Trending: Cut out dresses

Actress Michelle Monaghan 's scoop-neck navy dress perfectly marries a sporty and revealing aesthetic, at the 40th Annual FiFi Awards

Emilio Pucci's navy and black lace tiered ruffle dress looked suitably stunning on Bella Heathcote and, more importantly, mirrored the gothic-inspired style of her peers at the premiere of Tim Burton's latest film 'Dark Shadows'.

Panels of transparent material cut graphic shapes down the hips of models at Prabal Gurung's spring/summer 2012 show.

Cut-outs can be made conspicuous by adding a giant ruffle or two. See Alexander McQueen's spring/summer 2012 show stopping, intense red mini dress for inspiration.

Christopher Kane's clean lines and origami-style tailoring lends itself well to cut-outs, especially when in zany hippie-esque prints, as seen on the spring/summer 2012 runway.

Inspired by Scandinavian folklore, Aminaka Wilmont decked out models in explosions of ethereal and midsummer prints. Embrace your feminine side with floral patterned cut-outs.

There was a distinctly 'sexy Spartan' vibe at Hervé Léger's spring/summer 2012 show. Constrained silhouettes were emphasised by cut-outs in metallic fabrics for a totally fearless look.

Singer Taylor Swift put paid to her reputation as a country cutie, at the Academy of Country Music Awards, in this sleek white cut-out gown by J Mendel.

Calling on designer Zac Posen for a chic, black cut-out dress fit for the SAG Awards, actress Amber Heard accessorised the look with an oversized quiff.

Actress Emily Blunt gave her cheeks a rosy hue to match this pink minimalist cut-out dress by Calvin Klein, at the Met Gala.

Actress Chloë Sevigny chose a purple cut-out frock to attend the preview of her new TV show 'Hit and Miss.'

With a catalogue of figure-hugging dresses to her name, this black cut-out Dion Lee number is no shocker for actress Charlize Theron.

Stella McCartney has staked her claim as the 'waist minimiser of women' through her carefully sculpted tailoring. This emerald, velvet cut out dress, as seen on actress Naomi Watts, is no exception.

Anthony Vaccarello gave new life, and introduced a whole lot more flesh, to the traditional little black dress, in his SS12 collection. NB: the only accessories needed are a dark lip tone and a whole lot of attitude.

Versus's spring/summer 2012 cut-outs in sugar sweet pastels and knife cut pleats brought a relaxed modernism to this season's foray back to the fashion of the roaring twenties.

French designer Roland Mouret teams edgy torso cut-outs with a delicate pale peplum finish - a chic choice for January Jones at the fashion-forward show 'Mad Men's' fifth series premiere.

The creative forces behind Cushnie et Och's spring/summer 2012 collection certainly got snip happy, as cut-out garments in baby pink, nude and white all graced the catwalk. This black number balances out its fierce nature with a playful swing skirt.

Steal the show, like actress Jennifer Lawrence, in shimmering metallic gold. This Prabal Gurung number includes a train as well as slinky cut-out side panels.

Cut-outs in black leather offer a striking colour contrast against nude skin, as seen on actress Rooney Mara's Dion Lee dress, at a Rome photocall for 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'.

It's time to get snipping: worn well, cut-outs can show off your most flattering body parts, be it your waist, back or shoulders.

Compiled by Alice Newbold.
hannel Diane Kruger's Cannes look and lace up your cut-outs. And if you're brave enough to embrace the mini, this Versus pleated number provides the perfect inspiration. 

Victoria’s Secret set date for UK debut

Victoria's Secret Summer 2012 What Is Sexy? Launch With 
Doutzen Kroes, Erin Heatherton and Lindsay Ellingson

American lingerie giant Victoria's Secret has confirmed the opening dates of two London stores, its first in the country.

The Angels are finally coming: US lingerie retailer Victoria's Secret has confirmed that its first UK store will open on July 25 - just in time for the capital's Olympic Games.

Expect a catwalk extravaganza - much like the annual show hosted in New York, whereby the brand's spokesmodels (or Angels, as they are called) take to the runway to flaunt one-of-a-kind creations upon their famous bodies (complete with wings) - to launch the store.

The Victoria's Secret flagship store is currently under construction and occupies a prominent position on designer boutique-laden New Bond Street and the corner of elegant Brook Street.

And it doesn't end there: a second store will open the following day at Westfield shopping centre in Stratford, east London and a stonesthrow from the Olympic Stadium, which will host the 2012 Games from July 27.

Retail analysts report that the brand will then look to open additional stores around the capital.

In the meantime, the question on every fashionista's lips is which Angels will make it in town for the launch? Will Brazilian Alessandra Ambrosio, who had her second child two weeks ago ping back in to shape? Answer: of course; will Adriana Lima and Lily Aldridge, both currently 'in the club' be back on duty? Answer: most porbably; will Miranda Kerr grace London with her British beau, Orlando Bloom in tow? Answer: we seriously hope so.

Photo: Getty. Toni Garrn walks in the 2011 Victoria's Secret show.

Watch out London Collections: Men, here come the Women

A model backstage at Matthew Williamson spring/summer 2012

The British Fashion Council has announced plans to promote London designers' womenswear collections with a special showcase in June.

The gap between February and September's London Fashion Week is a large one, so the British Fashion Council have today announced that they are filling the void with a new event, London Collections: Women.

Hot off the heels of the inaugural London Collections: Men - a three-day showcase of the capital's brightest menswear brands and new talents from June 15-17 - Women will promote the growing number of brands and designers selling mainline or Resort collections during this period.

"Many designers showing at London Fashion Week have now introduced pre-collections, some for the very first time this season," explains Caroline Rush, chief executive of the British Fashion Council.

"There are great showrooms here in London and we want to encourage as many as orders as possible to be written here."

Designers who have been in business for at least three years will be eligible to apply to show under the umbrella. Their applications will be reviewed by an advisory panel comprised of leading opinion formers, press and retail representatives. Established names such as Matthew Williamson, Mulberry, Alice Temperley and Issa have already signed up. June 18 is slated as the official launch date, but designers have flexibility over the duration of their showroom openings.

Elettra Wiedemann: Coast's new girl

‘Antoinetta’ top, £70, and ‘Azelia’ skirt, £110

Coast presents its summer collection, modelled by Isabella Rossellini's daughter, Elettra Wiedemann.

With a summer of celebration upon us, no doubt we're all going to experience at least one "I haven't a stitch to wear" moment over the next few months.

But fear not, high street occasion wear favourite Coast has the perfect solution to eradicate any possible sartorial challenges

Enlisting the help of model Elletra Wiedemann, Coast introduce their summer range of partywear, available in stores from June 28.

'Carletta' dress, £195

Dusty pinks, feathers and sequins make up the pretty and sophisticated collection fit for any summertime soirée be it a wedding, jubilee party or Olympic celebration.

'Tina' maxi, £450

The daughter of Italian actress Isabella Rossellini and the granddaughter of screen legend Ingrid Bergman, Wiedemann has established herself as a face to know in the fashion industry. She was personally asked by Anna Wintour to host the livestream at this year's Met Ball, commentating on the red carpet arrivals and interviewing some of the industries biggest names, and has been modelling since her teens.

'Harriet' dress, £295

Since 2004, she has also been a spokesmodel for Lancome, a brand she is no stranger to as her mother represented the brand for 14 years.

'Doreen' feather dress, £275

Charlize Theron: She Wears It Well

South African actress Charlize Theron masters pulling together luxurious pieces with elegant nonchalance.

Remember that time way back in the mists -1998, imagine - when Sharon Stone wore a white Gap men's shirt and a lilac Vera Wang skirt to the Oscars and everyone talked about it forever? This week, at the Berlin premiere of Snow White and the Huntsman , Charlize Theron pulled off the two-thousand-and-teens version of that.

This is the kind of dressing that the Parisian fashion editors Carine Roitfeld and Emannuel Alt first made cool. It has now filtered down to become the definition of modern female style - simple, luxurious pieces put together with elegant nonchalance.

Theron choose a black Rag and Bone sweater and an embellished Alexander Wang skirt for the occasion. The mix of slouchy and feminine is key - the boyish jumper and sporty skirt are counter-balanced by the elegant, strappy sandal and the flashes of skin at the wrist and the legs.

Burberry awarded £63 million in counterfeiting case

Raining confetti on the catwalk finale at Burberry

British heritage brand Burberry has been awarded the sum in a judgement case against Chinese Internet counterfeiters.

Burberry has been awarded £63 million ($100 million) in damages after taking a network of Chinese counterfeiters to court.

WWD report that the defendants, who ran websites such as yesburberryvision.com and buyburberry.com, were known to have sold at least 22 different product types all bearing imitations of the British heritage brand's various trademarks, such as its iconic plaid check and equestrian knight logo.  

The resolution of the case, which was originally filed in January at Manhattan Federal Court, comes after months of waiting for the defendants to reply to the accusations and appear in court - neither of which was ever done.

The domain names for all the infringing sites will now be transferred to Burberry, allowing the brand to cut off any associated internet providers, web designers, sponsored search engine or ad-word providers, merchant account providers, payment processors and others from doing business with the defendants in this matter.

Additionally, Burberry has won the right to intercept any associated monies held by PayPal Inc - the payment processor for the counterfeit sites - and will also now be able to hold third parties such as Google, Twitter and Facebook accountable for associating with the various sites.

Last month, Hermes was also awarded approximately £63 million after winning their case against 34 counterfeit websites.

It’s a girl for Julia Restoin Roitfeld

Stylist Carine Roitfeld's daughter Julia and her model boyfriend welcome their first child together, a daughter named Romy.

Carine Roitfeld has a lot of strings to her bow - editor, stylist, model, make-up collaborator - and now she can add grand-mere to her CV.

Her daughter, Julia Restoin Roitfeld gave birth to a baby girl thought to be named Romy yesterday. It is Julia, 30, and her partner Robert Konjic's first child, making the new arrival the first grandchild for former Vogue Paris editor Carine, who is set to stage the Cannes Film Festival's first-ever fashion show next week.  

"We are delighted to confirm that Julia and Robert have had a healthy baby girl," the model's publicist told Vogue.co.uk. "Both mother and daughter are doing very well and resting at home."

The choice of name, which was revealed by shoe designer Brian Atwood on Twitter, is most likely a tribute to Julia's style icon, the actress Romy Schneider - in 2011, she appeared in an Schneider-inspired editorial entitled 'A Woman Like Romy' in an issue of V Magazine that was guest-edited by her mother Carine. What we can be sure of is that thanks to the fashion-saturated gene pool (fashion editor mother, fashion designer father and ex-model/fashion editor grandmother) from which she was spawned, she's going to be one stylish little tyke.

Skechers fined $40 million for false claims about its toning shoes

Kim Kardashian promoting Skechers Shape-Up trainers

Footwear label told to shape up its substantiations or tone down its claims as American Trade Commission orders it to reimburse customers.

Footwear brand Skechers is to pay $40 million (£25 million) to settle claims that it deceived consumers by suggesting its sports shoes could help weight loss and bottom-toning.

In an agreement similar to one last year against Reebok, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in America said purchasers of the California-based firm's Shape-up, Resistance Runner, Toners and Tone-up shoe ranges can apply for refunds.

The Shape-ups adverts featured reality TV star Kim Kardashian getting rid of her personal trainer in favour of a pair of Shape-ups in a campaign aired during last year's Super Bowl - the most watched American television broadcast of the year.

"Skechers' unfounded claims went beyond stronger and more toned muscles. The company even made claims about weight loss and cardiovascular health," said David Vladeck, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection.

"The FTC's message, for Skechers and other national advertisers, is to shape up your substantiation or tone down your claims," he added.

California Attorney General Kamala Harris added: "Consumers shouldn't be duped into paying more for products with false promises of weight loss and other benefits."

Skechers, meanwhile, "vigorously" deny the allegations.

Last September, sportswear giant Reebok, a unit of the German group Adidas, agreed to pay $25 million (£15.6 million) in customer refunds to purchasers of its EasyTone walking shoes and RunTone running shoes.

Jessica Simpson Talks Destination Maternity Partnership

She’s settling into motherhood quite nicely, and Jessica Simpson is also keeping her eye on her ever-expanding fashion empire.

The “Come On Over” songstress, who gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Maxwell Drew on May 1st, is teaming up with Destination Maternity to help pregnant ladies stay comfortable and fashionable.

Jessica explained, “I’m [pleased] to partner with Destination Maternity to design a collection of fashionable styles that make you look and feel great. You want to wear clothes that are flattering to your baby bump; you want to show your bump off.”

And Destination Maternity president Chris Daniel is thrilled about the arrangement. “It was a natural for us. She’s very well known for style and fashion and the great work she’s been doing growing her brand with the Camuto Group.”

Slated to hit stores this fall, Jessica’s new lineup will be priced from $39 to $69 and will include jackets, jersey knit dresses, denim, blazers, and sweaters.

2012 Costume Institute Gala: A Complete Look!

Drawing one of the most impressive guest lists of any event in recent memory, the Costume Institute Gala in New York City was the place to be on Monday night (May 7).

With the glitzy soiree being held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, A-List couples such as Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake mingled with the likes of Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady during the course of the festivities.

This year's MET Gala saw actress Carey Mulligan acting as honorary co-chair with fellow co-chairs including designer Miuccia Prada and US Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.

Meanwhile, the theme of the 2011 Costume Institute Gala was "Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations" - which explored "the striking affinities between Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada, two Italian designers from different eras."

Others partaking in the MET celebration were lovely actresses like Jessica Alba, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kristen Stewart, Scarlett Johansson and Emma Stone, along with music superstars such as Rihanna, Kanye West, Beyonce Knowles and Lana Del Rey.

Adding their beauty to the guest list, the Metropolitan Museum of Art also welcomed top models Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Candice Swanepoel, Brooklyn Decker and Kate Upton, with countless fellow esteemed attendees helping to launch the new Schiaparelli and Prada exhibit.

Enjoy the pictures from the 2012 Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (May 7).