Met Ball (the Costume Institute Gala)
May 7
New York, USA
This annual ball celebrates the Metropolitan Museum of Art's fashion exhibit at the Costume Institute and is dubbed the fashion industry's Oscars thanks to the extravagant red carpet creations guests wear for their arrival. This year for the first time fans will be able to see the stars arrive from 6:30pm to 8:30pm EST via a live stream on Amazon.com, vogue.com and metmuseum.org. The gala precedes the opening of the Costume Institute's expo Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada: On Fashion, which will run May 10 to August 19.
http://www.metmuseum.org
Barcelona Bridal Week
May 8-13
Barcelona, Spain
Following on from New York's recent bridal shows, the 22nd edition of Europe's most prestigious bridal fair, Barcelona Bridal Week, launches May 8, welcoming over 230 brands from across the globe in the realms of bridal, groom, ceremonial wear and even communion attire. Newcomers for this edition include Carlo Pignatelli, Hannibal Laguna, Zuhair Wall, ZM Woman, Joana Montez and Patricia de Melo.
http://www.moda-barcelona.com/en/index.asp
Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations
May 10 - August 19
New York, USA
With film director Baz Luhrmann acting as creative consultant, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art pays tribute to Italian designers Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada, exhibiting about 80 designs by Schiaparelli from the 1920s-1950s and by Prada from the 1980s to the present day, drawn mainly from The Costume Institute's collection and the Prada archive. Last year's Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty expo there attracted over 600,000 visitors.
http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2012/impossible-conversations
Chanel Cruise collection
May 14
Chteau de Versailles, France
Along with the likes of Dior and Gucci, the Chanel Resort collection is one of the fashion world's most anticipated, with last year's show at the Hotel du Cap in Antibes on the French Riviera welcoming stars such as Vanessa Paradis, Blake Lively, and Rachel Bilson to see Karl Lagerfeld's nautical-influenced creations. This season looks set to be no different with reports the designer will head to the Chteau de Versailles near Paris.
http://www.chanel.com/
Cannes Film Festival
May 16-27
Cannes, France
This year's Cannes Film Festival looks set to be particularly stylish, as creator Jean-Paul Gaultier and actress/style icon Diane Kruger are both on the official jury headed up by Italian director Nanni Moretti. Meanwhile, the event's sponsor Chopard has designed a one-off creation to be worn by one mystery celebrity -- whose identity will be unveiled May 16. One of the most glamorous events taking place during the festival is the annual Cinema Against AIDS charity black tie event, which attracts some of the biggest names from fashion, music, business, and international society. This year it is scheduled for May 24.
http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en.html
20th Vienna Life Ball
May 19
Vienna, Austria
This year's Life Ball has the theme "Fight the Flames of Ignorance" and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this annual AIDS charity event this year will see a special anniversary fashion show. Organized by Vogue Italia magazine, some of the most extravagant Life Ball designs of years gone by, from creators such as Roberto Cavalli and Vivienne Westwood, will be showcased -- with top models including Alek Wek and Karolina Kurkova taking to the runway.
http://www.lifeball.org/?lang=en
Source:AFP Relax News