Uniqlo, or as some refer to it, The Gap of Japan, might be moving into Midtown. The Japanese retailer that currently runs one store in the U.S., on Broadway in SoHo, might be adding a second store around Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street, according to Crain’s New York. Among the most expensive real estate spots in the country,  the three-floor 70,000 square-foot space was formerly occupied by Brooks Brothers.

Though it is not definite,the space is also of interest to British retailers AllSaints and TopShop. While rents were not revealed, the lot owned by partnership between Crown Acquisitions, Kushner and Carlyle Group, has been reported to be charging $30 million each year for rent.

Click here for the complete report from Crain’s New York

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It doesn’t take long for a woman to realize that trip to Sydney, Australia, will mean too much time shopping and not enough exploring. Maybe it’s the proximity to China, where almost all clothes are made, that offers an intense selection of shopping given the size of the city. From cheap and trendy to expensive Japanese imports and classy, work-appropriate threads, Sydney has it all. So to give you some details from the experts, a few shots from the pages of Australian Vogue…

Many magazines in Australia were showing lace tops and shoes, and punk-inspired trends, with pale light layers and black and gray separates and accessories, as well as print dresses.  On the street, young women were wearing an asymmetrical vests and sweaters that hang longer in the rear, often with leggings. It is worth mentioning that Aussies are now just entering fall, as we enter summer.

Spring trends…

The It Girls’ looks. What were they wearing out?

Kate Moss for Longchamp. This follows her fragrance, Topshop collaboration and many endorsements and campaigns.

Finally, a few shots on the fashion Bible’s bets for trends for less.

And Playful…

What are you wearing this spring? Email us at info@trendcetera.com with your name, city, age and spring fashion and/or beauty wishlist.

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Supermodel and fashion icon Kate Moss launched her third fragrance this September, Vintage. Inspired by Moss’ love of vintage clothes and art, as well as perfumes from the 1920s and 1930s, the fragrance is classic yet refined with Moss’ contemporary twist.

A sweet floral blend mixed with warm notes of tonka bean and almond flower, the fragrance creates a feminine and sensual experience. Other notes include pink pepper and white freesia.

The bottle mimics the name by its smoky glass tint decorated with Kate’s signature in rose gold. The rose gold pattern can also be found on the folding box the fragrance is packaged in, providing a last touch of the antique inspired style.

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Nicole Richie Lands Show Deal
Preggers celebrity Nicole Richie has inked a multi-product, multi-year deal with Rick and Brian Cytrynbaum, owners of Earnest Sewn, to make shoes. Richie’s House of Harlow 1960 brand will include 20 shoe styles in 2010, as well as bags, sunglasses, belts and other accessories.

For the complete scoop, click here.

Starbucks Launches New Ice Cream Line
A new ice cream line inspired by Starbucks’ beverages is set to hit grocery stores this spring.  The line, a collaboration between Starbucks Coffee Company and Unilever, is made from all-natural ingredients, including milk and cream from cows not treated with rBGH.  The flavors include Caramel Macchiato, Mocha Frappuccino, Java Chip Frappuccino, and Coffee.  All flavors will be available in pints, while Mocha and Coffee will also be available in novelty bar form.

Bell Environmental Services Tap Technology To Fight Bed Bugs
New Jersey-based pest management company Bell Environmental Services is addressing the tri-state area’s bed bug crisis using the environmentally-friendly Instant Freeze.  The procedure is non-toxic and non-chemical, utilizing carbon dioxide “dry ice” snow, does not require evacuation, and is safe for use in homes with children and pets. The company has a history of using green technology, recently expanding from industrial use to use in residential work.

DSW Names New President & CEO
Footwear retailer DSW announced the appointment of Michael MacDonald as President and CEO, effective April 2009. MacDonald has over thirty years experience in the retail industry and has held leadership roles at Saks, Carson Pirie Scott, Marshall Fields, Dayton Hudson Department Stores, and, most recently, Shopko Stores. MacDonald will replace Schottenstein, who will remain with the company as chairman.

Rachel Bilson Joins Jergens’ Skin Cancer Initiative
Actress Rachel Bilson is joining the “Glow in the Dark” campaign by skin care product company Jergens, promoting the use of bottle tanning products in place of traditional tanning to reduce rates of skin cancer.  Bilson took the campaign’s pledge (“I promise to give up bad tanning habits, practice sun safety, get a safe summer glow, and keep my skin hydrated”) and is featured in campaign materials. For every person who takes the pledge on the Jergens’ website (http://www.jergens.com/GlowInTheDark/index.asp), the company will donate $1 to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Gwyneth Paltrow Designs Clothing To Benefit Charity
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow is teaming with French clothing label ZOEtee’s to design a collection whose proceeds will benefit the London-based charity Kids Company.  Kids Company provides practical and educational support to inner-city children and young adults, particularly those with severe emotional and behavioral problems stemming from abuse or neglect. The collection, for Autumn/ Winter 2009, will be called ZOEtee’s Loves Gwyneth, and is set to debut this week in London.

Topshop To Open In New York
Trendy British retailer Topshop, recently known for its tie-up with model Kate Moss, will finally open its New York store, the first in the United States, on Thursday April 2. Located on Broadway near Broome, in SoHo, The company will be hosting parties around the city to celebrate the opening, with ribbon cuttings by the waif celeb.

For the complete scoop, click here.

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The Dirt
An art form, a supremely consumer industry, and a scene where sinners often trumps saint—welcome to the fashion world. In an industry where appearance comes first, it’s easy for the superficial to overpower the artistic. However, fashion is like any other art form, with the widespread appreciation a long time in the making and deviations form the norm often misunderstood. However, maternal multi-tasking models (read: Kate Moss and Heidi Klum) are just one example that fashion isn’t always what it seems. In spring 2009, a number of American museums will spotlight fashion industry icons and emerging trends. Here are a few picks.

Down south in Florida, the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History prepares for its 10th anniversary in March, when Palm Beach County will celebrate its 100th anniversary and Barbie will turn 50. As such, the museum will unveil its Barbie: The Golden Anniversary in March with a collection of borrowed dolls.

In New York, the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, ushers in spring with a March through September exhibit entitled Fashioning Felt, focusing on modern designs using felt, from fashion products and home accessories to product design and architectural pieces. The textile exhibit demonstrates the use of the material as a sustainable element, speaks to its wool source and showcases a number of inventive applications, such as an LED carpet made of felt. The program is explained in a 160-page color catalog.

Finally, down the street from Cooper-Hewitt at arguably the heart of New York City’s museum mile is the Museum of Metropolitan Art, whose Costume Institute will host a bold name-backed spring 2009 exhibit dubbed The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion. Running from May 6 through August 6, the exhibit is supported by glossy publisher Conde Nast, chaired by famed runway designer Marc Jacobs, with Kate Moss, Anna Wintour and Justin Timberlake serving as co-chairs. The exhibit, which opens two days after the 2009 Costume Institute gala benefit, features 70 haute couture and ready-to-wear pieces from fashion editorials and runway shows, to advertising shots and fashion and rock videos. Running from before models in the 19th century to the 21st century of it-girls and model moguls, the exhibit touches on industry innovators, including Twiggy, Naomi Campbell, Gisele Bundchen, Versace and Yohji Yamamoto, with images by popular photographers including Steven Meisel, Bruce Weber and Richard Avedon. The program will be featured in an accompanying book, The Model as Muse, to be published by the museum and distributed by Yale University Press.

Where:
For more information on the Barbie exhibit, visit the MLFH website. For more information on the Felt exhibit, visit the Cooper-Hewitt website. For more information on The Model as Muse exhibit, visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art website.

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The Dirt:
Fashion is to the art world what celebrity magazines are to publishing: the perceived fluff. However each one has merit in their work and their appeal to the masses. From October through March, a number of American museums are opening exhibits spotlighting the art of fashion, with a few accompanied by books and events commemorating the exhibits and those behind the showcased works. Here are our picks.

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco just opened a retrospective on the late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent at the de Young museum, through April 2009. The exhibit is broken into four themes: pencil strokes, the revolution or YSL’s signature garments, the palette or his use of bright colors, and lyrical sources, focusing on his reference to historical figures, including literary and art icons. The museum is hosting a symposium on the artist and his influences the afternoon of Nov. 1 ($30) and will feature a number of speakers, including Vogue European Editor-at-large Hamish Bowles.

For a downtown-meets-uptown event, check out Soul on Skin on November 8 at the SoHo Dance Center. The Foundation for Open Creation is behind this event celebrating and benefiting breast cancer survivors, many of which have chosen to use tattoo art to beautify the skin where scars remain. The cocktail hour even will feature music by Semi Precious Weapons, belly dancing, a fashion show by Anie Rexe and a silent auction.

For fashion and its erotic nature, trust in the abilities of the students, staff and faculty of New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, which will be home to the Seduction exhibit from December 9 through June 16. The exhibit will cover sexuality in fashion over the years, running the middle of the 18th century to the present, focusing on how fashion can aid an individual in becoming more attractive, powerful and classy. Among the designers represented, some include Jean-Paul Gaultier, Costume National and Peter Som.

In keeping with the fashion design tribute, the quaint southern city of Charlotte, North Carolina, hosts a couture exhibit via its Mint Museum. The museum opened the The Art of Affluence: Haute Couture and Luxury Fashions 1947-2007 in its costume gallery in July and will keep it open through May 2010. The exhibit celebrates the fashion designer’s appreciation for fine materials, craftsmanship and attention to detail, as well as custom designs, which it traces back to the 19th century designer Charles Frederick Worth. The exhibit, which also focuses on luxury designs, focuses on a number of household names, including Chanel, Balenciaga, Valentino, Patou, Louboutin and Ralph Rucci.

Where:
For more information on the YSL exhibit, visit the de Young website. For more information on the Soul on Skin event ($150/ticket), visit the Open Creation website. For more information on the FIT exhibit, visit the FIT website.
For more information on the Mint Museum and the fashion exhibit, visit the Mint Museum website.

Stay tuned for the second set of exhibits, featured in the next culture installment.