Photo: Courtesy of Veda

“There is something so awesome about the perfect-fitting leather jacket,” Veda designer Lyndsey Butler tells Style.com. Butler essentially built her New York-based label (launched for Spring 2008) on that notion, making a name for herself with her expertly tailored leather jackets (sold at retailers like Barneys and Intermix). This season, however, Butler has filled in the rest of the story, adding sweaters and silk print shirts, in rich mauve, hunter green, and chocolate, to the mix. “We are really launching our ready-to-wear now. In addition to the leather jackets (the core), we are doing cashmere sweaters, working with a bunch of novelty textures, and using heavier fabrics for pants and jackets,” she says of her Fall ‘12 collection, making its debut tonight at The Hole Gallery on Bowery. “Now you don’t have to wear your leather jacket with your leather pants—you can mix it up,” she joked.

The collection’s still got that rock ‘n’ roll vibe (”there’s lots of black in there as usual,” she says), but this season the Veda girl looks a little more luxe than in the past. “One of the silk prints was inspired by a Persian rug we have in the office. It’s very monochrome and very digital,” she says of the look (pictured). As for what’s on the horizon for Veda, watch out for a cool jewelry designer collaboration and men’s leather jackets.
—Kristin Studeman

In keeping with the tradition of using his famous stylish fans as his models (Vanessa Traina, Lauren Santo Domingo, and Kate Lanphear, to name a few), Eddie Borgo brought on V’s Cecilia Dean to star in his latest ad campaign. “Cecilia was a natural progression for us; she exemplifies all those mysterious, sexy elements of a woman with effortless style,” Borgo tells Style.com. “I was so nervous, at first, to ask for her participation, but so thrilled when she accepted at a friend’s dinner party in Paris.” The collection was inspired by magic and the occult, referencing the work of British occultist Austin Osman Spare and Robert Mapplethorpe’s projects outside of photography. “The connection between the two artists was their ability to create imagery that was simultaneously strong as it was elegant and refined,” explains Borgo. His translation of the two artists’ work came in the form of geometric shapes, like stars and pentagrams, which he then covered in white powder “to evoke the feeling of lace.”

For the shoot, he enlisted his go-to team: stylist Keegan Singh and photographer Paul Maffi. Here, catch Dean in action in this Style.com exclusive video along with a shot from the campaign.
—Kristin Studeman

Photo: Paul Maffi

Photo: Courtesy of Ruffian

“The jewelry is about modernity, but with a nod to history—there’s something very Ruffian about it,” says Brian Wolk, one half of the Ruffian label with his partner Claude Morais, of their first-ever baubles (made in collaboration with Sequin). One part English Art Deco, another part Memphis Design Group, the 75-piece collection of monogram necklaces (with the designers’ ‘W’ and ‘M’ initials) and colorful bangles will make its debut on the runway at Lincoln Center this weekend. “We like to go to The Victoria and Albert Museum, they have an incredible jewelry collection that fascinates us. But we wanted to add a clash into it, so we looked at Memphis art for the colors and the playful shapes. We thought the juxtaposition of the two would be fun.”

Juxtaposition is something that Wolk and Morais have always toyed with in their clothes, and this season is no different. When their Fall ‘12 looks hit the catwalk, watch out for menswear tweaked for the ladies made with English textiles. Style.com has the first look, here, at the new Ruffian bijoux.
—Kristin Studeman

Photo: Marcio Madeira

Way back in the cold early days of 2010, Fall clothes hit the runway. And now—despite the searing heat—those clothes are starting to hit stores. It’s easy, in the interceding months, to forget what’s what with the Fall collections, so head over to our Fall ‘10 Trend Reports for a refresher on the styles of the season. From fifties (like the ladylike looks at Louis Vuitton, left) to fur to gold and beyond, we’ve rounded up the best of the season. Click here for more, and sound off on the trends you’ll be buying into in the weeks ahead.

Bonnaroo took Tennessee this past weekend, and forecasts of rompers, bandeaux, maxi dresses, and crop tops (as well as of 90-degree temperatures) were all amply fulfilled. On stage, Florence Welch looked chic in flowing, sheer black, as did Karen Elson in a peach-colored frock. On the dusty fields, the festivalgoers kept cool in bright tanks and boyfriend jeans, oversized striped sunhats, shades of all shapes, and cowboy boots (it was Tennessee, after all). Style.com rounded up the best of the fest; check out the full lineup here.

Photo: Heidi Jewell / Undertheguise.com 

Get your hands — or feet, rather! –  on these cute, foldable flats that slip into your bag when those Chrissie Loubs are killing your arches.

These sassy little ballerinas are perfectly priced and inspired by the four women from the Sex and the City movie sequel.

So, the age-old questions: Are you a Carrie? Samantha, maybe? Miranda or Charlotte? I can’t decide who I am, but I think I may need all four pairs. I love the colors, the embellishments and the fact that they’re only $65 a pair — compared to stretch-back ballerinas that retail for more than $500.

The HBO Store will be stocking these cute stretch-back flats in mid-November to feed that frenzy and burn the floor! You can buy them just in time for the holidays and will go beautifully with a cute cocktail dress, a pair of jeans or whatever your fancy.

To buy these when they go on sale in November, check the HBO Store online.

“The car just wasn’t in the race track,” he said. “I knew what I needed to do different.”

“I said it three times, I’m having such a great time driving these race cars,” Biffle said. “This is what a racecar driver looks forward to in showing up every weekend and having a fast car to drive. They’re sure making my life easy.”

“When you drive a car and you get out and your hands are shaking, you’re out of breath and you put it on the front row, that says something,” Biffle said. “When you get out of the car relaxed like I did and the car did all the work, that tells you the car’s going to be good tomorrow night.”

Biffle earned his second pole at Darlington and the 11th of his career with a fast lap of 180.257 mph Friday to squeeze past the Hendrick Motorsports duo of Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne.

Ryan Newman starts fourth followed by Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin, a winner at Pheonix and Kansas this year. Regan Smith, the 2011 Darlington winner, was ninth and Jeff Burton qualifying 10th. Danica Patrick will start 38th for her second-ever Sprint Cup event. She was guaranteed a spot in Saturday night’s race because of the No. 10 car’s points standing.

“I left a little speed out there and Greg certainly found it,” Johnson said. “It would’ve been nice to have a Hendrick front row. But it was a very productive day.”

She might want to follow Biffle’s lead. He said he was excited about his chances here before his qualifying run. He’s even more confident now.

For a long time Friday, it looked like an all-Hendrick front row after Kahne had a hot lap of 179.556 mph and teammate Johnson matched him a short time later. That’s when Biffle took to the track for his pole-winning performance.

Biffle was a Darlington master since first running here in 2003. He won in 2005 and 2006 after the track’s schedule was cut to one race and the date moved to Mother’s Day weekend. Biffle’s finished in the top 15 or better in eight of his 11 Sprint Cup races here.

Patrick was also hopeful after her first time around “The Lady in Black.” She scraped the wall several times during practice laps in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup cars. Patrick hopes to improve on her 38th-place finish at Daytona, although she says just lasting to the end of Saturday night’s race would be an accomplishment to build on.

Johnson will start next to Biffle based on owner’s points. Johnson and Kahne give the Hendrick team a strong chance to win that elusive 200th career Sprint Cup event. It has been 16 races since Johnson’s victory at Kansas last October brought Hendrick Motorsports its 199th win.

DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) — Sprint Cup points leader Greg Biffle feels he’s running like he used to at Darlington Raceway and that’s bad news for the rest of the Southern 500 field.

Still, Biffle was uneasy coming to Darlington this week. For all his success, Biffle’s car wasn’t what he felt it should be the past four races. He was 43rd in 2008, then 22nd here two years later.

And it’s got Biffle thinking he’s got the stuff to continue his strong start: “I feel that special season already. I certainly think that we’re going to be tough in competition all year,” he said.

“It was a pretty uneventful lap,” Biffle said. “The car’s got a ton of grip. It stuck to the race track really, really well.”

Kate MIddleton was married to Prince William today in a white gown by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. According to a release from Clarence House:

“The lace applique for the bodice and skirt was handmade by the Royal School of Needlework, with individual flowers hand-cut from lace (in shapes of roses, thistle, daffodils and shamrocks). The dress is made of ivory and white satin gazar with a skirt in the shape of an opening flower. The satin bodice, narrowed at the waist and padded at the hips in a McQueen signature, is based on Victorian corsetry. The back is finished with 58 gazar and organza covered buttons.

The veil, made of ivory silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers, is held in place by a 1936 Cartier tiara, lent to Ms. Middleton by the Queen. (It was bought for her mother by the Duke of York and presented to Queen Elizabeth on her 18th birthday.) Ms. Middleton’s earrings—shaped like oak leaves with a pave set diamond acorn suspended in the center—are by Robinson Pelham. The shoes are also by McQueen.”

Photo: Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images

—Matthew Schneier

With his Spring ‘09 menswear collection, Alexander McQueen helped kick-start a trend for skulls and skeletons. (Ed Hardy and Christian Audigier kept skulls top of mind for those tracking a different fashion demographic.) And then, as with all gluts, it seemed that the moment had passed—we’d seen just one memento mori too many. Who needed to be reminded, after all?

But it looks like we called it too early. Bones are back, baby—and not just on scrawny models. (Hold the jokes and the harangues, please.) At the Couture shows, Riccardo Tisci was thinking of “a romantic way to see death”—hence the bone-shaped zipper pulls, the skeletal jewelry, a tiny skull nestled in the back of a satin jacket (left; check out our slideshow for a closer look). Jean Paul Gaultier was on the same page. He spoke of a bare-bones approach to couture, and then, the final look: Dita Von Teese in a barely-there corset resembling nothing so much as a glittering ribcage. For a gala of ghouls, you could pair it with Dsquared²’s spinal-column heels from Fall ‘10—or, for a little more coverage, one of the skull instarsia knits from Lucien Pellat-Finet, whom you might call the elder statesman of the trend. He’s been playing with skulls for more than a decade.

At her Paris men’s shows, Rei Kawakubo dedicated nearly her entire collection for Comme des Garçons to the theme. Skull-laden lads (with heads painted to suggest the craniums beneath) wore suits, shirts, shoes, and even dresses printed with the motif. And from the arena of pop—literally—Lady Gaga had her finger on the (undead) pulse last night for her first-ever show at Madison Square Garden. She donned a bone-fingered glove during one of her many costume changes.

Skeletons—back into the closet? Click here for our slideshow of bony looks.

Photo: Courtesy of Givenchy

With voting under way, Lugar, 80, made clear he would stand by Tuesday’s outcome, ruling out running as an independent.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who gave Romney a tepid endorsement Monday night via e-mail, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich have dropped out of the race. Texas Rep. Ron Paul is still contesting the nomination, but he lags far behind in the delegate count.

LoBianco reported from Indianapolis. Associated Press writer Donna Cassata in Washington contributed to this report.

In the days before the North Carolina vote, two top administration officials — Vice President Joe Biden and Education Secretary Arne Duncan — expressed support for gay marriage. Obama supports most gay rights but has stopped short of backing gay marriage.

“It says if you’re an incumbent, you better not lose touch with home,” said South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Playing out in a conservative state, the race illustrated the electorate’s animosity toward many incumbents and anyone with deep ties to Washington. That was clear when Lugar, who hasn’t faced questions about his residency in decades, found himself on the defensive over whether he lived in Indiana or northern Virginia. Lugar also was cast as too moderate for the conservative GOP in Indiana, and he took heat for his work with Democrats on issues such as nuclear nonproliferation, underscoring deep polarization in the country as well as a split in the GOP between the establishment wing and the insurgent tea party.

The outcomes of Tuesday’s far-flung voting were certain to give clues about the state of the electorate — and highlight the political minefields facing both Republican and Democratic candidates — six months before the general election.

Even Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, was essentially ignoring primaries that were likely to hand him 100 or so delegates of the 288 he still needed heading into Tuesday’s contests. He spent the day campaigning in Michigan, where he castigated President Barack Obama as an “old-school liberal” whose policies would take the country backward.

Obama carried Indiana in 2008, partly because of his ties to the populous northwestern part of the state neighboring his hometown of Chicago. Democrats acknowledge it will be difficult to win Indiana again this year. Still, the state could become more hospitable to Obama if the Democrats, believing they have a better chance with Lugar out of the race, spend heavily to compete against Mourdock. The state now is on the Obama team’s watch list.

___

In the biggest race of the night, Lugar lost to tea-party backed state Treasurer Richard Mourdock, who will face Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly in the November general election. Before the polls had closed, Democrats were promising to compete hard against Mourdock. Republicans need to gain four seats to take control of the U.S. Senate, and a Lugar loss “gives Democrats a pickup opportunity,” said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

Union rights are dominating the recall.

North Carolina law already bans gay marriage, but the amendment on the state ballot would effectively slam that door.

Now the presumptive nominee, Romney had no serious opposition in Indiana, West Virginia and North Carolina on Tuesday.

Romney won the GOP presidential primaries in Indiana and North Carolina and was all but certain of victory in West Virginia, drawing close to the 1,144 delegates he needs to clinch the nomination.

In Wisconsin, voters were deciding whether to give Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett — one of four Democrats on the ballot — a rematch against Gov. Walker in the June 5 recall election or whether to back one of Barrett’s fellow Democrats.

Elsewhere, North Carolina voters weighed in on whether to pass a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as solely between a man and a woman. Should the gay marriage ban pass, the state would be moving in an opposite direction from a string of states — Democratic-leaning places such as New York and Vermont as well as conservative Iowa — where same-sex marriage is now legal. Six states and Washington, D.C., now recognize gay unions.

“This is it,” he said.

Walker effectively ended collective bargaining rights for most state workers and, since then, has emerged as a national conservative hero. The recall effort, mounted by opponents of his actions, has dominated the state political landscape, even overshadowing Romney’s primary victory there that essentially ended the nomination fight.

On Capitol Hill, Republicans braced for Lugar loss throughout the day.

The Biden and Duncan comments sent the White House into damage-control mode as gay rights advocates pressed for him to come out in support of same-sex unions before November. Aides also tried to use the focus on the issue to criticize Romney’s equivocations on gay rights over the years.

The Mourdock vs. Donnelly match up could develop into a hotly contested race with the potential to affect the White House contest.

Also Tuesday, North Carolina voters weighed a gay-marriage ban and Democrats were picking a nominee to challenge Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker in a June recall election, contests that overshadowed Mitt Romney’s unstoppable progress toward the GOP presidential nomination.

Romney, in turn, emphasized his position that marriage should be solely between one man and one woman. He has said that he supports a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Veteran Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar lost a bitter challenge from the right flank of his own Republican Party Tuesday night, his nearly four-decade career in the Senate ended by a tea party-backed GOP foe.