Latest from Fashion & Beauty

McQueen's right-hand woman inherits his empire
The late designer's assistant Sarah Burton has been named creative director of the Alexander McQueen label.

Venus' risque dress fashions a stir beyond the baseline
Venus Williams has been playing at the French Open in a revealing black lace dress with a plunging neckline and bright red straps.

Beauty: Contour class
Creating an optical illusion is one of the best makeup artists' tricks to learn.

Click and shop
The web has revolutionised the way we access the latest fashions, making it quicker and less painful to get designer garb delivered right to our doorsteps.

Pacific princess
Beautiful singer/songwriter Erakah plans on dressing to impress at this weekend's S3 Pacific Music Awards in Manukau.

Turning back time
After a tough financial year, fashion designers seek solace in the familiar with a move back to their signature styles.

Does Topshop live up to the hype?
Viva's fashion writer Zoe Walker checks out Topshop's new store in Takapuna...

Shore to Succeed
Actress/artist Amelia Guild has a theatrical sense of style off the stage as well as on.

Bump babes bare bellies
Ordinary mums-to-be are taking off their clothes in the name of beauty, appearing in a lingerie ad campaign spanning 16 countries.

Be in the running - top tips for models
The finalists of last year's New Zealand's Next Top Model offer their tips to hopefuls.

White hot: Why Givenchy is more desirable than ever
Givenchy struggled to reinvent itself for over a decade, but today - with Riccardo Tisci at the helm - the designer label is experiencing its finest moment in years.

What's up, Doc? Britain's favourite boot at 50
Their fans range from skinheads to fashion models - and more than 100 million pairs have been sold worldwide since they made their debut. Ralph Miller and Susie Mesure salute Dr Martens boots as they celebrate their half-century.

<i>Retail Therapy:</i> A very fashionable pooch
Diamonds for dogs, spa-ing partners, fresh faces and much more.

Fashion's army: The resurgence of khaki
Khaki is back with a vengeance. Viva looks at what's hot in military wear for 2010.

Treasure hunters: Vintage shopping enthusiasts
Inexpensive, unique and often charitable - second-hand shopping is becoming more and more popular. Viva talks to three fans.

Trelise unruffled as author mocks fashions of the rich
Charlotte Grimshaw's fourth novel The Night Book is set among Auckland's wealthy political elite and tells of women with more money than dress sense, decked out in "yards of ruffle and flounce and skirt and boot".

Beauty: Fingers, toes, anything goes
Choosing a colour is just one of the ways to make your nails look their best.

Recent mothers among world's top-earning models
Brazilian beauty Gisele Bundchen is the highest-earning model in the world, according to forbes.com.

Back row diary
Australian Fashion Week celebrated its 15th year last week - Viva reports from the back row.

Kiwi designer creates wardrobe for British first lady
Britain's new first lady Samantha Cameron was dressed by New Zealand designer Emilia Wickstead.

Trend towards 'overestimating' skin tone - study
Almost three-quarters of people who think they have olive skin actually only have fair skin, according to a University of Otago study.

Fashion by the book
Author Angela Lassig fills a much-needed gap by publishing a book on 25 New Zealand fashion designers.

TV model quest keeping eye out for Maori talent
NZ's Next Top Model organisers say a Maori model will have better overseas opportunities because "it's a special NZ look".

Aboriginal teenager eyes world's catwalks
Samantha Harris's mother was one of the "Stolen Generations", removed from her parents because she was black.

A galaxy of stars ... and me
Dita De Boni is thrust back into the social scene post giving birth to and raising her small children - and finds she has nothing to wear.

Annah Stretton's edgy debut at RAFW
Annah Stretton, the last New Zealand designer to show at Australian Fashion Week, proved that fashion can be deep.

Retail therapy: Barbie girl
Just like fashion itself, Barbie is going back to basics with a new collection that celebrates the power and sophistication of the Little Black Dress.

Terrific in tartan
Checked shirts have never gone out of fashion, but today this comfortable, rugged cloth of the clans is selling like never before.