>> Matthew Williamson Is "Pretty British" When It Comes to Food —Matthew Williamson is preparing to launch menswear next February and e-commerce at the end of this month, but in between his busy schedule, he also likes to take holidays. "I'm out of the country at least once a month, exploring new places for work as well as pleasure, and returning to favourite haunts such as Mykonos and Ibiza for holidays. This year, I've been to Cape Town, Tulum in Mexico, Cuba, Rio de Janeiro, Turks and Caicos and New York." When it comes to food, however, he's not so adventurous: "I'm afraid I am pretty British in my tastes – wherever I am, steak and chips is my thing. No vindaloo or hot Thai curries for me, thanks." [Elle News Blog, Telegraph UK]

>> Fashion Continues to Invade TV on the CW's Gossip Girl, The Beautiful Life —Zac Posen has staked out a position in the series premiere of the CW's model-centric drama The Beautiful Life and Nina Garcia just filmed for the show recently, but they're not the only familiar guest stars that are slated to appear: Matthew Williamson, Erin Fetherston, and Jessica Stam have all been booked and Versace and Calvin Klein are also somehow involved. As for Georgina Chapman and Tory Burch's mysterious Gossip Girl cameos, they begin in the upcoming season's first episode by hooking up with Blake Lively's character Serena, and according to the show's executive producer have to do with Serena's “decision [in terms of college] and what happens to her in the first couple of episodes.” [E! Online, People]

>> INSIDER WIRE —Matthew Williamson is joining Burberry in returning to London Fashion Week in September after showing for seven years — with the exception of one season — in New York. The occasion marks the move of London Fashion Week to its new location at Somerset House, plus the 25th anniversary of both the event and the British Fashion Council. With two coups in as many weeks, maybe Stella McCartney will be next? [Telegraph UK]

>> Matthew Williamson's Summer collection for H&M hits stores May 14, and what better way to catch attention than with a trippy one-minute online-only segment beginning with Daria Werbowy waking up and proclaiming, "Always the same, it's boring" and ending with Williamson rising from a colorful meteor crater, quipping, "Well I haven't done it all . . . yet."  In between, trippy music, models jumping out of life-size magazines, pink horses . . . directed by Johan Renck and with the theme "It's time for change," it definitely sticks with you.

Video: The commercial! »

>> ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL —We've seen bits and pieces of Matthew Williamson's H&M line — and here's a video interview with him talking about the collection — but now we've got a glimpse of the first campaign image with Daria Werbowy.  Model and designer traveled all the way to Mexico to shoot what could be a studio shot, but the airtime was done for the sunlight on the Mexican beach.  Grazia has behind-the-scenes pictures of the shoot with Solve Sundsbo, Daria posing on a platform of water.  Matthew is also supposed to be in the campaign, but we'll have to wait for subsequent shots to see that. [Fem, Grazia]  

>> Besides the obvious runway trends that have emerged — cut-outs, metallics, thigh-high boots, emphasized shoulders — we're seeing something else: designers are sending out a substantially less gowns down the runway.  Now we're talking designers who dabble with gowns, not whose livelihoods depend on the red carpet — see Monique Lhuillier, Badgley Mischka, and their ilk — but Rodarte, who usually end their collections with a trio of three gowns, chose to bypass that segment for Fall 2009, sticking to minidress silhouettes all the way through.

Max Azria, who usually does at least three full-length dresses for Herve Leger, didn't have one hem below knee-length for the Fall 2009 collection. Diane von Furstenberg, who showed four floor-sweeping frocks for Spring 2009 and five for Fall 2008, had one singular gown — the last look — for Fall 2009.  Erin Fetherston, known for her proclivity for long, flowy dresses, had at least seven last season; for Fall 2009, there was one.  Matthew Williamson produced seven gowns for Spring 2009 and four for Fall 2008; this season, he went down to three.  Narciso Rodriguez didn't do any for Fall 2009; the list goes on.

So is it because we're maxed out on maxi dresses?  Because a long dress takes more fabric and therefore is more expensive to produce?  Because separates will likely sell better?  Because gowns just look too extravagant in these pinching times?  Whatever it is, we could be seeing a lot more cocktail-length dresses on the red carpet if this keeps up; that or, the gowns will all have to be custom.
*image: source

>> Tonight, The British Fashion Council hosted the British Fashion Awards — the British counterpart to the CFDA Awards.  Jourdan Dunn stole Agyness Deyn's Model of the Year crown, and looking shocked, managed to accept the award between tears: "My mum would like me to say I'm going to buy her a mansion but she's just going to have to accept this speech instead!"  As for Designer of the Year — an honor bestowed on John Galliano and Alexander McQueen four times each — Luella Bartley was the anointed one.

A complete list of awards, with winners in bold. »

>> Matthew Williamson took his final bow as the artistic director of Emilio Pucci earlier today — Peter Dundas will replace him Oct. 1 — but the reasoning for why he's leaving the company has been nothing more than he wants more time to focus on his namesake label — until now.

As the Guardian's Imogen Fox enlightens us, "recently there have been criticisms that the Pucci label was starting to look more like [Matthew Williamson's] signature line and less like a distinctive Pucci collection."  The Pucci bosses are also rumored to be less than happy with all the multitasking and travelling Williamson was doing, and "in a recent interview Laudomia Pucci, daughter of the company's founder Emilio, stated how important it is that Dundas will be based in Florence."  So among all the bright and happy Pucci prints, there was more than a little unrest . . .
*image: source