A quick search shows that most brands are still attached to the old layout – and considering the speed at which fashion usually embraces anything new,  that’s not much of a surprise. They won’t have too long to cling to the familiar: on March 31st all pages will get the timeline treatment. Though the fact that Facebook is discouraging overt promotions or headlines in favor of photography and visuals should make fashion and design brands feel right at home.

In case you need a bit of inspiration, here are a few timelines from some of our favorite fashion early adopters.

Burberry

The BBC is reporting that Amy Winehouse, famous as much for her problems with drinking and drugs as her music and fashion hits, has died at the age of 27. The cause of death is still being reported as undetermined, but Winehouse recently cancelled a number of appearances after visible signs of alcoholism, and was previously warned that her drug use could lead to death.

Winehouse received critical acclaim even prior to Frank, her 2003 debut album. Initially signed by former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller’s 19 Management, Winehouse’s smoky vocals and jazz infused songs led to interest from multiple record labels. Her second album, Back to Black, was released in October 2006 and spawned hits like “You Know I’m No Good” and “Rehab,” the latter dubbed the Best Song of 2007 by Time.  The album topped music charts in the US and UK and earned 5 Grammy awards for Winehouse – a first for a British singer. A fan following quickly developed around Winehouse both for her retro pop music and appearance.

The Amy Winehouse Style Influence

A Chanel ad from the Fall/Winter 2008 collection where Amy Winehouse was a muse to Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld

Following the success of Back to Black, Winehouse’s haphazard beehive and exaggerated cat-eye eyeliner became as identifiable as her songs. Her ’60s styling made her a muse to Karl Lagerfeld, who sent models down the Chanel runway and into advertisements with messy, upswept hair and winged liner that immediately brought to mind the image of the singer. Not to be outdone, Louis Vuitton paid $1 million for Winehouse to perform at their fashion show during Paris Fashion Week in March 2008.

Multiple trips to rehab facilities and ongoing battles with alcohol and drugs gradually killed hopes for a new studio album, but Winehouse still managed to release a collection for UK sportswear label Fred Perry in 2010. A beauty line that was to include hairspray, head scarves and black eyeliner never materialized.

A look from Amy Winehouse's clothing line for Fred Perry

The singer’s death also places her among a different group of icons: entertainers who didn’t make it to their 28th birthday.

Winehouse now has the unfortunate honor of joining Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and Jean-Michel Basquiat in the list of influential musicians and artists who died at 27.

It could be because designers (read: their publicists) are too pre-occupied with the Fall 2011 show season at this point to bother dressing anyone, but we have a different hypothesis: Hollywood stars dressed horribly for this yearâ€s SAG Awards because thatâ€s the only way they could get any press for their look. A simple, elegant gown that would garner much praise and a spot on all of the best dressed lists after the Oscars or Golden Globes would go largely unnoticed at the SAGs. Proof positive: Kyra Sedgwick wore a gorgeously understated black gown by Thierry Mugler last night, and hardly anyoneâ€s talking about it as far as we can tell.

Plus, if our theory does not hold true, how else would one explain Jennifer Lawrenceâ€s Pepto Bismol-colored Oscar de la Renta dress paired with stripper heels and a bow no one over the age of 10 should wear? Or Hailee Steinfeldâ€s orange Prada stripes? Andre Leon Talley praised Steinfeldâ€s look, saying her lack of jewelry and relaxed hair style were the perfect touch to ensure she wasnâ€t trying too hard. We have a question for ALT: if one should try not to look like one tried hard to impress on a red carpet, then where else should one wear one’s best jewels and finest hair style? We’d be tempted to give Steinfeld a pass because, at 14, at least she was dressed for her age, but she did the not-too-adult, but still subtly glamorous thing so well at the Golden Globes that we just have to say no to her latest look.

We loved Claire Danes’ bright pink lipstick, which would have looked decent in contrast to a printed Louis Vuitton number, but an awkwardly placed belt made her overall style a bit too casual for our taste as well. And speaking of ill-placed belts: Lea Michele. Her Oscar de la Renta gown was gorgeous, but the extra accessory seemed unnecessary. January Jones†Carolina Herrera embroidered gown was lovely, but overshadowed by an unflattering hairstyle, and, finally, Christina Hendricks, who normally takes a well-deserved place on every best dressed list, looked like she was wearing a bathrobe in her L’Wren Scott dress.

The one standout of the night was Mila Kunis in an Alexander McQueen dress designed by Sarah Burton that continued the red trend of the Golden Globes. The dress was the perfect color for her, and she looked stunning. Enough so that we’ll let the belt on this one off with a warning. Hillary Swankâ€s one-shouldered Versace dress was also quite beautiful but has been generating less press than Kunis†gown. For almost everyone else, better luck next year – or in the next few weeks when we hope everyone will lose the belts and go back to unhindered glamour.

To be fair, this isn’t totally new. Jason Preston, the one time boyfriend of designer Marc Jacobs has his paramour’s brand name tattooed on his forearm. While the ink lasted longer than the relationship, at the very least it’s an inking decision lots of other people have made and come to regret.

Unfortunately, it seems a different kind of brand tattoo (that has nothing to do with love – not the normal kind, anyway) is taking off, for people who’ve decided that temporary brand tattoos aren’t cool… REAL brand tattoos are cool. Racked introduces us to the Louis Vuitton tattoo, and the Gucci face tattoo.

Call us old fashioned, but what happened to tattoos with names of family members or loved ones? While there may be something to be said for brands creating the kind of loyalty that would make someone want to permanently associate themselves, we can’t help but hope this falls under trademark infringement since it definitely doesn’t fall under good taste.

We haven’t found a measurable way to tally best and worst dressed just yet, so we’ll just just round up the larger trends and add our favorites to the mix. Click on images to view at a larger size.

Golden Globes 2011 Fashion Trends

Pretty in Pink and Red or Dead

Save: Julianne Moore in Lanvin, Julianna Margulies in vintage Yves Saint Laurent

Skip: January Jones in Versace

Don’t get us wrong, January Jones looks great and men probably got a lot more interested in the red carpet after seeing that dress; but the line between vamp and tramp is thin and we’re not sure how many women would be able to toe the line in this dress or any “inspired by” designs.

What They All Wore

1st row L to R: Julianne Moore (large image) in Lanvin, Claire Danes in Calvin Klein, Megan Fox in Armani Prive, Lea Michele in Oscar de la Renta, Heidi Klum in Marc Jacobs

2nd row L to R: Naya Rivera, Natalie Portman in Viktor & Rolf, Emma Stone in Calvin Klein, January Jones (large image) in Versace

3rd row L to R:  Julianna Margulies in vintage Yves Saint Laurent, Christina Hendricks, Edie Falco in Valentino, Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang

Alexander McQueen Moves Forward

Goodbye Mr. McQueen, hello Ms. Burton. Long live McQueen.

Style.com covered the passing of Alexander McQueen and the showing of the final collection he designed, but something that was equally important this year was the success of Sarah Burtonâ€s first show as the new designer for the McQueen label. The passing of such a genius creative mind was indeed tragic, and the showing of McQueenâ€s last collection was a special moment, but Burtonâ€s signal that the brand can honor McQueenâ€s legacy while moving forward was absolutely stellar.

John Gallianoâ€s Dior Couture Wows

Dior haute couture was in full bloom this year when John Galliano showed his Spring 2011 collection of flower-inspired looks. The imagery and execution of the designs combined with the high, tulip-like hair of the models for a full package display of gorgeousness and perhaps our favorite moment in fashion of 2010.

The Muses

Isabella Blow

An early supporter of Alexander McQueen, the late fashion muse is profiled in two books which were released on the same day (November 9th), sparking a war of words between the two authors. {Fashionista}

Isabella Blow: A Life in Fashion by Lauren Goldstein Crowe

List price: $27.99, $18.47 at Amazon

The Business of Fashion recently published part of the book’s Afterword in a two-part excerpt.

Publisher’s Summary: In 2007, the news of Isabella Blowâ€s suicide at the age of 48 made headlines around the world—but there is more to the story of Isabella than her tragic end.   The key supporter and muse of milliner Philip Treacy and designer Alexander McQueen, Blow was truly more than a muse or patron.  She was a spark, an electrical impulse that set imaginations racing, an individual who pushed others to create their best work.

Her fascination with clothing began early, as did a willingness to wear things—and say things—that would amuse and shock. She began her fashion career in New York City as assistant to Anna Wintour at Vogue.  Over time she became famous for her work, yet it wasnâ€t enough to assuage her devastating feelings of inadequacy. Still, in her darkest moments, even as she began a series of suicide attempts and prolonged hospital stays, Blow retained her wicked sense of humor, making her friends laugh even as they struggled to help.

Blow by Blow: The Story of Isabella Blow by Detmar Blow and Tom Sykes

List price: $30, $19.80 at Amazon

Publisher’s Summary: The pages of this book prove Isabella’s aristocratic ancestry to be as colorful as her manner of dress, her childhood as adventurous as it was at times tragic, and her thirty-year career, which began as Anna Wintour’s assistant at Vogue and took in stints as fashion director of Tatler and fashion editor of the Sunday Times Magazine in London, as truly remarkable. But the real power of Blow by Blow lies in its portrayal of a courageous woman who tried passionately and often to escape a legacy of depression that ultimately proved insurmountable. Despite having been subjected to great disappointment and loss throughout her life, Isabella Blow was a consummate nurturer, determined to cultivate creativity wherever she found it.

Keith Richards

The long time rocker, and recent star of Louis Vuitton’s Core Values ad campaign, Richards’ bio will be available online at the Louis Vuitton website, and in Louis Vuitton stores in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Miami. Music and fashion have a long love affair, and though Richards is an unlikely muse, the hard living star’s book is full of stories including the sex, drugs and rock and roll that inspire designers.

Life by Keith Richards and James Fox

Available for $29.99 (list price) at LouisVuitton.com and $16.18 at Amazon.

New York Times Review: “By turns earnest and wicked, sweet and sarcastic and unsparing, Mr. Richards, now 66, writes with uncommon candor and immediacy. Heâ€s decided that heâ€s going to tell it as he remembers it, and helped along with notebooks, letters and a diary he once kept, he remembers almost everything. He gives us an indelible, time-capsule feel for the madness that was life on the road with the Stones in the years before and after Altamont; harrowing accounts of his many close shaves and narrow escapes (from the police, prison time, drug hell); and a heap of sharp-edged snapshots of friends and colleagues — most notably, his longtime musical partner and sometime bête noire, Mick Jagger.

The Designers

Anna Sui

Anna Sui by Andrew Bolton with a foreword by Anna Sui, preface by Jack White and introduction by Steven Meisel

List price: $60, $37.80 at Amazon

Publisher’s Summary: Anna Sui’s trendsetting rock-and-roll looks have made her one of this decade’s top five fashion icons (Time). Here, in the first book to cover the entire scope of Sui’s twenty-year career, fans get rare access to the designer’s creative process. This richly visual retrospective celebrates her influence, from her first show that snared the support of supermodels Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, and Kate Moss to the role she’s played in making the babydoll dress one of fashion’s most iconic silhouettes. With more than 400 photographs from legendary photographers, this exquisite tome with a shimmering foil-stamped cover is essential for all fashionistas.

Kenzo Takada

Kenzo by Antonio Marras and Olivier Saillard with a foreword by Franceso Bonami and contributions from Bradley Quinn and Catherine Orman

List price: $75, $47.25 at Amazon

Publisher’s Summary: An extraordinary collectible, Kenzo creatively presents forty years of the Paris-based fashion house, founded by Japanese designer Kenzo Takada and now in a resurgence under artistic director Antonio Marras. Established in 1970 by Kenzo Takada, who had arrived in Paris from Japan in 1965, Kenzo is one of the great French houses that transformed global fashion in the latter half of the twentieth century. Now under the artistic directorship of Antonio Marras, KENZO has again achieved critical and popular acclaim. Marras draws from the rich vein of Kenzo tradition as it engages the spirit of the new century. Armed with an unmatched vocabulary in prints and textiles, Marras mines both East and West, the present and the past, to create a collection that evokes, reveres, and reinvents the intentions of its founder. The highlights of Takadaâ€s tenure until his retirement in 1999 are also documented here. The first monograph on KENZO, this lavish volume comes in a real fabric cover, available in three different patterns, and with a pop-up that evokes the romantic textiles, envelopes, and paper craft for which the houseâ€s fashion collection invitations are known.  Additional special features include three double-sided double gatefolds, folding out to the equivalent of eight pages, and three accordian gatefolds, folding out to five pages.  This book is truly an art object in and of itself.

Matthew Williamson

Matthew Williamson by Colin McDowell with a foreword by Sienna Miller

List price: $65, $40.95 at Amazon

Publisher’s Summary: A unique insight into one of the most exciting fashion designers working today, revealing the imagination fueling his exuberant creations. Celebrated for his deluxe bohemian chic, Matthew Williamsonâ€s vivacious, color-drenched creations bedecked with exquisite embroidery and beading have made him a favorite with the fashion pack. This stunning volume explores Williamsonâ€s career, from his acclaimed first collection in 1997 to his current status as a multimillion-dollar brand with stores in London and New York and an international celebrity clientele. Lavishly illustrated, this monograph celebrates Williamsonâ€s trademark use of vibrant color and pattern. Editorial images highlighting his collections and iconic pieces, sumptuous photography of his textile designs, and celebrity fashion shoots are shown alongside mood boards, sketches, and scrapbooks revealing his influences and inspirations.

We’ve been keeping you up to date with the all the new technologies emerging left and right- along with the fashionable accessories designed to complement them!

The newest must-have gadget, the iPad, now has sleek, trendy and stylish accessories from major designers. If you don’t want to scratch your diamond studded iPad, Louis Vuitton has a case coming in 2011, Gucci’s taking pre-orders for their version now, and Hermes is putting together “special order” versions with matching headphone holders. {Fresh Mess} Oscar de la Renta, however, beat them all to the punch when he sold iPad covers on his website. Much to many of the viewers’ surprise, the cases, originally called iPad clutches, actually made an appearance on his recent resort runway fashion show. {Purse Blog}

Continuing to tap the fashion-technology market, a new collection of iPad cases in various colors and embossed patterns are now available at OscardelaRenta.com. For a sign of their popularity, the cases – pardon us, clutches, have their own link at the top of the site, right next to Ready to Wear, Accessories and Fragrances.

For us, the flap and nameplate cheapen the design and make it a bit too generic. The snakeskin is at a reasonable price though ($390 compared to $360 for Louis Vuitton’s single purpose canvas version), and we do like that the people over at Oscar de la Renta are thinking multi-purpose. How often is it that your laptop bag doubles as a large purse, or briefcase? While the iPad is designed to reduce some of the bulk of a laptop, space for a few extras is a welcome difference between the de la Renta clutch and other designer covers.

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eBayâ€s Newest iPhone App Takes Fashion Mobile

Men’s Style

George Clooney to Italian Court: ‘I Donâ€t Wear Long Jean Shortsâ€

Balding Gracefully: Tips and Hairstyles for Balding Men

Lifestyle

Beirut: Louis Vuitton Store Opening

Luxury Brands Losing $250 Billion a Year to Counterfeit Goods

Electrotech

DA Withdraws iPhone 4 Warrant, Returns Gizmodo Editor Jason Chenâ€s Possessions

Steve Jobs: “Weâ€re Not Perfect.”

6 Crucial Social Media Tips for Traditional Media

Design

Beekeepers add buzz to Japanese urban jungle

Food

The Newest Apple: Red to the Core

Counterfeiting wine: low-end edition

Travel + Culture

5 signs youâ€ve been traveling in a developing country

The problem? Those Gucci shoes aren't Gucci, Christian Iouboutin is a letter away from a lawsuit, and those bags are definitely fake

There have been some brands putting real effort into both. Take Louis Vuitton: shuttering eLuxury opened the door for several counterfeit sites who then had less competition from the legitimate brand for searches. On the paid search side, Louis Vuitton tried to sue Google for allowing advertisers to bid on their name, which is trademarked in many of the countries where they operate. The final ruling was that while individual advertisers could be penalized for misleading users, Google was not responsible for the content or practices of advertisers bidding on brand names.

We pointed out that while the ruling may have been a blow on the paid search side, larger problems were present in the unpaid search results because the counterfeit sites were better optimized than Louis Vuitton’s official site.

If for no other reason than performing well with visitors from search engines, and pushing replica sites further down, dropping eLuxury was a mistake. But the reason eLuxury closed was to put more effort into Nowness, a site curated by Jefferson Hack (publisher of fashion magazine Dazed & Confused). Nowness has an item a day format that doesn’t focus on any single brand, but a person or cultural event to offer a glimpse at the personality behind brands rather than pure product.

On Facebook, more than a million people have become fans of the Louis Vuitton Art of Travel page which features special notes to Facebook fans, behind the scenes videos and interviews with soccer legends Pele, Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane (who also appear in the current advertising campaign). So while there are improvements that could be made, the Louis Vuitton online strategy is obviously not centered on suing counterfeit sites out of existence – though we’re sure it’s still part of the plan.

A Facebook ad for fake Christian Louboutin shoes

Other brands haven’t gotten the memo, and are still taking a defensive approach to participation online when they should be on the offense. One example? The company behind those infamous red soles, Christian Louboutin. They launched an entire site dedicated to showcasing crackdowns on Chinese factories manufacturing replica shoes. Unfortunately, the official site misses the mark for search, and even efforts like the recently launched US e-commerce site {Christian Louboutin US online store} are hobbled by huge, slow loading Flash-intros and animations. It’s obviously intended to be an experience site, but the experience isn’t good. There is a good effort on Facebook, where 250,000 fans are update about company announcements.

These efforts, however, are not enough to stop small and nimble counterfeit competitors, who have replica Christian Louboutin shoes, fake Louis Vuitton and Chanel bags and more appearing in Facebook ads, and organically in the news feeds of people targeted by interest. We’ve blacked out names to protect the innocent and the guilty, but in the photo of the fake Louis Vuitton, you can see the sheer number of users being targeted through photo tags. As those photos appear in the newsfeeds of friends, the counterfeit campaign becomes viral.

Big luxury may have the legal power, but it seems back alley bootleggers have the creativity.

Click to view more photos of counterfeit social media campaigns.