YStyle Picks

Celebrity skin

MANILA, Philippines - Looks like Cameron Diaz has found a new way to occupy her time in between movie sets. The 40-year-old actress has recently taken an undisclosed stake in footwear and accessories brand Pour La Victoire and signed on to become the brand’s artistic director. The last time an actress (Lindsay Lohan) took on this kind of role in a fashion company (Emanuel Ungaro), it was a disaster. But PLV chief executive officer Chris Nakatani and PLV Studio creative director David Giordano are pretty optimistic about the partnership. “We are not going to do a capsule collection that Cameron has her signature on because that doesn’t seem authentic,” Nakatani told WWD. “I’ve seen it done before,” Giordano adds. “But what was exciting was that she wanted to come on staff and be part of the design team.” Diaz has already had a hand in the upcoming PLV campaigns shot by Terry Richardson, featuring Jessica Hart. And, taking a note from J.Crew and Jenna Lyons, this coming fall and holiday season, PLV will launch a campaign called “Cameron’s Picks.” “We want the brand to be accessible for that working girl,” she said. “I work hard for my money. I want it (the collection) to be sensible, whether you have a lot of money or you are scraping together pennies.” Her first collection for the brand will launch next spring.

Rags to anthropologie

It’s another triumph for Reese Fernandez-Ruiz and her eco-ethical handbag label Rags2Riches — the brand’s latest collection was just picked up by the European arm of American retailer Anthropologie. As Ruiz put it in the Rags2Riches blog, the partnership was the result of one thing leading to another: “We are (sic) recipients of the Rolex Young Laureates Award (2010), so Rolex connected us to Vogue UK, who connected us to Anthropologie EU.” Ruiz also posted an exclusive interview with Anthropologie EU’s Olivia Fortune who said, “The story behind Rags2Riches was really compelling — we loved that it brought together different communities from across the Philippines, combining their skills, indigenous and up-cycled fabric in to one finished product. We were excited to see ethically produced, artisanal bags that would live up to our customer’s expectations.” In an interview with Vogue UK, Reese confessed, “Ever since we started, Anthropologie has been on the top of our list as a place to be... We knew that products as intricate and unique as ours, with our own stories to tell, would do well in Anthropologie.” Rags2Riches is available in three Anthropologie outlets in London, with one in Edinburgh and on their online store. The prices range from £58 to £98.

Kate’s Mark

Kate Moss just launched her first line of cellphone and tablet accessories this week in partnership with European mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse. While this may sound a little down-market for the supermodel, she hopes that perhaps her touch might make the collaboration as successful as her previous endeavors with Topshop and Longchamp. “They approached me,” she told Vogue.co.uk. “I looked into it and I realised that there was nothing else like it out there — there was nothing that I liked, anyway — nothing really luxury, nothing really chic.” The collection includes iPhone 4 and 5 cases, Samsung Galaxy S4 cases, Asus tablet cases, and universal tablet and mobile phone pouches. “I was inspired by all the things I love,” she said, including a crocodile-skin Alfred Dunhill lighter and a star-shaped necklace. Each piece also features a small golden anchor, similar to the one tattooed to her wrist. “It was very much about the texture and the detail — a star, a stud, some leather,” she added. The accessories are available online at Carphonewarehouse.com. Prices start at £14.99 and go up to £49.99.

Closing shop

Dolce & Gabbana closed nine of their stores in Milan over the weekend in protest over convictions of evading tax on income of 1 billion euros. The shops were reopened last Monday. The duo was sentenced to prison for one year and eight months last June, which will be suspended until the end of a lengthy appeals process. The two have vehemently denied any wrongdoing from the beginning, and their lawyers were “frankly stunned” by the verdict and are sure that it could be overturned on appeal. The Dolce & Gabbana store staff of 250 will continue to be paid throughout a series of planned closures, which bear the message: “Closed for indignation.” “We are no longer willing to suffer undeservedly the accusations of the financial police and the income revenue authority, attacks from public ministers and the media pillory we have already been subjected to for years,” Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana said in a statement. “We were born in Milan and have always been very grateful to this city. However, it must also be said that in the last 30 years we have given a great deal to this city: prestige and international visibility, jobs and economic development.” The two conclude, “The closing of our shops in Milan is a symbol of our disdain.”