Tattoos have been out in force this fortnight. Not only did the body art raise a few eyebrows at Royal Ascot, but now many eye-catching etchings are taking centre court at Wimbledon this week. And now, creative king Jean Paul Gaultier has joined forces with Coca-Cola to become the latest member of the body art brigade. As the newly appointed creative director of Diet Coke, the designer has released the highly anticipated third design in a set of limited edition bottles.

This quirky new design comes after he unveiled two stylish bottles named ‘Day’ and ‘Night’ which harboured all the design elements of his famous fragrances. The feminine corsets made an appearance in the ‘Night’ design, while ‘Day’ featured the Breton stripes that Gaultier has spent 35 years making his signature and conical bra as worn by Madonna on her 1990 Blonde Ambition tour. Coca-Cola is no stranger to designer collaborations, and the bottles have been getting fashionable and collectable makeovers by fashion’s biggest names since 2003. Jean Paul Gaultier is the latest in a long line of designer predecessors who include Matthew Williamson, Gianfranco Ferre, Marni, Karl Largerfeld and Roberto Cavalli.

— Daily Mail

Prêt-à-papier: The incredible period paper gowns

It may look like an exhibit at the Costume Institute, but Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchagrave’s collection of period costumes at Hillwood Estate transcends the bounds of fashion. At prêt-à-papier, the extravagant 17th- century gowns and 20th- century sheaths are not sewn from fabric by seamstresses, but instead are made entirely from paper which is manipulated and painted. Throughout the museum over-sized mannequins wear elaborate designs that have been cut, glued, painted, braided, ruffled, crumpled and folded onto a wire frame to create the perfect illusion of elaborate brocade, lace, and silk. Collaborating with fashion historian Rita Brown, de Borchagrave, who excels in the art of ‘trompe l’oeil’, was inspired by the dresses of Mariano Fortuny and Charles Frederick Worth. Pieces range from the elaborate styles of 17th century Russia under Tsar Peter the Great to the 18th century French courts to the simple lines of the 20th century as exemplified by a 1924 Lanvin dress in the Chinese style.