On April 12, the annual Women in Music issue of Elle Magazine will be on newsstands featuring Gwen Stefani on the cover. Gwen did the photo shoot in New York with photographer Dusan Reljin who helped create three different versions of the cover for the special May issue. The annual Women in Music issue of Elle U.S. also features Adele, Robyn, Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine and Jennifer Hudson to name a few. For more information on Elle’s annual Women in Music issue click here.

Here’s a sneak peak of all three of Gwen’s US Elle covers, available on newsstands April 12th.

Gwen Stefani is featured on the cover of the May 2011 issue of “Elle” magazine in the US! She is featured on the cover that will be on sale in stores everywhere – which will be out on April 12th! Subscribers to the magazine will be getting a different cover, featuring singer Robyn.

Details about the benefit auction and event that Gwen Stefani will be holding for Japan relief efforts have been released! There is also Limited Edition Harajuku Lovers T-Shirts on sale right now! Purchase the T-Shirt Here

Gwen Stefani Event and Japan Relief T-Shirts
Gwen will be hosting an event to raise additional money for Save the Children’s Japan Earthquake-Tsunami Children in Emergency Fund. This exclusive experience will be hosted by Gwen personally and is available only through this auction. In addition to the event auction, Gwen has designed a limited edition Harajuku Lovers t-shirt that is available for purchase immediately. Other auction items will include vintage L.A.M.B. items straight from Gwen’s closet and limited edition t-shirts with special custom labels, signed and numbered by Gwen. All details are listed below.

BENEFIT AUCTION & EVENT:
From April 11 – 25, fans can bid on the chance to join Gwen for a private Harajuku-themed tea party at Los Angeles’ first Japanese-style cosplay cafe, Royal/T, along with the other exclusive items.

The auction will begin April 11 but click here for more information and to sign up to receive auction updates from Gwen.

Auction and event proceeds will benefit Save the Children’s Japan Earthquake-Tsunami Children in Emergency Fund to help in the relief and recovery effort in Japan.

LIMITED EDITION HARAJUKU LOVERS T-SHIRT designed by Gwen Stefani:

On Sale Now! CLICK HERE to purchase.

100% of net proceeds from the Harajuku Lovers limited edition T-shirt sales will benefit the American Red Cross’ Japan relief and recovery efforts.

With her platinum blonde locks and pillarbox-red lips, singer-songwriter Gwen Stefani is one of Hollywood’s most influential style icons.

As a solo artist and as lead singer of band “No Doubt,” Stefani has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. But her influence stretches far beyond music.

Her innate sense of style and unbelievable power to start trends has created one of the most successful celebrity fashion labels — LAMB.

“For me it’s not that deep,” says Stefani. “For me the line is genuinely for myself. I want to make a line of clothes that I want to wear — it’s kind of selfish.”

Selfish or not, it’s the key to her brand’s success.

ince 2004, LAMB (Love Angel Music Baby) has created a line of clothing Stefani has not only had a hand in designing, but has been regularly seen wearing — the range epitomizing her “look” and her “personality.”

“I think fashion is more of a fun sort of thing,” Stefani says. “It’s an expression of yourself and your personality and your mood, it’s not something we take super deep.”

“I’m not going to ever be a Vivienne Westwood … ” she adds. “I’m trying to make clothes to wear everyday, that’s what LAMB is. It’s not a couture line.”

“What qualifies me? I don’t have qualifications really. I don’t have technical qualifications. I just have a vibe of what I like and I have strong opinions about what I like and what is me.”

Despite this lack of “technical qualifications,” Stefani has had a long love affair with fashion — designing many of her early stage outfits for performances with No Doubt.

“I just always liked getting dressed up and playing with make-up and hair,” says Stefani. “My mum and her mum and her mum, they all made clothes … every holiday we would go to TJY, a little fabric store, and look at patterns and pick out our outfits.”

“When I started with the band, when I was 17, I would waste all my time at school thinking about it (fashion) and drive to the fabric store and just find stuff.

“I didn’t know how to sew very well, it really was like using glue guns and velcro and just trying to make it work. I think it all came from the music really — just trying to find fun outfits for the stage.”

For Stefani, music and fashion have always been intertwined.

“Music is the fire, so I have to start there … always pull from the same inspiration every season, always from music,” she says.

“But singer or fashion designer, that’s tough because they go hand in hand.”

Ironically it was the thought of a declining music career which prompted Stefani to set up the fashion label.

“I started the line honestly because nine or 10 years ago I didn’t know how long I would be doing music.

“They ask you ‘What are you going to do in 10 years,’ and I didn’t know, I just though by then I want to have a family and I’m not going to be doing music but I wanted to do something creative.”

Seven years on and Stefani is still creating chart topping music and still has her finger on the creative pulse — creating her own style, be it in music or fashion.

“I think everyone has a style, style is just your personality. I don’t know if it’s better or worse, I think fashion is not that deep. It’s clothes, it’s just fun.”

Source

Gwen Stefani donated $1,000,000 today to Save the Children’s Japan Earthquake-Tsunami Children in Emergency Fund to help in the relief and recovery effort in Japan.

“I’ve been inspired by Japan for many years and have a true love, appreciation and respect for the Japanese people and their culture. The disaster in Japan is beyond heartbreaking and I want to do anything I can to help. I would never be able to make a gesture like this without the love and support of all the fans over all these years.”

– Gwen Stefani

Gwen has not only made a personal donation but created a mechanism whereby her fans will be able to participate in her efforts. A charity auction will be announced next week where fans can bid on the chance to join Gwen at a special fundraiser in Los Angeles. Also available next week, a limited edition Harajuku Lovers T-shirt designed by Gwen will be available through nodoubt.com with 100% of proceeds benefiting the relief effort in Japan. Plans for further fundraising initiatives are also in current discussion.

Those who wish to participate more immediately may donate now at www.savethechildren.org

Gwen Stefani’s History with Japan
Gwen Stefani has been inspired by Japan since she first toured there with No Doubt in 1996. Not only did she immediately fall in love with the country and it’s people, Gwen found a special connection to a district in Tokyo known as Harajuku, an area that thrives on creativity, music, art and fashion. The youth culture of the Harajuku district have been a constant muse for Gwen, inspiring both her clothing line called Harajuku Lovers and the song “Harajuku Girls.” Throughout her career Gwen has borrowed heavily from Japanese culture for many of her creative endeavors.