MURPHY’S VISION: Singer Róisín Murphy already has made a name for herself as a fashion fixture and performer. Now she’s teaming up with London-based eyewear label Linda Farrow Vintage to create a limited edition pair of sunglasses. At a launch party for the glasses at London’s Aura club Sunday night, Murphy took to the stage for the first time since the birth of her daughter, Clodagh, in December. The singer revealed her newborn has inherited her sense of style. “She already has more clothes than me,” said Murphy with a laugh. Murphy’s sunglasses will be sold at Linda Farrow Vintage stockists from April priced at 325 pounds, or $502 at current exchange.
REMEMBERING MCQUEEN: London’s fashion community is honoring Lee Alexander McQueen with all manner of tributes. The British Fashion Council has set up a board in the main London Fashion Week tents on which visitors have pinned seemingly hundreds of notes to the late designer. Meanwhile, at the On/Off location in nearby Bloomsbury, which houses some off-schedule shows, a wall of 40 iPods has been set up, all loaded with images of McQueen’s past collections. And two London department stores are marking the designer’s memory: Harvey Nichols has designed a window that spotlights a three-dimensional mood board strewn with exotic red feathers, images of key McQueen looks, black skulls, antlers and giant black buttons, while Liberty’s tribute window to the designer, called “For McQueen and Country,” features a mannequin dressed in a purple McQueen gown set against a painted Union Jack.
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BLOG THE VOTE: Tavi and Bryanboy could influence the next round of CFDA Fashion Award winners. For the first time, the Council of Fashion Designers of America is including bloggers in its voting process, having sent out nominating ballots to them as well as the usual group of CFDA members, editors, retailers and stylists. The 2010 CFDA Fashion Awards, scheduled for June 7 at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, once again will be underwritten by Swarovski. The ballots, which went out earlier this month, are due on March 12, and nominees and special honorees will be revealed on March 17 at a cocktail party hosted by Nadja Swarovski and CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg.
A LAUREN JOINS: Brad Lauren, nephew of Ralph, is the new senior manager at Le Caprice, the swanky London import housed in the newly renovated Pierre Hotel. Lauren, a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education in Chicago, worked at Union Square Café and Shake Shack prior to joining Le Caprice.
ALL IN THE FAMILY: “She says her secret is Pilates,” said Mario Testino of Kate Winslet. “I do Pilates, but I don’t look like her.” Testino joined guests including Matthew Williamson, Rupert Sanderson, Emilia Fox, Stephen Jones and Tamara Mellon at the Lancôme and Harper’s Bazaar pre-BAFTA party at St Martins Lane Hotel on Friday night. Winslet, a Lancôme poster girl, hosted the event and flew the flag for young British film talent and, in particular, the BAFTA-nominated, Brit-born Carey Mulligan. Winslet, who wore a black Alexander McQueen dress in honor of the late designer, will start filming the HBO miniseries “Mildred Pierce” in March. “I haven’t worked in 18 months — which has been wonderful. To be able to spend time with my family has been amazing. My son started school and I love to cook, so I’ve been busy in other ways,” she said.
FOOD FETISH: Jade Jagger certainly isn’t one to push a leaf of lettuce around her plate at mealtime. “Ooh, right now, I’m really into roasting pork,” said the designer at a party for her new clothing label, Jezebel, where guests included Lindsay Lohan, Bianca and James Jagger and Ed Simons from the Chemical Brothers. “Anything I can put in the Aga and just leave for hours to slow cook is good,” she added, referring to the posh, cast-iron British oven. Jagger has even contemplated writing a cookbook: “I would love to do one, but I’m not very good at measuring everything out, so that might not work.” At the party, which took place at Adam Street Club, Jagger said she is planning to open a second shop in Bombay. “It will be similar to my shop in London, with dresses, jewelry and sparkly things,” she said, adding: “I spend a lot of time in India, so it makes sense.”