This Carmen-Miranda-like bottle is the latest makeover of the iconic curvy Coca-Cola bottle. Rossella Jardini at Moschino designed this contribution to the Tribute To Fashion charity project for the Abruzzo Region, a project organized by Coca-Cola Italia in conjunction with the Municipality of Milan.

The Coca-Cola Light bottle is decked out in cotton sleeves, a polka-dotted flounced skirt and tiny red earrings.
Eight female designers designed sleeves for a limited amount of "Coca-Cola Light" bottles that are being sold currently. Donatella Versace, Alberta Ferretti, Anna Molinari from Blumarine, Veronica Etro, Silvia Venturini Fendi, Marni's Consuelo Castiglioni and Angela Missoni were the other designers chosen. The bottles actually walked the runway at Fashion Week in Milan. Proceeds will be used by The Abruzzo Charity Project to help people/families affect by the earthquake their last year.

Mercedes-Benz has teamed up with fashion icon Dayle Haddon and Modelinia.com, where supermodels share their beauty, fashion and lifestyle secrets, to curate this season's display for the Bryant Park lobby at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in NYC. In line with the overall theme of travel for the week, the exhibit tracks the journey of fashion and automotive design over the past seven decades. Illustrated with iconic photographic images throughout the years, the display is brought to life with key fashion pieces provided by Southpaw, one of New York's leading vintage resources. Mercedes-Benz Presents designer Narciso Rodriguez closes the Twenty First Century with his contribution to fashion over the last decade, in particular his unforgettable dress for First Lady Michelle Obama.

Last week, we had the privilege of chatting with Elie Tahari (Elie Tahari Talks With Luxist), and, following that, we saw his fabulous new collection for Spring 2010.

As promised, the gallery below is full of photos of what's to come -- and good news, if you get bored with the dark, speakeasy colors of this fall and holiday season (glamorous though they are), you can look to Tahari -- and a number of other designers -- to lighten things up this spring!

The Tahari Spring 2010 collection features dresses, tops and coats with romantic eyelets for women and translucent windbreakers for men (right -- oh hi windbreakers, we missed you), and combines neutrals like khaki, white and grey with simple gold and silver details -- with splashes of bright orange and yellow, as well. After a winter of sequins and velvet, this lightweight, carefree style is going to be a big relief.

Known for its leather-trimmed, fitted outerwear, Canadian coat designer Mackage on September 1 opened its first stand-alone store, and chose NYC's hip Meatpacking District. I stopped by the store to check it out. The full Fall/Winter 2009 lines for men and women were on display in the small but classy store. Mirrors here and there make it easy (and tempting) to slip on a leather coat, puffy jacket, trench, or packable anorak. I commented to the rep helping me that the line looked familiar -- she said that certain styles were in Bloomingdale's and other high-end stores, but never the whole line, which is why Mackage decided to open its own store.

The coats are beautiful -- from wools to leathers to styles with fur trim, all are designed to be warm and fashionable, a rare combo. Even the packable anoraks are upscale. Rather than try to describe all here, check out the gallery for a few representative styles.

The store is a pop-up boutique, aka a limited-run, just for September, so Mackage can gauge interest and see if it wants to continue in this retail venue. So don't hesitate if you want to see the new line. There even will be special promotions this month with the chance to win a free coat or a free blow-out. Or ...

To see Mackage's Fall 2009 line, stop by the store (829 Washington St, NYC, 212-255-3807) on Thursday, September 10, as part of Fashion's Night Out, a worldwide event that coincides with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Fashion authority Phillip Bloch will be on hand offering free tips and consultations from 7 - 9 p.m., Serge Normant at John Frieda Salon will be doing blowouts from 6 - 9 pm, and model Irina Lazareanu will DJ from 9 - 11 pm.

At Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Miami designers just showed the latest looks in swimwear for Spring 2010. "Old glamour is back in a big way" declared the Miami Herald of the numerous collections on display at the chic Raleigh Hotel in South Beach. Check out the video above for some highlights - you'll enjoy it even if you can't wear any of the suits yourself. Other trends of note to emerge from the round of eye-popping events, according to the Herald: hot pink is in, ditto transparent material; as for shape it was "all about the bandeau and the monokini (attached bikini) or cutout one-pieces," while high-waisted and ruffled looks made a splash as well. Many of the suits were "sexy in a feminine way - not overtly flashing a lot of skin." Oh well.

Barbie's 50th birthday is turning into an epic celebration. She's already gotten her own pair of tiny Louboutin heels and a big pink book, now she's getting her own runway show during New York Fashion Week. As Fashion Week Daily reported last week, famous fashion designers including Diane Von Furstenberg will lend their talents to creating Barbie-inspired designs. The fashions will be matched by a special collection of jewels and bags by Bulgari.

Bulgari has an anniversary of its own this year, its 125th which it is celebrating with an exhibition on May 20 at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome.The exhibition will support the Save the Children "Rewrite the Future" campaign which is funding education programs for 8 million children in war-torn regions. Barbie will appear with many celebrities in a portfolio of photographs shot by Fabrizio Ferri who has contributed to the project on a pro bono basis. As I mentioned last fall, Bulgari's campaign for Save the Children also includes a silver ring which sells for $290.

It's the end of an era, no more fashion tents in Bryant Park. IMG Fashion, the organizers of New York's famous Fashion Week have said that as of 2010 the event will be held at Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center. The new location offers more room than the tents at Bryant Park and better parking but it is located further uptown nearly a mile away and much further from where some designers have their offices. Some say that the new location may cause even more designers to hold their seasonal shows elsewhere, a move that could further splinter the event which has been less centralized in recent years.

This season begins February 13 and will host around 70 shows. Shows have been held in Bryant Park since 1993 but recent years have been seen conflict over the use of the space. In 2006, the Bryant Park Corporation announced it would no longer allow the shows to happen in the park, because they were interfering with public use of the area but later relented. The events are fashion tourism bringing in hundreds of thousands of attendees and around $466 million in visitor spending each year, according to the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the NY Times reports that IMG pays $1 million to $1.5 million to use the space each season.

Super-hot German model Julia Stegner has just been chosen as the new face of Mercedes-Benz, giving the brand a much needed dose of sex appeal in a stagnating luxury car market. Stegner will make her first official appearance for the marque at Berlin Fashion Week later this month. Stegner just shot a new ad campaign (above) with photographer Michelangelo di Battista co-starring the brand new Mercedes-Benz CLS 350 CGI Grand Edition in outfits by French designer Anne Valerie Hash.

"Julia particularly represents the connection between German origin and international flair," Mercedes exec Anders Sundt Jensen tells Berlinista. "That's why in our key visual we have very consciously placed her together with the new CLS Grand Edition, which will be launched on the market in March 2009." Stegner, who hails from Munich, has appeared on the covers several fashion mags and runway shows including Victoria's Secret, as well as in ad campaigns for the likes of Chloé, Dolce & Gabbana, Escada, Guerlain, Dior and Hugo Boss.

Los Angeles Fashion Week in March is looking pretty scant. The LA Times notes that Reveal Los Angeles a new hybrid runway show/fashion expo scheduled to launch March 20 during the fall shows has delayed their debut until the spring showings next October. This leaves Gen Art's New Garde and BOXeight as the main showcases for a week that is lacking big name excitement. Smashbox Studios ,which produced the twice-yearly Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week runway shows with events producer IMG for the last 10 seasons, held their last shows in October. Davis Factor of Smashbox was planning a new fashion event but is waiting until October as well. Since it seems that Los Angeles Fashion Week in March will be without a central location designers will have to get creative to lure people to their shows or simply decide to forgo the experience entirely. Designer Kevan Hall is planing a charity runway show at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on March 19 and we will likely see other events scheduled at hotels and other venues during that week. I wonder if this will lead to many deciding to forgo Los Angeles fashion week all together. That would be a shame. Los Angeles fashion week has always lacked the spectacle and allure of the big New York shows but it does provide a way for smaller talented designers to be seen.

The first-ever Aspen Fashion Week, a five-day event celebrating the "Mountain Lifestyle", has been slated for March 1 - 5. Aspen Fashion Week will serve as "a consumer showcase and industry marketplace for winter sports products," a fast-growing sector that took in nearly $3 billion last year, organizers note. Combining "the stunning backdrop of the Rockies with Bryant Park glamour," the week will feature nightly fashion events, in-store presentations, and après-ski soirees. An estimated 15 designers will showcase their Winter 2009/2010 collections to fashion buyers, media, and customers from around the world; full-scale runway productions are slated for the following year. Confirmed sponsors for the inaugural event include W magazine, Veuve Clicquot and the St. Regis Aspen Resort.

A few days ago I had the privilege of being a guest of American Express at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2008 in NYC. Aside from agonizing over what to wear (and realizing that of course no one was looking at me), it was a fun experience, and one I'd likely never get to have without this invite. As an AmEx guest, I got to go to a special "Skybox" to view the DKNY Spring 2009 show along with about 20 AmEx Platinum Card members, who were there (at the cool price of $700 each) to enjoy the day's events and luxuriate in special amenities as part of AmEx's "By Invitation Only" program. Also on hand were staffers from various companies associated with AmEx, who made sure the guests were comfortable and enjoying themselves. I chatted with one guest, who took advantage of the complimentary hair and makeup services that morning. She did have excellent hair. The room was too dim for me to see her makeup, but I'm sure it was lovely.

AmEx, a major Fashion Week sponsor for the second consecutive year, has long associated itself with fashion icons. On display in the tent's main lobby, front and center, was an AmEx booth that featured three iconic photos, used as part of AmEx's "I'm a Card Member" ads: Sammy Davis Jr., Diane Von Furstenburg and Venus Williams. Word is the photos changed throughout the show. Other sponsors also had booths in the main lobby, from the usual suspects, such as Judith Ripka and the Italian Trade Commission, to unexpected companies, such as Office Max and M&M's.

Fashion favorite Miguel Adrover is returning to New York Fashion Week with a show that you don't have to beg for a ticket to get into. Adrover, who took a four-year hiatus from Fashon Week is back, now at the helm of hessnatur, an organic German fashion company making its U.S. debut this year. The 32-year-old company recently earned the 2008 Public Eye Award at the World Economic forum for improving the social conditions of workers.

Adrover's mixed format show will be at the Matthew Marks Gallery and will be opening to the public during the day on September 8 2008. It showcases organic and natural fabrics playing with textures and design in a comfortable yet innovative way.

The always charming Blake Lively from the hit series Gossip Girl had her work cut out for her at a recent Vanity Fair photo shoot. Her day included prancing around in a 33-pound Christian Dior gown! The yellow satin gown dazzled with Swarovski crystals detailing, 6,000 sequins (I counted), and detailed hand stitching. Lively, always a star, rose to the occasion and truly owned the dress, the photos are effortless and pretty. I wonder how much a gown like that would cost, any guesses?

At London's Fashion Week something other than new clothing designs were making an impression: the jewelry and accessories by designer Azza Fahmy were not only noticed but they were loved as well.

Formerly a "British Designer of the Year" and always an Egyptian native, Azza Fahmy has been working diligently with her two daughters to market her unique jewelry designs far from home in Western markets (due to Middle Eastern tastes leaning more towards karat weights and grams of gold than art and creative design). Western shoppers are eating up the beautiful jewelry, no matter the expensive prices ($250 and up), and Fahmy hopes that popularity in the West will lead to better business in the East.

There's always a balance to be had, of course, but I have to say I'm happy to be part of a culture that values art and design over cold hard cash value. She's got some really beautiful pieces, especially the necklace above!

The global rounds of fashion week have brought us a wide variety of styles that range from boring to out of this world. One fashion house that always manages to blast off is Dolce & Gabbana. The Italian duo takes a space voyage with its winter 2008 menswear collection. With loads of metallic silvers, bronzes, and gold, the collection has a very space program theme to it. Coats and and pants reminiscent of spacesuits are blended with sleek sweaters and form fitting leather. Dark suits with metallic ties lend a secret agent feel to the collection all the while continuing the not-so-subtle celestial theme. The item that I feel is the hotspot of the offering is the tight biker jacket in a variety of materials. I'm thinking I'll be needing one.