More bad news on the UK fashion front. Following fast on the heels of Hardy Amies, the British arm of Miss Sixty, the Italian retailer of denim and more, was placed in administration on Monday. Sixty UK which operates 12 stores as well as concessions in stores such as Harrod's was unable to repay a loan from its parent company. So far no changes are planned for the stores while the company tries to restructure. There is, however, the possibility that some stores may closed at a later date.

Bastion of top-drawer British style Bamford & Sons is looking for an investor, and luxury goods behemoth LVMH, owner of Louis Vuitton, might buy in. "We've come to the end of phase one, and we need a partner with more expertise in other markets," Lady Carole Bamford, who founded the brand in 2004, tells the Financial Times. She has engaged the Blackstone Group to help the firm, which has experienced 50-55 per cent growth per year for the past two years, field investment offers.

LVMH and rival luxury conglomerate Richemont are in the running, the paper reports. We have previously written about Bamford's custom $30,000 black PVD Rolex Daytona and its fall line of cashmere shooting jackets and such made from sustainable materials. They currently have men's, women's, accessories and bath & body collections, carried at their own retail stores (above) and the likes of Barneys. Bamford bills itself as "the first mainstream luxury brand to make an identity out of its organic stance."

October is breast cancer awareness month and White+ Warren has some pink cashmere pieces that are so cute you'd want to buy them even if they weren't benefiting Columbia Presbyterian's Women at Risk charity. And they aren't just doting the often obligatory 10 or 15%, White + Warren is donation 50% to women at risk. The little wristlet gloves in pink and black color combinations sell for $65. The cashmere slippers in a pouch are $145, the pink city scarf is $165 and the luxurious travel wrap is $275.

One of Britain's esteemed Savile Row clothing firms Hardy Amies may become a victim of changing styles and changing finances. As my colleague Jared Paul Stern reported earlier this year, British couturier Hardy Amies, whose Savile Row shop opened back in 1946, designed clothes for everyone from Stanley Kubrick to the Queen of England. Sir Hardy Amies died in 2003 (at the robust age of 93) but since then his company has carried on and recently launched a handbag line.

But The Guardian delivers the sad news that the firms is now struggling and has said that t it may have to go into administration after failing to secure funding from a major shareholder. When the funding didn't come through the company requested that the stock exchange suspend the shares until the company can regroup. Icelandic investment firm Arev Brands Limited (ABL) owns a 49.3% stake and has provided substantial loans to prop up the company but has refused to give additional funding. The company has has losses for several years. Some say that the brand is done, that it is too matronly and does not understand today's woman. A ready-to-wear line also failed to capture public attention.

It seems that unless the brand is sold to someone who will buy the business as a whole or additional funding is secured, we may witness an ignominious end to a great British brand.

Men's pants have always been pretty strait-laced: there are the Brooks flannels, dorky Dockers, a few hipster skinny jeans here and there. Menswear designer Bonobos is attempting to liven things up by "policiticizing pants" according to HuffPo. The design team has crafted trousers to accompany your electoral wishes for November: the "charismatic, well-traveled" pair of Obamas versus the "conservative, clean cut" pair of McCains.

Each pair retails for $120, and Bonobos will track the trouser competition on its site until November.

[via The Huffington Post]

Vince, the brand that focuses on what it calls "luxe staples" --mostly cashmere sweaters and comfy separates -- has today launched its e-commerce site. Joining the ranks of recent designers flocking to the interwebs (including such high-enders as Alexander McQueen and Oscar de la Renta), Vince is attempting a more direct relationship with its customers, as it also opens a store in New York this winter. The brand opened two stores in Los Angeles recently on Robertson and Melrose Place.

Vince will also continue to be available at all the usual suspects, Barney's, Bergdorf's, Lane Crawford, et al.

The invitation-only online sample sales run by Gilt Groupe have gotten a major boost in an economy that needs a major booster shot. Launched less than a year ago, the site claims it maintains a "private online community," whether fashion-seekers are invited by existing members or through customer service on the site.

Sample sales are announced via email and generally last 36 hours -- or less, considering prices are 70% off retail. This week alone, I've received messages for sales on Chloé, Derek Lam and Thakoon. (The image above is from today's Marc by Marc Jacobs sale.)

The fledgling startup has recently forged partnerships with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and the CFDA. It also appointed last week the former Martha Stewart CEO Susan Lyne in preparation for click-happy recessionistas. The site does civilize the whole sample sale scene -- no Balenciaga tug-of-wars beyond the virtual.

The remarkable 50-year career of Valentino, founder of the first couture house to be recognized by the French government outside of Paris, is given the coffee table treatment in a lavish new book, Valentino: Themes and Variations (Rizzoli, $75).

The tome on Rome-based Valentino Garavani is published in association with a prestigious exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, curated by the author, Pamela Golbin. The book focuses on the designer's haute couture creations, culminating in his brilliant Paris presentation last January.

"I have always considered my work as the one of a writer," Valentino notes in the foreword. "Over the years I wrote only one story, the one of my style, where each collection represents a single chapter, with all its emotions, ideas and motifs. The looks may change with every chapter, but the main characters are the same, as are the people and things that inspire me."

Rachel Roy is in the news again, and this time it's not because of the dough that she and husband Damon Dash owe. Roy has teamed up with vodka maker Grey Goose, which commissioned her to exclusively design and create a signature cocktail dress to be worn by the brand's spokesmodels at select Grey Goose-sponsored events across the country. The dresses will be labeled "Rachel Roy exclusively for Grey Goose Vodka." Grey Goose was the official title sponsor of the Rachel Roy Spring 2009 Fashion Presentation earlier this month during New York Fashion Week, and the partnership also will include trunk shows and store openings.

The cocktail dress will resemble a classic silhouette with clean, modern lines. Made of stretch wool for structure and ease of movement, the design will include a feminine draped neckline and an element of fluidity in the back detailing. (See gallery.)

Roy's creation is "derived from the classic heritage and discerning taste of the luxury vodka brand," according to Grey Goose. Roy notes, "In keeping with this tradition, my design matches the timeless fluidity of the little black dress, with a hint of the iconic, signature blue to capture the effortless elegance of this occasion."

In addition to joining with Grey Goose, Roy has jumped on the green bandwagon by designing eco-friendly clothing, which she will continue to selectively incorporate in seasons to come. Roy will donate 100% of the proceeds to Orphan Aid Africa, an organization that aims to help orphans in Ghana.

[Via Grey Goose and BlackVoices.com]

Some luxury brands are thriving in these tough economic times but it looks like women's clothing and accessories brand Escada isn't one of them. The company recently cut their forecasts for the year after a sharp decline in third-quarter profits. This was the third cut in the forecast this year for the German company, it has now lowered its estimate for earnings before tax interest depreciation and amortization for the year to 23 million euros ($33.9 million), to 26 million euros ($38.3 million) for the year ending in October. This is a sharp drop from the previous estimate of 37 million euros (around $54.5 million). Shares of the company fell on the news.

Why is Escada faltering while other brands are still thriving? Part of the problem seems to that their main markets are countries like the U.S. and Spain while other brands in the same luxury sector have made a more aggressive advance into developing markets like Russia, the Middle East and Asia. Bloomberg reports that revenue at the main Escada clothing division fell 16 percent to 91.6 million euros while sales declined 10 percent to 47.9 million euros at the Primera unit, which sells cheaper women's fashions under the BiBA, Laurel, cavita and apriori brands. It is beleived that Escada will sell off Primera. Escada has made the smart move of hiring iconic supermodel Christy Turlington as their face and perhaps by selling Primera the comany can focus on keeping Escada afloat.

Is it cannibalistic to recommend another blog? I'm not sure, but here goes ... Nordstrom has a short and sweet weekly fashion blog, The Thread, that highlights what's going in the fashion world. It's easy to read and navigate because there are only 5 or so posts. Sure, it's somewhat self-serving, as you can be sure what the writers are touting is available in Nordstrom stores, but I liked it because it also hit upon outside news, such as Fashion Week. While Nordstrom might not be as high-end as Neiman Marcus or Saks, I like it because it still offers a variety of sizes (petite to plus) and styles that range from affordable to upscale. Plus the shoes! The Thread might be worth a few minutes of your time, just to see what hot fashion trend you may have missed. I checked out the Fall 2008 Boot Guide.

This Sunday, 9/21, at 8 p.m., get ready to park yourself on the couch to watch ABC and gawk at all the celebs who are famous-for-being famous and oh yes, the real actors, as they parade up and down the red carpet at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards. I'm always interested in the gifts and perks they get, though, because I know that manufacturers know that there's no better advertising than that which (whom) is unpaid: a celeb wearing or using your item.

Let's take a peek at some of the items inside this year's swag bag, according to the New York Post: "Everyone from Gossip Girls to Desperate Housewives will have the chance to be 'gifted' with Valentino and Jimmy Choo sunglasses ($300-$400), Rock & Republic jeans ($200-$300), Klipsch Image headphones ($350) and even drugstore finds like Dove chocolates ($2.50) and 5 Gum ($1.50)."

Well, fresh breath is a priority in the celeb world. ... Read more by clicking below!

You can walk, run, bike or eat yogurt to help the fight against breast cancer but how about something a little more self indulgent? You can also try on clothes to help. Coldwater Creek is offering their semi-annual, nationwide "Try It On for the Cure®" initiative on Sunday, September 21st in every Coldwater Creek store across the U.S For every woman who enters a dressing room and tries on any apparel from Coldwater Creek at her local store on September 21st, Coldwater Creek will donate $1 to the local affiliate of Komen for the Cure. If you decide to buy, they will also donate 10 percent of the day's sales to the local affiliate of Komen for the Cure. During their last "Try It On for the Cure®" event in April 2008, Coldwater Creek donated over $100,000 to local Komen affiliates throughout the U.S.

It's a good time to go shopping in Milan, Italy. Not only did Tom Ford open a store over the summer but Via Montenapoleone is now home to the biggest Giorgio Armani boutique in the world. The new store is in the Palazzo Taverna the historic home of Milanese poet Carlo Porta.

Sfilate gives us a peek inside Armani's new domain. The store is over 21,000 square feet and has three floors. The ground floor houses accessories and clothing for women, Giorgio Armani Privé fragrances and Crema Nera and Skin Minerals skincare products. Armani Casa objects have been designed exclusively for the store and will only be sold in this location.

The first floor is the men's emporium featuring clothing and accessories with special spaces reserve for the Classic Giorgio Armani and Made to Measure lines. The second floor is devoted to evening wear and accessories for women and luxury goods including Giorgio Armani Privé precious jewels and Giorgio Armani Borgo 21 watches. The store is done up in sleek black lacquer and dove gray fabric. The post on Sfilate has a few pictures which show small racks of clothing dramtically placed against pale backdrops surrounded by black.

With shorter days and colder weather, the temptation to snack your way into a new size is upon us. One way to fight the urge to cocoon is to splurge on new workout clothes. Even better if the clothes are cute. The clothes from Beyond Yoga are meant to do exactly what the title say, to go from yoga to the rest of your life. The pants are made from soft, wrinkle-resistant and sweat-wicking Supplex so they feel cozy but won't get soaked if your yoga life includes a Bikram class.

These yoga pants have a large following with everyone from Cindy Crawford to Reese Witherspoon and Charlize Theron singing their praises. The line includes several styles of pants and tops ranging from camisoles and tanks to jackets and long-sleeved tops that would also look great with jeans.

We are giving away two pairs of the original pants. One in medium and one in large. These pants sell for $77. To win, throw a little fitness inspiration my way with a comment on what you do to avoid the threat of winter weight and let me know which size you need, medium or large.

To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment below before 5:00PM Eastern, Friday, September 19, 2008. We'll randomly choose two winners amongst the eligible entries.

Some other important details:

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below answering the question above.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before Friday, September 19, 2008 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* Two winners will be selected in a random drawing.
* Two winners will receive the a pair of Beyond Yoga original supplex pants valued at $77 each.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.

See complete contest rules here.

This contest is now closed thank you for your participation.