Fashion briefs: Marni looks for backing

Plus renowned milliners create hats for London statues, panelists for The Face are confirmed and Madonna's shoe boutique proves successful.

Marni looking for backing

The Italian fashion house Marni is reportedly looking for new investors for its global expansion, considering either taking on a new partner or turning into a public company. These reports were released around the same time Miuccia Prada said that Italy's lack of support for fashion is resulting in the sale of luxury brands to foreigners, risking the integrity of the country's home-grown labels.

Milliners create hats for famous statues

The renowned milliners Philip Treacy and Stephen Jones are two of 21 designers giving prominent London statues a hat transformation. The statues include that of King George IV in Trafalgar Square, the Duke of Wellington near Wellington Arch and Sir Winston Churchill in Bond Street.

Campbell confirms panelists for The Face

The supermodel Naomi Campbell recently confirmed that Karolina Kurkova and Coco Rocha will be the other two panelists joining her forthcoming new show The Face. The three models will be on the hunt for the new face of a thus-far unnamed brand. The show will be released on the US network Oxygen and casting has reportedly already begun.

Madonna's shoes prove successful

The Queen of Pop's temporary shoe boutique in the London department store Selfridges received more shoppers than all the other pop-up footwear designer collections at the store. Madonna has trumped brands such as Marc by Marc Jacobs, Swedish Hasbeens and Aldo Rise.