity fragrances.
   As revealed earlier this month, Beyoncé Knowles’s Heat, for Coty, will launch in February, with hints of red vanilla orchid, magnolia, neroli and blush peach.
   From being a L’Oréal Paris face to having a scent of her own, Eva Longoria-Parker will launch Eva by Eva Longoria, an eau du parfum, in the spring. The scent has been developed by Falic Fashion Group.
   Longoria-Parker says that the fragrance will be light, after having had allergic reactions to other perfumes, she told Women’s Wear Daily.

Above Kayaking in San Francisco Bay is one of the top 10 New Year’s events on TripAdvisor’s ‘extreme’ list.

TripAdvisor has announced its top 10 extreme New Year’s events for those seeing in 2010 in the US and Europe.
   And Tampa, Fla. is the site’s last-minute bargain destination, with hotel rates of US$139. New York, meanwhile, is the most ‘extremely’ priced, at US$619.
   1. ‘Nude’ Year’s Eve, Miami, Fla., USA. For those who can’t decide what to wear for the big night, Miami’s ‘Nude Year’s Eve’ celebration on Haulover Beach lets 500 bold travellers ditch the threads and go au naturel. Who needs a full moon to gaze at, when you’re surrounded by fellow moon-ers who dare to bare? All-inclusive tickets cost US$129.
   2. Loony dip, Edinburgh, Scotland. Part of the world-famous Hogmanay celebration, this year marks the 24th annual Loony Dook, a freezing, watery wake-up call in Edinburgh on New Year’s Day. At noon, more than 600 ‘Loonies’ parade in their fancy dress behind a band of pipers before taking a dip into the chilly waters of the River Forth.
   3. Light a torch, Girdwood, Alaska, USA. Strap on the skis, grab hold of a fiery pole, and join hundreds of intrepid skiers as they traverse down Mount Alyeska’s slopes in the darkness at 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Officially called a Torchlight Parade, this tradition is open only to participants 14 years or older who are intermediate level skiers and snowboarders.
   4. Festive freefall, Zephyrhills, Fla., USA. Travellers—or fliers to be exact—can literally get the party jumping with a midnight skydive from 14,000 ft. This year, some 600 skydivers from across the world are expected to jump over Zephyrhills as part of the Christmas and New Year’s Skydive Boogie, run out of Skydive City at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.
   5. Party with paddles, San Francisco, Calif., USA. To participate in a unique New Year’s Eve celebration offshore, up to 30 travellers can sign up with City Kayak, a local tour company, to paddle around San Francisco Bay while experiencing the city’s best view of the fireworks. First-time kayakers are prohibited, and tickets start at US$97 for adults and US$87 for kids.
   6. Sea of orange, Scheveningen, Den Haag, Netherlands. At noon on New Year’s Day, the North Sea off of Scheveningen Beach will take on a brighter hue, when 10,000 daring participants wearing vibrant orange hats and quirky garb descend upon Den Haag’s popular seaside resort district for the annual Nieuwjaarsduik, or New Year’s Dive. Thick-skinned swimmers will endure frigid sea temperatures for a good cause, as €1 per participant will be donated to a local charity.
   7. The other bubbly, Torrevieja, Spain. For those truly looking to soak up the New Year, Max Scuba Diving in Torrevieja plans to host an underwater dive in support of Project Aware, a foundation dedicated to conserving underwater environments. The splash down takes place after dark and is open to any level of certified diver. All proceeds for this event will go to Project Aware.
   8. Celebratory sprint: New York, NY, USA. For the über-passionate runners out there, or those just looking to work off holiday meals, the Emerald Nuts Midnight Run four-mile race through Central Park is an ideal New Year’s Eve event. With a fireworks’ show and costume parade thrown into the mix, this celebration is expected to bring out 5,000 jolly joggers beginning at 10 p.m. Entry fees range from US$35 to US$55.
   9. Pucker up, Venezia, Italy. On New Year’s Eve, more than 60,000 people will welcome 2010 by locking lips in San Marco Square as part of Love 2010, the world’s largest communal kiss. A unique way to warm up and get your heart thumping, this annual event aims to be a worldwide symbol of love, peace and brotherhood.
   10. A nose for New Year’s, Barcelona, Spain. With the goal of ending 2009 in ‘the most sporting way possible,’ the city of Barcelona expects more than 4,300 “noses” to hit the pavement for a 10 km road race on December 31 at 5.30 p.m. Called the Cursa dels Nassos, or Race of the Noses, the event is named after the man of many noses of Catalan legend who only appears on New Year’s Eve. Registration is open until December 27 and costs €12 to participate.