Alexa Chung's M&S Return

If you were a fan of the first Archive by Alexa collection for Marks & Spencer, start plotting your shopping list now, as the high-street store has announced that it has lured Ms Chung back for a second instalment of the wildly popular edit.

This time entitled Winter Archive By Alexa, the 27-piece collection was once again inspired by the M&S archive, with Chung working with the design team to ensure that the buzz around this collection will mirror the first when it becomes available on November 1 in stores nationwide, as well as online.

1. What made the first Archive by Alexa collaboration so successful?
I think there is such love for M&S within Britain. It really is an institution and one that has clothed us all at some point in our lives. So first and foremost I think there was a desire for it to do well, for people to be proud of this high-street shop they have long held a soft spot for.

2. Did you see people wearing it in the street and how did it make you feel?
Oh yeah all the time! It is truly fascinating to be able to observe how people take something and make it their own. That's what I love the most. Reinterpretation and context. I felt very proud whenever I saw someone with one of our archive pieces on because it meant it was relatable and current, which is exactly what I was hoping for.

3. Is there more pressure with something like this second time around?
I'm sure there is but I haven't had much time to think about it. During the process of assembling the collection I'm just focused on the clothes themselves, but definitely once it's all been made I start pranging out and wondering whether anyone will like it.

4. How does it feel to have the kind of selling power that you do with projects such as this and items that you endorse and wear?
I haven't zoomed out that much, I still just dress according to what I find exciting or what I'm in the mood for and sometimes that has a knock-on effect and more often than not it doesn't.

5. If you had to choose one piece from the collection, what would it be?
Oh man, this time round that's difficult because I keep changing my mind. I stole the polkadot halter dress from the shoot so I suppose that might be a favourite because if it isn't then I'm a thief for no good reason. A rebel without a cause.

Wool And The Gang

Prince Charles is well aware that his Campaign for Wool might not be first on the agenda for fashion people launching into a month of international collections – so he forced it into the headlines yesterday with an event at Dumfries House featuring Max Whitlock, performing his Olympic medal-winning routine on a dining room table wearing a wool suit by designer Paul Smith – who then engaged in a water fight with Conde Nast president Nicholas Coleridge (to prove the natural water resistance of wool); and a viewing of the brilliant Slowing Down Fast Fashion film made by Blur’s bassist Alex James, before Livia Firth took to the stage to talk about the ethics of wool.

“If you want beautiful, sustainable fashion, why settle for anything less?” said Firth - and it was difficult not to agree after the advantages of wool had been displayed and discussed in all their glory: naturally renewable, biodegradable, breathable, fire resistant, odour resistant, water resistant and polar opposite to the toxic manmade versions of it that are causing such environmental havoc.

Pledging to act as patron for another five years to the Campaign for Wool he launched eight years ago to promote wools use in fashion and homewares and prevent it being entirely monopolised by unnatural alternatives, Prince Charles was in flying form, joking with guests - who included David Gandy - and happily being pulled around the room by a characteristically effusive Paul Smith who wanted everybody to shake hands with “the boss”. But his serious point was clear.

“There is still a lot of work to be done,” he said, acknowledging that fashion designers today are using considerably more wool in their collections than they were a decade ago. “As someone who cares deeply about the environmental impact of life and the effects on our countryside, I urge you all to continue your fantastic work to build on the great achievements of this campaign.”

The event was sponsored by M&S whose CEO, Steve Rowe, spoke at length about his company's dedication to positive environmental practices and showed a brilliant M&S advert from the Sixties extolling the virtues of "Double-O L", James Bond-style, that would surely have viral potential should it be released today):

And it also featured a rousing keynote speech by Allan Savory, president and co-founder of The Savory Institute of Holistic Land Management, that couldn't fail to get those not yet enthused by the sustainability conversation on board.

“Get the knowledge of these issues to the public in any way that you can,” he said, having explained in great detail about the ravaging effects that the elimination of livestock has had on the planet already. “I liken life to a game of cricket: we all have just one innings and I am nearing the end of mine but many of you are just beginning yours. So play the innings of your life for team humanity.”

Lady Gaga And Florence Welch Collaborate

Bowie and Jagger, McCartney and Jackson, Madonna and Britney - when musical greats come together to collaborate, the world pays attention. And, this morning, the news of a joint venture between Lady Gaga and Florence Welch has got the internet buzzing.

“There’s a feature on the album that I think you will be very excited about," Lady Gaga revealed to Radio 1's Breakfast Show host Nick Grimshaw as she discussed her forthcoming release. “Me and Florence Welch did a duet together. I started to work on an idea for a song that I really wanted to do with a girl. You’ll see why when you see what the song is about."

“I just thought, ‘Who do I want to sing with?’" the Bad Romance singer continued. "She’s really to me, if not the best, one of the greatest vocalists in the world. She’s incredible.”

Welch, more commonly referred to by her band name Florence and The Machine, dropped a hint on social media recently about the collaboration - which started trending on Twitter within minutes of the announcement. After she shared a photograph on Instagram of herself leaning against a blue Ford Bronco, eagle-eyed fans noted that it was likely to be Lady Gaga's, leading to speculation that the award-winning artists were recording together.

It is the second big partnership for Lady Gaga, who unveiled her new songPerfect Illusion on the radio show this morning, of late. She confirmed the rumours several weeks ago that she is set to star in Bradley Cooper's directorial debut, A Star Is Born.

Net-A-Porter Appoints Managing Director

Yoox Net-A-Porter Group has appointed Matthew Woolsey as the new managing director of Net-A-Porter, it announced this morning.

Formerly executive vice president of digital for Barneys New York (where he oversaw the tripling of Barneys’ digital business in four years), Woolsey will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the womenswear e-commerce site and will oversee "the content, marketing and buying functions", according to a statement from the group.

"Matthew is an outstanding talent with a track record of excellence in areas core to our business. His background in journalism, tech and e-commerce defines him as a true 21st-century leader with a clear vision of how best to harness technology to enhance service and customer experience," said Alison Loehnis, president of Net-A-Porter and Mr Porter. “Matthew's understanding of both an American and international luxury fashion customer will serve him well in his new role managing Net-A-Porter's global business.”

Woolsey joins the company a year after it merged with Federico Marchetti's Yoox Group. His appointment also comes shortly after the company unveiled its five-year plan in July, which has an emphasis on confirming its position as "the world's most global fashion e-tailer".

"I am delighted to join Net-A-Porter and build on its track record of continuously reinventing luxury retail. The creativity and desire of the team to set new standards will allow us to bring new experiences to our brands and customers," said Woolsey this morning.

Salvatore Ferragamo Announces New Design Director

Salvatore Ferragamo has confirmed that Paul Andrew is its new design director of women's footwear as of today.

"Salvatore Ferragamo has been an iconic reference for shoe design and craftsmanship for nearly a century. It is a great honour to be invited to lead the creative vision for the future of its women's shoe division, where the legend began," the designer - who was the recipient of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2014 - said of the announcement. "I look forward to bringing a new perspective to the company in line with the demands of today's marketplace, marrying the power of its heritage and industrial force with high design and the latest innovations in material and make."

Andrew will continue to design for his eponymous footwear label, which he founded in 2013, as he steps into his new role. He will reveal his first collection for the Italian fashion house for pre-autumn/winter 2017.

"We are excited to welcome such a dynamic and established talent into the Ferragamo company. We have a proud history of nurturing design talent and we believe that Paul's credo very much matches the spirit at the heart of our house," Ferruccio Ferragamo, the brand's president, said of Andrew's appointment. "Together with Paul, we look forward to continuing our celebration of women and outstanding design, and writing a new chapter in our history."

The news comes a month after Salvatore Ferragamo's long-standing CEO, Michele Norsa, stepped down following 10 years with the brand, with Eraldo Poletto taking the helm.

Fashion Week Cheat Sheet

As fashion month kicks off, it is apparent that this is the season of change – from new creative directors and new bases, to the rising stars and show-stopping shake-ups. Get your head around what the fashion crowd will be talking about in New York, London, Milan and Paris over the coming weeks, below.

Switch UpAs the year of fashion musical chairs draws to a close, this season will see a number of recently appointed creative directors show their debut collections for their new houses. Saint Laurent’s Anthony Vaccarello (who was named as Hedi Slimane’s successor in April) will show the much-anticipated fruits of his first few months at the fashion house, as will Maria Grazia Chiuri for Dior following her appointment in July. This will be a season of firsts for Grazia Chiuri, as she is the only woman to ever take the helm at the French label and it will also be the first collection that she will show without her long-term design partner Pierpaulo Piccioli (who will present his first solo vision for Valentino.) Lanvin’s show this season will be led by new creative director Bouchra Jarrar, who replaced Alber Elbaz at the house after he was controversially ousted last year.

The Waiting GameSome confirmed debuts will keep us holding on a little longer than others – Calvin Klein is showing a small presentation by its in-house design team ahead of Raf Simons unveiling his first collection in February, while Diane von Furstenberg, who appointed Jonathan Saunders as creative director in May, will be holding private appointments only. Although it recently named Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia as co-creative directors, Oscar de la Renta had its in-house team finish its spring/summer 2017 collection following Peter Copping’s departure, so the fashion world will also have to wait until next year for their offering. And, while Versus Versace remains on the schedule this season, it will be without the leadership of Anthony Vacarello whose replacement is yet to be announced.

Who's Missing?A few favourites are missing from the roster all together, such as Vetements and Public School who have opted to show in January and June (normally reserved for pre and resort) rather than February and September in order to align more closely with when the collections will actually hit shops. Vivienne Westwood has also taken herself off the schedule, as she confirmed plans last month to show her menswear and womenswear lines together in January.

See-Now, Buy-NowAnswering the adage, “When do we want it? Now!”, the hot topic of the industry of late is the dramatic shift towards see-now, buy-now – the new fashion-show model in which brands make the collections available to buy straight from the catwalk. Burberry, Tom Ford, Tommy Hilfiger, and Topshop are among those that will adopt it this month, with special plans in place – such as the latter’s pop-up market stall outside its East London venue – to mark the change. Thakoon will return this season, following a hiatus in February, to adopt the new format, whilst Michael Kors and Prada will be selling capsule collections of accessories from their runways after the shows.

X + YSee-now, buy-now is not the only transformation that some brands are undertaking this season – Tom Ford, Burberry, Rag & Bone and Bottega Veneta are also opting to present their menswear and womenswear collections together, as opposed to separating them into the usually distinct single-sex fashion weeks.

ShowstoppersTommy Hilfiger’s show is receiving one of the biggest buzzes of the season thanks to its fairground theme – 40-foot ferris wheel and all – on New York’s South Street Seaport. Its collaborative collection, Tommy X Gigi, makes its runway debut as it becomes available to buy immediately, following the online preview last month. Elsewhere, Burberry bids farewell to its Kensington Gardens base, moving to Soho’s Makers House where, during the week of the show, a selection of craftsmen will showcase installations inspired by the collection, while Topshop will set up home at the East London landmark Old Spitalfields Market, appropriately hosting pop-up stalls so that the collection can be snapped up as soon as the finale finishes. Proving that they are well and truly adopting the consumer-facing model, these brands are making parts of their presentations or show spaces open to the public. As ever, the usual runway extravaganzas can also be expected from the likes of Dolce & Gabbana, Dsquared2 and Versus Versace.

Pastures Old And NewContinuing the season shake-ups, there are plenty of time and venue moves going on – Giorgio Armani is taking Emporio to Paris, though his eponymous brand will remain on the Milan schedule (in the Sunday slot usually filled by Emporio); Ralph Lauren, Anya Hindmarch and Marc Jacobs are among the fashion houses taking up new time slots – the latter of whom, like Burberry, says goodbye to its longtime Park Avenue base to show at the Hammerstein Ballroom. However, there are some returns to former pastures - Alexander McQueen’s show is in Paris again this season, having had a temporary slot in London in February; Tom Ford is back in New York; and Versus Versace and MM6 Maison Margiela return to the London line-up.

In With The NewAs well as a few familiar faces coming back, there are a host of new names to get excited about this September. Molly Goddard – who Rihanna thrust to global prominence when she stepped out in the designer’s acid-green tulle dress earlier this year – makes her solo runway debut, as do Huishan Zhang and Teatum Jones. At Fashion East, rising star Matty Bovan has been added to the existing line-up of Richard Malone, Mimi Wade and AV Robertson. Meanwhile, Frankfurt-born Paula Knorr’s glamorous aesthetic has won her a place on the Newgen roster for this season.

Elton's Public Praise For Alessandro

Elton John was feeling the love last night as he presented Gucci'sAlessandro Michele with the Designer award at the GQ Men of the Year awards. The singer, and Vogue cover star, took the opportunity to share his views on the Italian label, and didn't pull any punches in doing so.

"When Tom Ford left Gucci it all went very pear-shaped, a bit like myself. You could go in there and fire a cannon through Gucci because the clothes were so f***ing awful," he said, having introduced Michele as "someone who's actually got some talent in fashion", reports The Telegraph. Thanks to Michele injecting energy, colour and passion into the house, he added, "now you have to fight your way into Gucci."

"Fashion needs it because it's as dull as f***ing dishwater at the moment," he continued.

Michele has clocked up countless accolades since assuming the top role at Gucci in January 2015 - including the International Designer award at the 2015 British Fashion Awards and the International Award at this year's CFDA Awards - but he wasn't the only man of the moment being honoured last night.

Poldark star Aidan Turner picked up the Television Actor award; John Boyega was awarded the Vertu Breakthrough Actor; while Ricky Gervais picked up the Genius Award.