Chloé\'s got a new designer

French fashion house Chloé has appointed a new designer. Hannah McGibbon, 38, is a British, Central Saint Martins-trained designer, who between 2001 and 2006 worked for the brand under Phoebe Philo. Recently her job was as creative director of the new Chloé perfume, which launched last month. Ever since Philo, who continued at the house after Stella McCartney left in 2001, left to spend time raising her two young children, the brand has struggled to maintain its massive popularity. The reason for the departure of Philo\'s successor, Paulo Melim Andersson, remains unclear, although he received lukewarm reviews for his three collections for the house. It would seem that, with the appointment of McGibbon, the 55-year Richemont-owned brand is keen to revive the youthful cool McCartney and Philo created. McGibbon will show her first collection for the house next October for spring/summer 2009.  -Danielle Radojcin

See the Chloé autumn/winter 2008 fashion show on handbag.com

Picture: Chloé autumn/winter 2008/9
 

Agyness hits the high street

It\'s one of the most popular shops on the British high street, he\'s one of the UK\'s most popular designers, and she is - by far - the hottest UK model right now: the collaboration between New Look, Giles Deacon and Agyness Deyn is sure to be an exciting one. For his fourth Giles Collection for New Look, the 2006 British Fashion Designer of the Year explained that he chose Agyness to be the face of his Gold by Giles collection for her "very natural and individual style that is both effortless and refreshing". Available in stores from 19 March, the collection, inspired by Los Angeles glamour, includes an emerald green and grey sequinned dress, and a high waist denim skirt - perfect looks for any Hollywood starlet, or, indeed, Agyness, who features regularly on handbag.com\'s weekly best-dressed list.  -Danielle Radojcin

See Giles\' autumn/winter 2008/9 fashion show on handbag.com 

Donatella\'s fringe benefits

Donatella Versace has taken over from Tom Ford as chair of the Fashion Fringe selection committee, the annual fashion project dedicated to supporting new London design talent. Set up by fashion historian Colin McDowall in 2004, the advisory committee also includes Anna Wintour, Alexander McQueen and Net-A-Porter founder Natalie Massenet. Each year a designer is awarded a substantial cash prize, to show a collection during London Fashion Week, as well as PR and business mentoring; past winners include Basso & Brooke, Erdem and Sinha-Stanic. Donatella, who has hired Christopher Kane to work for her company in the past, is no stranger to British fashion talent, and it will certainly be interesting to see how the project will flourish under her supervision.  -Danielle Radojcin

Read about the last Fashion Fringe event on handbag.com 

Picture: Donatella Versace

Find the perfect LBD

As any girl who\'s ever watched Breakfast At Tiffany\'s knows, the little black dress - or LBD, as it\'s now ubiquitously known - is a wardrobe staple. And like most wardrobe staples, it can take forever to find the perfect one. London designer Osman Yousefzada, who showed his second solo collection at London Fashion Week last February, has designed a limited edition collection for Spanish high street store Mango, consisting exclusively of LBDs, and priced between £40 and £80. Available exclusively at Selfridges in London, Birmingham and Manchester until 16 March, on 17 March the range will go on sale at Mango outlets nationwide. With a choice of 10 LBDs to choose from, you\'re bound to find the right one for you.  -Danielle Radojcin

Read about celebrities wearing LBDs on handbag.com 

Picture: Osman Yousefzada and Alice Dellal at the launch of his collection for Mango at Selfridges, London

Monsoon season

High street print aficionado Monsoon is this year celebrating its 35th anniversary, and, to celebrate, has launched a Heritage collection for spring. Inspired by its own prints from the \'70s, the in-house design team scoured the archives to produce a collection of 10 dresses. (As luck would have it, one of this summer\'s big trends happens to be big, swirling \'70s prints.) Kaftan dresses and tunics, as well as a halter-dress with hand-embroidered patterns and embellishments, form part of the collection; the ‘Bombay\' tunic and dress, in pure silk, are based on a best-selling design from 1973, and with prices which start from £65, you too can waft around like Talitha Getty.  -Danielle Radojcin

Picture: a look from the Monsoon Heritage collection

Could Marc win the big prize?

The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) has announced the nominees of its prestigious annual awards. Marc Jacobs, Francisco Costa of Calvin Klein, and Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCullough of Proenza Schouler have been nominated for the biggest prize, the 2008 Womenswear Designer of the Year. Nominees for the Swarovski Award for Womenswear are Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte, Alexander Wang and Thakoon Panichigul. Dries Van Noten will receive the International Award, and Carolina Herrera will receive the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award. The award ceremony, which will take place in the New York Public Library on 2 June, traditionally attracts a high-calibre fashion crowd, led by chairperson Diane von Furstenburg. It was, after all, where Kate Moss wore one of her most influential looks: the nude and black lace strapless cocktail dress, by Dior.     -Danielle Radojcin

Read about the 2007 CFDA Awards on handbag.com 

Read last week\'s Fashion News on handbag.com 

Picture: Marc Jacobs and Heidi Klum