Andre’s exhibition set out to celebrate Oscar and his impact on both American style and American women. My sister, Alexandra Kotur, was one of those women directly affected by de la Renta, being lucky enough to know him and wear his designs. She loaned two of them to the exhibition.  “Fashion is about dressing according to what’s fashionable. Style is more about being yourself” de la Renta once said. And it was this very personal perspective as well as his personal relationship with the women he dressed that the exhibition sought to reflect. It all added a new dimension to things, showing the totally unique and modest grace de la Renta imbued in anyone who wore his creations.

The more than 130 looks shown as part of the exhibit were chosen from museum archives, the designer’s personal collection, and private lenders  by André Leon Talley,  from his own memories and recollections, and each represented a highly personal de la Renta moment for the curator, who travelled across the country (and through some wardrobes) gathering them together for this show and his book, Oscar De La Renta, His Legendary World of Style.

Born in the Dominican Republic in 1934, de la Renta moved to Madrid at 19 to study art before becoming an apprentice under Cristóbal Balenciaga and then a designer under Antonio Castillo at Lanvin. He had learnt the ropes of Haute Couture before launching his own eponymous label in 1965 – and it was this fusion of the beautifully and artistically made with an innate sense of appropriate elegance that marked his work out for the rest of his five decade long career.

“Andre and Oscar, both creative geniuses, understood each other. And Oscar, just like Andre, loved women and could create the highest level of chic for women that Andre completely related to” Alexandra recalled with affection.

That André and Oscar were incredibly good friends only serves to highlight the personal in this book. They met in the 1970’s, when André was a young accessories editor at WWD and Oscar and his first wife Françoise de Langlade were what Andre himself described in an interview with Vogue as, ‘the Social Lions of New York.’ They were firm friends from then onwards. More than that, we also see them as two men who have always celebrated the individual in fashion, men for whom women as diverse as Hillary Clinton, Diana Vreeland and Oprah qualify in terms of true icons – of style or anything else. In the book he has written, André looks at Oscar’s work through individual dresses made for individual clients – giving a glimpse at the fascinating stories behind each one’s creation. In doing so, he brings not only Oscar’s wonderful dresses but also the women who wore them to life.

Photo Courtesy of Huffington Post, drewaltizer.com, de Young, leighannemarie.com, borneobulletin.com.bn, wwd.com, vogue.com, wmagazine.com

Exploring famous LBDs from across the ages – taking in YSL Couture, Chanel, Balenciaga and classic LBD moments, too (for whom is Audrey Hepburn in her LB Givenchy, eating her breakfast at Tiffany’s, not completely iconic,) the book comes off the back of an exhibition Andre curated at Savannah College of Design’s SCAD Museum of Art. It’s a celebration of timelessness, a tome in praise of studied chic, a book on a the essence of style written by a man who is himself a bastion of true style. And a must for the shelf.

Little Black Dress by Andre Leon Talley is published by Rizzoli, available on amazon.com

All images from Andre Leon Talley: Little Black Dress

A favourite Kotur style, the Wallace was one of the first bags we ever designed when the company launched back in 2004. Years before that, Fiona had found its inspiration in the flea markets of Paris, promising at the time that, one day, she would found a brand based on it’s unique design qualities, extraordinarily luxurious feel and unexpected design.

Fast forward a few years, and you have the Wallace. Still a core piece in the Kotur collection, and coming now in python and haircalf finishes to give a bag that oozes luxury and practicality at the same time, they’re bags designed to go anywhere, with anything, forever. Better still, they’re having a bit of a moment. As Doctor’s style bags hit the catwalks again, and top handle, ladylike frames make a come back, the Wallace is right there at the heart of it. Here are some of the many reasons we’re still so in love with them.

1. From Python to leopard print, in gold or in Zebra, the Wallace oozes luxury and sophisticated style.

2. Desiree Rogers, former Social Secretary to Obama, wore her Wallace to the White House – and if it’s good enough for 1000 Pennsylvania Avenue, it’s good enough for us.

3. Your Wallace is chic enough to finish off any smart daywear outfit, and roomy enough to fit everything you might need for a day on the run, too.

4. Designed along vintage Gladstone bag lines, rigid framed, top handle bags have been design staples since the early 20th Century. Great staple pieces then, they’re still the same, now.

5. Everyone from Blake Lively to Andre Leon Talley has worked their Wallace – a bag, as we said, for anyone, going anywhere, wearing anything, forever.

Click through our slideshow above to see the Wallace in action.

Images: Andre Leon Talley carrying the Wallace in leopard hair calf, Kim Raver with her natural python Wallace on the set of Lipstick Jungle, Kelly Rutherford and Blake Lively with their Wallaces on Gossip Girl

Prices from $995, available here.

Ghanaian born, California raised, and with a collection inspired by both Victorian clothing and her native Africa, Mimi Plange is a breath of fresh air in the fashion world.  Having gained a degree in architecture from Berkeley, she headed to the Fashion Institute of Technology in San Francisco before hot footing it to New York where worked both as a jewelry merchandiser and a designer for various brands before finally setting out on her own.

Her collections are fresh and form fitting, with Scarred Perfection, her offering for Autumn Winter 2011 currently on show at the SCAD Gallery (Savannah College of Art and Design) in Hong Kong. She’s dressed women from Michelle Obama to Rihanna, who love her pieces for their structured femininity. For next Spring, inspired by a Victorian tea party, her offering comes in pastels, with pussy bow blouses and neat nipped in waists designed, foremost, to flatter. A creator of clothes made to cross the boundaries of fads, of quality fashion built to last, she’s a woman and designer with a point of view and a point of difference and we’re delighted to have her as our latest KOTUR Muse.

KOTUR: What’s in your make-up bag?

Mimi: Nars blush in Exhibit A, an array of Lancome Juicy Tubes and Mascara, Cover FX foundation and Powder, and mini vials of Bond NO 9 perfume.

KOTUR: Do you have a beauty secret?

Mimi: Well, my grandmother told me that if you rub a sliced lemon on your legs 24 hours after you shave, the hair would grow back slower. It certainly works as a natural exfoliator and smoothes the skin.

KOTUR: What would be your desert island essentials?

Mimi: Water Jurlique Hydrating Mist, a sunhat, a Mimi Plange maxi kaftan, a collection of sexy novels and Soltan sun lotion with insect repellent

KOTUR: How would your female friends describe your style?

Mimi: Fearlessly repetitive. I am not scared of bold fashion, and I am not scared of sticking to a silhouette once I discover what works for my body and appeals to my aesthetic.

KOTUR: What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe?

Mimi: A little black sheath dress with ostrich feathers. Its really forward and modern, but classic at the same time. Just what I love!

KOTUR: Is there anything in your wardrobe you should get rid of but can’t?

Mimi: I have a Rick Owens sweater I have really, and I do mean really, worn to death. I love the feel and fit, and somewhere in my mind, I’ve managed to convince myself that it’s a little rock and roll even though I know its not. I know its time to say goodbye, but I simply can’t.

KOTUR: What do you never leave home without?

Mimi: Mascara and my iphone

KOTUR: How high is too high a heel?

Mimi: I don’t believe any heel is ever too high, as long as you can walk in them. I admire a woman who can endure her heels effortlessly.

KOTUR: How old is too old for jeans?

Mimi: Denim is like a fine wine or an elegant woman, they both get better with age. They gain history, character, and the tell tale signs that make them unique. It is the only item that could possibly fit better with age, too, aside from maybe a leather jacket.

KOTUR: What is your most recent purchase?

Mimi: A four day trip to Brussels to visit family and enjoy a very “mini” vacation.

KOTUR: Can you judge a book by its cover?

Mimi: Not at all, especially not in today’s day and age, when people are in search for a certain level of function and comfort in their clothing. We now see CEO’s going to work in jeans and woven shirts. The world is becoming a smaller place, and our own ideas of who has power and what that power looks like are being reshaped every day. It’s best to be informed, and not to pass judgment.

KOTUR: What are your bad habits?

Mimi: Worrying too much, and not drinking enough water!

KOTUR: What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Mimi: To focus on yourself. Not in a selfish way, but you have many things of your own to work on, so there’s no need to focus on other people or what they need to fix. You should worry about your own journey, and learn not to compare yourself to anyone else.

KOTUR: What’s your favorite smell?

Mimi: I love smells that feel romantic, like spicy notes of ginger, lemongrass and rose.

KOTUR: What are you most proud of?

Mimi: I’m proud of the ability to work in a field that I love, and to allow my passion to thrive. I’m in love with all things fashion. Being able to dress Michelle Obama was a complete honor I will never forget!

KOTUR: How would you like to be remembered?

Mimi: For my work

KOTUR: Do you have a favorite KOTUR bag?

Mimi: I am currently in love with two KOTUR bags that are innovative, playful and sexy; the glittery gold snow globe inspired glass clutch and the pink liquid water clutch. I love their modern shape, and how they can both move easily from a playful day look, to a seductive evening accent.