Roberto Cavalli for H&M

High street-designer mania is not settling by any stretch of imagination; while the Josh Goot hysteria at Target yesterday was mildly busy, Swedish chain store H&M today declares the rumours of an H&M cooperation with Roberto Cavalli.

“Fancy yourself as a Cavalli babe next winter – for next to nothing? The Italian designer most famous for dressing Gwyneth, Madonna, Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez is next up to design a one-off collection for H&M – following sell-out-in-seconds collections from Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney and Viktor & Rolf. "Roberto Cavalli has created a world of his own, iconic and full of fantasy, when it comes to colours, prints, and style," says H&M creative director, Margareta van der Bosch. "There is no place for shyness and no possibility of ending up with a mainstream wardrobe of everyday basics. The Roberto Cavalli collections represent an exuberant, successful lifestyle."

YSL Edition 24

Arriving less-than-fabulous-looking after a long haul flight could soon be part of history as YSL’s Edition 24 hits the shelves this month. Stefano Pilati, Head designer of YSL, is responsible for the “Edition 24” collection, which can be assembled into 24 looks, comprising all the elements a woman might need for an overnight trip. Key words are “timeless-ness” and “versatility” which translate into pieces such as patent trench coats, cool safari jackets and tailored tuxedos jackets. There’s also oversized sweaters and chiffon dresses that can be rolled into a ball and tossed into a roller suitcase. Edition 24 will hit all 61 freestanding YSL boutiques worldwide.

“It's not a second line,” says Pilati, and adds “Edition 24 is a way to address fashion in a more accessible way. It's about building a wardrobe; finding everything you need. And it's not necessarily linked to the direction of a season. It will appeal to a broader and younger clientele.”

Sydney Italian Festival

Hidden in "fashion PR City", is where the likes of Spin Communications, and The Arc Factory are located. This is the rim of the entertainment crater for next weekend. Primo Italiano 07 is held on Sunday 3 June.

Fast becoming known as Sydney’s “Little Italy”, the area is rich in 1800’s architecture, epicurean delights, and of course, fashion abounds – though you don’t have to be one of the “beautiful people” to be there.

Around the city fashion wise: Bulgari has opened a new store at 64-68 Castlereagh Street, and the Italian Trade Commission were recently invited to the Sydney Italian Festival, via an evening of iconic Italian brands including Ferragamo, Zegna, and Cavalli. So expect to see again some of these wealthy, dark, tall handsome types.

Like the parks around Firenze, this tiny complex of streets is scented by herbs and car fumes in the day time, and by garlic, jasmine and cigarette smoke in the evening. We recently visited both Trovata and Giardinetto, on Stanley Street. For superb quality, our favourite is Trovata, but for big gargantuan portions and cute atmosphere, go for Giardinetto.

Take your time here next Sunday, and between 11.00am and 5.00pm (& probably later) you’ll find al fresco dining, fresh food markets, music, dancing, street performers, and wine tasting. Be patient – you’ll be one of many.

Turning Back Time at Dolce & Gabbana

Normally you wouldn’t expect to find much in the way of quirky retro-design at Dolce & Gabbana, but it's actually the animal-print-loving designer duo, who are behind this weirdly wonderful “Test Card watch”. Inspired by the first ever BBC “electronically generated test card” (test card G, to be really geeky), it’s certain to get people talking - probably about their childhood. As if a cool design wasn’t enough, this watch has a quartz movement, one-touch backlight, and is water-resistant to 50m - expect flashbacks of Sesame Street on your scuba dive.

The Fashion Week Has Now Left The Building

Oh the chutzpah of fashion! The number of Zoolander expressions, poker faces, and larger-than-life attitudes involved at an event such as RAFW is over powering. Despite a fantastic week, we’re quite happy to have it all over and done with. So, finally back to a normal life...

Johnny Marr & PF Flyers Cure Autism Now

Iconic former lead guitarist of The Smiths and now plays his spangly guitar with Modest Mouse, can add yet another merit to his sparkly cv. Sneaker giant PF Flyers has picked up Johnny Marr to deliver a special edition sneaker due 10 July this year (check it out here). The design, which features dark blue leather with black accents, comes with Marr’s signature laser etched on the tongue.

PF Flyers will be donating all shoes and all money raised directly to charities Cure Autism Now (US) and The Pictor School (UK).

There’s only 108 pairs available in the UK and US so sign up here to get a pair of Marr’s sneakers.

Take No Prisoners, says William Klein

Well they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, though you’d have to wonder if that really is the case for everyone. Reading that maestro John Galliano has been ordered to pay £140,000 in damages, after being found guilty of plagiarism, adds a whole new dimension to the expression.

Louise Roe, Vogue reports: “A court in France ruled that in his current ad campaign, the British designer had copied William Klein's trademark technique of painting over photographs. The creative director of Dior admitted he had been “inspired” by Klein, but denied the charges of plagiarism. According to the Daily Mail, Klein was furious when he first saw the images appearing in glossy magazines, all of which have now been withdrawn from publication. The 79-year-old, who is based in Paris, continued, “I was very bitter and angry when I found out. It felt like a kick in the teeth to the integrity of my work.””

What complete bollocks, we're off to paint over some photographs. Let's hope John hasn't put his paint brushes away for good (ed.).

Gone in Sixty Seconds

“All of a sudden everyone rushed to the roller door and people who were in the back of the queue have all of a sudden secured a place in the front. That caused lot of grief and many women were shouting obscenities at each other. Not a pleasant sight.” Oh the joy of shopping...

SMH reports on the release of Stella McCartney for Target

Vogue for TopShop for Vogue...

Sassy images of Kate Moss in a tie-back tuxedo-waistcoat evening dress, a stripy “busboy” jacket with matching shorts, and a pair of flared satin glam-rock trousers... Well, Vogue’s April issue is likely to give sales figures a serious up-swing through the exclusive interview and fashion-shots of Kate Moss herself. While it's no secret that the fashion-bible is doing better than ever, the transparent co-work that seems to be going on between international fashion sources one another, strikes us as a more interesting observation. Vogue is referring to TopShop, and at the same time the High street chain is encouraging readers to pick up the latest issue of Vogue. Clearly the industry feeds of each other, but it's not often as obvious as this.

Hello Fashionista Bloggers! Adios LMFF Website!

The Melbourne Museum Plaza along with LMFF Fashion Cube are some of the key venues where the most stylish Melbournistas are circling at the moment. We’re referring to L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival, the annual Melbourne event, which (supposedly) has attracted a large number of visitors from all over the world. For instance Topshop retail genius Jane Shepherdson from the UK, who's holding a special business seminar at the end of the week. Designer Jasper Conran teams up with Jane Shepherdson, and a luxury goods consultant from LVMH. Considering such a small profile venue, it isn’t bad going at all. Since the grand opening yesterday, we’ve frantically been logging onto LMFF for a bit of sneak pre-view of exclusive winter fashion. But lo and behold - to our disappointment we were directed to a crappy website that lacked (mostly) of basic information and inspiration generally. Instead we’ve been amazed at these fellow fashionistas who've managed to put together a much more professional coverage already (and we're sure there's more to come soon); take a look at Sassybella’s excellent coverage for instance, and Fashionising who’s got lots of images up already.

High Street Bling

High Street-store-meets-designer-brand is a concept that’s clearly gone somewhat over-board these days. We’re not being snobs here and we’re definitely not whinging about the accessibility. No, we mention this as it is a weird phenomenon where the novelty of buying a designer piece at, say H&M, seems... less exciting because of this. Take the most recent designer collaborations where Stella McCartney’s 42- piece collection for Australian Target is planned to maximise Target’s revenue sale by 24%. Target alone isn’t the only budget brand that’s brought in big names to trigger sales figures. We’re thinking instantly of Adidas, Puma and LeSportsac who’ve all exclusified their products by Stella, Yohji Yamamoti and the likes. Victor and Rolf’s gig with H&M lats spring took dramatic proportions where some stores reportedly sold out in less than 10 minutes. Next in line is Kate Moss for Top Shop and (featured here) Madonna’s collaboration with H&M.

Total Makeover at Belen Echandia

We mentioned Belen Echandia some time ago. This time around Jackie, the brainchild behind the label has been a busy bee working on all sides of her business. Collection-wise she’s doing Italian workshops resulting in tons of exciting additions to the line. Some of the things we love are the additions of luxurious silk fuchsia linings in the bags. PDA pockets and a new logo are other elements we simply adore. The website has had a bit of a face-lift too, adding great visual effects with vivid images and easier navigation.

Hot bags: Hold Me in silver (£160) and Take Me Anywhere in tan (£495)

More from Marvellous Mouret

Reading that French-born Roland Mouret will launch a satellite women’s wear collection, came as thrilling news yesterday. London-based Mouret plan to launch his new line during the next Paris haute couture season in July. The collection will be sold under the ‘RM by the designer Roland Mouret’ label and will comprise 21 ultimate ‘must-have’ pieces which can be ordered for in-store delivery in November. The satellite collection will focus on the iconic dresses, jackets, skirts and coats for which Mouret has become famous.

On the new collection Mouret says: “The idea of this satellite collection is for me to be able to express the most concentrated vision of my ideas of dressing women and to deliver that vision to them in the shortest time possible. This collection will focus on signature silhouettes and key pieces that I believe women demand. I want to celebrate women with this collection - they are my greatest source of inspiration.”

How to Kill a Mocking Bird

While fashion-based characters are projected left, right and center, the most candid and exclusive documentary is soon about to be made; the filming of the documentary of Ms Anna Wintour.

The Director R.J. Cutler, will follow Wintour for the next eight months, chronicling the making of the yearly fashion bible, September Vogue issue. Camera crews will descend upon the halls of Condé Nast in January, and be by her side at her cluttered office at 4 Times Square, as well as trail her at upcoming fashion weeks around the globe. “You see fictionalized versions of Anna all over the place now,” Director Cutler says in an interview. “None of them, of course, are as fascinating as Anna herself.”

All very well Cutler. But in all honesty, why not focus on somebody with character for a change?

Samsonite Black Label by Alexander McQueen

A pound for a penny you’re addicted to style, exquisite details, and travelling. Keep reading if this still fits into your description. So, like us, you’re probably thrilled reading about the new Samsonite bags; an 11-series collection which Alexander McQueen has been working on over the last six months. The collaboration, which symbols a conservative-meets-liberal constallation, has been known to raise a few eye brows over the designer's general fashion design direction. Has McQueen been forced to sacrifice design over practicality? As the 11 pieces are released in shops in early 2007, McQueen has been assuring that his designer statement is both visibly appealing as well as memorable.

“For his first collaboration with Samsonite, he molded one of the suitcases he created around the cast of a human rib cage. Rumour tells us he also dragged a stuffed crocodile into his first meeting with the brand's executives so they could re-create the animal's armour in leather for one of the suitcases. “The rib cage holds everything inside your body — the heart, lungs and soul — while your bag also holds everything that's important to you,” said McQueen. “This is the way I work, having that twist,” added McQueen. “There's also a slightly sick side to it — it's like having a body in a bag.” (ed. note: No shit, Sherlock)

Pushing That Extra Half an Inch

While adding an extra buzz to the magazine circulation, November’s front cover of Harper’s Bazaar has been as ornate as it has been a selling tool. A fresh faced Victoria Beckham, dressed in a slinky golden cami, is of course a reliable sale of a magazine that speaks the language of mainstream-to-upper fashion. And what a handy write-up for Mrs Beckham.

As Posh now releases her second book, the former Spice Girl’s appearance in Harper’s isn’t just a quick win for Alison Veness-McGourty alone. The book, That Extra Half an Inch, which we mentioned some time ago, covers Posh’s own advice on how to make the most of your wardrobe and look extra super-fabulous at all times. “Looking good isn't about money, it's about style”, says Victoria and adds that “style never goes out of fashion”. A statement like this may come across as the usual celeb-babble, but Posh proves she is well respected among both young fans as well as the fashion-circle.

As Posh now is making a serious career of her life-long passion, the first step in the style transformation has been to ditch the hair extensions that have become synonymous with WAG wannabes. Turning up in New York Fashion Week in a new sassy bob, she debuted no less than 10 high-fashion ensembles in the four days she spent there.

Fly on the Wall

Following a success with the world first issue of fashion films, the guys at Inside Fly are back again with another issue of sheer indulgence. This time around, there are 14 fashion films, 7 interviews & documentaries and 10 music videos. Contributing designers are Karl Lagerfeldt, Hussein Chalein, Chloe, Marc Jacobs and John Malkovich to name but a few. Having sold out on the first issue in a matter of weeks (including a collector’s edition, designed by Ryan McGinness), this issue named "Words Remembered" is likely to get a similar response. Get it while you can.

Read Up on Sofia’s Paris

“This city can change your mood completely,” says director Sofia Coppola as she’s guiding New York Times’ Lynn Hirschberg in an exclusive interview/ Paris shopping guide published in New York Times recently. In the guide she’s introducing everything from her favourite chocolate & pastry shops, to specialist seamstresses, where she’s had some of her mother’s YSL shirts from the 1970’s recreated as silk dresses. We'd say this comes pretty damn handy for some fashionistas in the French capital right now.

Portraiting Tom Ford: King of Macaroons

Will Cotton’s portrait of Tom Ford (reported in Fashion Week Daily) is the painting the whole fashion world is chitchatting about right now. The result, as seen here, is a slightly sarcastic-looking Ford in his signature flashy un-buttoned shirt, adorned with a somewhat weird headpiece and pink ribbon. All due respect to Ford’s brave life modeling job, but we don’t think he should give up his day job just yet.

“...The one thing he worried about was the crown Will had constructed for him, which made Tom look like he thought he was the king of 'something'. Fortunately for both parties, Cotton was happy to modify the headpiece, adding a pink ribbon to the crown of macaroons, though Powers noted he was concerned he might stick the designer while pinning it on. “Don’t worry,” Ford reassured. “My head is made out of wood.”

Jonathan Rhys Meyers for Versace

“He still thinks he's ugly, or at least that's what he tells the girls.” The lead-in comment, published in an article on Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ fan website, suggests that the 29-year-old Irish heartthrob is a modest character whose personal view on life hasn’t changed much since starring in Mission: Impossible 3. As the article develops, the journalist reveals another, less discreet side indicating that the county Cork boy, who was brought up in a tiny council flat, turned down a Prada advert some years ago. “It wasn't enough money!” Rhys Meyers admits, and continues that money is a “hugely important” issue for him these days.

As Vogue presents Rhys Meyers as the new face of Versace today, one can only assume that he must have given the whole actor-turns-model appearance a second thought. Photographed by Mario Testino in a New York studio in April, the portfolio of images will run worldwide in select fashion and lifestyle magazines from August onwards.