loose threads

Emmanuelle Alt’s Advent Playlist; Madonna’s Mild Case of Middleton Mania

Hilary Rhoda.
Hilary Rhoda.

• Emmanuelle Alt shares her musical favorites in a special Advent playlist. So far, the list includes Blondie, the Bee Gees, and Michael Jackson. [Vogue.fr]

• Madonna likes Kate Middleton: “She’s elegant and still knows how to have some fun. I’m a fan of her style.” [People StyleWatch]

Hilary Rhoda covers Numéro Tokyo. [Design Scene]

Prada hosts a special runway show in Tokyo today showcasing its spring 2012 collection, with live commentary from international bloggers Bryanboy, Rumi Neely, and Susie Lau. [WWD]

• See Rachel Zoe’s new jewelry for QVC. [InStyle]

Hermès predicts a 10 percent growth next year, “as long as there is no major recession in the world,” says CEO Patrick Thomas. [Reuters]

• Standard & Poor raised the outlook on J. Crew’s debt from negative to stable, indicating that the company is able to meet its financial obligations. [WWD]

• Model Hanaa Ben Abdesslem is filming a documentary about Tunisia, her home country, to raise awareness of Tunisian creative talent. [Models.com]

• British artist Damien Hirst bought all fifteen pieces of work by Raphael Mazzucco, a Montauk-based fashion photographer, on display during Art Basel for $750,000. [NYP]

• According to the latest Christmas forecast, 58.8 percent of American consumers plan to wait for last-minute deals this holiday season, up from 47.2 percent in 2010. [WWD]

• November saw the most retail hires in a single month since 2007, with apparel and accessories stores hiring over 26,000 workers. (No data is yet available on how many of these jobs are seasonal, however.)  [WWD]

• See a preview of the new issue of RUSSH magazine, including editorials with Marique Schimmel, Monika Sawicka, and Bambi Northwood-Blyth. [Models.com]

Chanel bought an embroidery firm. [WWD]

Alt’s Advent Playlist; Madonna’s Middleton Mania