>> Karl Lagerfeld to Take His Eponymous Label Mass Market? —Karl Lagerfeld, who was the first designer to collaborate with H&M back in 2004, says he's eager to design for the mass market again. “My dream is to turn the whole house of Lagerfeld into this kind of [mass] business, because I am at the peak of luxury with Chanel and Fendi. Being at both ends of the market is the height of luxury.” Lagerfeld did say, however, that he had yet to discuss the idea with the Karl Lagerfeld brand team. [WWD]

>> There's been speculation that Olivier Theyskens's upcoming capsule collection for Theory might be indicative of the label looking to move into more red carpet dressing, but the designer told Style Bubble today he had slightly different reasoning for hooking up with the brand:

"For a long time, I've been looking for a way of working with affordable fashion. I think Theory is the right brand to do this. It was a big intuition for me to do this Theyskens/Theory project — I'm super excited by it! I think today, you can find great things at a great price. As a designer, I'm not a guy that can be put in a niche. I'm a guy who can also put his mind to something more global and accessible. Also, I've always been hoping that my friends can buy what I design."

What about starting his own label? »

>> Tom Ford and Karl Lagerfeld both shoot their own ad campaigns, could Roberto Cavalli be next? The designer recently told Harper's Bazaar that photography was his latest obsession and that he was embarking on a trip to New Guinea to shoot "the last cannibal tribe."

Cavalli also mentioned he is intrigued by Megan Fox and disappointed that so many others are using leopard prints now. "In the beginning, when people copied me I was happy. [But now] I can understand when H&M or Zara copies me, but I hate it when big designers copy me. You have a big name, you should never copy me."

But perhaps most interesting in his contingency plan for his label: if he were hit by a bus tomorrow, he says, Roberto Cavalli would cease to exist. There would be no new designer. "Nobody."

>> More Changes at W: A New Design Director, John Fairchild's Column Discontinued —Stefano Tonchi has appointed his new design director at W: Joseph Logan, a Vogue Paris and Artforum alum, who starts work next week. Tonchi also apparently decided to discontinue the satirical social column written by 83-year-old John Fairchild, son of WWD's founder and former chairman and editorial director of Fairchild Publications, under the pseudonym Countess Louise J. Esterhazy. The last column appears in W's June 2010 issue. Fairchild seemed surprised by the decision: "I didn't know it was ending. They never even asked me for a final column . . . I don't know what's happened, really. I know there's a new editor, and he's very talented. I got paid to write it and that's what I'll miss the most." [@womensweardaily, WSJ]

>> This week seems to the week of designer appointments: Olivier Theyskens partnering with Theory, Christophe Lemaire replacing Jean Paul Gaultier at Hermes, Giles Deacon taking over at Emanuel Ungaro, and now Sarah Burton, head of womenswear design at Alexander McQueen, has been named creative director at the label.

Burton had worked with Lee Alexander McQueen since 1996 and was promoted to her current position at the brand in 2000.  She was saddled with completing McQueen’s final collection — the 16 pieces of which were 80 percent finished at the time of the designer's death. Burton said in a statement of her appointment: “The creation of modern, beautifully crafted clothes was at the heart of Lee’s vision. I intend to stay true to his legacy.”

That's just the way the McQueen execs want it »

While celebrating the new Louis Vuitton store in London, Marc Jacobs admits to having had a recent hair transplant.

Speaking of Louis Vuitton, the British Advertising Authority has banned two of the brand's advertisements for intimating factory-made handbags were actually produced by hand.

Patricia Field offers her point of view on important fashion choices from Sex and the City 2, including Carrie's $50,000 karaoke outfit.

Giles Deacon talks about taking the reigns at Ungaro and the differences between the Parisian house and his namesake collection: "I don’t want any blurring. My own line is more subversive. In Ungaro-land, things are a little more obvious. I like the instantness of those clothes, but the world of challenge for me is getting that other kind of lightness and softness. My own things tend to be a little bit harder."

Source: WireImage

Olivier Theyskens, who has not produced a collection since his exit from the house of Nina Ricci during the fall 2009 season (although he did release a book), has landed himself a job—designing a capsule collection for Theory that will be released next spring according to WWD. We admit it might be nice to actually be able to afford something from one of the world's most adored fashion designers but would much prefer to watch Theyskens on a main stage, presenting mind-blowing fashions for a major house. Let's hope this partnership also means that Theory chief executive, Andrew Rosen, is planning to offer Theyskens financial backing to restart his own collection.

In other designer news, Brioni has tapped Alessandro Dell'Acqua to be the creative director for its women's collection. Dell'Acqua will continue to produce his own line, N. 21.

Source: Getty

Sarah Burton, who was left to oversee the completion of Lee Alexander McQueen's fall 2010 collection last March following the designer's suicide, has officially been named creative director at the label. Formerly the head of design for womenswear, Burton had worked alongside McQueen for sixteen years.

“The creation of modern, beautifully crafted clothes was at the heart of Lee’s vision. I intend to stay true to his legacy," she said in a statement. News of a successor will undoubtedly strengthen the McQueen brand, which has immediate plans to release a licensed men's underwear line this summer.

Source: David Burton