American Actor Matthew McConaughey is currently one of Hollywood’s most successful and bankable actors with a recent string of commercially and critically acclaimed films.

Born in Texas in 1969, his first breakthrough role was in the coming of age stoner comedy Dazed and Confused, directed by Richard Linklater in 1993. A host of films followed, including slasher film,Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, sci-fi film Contact directed by Robert Zemeckis alongside actress Jodie Foster, and slave revolt themed drama Amistad directed by Steven Spielberg. After this Matthew McConaughey starred in a string of romantic comedies which traded on his good looks and easy going charm. The Wedding Planner (2001), How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), Failure to Launch (2006), and Fool’s Gold (2008) reinforced his reputation as reliable box office draw but did little to enhance his credibility as a serious or ambitious actor.

Recently Matthew McConaughey has rebooted his career to dramatic effect. His role as a fugitive in the deep south in the 2012 Jeff Nichols film Mud earned him critical praise. His next project, the widely acclaimed Dallas Buyers Club, where he played AIDS afflicted activist Ron Woodruff, a role for which he lost 47 pounds, saw him take best actor awards for the 2014 Academy Awards and the Golden Globes. His subsequent tour de force performance in the uniquely atmospheric television crime drama True Detective where he played the spiky troubled Rust Cole character continued a run of excellent creative choices. Matthew McConaughey closed 2014 strongly with one of the most anticipated films of the year the cerebral brilliant science fiction drama Interstellar directed by Christopher Nolan.

Festival Internazionale del Film di Roma, also know as the International Rome Film Festival, takes place every year in Rome in October. While a young festival, in only its 9th year, it is fast becoming one of the most important film festivals in the world, with massive media coverage and a plethora of film industry professionals in attendance. The festival is also notable for the amount of film business that takes place, making it an important global hub for the selling and distribution of features.

In line with tough economic times in Italy, the film industry has been floundering with a 27 percent box office drop between 2012 and 2013, with domestic films particularly hit, now accounting for less than a third of the domestic box office. Italian film budgets are now just €1.8m for the average feature film. As a counter to these woes the emphasis of the festival was on emerging Italian cinema and a celebration of the countries proud filmic tradition. The celebration of the power of cinema, saw a host of Hollywood stars descend upon the historic city, including Clive Owen, star of Steven Soderbergh directed The Knick, and Benicio del Toro star of Guardians of the Galaxy was also seen on the red carpet. Willem Dafoe attended for a screening of the Anton Corbijn directed A Most Wanted Man, notable for being the late Philip Seymour Hoffman’s last film.

American Romantic drama The Best of Me, directed by Michael Hoffman, best known for his films The Last Station, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Restoration is based on the best selling novel by the acclaimed author Nicholas Sparks, the undisputed king of the American romance novel. An epic love story spanning across decades, the film tells the story of two former high school sweethearts, Dawson and Amanda, who are reunited after 20 years apart after returning to their small midwestern town for the funeral of one of their close friends. The bittersweet reunion reignites the love they shared in the past, but the violent and destructive personal relationships that Dawson is entangled with reemerge to dramatic effect and threaten any future happiness.

The Fashion One team was on site at the premiere at the Nokia Theater, Los Angeles as the cast and assorted celebrities turned out to flaunt their fashionable ensembles at the red carpet. Actress Michelle Monaghan cut a dramatic figure in a red Simone Roche dress, matching Christian Louboutin shoes finished with a Ferragamo clutch, her fellow actor James Marsden looked sharp in a Thom Sweeney suit and Givenchy shoes. The younger versions of the main characters looked equally as elegant, with Liana Liberato dazzling in a cream colored Oscar de la Renta dress, Aldo shoes, Jimmy Choo clutch and Graziela Gems earrings while Australian born newcomer Luke Bracey wore a royal silk blue tuxedo and a white polo. Co-Stars J.K. Simmons, Sebastian Arcelus, Ian Nelson were also in attendance at the grand affair.

American drama film Whiplash is set to be one of the biggest hits of the season with its dramatic high tension depiction of the pressure and volatility of an elite music conservatory. The breakthrough film of young director Damien Chazelle is based on his personal experiences in the Princeton High School studio band. Miles Teller plays Andrew Neyman as an ambitious young jazz drummer, single-mindedly focused on rising to the top of his career, and his relationship with his dictatorial, fearsome yet brilliant instructor Terence Fletcher, played by K.K. Simmons in a tour de force performance, who drafting Andrew into his band, pushes the young drummer to the very brink of both his ability and sanity.

After premiering at the 2014 Sundance film festival the film was picked up for wider distribution, striking a chord with viewers it has gone on to earn Academy Award nods, with the film nominated for five awards at the 87th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for J.K. Simmons, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Fashion one was on-hand at the premiere of Whiplash at the LACMA — Bing Theater in Los Angeles for the glamorous affair. Star of the show 27 year old Miles Teller looked dapper in a gray tuxedo and maroon tie while his girlfriend model Keleigh Sperry, showed off her enviable figure in a sleeveless, sheer Maiyet dress and Kurt Geiger heels. Also in attendance were co-stars Melissa Benoist, Paul Reiser and J.K. Simmons.

Join us to take a look at the Lacoste fall/winter 2015 presentation at New York Fashion Week.

We take a look backstage as the models prepare for the show and we speak to creative director Felipe Oliveira Baptista about the new season’s collection and his inspirations and influences.

For Baptista the collection is a ode to René Lacoste, the French tennis player and businessman who introduced the Lacoste tennis shirt in 1929 and co-founded the clothing company a few years later. He was inspired by René’s inventive spirit and style and coined the “René did it first” slogan plastered across numerous shirts, tracksuits and dresses in the collection.

He was also interested in mixing the aristocratic heritage with the tracksuit wearing youths he encountered when he first arrived in Paris in the 1990s, as well as exploring the comfort and innovation of sportswear. Powder blue, navy, red and tan colors all gave a retro feel while the vertical and slanted stripes and contemporary tailoring kept things modern.

There was also an obvious influence from the 2001 Wes Anderson movie The Royal Tenenbaums with the 70s style tennis dresses, tracksuits and headbands paired with long fur jackets creating playful hybrids and homages to the film character’s wardrobes, even a checkerboard look which could have been a nod to the movie’s dalmatian mice.

Fashion One brings you the Diane Von Furstenberg show from New York Fashion Week for fall/winter 2015. We take a look at the VIP guests arriving for the show and the iconic designer talks to us about the collection and her inspiration.

The collection is entitled “seduction” and originally had a Chinese theme, most of which is unrecognizable, but some elements were retained in the red and black palette. The idea of a woman who is powerful during the day in business pinstripes, tweed and commanding polka dots along with the ever appealing Furstenberg wrap dress, then transforms in the evening to inspire fantasy and eroticism.

Lace and satin gowns with diving necklines in alluring black, bold red and the blues and lilacs of midnight flowers were sure to captivate attention. The collection was released on the same day as the film adaptation of the erotic novel 50 Shades of Grey and super seduction mixed with business and pleasure were abound on the runway.

The designer tells us how she wants her pieces to be versatile and that every dress in a woman’s wardrobe is like a friend, something that can envelope you but make you feel desirable. The seduction Furstenberg hopes to deliver is something beautiful, not vulgar.

Join us to take a close up look at the Prabal Gurung presentation from Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York. We show you the latest creations for the fall 2015 season and speak exclusively to the designer about his inspiration and concept.

Gurung believes that sensuality comes with ease and comfort, and whether that comes from the cut of a dress or just being comfortable in your own skin, this is the kind of woman he is designing for. He chose to use models of a variety of ages to showcase the collection which in turn appeals to all women. The subdued hues and multitude of tactile fabrics give the subtle sensuality rather than anything overtly sexy, although there were some daring high splits in skirts and some small cut away sheer sections there was a distinctly refined and sophisticated style. The furs, knits and textures adding even more allure and glamor.

The designer was inspired by a trip to the Adirondacks, and paid special attention to the muted color palette he saw there along with the strong influence of the Fair Isle sweater which he deconstructed and then used the pattern and motifs in furs, knits and evening wear. Other garments included luxe fur trimmed parkas, trouser suits, leather skirts and shimmering gowns.

Fashion One invites you to take a look at the Derek Lam collection from New York Fashion Week for fall/winter 2015.

We speak to the designer and hear all about his inspiration and the themes for the his recent designs. He was mainly inspired by typical New England and New York fall looks, in particular the cozy wool and warm tweed fabrics and an autumnal palette of browns, tans and burnt orange with some accents in stone gray and bottle green. The cut of the overcoats gives a slightly oversized fit, which the designer describes as a more relaxed and urban style.

There were also slim belted trench coats with stiff collars and hoods, wrap dresses, zip up knitwear and turtlenecks alongside flared front pleated pants on sharp trouser suits and dresses layered over wide leg pants. Marching band accent color stripes and piping seams on trousers were a recurring look, as were the high necklines and longer sleeves.

Lam talks about the tailoring of the garments and the concept of future now with a mix of old and new. Familiarity and comfort come from recognizable references to the past but are repurposed to create and work as a new idea.

Fashion One brings you the catwalk show from Altuzarra at New York Fashion Week for fall/winter 2015. We chat with designer Joseph Altuzarra as he explains his inspirations and give you a chance to see the upcoming collection which contained a mix of women’s femininity and sexuality.

Altuzarra tells us how his inspiration started by looking at various photographs of dandies — men from the 18th century who prioritized their dress sense and aesthetics — along with a fascination of the luxurious fashions of American aristocrats in the 1960s and 70s, such as Gloria Vanderbilt and Babe Paley. The challenge was to take these inspirations and to make them modern and new. It was also a continuation of the brand’s collection from last summer which explored the slightly perverse and sexual side of a woman.

The collection combines sexuality and power in leather, wide fox fur collars, daring thigh high split skirts, sheer fabrics and unbuttoned or peep hole blouses with femininity being flaunted through flouncy fabrics, high ruffled necks, laces and creamy pinks. The designer also talks about his goal to create well cut pieces that work in real life, which is apparent in his lean trouser suits, jackets and stunning v-neck gowns featuring shimmering beadwork.

We take a look at the Public School fall/winter 2015 collection shown at Made Fashion Week in New York.

First get of the glimpse of the models undergoing hair and make up before the show then take a close up look at the new season’s designs. The high end street wear brand stuck to a predominantly black, white and charcoal grey palette with just a scattering of wine red, smokey blue and oatmeal injecting some warmth.

We catch up with the designer duo Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne to ask them about the collection, their concept and inspiration. Chow told us the key point was a longer silhouette created by focusing the waist lower with maxi skirts for women, and elongated tunics for men. Oversized jackets also give a playfulness between high and low balance and there was a contrast in using technical fabrics for stripped down styles and simple fabrics on more layered and complex silhouettes.

Other pieces in the collection include a long utility style cape overcoat with large pockets, slim polo shirt dresses and oversized flannel check appearing on skirts, mens tunics, shirts and jackets. Models were accessorized with giant scarves, caps and knit hats perfectly street ready for fall in the city.