Since Paris Fashion Week served up more noteworthy menswear collections than we had time to discuss in depth, and the Haute Couture shows are now on the fashion world's center stage (soon to be followed by New York Fashion Week), here's  a notebook-clearing laundry list of the ones that got away:

Lanvin

The Lanvin collection telegraphed its duality with a soundtrack that abruptly cut between '70s-era country music and futuristic thumping techno beats. So too the runway was filled with both extremes: skinny-legged pants interspersed with generously cut trousers, technical outerwear pieces such as puffer jackets and bombers followed by double-breasted jackets, and other pieces that combined the best of both ends of the spectrum. But there was one constant -- many looks were topped off with the wide-brimmed hat that had become one of the "it" accessories of the men's fall and winter 2011 shows.

Yves Saint Laurent

"Take me back to England" were the first words we could make out from the soundtrack accompanying

Oscar de la Renta is fretting over the red and black Alexander McQueen gown Michelle Obama wore to this week's state dinner for People's Republic of China President Hu Jintao. Not that the frock by McQueen creative director Sarah Burton wasn't lovely. But it should have been made by an American or Chinese designer, not a Brit, de la Renta says. Who knew fashion was so political? [WWD]

A couple of my favorite celebs are announcing product deals as this week nears its close. 

New papa Orlando Bloom (it was a baby boy for the actor and wife, model Miranda Kerr, on Jan. 6) will be the frontman for Boss Orange Man, due out Feb. 1.  [WWD] (Subscription required.)  

"Project Runway's" Heidi Klum signed a deal with Coty to create her own fragrance, Shine, scheduled to hit stores in September. [WWD] (Subscription required.) 

Actor Vincent Cassel and director Darren Aronofsky of "Black Swan" worked with Yves Saint Laurent on a short film promoting YSL's La Nuit de L’Homme. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

Speaking of "Black Swan," here's a fun fact for you: Swarovski provided more than 250,000 crystals for the film's costumes and chandeliers. [People]

Rihanna has become the girl with the most talked about hair over the last year or so -- not counting Willow Smith! Rihanna's hair has been long, it's been short and edgy, it's been different colors. And this week, thanks to a wig, it was wild, red Afro style curls spiraling around her face like a mushroom cloud. Kids, don't try this at home! [StyleList] 

Kat Von D has been spotted wearing a Neil Lane engagement ring from fiance Jesse James. The 4-carat-plus sparkler is a large diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds in a dome shape. [People]

Foley + Corinna has closed its Los Angeles shop on Melrose. [Mondette]

--Susan Denley

Photo: First Lady Michelle Obama, wearing the Alexander McQueen gown, with President Barack Obama. Credit: AFP/Getty 

 

On holiday here in Washington, D.C., I stopped by the fantastic Norman Rockwell exhibit "Telling Stories," which features paintings and drawings by the well-known artist on loan from Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

And after discovering that I'd misjudged Rockwell's work all these years as simply apple-pie Americana (true, his work was idealistic but not without its dark shadows), I noted how fabulous looking all the women in his oeuvre were — with their washed-and-set '40s and '50s coifs and their neat-as-a-pin shirtwaist dresses.

Rockwell "cast" his paintings, drawing people from photographs and real life. And though female faces varied, they almost always boasted a similiar crimson mouth.

The lip color? Pure 1940s orange-based red, a hue that's so high maintenance, my guess is most modern gals would shy away from it.

But Rockwell's glamorous femmes inspired me to find a modern-day facsimilie of the face-brightening lip color. Below, a few options:

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture in Blood Red: This va-va-voom hue, $30, is a definite Rockwell red, packing the power to enliven an otherwise bare (or nearly bare) face.

Tom Ford Private Blend Lip Color in Cherry Lush: Ford appreciates a good retro lip, and his Private Blend collection is full of classic colors, none of which seem more Rockwellian than Cherry Lush, $45. Though it's definitely a pinky red, it's deeply pigmented and absolutely '50s.

Clarins Joli Rouge Lipstick: But the winning color has to be this orange-based crimson from Clarins (pictured). Thick and intensely pigmented, the fire-engine-red lip color is fit for an icon.

--Emili Vesilind

Photos, from top: Norman Rockwell's "The Flirts," from Steven Spielberg's collection. Credit: Smithsonian American Museum of Art. Clarins Joli Rouge Lipstick. Credit: Clarins

 

Los Angeles Times fashion critic Booth Moore picks the top 10 runway collections of the spring-summer 2011 season. Check out a full gallery here.

Photo left: A look from the Fendi spring-summer 2011 runway collection. Photo right: A look from the Gucci spring-summer 2011 runway collection. Credit: Jonas Gustavsson and Peter Stigter / For The Times.

This has been a season rife with references to vintage Yves Saint Laurent, on runways from New York to Milan, at Marc Jacobs, Gucci,  Etro and more. So the pressure was on YSL designer Stefano Pilati to deliver something special.

And he did, by bringing strong suits, peasant tops and gyspy dresses up to date with strong lines and graphic details.

The spring season's longer length skirt was clean and spare, save for a single patch pocket positioned at the top of a slit, or a border of flamenco ruffles.

Pilati was able to convey a grown-up sensuality by revealing just a hint of skin with open-back blouses and dresses, slim-line jumpsuits with plunging necklines or halter tops.

It added up to lots to wear, and a sense of looking forward not back.

-- Booth Moore in Paris

Yves Saint Laurent spring-summer 2011 runway collection photo gallery

Photos: Looks from the Yves Saint Laurent spring-summer 2011 runway collection show during Paris Fashion Week. Credit: Jonas Gustavsson & Peter Stigter / For The Times.

Kelly Osbourne has taken her share of thumbs-down over her style choices in the past, but now she will have a chance to opine on the taste of others. She is joining Joan Rivers on a new weekly show, "Fashion Police," which debuts Friday at 10:30 p.m. EDT on E! They will be aided by E's resident fashionista Giuliana Rancic and celebrity stylist George Kotsiopoulos. Should be fun to get a weekly chance to review celebrity outfits instead of having to wait for major events like Emmys and Oscars. [People] 

"L'Amour Fou," a documentary premiering Saturday at the Toronto Film Festival, explores the love story of late designer Yves Saint Laurent and his longtime partner, Pierre Bergé.  "I have never met a couple that stuck together for 50 years, through the ups and downs, and I thought it was simply extraordinary," said filmmaker Pierre Thoretton.  "Their love was unconditional. I have never seen anything like it and it still blows me away." [WWD]

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise were a cuddly couple this week at a New York screening of her new film, "The Romantics," but that's not distracting Holmes from business. Besides launching a new movie, she is hard at work with stylist Jeanne Yang on the Holmes & Yang spring collection. [WWD]

Jessica Simpson launched her new denim line this week with a party featuring friends and family. Sis Ashlee and pal Cacee Cobb modeled; brother-in-law Pete Wentz played DJ; and beau Eric Johnson was on hand. Guests got a look at her Spring 2011 collection and received a pair of jeans as a gift. [People]

Fashion's Night Out, the global shopping event meant to stimulate fashion sales, is happening in New York and L.A. on Friday, but the Brits got a head start with FNO on Wednesday night in London. [WWD]

America's Gap has scored a style coup. To celebrate the opening of its first stores in Italy, Gap will offer a limited capsule collection designed by Valentino. The collection will be available beginning in November in just a handful of stores in London, Paris and Milan. [Telegraph]

Victoria and David Beckham make out in an elevator in a steamy ad for their upcoming his-and-hers fragrance, Intimately Beckham Yours. Voyeurism, anyone? [Daily Mail] 

Estée Lauder's new fragrance, Bloomin' Lovely, is a fresh, fruity floral that seems a bit more youthful than what Lauder usually offers. ( [BellaSugar] 

Could the new "it" accessory be a fan? French firm Duvelleroy hopes to bring back beautiful hand-held fans to complement every wardrobe. [T Magazine]

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Kelly Osbourne in a Tony Ward gown at this year's Emmys. Credit: Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times

Yves Saint Laurent's famous Tribute platform sandal has been redone in fetching -- and symbolic -- hot pink, a show of support in the effort to find a cure for women's gynecological and breast cancers.

YSL created the suede slippers, dubbed the Pink Party Tribute Heel, exclusively for Pacific Palisades boutique Elyse Walker — in homage to Walker's longtime support of cancer research for women.

One hundred dollars from the sale of the pink pumps, which are on sale now at ElyseWalker.com for $995, will be donated to Cedars-Sinai Women's Cancer Research Institute.

The sale of the pink Tributes is kicking off fund-raising efforts for the sixth annual Pink Party, a benefit founded by Walker in support of the institute. The event, which will take place at Drai's Hollywood nightclub on Sept. 25, will be hosted by Jennifer Garner. Since its inception five years ago, the charity  has raised more than $4 million for the cause.

The kicky heels — only available while supplies last — come in a lower heel (3 inches) for us rational gals, and a towering 4-inch heel for girls who like to live on the edge (but not tip over).

-- Emili Vesilind

Photo: YSL's Elyse Walker Tribute sandals. Credit: Elyse Walker

Fans Friday are mourning the death one year ago of pop king Michael Jackson. Jackson was also the king of pop style, and his impact on fashion is still felt. Times Fashion Critic Booth Moore explained how his idiosyncratic flair influenced the fashion world. [LAT] 

Kristen Stewart (in Elie Saab), Robert Pattinson (in Gucci) and Taylor Lautner looked fangtastic Thursday night at the L.A. premier of "Eclipse," the latest Twilight movie, which opens Wednesday. [Wall Street Journal]  

Remember when a good book was just a good book? Now who knows where it will lead? Fresh has teamed with Sony for a new "Eat, Pray, Love" fragrance line based on Elizabeth Gilbert's bestseller. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

Meanwhile, YSL reaches back to the past with Belle d'Opium, a modern take on the house's signature scent from he '70s. French actress Melanie Thierry will be the face of the fragrance. [Instyle UK]

You may not recognize their names but if you're interested in fashion, you've seen their work. Photographers Inez and Vinoodh have worked with ateliers Gucci, Pucci, Isabel Marant, Givenchy, YSL...the list goes on and on. And their shoots have appeared in Vogue, Bazaar and all the major glossies. Now the husband-wife team is celebrating 25 years in the business. [FabSugar]

Model Miranda Kerr flashes the diamond engagement ring newly slipped on her finger by fiance Orlando Bloom. [Us]  

Remember a few years ago when the City of Angels sprouted artistically decorated angels all over town? The angels delighted us for awhile, then were auctioned off for a good cause. Chicago did something similar with cows. Now the Big Apple has put its own spin on the idea: 32 fashion designers, including Michael Kors, Donna Karan and Isabel Toledo, have decked out fiberglass mannequins which will be on view till Sept. 3. [The Cut]

--Susan Denley

Photo: Michael Jackson  Credit: Reuters

Get a sneak peek at the resort 2011 collection Yves Saint Laurent will show in New York on Thursday. [WWD]

And you can see what Alexander Wang has to offer too. [WWD]

Shorts are coming on strong, retailers say as they report double-digit increases in sales. I kind of hope it doesn't mean a return to 1970s-style hot pants. [WWD] (Subscription required)

Dame Elizabeth Taylor, one of the great beauties of all time, graces the cover of Vanity Fair's July issue in a swimsuit shot that must hail from sometime in the 1960s and a headline declaring "Greatest Romance of the Century." In the accompanying interview, she shares some excerpts from Richard Burton's love letters. [People]

Stars like Halle Berry, Megan Fox, Brian Austin Greene and Audrina Partridge are hitting the beach. See what they are wearing, if you need some inspiration of your own. [People]

All these "Sex and the City 2" premieres are getting pretty ho-hum. But there was breaking news at the Tokyo red-carpet event Tuesday: Kim Cattrell was wearing a bob. Gasp! [Huffington Post] 

How many pairs of shoes are too many? It's a question men and women have been, um, debating for years. Even celebrity couples, apparently. Orlando Bloom is caught fussing at his gorgeous girlfriend Miranda Kerr after a too-long day of shopping at Bergdorf Goodman's. [New York Post]

If you're still disappointed over not finding her limited-edition shoes at Target this spring, turn your attention to summer clothes: Twelfth St. by Cynthia Vincent is offering a range of warm-weather styles in cool candy colors. [FabSugar] 

Bridal and eveningwear designer Angel Sanchez is launching a new contemporary line, Sanchez. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

Can one bar of soap really do it all, even if it is named the Wonderbar? [StyleList]

Five sunny summer beauty finds for under $20. [BellaSugar]

L.A.-based Rodarte teams with Knoll Deluxe to design drapery fabric. [Racked NY] 

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor in "Cleopatra."

Sarah Jessica Parker will present a Special Tribute Award honoring the late Alexander McQueen from the board of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. And in other news, The Oprah Store will open Thursday in Chicago's Water Tower Place. [WWD]

Ouch! This hurts more than a too-tight stiletto: Zappos lost $1.6 million in six hours due to a pricing error on its sister site, 6pm.com. [WWD]

Venus Williams advanced Wednesday to the third round of the French Open, but people are still talking about the racy outfit she wore in her match Sunday. [Huffington Post]

The latest in the size wars is sort of funny. Lane Bryant, still mad that ABC and Fox wouldn't run its plus-size lingerie ads, has posted a fan's YouTube spoof of Victoria's Secret ads on its blog. The model: a skeleton clad in bra, panties and heels. [InsideCurve]

Marc Jacobs parties at the opening of the new Louis Vuitton maison in London's West End. And oh, yeah, he's had a hair transplant. [British Vogue] [Telegraph]

Skin expert and former acne sufferer Ole Henriksen shares tips for a clear complexion. [Telegraph]

Forever 21 gets physical with new action wear. [FabSugar]

The latest clothes-based reality series, "Jersey Couture," debuts on Oxygen on June 1. It's described as kind of a cross between "Say Yes to the Dress" and "Jerseylicious." But it sounds to me more like "Jersey Shore" meets the Kardashians. [StyleList]

Suggestion: Maybe Lindsay Lohan can turn her new alcohol-monitoring anklet into a money-making fashion statement. [People]

Beyonce is starring in new ads for C&A stores. [Racked]

An iconic photograph of a nude Yves Saint Laurent, used sparingly in his campaign for Pour Homme in 1971, is going to auction in Paris on June 30 along with 59 other photographs by Jeanloup Sieff. [British Vogue]

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Venus Williams in the racy French Open tennis dress Credit: Michel Spingler / Associated Press

Singer and fashion icon Lena Horne dies. [Los Angeles Times]

A tribute to Horne's style. [Style Section L.A.]

The secrets of dressing Michelle Obama. [The Daily Beast]

The funny folks who do Fail Blog also have If Shoes Could Kill. [Huffington Post]

Fashion designer Anna Sui will have a book out this fall. [WWD]

Design students can't get jobs. [The Cut]

Lady Gaga accused of losing Rigby and Peller lingerie. [Daily Mail]

She also walked around Sweeden in her underwear. [Styleite]

My eight-year-old self is dying for these Louis Vuitton booties. [Nylon]

Victoria Beckham brings back her "pob" hairstyle. [FabSugar UK]

A look at Lindsay Lohan's "it" bag for 6126. [People StyleWatch]

Dissolving wedding dresses? Well, you are only supposed to wear it once. [Telegraph]

Harrods, London's enormous luxury department store, is sold for $2.2 billion. [Racked]

And BCBG joins the trend of U.S. stores crossing the pond. [WWD, subscription required]

Fashion designers + home decor = collaboration magic? [WSJ]

Late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent's Paris apartment is for sale. [Vogue UK]

How H&M keeps things cool. [WSJ, subscription required]

-- Whitney Friedlander

Photo: Lena Horne, shown in a 1946 promotional photo for the musical "Till the Clouds Roll By." Credit: Associated Press / WNET

Resident Image stylist and market editor Melissa Magsaysay soothes your sartorial woes in the weekly Your Stylist blog column.

Hi Your Stylist-

I recently turned 30 and realized it’s probably time I ditched the worn out H&M or Aldo bags and got myself   a grown-up bag with a real designer. My friend at work recently bought a used Louis Vuitton Speedy off EBay. While I like the size of her purse and that there’s a “green” factor that helps both the environment and my pocketbook, I don’t want the same thing. I also know this is weird, but I have a strong phobia of snakes, and even snake-skin bags and shoes kind of weird me out. I’m somewhat flexible on price if it means I’ll have the purse for years. Keeping these stipulations in mind, do you have any suggestions? KW, Los Angeles

There’s nothing quite like the first grown-up bag that will hang from your arm making you feel polished, put-together and confident: Your new best friend that comes with the price tag of about $1,000.

But because you’re ready to take the plunge and replace all of those disposable bags with something that you will keep and use for years to come, there are several designer styles to consider.

Your friend’s Speedy bag is a classic shape, and of course, you can’t really go wrong with the brown-and-beige LV logo leather. If you like that shape, take a look at the Bayswater bag from Mulberry. It’s a solid rectangle with a top flap and turn closure. It’s a classic and truly grown-up bag, but not something all your friends already have.

The Downtown bag from YSL is another iconic style that will serve you well for years to come. I love the angular shape of this one and the zippers and hardware add some edge. For something that looks more vintage and down to earth, the Paraty bag from Chloe is another style that will transcend several seasons. The cognac-colored leather will work in both the summer and a California fall, and the long and short straps give you options to hand-carry or throw it on your shoulder.

One of my favorite new bag lines is Jerome Dreyfuss -- especially if you want a bag that not everyone is going to be toting around.  The Parisian designer makes buttery leather bags in interesting and vivid colors as well as several   neutral shades such as this luggage leather hobo.

If the eco-friendly aspect still intrigues you, a Southern California-based label called Novella Royale makes high-end bags from recycled leather jackets. The styles here are trendier, with studs, fringe and smaller sizes, but the Clover and Van bags are on the more classic side. Plus you have the peace of mind about carrying re-purposed leather.

Whichever bag you choose, congratulations on making this important step in stocking your closet with big-girl bags. Each one is an investment, but remember that a beautiful bag can transform the simplest outfit into something really special.

Send your style queries to melissa.magsaysay@latimes.com

-- Melissa Magsaysay

MORE YOUR STYLIST COLUMNS:

The truth about this season's tie-dye trend

Eco-friendly jewelry

How to wear overalls without looking like a Marky Mark back-up dancer

Finding the right prom dress

Photos: Top left: Yves Saint Laurent Downtown bag, $1395/www.ysl.com. Top right: Chloe Paraty bag, $1895/www.netaporter.com. Middle left: Mulberry Bayswater, $950/Mulberry. Bottom left: Novella Royale Clover bag, $644/Novella Royale. Bottom right: Jerome Dreyfuss Bob bag, $995/Jerome Dreyfuss.