Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott shot the photos for the new campaign, and while Stoneâ€s fall 2010 ad pictures were stunning, we have to say weâ€re less than impressed with the new shots. Stoneâ€s face looks absolutely beautiful, as always, and we love the black and white effect that nearly erases her hair, but the model should not be the main focus of a fashion ad. The clothes should be, and weâ€re not sold on the outfit because what Lara is wearing looks like it does not fit her. The pants in the left photo appear to be way too long and loose in the upper inseam, and the white jacketâ€s sleeves are too short. And is that a skirt she’s wearing over the pants?

Dare we say, Christina Binkley seems to be on to something in her suggestion that less tailored, poorly fitting clothes are foisted upon women under the guise of being on trend?

Perhaps Calvin Klein was going for this look on purpose, and Stoneâ€s stunning face does help make up for it. We wouldâ€ve liked to see more photos like the fall 2010 ones, and clothes that aren’t wearing the model though.

First, Beyonce and her stylist mother, Tina, have teamed up with airbrushing company, Temptu to create limited-edition body art kits for the House of Deréon Fall 2010 ad campaign. The temporary tattoos will be available this November 1st in Deréon’s signature fleur-de-lis icon, rock ‘n roll, jewelry, and spider designs. They are waterproof and created to last two to five days. The kits will range from basic to deluxe and will be sold for $16 to $34 at Sephora stores and online at sephora.com, temptu.com and dereon.com, while supplies last. {Stylelist}

Betsey Johnson is the second designer to dabble in temporary tattoos, offering a recent collection of jewelry-deigned faux ink. The pearl, jeweled and chain-linked designs are created to mimic and exaggerate women’s accessories with an edgy, punk-rock twist. {High Snobette}

We aren’t sure how many people will rock the faux body art, but so far there is already a waiting list for Beyonce’s collection. Temporary tattoos are, of course, nothing super new – in the 90s they were all over the place. Unlike the temporary tattoos of the past, which often tried to appeal to a general audience, the latest versions are decidedly counting on more feminine details and designs. What about you? Would you revive the fake tattoo trend for fashion’s sake, or are you in favor of a more committed permanent inking?

Get a head start for the Fall with these yummy baked apples!

New York City got a taste of fall this week, with temperatures dropping to the low seventies and gusty winds kicking up. Since Mother Nature dropped a little fall preview on us New Yorkers, Signature9 decided to give a fall preview as well with our favorite early autumn recipes, compiled from around the net. Weâ€ve got crispy nuts, spicy apples and – of course – pie! Enjoy!

Jamieâ€s Cranberry Spinach Salad

Toasted almonds are the essential ingredient here for bringing this salad from summer to fall. Itâ€s different and perfect for a last-minute dinner. Serves 8.

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

1 pound spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces

1 cup dried cranberries

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1/2 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons minced onion

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook and stir almonds in butter until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and let cool.

In a large bowl, combine the spinach with the toasted almonds and cranberries.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, onion, paprika, white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, and vegetable oil. Toss with spinach just before serving. {AllRecipes}

Baked Apples

Fall is prime apple season, and thousands of recipes that spotlight the delicious fruit can be found. Below is an easy one to prepare beforehand if youâ€re having guests. Add chopped walnuts for extra fall flavor.

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup sugar

6 same-size Granny Smith apples

2 tablespoons butter, cut into 6 teaspoon-size pieces

1 cup apple juice

6 sprigs fresh mint

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Combine cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.

Core apples, making sure not to puncture the bottom of the apples so that the juices will remain. Remove skin from 1/2-inch around top of apples at the opening. Fill each cavity with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Top each apple with a teaspoon of butter. Place apples in casserole dish and pour apple juice around them. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from heat, garnish with fresh mint, and serve. {Food Network}

Grape Pie

What would fall be without pie? Take a break from the standard apple and pumpkin pies with this one of a kind.

1/2 cup  packed brown sugar

1/3 cup  all-purpose flour

2 to 3 tablespoons  snipped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon ground sage

7 cups  seedless red or black grapes, halved

1/4 cup  port wine or red grape juice

1 egg white

1 tablespoon  water

Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Prepare Pastry for Double-Crust Pie. For filling, in a large bowl stir together brown sugar, flour, and sage; stir in grapes and port wine. Transfer the filling to the pastry-lined pie plate. Roll remaining dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Cut slits to allow steam to escape. Place pastry on the filling; trim to 1/2 inch beyond edge of plate. Fold top pastry under bottom pastry. Crimp edge as desired. Place pie on a baking sheet.

In a small bowl combine egg white and water. Brush top of pie with egg white mixture. Cover edge of pie with foil. Bake for 25 minutes; remove foil. Bake 30 to 35 minutes more or until top of pastry is golden brown and filling bubbles through slits in crust. Remove from oven; cool at least 6 hours. Pie can be baked up to 24 hours ahead. Loosely cover and store at room temperature. Makes 8 servings.

Pastry for Double-Crust Pie: In a medium bowl stir together 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in 2/3 cup shortening until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of the flour mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to side of bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon water at a time until all the flour mixture is moistened (about 8 to 10 tablespoons total). Divide dough in half. Form each half into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten 1 dough ball. Roll dough from center to edges into a 12-inch circle. To transfer pastry, wrap it around the rolling pin; unroll into a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry. Trim pastry even with the rim of the pie plate. Fill pie and continue as directed. {Better Homes and Garden}

News spread this week of Christina Hendricks†starring roll in the fall ad campaign for trench coat label London Fog. The Mad Men actress†appearance in the ad pictures marks one more label in the celebrity-as-face-of-the-brand camp at a time when the battle between models and Hollywood types runs high.

The use of Hendricks is also noteworthy as she is well-known for her curvy, voluptuous body, though the The Cut is probably correct in their haste to point out that this likely does not mean a sea change is washing over fashion and curves are, for once, actually in. Still, it is nice to see a fresh star who has not done much in the way of product endorsement thus far at the forefront of a fashion label, curves or none.

London Fog has previously used ad staples like Gisele and Eva Longoria Parker as faces for the brand. {The Cut}

The photographs, taken by Nino Munoz, feature Hendricks in a trendy-for-fall leopard print trench and a simpler black one, with a lace cami peeking out.

Fashionista scored some backstage images from the photo shoot, and New York Magazine has video footage from the ad shoot.

Too young for Couture?

Bloggers and editors saw elements of inspiration from Twilight in the most recent collection – which was fittingly opened by the new face of the brand, Freja Beha Erichsen – but no agreement on whether that is a good or bad thing seems to have surfaced. WWD felt the clothes were beautiful but too youthful for a couture line and the Telegraph thought the collection was more confident and signature to the new designers, while Style.com admits the pitch to a younger audience was peculiar but perhaps genius. {The Cut}

Or too Boring?

Style.com may have hit the nail on the head, as luxury fashion labels have attempted to keep their footing of late by reaching out to Generation Y. The looks may also come to symbolize a new era for Valentino.

The youthful slant to the collection is smart, but there are too many dropped waistlines and bows for our taste and the clothes are a bit bland, a kiss of death for haute couture, which we look to for the kind of over the top fantasy that would be out of place in ready to wear collections. The blah-ness of it is ironic considering the collection departs from their more typical Valentino lines, which critics found boring as well. Nothing is terribly wrong with the collection – the sheer hoop dress looks like a toned down take on Lady Gaga’s Grammy dress, but it looks like Chiuri and Piccioli are light years away from wowing like John Gallianoâ€s flower-inspired masterpiece for Dior did earlier in the week.

Filthy? Sure. Couture? Not so much.

In keeping with the predictability, the pieces in Farley’s  line are exactly what one would expect a loud-mouthed, over-bronzed star of a reality show to design. Some highlights include a sweetheart-necked mesh top with an overlaying, gold-patterned heart that appears to be pointing at a very specific area on the modelâ€s body and a white-feathered corset number that looks more like lingerie than a top. In fact, it is not clear whether most of the pieces are clothing or lingerie. Now the spring collections from many a designer featured lingerie inspired looks, so if there’s any kind of silver lining here, in a roundabout way JWoww may actually be on trend. Still, while some of the outfits cover more than expected, but if you’ve seen the inventory at Frederick’s of Hollywood, you’ve seen this collection. If you wouldn’t wear anything purchased at Frederick’s outside of the privacy of your own home – well, same thing.  If you’re into train wrecks, you can catch images of the entire collection here.

While we’re on the subject, can we make the case for restricting the word couture to oh, perhaps – actual couture? Couture isn’t Juicy or Filthy, and while we love a high/low mix, throwing the word couture on a label isn’t fooling anyone into thinking the “high” part is covered.

Real couture? That’s John Galliano, whose fall 2010 couture collection for Dior debuted in a courtyard of the Rodin Museum in Paris this week. The flower-inspired line is fantastical, beyond exquisite and raking in rave reviews. By including warmer fabrics and fall accessories in addition to dark lipstick on his models, Galliano brilliantly surprises by using what is normally a spring staple to inspire a fall line and making it work. If you havenâ€t had a chance to see it yet, check it out here. Totally worth your work procrastination time.

“I love Daphne – she has incredible style,” Nars told WWD. “She fits the image of the brand so well. She’s very creative and elegant and is a chameleon. And she really loves makeup – the whole process of it. Any makeup artist dreams of having someone like that as a muse.” {Stylelist}

Nars is slated to open his first store in November on Bleecker Street in New York City. Projected worldwide sales for the fall collection are up to $8 million, a surprisingly positive financial outlook and business position in the sour economy. {The Cut}

“I will do special items which will only be available in the store — palettes, maybe a nail polish called Bleecker Street — and I want to sell DVDs of my favorite movies. Marc may do accessories. Itâ€s going to be great,” he said.

Nars also owns an island in Tahiti, which he may write a book about in the future. He is also working on a book about makeovers for 64 different women.

Guinness†porcelain skin and pulled back hair gorgeously showcase the purple shadow in the photographs for the fall ad. Our only minor gripe is that her eyes and neck are not visible.

“Daphne’s like a painting in this image,” Nars said. “Since Daphne was the inspiration for the campaign, I thought, ‘Why not have more of her?'”

A preview of the collection will be available on July 15 at NarsCosmetics.com.

Stone modeled for Calvin Klein in 2007 and has worked two of the brandâ€s runway shows.

“I have a long history with the Calvin Klein brand,” she said. “It was wonderful to work with the house again this year. Itâ€s like being part of a family.” {Styleite}

A black and white close-up of Stoneâ€s face shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot for Calvin Klein Collection is the latest star in the label’s famous black and white images. Maybe it’s just us, but Stone seems to bear a passing resemblance to former Calvin Klein campaign star Kate Moss in the photo.

“I conceived my fall 2010 collection with a self-aware and assured woman in mind,” Creative Director Francisco Costa told WWD. “For me, Lara was the perfect choice for the new campaign because she is a woman who epitomizes confidence and sensuality.” {Huffington Post}

Male models Simon Ellisdon, AJ, Grayson Vaughan and Eric Anderson appear alongside Stone in some of the ads.

The exclusive deal with Stone is a progressive move on the part of the label. By going with a 27-year-old model who is considered curvier than many of her peers, the label that ironically kicked off the young waif look of the 90s is furthering the effort by some in the fashion industry to cast women rather than size 0 girls who may be at an age where they’re thin not only because of diet or exercise, but because they haven’t finished growing. {The Cut} Their last show featured Stella Tennant, Kirsty Hume and the silver haired Kristen McMenamy, who while still slender and gorgeous, are older than the usual catwalkers who are in their teens.

Stone also replaces Eva Mendes as the face of Calvin Klein jeans, adding to a growing movement among designers and magazine editors towards using models in lieu of celebrities for campaigns and covers.

At Rendez-Vous Paris, Slam Jam‘s Forfex brand studded sneakers and blue suede shoes immediately grabbed our attention.  The Milan based company sells a variety of mainstay urban brands like Nike and Adidas through their online store, but the colors and details of their own creations will easily establish them as the go to sneaker in any connoisseur’s closet.

For their Fall/Winter collection, Killers Zip Boots take cues from the sneaker style with back studding and an added zipper, while the popular Killers sneakers get refreshed with a geometric inner ankle portion. For the ladies who remember the pom pom socks that used to peek over the heel of your sneakers, the Knight’s layered back detail will bring back memories of shoe styles past.

Like any true studs, the Kick It (pictured) and Killers are enough to make guys want to walk in your shoes, and girls want to walk with you.

Click the thumbnails to view larger images from Slam Jam’s forthcoming Fall/Winter collection. Current collection is available at the SlamJam store.

If you’re not one for the blue lagoon shades, fear not as 9 other colors are included in Pantone’s most recent report. From left to right as they appear in the vertical stripes pictured above, there’s Endive, a pale yellow; Golden Glow, which as the name implies is a rich autumn gold; Living Coral, which is, well – coral; Lipstick Red, a berry-tinged shade of red; Purple Orchid, a bright purple; Chocolate Truffle, a purple-hued brown; Lagoon, possibly a sister shade to the Turquoise announced as the “it” color last year; Woodbine, a grassy green; Oyster Gray, a soft gray with a hint of pink; and Rose Dust, a soft pink with a hint of gray.

Lipstick Red, Living Coral, Purple Orchid and Chocolate Truffle are obvious choices for shades likely to pop up in beauty products, with the others more likely to make appearances in clothes on the runway.