Jean Paul Gaultier couture shows are famous for being visions of grandiose. This year was no exception, with the designer channelling the rock and roll spirit of the late Amy Winehouse. A live acapella band performed the singer’s hits as models strutted down the runway with beehive hair, black veils, lit cigarettes, lip piercings and heavily kohled eyes. Part bordello (silk, corsets, platform shoes and flashes of lacy lingerie), part urban (oversized hoodies, polo tops and baseball jackets), the clothes epitomised Winehouse’s tarty-meets-sporty style. The collection was well received by the fashion community, but Mitch Winehouse, Amy’s dad, told the UK’s The Sun that it was upsetting for him and his family. Gaultier admitted that he'd never met Amy, but said their "styles were similar" and that he intended the tribute to be a "joyous" reflection of her iconic fashion sense. What do you think: too good or too soon?
 
Another couture show that happened over the past week worth knowing about: Chanel. The seating was super-limited because the setting was, of all places, a plane. The Chanel private jet, complete with overhead luggage compartments and mock windows, was erected over the course of five days in the Grand Palais in Paris. This seems slightly ridiculous given that the actual show lasted no more than ten minutes, but remember who we’re dealing with — last year Karl Lagerfeld imported a real iceberg from Northern Europe to use as a stage prop. Environmental excess aside, the in flight entertainment didn’t disappoint. Having looked to the skies for inspiration, Lagerfeld’s models paraded down the ‘aisle’ in blue boucle suits and sequinned shift dresses. At the end of the show Lagerfeld appeared in the faux cockpit as ‘the pilot’.
 


Coinciding with the launch of Karl Lagerfeld’s diffusion line Karl by Karl Lagerfeld, Net-a-Porter has released this video. In it, Karl Lagerfled interviews himself. About himself. It’s narcissism at its very best. The Karls also talk about muses (“muse” is not a nice word), improvisation (he never plans out what he’s going to say), and how to be chic (there are peasants in “poor rags” that are chic — but if you have to ask, you’ll never be chic.) 
 
MAC cosmetics always have the best brand ambassadors; recent collaborations include Daphne Guinness, Iris Apfel and Miss Piggy. That latest MAC muse is Beth Ditto of The Gossip fame. The pairing makes sense — Ditto has collaborated with the brand previously (she performed last September at the MAC store in NYC’s Soho for Fashion’s Night Out) and she loves makeup, so much so that she sometimes appears on stage with the stuff purposely smeared all over her face. The collection doesn’t debut until June, but going by the campaign shot we’re predicting it will include inky black eyeliner, pastel nail art and bright pink lips.
 
Ab Fab’s Patsy and Edina are back in all their spandex–loving, LV monogramed glory. They pulled off a successful Christmas special (which included a cameo from Stella McCartney), more episodes are in the works, and there’s even talk of a feature film. The ladies have just inked a deal with jeweller Alexis Bittar, and are set to star in the forthcoming campaign.
 
Kate Middleton’s style is one of those things you either love or hate, much like her little sister Pippa’s (guess which side of the fence we’re on with that one). But there’s no denying that the Duchess has an impressive hat collection. As a Brit and a Royal, she has a lot of millinery-friendly events to attend and look pretty at, and generally, she does a good job. As a result, Middleton’s been bestowed the honour of “Hat Person of the Year” by the Headwear Association. It's the third year the association has given out the award — beanie/baker cap aficionado Brad Pitt, and fedora-loving Johnny Depp, were the previous recipients. Middleton was this year’s clear winner, having received over 90 per cent of the public’s vote from a shortlist of six nominated celebrities. Hats off to her.