Denmark is known for a lot of things – pastries, furniture design (Poul Henningsen, anyone?) Tivoli, The Little Mermaid – but until recently, not much has been said of its fashion. Copenhagen, is quickly becoming one of the world’s fastest-growing fashion hubs, and we’ve got to get up on it….quickly. Two of Denmark’s hottest labels, Henrik Vibskov and Baum und Pferdgarten have already developed cult followings globally and are now beginning to catch fire in the U.S.

The artist/filmmaker/musician/designer, Vibskov, a graduate of Central Saint Martins, launched his label in 2001 and now sells in select luxury boutiques worldwide. For his Fall/Winter 2008 collection, Vibskov takes his characteristic playful androgyny to new extremes, casting all of his models with green bangs so as to render gender irrelevant. The collection draws its inspiration from Scotland, with a spiced-up take on the traditional tartans and plaids, an assortment of heavy knits and oversized metallic jackets. He pairs many of the looks with funky, multicolored tights and leggings — wardrobe staples for any would-be Scandinavian fashionista.

Rikke Baumgarten and Helle Hestehave founded Baum und Pferdgarten in 1999 and have since taken the international fashion world by storm. Their look, which they self-describe as “offbeat and different,” is suited to women who like to straddle the line between timeless classics and the avant-garde. The Fall/Winter 2008 collection offers looks ostensibly designed for a modern Wednesday Addams. A simple palate of black, white, grey and the occasional splash of navy and wintergreen is accented by whimsical (if not slightly spooky) owls in silhouette. Separates abound here, as the fashion world says good-bye to the reign of the summer dress.

For a closer look at Henrik Vibskov and Baum und Pferdgarten, visit here and here.

Attempting to blur the lines between fashion, art and architecture, Mobile Art is jumping head first into the avant-garde. The brainchild of Chanel’s creative director Karl Lagerfeld and architect wunderkind Zaha Hadid, the concept of a traveling gallery is a means of subverting the traditional ways in which people visit galleries, transporting the art to the people, and not the other way around. The gallery, which inhabited Hong Kong from February to April, is now closing it’s Tokyo run. Soon, it will reopen in New York, then continuing through London, Moscow and Paris.

A physical synonym of ultra-modern, the gallery itself (pictured above) is a white, streamlined loop-shaped structure, with industrial undertones. Visitors exit from the starting point of their journey, replicating the cyclical, and oftentimes fickle, nature of fashion.

The exhibit is a showcase of individual installations, all the work of twenty handpicked international artists. And whilst the gallery itself is arguably the most striking piece on display, the inspiration of the Chanel quilted handbag stirred in the artists’ some strikingly conceptual pieces, most notably “At the Bottom” by Japanese artist Tabaimo, an elevated structure in which visitors peer down into a well filled with the floating dreams of Chanel customers.

Perfectly capturing the international aesthetic of the Chanel brand, Mobile Art will be touring the world’s major cities, starting off in futuristic Tokyo and culminating in the capital of Haute Couture, Paris.

More mobility here.

Designed by Lanie Alabanza-Barcena, the young Ilocana Filipino who comes at us by way of New Orleans and San Diego, Hellz Bellz is already known for its edgy approach to female youth fashion.

With its latest summer “Heat Wave” collection, the line is emphasizing a woman’s independence and non-conformity within a male dominated society, bringing light to its tradition of “crime for every season”. This summer collection is composed mainly of 80s rock-inspired pieces with flashy designs, acid washed denim, double waist shorts and vibrant colors.

With each new release, the young style star further solidifies her brand and its aim to set itself a part from other women’s collections. For a personal look at this seasons collection click here, to find your local retailer click here.

Montreal’s Fine Art Museum is showcasing an outstanding exhibition yet again with an exceptional homage to the 40-year career and legacy of French haute couture maestro Yves Saint Laurent.

Saint Laurent, who started as Christian Dior’s assistant while studying at the Chambre syndicale de la haute couture, has defined and tremendously influenced fashion is today with his trademark pieces like the tuxedo, the blazer and the safari jacket — y’all know that they’ve become basic components of our daily attire.

“Masterful Pencil Strokes”, “The YSL Revolution”, “The Palette,” Lyrical Sources”: these are the different themes of the show, each of which is a reflection on the evolution of Saint Laurent’s style, which was greatly influenced by the artistic movements in painting, literature and cinema of his time.

After Montreal, this amazing retrospective, presented in collaboration with the Fondation Pierre Bergé Yves Saint Laurent and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, will be exhibited in San Francisco next Fall. On your way out check out “Style” — 249 pages of words and illustration by the master himself and written by Pierre Berge, one of Saint Laurent’s closest friends.

More info here.

On April 24th the Somerset House will open Skin + Bones: Parallel Practices in Fashion and Architecture as the inaugural exhibition of its riverside Embankment Galleries. Organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles (LA MoCA) this sublimely transcontinental exhibition showcases the similarities present in architecture and fashion during the past two decades.

Perhaps it was the 80’s mix of cocaine, Prince, and an encroaching millennium that brought the towering cinematic works of Yohji Yamamoto, Vivienne Westwood, Diller, Scofidio + Renfro, and Shigeru Ban to shadow over the terrestrial in flesh, steel, and paper.

Whatever the reason, the world has seen beautiful tectonic design in the spheres of fashion and architecture since that time. And this exhibition captures the sharpness, shock, and amazement that met its forward-thinking designers during the height of urban innovation. “Forty-five of today’s most brilliant and creative fashion designers and architects are represented by a wide range of more than 300 objects: from stunning one-of-a-kind haute couture gowns to intricate architectural models and special full-scale installations,” LA MoCA promises.

During a season where retrospective runway collections and cut-and-paste condominiums run rampantly, an exhibition comparing cross-disciplinary design principles through a poetic matrix (“Wrapping,” “Folding,” “Draping,” “Pleating,” “Printing,” “Suspension,” “Canteliever”) sounds like the kind of thing to shake design to its very bones.

It’s pretty easy to recognize the iconic mark of Claw Money — which is part of the point of a good tag. Once upon a time, good tags would hitch rides on metal subway cars, screaming “Look! I’m here, too!” You could spot a piece a mile away and know who did it by the style alone. Soandso was all over the A train line and whatshisface was king of the F.

Claw’s design collaboration with Boost Mobile, which drops for public retail today, seems a long way from this, but if the point is to tag early and tag often, then she still might win — even if she’s bending the rules a little.

Maybe it’s all the same thing in the end, but one thing is for sure: whether painting the metal tanks of subway lines or printing on the mobile device cases of her own line, the Claw Train doesn’t stop!

Milan tries its chic hand at a tradeshow this weekend. Cosmit’s Salone Internazionale del Mobile, together with the International Furnishing Accessories Exhibition, will host an international showcase of contemporary Italian furniture design. Running from April 16th to 20th, the event will open to the public at the Milan Fairgrounds in Rho on Sunday. Think of Saloni 2008 as a commercial/consumer treasure hunt for the next Cassina.

In addition to showcasing domestic constructions of “every conceivable style” at the fairgrounds, Cosmit will also host the opening of the Peter Greenway’s performance piece Leonardo’s Last Supper. A superb contrast to the aesthetic eye-candy exhibiting at the fairgrounds, Greenway’s Last Supper turns the infamous fresco into a multi-media digital spectacle.

The United Colors of Benetton has me convinced that not all major fashion companies contribute to world malaise. Benetton consistently keeps it real by giving back to world communities, and their most recent humanitarian campaign is no different. Last month, the company teamed up with Youssou N’Dour, one of Africa’s and Senegal’s best-known singers, to launch “Africa Works,” a spotlight on entrepreneurial Africa.

Here’s the gist:
“The campaign promotes the Birima micro-credit programme in Senegal, a co-operative credit society founded by N’Dour. [It] offers financial services for SMEs [small and medium enterprises], craftspeople, professionals and artists to help them start and independently develop their business.“
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As the child of a busy British dress maker, Osman Yousefzada has had his heart set on fashion for as long as he can remember. The self-taught Yousefzada learned to wield a needle and thread long before his acceptance into Central Saint Martin’s highly regarded design program, and he hasn’t looked back since. In addition to his fondness for Eastern Indian culture, the emerging British designer’s vision is one of structure and clean lines. Yousefzada plays the role of an architect, using the finest chiffon and cotton blends to construct garments with modern silhouettes.

As the winner of the New Generation sponsorship and thus the sole newcomer offered a spot in London’s Spring/Summer ‘08 Fashion Week, Yousefzada’s progressive “Tribal-Bauhaus” collection turned heads as his models marched down the catwalk draped in shimmering ensembles - sans shoes, nonetheless. “Tribal-Bauhaus” offers a broad array of pieces for every occasion, including crisp white button-downs, footless knee socks in the vein of Prada and stunning metallic bodices constructed from twisted wire - the perfect conversation piece. While Yousefzada’s Spring/Summer pallet largely consists of whites, creams and blacks, the occasional pop of bright color adds a fun and unexpected element of surprise. Other collection highlights include several sheer bell-shaped hoop skirts, the incorporation of geometric cut-outs, and silky dresses in a rich shades of cranberry, electric or midnight blue.

Yousefzada’s pieces are currently available at Liberty, Podium and Fred Segal in London and already popular among fashion-forward models like Kate Moss and Lily Cole - so remember to keep this designer on your fashion radar. Yousefzada is certainly a name to look out for in the coming seasons.

This past Monday marked the addition of a new chapter in the expansion of Louis Vuitton’s most recent ad campaign, and this one goes above and beyond promoting their brand and lifestyle. As an extension of the print ads, photographed by the legendary Annie Leibovitz, this new campaign entitled “Countless Journeys, Countless Emotions,” focuses on the love of travel, which is a deep rooted part of the Vuitton aesthetic. Featuring three international icons: Catherine Deneuve, Mikhail Gorbachev, Andre Agassi, coupled with their favorite cities, the combination is luxurious. An interactive web site completes the campaign, with a multitude of videos for each chosen LV personality.

Deneuve’s story is the most recent addition, and I can’t decide what I like best. Whether it’s Catherine Deneuve’s classic style and beauty, LV’s donations to spread the word on climate control, or Annie Leibovitz’s participation, what LV is doing definitely works. The combination makes for a savvy, artistic, and mature result. Gorbachev’s chapter is still on the horizon, but while you wait, take the time to go to the website to see and read all about what Vuitton has got goin’ on. Indulging in advertising and shopping for luggage has never been so worth it.