When you’ve got First Lady Michelle Obama on your side, you must be doing something right. The VOGUE covergirl praised mass retailer Wal-Mart for its pledge to hire military veterans. “And they aren’t just looking at annual turnover rates and picking a minimum number they know they can easily hit,” Obama told Women’s Wear Daily. “Instead, they are setting the bar high. They’re saying, no matter what, ‘we’ve got your back.’” Wal-Mart will hire any military vet who has been honorably discharged in the past year and seeks to hire 100,000 service members within five years. [WWD]
If you’re a fan of Beyoncé, then we know that attendance at her forthcoming Mrs. Carter Show World Tour is mandatory on your spring and summer agenda. Although we’re still patiently waiting for her next single and an album release date, we do have some news to hold us over. Blue Ivy‘s mom is reported to have asked Julien Macdonald to design her tour costumes. The “Countdown” singer donned Macdonald’s sexy designs in 2011 when she performed for Good Morning America‘s Summer Concert Series. As far as looks for her new tour… we’ll be waiting. [Grazia Daily]
Kate Moss is a woman of many talents. She’s the new face of Kerastasé hair, showstopper at Louis Vuitton Fall 2013, and Playboy‘s future cover girl. And now, the multi-faceted model has turned orator for Fifty Shades of Grey. Moss joined BBC Radio to raise money for Red Nose Day 2013 and promised to read an excerpt from the erotic book if listeners raised £200,000 for the charity. And lucky for us, that pledge was met and Moss serenaded us with a read about Christian Grey. [BBC Radio 1]
“Fine Style” is about to hit Buckingham Palace and this time, we’re not talking Kate Middleton‘s wardrobe. Students at the Costume Design and Interpretation at the Wimbledon College of Art were tasked with creating designs inspired by the Royal Family, and their work will now be on display as part of the Palace’s Royal Collection. “Fine Style: The Art of Tudor and Stuart Fashion” will open to the public in May and run through July’s Coronation Festival. [Huffington Post]
Sole Society is stepping into the handbag game. The L.A.-based online shopping destination launched the sale of four leather bags on their site yesterday priced from $99.55-$129.95. If that’s not in your range, the Society will be offering bags as low as $39.95 in April to meet all your style budgeting needs. According to CEO Brett Markinson, the move is part of the company’s mission to offer “our consumers a wider selection of product offerings with the same fashion-forward styles and accessibility they are accustomed to.” [WWD]
We’ll be going even more gaga for Gucci thanks to creative director Frida Giannini‘s new move: partnering with Italian business entrepreneur Lapo Elkann. The collaboration boasts a customizable styling experience with 23 looks for men and four pieces for women that can personalize with various fabric selections, embossing, and of course, fit. [VOGUE UK]