This holiday season two unique luxury brands Catherine Malandrino and Cointreau, both brought to the States via France, have teamed up to deliver the ultimate gift bottle. Malandrino chose the symbol of the Statue of Liberty, arguably the best thing the French ever gave us, to mark the limited edition Cointreau bottle.

The Cointreau bottle has remained remarkably unchanged for nearly 160 years, making this one of the hottest collector's bottles of the season. Malandrino's romantic bottle remains true to the silhouette, but is dressed in stars and lace, calling to mind the signature detailed cuts and handicraft trims of her ready-to-wear collection.

Cointreau is a must to give our favorite cocktails that slight edge of "Je ne sais quoi" sweet and bitter oranges, making for the most perfect margaritas or cosmopolitans. Bring this luxury gift to your hostess this holiday season to spice up any cocktail hour.


Cointreau Cosmopolitan Recipe
2.5oz Vodka
1.5oz Cointreau
1oz Cranberry Juice
0.5oz lime juice
Shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with twist of orange to bring out the flavor of Cointreau.

The battle to save Escada continues. The NY Post reports that the owner of Faconnable may buy the German fashion house. Beirut-based M1 Group purchased Faconnable from Nordstrom for $210 million in 2007 and Escada's similar upscale fashion demographic would make it an excellent companion brand. But there's more than one suitor at Escada's door. Others interested in the brand include Megha Mittal, daughter-in-law of Lakshmi Mittal, the billionaire Indian steel magnate, Sven Ley, the son of Escada's founder Wolfgang Ley and Vestar Capital Partners which owns another comparable brand, St. John Knits.

Ley is working with the former head of Gucci, Giacomo Santucci, and Italian investment group Borletti. Reuters says that Ley's consortium, ZSL Partners, has offered to pay almost 80 million euros for the fashion house and would bring Santucci on as the chief exec. putting a man with some serious fashion experience at the helm. Borletti also owns the Rinascente and Printemps department stores in Italy and France.

M1 Group's plans for Escada would involve combining the back-end" operations of Escada andFaconnable to create a single lean, mean fashion machine behind the scenes while keeping the creative on the brands separate. M1 Group and Mittal are both said to support current CEO Bruno Salzer, formerly of Hugo Boss. Insolvency proceedings over Escapa opened Sunday at the Munich Municipal court and a decision could be forthcoming within the next few days.

Fashion historian Caroline Rennolds Milbank examines the history of warm weather wear in a beautifully illustrated new book called Resort Fashion from Rizzoli. From the first "beach pajamas" designed by Coco Chanel and Lilly Pulitzer and Pucci prints, to sailor stripes and the Kennedys' laid back yachtsman style, to Michael Kors and Tory Burch's beach-inspired designs and of course the evolution of the swimsuit, Milbank crosses continents and generations. The seven chapters break the looks down by category: At Sea, Stripes, Prints, White, Playclothes, Summer Dress and Bathing Suits, with photos from destinations like Palm Beach, Montego Bay and St. Tropez by legends like Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Norman Parkinson, Helmut Newton, and Scavullo.

Versace has been a brand in transition for a while now but new CEO Gian Giacomo Ferraris has been shaking things up lately. His latest move is an announcement that the Italian fashion house will lose 350 jobs worldwide by the middle of next year as part of a cost-cutting initiative that also includes a thorough evaluation of Versace's store network. The brand recently decided to close stores in Japan, formerly one of the biggest luxury goods markets.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the company is expected to post a pre-tax loss of €30 million ($44.4 million) on revenue of €273 million. This is a sharp contrast to 2008 when Versace posted a net profit of €9 million on sales of €336 million. Part of the decline is due to a fall in sales in the company's wholesale business and the financial collapse of IT Holding SpA, which produced clothing for Versace under brand licensing agreements. Versace re-launched the secondary line Versus at Milan Fashion week earlier this month.The brand will move forward with new runway designs and will instead focus its fat trimming in the areas of production, distribution and logistics. That's good news for Donatella Versace, the brand's designer who also holds a 20 percent stake in the company. Her daughter Allegra Versace Beck has a 50 percent stake bequeathed to her by her late uncle Gianni Versace and her other uncle Santo Versace has the remaining 30 percent of the company. Ferraris came aboard this spring after Donatella Versace's repeated battles with Giancarlo Di Risio.

Sometimes we all need a reminder of the basics of good style. InStyle is releasing the latest new edition of its top-selling classic, The New Secrets of Style (Time, Inc. Home Entertainment, $29.95) on October 27, 2009. This comprehensive style resource features expert guidance for looking fabulous with confidence and ease. The book uses celebrity examples to discusses the finer points of effortless and timeless dressing. Each chapter analyzes different aspects of a wardrobe, from lingerie to coats, and features "flattery" charts arranged by body type. Written by the editors of InStyle, The New Secrets of Style includes chapters on shoes, bags, jewelry and shows how to combine the various types of accessories with specific outfits to create an elegant, unfussy look.

We received a copy of this book to give away to one reader. To enter leave a comment with your own style tip below.

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Montreal is a fantastic destination, but like any city, it can be hard for a visitor to get to know. To that end, Tourisme Montreal has engaged five in-the-know locals to basically blanket social media from Facebook, to Twitter, to blogs, sharing all of their knowledge about their city -- and answering questions from travelers in town. Katerine Rollet is one of these insiders, and she recently selected these 12 can't-miss experiences in Montreal for Luxist.

1- Go for tea at the St. James Hotel. This chic boutique hotel is where the likes of the Rolling Stones and Madonna stay when they're in town, and the tea at newly renovated restaurant XO is a a great way to experience a proper British tea with a modern twist. UPDATED: The St. James no longer serves afternoon tea, but the new Salon XO is worth a visit.
2- Experience the spa at Place D'armes -- one of the best places in town for a mani-pedi, not to mention one of the few places in Montreal to experience a hammam, or Turkish bath. Wrap up with a drink on the terrace.
3- For men: at Québec's own Phillipe Dubuc -- the place for a man to fill his closet with stylish, business appropriate clothing with an edge.
4- For women: fill your suitcase at Montreal's achingly stylish, unfailingly feminine Marie Saint Pierre.
5- For everyone: visit Oglivy, a lovely shopping mall filled with charming boutiques, great book stores, stationary shops, international designers and more.
6- For the shopping-shy: Engage the style hounds at Les Effrontes to have your own guided tour of Montreal's up and coming designer's ateliers.
7- Dine at Joe Beef, on raw bar and steak in up-and-coming neighborhood Little Burgundy ("Petite Bourgogne") .
8- Or, hit Toque -- widely considered one of the best meals you can have in Montreal. Try the tasting menu.
9- Or reserve the chef's table at Europea, and dine in the kitchen of charismatic Chef Jérôme Ferrer. 10- After dinner drinks: check out Hotel St Paul's bar for cocktails with Montreal's chicest.
11- Sweet treats: visit Point G for waffles, artisanal ice cream, and most importantly, macarons.
12- Brunch the next day: La Cantine in the Plateau neighborhood, for a traditional Québec brunch revisited.

British photographer Norman Parkinson's name may not be terribly well known today, but his influence on a subsequent generation of fashion photographers is obvious from a new survey of his work just published by Rizzoli. Norman Parkinson: A Very British Glamour is a lavish portrait of Parkinson's long career from the 1930s through the 1980s, produced in a unique collaboration with the Norman Parkinson Archive in London. Parkinson got his start at Vogue in London, was a protégé of the great Alexander Lieberman at American Vogue when he came to New York, and did some of his most innovative work in the Diana Vreeland years there. In a career that spanned more than four decades, Parkinson worked with the greatest models, from Carmen Dell'Orefice, often called the first supermodel, who was Parkinson's early muse, to the young Jerry Hall, whom Parkinson shot for her first Vogue cover as well as in an historic 1975 shoot staged in the USSR. His iconic photographs for the likes of Vogue, Queen, and Harper's Bazaar are reproduced in the volume alongside a trove of previously unpublished fashion work.

Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto recently presented his black, white and edgy designs at Spring-Summer 2010 fashion week in Paris but things weren't so rosy behind the scenes. The brand has filed for bankruptcy protection listing debts of six billion yen, or $67.8 million. The firm is planning to continue to operate while in bankruptcy. The brand Yohji Yamamoto was formed by the designer in 1984 and he is part of an influential group of designers from Japan, including Rei Kawakubo and Issey Miyake, who gained influence in the 1980s. The brand's moderately priced Y-3 line with Adidas is set to continue.

The economy is being blamed for the financial situation. Japan's luxury market appears to be less robust lately, especially in light of the recent announcement by Versace that it is closing its Japan boutiques. But Yamamoto's popularity extends beyond Japan. The minimalist line, which offers easy-to-wear clothing with unique cuts, has a small but devoted following. Other nIche brands like Escada and Christian Lacroix has faced similar financial woes. As in other industries smaller fashion businesses often don't have the resources or name recognition to compete once overall spending goes down. Another determining factor for many of the smaller brands has also been the decrease in orders from department stores. As stores and boutiques trim their orders many of the less well-known brands are being left behind.

UPDATE:Yohji Yamamoto Inc. has found a new investor. Integral Corp., a Japanese private equity fund, will finance the company's restructure. WWD says that pending court approval, Integral plans to create a separate company to acquire the Yamamoto business and assets which will become the new Yohji Yamamoto Inc. with Yamamoto himself retaining a minority stake.

Luxury publisher Assouline and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) have come out with a new book called American Fashion Menswear, billed as "the most authoritative and exciting book to date on the evolution of menswear in the United States over the past century. " The book begins by noting that the individualists and adventurers who settled America required garments that were functional and well-designed in order to survive the challenges of a new environment; those qualities continue to endure at the very heart of American menswear. Author Robert E. Bryan has divided the volume into seven different sections based upon the diverse identities of the American man, covering everything "Levi Strauss to the Ivy League, lounge suits to Zoot suits, and cowboys to counterculture," with cameos from the likes of Fred Astaire, Marlon Brando, Ralph Lauren and more.

A lavish new coffee table book from Rizzoli titled Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion and Architecture is a seductive anthology of the famed French fashion house's collaborations with an international group of elite artists, architects, designers, and photographers, including Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, David LaChapelle, Annie Leibovitz, Takashi Murakami (whose updated LV monogram is featured on the cover) Richard Prince and Stephen Sprouse. Beautiful images are interspersed with critical essays that examine and position Louis Vuitton's patronage, under the guidance of Artistic Director Marc Jacobs, during "one of the most fertile periods of contemporary art and design." The book is divided alphabetically so as to serve as a sort of encyclopedia of the many collaborations, commissions and sponsorships Vuitton, a cornerstone of the LVMH luxury goods empire, has engaged in over the years.

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.

Tyra Banks has been all over the celeb news radar in the last few days because on the September 8 season premiere of the Emmy-winning The Tyra Show, she went au naturel with her hair -- "no wigs, extensions, no nothing," she said.

Doing this is part of Banks's mission to help redefine the emotional issue of beauty for women, both within and without, she said in a widely-circulated AP article. Banks said she's learned from past shows, especially when it comes to trusting the insights she developed in the fashion industry. "It's more honest. There's nothing worse than sitting there and pretending" ignorance while a guest delivers tips she could share herself.

And to do so, Banks, who appears on Forbes magazine's 2008 Celebrity 100 list of the rich and famous, launched her online magazine the same day that her natural hair made its debut. WWD reported that Tyra: Beauty Inside & Out -- which she's dubbed a "magaline" -- will share her expertise. "I'm really interested in helping women take control of their futures, take control of their destiny. One of my lines in my manifesto on the website is to be the CEO of your own life, be in control of your own life," Banks said.

Do away with dainty chains, saccharine hearts and sugary baubles. There's nothing remotely nice about jewelry this fall.

It seems there was only one direction designers were headed coming off of last year's rash of chunky necklaces, body chains and bold cuffs: bigger, bolder and badder. Jewelry resembles body armor and the look is strong enough to stop a speeding bullet.

Italian designer Francesco Scognamiglio took a defensive posture by showing naked models in waist-to-neck body braces peeking out from under military-style coats. Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy presented brass knuckle-like rings and stacks of spiked cuffs that you wouldn't want to contend with in a back alley (shown above). And Alexander McQueen was certainly up to no good with those hubcaps and mufflers he used as hats and earrings in his défilé (I swear I also saw chicken claws, a lamp shade and a car filter).

It stands to reason: With all the financial uncertainties of this year, the outbreak of swine flu and any number of other evils lurking about, there's a palpable need for security. At times, though, designers seemed to verge on blood thirst. Some pieces resembled ancient torture devices, chains used for restraint or something out of a bizarre Gothic ritual.

Like the United States, the United Arab Emirates, wants to encourage young drivers to wear their seatbelts. But the UAE has a unique approach to their nationwide safety campaign. Instead of an ad campaign and the fear of tickets they are creating the Fashionable Seatbelt campaign which will be launched after Ramadan. Seatbelts will be covered with images of the national flag, sports logos and logos of fashion houses like Gucci. Figures from the Health Authority Abu Dhabi say that only 11 percent of Emiratis wear their seatbelts. Designers will be invited to submit ideas for the seatbelts and the plan is to eventually have the color of your seatbelt as something that is chosen when you pick out your car. It seems like an interesting idea but knowing how notoriously litigious Gucci and other luxury brands are when ti comes to protecting their intellectual property, I think that the campaign might have a tough time using the fashion logos.

[Thanks, Ben!]

Could fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier be out at Hermès? Fashion Week Daily reports that the designer may be resigning from the company after the Paris show in October. Gaultier produces his own collections of ready-to-wear and haute couture and has been the creative director at Hermès for six years. Gaultier has continued to bring excitement and status to the luxury brand whether he's bringing us a luxury version of the cowboy look, aviator chic or traditional Hollywood glamour. If he's out at Hermès those are some big shoes to fill.