Lady Gaga calling on fans to design t-shirts

Lady Gaga is calling on her fans to get creative for the chance to have their T-shirt design made into official merchandise for the superstar's forthcoming world tour.

The ‘Poker Face’ hitmaker has invited her Little Monster devotees to submit clothing ideas inspired by the singer to her official website.

The top 10 entries will receive cash prizes and the best will be printed and sold at the 2012-2013 Born This Way Ball dates.

But aspiring designers will have to move fast - the final day for submissions to the Fan Art Merch Design Contest is Tuesday.

WENN.com

Oscar fashion goes bold. Thank Lady Gaga!

Taking a tip from music stars Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj, Hollywood's A-list actresses are expected to turn up on Oscar's red carpet in many bold, futuristic designs, fashion experts predict.

The eye toward the future marks a turnaround from recent years in which styles at Hollywood's biggest awards shows have featured vintage gowns, subdued designs and colours, and less jewelry in a nod to the world's economic woes.

But with consumer confidence up, Hollywood's top female actresses will be wearing distinctive gowns highlighted by draping and accented shoulders and sleeves. Expect a wide array of colours, from pale shades and skin tones to bold purples, oranges, midnight blues and classic black.

Designer Marc Bouwer said this year's futuristic fashions are influenced by some of the "out-there" costumes of pop music superstars like Lady Gaga, Minaj and now Britney Spears as seen in her latest video, "Hold It Against Me."

"Artists are starting to dress much more crazy, more out there and it has a ripple effect on fashion," said Bouwer. 

"While you won't see a Lady Gaga outfit necessarily on the Oscar red carpet, you will see more architectural styles -- an expanded shoulder, a pronounced sleeve. The stronger power woman has emerged, and you cannot ignore that trend."

Styles on the red carpet ahead of the world's top film honors are expected to be similar to those debuting last month at Hollywood's Golden Globe Awards.

At that show, "Glee" star Lea Michelle dazzled fashionistas in a pink asymmetrical Oscar de la Renta gown, and other actresses such as Nicole Kidman, Michelle Williams and Scarlet Johansson turned up in skin tones and pale shades of rose.

Jewelry is back

This year Bouwer, who famously dressed Angelina Jolie in a white satin halter dress for the 2007 Oscars, is working with nominees including "The Fighter" star Melissa Leo on the trend he calls, "futuristic architectural minimalism."

It is a look that he and others said not only takes into consideration the dress, but accessories that come with it.

"We're going to see statement pieces," said Greg Kwiat of Kwiat Diamonds. His jewels previously were worn at the Oscars by past nominees such as Anna Kendrick and Natalie Portman.

"A bracelet, a necklace. There will be everything from classic diamonds to lots of colours like yellow gold or aquamarine," Kwiat said.

If the dresses and jewels are bold, then the hair has to be simple and "not so overly complicated" according to celebrity hair stylist Anthony Morrison.

"Whether the hair is up or down, it's more about having a finished look, not frizzy or disheveled," he said. "We've been using a lot of smoothing products to make sure hair is glossy, shiny and polished."

Hair colour is also expected to be big and bold this year.

"The colour is going to look amazing," Morrison said. "Rich brunettes, gorgeous reds and perfect blondes. Everybody will enhance whatever colour they have."

Colour enhancement is likely to be seen in many gowns, as well, along with classic black and ivory found at black-tie events. Allen B. Schwartz, creative director of A.B.S. by Allen Schwartz said to expect bold greens, purples, corrals, oranges and midnight navy.

"Colour is usually about positive energy," he said. "We all know what's gone on with people struggling because of the economy. Everyone has started off the year with a renewed energy for a better time (and) colour is about being happy."

© Copyright (c) Reuters

London Fashion Week's Simone Rocha Was Suprised To See Lady Gaga In Her Clothes: EXCLUSIVE

Simone Rocha is one of London’s brightest new talents. We've already told you that, remember? Her Spring / Summer 2012 show last September drew a major fashion crowd, Lady Gaga is a big fan, she’s blazing a fresh trail with minimalism – which certainly stands out amongst our brilliant London print gang - and with her fine fashion heritage (her Dad is John Rocha, peeps), there’s a major buzz around this little lady pre-London Fashion Week. Simone’s collection is dropping in store at the legendarily cool Dover St Market right now, so we thought it high time for a good ol’ catch up…

Grazia Daily: Fashion East has paved the way for many a great name to hit the wider fashion spectrum and now after your first standalone show during LFW and your SS12 collection dropping in store at Dover Street Market– what could possibly be next?

Simone Rocha: It's been an extremely busy but a great year! So much has happened and I feel so lucky to be able to show during LFW and of course for the current collection to be stocked at DSM. It’s a designer’s dream come true! Coming up I will be showing my A/W12 collection on-schedule as part of NewGen in Somerset House - so I’m working full time on the new collection.

GD: With your fashion heritage it’d be easy to assume you would automatically head into this business and in particular, fashion design, but did you ever want to do something totally and utterly different? And when did you start to get into fashion design?

SR: I have always been interested in design as I have been around it all my life. Both my parents are in the industry and I’m lucky enough to have always been exposed to great design, art and photography. I started going to shows when I was a kid and working in my Dad’s studio from 15, but I think I started to take it seriously when I went to the National College of Art and Design in Dublin when I was 18.

GD: What does it feel like when you see people wearing your clothes?

SR: It's by far one of the best parts of being a designer. During my first show with Fashion East for SS11 I was just happy that people watching were wearing my MA collection. But seeing real people in my clothes is amazing because you can see how the pieces become part of their personal style and they style them in ways I’d never have thought; whether it’s on Lulu Kennedy (founder of Fashion East) or my mum! Also seeing people I don’t know at all in the clothes is a real buzz - the fact they chose to buy it and not because they are mates is really cool.

Lady Gaga wearing Simone Rocha in London

GD: Lady Gaga has been seen in your collection twice – what did it feel like to see someone who so carefully plans their outfits pick out your line? And what do you think about the way she wore them?

SR: It was a total surprise! I never dreamed that could happen especially so soon after the S/S12 show! Today all eyes are on her and her fashion choices so it was exciting that she stepped out in one of my favourite looks from the collection, I think she wore it well with the hint of mint green against the delicacy of the white lace dress and crepe de chine skirt with lace edge really suited her! 

GD: Is there anyone else who you’d love to see wearing your clothes?

SR: Louise Gray, Celestine Cooney, Patti Smith, Chloe Sevigny, Lucy Chadwick, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Claireban Coffey, Sofia Coppola, Odette Rocha (my mum) – not many, ha! To me, just a mix of women who have their own personal style whether they are family or friends or in the public eye or not. 

GD: The little lace glove sandwiched into layers of a handbag had all of the Grazia girls cooing on the FROW, where did that idea come from?

S: It was a development  from the lace-trapped plastic jacket which as inspired by one of my favourite artists Louise Bourgeois’ sculptures. And the reason Iused a lace glove is because it's a play on the idea of a 'hand' bag. It came to me late one evening in the studio so I thought why not!

GD: Was it beyond difficult to work with fabrics like plastic? Sounds tricky…

SR: Yes it was a challenge, but I knew it was right to use that material for this collection.We worked around it by treating it like leather.

GD: You’ve said before that your favourite decade for inspiration is the 1800s, but your clothes feel so modern. How do you adapt and use your influences?

SR: I love the volume, panelling and history of the 1800s, and I find it exciting to make it modern. It's about taking something classic and historical and contrasting it with something real and gritty to create something fresh. So while I’m researching the1800s, I’ll probably be looking into the 90s at the same time!

GD: And how do you wear your own clothes? How much does the look change from catwalk to your closet?

SR: Man, I’m definitely scruffier then how you see the collection coming down the runway! I’ll always wear one of the coats or blazers day to day and the brogues for meetings but more often than not team it with my runners (shell toe Adidas) or mixing staples from the collection with vintage pieces or from John Rocha.

GD: Any finally, any hints as to what we can expect and look forward to at LFW this coming February? We’re excited…

SR: Ahh… I always keep this very close to me right until the very end as everything always changes last minute - so I’m afraid you will have to wait and see, sorry!

Lady Gaga: I still buy designer fakes

Lady Gaga has confessed she's partial to buying the occasional designer fake on holiday.

The Bad Romance singer may be able to afford the priciest of clobber, but couldn't resist stocking up on fakes on a recent trip to Japan.

Gaga is quoted in the Daily Mirror as revealing: "In Tokyo, they have all these stores that have fake Chanel and Versace. And I'm an Italian from New York, so I still buy it.

"This jacket is fake."

The singer, 25, recently announced she's planning to release a new album this year.

Gaga - who racked up a host of awards for her first two solo albums, The Fame and Born This Way - said she was "looking forward" to unveiling her latest offering.