(for hilarious up-to-the-minute coverage, the Catwalk Queens are live-blogging from the line outside the London store...)

and this just in, Style-Dash agrees...

Nobody's mentioned it yet, but Kate Moss is confirmed to attend Vogue's annual Costume Institute Ball.

The party takes place next week, with Cate Blanchett and Nicolas Ghesquiere of Balenciaga as the honorary co-chairs.

Though we expect to see Cate, Anna Wintour, and probably Coco Rocha in Balenciaga, we're sure Kate Moss will wear something from her TopShop line to the party.

Of course, she's already worn most of her TopShop dresses to other parties, years ago, but that's a secondary thing.

After all, her hair color and her boyfriend are different, so the paparazzi photos won't get mixed up.

We like the international rumors that Hedi Slimane is heading to PPR-Gucci Group for two special reasons:

One, it means that Salma Hayek could launch the brand on the red carpet. Now that she's married to PPR's president, François-Henri Pinault, she's basically a brand ambassador.

Two, PPR has also just invested in Puma, and so far, Alexander McQueen is the only big designer to pair with the footwear brand.

We hear if Hedi starts his own women's line with the company, a crossover project would be quite easy - and perhaps even expected.

And if Hedi does do a Puma line, those will be the skinniest sneakers ever...

WHICH model on the fashion A-list couldn't book jobs before 9 am? She was in an outpatient program for her addictions and needed time for her therapy meetings. Fortunately, she's so gorgeous (and cool on-set) that clients bumped up her call times to accommodate her - and now, thanks in part to the industry support, she's recovered.

Tipster JM is thrilled that fashion photographer Carter Smith just landed his first feature film.

The frequent snapper of Gisele and Milla will direct Come Closer, a thriller based on the Sara Gran novel, this Fall.

No stars have been attached to the picture yet, but Smith's high fashion background makes us wonder:

If he's used to shooting models anyway, wouldn't it make sense to cast a few of them?

Our pick:

Lily Cole, who starred in Smith's cover story for Vogue Nippon and also the front of Vogue Beauty (our favorite shot ever of the model, at left, comes from that spread).

After all, if she had to witness Marilyn Manson courting Evan Rachel Wood on the set of Phantasmagoria, she can certainly relate to something scary.

Sydney Fashion Week is upon us, and with it a catwalk creation that's been-there-said-that:

The "Guilty" tee by Nicholas Morley is a reference to a big Aussie scandal involving two women, a lot of marijuana, and an ill-fated trip to Bali that left them in jail for drug smuggling.

Morley is a Bali native who thinks the case ruined relations between Australia and Bali, making Australian tourists afraid to visit the island paradise and Bali citizens convinced that all Oz girls are drug smugglers.

The debate reminds me of Claire Danes in Brokedown Palace, but the t-shirt reminds me of something else entirely: Henry Holland, version 1.0.

At least this rip-off has some irony: The t-shirt may be anti-drug, but Mr. Morley was certainly smoking eight kinds of crack if he thought his copycat shirt wouldn't get busted.

Greg emails in from PA to say "the Philly Gap is overflowing with the dotted dress..."

Meanwhile, more blue circles are getting style attention in New York and London.

Check out this Bodun raincoat, featured in the Post style section, at left...

Meanwhile, the Times UK has the same coat in their graphic print spread, but it's styled quite differently...

Though the dot trend wasn't crazy on the runway this season, we suspect it's come back into play because of Marimekko. The famous print company has opened stores in the US and UK this year, and though their iconic dot pattern didn't get copied on catwalks, their flowers certainly made an appearance at Oscar de la Renta... and now at Forever 21...

Will New York out the team behind Socialite Rank? That's what we've heard from a source, who says the magazine has pulled men's clothes for a Socialite Rank photo shoot.

The story supposedly hits next week - the same week that Isaiah Wilner's piece on socialite Olivia Palermo hits stands. Another rumor about the issue? Olivia is the cover girl.

Now comes this disclaimer: while I do write small shopping pieces for New York's website, we didn't hear this info from anyone at the magazine. In fact, they told us, "it's our policy not to comment on stories we may or may not be working on."

Accordingly, this rumor should be treated with extreme caution... but it's awfully fun to consider.

Score one for Vogue's new blog:

They predicted two weeks ago that Kate Middleton would take a job with Tom Ford and possibly move to America.

And they were right.

What's interesting now is how it will matter. Though Kate continues to be a public face (despite her breakup with Prince William), it's interesting that her next assignment ties her into a men's clothing line - especially one that's all about lush sex.

Note the only other woman who's bound to Tom's brand: Julia Restoin Roitfeld, the face of Tom Ford fragrance. The daughter of Paris Vogue queen Carine, Julia has a velvet pout and a gloss of hair that perfectly embodies Tom's idea of orgasmic high class.

Kate's vibe is more collected, more stately, and more suburban. If she becomes the other woman in Tom's life (or at least in his lifestyle brand), it means two things:

Either Tom is looking to balance out his sexy chic side with something more accessible to the St. John crowd...

Or Kate Middleton is about to get a major makeover.

You know what we're hoping.

Tipster JM's latest obsession is Wired Magazine, which profiles the work of Sissel Tolaas, a perfume scientist.

In the article, Sissel describes her latest project:

To create scents that capture the smell of fear in a bottle.

To concoct the perfume, Ms. Tolaas went through a pretty grimy process of studying - and smelling - men with chronic phobias. She says her results can make people smell like an emotion or a physical state.

The idea is amazing, but maybe even better is where she gets her funding:

Sissel has a grant from International Flavors and Fragrances, the company that makes Calvin Klein fragrances!

It's a little Gattaca, but if Calvin Klein takes advantage of this technology and bottles emotions, think of the possibilities: CK Scared of U. CK Crush On U. CK Over U.

Would you ever buy a scent that's based on a feeling?

We'll admit to a mild obsession with The Sweet Escape, if only for Gwen's video starring some jailed Harajuku girls and the striped dress at right.

It was certainly designed for Gwen, but we remember a very like version sailing down the Giles runway. Then it turned up in Vogue a few months ago on MisShape Leigh Lezark.

If you want the actual dress, you can buy it on Net-A-Porter for $4000.

Meanwhile, if you realize huge striped dresses only look good on pop stars, electro-waif DJs, and Bette Franke, you can channel the vibe with these $88 flats from Jeffrey Campbell. They look expensive, they fit every body type, and because they've got no heels, you can wear them when you sprint after Akon, or Gwen, or whomever you privately stalk.

and if you want to see what's in my bag, it's really boring, but here you go...

WHICH skincare line can't find it's next face? They mulled signing an It Girl, but didn't think the damage she's done through smoking, drinking, and tanning could be repaired with makeup. Also: they were nervous about all the paparazzi photos where she looks less than glowing.

Girls, don't smoke - it can cost you a fortune. About $750,000 per ad, to be exact.

We hear design ingenue Chris Benz is launching his own sunglasses line.

This is a huge step for any emerging designer, but for Chris it's even cooler:

The Seattle native has teamed with the company that makes Johnny Depp's sunglasses!

Besides the new ability to star-check - and the dose of unreachable cool that the shades will lend his Fall collection - the glasses also show that Chris can expand and his brand, which is exactly what the Vogue CFDA committee wants to see in its nominees.

Make a note for future predictions, and now back to the important things...

Like Johnny Depp.

Lily Cole's not the only one playing Alice (as in Wonderland) this fall.

Mischa Barton has just signed onto her own take on the Lewis Carroll classic, called Malice in Sunderland, that's set to shoot in October.

In the flick, Mischa plays an American film student who wanders through the Northern English city of Sunderland after getting hit by a car and losing her memory.

Meanwhile, Lily Cole's star turn as Alice in Phantasmagoria - the Marilyn Manson creation that will either be brilliant or vile, or maybe both - should hit theatres this winter.

Besides being Alice doubles, Mischa and Lily also share space at IMG Models, where they're both represented. According to WWD, Mischa just scored another modeling job - this time as the face of Iceberg, the Italian sportswear line.

Maybe Lily can take over as the new Keds girl?

Eye Candy Alert:

If you run to Bloomingdale's today from 12:30 to 2:30, make sure you hit the Clinique counter.

Rosario Dawson will be there to share her tips for healthy summer skin with shoppers, and introduce Jenny Bailly, the new beauty director of Cosmopolitan.

And who will Jenny Bailly introduce?

A slew of bikini-clad models, all faux tanned for the new Cosmo campaign "Safe is the New Sexy."

Actually, we thought Miu Miu was the new Sexy, but more important:

Will more people line up to see Rosario, or the bikini bunch?

Style.com has a fun (but weird) feature today on fashion look-a-likes:

Apparently, Zac Posen and Stella McCartney (and Colin Firth in Bridget Jones) share a love of big sweaters with reindeer.

We think the whole thing was influenced, subconsciously, by John Galliano's runway from Fall '06.

In the show, models dressed like Dior's head designer, John Galliano (who dresses like a pirate), paraded down the catwalk.

This season, the look was picked up by Tyra Banks on America's Next Top Model

We know Style.com will never mention this, but that's why we're here...

Our tipster LH from Michigan writes:

"Forever's done it again!"

Indeed.

Though their knockoff of the Anna Sui top at left isn't quite as ruthless as their previous steals, it's still awfully close in shape, color, and trim.

The Anna Sui top retails at Anthropologie for $290...

Forever 21's goes for $19.80

Sadly, we don't want either - only Karen Elson could pull off a print like this...

UK Glamour reports that Patricia Field will design a line for ASOS, which is sort of like Shop Intuition in Britain.

This marks the second time that Ms. Field has gone to London for a project this year - in February, she was helping Jenny Packham with her first Milan fashion show, and predictably, the clothes came out louder and sexier than ever before.

Patricia's gradual move overseas brings up an interesting question. Though Ms. Field is certainly still a cherished stylist in America - with a Payless line of shoes and an Oscar nomination to prove it - her signature celebrity style might finally be fading out, replaced with the messy, sick-day chic of Mischa, Nicole, etc.

Is Sex and the City style really, finally, going away from American girls?

Kirsten Dunst and Julia Stiles were vaguely interchangeable in the '90s, but now they've gone their separate ways (especially since Kirsten still acts in movies).

Still, our reader (and resident style heroine) JM points out they're about to move back onto each other's radars with separate short films, each sponsored by a different fashion magazine.

Julia Stiles already premiered her brief drama, Raving, last month at the Box. Since the movie was produced in part by ELLE, the flick is also up on the magazine's website, but that hasn't stopped the Tribeca Film Festival from debuting it again this Sunday. The film stars Zooey Deschanel and Bill Irwin, and the clothes of Giorgio Armani, who basically paid for the whole thing.

Meanwhile, Kirsten Dunst has been using her Spider Man 3 tour to promote a new film she's making for Glamour's Reel Moments series. The film is a thriller starring Michelle Williams and it'll go live on Glamour's website in August.

Whose film do you want to see?

WHICH fashion assistant broke his boss' toe with a flying Diet Coke can? Despite the trauma inside the fashion closet - and the fact that the editor couldn't wear heels for two weeks! - the two style icons are now good friends.

The BBC reports that Anya Hindmarch's non-plastic bags hit shelves today, and the backlash has begun. Of particular interest is this comment left by a BBC viewer:

"It has already been noted on one gossip website that the PR company promoting the Anya Hindmarsh bags sent out 100s of promotional copies to editors inside large silver jiffy bags which surely count as "plastic". I suspect these were also posted despite being sent largely within central London. There's a disturbing lack of congruence with the message and their actions. This bag does send a message to the consumer: do as we say, don't do as we do."

Meanwhile, reports from London say 20,000 of the bags sold out in an hour.

Do you still want one?

Irina isn't the only model strutting her Kate Moss for TopShop threads. Check out Jessica Stam in a Barney's promotion for the line - and head to Barneys' website for a Kate Moss countdown...

LVMH reports their sales rose 7% this quarter, but does that mean more people are buying their stuff?

Maybe not.

Besides creeping price hikes in almost all their accessories, Louis Vuitton also introduced one of the world's most expensive bags this season.

It costs about $50,000 which means that only 21 would need to be sold in order for the company to make a million dollars.

Despite its over-the-top appearance, the bag is so hyped and so bizarrely historical, it must have a following among some misguided members of the super-elite.

Is this the bag that pushed LVMH's sales to new heights? Or are we all just too addicted to Marc by Marc's jelly flats?

Colette's next dance class will take place at Paris Paris in... yes... Paris.

While previous jams with the cool French boutique have taken inspiration from M.C. Hammer, Jeremy Scott, and - memorably in New York - from Pac Man, this special bash has a uniquely American theme:

Grease.

We're dying to see the Paris Vogue girls do the hand jive, but even more interesting:

Do you think we'll see flecks of pink nylon, black denim, and high-waisted white cotton in the Spring '08 shows? And somewhere besides Betsey Johnson?

After all, Colette's head owner, Sarah Lerfel, is usually a year ahead of the pack..

Japanese makeup master Shu Uemura granted the Wall Street Journal a rare interview about his process and his company.

The video reminds me of what we watched in art class, complete with dry but friendly translation, but the images of Japanese makeup shows make watching worth it.

Also: He based his entire recent collection on Madonna, which is hysterical considering his first clients included Lucille Ball and Frank Sinatra.

Confession:

I noticed that Land's End had a new clunk that copies the Croc and didn't blog it for two weeks.

Why?

Because I'm not sure the shoes are "fashion." They're great for gardening. They're fun if you're at the beach and need to catch your own dinner. But the only runway where I've spotted them was during the Kent State Senior Fashion Show and, well, we all know the verdict on that.

But then I noticed something fun.

Not only is Land's End copying the Croc, but they're also selling the Croc, for $5 more, on their own website!

Can anyone explain the appeal of these shoes, and also the odd business decision?

When we ran into Liv Tyler at the Free Arts benefit, we knew we'd have just a few seconds with the actress, who's also a face of Givenchy and a new-ish mom.

Naturally, our thoughts turned to The Strangers, Liv's upcoming thriller film that has Gemma Ward in a smaller supporting role.

And so we asked...

Liv, what was it like working with Gemma Ward?
Oh Gemma? She's great! When she came to the set, she was working with Nicole Kidman's acting coach - not just for Nicole, actually; her coach works with a lot of great actors. And Gemma just came on and did a really great job when the cameras were on. You could see she worked really hard for it.

Was it fun having another really tall girl on the set?
Sure, and she's beautiful...

Yeah, we know. It's distracting. But we can't wait for the film.
The film is going to be great, and the thing with Gemma is, she was so professional. She's fantastic.

We're not sure anything can top Liv's star turn in Empire Records, but still, we have high hopes for Gemma and also for this movie, which sounds very spooky (in a chic way)...

David and Kristin, 25 and 26, stylists for Harper's Bazaar (D) and Teen Vogue (K)

Got them: At the Tribeca Grand Hotel

Stalked them: Because we get a million emails asking what to wear to a fashion interview, what to wear to a fashion show, what to wear to a fashion party...

Shot them: Because this a great example of what you could wear to those things... altered to your personal style, body type, weather, and how much attitude you have in the morning.

She says: "My dress is by Phillip Lim and my shoes are by Miu Miu, but the one thing I never go anywhere without is the leather bomber jacket. It goes with everything and it can make a pretty dress much cooler for a party."

He says: "My dog tags are from a machine at the Bar Mitzvah of Allan Schwartz, the guy that started A.B.S. It's weird where your favorite things come from."

We say: Too cool for...

To the left is a limited edition print by Lola Faturoti, who sells her clothes at Fred Segal.

Lola based her dress on a tribal design but modified the colors for a Western audience, and ended up with something quite cool.

In fact, it was so cool that Red Sugar seems to have totally ripped her off.

Check out these chunky wedges from Urban Outfitters, featuring the exact same print, and now discuss:

Is there a difference between copying a million dollar brand, and stealing prints from an emerging designer? And should Lola's designs be protected by law? Right now, they're not...

We hear that Christy Turlington is shopping for a new home for Nuala.

The sleek line of yoga clothing is currently with Puma, but their contract will soon expire.

While Puma and Nuala have been symbiotic so far, Christy owns its rights, and once their relationship ends, she's free to find another fashion brand to adopt Nuala as its own.

If it happens, this will be the first time a celebrity diffusion brand goes from one mass label to another, and that would be very interesting.

Obviously the easiest choice is Gap - especially since Christy's partnered with them for Project RED - but Adidas might be a great fit, too, especially when you look at its success with Stella McCartney. Another option? Maybe Reebok, who took the diffusion plunge with Scarlett Johansson this Spring and could be eager for more.

Stay tuned, and note to potential buyers:

We adore Christy Turlington and wear Nuala all the time - don't let it die; there's money to be made.

An upcoming "beauty drink" isn't the only fashion tie for Coca Cola:

Their new commercial stars the always-stylish Jack White and Japanese fashion photographer Nagi Noda behind the camera.

There's also a slew of pretty redheads, but that's okay...

Jack White has every reason to be surrounded by Karen Elson and all the girls who want to look like her.

As for us, well, we're just plain obsessed.

Watch the ad here - doesn't it make soda seem strangely cool?

ps, editor's note: we ♥ our beautiful tipster, JM

Because I love you so much, I hit the Soho streets with a video camera to find out what's in your bag... okay, maybe not yours, but you get the idea.

Enjoy, and if you want us to raid your bag for a future segment, email tips@fashionista.com and let us know - we'll be there with a camera and some fashion giggles in a heartbeat.

Super Sweet Sixteen, eat our dust.

Several weeks ago, we reported that Balenciaga muse Marie-Amelie Sauve was designing Gap's next European line.

Now Portfolio has some photos from the UK runway show, which displayed Marie-Amelie's first efforts.

Though British Vogue is excited, Portfolio wonders if the modern bubble of knits and neutrals is enough to pull Gap out of the red.

Meanwhile, we wonder something slightly more practical:

If that outfit goes on anyone who isn't Laura Stone, does it still embody modern, disaffected luxury...

Or is it just there?

Take a look at the photos and let us know if you'd buy it - I'm guessing the prices are between $40 - $100.

Arielle, 16, overachieving high school student

Got Her: Waiting for the G Train on Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn

Stalked Her: Actually, this was a true stalking: we saw her hair from the back, and fell so in love with the color and the streaks, we trailed her down the subway steps.

Shot Her: Because she embodies our favorite style icon, My Little Pony. And she looks beautiful.

She Says: "It took over four hours to get my hair this way, but I really like it... even my family likes it! And it coordinates with a lot of my outfits."

We Say: "Violet, you're turning violet!"

WHICH fashion publicist went to dinner with Adam Brody on Saturday? Though she swears she's more interested in other men, we can't help notice some parallels to Rachel Bilson - namely, her petite frame and her incredible, effortless style choices...

If a top model has to be articulate - something you sometimes doubt when interviewing girls backstage at shows - then Coco Rocha is well on her way.

The Vancouver native who comes from a long line of stewardesses is Teen Vogue's latest model interview, and she is amazing.

Included in her fashion week roundup:

How much she charges for making girls laugh on the catwalk; Julia Dunstall's brilliant invention; Behati Prinsloo's favorite song; fashion tights from hell.

We vote her most likely to host a TV show in ten years.

Also, she'll probably marry a rock star.

Dammit.

Bill Cunningham snapped 18 coats for his latest street style spread. How many can you name?

Kate Moss isn't just working for TopShop -

According to an upcoming British Vogue article, she also designed the latest Longchamp Bag.

Called The Legend Bag, the bag is based on an earlier model featured in the ad campaign with Kate last year.

After playing with it on-set, Kate suggested changes to the bag's lining.

Then the bag was sent it off to Longchamp's creative director, Sophie de la Fontaine, for a makeover.

Would you wear it?

Hilary Duff

Hilary Duff hit MySpace this morning with a feature called The Fit, showing stars and their stylists at work.

Here, Hilary and Jessica Paster sift through Chloe, Givenchy, and YSL to find the perfect outfits for Hilary's upcoming red carpet flashes.

What's most interesting? Even though Hilary's taste in clothes is growing up, her fan base isn't, meaning the tweens from this morning aren't just learning from their moms - they're also learning from Seventeen cover girls.

As for the actual clothes in the video, they're pretty fabulous, but we've always been Hilary fans over here...