“I was devasted,” the Webmistress said, “The Fashion Cult has been online since 2005 and we’ve never experienced anything like this.” She says the sites were all shut down immediately to protect any visitor that might not have anti-virus protection.

The rash of hacks has been widespread, yet strangely quiet. Though hosts, including the ubiquitous Godaddy sent notices to customers implying that the events were due weakness in the software, WordPress maintains that the security issue was the fault of related hosts. Indeed, sites were targeted because lax security on shared servers allowed the unscrupulous hackers access to sensitive information. WordPress has, conspicuously, removed Godaddy and several other hosting providers from their list of recommended hosts.

As The Fashion Cult, they have since moved to a new server with a new provider. “The service with Godaddy was never very good and I’d been ready for a change anyway,” said Egbula. “The Fashion Cult is moving to newer and greater heights in 2010 and it’s almost appropriate that there was such a dramatic impetus to move to a new home.” (Photo Source)

The incident caused flagship property TheFashionCult.com to take a major hit in search engine page rank, but Egbula says she’s confident that the site will bounce back in no time. She has contracted a security expert to ensure that TFC and all related sites are safe for her audience to visit again. (Photo Source)

via EightyJane.com

Loyal followers may have noticed a dearth of posts on the Cult lately, and for that we apologize. Eighty Jane, your resident mistress of ceremonies is in high demand these days, lending her expertise to those in need. But don’t fret! The Fashion Cult team is growing and we’re bringing some exciting new features your way soon. In the mean, enjoy this dose of EJ’s fashion news and discussion from around the world (wide web).

Barbie is getting a Betty Draper makeover	Gap is going down under	Women’s History Month: Celebrate Female Designers
Get the Look: Rachel Bilson	The Top Ten Fashion Websites	Blogs Move Fashion from Dictatorship to Democracy
Slingbacks! + more SS10 Men’s Shoe Trends	Menswear Red Trend: SS10	Augmented Reality – Rock Paper Scissor with T-post Magazine

After just one savagely criticised collection, Lindsay Lohan has been dropped from the house of Ungaro like the hot, carb-filled potato Estrella Arch above clearly never eats.

The Spring 2010 collection that the tabloid star contributed to via “artistic direction” not only flopped critically, but caused stores like Neiman Marcus to drop the label from their shelves.

So perhaps the house thought to bounce back with a stellar Fall 2010 collection? Not so much. The show was a flavorless hunk of ABC fashion – even without an untrained, uninformed Hollywood starlet on staff. So without Lohan as a scapegoat the glaring spotlight falls only on the Ungaro design team… or the lack thereof.

photo: WWD.com

The latest news in the suicide death of Lee Alexander McQueen is that the designer’s namesake label will continue despite his death. Additionally, the McQueen Fall/Winter 2010-11 collection will be shown in Paris next month.

From The Baltimore Sun:

Alexander McQueen’s namesake label will continue despite the death of the designer, the parent company PPR SA said Thursday.

Robert Polet, chief of the Gucci Group subsidiary, said the collection McQueen was working on before his death will be shown at Paris fashion week next month…

[Polet] said he spoke with McQueen a few weeks ago when the two men decided that “we have transitioned from being the name of a designer to putting in place the building blocks of a brand.”

“That means that will be my legacy,” McQueen had said, according to Polet. “That’s something I will always leave behind.”

Other sources also confirm that a note was found at the scene of McQueen’s death. The contents of that note have not been released.

Madonna: Like a Cash Cow Touched for the Umpteenth Time

Women’s Wear Daily is reporting that Madonna is forging a deal to start hawking womenswear, lingerie, and accessories branded with the popstar’s notorious moniker(s). Frankly, the Cult finds this to be about two decades tardy, as ’91/’92ish may have been the peak of Madonna’s fashion relevance. Granted, there’s a definite 90s revival brewing – but now the move seems like a soulless business move to widen Madonna’s already vast fortune. Perhaps she’s raising funds to stage a coup in Malawi so she can snatch any child she chooses from the terrible fate of growing up amongst his own heritage…

The pop icon is in talks to launch a contemporary women’s collection with a group of licensees that would be sold exclusively at Macy’s, according to sources. The merchandise would include apparel, accessories, intimates and footwear. Label names under serious consideration for the product lines include Material Girl for the apparel and Truth or Dare for the lingerie and underwear.

Read the rest at WWD.com

Gaultier Revived the Early '90s Madonna Cone Bra for Spring RTW 2010

photos: popscene.tv, mad-eyes.net, style.com

He was just 40 years old. McQueen’s death comes just days after the death of his mother, Joyce. UK’s Daily Mail online reports that he hanged himself.

McQueen’s diffusion line McQ was set to show today – the first day of New York Fashion Week – at Milk Studios. The designer’s presentations were always ones to watch, as he was a leader in the artistry of fashion. If the blizzard if NYC hadn’t already cast a pall on the week, this certainly will do the job.

Count your blessings, followers. This just goes to show that the person you might be looking up to appears to have everything in the world, and yet they feel they have nothing to live for. Find your peace. Click here to watch McQueen videos.

Read & See Alexander McQueen on The Fashion Cult

photos: dailymail.co.uk, kinho.com

To every Cult there is a dark side, and the Fashion Cult is no different. I remember stories in the 90s of kids getting shot on the street for their high-priced sneakers. Are a pair of Jordans really worth your soul? Crazy. Now it’s denim that inspiring folks to a life of crime. The boom of premium denim has sparked an epidemic in the Atlanta area – of thieves ganking blue jeans like they were diamonds and pearls. Sure, we drool over Loewe handbags and Proenza Schouler boots, but followers the bottom line is that style comes from within. So if you think you have to steal or buy stolen merchandise to be fashionable, think again. You can’t shine with that sort of blood on your hands.

From WWD:

Thieves drove a stolen van into a Nordstrom store at Perimeter Mall near Atlanta early Monday and fled with armloads of premium denim valued at $13,000, police said.

It was the second time in recent months that the mall — owned by General Growth Properties Inc. and located in Dunwoody, Ga., about 20 miles north of Atlanta — has been victimized by denim thieves. In October, robbers took an estimated $17,000 in premium denim from Bloomingdale’s.

The Dodge Caravan crashed into one of the store’s exterior entrances about 6 a.m., and three men grabbed 87 pairs of jeans. They left the van behind and escaped on foot.

It was unclear whether the latest robbery could be linked to the Blue Jean Bandits, a gang that has stolen more than $1.5 million in premium denim from some 70 Atlanta-area stores since 2007, said Detective Robert Bentivegna of the Dunwoody Police Department. The heists began as after-hours smash-and-grabs and escalated to brazen armed robberies during the day.

photos: theoffside.com, webblogseize.com

Kate Moss is adding another established label to her design credentials.

PARIS – The model, star of the French accessories’ firm’s advertising for the past four years, worked with Longchamp artistic director Sophie Delafontaine on a collection labeled Kate Moss for Longchamp. It will arrive in its boutiques and select department stores starting Feb. 11. It is understood to be a long-term contract calling for two collections per year.

Source: WWD.com

Word is Actress Sarah Jessica Parker may take on a creative role at Halston. Folks are comparing the rumored appointment with that of Lindsay Lohan at Ungaro, but Goodness-willing, it will be better than that! Parker already has some design experience under her belt via her low-priced line “Bitten” for Steve & Barry’s, which was discontinued as the retailer went bust.

The actress, who sports a Halston Heritage look in the trailer for “Sex and the City 2,” is said to become more than just a clothes hangar for the new contemporary label. According to online reports, Parker will take a more active design role, and sources said that she will likely focus on the secondary Heritage collection, which recently launched. The arrangement even could include an equity stake or some other executive role, although that could not be confirmed.

Source: WWD.com
Photos: Coolspotters.com

Matthew Williamson is launching a menswear line in earnest now. The new pieces due out this Spring are casual, but luxe – the kind of thing a girl would borrow from her mate.

February will see the debut at retail of Williamson’s first men’s capsule collection, featuring items such as cashmere sweaters in vivid green, electric blue and deep pink; silver gray cotton silk T-shirts with an embellished beetle motif and silk and wool scarves adorned with star and paisley prints. “I’d wanted to do men’s wear for a long time,” said Williamson, adding that if the initial spring collection is well received, he’ll expand the line into “suits, shirts and jackets.”

Earlier this year, Williamson tested the men’s wear waters when he produced a few men’s looks as part of the collection he designed for H&M, a project he described as “kind of a starting point” for his own men’s collection. Prices for Williamson’s men’s line start at 195 pounds, or $310 at current exchange, for a printed wool scarf and run up to 450 pounds, or $717, for a printed cashmere sweater. The collection will be sold at Williamson’s stores in London, New York and Dubai and at the label’s online store beginning next month, and also will be carried at Harrods’ designer men’s wear department in London.

Source: WWD.com