The Buzz
 Image: FayesVision/WENN.com
Tonight, Tom Ford will be honored by the CFDA with the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Richard Buckley, Ford's husband. But before the 52-year-old designer collects his accolade at the ceremony going down this evening at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, Ford sat with WWD 's Bridget Foley to reflect on his career, the state of the industry today and what's next for him. In the interview, the designer touches on everything from his worst collection to the new crop of up-and-coming London designers being snapped up by luxury brands. Here are a few highlights from the lengthy Q&A.
On emerging London designers being courted by luxury conglomerates: "There’s a great energy in London with the younger designers. I think people are rushed into things today, to sign their names away quickly. They’re snapped up by big brands before they realize who they are. Right from school they become the flavor of the month, and big brands sometimes snap them up. I don’t yet think we’ve seen the backlash, but we know that large multibrand conglomerates — when your time is up, your time is up and you’re out…I’m not talking about myself. Some of the more recent appointments; [there can be] such lack of regard for the amount of good work. From the outside, it can seem so callous."
On finally letting go of Gucci: "It has taken a long time for me to not feel that connection… Gucci repeats. At Gucci, they’re clearly looking at my archives. I’ll look and say, “Oh, I remember that, I remember that.” But I don’t feel attached to it anymore; it feels less personal. I don’t feel a strong personality in that brand."
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 Image: Getty
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It's Marilyn Monroe's birthday, and this vintage photo slideshow may be the best way to celebrate. [ELLE]
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Stock image photos have some very weird ideas about what women get up to when they go shopping. [FabSugar]
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Want to try red lipstick for summer? [BellaSugar]
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Shailene Woodley suntans her vagina to ward off yeast infections. [Vulture]
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Inside the disturbing python skin trade. [Fashionista]
The world lost a daytime television treasure four years ago when Tyra Banks announced that she was ending her Emmy-winning talk show, The Tyra Banks Show back in 2010. But now, those of us whose Ty-ty dreams were dashed at the turn of the decade are to have their faith restored in humanity, or at the very least, the television networks. Banks has announced that she will be returning with a new daytime talk show next year. According to Fox News Entertainment, the show will be similar to The View and The Talk in that there will be more than one host, although Banks is set to appear on the show and is credited as executive producer.
Needless to say, we are pumped. If you can count on Tyra for anything, it is bizarre antics and amazing sound bites. Now, we're being handed both on a shiny, silver platter. Tyra's new show is sure to come with some head-scratching, gif-worthy situations, and we will be keenly watching every minute of it. But before we can even begin to anticipate all the hilarity to come, let's look back on Tyra Banks' most… profound advice and words of wisdom.
On adoption: "I'm open to [adopting]. I'm definitely open. I've been wanting to do that since before it was cool."
Explaining modeling to her ANTM Girls: "Modeling is being a ho, but make it fashion."
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 Image: FashionGoneRogue
 Image: FashionGoneRogue 's 'Pradasphere' exhibition is up at Harrods, and the London department store's complimentary in-house publication, Harrods Magazine, tapped the photographer Ishi to shoot model Amanda Murphy for a series of branded ads.
Murphy, who previously worked as a radiology technician, has ascended to modelling fame in past couple years, in large part due to her ongoing relationship with Prada. At 26 years old, she walked the label's Fall 2013 show as an exclusive and appeared in the collection campaign the same season. She was also tapped for the brand's Spring 2014 campaign, but was passed over for the Fall ads (which have just been released to a broadly unfavorable response in the tFS Forums).
The Harrods images show Murphy wearing Prada's Pre-Fall collection, styled by Victoria Gaiger.
[via FashionGoneRogue]
 Image: JLN Photography/WENN
Michelle Obama has a singular, vibrant sense of style and a cozy relationship with the fashion industry. That's common knowledge. The First Lady, widely regarded as a style icon, has the ability to make a designer a household name or boost a brand's sales, and she has wielded her power judiciously: Mobama's high-low wardrobe mixes off-the-rack items with custom pieces designed by America's best young designers.
We don't elect our First Ladies or pay them any kind of salary, but being the President's partner is a de facto job. For example, we expect the First Lady to participate in affairs of state — at the very least, by attending high-level public and diplomatic events. To that end, Mrs. Obama's carefully chosen wardrobe is as much a job requirement as it is a form of personal expression.
So who pays for her clothes? Did we, the taxpayers, subsidize Mrs. Obama's two Jason Wu inaugural gowns? What about the Naeem Khan dress the First Lady wore to the recent opening of the Metropolitan Museum's new Anna Wintour Costume Institute?
According to a new report out today from the Associated Press, the answer is no:
"Laura Bush, in her memoir, said she was 'amazed by the sheer number of designer clothes that I was expected to buy' as first lady."
How does Mrs. Obama, a fashion icon with far more expensive tastes than Mrs. Bush, swing it? For starters, the Obamas reported adjusted income of $481,000 last year, and assets worth $1.8 million to $7 million. And like most people, Mrs. Obama (mostly her personal aide, really) looks for discounts.
For really big events, however, the first lady has an option not available to every fashionista. Here's how Joanna Rosholm, press secretary to the first lady, explains it:
"Mrs. Obama pays for her clothing. For official events of public or historic significance, such as a state visit, the first lady's clothes may be given as a gift by a designer and accepted on behalf of the U.S. government. They are then stored by the National Archives." For example, Michelle Obama's first inaugural gown was presented to the Smithsonian, where it is listed "gift of Jason Wu in honor of First Lady."
David Sims returns for his second season shooting the Marc Jacobs mainline advertising campaign. (Sims first photographed Miley Cyrus for the S/S 2014 ads). This time, the British photographer shoots the Fall 2014 campaign with a sci-fi theme evidently being portrayed within this particular image. Styled by Katie Grand, models Julia Nobis and Waleska Gorczevski wear minimalist beige outfits teamed with leather satchels. Thus far, we only have the one campaign image but it's a hit with most of our forum members..
 IMAGE CREDIT: MARCJACOBS.COM VIA TFS FORUMS
"Love it! This reminds me of the old Balenciaga campaigns by Sims," commented zacatecas570.
Justaguy was also impressed: "Oh man, so glad this wasn't shot by Juergen Teller! I'm actually loving the extreme minimalism of this campaign. Yes, Julia and Waleska look like mannequins but I think that's the point and part of the allure with the minimalist feel David Sims wanted to get across."
Emmanuelle shared a positive attitude and wrote, "Yes they look like mannequins that could be put on a shop front, but that's the aim (like Anna in the Versace campaign)! So of course it looks a bit awkward, lifeless but it is very well executed. I like the fact that the background is simple, and the light blue works well with the colors of the clothes. It's very cold and weird, but I like."
"Oh I absolutely love this! I can feel the coldness and sterility and I love those colours. Waleska looks amazing, and hopefully more models will surface. Switching to Sims was a very good idea," wrote anlabe32.
However, not everyone was satisfied with TREVOFASHIONISTO commenting, "I feel like this could have been better executed with a cool theme had Juergen photographed it."
"I'm not quite sure about this, it feels a little too sci-fi for me," wrote Riseup.
Stay tuned for the full campaign, but in the meantime, check out the thread and join the discussion here.
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