After two years of development, Hermès is launching a capsule collection of jewelry designed by Pierre Hardy. The 14-piece line of “haute bijouterie” was inspired by the shape of a horse’s hoof to keep with the fashion house’s equestrian roots.

The legendary Fifth Avenue department store Takashimaya is closing its New York store June 2010, while online shopping will cease on April 2. A long-standing symbol of international fashion, Takashimaya originally launched in 1958 selling kimonos, and went on to open its Fifth Avenue department store doors in 1993, offering home, garden, and finely crafted clothing and accessories.

The 10th edition of Tokyo Fashion Week officially wraps today after a week that brought together more than 44 Japanese fashion houses. Japanese designers continue to strive to introduce their collections to the entire world and also to collaborate with top designers from Europe and the U.S. This effort appears to be working as the event has steadily grown over the years and is one of the only international fashion weeks covered by WWD. While TFW may not have the prestige of New York, Milan, London, or Paris Fashion Week, it nonetheless presents interesting design ideas from both established and emerging talent.

After recently announcing her deal with Iconix to launch multiple fashion ventures, Madonna has now collaborated with Dolce & Gabbana on a new line of sunglasses. Six pairs of frames branded MD&G will go on sale this May 2010. But D&G isn’t the only luxury label celebrating the season with haute shades. Dior and Oliver Peoples are at it too. Find out what their new releases will be this Spring.

The last collections to walk the runway in Paris for the Fall/Winter 2010-11 collections came from some of our favorite luxury labels, including Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Alexander McQueen, Miu Miu, Elie Saab, Cerruti, Chloe, Thierry Mugler, and Valentino. Karl Lagerfeld dreamed up models parading amidst a 265-ton iceberg he had imported from Sweden to the Grand Palais. Designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli presented Valentino favorites, while Louis Vuitton returned to the sexy, lush, curvy woman. Find out what the last collection from Lee Alexander McQueen had in store for mourning fashionistas.

It was a going-away party like no other as New York’s Fashion Week bid a fond farewell to Bryant Park.

With so many big name designers currently showing at Paris Fashion Week, it is difficult to know where to look. Beautiful collections have been unveiled by Givenchy, Karl Lagerfeld, Yves Saint Laurent, Celine, Jean Paul Gaultier, Lanvin, Comme Des Garcons, Ann Demeulemeester, Balmain, Viktor & Rolf, Stella McCartney, Balenciaga, Christian Dior, and John Galliano.

With Fashion Week currently unfolding in Milan (Feb 24-March 3), there have been beautiful collections from Gucci, Prada, Alberta Ferretti, Fendi, Dolce & Gabbana, Blumarine, Marni, Missoni, Jil Sander, Gianfranco Ferre, Salvatore Ferragamo, Etro, Emilio Pucci, Bottega Veneta, Maxmara, Giorgio Armani and Versace. What would we do without Italian designers?

The king of all things creative, Karl Lagerfeld, has decided to partner with German luxury safe maker Döttling to design a limited edition safe, which the company is calling the world’s most expensive.