Juliette Longuet

Giorgio Armani will open a concept store on Fifth Avenue on February 18, 2009, offering Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani, Armani Jeans, EA7, Armani Casa and Giorgio Armani Beauty, as well as exclusive products from both Giorgio Armani and Emporio Armani.

About the project Armani has said: “A really exciting challenge, that is how I would describe our new concept store, Armani Fifth Avenue in New York. It is a special project requiring a degree of courage, as it brings together in one space different elements such as Armani Jeans and Emporio Armani side by side with Giorgio Armani. I was determined to send out a clear message of change, interpreting the current trend for mixing genres, juxtaposing items in different price brackets. You could say that this is a provocative move uniting in the same place and with the same furnishings, without visible boundaries, the various collections that combine to from the entire Armani universe. This freedom of expression defines for me the spirit of Fifth Avenue: a prestigious shopping destination, of course, but one that is less exclusive in character than comparable addresses, with a democratic mood which I am certain represents the future.”

There will be a full-service restaurant and Armani Dolci will be available for the first time in the United States. As it houses Armani’s multiple lines as well as a restaurant, the new concept store is sure to draw comparisons to his extravagant Milan outlet.

Madison Avenue is graced by wealth of fine jewelry boutiques.

Brazilian designer Jack Vartanian is opening his first store in North America at 996 Madison Avenue. The store, located in the 1927 landmark building The Mark, was designed by the Arthur Mattos Casas firm and was intended to evoke the Brazil of today. Dark chocolate brown is predominant color, and the space is accented with reflective glass, raw wooden materials and natural woven fibers.

Anne Hathaway, Kate Hudson and Cameron Diaz are all reported fans. “I am fashion-conscious when it comes to jewelry and am inspired by what I feel a woman needs to finish a look,” says Jack Vartanian.

The Brazilian designer operates five other successful stores in Sao Paulo and he plans to open more stores in Los Angeles, Asia and Europe in 2009.

Pair of Louboutin heels with their discreet and sexy red soles has become iconic.

Christian Louboutin is designing a pair of heels in the legendary Barbie Pantone 219 Pink, which will make their debut at the special runway show that Mattel Inc. is staging during New York Fashion Week next February.

As part of Barbie’s 50th birthday, 50 designers will produce outfits for the classic doll, and each of the 50 models will be wearing the pink Louboutins at the show.

“I guess I always had a little girlie side who liked Barbie,” Louboutin said. “Barbie needs to wear great shoes because every girl needs to wear great shoes.”

Caudalie has opened the first Vinothérapie Spa in the United States at The Plaza. Caudalie revolutionized the spa world in 1999 when they pioneered Vinothérapie by harnessing the untapped, restorative power of grapes. The beloved skin-care line has its origins in the Bordeaux vineyards, as grape extracts are known for their medicinal powers.

This 8000 square-foot-spa will feature 14 treatment rooms, Vichy shower, private VIP treatment suite, Vinothérapie Spa signature barrel spa bath, Hammam steam rooms, and the serene Caudalie “French Paradox” wine lounge, serving the family wine, Grand Cru Château Smith Haut Lafitte.

Hot on the heels of its successful line with Comme des Garçons, H&M has announced that the next guest designer will be Matthew Williamson. Matthew Williamson for H&M will be launched on April 23 in select stores with a spring/summer womenswear collection and will continue with both men’s and women’s pieces for summer from mid-May in all stores.

The English fashion designer is known for using vivid prints and Indian influences in his creations.

“Matthew has such a good eye and a way for working with prints that he mixes up in a new way. When he combines these things, you get a very contemporary London look. It’s for people who want to look special, but his clothes can also be worn in a nonchalant way, you can really play around with them. He is fantastic with piling on color, it’s a very stylish collaboration for H&M, and very much in line with the way we’re thinking about fashion for spring/summer, “says Margareta Van Den Bosch, Creative Advisor at H&M. His clothes are worn regularly by celebrities such as Sienna Miller, Keira Knightley, Kate Hudson and Gwyneth Paltrow.

The designer, who recently split from Emilio Pucci to focus on his own label, is opening his first U.S. flagship in the Meatpacking District early next year.