Sears is teaming up with British retailer French Connection to launch UK Style by French Connection, a new line of contemporary clothing and accessories for men, women and children.

In-store boutiques featuring UK Style for French Connection will arrive at 500 Sears stores and Sears.com in early 2011. Following the initial launch, Sears will introduce swimwear, footwear, sunglasses, jewelry, and other accessories along with items for the home.

Reports PRNewswire.com, "The women's collection offers floral leggings and striped tanks (from $9.90) along with patterned minis, sequined and animal-print shifts (starting at $29.90), designed to capture French Connection's joie de vivre. Inspired by street and runway fashions in international capitals, the men's collection offers dark-washed jeans ($24.90), button-down Oxford shirts ($24.90), and V-neck tees ($12.90)."

Wow. Loving those prices. I've always liked French Connection but felt it was overpriced so this has great potential. Now I won't know where to go first when I visit the mall, MNG for JCPenney? UK Style at Sears? Oh, the options!

Image source: Stylelist.com

Barneys New York creative director Simon Doonan, known for his over-the-top window displays and quirky style, has designed an exclusive costume collection for Target, Costume Couture. According to an ad in the October issue of People StyleWatch (shown above), Costume Couture by Simon Doonan will be available at Target stores and online at Target.com/Halloween from September 19 - October 2, with styles for the whole family priced from $9.99 - $30. I just visited the Target website and it looks like you can already purchase this collection now. Costumes (if you can call them that) include a Diva Witch black wrap dress, A-List Celebrity one-shoulder red dress and Glamour Ghost comprised of a white polyester hooded gown that says "Trick or Trend." For $30 a pop, I'd rather make my own costume but I suppose they'd do in a pinch.

One of the shows I was most looking forward to seeing was Herve Leger by Max Azria, which I attended on September 14 at Lincoln Center during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. You are no doubt familiar with the iconic Herve Leger Bandage dress, a dress which has been knocked off more times than I can count (and I try to feature all of them here, of course!). While waiting in line for the show - FYI I almost always get a "standing" seat assignment, so they coral all the standers behind the velvet rope where we must wait ingloriously while all the more important guests are ushered in to their seats. Honestly makes no difference to me whatsoever, I'm just grateful to attend and waiting in line makes for some amazing people watching! This show was no different, the crowd was uber stylish, lots of ladies rocking real Herve Leger bandage dresses, some trying to rock them and, well, I won't go there. LOL. The show itself was somewhat of a let-down, don't get me wrong, the clothes, mostly body-conscious cocktail and evening dresses, exhibited an incredible array of hi-tech futuristic detailing that was wondrous to behold, but I felt it was all lost on the rail-thin models. I have respect for all body types, but it's Herve Leger, people! These dresses shine when they hug the curves of curvacious bodies, hips, breasts, booties. I hope to see some justice done to these dresses in the months to come on the red carpet (ahem, Kim Kardashian).

Keep reading for a few more photos and show notes.

Here are the show notes:

Earlier I posted video of the finale, now here are some photos I took at the Jill Stuart Spring Summer 2011 runway show which I attended on September 12 at the beautiful promenade at David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center, during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City. The clothes were absolutely swoon-worthy, in a chic palette of cream, black, soft pinks, golds, "the colors of the sunset," according to designer Jill Stuart, who gave backstage interviews immediately after the show. Models were styled with hair in carefree buns, blood orange lips and barely-there eye makeup. The cap-toe banded pumps and boots were the perfect complement to the pleated dresses, modern-tailored shorts and ladylike blouses. Romantic, strong, flirty, classic, fresh. Love!

The show drew a slew of celebs like Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, Jessica Szohr, and Taryn Manning. See if you can spot Nigel Barker and Miss Jay Alexander in one of my amateur paparazzi photos below.

Click through for more photos.