After many years of planning, Hotel Missoni Edinburgh is set to open in June, and is now accepting online bookings. The 136-room hotel is a collaboration of Rosita Missoni, one of the brand's founders, and The Rezidor Hotel Group. The hotel's palette is officially described as black and white, with splashes of color throughout, but as you'd expect from Missoni, the overall effect is more exuberant rather than restrained -- it's about layers of patterns and textures, in rich colors and in black and white too.(See lobby photo above.)

If this sounds chaotic, overall, design lines are kept modern and simple, which should balance out the effusive use of pattern and color. Still, I'm not sure I'd want to pack anything other than basic black in my suitcase without the aid of a stylist, lest I clash with the hotel!

In any event, black wardrobe works just fine to attend Edinburgh's Fringe Festival, the largest arts festival in the world which goes off August 7th-31st-- always a late summer highlight. With its central location, Hotel Missoni should make a fine base of operations for the festival, and as of now, still has rooms available.

Next up for the Hotel Missoni brand? A property in Kuwait, slated to open in Fall 2009.

The slide in the luxury goods market is set to continue for a bit longer. That's the data to be gleaned from the semi-annual update to Bain's "Luxury Goods Worldwide Market" study. The study shows that the luxury goods market will experience a 15-20 percent decline during the first two quarters of 2009 down from 170 billion euros in 2008 to about 153 billion euros this year.

But the study does see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. It predicts that the luxury market will start to even out in the second half of the year ending up with a net decline of 10 percent for 2009 overall. Like other studies, this one looks to China and the Middle East for signs of hope, seeing a projected growth of seven percent in China and two percent in the Middle East.

Overall all luxury shoppers are feeling more tentative and spending less. Luxury, however, remains a stratified industry with several different types of spending behavior. The lower tier of luxury consumers switching to less expensive brands and the more affluent luxury shoppers switching their focus to the intrinsic quality of materials.

Mick Jagger's gorgeous glamazon girlfriend L'Wren Scott has put her her Norman castle-style Hollywood Hills house on the market for $999,999. The 6'4" stylist, designer and former model's chic 1,712-sq.-ft., 3-bed, 2-bath in the Bronson Canyon area was built in 1926 and is very privately situated, with two secured entries off the street leading to a English-style garden courtyard, the Real Estalker reports. The interior features a beautiful carved stone fireplace in the living room with a vaulted ceiling and a formal dining room with stained glass windows. Overall the home has something of a Chateau Marmont feel. Scott purchased the house in June of 1996 for $255,000. She and Jagger are said to be currently living in London.

Earlier this month the NY Post reported that fashion designer Marc Ecko had listed a colonial home he owns in New Jersey for $1.299 million in order to help satisfy more than $2.1 million in construction liens for his New Jersey castle, Stronghold. Now the Post reveals that Ecko has more problems than just his castle, which he reportedly has spent nearly $22 million fixing up.

The Post says that Ecko has hired investment bank Peter J. Solomon to help refinance at least $170 million in debt. The debts are owed to a couple of important business partners. If he can't find a willing lender, Ecko may have to sell off some assets. Like many fashion outfits, the Marc Ecko brand took a hit during the past retail season. The Post's sources say the company owes more than $100 million to Li & Fung, a global trading company that helps manufacture Marc Ecko products. He also also defaulted on a term loan of more than $70 million from a syndicate led by commercial-lending giant CIT and although he won forbearance on the loan, CIT will have to be paid by summer.

Michael Golden, chief marketing officer at Marc Ecko Enterprises, shrugged off concerns to the Post saying that the company is still strong. Rumors persist that the company is trying to lease out part of its new York City headquarters. A few years ago, Ecko contemplated offers from Jones Apparel Group and Tommy Hilfiger in the $500 million range but would be hard-pressed to find a similar deal now.

Designer Jill Stuart is famous for her designs that combine girly and grown-up. Select pieces from her designer collection, including the dress shown above are on sale at Ideeli tomorrow. The garments are as much as 72 percent off and prices start at $130. You can sign up using the link here.

Who is the man behind "neo-fierce" luxury jewelry line AZATURE, famous for black diamonds and gothic, industrial pieces for men and women? Azature. It's actually his name.

We've been covering Azature's fantastic designs for a long time. He's recently had a swell of success, with both Rihanna and Beyonce wearing his glittering, substantial pieces.

In this interview, we talk to Azature about his journey as a designer of fine jewelry, Madonna, and more. The items featured are some of Azature's personal favorites, as well as photos of Rihanna in his A.Z. Linked Necklace.

The latest designer to have a hotel concept will be Moschino. The Maison Moschino will be located in Milan, Italy in the old neoclassical railway station on Viale Monte Grappa. The four-story building will hold 54 rooms and 15 suites each with its own unique look. Rossella Jardini and the Moschino creatives are designing the space themselves with whimsical fairy-tale rooms like the petal bedroom shown at right. The hotel will also have a bar, restaurant, gym and spa. Opening is planned for 2009.

[via Vogue UK]

The latest collection from former Gucci mens design director and Prada Uomo designer, Neil Barrett, takes the unique name, Sartorial Gymnast. You won't find leotards and shiny Lycra here, instead Barrett interprets this theme through deconstructed apparel that is still somehow sharp and edgy. The fabrics are soft and allow for ease of movement but are also demanding for all but the slimmest of physiques. Perhaps the "gymnast" name come from the lean body you need to pull this look off. Barrett could give Hedi Slimane a run for his money with these unforgiving styles.

Nordstrom has a bit of this and that -- uptown to downtown, and great shoes. But did you know that it also has a "Designer Collections" shop on its site? I just discovered its handbag shop. As I write, there are 195 designer handbags offered, in brands that include Burberry, D&G, Kooba, Roberto Cavalli, Versace and a select few others. Fall styles are out -- get shopping! And/or see the gallery * for a few styles I picked at random.

* Note: Gallery pictures open to full size once you click on them.

Philippe Starck has designed yachts, hotels and countless household items but his latest challenge might just be his greatest. Starck is helping to design the accouterments of France's turn at the European presidency. France is famous for style and wants to carry that into this new regime and so the foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner hired Starck as an artistic director: Philippe Starck. As Starck, who is not known for his modesty, explains it to the AFP, there are a lot of things that are given to journalists, ministers, delegates and now "for the first time in the history of the EU, everything produced will be of high quality."

Items produced so far include pens, notebooks and a goodie bag sent to all French MPs that included stationery and a pale gray tie. Some of the women MPs, who all received the ties weren't too thrilled with the gift. Starck has also designed a special two euro coin.

Los Angeles jewelry store Kaviar & Kind has long been known for its unique selection and excellent service. Now one of the former owners of the store, Katherine Azami-Rose and her husband Rick Rose have opened Roseark a new expanded jewelry store and website. The West Hollywood store now includes a 1,000 square foot gallery filled with fine art, tranquil outdoor garden space and selected clothing lines for both men and women. The big draw is still the jewelry though with pieces by designers including Jennifer Meyer, Anita Ko, Carole Wallace, Wendy Brandes, and store co-owner Katherine Azarmi Rose.

Roseark also has a Jewelry of the Month club for those more money than time to shop. Selected pieces from designers carried at Roseark can arrive at your door either four times a year ($4,000) or once a month ($12,000).

Lebanese designer Elie Saab, known for his red-carpet gowns, will become the next designer to have a luxury hotel. Saab will be creating a boutique style hotel at the Tiger Woods Dubai resort, which is expected to open in September 2009. The complex will include 14 bungalows, 89 suites and easy access to a golf course designed by Tiger Woods himself. The Tiger Woods Dubai is a golf community located in the massive Dubailand project that also includes a golf academy, a 60,000-square-foot clubhouse, a retail area and villas and mansions for sale.

There are a wide variety of designers from the fashion and jewelry worlds who have lent their name to hotel designs and brands, below are just a few.

Famous French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent died Sunday in Paris at the age of 71. Laurent will be remembered best perhaps for making menswear sexy for women. His Le Smoking tuxedo for women was considered shocking when it was created in 1966. He was also known for dressing Catherine Deneuve in smart skirts and coats in her turn as a lady of the evening in "Belle de Jour." Laurent retired from designing in 2002 and Gucci bought the YSL brand in 1999. As my colleague Jared Paul Stern mentioned last week, and exhibit of Yves St. Laurent's work is currently on display in Montreal (also see his recent column on Laurent's famed 1962 fashion show). He was also a man of great personal taste as his former New York apartment shows, he will be much missed in a world that often seems short of men of style.

With categories like "I want to be adorned," "I want to be loved," "I want to be envied," and "I want to be worshipped" to choose from it seems jewelry designer Lana Fertelmeister has a real knack for recognizing the many moods of women. Comprised of various tones of gold with hints of diamonds glittering from here and there, Lana Unlimited Jewelry is a small enterprise based in Chicago that has been spotted on big name celebrities like Cameron Diaz, Kate Hudson, and Sandra Bullock. It doesn't sound like it will be small for long, though, based on both popularity and Lana's big dreams for expansion into accessories, clothing, and a whole enterprise she might someday refer to as "The House of Lana."

Via BusinessWeek

Not even 30 years old and already making a huge name for himself in fashion, Australian designer Angelo Katsapis is one to start paying attention to if you haven't already. His much anticipated signature line (called Angelokatsapis) was in the works during the years he spent in Milan as a senior designer for Giorgio Armani, once launched it immediately became a favorite among fashions toughest critics. Sold at the finest boutiques including Harvey Nichols you can also purchase select pieces from the collection online. The quality and unsurpassed design is reflected in the prices, dresses range from $1300 up to $10,000.