As fashion looks back to the 60s and 70s, we ask why designers continue to be fascinated with these groundbreaking decades

The show's 79 varied looks brimmed with ideas, classic and new, and showed that the designer in his late 70s is still a creative force to be reckoned with. Models, including Stella Tennant, walked around the circular globe runway sporting stylish new winter concepts in tones of blue, gray, purple, pink and black. Zippable leather leg sheaths - like leggings that start at the thigh and end at the ankle - were warm but allowed thighs to be exposed. And coat silhouettes were cut away squarely in the middle of thighs so legs are visible even on those cold days.

Masterton medical laboratory scientist Bec Hughes has taken out the title of New Zealand's "specsiest" woman.

The inner city's celebration of fashion continues this week with a whole host of fabulous events taking place for the Fashion in the BIG Little City festival.

Fall-winter saw Slimane move on from the 70s boho of the spring to 'California Grunge.' It was imagined as models stomping down the catwalk in leather miniskirts, oversize plaid shirts, biker jackets and baby doll dresses - with crystal-clad body stockings and combat boots. They were mixed up haphazardly, and thrown together almost indifferently with an adolescent nihilism.

Pop superstar Rihanna has admitted she was a little bit selfish when she was designing her range of clothing for River Island.

There will be glitz and glamour tomorrow at Ellerslie's premier event - Auckland Cup Day, which is expected to draw in the crowds.

Amazon was forced to apologise for selling T-shirts with slogans promoting rape and violence on its website.

Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren are taking no risks this autumn-winter season. Following the trend to de-clutter the catwalk, the Dutch duo known as Viktor & Rolf replaced their normally inventive art-infused style with simpler silhouettes and a muted palette of black and white. "It's a feelling of wanting to be real, a wardrobe for women to wear," Horsting said backstage. "And slightly rebellious," he added. "Slightly" was the key word here. There were some subtle nods to rebellion, like dropped waist lines and short flared minis (a clever play on peplums.) But at times it felt like the boundary-pushing excitement that made them famous in the '90s was in hibernation this winter. Perhaps they are tapping into their commercial potential?

The rich fabrics and draped silks brought to Europe by the medieval crusaders inspired Vivienne Westwood's autumn-winter 2013-14 tour de force. Draped feminine silk silhouettes accompanied some sublime silk-wool jacquards with medieval images of birds, flowers and strawberries; as well as capes and puffed Juliette sleeves. "I have a book of reproduced medieval illuminated manuscripts," explained Westwood backstage. Patterns such as rings, polka dots, interrupted lines and squares were aimed to evoke the decorative patterns on the handmade manuscript borders. But perennial eccentric Westwood, who turns 72-years-old next month, loves mixing up her eras.

Issey Miyake cast a few minutes of sunshine over a grey Paris sky on Friday with a show brimming with colour. Checkered patterns added to the fun, and it was invigorating to see them on models, who actually smiled as they walked. The show's inspiration, said designer Yoshiyuke Miyamae, "comes from landscape seen from the sky." Optical crisscrosses of varying thickness created great dynamic movements on stretch fabric, as he imagined an aerial view of a dense forest. Not all of the 42 looks worked. Some came across as busy, especially toward the end. But the mastery of tonal color really stole the show. Tops in rich ultramarine, vivid jade and vermilion saw colors blocked together in changing intensities. And discords such as green with bright turquoise made pockets stand out.

Balmain focused on the Far East for its fall-winter collection, using bejewelled couture and Oriental wrapped silks to embellish the Paris house's ready-to-wear display. Waists were cinched to within an inch of life with gold and black belts, and glistening regal amulets. High-waisted harem pants in geometric pattern silk lame defined the aesthetic. The 27-year-old designer Olivier Rousteing has indeed come a long way in stamping the house with his youthful exuberance.

Comic Joan Rivers has come under fire for comments she made about Jews during a segment on her controversial US style show Fashion Police.

Bold bangs are a quick way to a fresh new winter look.

Oscar winner Tilda Swinton has been named the new face of Chanel just days before the company's much-anticipated Paris Fashion Week show next week.

Dries Van Noten thinks fashion is far too serious. That's why the fall-winter 2013-14 show saw the Belgian designer explore his usual menswear-womenswear tailoring via the frivolity of ballroom dancing, feathers and the dancing two-some Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. In Van Noten's world, like in Hollywood, there's no man without the woman, no Ginger without Fred.

The no-holds-barred sex appeal for Anthony Vaccarello is not for the faint-hearted. The third Belgian designer to show on Paris fashion week's first day served up a black-and-white ode to the early '80s in a show that featured micro skirts, chainmail, a lot of skin and lashings of sensual leather. Strong retro shoulders, asymmetrical, diagonally cut skirts, upturned lapels and cowl collars set the fashion time dial firmly back to the era of the New Romantics. This was fused with the innate sexiness of his variations on the Little Black Dress. The best look was a black kimono-style top, which billowed in great contrast to the tight, bright shiny black mini. Subtle this was not, but then, subtle isn't glam-loving Vaccarello's thing.

Anne Hathaway has taken the unusual step of apologising to fashion fans for switching her Oscars dress from Valentino to Prada at the last minute.

Paris fashion week kicked off with a bold, “masculine'' collection for women in neutral colours by experimental South Korean designer Moon Young Hee. The Paris-based designer sent out an eye-catching collection of voluminous trousers, ruffle-covered tops and floor-length skirts. A master of layering, known for her fluid, feminine designs, she limited herself to a restrained palette of black, white, grey and ecru.

A handpicked selection of what’s new in fashion, food and beauty right now. See this week’s issue of Viva for more.

With 11 days of fabulous events taking place during a celebration of all things fashionable, there's no excuse not to be involved in the Fashion in the Big Little City festival.

Kiwi fashion designer Karen Walker is venturing into children's wear for the first time through a partnership with a Japanese retail giant that will see the collection sold around the globe.

Architecture, the patterns of painting movement "art brut" and the surrealistic colors of Dutch Master Brueghel were all inspirations behind Cedric Charlier's diverse fall-winter 2013-14 show in Paris. The first pieces, among the collection's best, mixed up sharp geometric panelling alongside oversize coats with fluid, rounded shoulders. Ensembles were made up of several layers, like square navy skirts on top of knee-length leggings with a rectangular bib form hanging down. There were also some great structured sheaths in silky navy and black leather. It's a far cry from the more fluid looks seen in Charlier's last collection.

Check out the dames who've decided to ditch long locks and rock a shorter style.

Would you dare to lop off your hair? We've got pictures and words to inspire you to take a short cut.

Pregnant reality TV star Kim Kardashian has turned up the heat for the cover of a French magazine, stripping off with her boyfriend Kanye West.