The list reads like a Who’s Who of A-list celebrities: Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Victoria Beckham, Swizz Beatz, will.i.am. But it's not a concert bill.

Instead, it's a list of stars who have recently agreed to serve as creative directors for brands — a trend that seems to blur the lines between star bling and business acumen.

Bud Light Platinum is the latest, announcing this week that it's inked deal with Justin Timberlake “to provide creative, musical and cultural curation for the brand.” The collaboration is to debut at Sunday’s 55th Grammy Awards via an ad, "Platinum Night," which features his latest single, "Suit & Tie." "Bud Light Platinum brings a refined, discerning aesthetic to beer that plays well with what I'm doing," Timberlake stated in a press release.Continue reading...

About $4,000 worth of coins are thrown into Rome’s massive, gorgeous Trevi Fountain each day. Making the gesture is said to guarantee your return to Rome.

Now Fendi is throwing a lot more than a few coins into the Trevi’s waters. The Italian fashion house has announced it will hand over $2.9 million to help keep the centuries-old fountain, featured memorably in Federico Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita,” in good shape.

Fendi, founded in Romein 1925, announced the 20-month project Monday along with two of its big-name designers, Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi.Continue reading...

The Chanel Spring/Summer 2013 women's ready to wear runway show at the Grand Palais in Paris on Tuesday raised a few eyebrows, and not just for the new outfits from designer Karl Lagerfeld but for the design of the sets the 68 models strutted on, or the celeb wattage of Kanye West, Jennifer Lopez and her bedazzled four-year-old daughter in the front row.

It was hard to miss the 13 towering wind turbines that dominated the stage, and the solar panels that graced the stage and inspired the tiles on the catwalk. Green, it seems, must be the new black. What’s sexier than a few turbines? "Energy is the most important thing in life," Lagerfeld, who's known for his grand pronouncements, stated. "If I had to build a house, I would put (wind turbines) in the garden.”Continue reading...

Maybe we haven't seen the return of the roaring global recovery everyone has hoped for. The U.S. economy is sputtering, and the European continent isn't looking very bullish at the moment. But none of this seems to be terribly concerning to the luxury hotel market. There has been a spate of recent openings — hotel extensions of luxury brands — to prove it.

Bulgari, which operates a luxury hotel in Milan, a luxury resort in Bali, and restaurants in Tokyo, has just opened the doors of its fourth Bulgari Hotel, with its latest five-star property opening in a chi-chi pocket of London.

Located in the city's prestigious Knightsbridge section, its well appointed rooms (such as the one above) are opening just in time to take bookings for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Bulgari gushes about the property: "It is a perfect expression of the Bulgari aesthetic of timeless glamour. Innovative artistry and a lavish use of precious marble and silver blend harmoniously, exuding an understated elegance. The quality of the service, magnificent elements such as the spa, pool and private screening room, and the distinguished location beside Harrods and Hyde Park all contribute to an uncompromising sense of excellence."Continue reading...

Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld is preparing for the launch of his upcoming book, The Little Black Jacket: Chanel's Classic Revisited (co-authored by Carine Roitfeld) with an exhibition in New York City featuring the iconic Chanel little black jacket photographed on numerous celebrities.

The little black jacket has long been an iconic wardrobe piece in the fashion world and Lagerfeld's show features his photographs os various celebrities — including Yoko Ono, Sarah Jessica Parker and Lady Gaga — wearing Chanel's little black jacket.Continue reading...

Vogue.com uploaded this quick look at today's Chanel Fall/Winter 2012/13 women's ready-to-wear show in Paris. Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld's crystal cave of a presentation was attended by a blue-haired Katy Perry and a headpiece-sporting Alicia Keys, among other celebs. As for the clothes, The Guardian commented: "This was a dark, moody Chanel collection that made no attempt to lift the brooding gloom that has engulfed the catwalk shows. Why cheer people up when brooding can be so glamorous?"

Looks like Karl Lagerfeld liked The Artist too. The creative director of Chanel's latest short film — a tribute to the silent film era titled "My New Friend 'Boy'" — features the new face of the brand and Lagerfeld's muse, punky model Alice Dellal. Her style (as you can see below) channels another film: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.Continue reading...

Net-a-Porter today revealed Karl, fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's first "masstige" collection, in a global series of events that includes five pop-ups (in Sydney, New York, Paris, London & Berlin) for Lagerfeld's first diffusion line.

Launch elements included a mysterious cube in Paris, an augmented reality app to enhance the five pop-ups, and a series of fake news reports on Net-a-Porter's YouTube channel to build buzz ahead of the launch.

The collection is available exclusively on Net-a-Porter.com starting today (including rebranding its Facebook, Twitter and website with Lagerfeld's logo today) before it's available on the designer's website next month.Continue reading...