Donatella Versace by Gilles Bensimon | Source: Elle

How Versace went from rags to riches—and back again (Newsweek)
“Donatella Versace, tiny, sculpted and forever blonde, was standing backstage after her menswear show at the Teatro Versace in Milan in June… it all felt feeble, pathetic—a sad, soulless charade to promote something that no longer exists.”

Luxury perfume houses are expanding (FT)
“Forget the lipstick index as economic indicator; in this recession, the most successful downturn beauty product is proving to be fragrance. While much of the luxury business has struggled over the past year, a number of high-end perfume businesses have been spritzing their way to success.”

Haute Couture, Available Through Netflix Model (NY Times)
“For many women, a $1,000 dress is something they admire in the pages of a glossy magazine or see draped on the frame of a celebrity — not an item hanging in their closet. But a nascent Web site called Rent the Runway is hoping to make high-end fashions much more accessible and almost as easy as renting a movie from Netflix.”

Hooray for Henry Holland (Guardian)
“Three years ago, Holland, then making his living as a fashion editor for teen magazines, started designing rhyming slogan T-shirts for his friends (sample: “I’ll Tell You Who’s Boss Kate Moss”) that rapidly became a fashion crowd in-joke.”

Fast Fashion is For Losers (PSFK)
“Apart from a few things from American Apparel and Uniqlo, oh and a knock-off Balenciaga riding hat from H&M, on the whole, there is a lot to lose from fast fashion.”