Green. Sustainable. Recyclable. Not exactly the first words you use to describe luxury fashion, right? At the same time, numerous clothing companies have been founded on the principal of being eco-friendly.

I'll admit, the skeptic in me began to worry when giant brands like Guess, Inc. started producing lines purporting to be green. Green's big business and it made for great advertising and public relations. But how can you tell whether a line that claims to be green is really green?

I posed the question to Emma Grady, a contributing fashion writer at TreeHugger.com (a division of the Discovery Channel) who helps sort this out for consumers. "We do this by asking lots of questions to understand a garment's life cycle," she says. "Where are the fabrics sourced? How are they produced? How far does the product travel (shipping is a major source of pollution)? Is the cotton grown in Africa, weaved in India, then shipped to a store in California? What dyes are used in the process?"

Grady and her team at TreeHugger.com a number of designers' sustainable practices are the real deal. It's worth listing a few of them here. Not surprising, Stella McCartney is one. McCartney is well-known vegan and has long produced pleather shoes, belts and handbags to avoid the environmentally taxing tanning process.

Linda Loudermilk, a designer from Los Angeles, is another to watch. I interviewed Loudermilk a few years ago and she told me she spends countless hours researching and developing textiles that are not only made from certified eco-conscious materials, but suited for high design. I found this particularly impressive because the fashion design process is already grueling. And, no doubt, these steps added a lot of expense to production costs.

EDUN, founded in 2005 by Ali Hewson and Bono, promotes sustainable employment in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, reads its mission statement. The line's primary focus is trade but it's also working to use more organic materials in the collection.

Even small things like recycling zippers and buttons can make a big difference, says Grady. Props to Yves Saint Laurent for earlier this year unveiling an eco-friendly capsule collection called "New Vintage." The idea was to create classic YSL styles using fabrics from past collections.

If designers can't be innovative, who can?

Damien Hirst is again playing the role of philanthropist (so I have to be nice), along with Raqib Shaw and Marc Quinn. The artists have donated paintings to an auction that London jeweler Laurence Graff is holding for FACET (For Africa's Children Every Time). Graff wants to raise $1.26 million for the organization, which seeks to support the education, health and quality of life of children in Africa ... where Graff Diamonds picks up most of its raw material.

Graff's event follows several other charity auctions this year, all of which were pretty impressive in their results. Sotheby's raised ₤453,950 for two organizations that help orphans in Africa, and Christie's raised an astounding €342.5 million at its Yves Saint Laurent collection auction back in February – the money will be used to fund HIV research and fight the spread of AIDS.

The first lot donated was by Graff himself: diamond earrings estimated to be worth around ₤80,000. The other paintings (e.g., by Hirst) are pegged at around ₤100,000 each.

It's not often that personal taste can be described as exquisite, it denotes a rare confluence of means and sensibility. But there's really no other word that describe the homes put together by late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé quite so well. A new book, The Private World of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé has come out from Vendome Press. The book by Robert Murphy with photography by Ivan Terestchenko is a sumptuous exploration of Saint Laurent and Bergé's multiple homes and expansive collections.

If you've seen some of pieces from the collection which were sold by Christie's for record-breaking sums earlier this year then this is a chance to view the items in situ as they were used by Saint Laurent and Bergé. This is the sort of gorgeous coffee table book (280 pages, 11" x 12 1/4") that inspires dreams. We can't all afford the items that they did but the style, the way or arranging things and of pulling in various objects from different time periods and styles is something anyone can adopt.

Vendome Press was kind enough to send me a copy and I'm giving it away to one lucky reader. To enter leave a comment describing one of your most prized objects.

Some other important details:

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before September 25, 2009 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive a copy of The Private World of Yves Saint Laurent & Pierre Bergé valued at $95.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.

See complete contest rules here.

This contest is now closed. Thank you for your participation.

Recently I mentioned that a second auction of the belongings of the late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent would be going up for sale in November. The AP recently revealed that Saint Laurent's cliffside home in Taniger, Morocco has also hit the market. Christie's Great Estates has announced that Villa Mabrouka, or House of Luck is for sale for an undisclosed price. The five-bedroom home overlooks the Strait of Gibraltar and includes beautiful gardens which surround the home. The interior design was done by renowned decorator Jacques Grange and combines classic Moroccan arcades with details like a living room finished in blue chintz.

Listing pictures are scant but the Daily Mail has a couple pictures from a book, The Private World of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé by Robert Murphy with photographs by Ivan Terestchenko, which give more of a look into the home. This home's style was based on, according to Grange, "the house of an eccentric Englishman who moved to Tangier in the 1950s." The home does not feature much of the couple's famous art collection because as Bergé put it, the pieces that would have worked in the home were by Matisse and already hanging in museums. If they couldn't have the best, the pair decide to go for simplicity instead.

I have to admit I'm not quite ready to see patent black leather in the handbag department -- it's summer! Give me bright colors and light materials for just a couple more months. Yet I find YSL's Spiral Clutch, in black patent leather, intriguing and light-hearted. Perfect for a Lois Lane look alike, the Spiral Clutch makes me think of some fashionably fabulous reporter on-the-go. The glossy vernice patent leather accented by silvertone hardware features a magnetic snap closure and suede lining. Available for pre-order on Saks.com, the $395 clutch is expected to be a hot item -- you can only order three per customer every thirty days. Start stocking up now for your holiday gifts! You'll only be able to buy eighteen of them from now until the end of December! (9 1/2 " x 6" x 1 1/2")

In New York and London, art auction houses for ever dollar they can bring in, but the French have been able to fight back. The number of sales and lots brought to auction has remained stable year over year. And, in the first three months of the year, Paris put up better results than London or New York, thanks to the Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint-Laurent sale at the Grand Palais back in February. Historically, Paris has lagged these two cities, but its resilience this year has changed the game a bit.

For the first quarter, art prices in France came down only 5 percent, a level that's been maintained through the rest of the year, so far. Christie's bears much of the responsibility for this success, with some solid auctions this year, though Sotheby's has helped, as well, with a Contemporary Art auction that moved 95.2 percent of the lots offered. Also, Parisian auctions aren't as up-market as those in London and New York, which has muted the effects of the global financial crisis.

In addition to the Yves Saint Laurent sale, which brought in €373.5 million (€255 million for works of art), the late May auctions at Christie's and Sotheby's did perform well relative to past years. The summer is likely to be quiet, with smaller auctions in Paris, but Christie's is bringing a private collection to market with pieces by Henri Laurens, Hans Harp and Henri Michaux, among others. The numbers won't be eye-popping, but expect the momentum to continue.

Vive la resistance!

When summer arrives who doesn't want a light neutral bag with a hint of golden coloring? Yves Saint Laurent pairs classic design, including a signature 'Y' inset, with this airy beige hue creating a truly sunny handbag. The large double-bow ruffle detail adds femininity without employing overstated glitz or glam. The Y-Bow Bowler is subtley sophisticated which could accompany any ensemble from dark jeans and a great top to a simple summer dress. The amande (gold) calf leather is luxurious and the two top handles make it easy to carry along throughout the day or night. Available for $1,795 at Bergdorf Goodman.

Last week's Yves Saint Laurent art sale generated world record revenue but they may have to take one sale off the books. The much-disputed Qing bronzes which were part of the auction's final sale day were bought by Cai Mingchao, who says that although he placed the winning bid for the two bronze statues he does not intend to pay for them. The statues, one with the head of a rat and one with the head of a rabbit sold for €15,745,000 each. The National Treasures Fund, a group backed by the Chinese Ministry of Culture which seeks to buy Chinese art and antiquities from around the world and bring them home announced Cai Mingchao's identity at a news conference. He is an adviser to the National Treasures Fund and has said that he did his duty as a Chinese citizen by bidding for the pieces.

The Qing bronzes had been severed from a water clock by British and French troops from the Summer Palace in 1860 and many Chinese people saw the bronzes as stolen goods up for sale even though the bronze heads have been bought and sold multiple times since then. The Chinese government protested the sale but the French government ruled that the sale could go forward. According to an article on Forbes Pierre Berge had said he would give back the sculptures for free if Tibet is made free, an offer which did not sit well with the Chinese government.

Bloomberg quotes Christie's Hong Kong-based spokeswoman Kate Malin as saying that the auction house "would work with the buyer and vendor to come up with a solution." Christie's could sue Cai Mingchao to get the money but he is adamant that he will not be paying.

The three-day auction of the Collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé has closed and the numbers are impressive. The sale brought in 373,935,500 euros (around $483 million) over three days. The sale was estimated to bring in 300 million euros total. . ArtDaily reports that 95.5% of lots sold by lot, and 93% sold by value (for comparison, art sales rates last fall during the Christie's and Sotheby's sales were in the 50-70% range). The sale set a world record for the most valuable private collection sold at auction. It was also the highest grossing sale on record in Europe setting records in a variety of categories.

The public exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris was attended by 30,000 visitors over three days and over 1500 people gathered for each of the sales. The top sale item was the "Cuckoos on a blue and pink carpet" which sold the first day for 35.9 million euros. A record was set for a Marcel Duchamp ready-made "La Belle Haleine – Eau de Voilette" by Marcel Duchamp, with the assistance by Man Ray in 1921 which sold for 8.9 million euros setting a record for the artist. James Ensor's monumental Le désespoir de Pierrot sold for 4.9 million euros, a world record for the artist at auction. Hean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres' Portrait de la comtesse de la Rue, 1890, sold for 2 million euros which was also a world record for the artist at auction.

The sale of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé's silver collection set a record as the most valuable silver sale ever in the world. The auction of 20th Century Decorative Arts set a record for a collection of 20th century decorative arts with 95% of lots sold by lot. It saw 12 individual artist records set and set a a world record for a collection of 20th century decorative arts. The February 25th sale of Sculpture and Works of Art brought in 24.2 million euros. The top lot was a 16th century bronze double head of Janus which sold for 2 million euros, a record for a 16th century French bronze. There's no denying this was an impressive sale and we will likely not see quite an amazing breadth and quality of work in a single collection hit the market again for a while.

The proceeds of the sale will go to the Pierre Bergé /Yves Saint Laurent Foundation which preserves the design legacy of Yves Saint Laurent, and to a new foundation for medical research and the fight against AIDS.

The hits keep coming from the Paris sale of the collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge by Christie's. The three-day sale set records for a second day in Paris including one for the leather armchair shown at right which sold for over $28 million (21,905,000 euros), the most for any piece of 20th-century design at auction. And as Bloomberg News reports, the buyer was the dealer who sold it to the Saint Laurent in the early 1970s.

The chair, is an Art Deco piece by French Irish designer Eileen Gray made around 1917 to 1919. It had a presale estimate of that topped out at three million euros. The second day haul for the event was 101.3 milliion euros which was more than double the top estimate. The sales are fantastic news for Christie's and have brought renewed enthusiasm to the art world (although I do agree with the WSJ's Robert Frank that these sales result, while phenomenal, don't indicate a general art market upswing but rather the impressiveness of this one collection). The sale finishes up today with sculpture and Asian arts.

On a day when the U.S. stock market hit epic lows, the art market in Paris was in high form. The much-anticipated first sales of the Collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge by Christie's did not disappoint. The auctions have brought in 206 million euros (approximately $261 million) so far with two more days of sales left to go. World records fell left and right as hundreds of buyers from around the world crowded into the Grand Palais exhibition hall. Records were set for works by Piet Mondrian, sculptor Constantin Brancusi and Marchel Duchamp.

A Matisse painting "Cuckoos on a blue and pink carpet" went for 32 million euros, far above the estimate of 18 million euros and many works sold briskly. The show was not without its misees though. The Picasso work "Musical Instruments on a Table" missed its guide price, a fact that suited Pierre Berge just fine. He had As he told the AFP, he's happy because now he can keep the painting for himself.

The sales represent not just great works of art but the sum of a life spent collecting and studying things of great beauty. Pierre Berge said that he decided to sell the collection after Saint Laurent died because it was something they had created together and selling it was the only possible solution. The expensive returns are a tribute to the fine taste of the collectors and they are also bringing a funds for good causes. Proceeds will be split between medical research and the fight against AIDS and the Berge/Saint Laurent Foundation which will conserve garments, accessories and sketches that celebrate Yves Saint Laurent's design talent.

Tomorrow brings the sale of the Old Masters 19th-century art and Art Deco pieces and Wednesday brings sculptures, archaeological pieces, ceramics and Asian art.

The much-anticipated auction of the collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé starts Monday in Paris and Christie's is pulling out all the stops for the event. For those of us not able to be there and see the art ourselves, Christie's had created a handy Flickr sideshow of the public viewing going on this weekend at the Grand Palais. The viewing is a chance to see the astounding breadth of the collection which includes works by Mondrian, Léger, Picasso and Matisse as well as Art Deco furniture, fine silver, Old Master paintings and antiquities. The exhibition also recreates parts of the apartments in which the collection was housed. The Christie's blog will chronicle all the auction including shots of the sale room and images of the big sales through the final sale on Wednesday February 25.

[via Art Market Monitor]

The Supermodel Comeback, which we've been keeping track of for a while now, shows no signs of abating anytime soon. Picking up from fall, the new Spring / Summer 2009 ad campaigns star a slew of famous faces. Foremost, fresh off a wintery Chanel campaign for Karl Lagerfeld, the eternallly gorgeous Claudia Schiffer is starring in a sun-slathered series of Cruise Collection ads (above) for Dolce & Gabbana shot by Steven Klein. She has also landed the new Yves Saint Laurent Spring ad campaign, taking over from Naomi Campbell. The YSL ads were shot in front of the legendary Hollywood sign by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. Meanwhile Claudia is also re-upping as the face of Salvatore Ferragamo.

'Tis the season for blankets of snow and frosted branches, ski trips and furry boots, and new handbags to match the winter white theme. Whether you are shopping at Saks, Bergdorfs, Nordstroms, Neimans or Barneys there are clean, colorless clutches, totes and hobos to suit the season. Here are a few of my favorites inspired by the holiday tune, 'White Christmas' that are chic, sophisticated and frosty including the Nablak Vernice Tote from Prada pictured above.

• Coach's Op Art Sabrina - $298 at Nordstroms
• Bottega Veneta's Medium Veneta Hobo - $1,550 at Barneys
• Yves Saint Laurent Medium Calypso Bag - $2,095 at Saks
• Dolce and Gabbana's Washed Leather Dome - $2,125 at Bergdorfs
• Escada Ostrich Shoulder Bag, Small - $3,990 at Neimans

On the heels of Kate Moss' already impressive fall ad campaign successes comes news of more coups scored by the eternally gorgeous supermodel: two more major contracts and some serious magazine exposure. On the ad campaign front, her latest big bucks gigs come courtesy of Yves Saint Laurent's beauty line (above) and renowned jeweler Bulgari, both shot in classic black-and-white.

In addition, she appears on the covers of the latest issues of both Vogue and Interview; in the latter she poses totally nude, and she also appears topless (yet again) in a stunning spread for the September issue of W magazine. All this comes as she launches her new clothing line for British retailer Topshop, to great fanfare. We predict the Kate Moss brand will develop into an extremely profitable luxury goods enterprise, with many more product lines to come.