in production

>> Balmain's new, more affordable line, Pierre Balmain, doesn't start hitting stores until early December, but a first look at the debut collection, for Spring 2012 — is in order.

The new line covers everything from eveningwear to daywear, tailoring to jeans, and will be created by a separate design team from Olivier Rousteing, who is set to concentrate exclusively on the higher-end Balmain label. As Balmain chairman and CEO Alain Hivelin explains the dichotomy, Rousteing will make the “quintessentially Parisian” main collection “even more sophisticated and couture-like — without, of course, renouncing that ‘rock’ aesthetic that has been so important for us these the last few years." Whereas: "The Pierre Balmain collection translates the codes of Balmain in a more casual and relaxed manner ... We see Pierre Balmain as a new and distinct brand that is inspired by the successes and history of a great house, but offers a look and product that respond to the needs and desires of today’s marketplace.”

Prices for Pierre Balmain — in light of the Balmain mainline's infamously sky-high prices — are to range from 120 euros ($172) for T-shirts and 250 euros ($363) for jeans up to 900 euros ($1,291) for eveningwear.

>> For Fall 2011, Michael Kors teamed up with Fossil — which has produced his watch line since 2004 — to launch his jewelry collection. The chain and buckle-centric line of earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings hits stores in August and runs $45 to $395. "I’ve always thought of accessories as the exclamation point of a woman’s outfit," Kors says. "Now, with my jewelry collection, I can deliver the full spectrum of the Michael Kors vision for a truly fabulous look."

>> Almost seven years after his H&M collaboration, Karl Lagerfeld is back with another one-off mass collection, this time for Macy's. The 45-piece collection, which hits 235 of the 800-plus Macy's stores and Macys.com on Aug. 31, promises to incorporate Lagerfeld's signature style — read: high-collared pieces, as well as edgier, rock'n'roll looks — and run $50 to $170.

The August 2011 issue of Vogue provides a first look at the collection: a $109 dress that Lagerfeld describes as "a coup d'oeil to the dresses I designed for Chloe and the girlish, more romantic mood of the seventies." As for why he decided to work with Macy's on the collection for the past year, Lagerfeld says: "These partnerships are a working holiday from my normal discipline, and I like to think differently."

After Lagerfeld, Macy's will reportedly feature Giambattista Valli in November, and then for Holiday 2011, Lagerfeld will be back along with three other designers for more Macy's exclusives.

>> This upcoming Spring, Jason Wu and plastic shoe brand Melissa are teaming up to release two exclusive styles. Though both shoes are based on pre-existing Melissa bestsellers — the Ultragirl ballet flat and the Lady Dragon peep-toe slingback —  they're injected with a strong dose of signature Wu: a Miss Wu owl logo bow tops the ballet flats, while a sunburst design culled directly from Wu's Fall 2011 collection adorns the pumps. “It was really interesting for me to explore design possibilities with plastic,” said Wu of the collaboration. “I wanted to take advantage of the materials I was given, make it all completely functional and waterproof and yet still remain extremely sophisticated.” Both styles will be available in black, burgundy, nude, and transparent gray, and also feature lining printed with pink and black lace. Wu is the first American designer to collaborate with Melissa; Vivienne Westwood, Gareth Pugh, and Jean Paul Gaultier have all previously partnered with the Brazillian shoe brand.

>> Nicole Richie is adding handbags to her House of Harlow 1960 collection. Priced from $150 to $625, the new offering features clutches, hobos, and cross-body bags in a mix of materials like calfskin or vintage leather with detailing such as studs or fringe. "The collection is quite small in terms of the styles we are launching with. I wanted to make sure that each piece is special," Richie explained of the 14-piece selection. "Handbags have always been a part of the equation since we first launched the House of Harlow 1960 brand. We just needed to make sure all of the components were aligned before setting foot into that category." The pieces will be available starting mid-July at Bergdorf Goodman, Shopbop, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus. Some are also currently available for pre-order at Singer22.

>> This September, Adam Lippes heads to HSN with a new lower-priced line, Love Adam, which features embellished tops, faux-fur coats, and printed dresses and is "more casual" than his ADAM main line. "It’s not a redux of our greatest hits in cheaper fabrics," the designer explains.

Love Adam is expected to retail between $55 and $400, versus the main line, which starts at about $175 for tops. It's the second mass-market collaboration for the designer, who was encouraged to pursue more widely accessible projects after a recent teaming with Spanish retailer Mango. “I was amazed by the reach that it gave my brand and the fact that good-looking, well-made clothes didn’t need to be crazy-expensive if you have the volume . . . I got letters and e-mails from customers all over the world.”

>> H&M has announced its next collaborator: Versace. Donatella Versace looked back at the house archives to reinterpret classic Versace designs from 1978 to today — "iconic Versace pieces [from] iconic Versace moments" as she put it — for the collection, which will encompass around 40 pieces for women, as well as a 20-piece collection for men and a selection of homeware (think bedspreads and pillows).

Since the collection is debuting on November 17 (in 300 stores worldwide and online) — right in the thick of party season, as Margareta van den Bosch, creative advisor at H&M, points out — it will be dominated by gold studded leather dresses (one of which Donatella was "so excited" about that she wore yesterday to take her bow at the Versace men's show), colorful silk and print dresses, high heels, and costume jewelry.

Versace also designed a Pre-Spring collection for H&M that will be exclusively available in countries with H&M online sales (Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom) starting on January 19, 2012. See Versace talk about the collaboration in the video below, and preview the collection in the slideshow.