Because the day wouldn’t be complete without a post about Henry or Agyness, here’s a peek at his latest creations:

Custom-made t-shirts for his two biggest glossy fans, Teen Vogue and V Magazine.

As you can see, the Teen Vogue shirt boasts rhinestones similar to those used in Henry’s Fall ‘97 collection. It stars in a June spread for the magazine, where Agyness and her Holland shirt are discussed at length, but its actual slogan can’t be printed because it’s too dirty for a teen publication!

(For the record, it’s FLICK YOUR BEAN FOR AGYNESS DEYN, which is sort of… ew).

You can win the Teen Vogue tee by going to their website and entering a raffle. If you prefer to make your own, read the latest issue for directions from Henry himself (and a fantastic article on Sasha Pivavorova, where the model shares some of her illustrations with Kimball Hastings).

Meanwhile, V Magazine is selling their limited edition House of Holland tees, which include the one at right, plus another that screams I’D UNZIP MY JEANS FOR V MAGAZINE in dark purple writing. The shirts cost $95 on the V website, which could also buy you 25% of a copy of Visionaire…

Adorable design team and Gen Art superstars the Beckermans ( www.beckermans.com ) have the cutest Ray-Ban-inspired sunglass necklace for summer (and maybe for brightening up winter too?).

It comes in either rhodium/platinum or gold plated with a 24’ chain, and can be worn two ways – with the sunglasses going vertically or horizontally. I love options! But actually my favorite thing about the Beckermans is that the designers are three sisters – twins and their little sis (just like my family!)

For all you Wayfarer fans and Wayfarer naysayers out there – what’s the verdict on this one? Would you wear it?

—ALISON

Dior Beaute announced today that Eva Green is their new face.

This marks the first time Ms. Green has done a campaign not connected to one of her films (Armani was a Dreamers tie-in), and it comes at a very good time:

Eva’s ads for Dior Parfum should hit magazines just before her new film, His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass gets released in theatres.

We couldn’t be more excited for that movie, and as for the ads, it brings Eva into very good company:

The only other actresses who have campaigned with Dior’s makeup brand are Gwyneth Paltrow and Charlize Theron. Meanwhile, Devon Aoki is a solid model/actress who’s done their clothing ads, and if Gemma’s film career takes off, she’ll be another one to add to that list.

Alert reader Rachael tipped us off on these two dresses from Mango .

They look eerily similar to Gucci’s runway looks, with one major difference:

The Mango versions retail for $185 (for the long one with the purple contrast trim), and $199 (for the flouncy golden dress with the tiers and the shimmer, and the kind of yellow undertone best saved for tequila shots).

The dresses are kind of a rip, especially because the gold dress has that special aura of unflattering items with an inevitable one-way ticket to the clearance rack - off the shoulder and voluminous?

Perhaps for fandango lessons, or incredibly thin girls a la Nicole.

Also criminal:

That Mango chose to copy these gowns…

Instead of the incredible bohemian mini-dresses worn by Lily Donaldson and Freja on the runway!

—ALISON

Yesterday, Cathy Horyn wrote on her blog, “What is alarming is that fashion is such an oligarchy today — yes, more than in the past, despite the rise of independent magazines, blogs, and small hardy labels.”

I admit I looked up oligarchy, which is a republic ruled by a very small elite.

Once I knew what it meant, I felt her idea was something that was both so true and so false that it needs more discussion (and, apparently, my dictionary).

On the one hand, it’s an unfortunate fact that much of fashion is now manufactured and assembled like swing sets from Sears. Watching The Today Show and their constant barrage of “style rules” feels a little like learning third grade multiplication tables, with better florals. The Hollywood red carpets are similar, except the guidelines include a love of soy substitutes, a nod to Marchesa, and a boyfriend who’s friends with Ashton Kutcher.

Meanwhile, Cathy often illuminates the influence of Vogue, as it extends beyond its pages and into American boardrooms and homes with unprecedented - almost laser like - force. A good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you view it, but most certainly in keeping with the oligarchy theory.

And yet…

Fashion can’t really go from Vogue or Rockefeller Plaza, or the Chanel boutique or Old Navy or the thrift store, until you decide to buy something, to pull something on, and to wear it outside.

So in a strange way, fashion is also one of the most democratic mediums we have, because ultimately, its very existence is decided by the masses.

Financial issues cut into that idea substantially, though carrying a Chanel bag doesn’t necessarily elevate your level of fashion, just your status within certain circles. One could also argue that until a magazine highlights a certain aesthetic, large groups of people won’t embrace it. Okay, but a lot of today’s best trends came from the streets first - jeans as appropriate cocktail wear, sneakers to prom, even the needlepoint on this year’s Chanel runway and (yes) the keffiyeh scarf at Balenciaga and Dior Homme…

We’ll say much more about this in the future, but for now, it’s your turn.

Our favorite stylist Josh went to England, Scotland, and Ireland last week, and here’s what he found in the TopShops:

The Kate Moss stuff is selling out, but only in the larger sizes.

Apparently, every item - even the coveted stuff like the blossom dress - is still available in the tiny sizes.

That leaves an interesting problem:

What are they going to do with all the small sizes that don’t sell in the UK?

The obvious answer is, put them all on clearance until they’re gone.

But we’re hearing other reports, that the smallest leftover clothes might come here to America, where Barneys can sell them more readily.

Do you think they’ll fly from our shelves?

(As background: the blossom dress has already zipped from Barneys Coop, after a record 2 days on sale. And I saw it on a normal sized girl in Tompkins Square Park; she looked like a rock star.)

Christian Lorentzen’s vaguely sociological cover story for Time Out New York reports on the hipster as a vampire-like bricoleur.

According to Lorentzen, hordes of hipster “zombies� are roaming the LES and Williamsburg converting the authentic and the ethnic to luxury condos with their relentless consumerism, Elvis Costello glasses, and killing “cool.�

Whether you buy Lorentzen’s argument or not, can we talk about what’s going on in the cover photo?

This guy doesn’t look like a hipster to me, and here’s why:

Cheesy graphic t-shirt. What hipster would have a shirt that was so clean and new, let alone one with a cheerful “disco� graphic?

White belt. We haven’t seen too many of these since around 2000-2001, and especially not after the “white belt backlash� circa 2002.

Double wallet chain. Or even one wallet chain? Is he a hipster or a high school skateboarder/hackey-sack dude/stoner? What would he have on there, keys? No way, he wouldn’t have keys because he would be crashing on your couch while he “looked for a place� and he wouldn’t have a wallet because he would borrow $5 dollars from you and “pay you back later.�

Clean shaven. Hipsters who shave? Right now it seems like every hipster guy, if he doesn’t have a full-on mystical mountain man beard, he at least hasn’t shaved in three days.

Did I miss anything?

—ALISON

British Vogue reports that Vivienne Westwood’s life will become a movie.

Rumors say Brian Grazer, the producer behind A Beautiful Mind, will help this project, though so far, no details have been released.

Of course, the most exciting thing about the upcoming movie, besides how much vintage Westwood will be used on-set, is which actress will play Vivienne herself.

We can’t imagine Ms. Westwood would let an American represent her onscreen, so that leaves Kate Winslet for a brilliant and slightly batty Vivienne, Emily Blunt for a younger and more steely Vivienne, and Nicole Kidman because she has both red hair and an Oscar.

Who do you want to play Vivienne Westwood?

We’ve heard from three separate sources this week that the Erin Fetherston for Target line is happening next February.

This confirms the rumor we reported back in February, and it means we’ll be very happy shoppers come winter.

It also means for the first time, celebrity faces may be involved in a Target brand - remember, Erin used Kirsten Dunst to launch her first ready-to-wear collection, and Zooey Deschanel to introduce her second.

Will a star agree to help Erin with her Target line? Or will she rely on favorite models like Lily Cole to spread the word?

Shoppers are still saving for The Row, but Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen announced today that they have a new clothing venture, called Elizabeth and James.

WWD reports the line was named for the younger Olsen siblings, and was created by Peter Koral and Jane Siskin, the creators of Seven For All Mankind and LaRok. Mary Kate tells Women’s Wear, “We wanted it to be based on a relationship between a young girl and a boy and tell the story through the clothing.”

Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and Intermix will carry the collection this fall. Prices start at around $80 and go up to about $600.

Also: we hear it was heavily influenced by pieces from Mary Kate’s vintage collection, and includes several shiny slip dresses, some hot pants, and a pinstripe menswear vest tailored extra skinny. Sound familiar?

First Kate Moss gets her own font, and now it seems the House of Holland is coming soon to a Word Doc near you.

Dazed and Confused is the first magazine to use Henry’s addictive and often-copied lettering as font!

Check out their new photo contest, which broadcasts its entries with giant HOH letters - easy enough to create by hand, but putting them onto your computer as a typeface takes some major effort… or some cooperation from Henry himself, who’s worked with Dazed on their shoots in the past.

At least we’re not the only ones obsessed…

Last year, my friend Jordan called me.

“Nicholas Andreas Taralis,” he said. “It’s amazing. I can’t get over it.”

I’d never heard of him before, but I rushed online to find his clothes, and also to find myself agreeing with Sarah Mower, who wrote how the designer made her think “all over again, of the huge void left by Helmut Lang.”

Though Taralis has yet to take off commercially, he’s just accepted a very interesting offer to do his own capsule collection for UNIQLO.

Right now, the collection will only release in Japan and Europe, though if it’s successful - and if the industry here clamors loud enough for it - there’s certainly potential for an American crossover.

So please UNIQLO, bring us the Nicholas!

This week in The Look Book, Amy Larocca bypasses the usual unknowns for an actual celebrity:

Actress Parker Posey.

Her Look Book interview mentions her Marc Jacobs bag, her celebrity status at Marc Jacobs (the bag was free), and how her puppy bit some woman, but it was all okay because Parker Posey is - yes - famous.

That’s all lovely, but what we really liked was the tunic that Parker was wearing, which she definitely got at Urban Outfitters.

You can too, for $58.

It’s not as cool as a pink sweatshirt with the word “SENIORS” ironed onto it, but there are only so many fashion moments a cinema girl can have…

Style critic Sarah Mower has always been one of our idols, so when she writes on anything - even the hoarse debate on too-skinny models - we’re bound to listen.

Her thoughts, as outlined today in The London Telegraph, start with ’90s supermodels, who were considerably rounder than the Lilies and Sashas of now.

Sarah asserts that when these women left the industry, so did the craziness and fun of fashion, “and that makes a less healthy atmosphere.”

Sarah also makes the most realistic statement yet about today’s top girls: “The only thing that would put more flesh on models’ bones is a worldwide shift in aesthetics.”

How do we get there?

Mower’s accompanying piece - on her teen daughter’s obsession with shorts - might be key. As a new generation of style consumers comes up, their preferences will dictate the market, and influence the new iconography. If today’s teens reject industry standards, the fashion world will have to follow them, or else lose millions.

After all, the only reason those girls are so skinny is so they can sell you things…

Portfolio’s Lauren Goldstein Crowe tracked the new Burberry Icon bags - and their new 4-digit prices - this year.

She found that as the bag’s prices went up, so did their demand.

Currently, the Beaton bag retails for $2000, which makes it the most expensive Burberry bag yet. And the bag is sold out of almost every Burberry store in America.

Meanwhile, we think the bag is beautiful, but it doesn’t stop us dead in our tracks. Which makes us wonder:

Is paying an extreme price for a bag a shopper’s badge of honor? Or if this same bag retailed at Coach for $395 (or even Burberry for $395), would it fade into the background of branded accessories?

Lately it seems like every girl in New York is running around with a big clunky skeleton key on a long chain around her neck.

The vintage look is cool, but it loses its unique, mysterious, “I’ve got a-hidden-treasure in a dusty old trunk� sensibility when everyone else has the exact same key leading nowhere.

If you love keys but want something slightly different and less wishy-washy romantic, this modern version from Brooklyn-based Polish jewelry designer Iwona Ludyga is great. It dangles on a dainty 16 inch gold chain, and better yet, looks almost exactly like a miniaturized version my real front door key!

And it’s only $65. I think it costs more than that to copy the high-tech key to my building.

—ALISON

ESSAY QUESTION.

Please explain the symbolism, inherent irony (if any), and foreshadowing in the following advertisement, created by Conde Nast and Vogue, and entitled Point of Passion.

The subject of the work is Natalia Vodianova, the Russian supermodel and face of Calvin Klein, who memorably testafied at Diane Von Furstenberg’s model summit that she starved herself after the birth of her first child to ensure further success in the industry.

In this piece, Natalia holds her second child, Neva Portman. Natalia is now pregnant with her third child, as you may be able to see in the photograph.

The text of the image reads, “It’s not just reading, it’s a rite of passage.”

A larger reproduction of the piece is below. You have thirty minutes. Please, no texting during the exam.

Our eagle-eyed reader Marisa spotted this “U-Neck Dress” at Bloomingdale’s for $78. The dress is from Aqua, the Bloomingdale’s house brand.

The curious thing?

The dress is also from Kimchi & Blue, a house label from Urban Outfitters. Their dress was originally $78, the same as the Bloomingdale’s brand, but now it’s $48 on sale.

So what’s going on here? Did these dresses come through the same factory? Is Bloomingdale’s secretly sending Urban’s it’s kickbacks? And - most important - if you wore the dress and someone asked you where you got it, would you say Urban’s or Bloomie’s?

Or, “Oh, it’s so old, it’s vintage.”

Hi, I’m Alison Cool (yes, my real last name!) and I’m Fashionista’s new editor-at-large. You can drop me a line at alison@fashionista.com

In the days and weeks to come I’ll be writing about emerging and up-and-coming designers, posting pictures of great street style, contemplating accessories, checking out shops around town, and waxing deep about shoes.

Around July I’m heading over to Stockholm, Berlin, and Paris to report on what those crazy kids are up to over there and what they’re wearing out on the town. (And stocking up on Cheap Monday jeans and Repetto shoes, of course.)

Some of the things that I’m really into are street fashion, youth trends, vintage everything, weird handmade stuff, big floral prints, nerdy outfits, the color purple, and the cape that Mick Jagger wears in “Gimme Shelter.�

A few of my favorite fashion icons are Chantal Goya, Patti Smith, Anna Karina, and Joan Didion. (The best brunettes of the 60s and 70s!)

Hope you’ll join me for the ride!

Joining a group of political commentators that includes Bill Maher and Jake Gyllenhaal’s mom, Donna Karan is Huffington Post blogger/contributor #4,928.

In her own words, Karan has gotten to a point in her life “where I want to ‘address’ people, not simply ‘dress’ them.�

DKNY already has three posts up about health care and making “health care more caring.â€? With her friend Sonja Nuttal, Donna has launched the Urban Zen Initiative in New York, a sort of summit for “the world’s leading doctors, nurses, yoga teachers, integrative health practitioners and others who want to transform the way patients are treated.â€?

Now the big question:

When will Stella McCartney guest blog about animal rights?

—BESS LEVIN

Alissa, 28, puppy clothing designer

Got Her: Outside Cafe Habana on Elizabeth St.

Stalked Her: Because we’re a sucker for red shoes with an otherwise neutral outfit…

Shot Her: Because this is a great example of how to wear a peasant blouse to work: the oversize cropped jacket; the coordinating patterns; the straight leg (not skinny!) jeans - it’s a good combo.

She Says: “My bag is vintage and I collect these bracelets from Denmark - their patterns are like photographs of Danish lace; they were really popular over there in the ’70s. Now I find them on eBay for like $7.”

We Say: We’re developing a pattern…

The IHT has a story on My Blueberry Nights, the film by Wong Kar Wei starring Nora Jones, and a Louis Vuitton gown that they paid for her to wear:

“Today, the sure bet in Hollywood is not dressing stars for a film’s premiere, it’s getting screen time alongside them,” writes author Jessica Michault… Wong Kar Wei wore Louis Vuitton suits while acting as the head of the [Cannes] festival jury last year and then contacted the company when he started working on My Blueberry Nights.… In the end, the association is a subtle one: a set of keys that play an important role have a Louis Vuitton key chain; that cherry-blossom print dress from Vuitton’s spring/summer 2005 collection is worn in a pivotal scene; and bags with the Epi leather and LV logo are worn casually in shots where the focus is on everyday life, not fashion. Awareness of the Louis Vuitton brand seeps into the psyche over the course of the film.”

This isn’t the first time a fashion house has sponsored a movie - Givenchy was Audrey Hepburn’s personal costume designer, and recently, Calvin Klein provided all the clothes for Trust the Man with Julianne Moore.

Still, the implications of the partnership are interesting: that costume design is no longer just art but commerce; that overpriced monograms can become as important as dialogue; that fashion consumers like you may have trained yourselves to ignore traditional ads completely.

But will Louis get new shoppers with this movie? Or is it just another way to get the film’s stars - Nora, Jude Law, and Natalie Portman - to wear Vuitton on the red carpet?

Leaving Victoria’s Secret might be the best thing that happened to Gisele Bundchen.

After rumors of an H&M line, a Cacharel campaign, and a series of YSL ads all surfaced, Gisele is the face of yet another brand:

Aquascutum.

WWD reports she just shot the ads with Mario Sorrenti (our favorite of Kate Moss’ ex boyfriends). She’ll star with Jamie Dornan, the mildly famous model-turned-actor who romanced Kirsten Dunst in Marie Antoinette (and Lindsay, Keira, etc. in real life).

Besides being sexy, the ad is something of a milestone: It means a brand that shows at London Fashion Week has scored a major celebrity face… something that hasn’t really happened yet.

Is this another sign of the London kids getting hauter? Or just Gisele’s way of keeping busy?

Those not content with Audrey Tatou’s recent casting coup should take heart:

There are two other Chanel movies in the works, and one of them - the American one - hasn’t been cast.

Though Demi Moore’s name has been bandied for the role, we also like Cate Blanchett as a choice.

Why?

This weekend, we found our old Vogue Australia from 2003, when Karl Lagerfeld guest edited the entire publication and Cate Blanchett starred as Coco Chanel in one of his shoots.

Below are some of our favorite shots - you can see the rest at the wonderful Cate Blanchett fansite, or perhaps next year in a movie theater…

Now that Top Model is over, fashion TV junkies are free to think on their next obsession:

Project Runway.

Though the show is just beginning its fourth season, there’s one rumor that already won’t quit:

Sarah Ferguson, Dutchess of York, may be a guest judge on the show.

Apparently, Fergie met with Heidi Klum earlier this year, and the two enjoyed each other’s company so much, they decided to work together.

We have no doubt that Sarah Ferguson is lovely, but is she fit to evaluate a fashion contest?

Perhaps this rumor has gotten lost in translation: After all, Fergie - the Black Eyed Pea - would be perfect on the show.

Today, Style Bubble is both shocked and awed that the Anya Hindmarch bags are, apparently, made from plastic.

They were manufactured in China, and according to the Evening Standard, they were created in a standard factory that didn’t follow Fair Trade procedures.

However, I think there’s a big “but” here that nobody’s addressed.

Technically, Anya Hindmarch never said their bags were organic - they simply said they were releasing them to raise awareness of fair trade practices and to reduce the use of plastic bags by women who shop regularly.

It’s true that the bag is hypocrital, and it’s unfortunate that it doesn’t follow the standards it wants to set.

However, if it’s driven hundreds of thousands of women to carry it - or any reusable bag - instead of requesting plastic bags in supermarkets and shoppinging centers, isn’t that the whole point?

Well, that’s really your decision. Is the Not Plastic bag still a force for good? Or has its discovered origins tainted the message?

Personally, I haven’t used a plastic bag at a supermarket or even a clothing store since I heard about the campaign…

We screeched to a halt in the East Village yesterday, when we passed a window with the Patrick Robinson print inside of it.

Alas, the new Gap designer hasn’t licensed his Target prints for a home line, but the brand KitchenWear seems to have taken a fancy to them.

Here’s Patrick’s famous Aegean print, turned from brown to black and flipped around a bit, then stamped on oven mitts and aprons for the various Nigellas and Giadas of the world.

We think the apron is adorable - and the pattern makes it easy to hide stains from cooking - but there is one giggly irony:

This apron costs significantly more than the Target dress!

Coach’s corporate offices caught on fire yesterday, and today’s morning news says one of the company’s employees is indirectly responsible:

The person didn’t put out a cigarette while smoking on the roof.

We hear no staffers are being held responsible, and - even better - it seems because the building is damaged anyway, most Coach employees are taking today off to get their logo luggage out to the Hamptons early.

The fire didn’t affect any actual Coach bags - this is just their corporate office and not their store, remember - but still…

It brings some new irony to their new “Blow Up” comic book keychain, doesn’t it?

Is Alessandra Facchinetti the new Valentino head?

WWD reports the designer is in advanced talks with the label. If it’s true, she’ll take over as creative director of the line once the actual Valentino retires.

For those of you asking, “Alessandra Who?” here’s some info:

She’s the Italian daughter of Euro pop star Roby Facchinetti.

She took over for Tom Ford at Gucci, and lasted barely two seasons before the house replaced her with their accessories director, Frida Giannini.

She’s barely 35, and gorgeous.

Though that last part is incidental, it will be weirdly relevant if Alessandra takes the Valentino reigns - while men running women’s labels can choose their muses, women in the same role become the face of their house by default.

Donatella Versace and Vivienne Westwood are undoubtedly the souls of their brand, but even women who have taken over existing houses - Phoebe Philo when she was at Chloe, Isabel Toledo now at Anne Klein - seem to become the spirit of their clothes.

What Alessandra can bring to the table on all fronts - design and personality - will likely be under a microscope until Valentino shows his couture collection in Rome this July - rumor has it, that’s when he’ll announce his successor…

Omega Moon, 26, musician and artist

Got Her: At the New York Studio School

Stalked Her: Because even with the mud flap hat, we were in love with the outfit.

Shot Her: Because of that jacket!!!

She Says: “I got the jacket in Antwerp, really cheap, and since then it’s been all over the world with me. That’s the best way to shop, in pieces, as you go travel. That way your outfit tells a story… I especially like the studs on the back of the jacket; can you see them? And my t-shirt is from Tokyo. It’s a Basquiat painting. It’s too obvious for you, isn’t it?”

We Say: Home is where the art is.

Earlier this afternoon, a bulk of fashion editors and scenesters got this MySpace message, sent from Marc Jacob’s personal assistant:

“Hey everyone… Marc Jacobs just joined myspace and wants some cool friends… Add him! He’s my number one friend, just click him and add him…”

We clicked, and found the first official Marc Jacobs MySpace page, where he tells us he likes…

“Yoga, Working Out, Dining With Friends, Walking Alfred &; Daisy, Going To Galleries. Collecting Art.”

Marc’s page plays Sonic Youth and his top friends are Samantha Ronson and Jenna Jamison. At number one is Jason Preston, the boy who famously tattooed Marc’s logo across his arm, as a sign of devotion.

Guess they’re back together.

WE LOVE MARC!

Vogue Paris reports that Naomi Campbell is signed on for the lead role in a film.

She’ll star in a romantic comedy called Bad Love, which follows an actress who is unlucky in love.

The picture is directed by Catherine Breillat, who earned the nickname “porno auteuriste” in her native France for her slew of films on sexuality and life.

Catherine tells Vogue Paris that she was “touched by Naomi’s modesty and humility.”

Translation: the film is going to be amazing, because apparently, Naomi is a very good actress!

We can’t wait to see the finished movie, which will be released in October or November.

Todd, 25, painter

Got Him: At the New York Studio School during the MFA student showcase, where his paintings (including the one behind him) were up for sale.

Stalked Him: To be fair, we’ve been stalking Todd all year. But we also admired the waffle-knit red tie and the way that no matter how hard he tries, his clothes are still stained with oil paint.

Shot Him: Because he’s figured out a way to layer pieces of various lengths with expert nonchalance. Because he looks like he actually lives in his Converse; he doesn’t just wear them. Because we’re a sucker for art kids with style. And also because he’s cute.

He Says: “Everyone should be impressed that I managed to find some clean clothes… but I had to. My grandparents are here.”

We Say: Flashbacks of John Currin and Rachel Feinstein, pre Marc Jacobs ads, of course.

WHICH cool boutique in the city keeps losing cute male staffers? The manager gives them free clothes, then lets the boys know they owe him sexual favors. Instead of complying, they split for other stores.

We’ve been obsessed with the letter print from Luella Bartley’s Spring 2007 ready-to-wear line since Gemma and Irina wore it down the runway.

Apparently we’re not the only ones.

It’s been showing up everywhere we look, in both an “as-inspired-byâ€? way and a “direct-copyâ€? way (Forever 21, we know you’ve done it…).

Even though LB already put her new logo on a pair of shoes (a blazer, pair of pants/shorts, bag, skirt), A-Life stamped it on a pair of slides with a super cute result (it may be a guy’s sneaker, but we can imagine it’s smallest size paired with a Marc dress).

And Toast and Tables spotted it in a more unusual way: silk-screened tablecloths, votives and napkin rings.

Luella: So cute you could eat it.

—BESS LEVIN

A secret:

The first thing I bought when I moved to New York was a Charlotte Ronson dress.

It was cream, with little flowers, and I wore it for two weeks straight, which seemed to make it cooler. I couldn’t explain it to my then-roommates, but something about the tiny print, the a-line shape, and the pink label made me feel like I finally belonged in the city - pretending not to care, but secretly swooning. At different points, I felt like a Reading Festival VIP, a sister from The Virgin Suicides, and a Soho DJ.

And this is the magic of Charlotte. Somehow, her simple clothes make you feel like the coolest girl in the world.

Her famous addicts like Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan may not need help in that department, but for a girl holed up in Brooklyn, the feeling - and the dress - were priceless.

Four years later, Charlotte has more clothes, more fans, and - yes - a favorite swear word. Get a glimpse of how she does it below…

We hear Ashley Olsen is raising some eyebrows after her appearance at the James Perse store opening on Wednesday.

It’s not that Ashley didn’t look incredible - she did - or that her presence wasn’t appreciated - it was - but, in the words of one retailer, “Why is she posing for photos at another retail chain for t-shirts? She should only be promoting her own t-shirt line, especially because of its price point!”

Translation: Ashley’s line, The Row, charges hundreds for a t-shirt… more, even, than James Perse does for their brand.

Was her appearance a wise decision? Or is it the sign of ultimate coolness that a designer* can hype other people’s brands - even when they directly compete with their own?

* sorry, “designer.”

(and no, before anyone asks, we weren’t invited… and we’re quite sad we’ll miss the MisShapes DJing, but c’est la vie for refusing to embrace cheap khakis as a blessing)…

Is Sienna Miller still dating Jamie Burke, the face of Calvin Klein?

Those watching will probably know by Saturday, when Jamie’s band, Bloody Social, plays in Southampton.

Their last concert at Stereo drew a crowd that included Lindsay Lohan and Kate Bosworth, and this one - at the Hyt Me Estate - could be just as exciting for Us Weekly, Perez Hilton, and many others who would never admit in public that they like Jamie’s music - or that they like looking at famous people.

If Jamie behaves himself around all the girls at his gig, we can assume his heart is safely locked away in England. If he gives another secret concert in his basement, however, we bet his relationship will soon dissolve so he can concentrate more on modeling.

Or something like that.

Have nameplate necklaces been replaced… by mud flap girls?

FabSugar has a feature today about the jewels, and we admit, we’ve been seeing them a lot lately. The charms capture the same trashy, supposedly cool vibe as their nameplate predecessor, but we like them even less.

Why?

Well, at least the nameplate necklace represented you - can anyone except for Dina Lohan claim that their identity, essence, or spirit is a mud flap girl? Ew!

Maybe we’re missing something - a vague strain of women’s liberation, reclaiming your inner sex symbol, whatever - but we don’t get it.

Our favorite alternatives:

The Alex and Chloe “Kate” necklace, in which the girl is beautiful but upright, and hopefully walking away from the mud flap girls. It’s $60.

Meanwhile, the “Angry” and “Calm” necklaces from I Am Accessories start at $38.

Bonus: The company gives its proceeds to charity.

Double Bonus: You won’t be copying Sarah Jessica Parker. Which is, of course, a style sin of the highest rank.

Nicole, shop girl at Olfattorio Bar a Parfums (from Milan)

Got Her: In her shop on via Bagutta in the Monte Napoleone District.

Stalked Her: Because her vintage ’50s dress lit up a street full of current runway replays.

Shot Her: Because her personality completely matches her outfit! Nicole was delighted to show me the layers of hand and machine stitches on her hem, and she gave me vintage shopping tips.

Even better: She had an original Tizzoni powder pink dress from the ’40s with incredible beadwork behind the counter that she had rescued from the doom of a display window - for a bargain 800 euros. She has been painstakingly repairing it for the last couple of days.

She Says: “The vintage shops in Milan are wonderful, and it’s so much more fun to wear something like this than the boring things you see in the designer windows all over town! My look is more 1940s and ‘50s. My boyfriend says I look like a cupcake, but I always get the nicest desserts brought to me when we go out!�

We Say: Proof that Milan is more than just Prada.

—Ashley Davidson

Jefferson Hack’s second installment for The Telegraph explores “fashion’s leading edge” of clubs, DJs, and designers.

Jefferson says “the avant-garde inspires the fashion elite, which over time influences the high street. It’s a trickle-down effect that’s slowly been chipping away at the uniform mentality of men and their attitudes to style.” Uh huh…

His examples:

*Jeremy Scott, whose clothes have been club staples (and Madonna favorites) for quite a while…

*Boom Box, the London club already profiled in Paris Vogue, British Vogue, and Style.com.

*Geordon Nicol, who cofounded MisShapes three years ago, and whose manorexic style has been so embraced by certain scenes, even Hedi Slimane rechurned it on his runway - three seasons ago.

So basically, Jefferson Hack -the founder of Dazed and Confused, the arbiter of the underground and youth culture - is telling us about places and people so subversive, they’re already famous and mainstream.

Even more interesting, he writes that “as soon as a scene establishes itself, it is practically over.”

Or, perhaps not…

Mischa Barton’s outfits are always a little bit “Really? Are you sure?”

But this is why we like her. Most of her clothes can only look good on her, and not just because she’s pretty. It’s because, somehow, she believes in her clothes, the same way Kate Moss does, even if they’re totally wrong.

It’s a talent very few women have, and so when The London Times profiled her today, we were really excited.

Unfortunately, Mischa doesn’t say anything too surprising - She loves Rachel Zoe because she’s treated like a friend; she refuses to wear sweatpants; her style comes from her mother’s bohemian taste in the ’60s. Fine.

But at the end of the article, Mischa does hint at a clothing line. TopShop would be crazy not to take her, but really, we think it’ll launch with Fred Segal… don’t think that’s a hint or anything…

Jane at Too Fat For Fashion asked if we’d seen these blatant Goyard rip-offs.

We hadn’t, and we’re shocked, but it’s not what you think:

We’re not surprised at all that a company would blatantly steal the Goyard design and turn it into their own.

Instead, we’re a little crazed that they’d charge $150 for their tacky tote bag!

Even Goyard can barely get away with their logos and incessant stamping - and they’re a famous French luxury brand! Would anyone really shell $150 - roughly the cost of a Prada nylon bag at their sample sale - for one of these?

No thank you.

WWD has the first image of Lindsay Lohan’s new campaign for Jill Stuart, but the photos look familiar.

It seems Lindsay’s joined the larger trend of topless women holding handbags.

After Kate Moss had her breasts conveniently airbrushed out of last year’s Longchamp photos, Gemma Ward took up the torch with a Louis Vuitton bag that was so wide, it blocked out her entire naked torso.

As for Lindsay, she does seem to be wearing some sort of sequined underwear, which perhaps were urged onto her by Rachel Zoe.

More important: Do you think Lindsay is a good face for the brand?

These AG jeans, however, are marked down from $168 to $19.95.

They are available in both colors and in every size.

Better: They’re even cheaper than the pastel jeans at Urban Outfitters and American Apparel - even though they’re from the supposed vault of designer denim.

We won’t try and analyze why they’re onsale.

We’re just thankful. to buy them.)

Earlier: the $198 to $19.95 Velvet dress

—BESS LEVIN

Our favorite news today is that Charlotte Ronson is collaborating with Estee Lauder on a makeup line.

The downtown designer will release a limited-edition set of colors in her name later this year, which will be available at the Charlotte Ronson store (and hopefully a few other places, for those of you who don’t live in Soho).

We’ve always had dreams of a Charlotte Ronson Lipsmacker, but this seems just as good. We can’t wait to see the colors, but we imagine they’ll be half pastel and half neon, just like most of Charlotte’s clothes.

If you’re as obsessed with the Ronson collection as we are, check back tomorrow, when we interview Charlotte for the latest installment of Inside the Designer’s Studio. We promise it will be really pretty.

Update: I was so mesmerized by that peach dress, I mislabeled this as a Cruise ad when really, it’s for their Monte Carlo collection for Pre Fall / Fall / Winter. So now if you wear your black nail polish, you’ll be ahead of your time… at least for the next three months!

The Sun reports today that Elizabeth Hurley is no longer the face of Jordache Jeans.

The British supermodel helped the ’80s brand revive itself last year with a series of sexy ads, which aimed the jeans at an older woman who remember when Elizabeth and Hugh Grant were the It style couple and Jordache was the only name you wanted on your butt. We liked the ads, but we didn’t buy the jeans.

Now Hurley’s been swapped for Heidi Klum, whose ads debut this fall and will look equally sexy and mature, we imagine.

But something interesting: The PR firm that relaunched Jordache is Full Picture, and they also handle a lot of Heidi’s publicity. Why? Because Full Picture is the press office for Project Runway, and also one of its producers.

We wonder if the company had anything to do with the wrangling of their client’s newest face…

Why is this Velvet dress marked down from $198 to $19.95, on Anthropologie.com?

a. It’s an extremely difficult shape to wear.

b. It’s clearly left over from winter.

c. Velvet finally realized they’re the most overpriced brand in America.

d. It was a peace offering on the part of Anthropologie, since shopping there is a near-death experience - every time you breathe, you almost choke on the potpourri.

—BESS LEVIN

There’s a line halfway down the block for Phillip Lim’s Uniqlo designs, which hit stores today. Lines are always a little humiliating, and surely you have better things to do than stand between Prince and Spring St. looking bewildered, but here’s why it might be worth it to go:

The actual Phillip Lim is standing very patiently by his collection, watching shoppers carefully select their pieces, and smiling shyly when anyone recognizes him.

The store was shut from 9 - 11 this morning so fashion editors could buy their clothes first - we’re especially grateful to Seventeen accessories editor Tina Langley, who walked us through the whole collection and picked out her favorites for us! - but now everyone who arrives can have a chance at the collection.

So far, the fastest selling dress is the plaid jumper, but there’s also a take on the famous rosette dress and - our pick - a belted white linen shift that’s easy to dress up or down.

The pieces we bought are below; we got them for just over $200… and we don’t anticipate them to last through tomorrow. The line was intense.

If you missed the Isaac Mizrahi show during Fashion Week, or the Isaac Mizrahi Show on the Style Network, here’s your chance to see the real deal:

This Friday, Isaac performs at Joe’s Pub in the East Village, along with his band, The Ben Waltzer Quintet. The show starts at 7:30, and includes skits, monologues, a Q&A period, and Isaac bursting into song. About that last part, Isaac asks Joe’s Pub, “Wouldn’t you rather see a really bad, really earnest singer than someone who’s just so jaded and knows they’re good?”

But don’t let the humility fool you - Isaac was a performer long before he started making clothes. At fourteen, he enrolled in the High School of Performing Arts, and he had a small part in Fame, the movie based on his high school.

Tickets for the show cost $25 - about the same price as an Isaac Mizrahi for Target dress.

The first-ever Berlin Fashion Week is about to skyrocket, thanks to Hugo Boss and Vivienne Westwood.

Though the designer has already shown her Fall line in Paris, she’ll resurrect it on the Berlin runway this July to support the new endeavor.

Joining Hugo and Vivienne will be Rudolph Dasler, the new designer for Puma, and perhaps some very special guests…

We hear the next season of Top Model has plans to take their six finalists to Berlin, where - of course - the final two will walk in a runway show.

Whether that show will be Vivienne’s or Hugo’s is something that only Tyra knows - for now…

To answer some questions from last time:

1. We do ask the bag people ahead of time, but it’s literally minutes before the cameras roll. I think it’s awfully rude to just shove a camera in someone’s face and ask for their handbag, so we compromise a little spontaneity for the chance to prepare people.

2. The reason we stop normal people and not “D List Celebrities” is because we like real people more. Occasionally we do ask designers, socialites, and models what’s in their bag, and if you scroll through the “Your Bag” archives, you can see that.

We were shocked and awed at this article from Jezebel, where the girls sew old tags from designer clothes into new pieces from Target and Club Monaco, then try to sell them to vintage shops in New York City.

Of particular horror was how Tokio 7 - a store we always window-shop on the way home from the gym - shelled out $90 for a Club Monaco jacket with a Richard Tyler label.

Eek.

The whole thing reminded me of my intern days, when I was given stacks of photos with dresses from Calvin Klein, Prada, and some smaller designers like Strenesse and Sportmax. My task was to “re-credit” the clothes as Esprit, Gap, etc., since those were the big advertisers and we needed to appease them. If there was a black dress in one the photos from the shoot, I had to flip through books of black dresses from the advertisers and find a close match.

I was a little shocked, until the fashion director of our magazine asked me, “You know this is all just a game, don’t you?”

I didn’t, but I suspected. As for vintage shopping, I guess this is just more proof that you should buy what you love and not what you label - though if I ever find a dress with a sewn-in Chloe tag, I’ll cry.

Is Vogue subtly apologizing to Gemma Ward?

As many of you may indignantly e-mailed, the magazine’s May issue was called “The World’s Next Top Models� and featured many familiar faces— Lily Donaldson, Chanel Iman, Doutzen, Stam (on the inner flap!)—but no Gemma Ward. Even stranger, the story inside opined that the face of Burberry, Calvin Klein, and Valentino isn’t a real supermodel!

But in Vogue’s June issue, Gemma opens a piece about what “six of fashion’s most fabulous faces of the moment do to get away from it all.� The group includes Hilary Rhoda, Racquel Zimmermann, and Coco Rocha, who you may remember from—the May issue of Vogue!

We could be reading into this, but is it a peace offering from the land of Wintour? And how are they going to go about making it up to Lily Cole?

—BESS LEVIN

Meet Ashley Davidson, the newest girl on the Fashionista masthead. Ashley is one of our summer writers, but instead of contributing from our office, she’ll be blogging from Milan, where she has a job in a designer showroom. This is her first post…

Bernardo, architecture graduate student at Politecnico di Milano (from Portugal)

Got Him: As he was going to the print lab in the Piola District of Milan.

Stalked Him: Because not every man can sport two polo shirts and silver flip flops.

Shot Him: Because he meticulously rolled the sleeves of the orange undershirt to get the length just so, and we thought maybe he left one pant leg unrolled on purpose.

He Says: “I got this, what do you call it? Bracelet? …At the sidewalk market on the canal on Saturday. I will never take it off.�

We Say: There is something sweeter than a Milano cookie!

—ASHLEY DAVIDSON

Perhaps Gareth Pugh is more influential than we knew.

When the mischievous designer sent a latex bunny suit down the runway in 2006, even Anna Wintour started laughing - but by Fall, animal hoodies were showing up in unlikely places, including this shot of Sasha Pivovarova in British Vogue.

Not to be outdone, the stylists at Paris Vogue built Catherine McNeil a giant bunny hat for her June/ July cover that crosses Pugh’s wicked headgear with the Playboy mansion.

The hat seems like a perfect metaphor for Catherine McNeil herself, whose unabashed camera vamp straddles the line between sex bomb and fashion waif pretty well… which way she’ll tilt, we’ll probably see by the Fall…

Vogue Paris reports today that the British designer Sophia Kokosalaki is out at Vionnet.

Sophia was hired by the French fashion house just over a year ago. Though her Spring collection for the house got lots of press, Vionnet’s envisioned Fall as a sinister place where shimmering silk was the only bright spot. It was beautifully made and quite chic, but it didn’t look easy to sell.

Vionnet’s reigns have been taken by Marc Audibet, the designer best known for infusing Lycra and stretch fabrics into the industry. He’s credited with helping Prada rebound in the ’90s. More recently, he worked with Salvatore Ferragamo on ready-to-wear collections. Where he takes the house is anyone’s guess, but we hope his Lycra background will lead him to make a band-aid dress or two.

Meanwhile, Sophia is expected to continue with her own line, which we like a lot better. There are also Target rumors for next year…

(and in a shocking twist, WWD has photos up before Style.com)

There’s a fun debate happening in Australia, where their designer golden boy, Josh Goot, is launching a Target range.

The issue isn’t whether a young designer should have a mass market line - rather, it’s that Josh’s Target collection looks thisclose to his actual runway clothes, which cost about five times the Target range.

There will always be arguments about quality and fit, but if you were choosing between a Crayola green tank dress for $400 and a Crayola green tank dress for $30… for most women, it’s not that hard to pick.

Josh’s Target line won’t be available in the States, but his actual clothes are sold in Henri Bendel. His Spring collection is particularly gorgeous, and the silver dresses especially seem worth the investment - unless the shipping costs from eBay Australia get reduced…

The Atlanta Journal Constitution has piece on sneakers, and their increased presence in the nightlife scene, noting “someone at a nightclub may be wearing a $50 pair of dress shoes, while the guy standing next to him is wearing a pair of $2,000 sneakers.”

I swoon when I pass a cute pair of Adidas (or those Nanette Lepore for Keds, at left), but there are some places I just can’t bring myself to wear sneakers, including…

*A cocktail party
*A dinner party
*With any dress that’s not from Marc by Marc

Meanwhile, some of my best friends wear their sneakers to engagement parties, while others only have a pair for the gym.

I’m reminded of my favorite quote from Harper’s Bazaar ever, back when Lauren Davis was taking a break from Vogue and billing herself as a “fashion consultant.” When they asked her when a woman could wear sneakers, she answered, “My mother always said the only people who need to run are children and thieves.”

But something tells me you’re a little more flexible about when you wear your Vans - including all those times after the age of ten.

Yes?

Jaslene’s first composite card is here, but we’re more excited about Samantha Francis, the 19-year-old from Alabama who was eliminated second from America’s Next Top Model… and still got an Elite Model contract.

We like Samantha’s weird spin on the All American Girl look, and there’s something else:

If she begins to book jobs that are out of reach for Top Model winners, she’ll become the first American model who began her career on television.

With Jennifer Hudson winning an Oscar this year - and Lauren Conrad continuing her streak as a Teen Vogue face - the style industry may need to reconsider their views on reality television.

Although ultimately, that can’t happen until a real innovator wins Project Runway… and no designer with incredible talent would be indiscreet enough to go on that show.

Would they?

We’ll just call it The Chanel Weekend.

Yesterday, we revealed that Audrey Tatou will play Coco in an upcoming biopic of the designer.

Today, thanks to darling reader Lina, we’ve got a sneak peek at the Coco Mademoiselle ads, which have just started to run in France.

The ads star Keira Knightley, who took over for Kate Moss last season in the campaign. Ironically, the ads seem to be styled with a slight homage to Pete Doherty:

Check out the odd little hat she’s clutching, as if she’s about to shoot up and whisper some wayward love song into a crowd. Still, she does look beautiful -

Is she a front-runner to land the other Chanel films?

Meanwhile, yes, we will have something to say about the Chanel Cruise show tomorrow - but not what everybody else is saying, so don’t worry…

Just in case you’re making a weekend blog stop for fashion info and not funny comments, here’s something new:

Variety announced that Audrey Tatou will play Coco Chanel in the latest film about the designer.

Some of you called it from the very beginning, but we still wonder if Audrey is reckless and ruthless enough onscreen to pull it off.

Remember, Coco Chanel wasn’t exactly Cinderella - although she pulled herself up from an orphanage and built a fashion empire, she did have to pair up with a Nazi and lose quite a few friends in the process.

Will Audrey be too sympathetic in the role? And how much input did the House of Chanel have in her casting? Remember, since they’ve trademarked the name Coco Chanel, they have to be consulted - and at least tangentially involved - in any commercial project that involves the designer.

Earth to Urban Outfitters:

Even the darling Henry Holland has moved on from his crazy t-shirts with the filled in letters, and yet, you still seem a little hung up.

We know it’s tempting to buy giant shirts and slap vaguely rhyming words on them.

We know that neon is your summertime friend.

But if you’re going to copy something, how about a trend that hasn’t popped yet? We’re still waiting for the band-aid dresses and skirts from Proenza to get a mass-market take…

(these, on the other hand, are amazing).

We love the news that Tom Ford will be on the Martha Stewart Show next Tuesday, for several reasons.

1. Millions of viewers will watch the king of sex style bake a pie.

2. Martha will be forced to interact, nicely, with the man who straddled naked Scarlett on a magazine cover.

3. American women may finally embrace the low-cut pantsuit.

4. Besides baking, Tom’s episode will include a fashion show - we hope it’s a retrospective including his Gucci years.

Maybe even better, he’ll showcase his pulls for what mature women can wear right now, and take questions from an audience of women armed with Vera Bradley bags and Essie painted nails.

Set your TiVo.

Fair warning: if you have a Devi Kroell for Target bag, we will find you…

According to the Post’s fashion brigade, the first images of Temperley for Target are up!

Our initial reaction to the line:

“Oh. Really? Okay.”

But then we realized there were some great pieces hidden among the oddly graphic jersey pieces.

We’ve culled our favorite four looks and featured them above, and while we’re still more excited for the Libertine collection, some of these pieces are incredibly forward - we were shocked that Target would gamble on those insane overalls, but also quite pleased.

The clothes do remind us of Alice Temperley’s last fashion show, when British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman told us,

“The thing is, nobody looks better in Alice Temperley’s clothes than Alice herself.”

Yep.

here’s a hint: a tiny glimpse of one of the shoes will be in next month’s nylon…

Naomi isn’t the only one dressing up for the law:

A women’s prison in Milan is reforming its inmates with fashion design classes, runway shows, and mentoring from some of Europe’s top designers.

Italian papers are reporting that the San Vittore jail held a fashion show last week, where prison guards (yes, really) modeled Alberta Ferretti’s latest collection!

Meanwhile, Blumarine designer Anna Molinari is set to collaborate with the prisoners on future designs, which will be produced under the name Gatti Galeotti - an Italian phrase that roughly translates into “jailbirds.”

You can insert your own Paris Hilton reference here, or head over to ELLE for their very funny spread on prison chic…

Anya Hindmarch may be running away from plastics, but CFDA darling Devi Kroell is hurdling towards them with her new Target collection.

The handbag designer has six new accessories hitting Target this July, and all of them are shiny and very synthetic.

The interesting part:

The bags mimic Devi’s signature snakeskin bags in their look and texture, but they’ve got a filmy sheen that only comes from plastic - the kind that makes the bags cost $12 - $40.

Is the obvious faux snakeskin a dealbreaker on these bags? Or does it somehow make it cooler?

The Fug Yourself girls have some fun things to say about Amanda Bynes’ new clothing line:

“We can’t imagine how Bynes will fare given that her biggest onscreen fashion moment consisted of two “hilarious” montages at the same flea market in What a Girl Wants. Besides, Colin Firth is in it… What does Bynes bring to the deal, aside from maybe Colin Firth’s phone number?”

While we all know that real designers come from long hours at a sewing machine and not expert poses on the red carpet, the trend of celebrities “designing” their own lines isn’t going away yet.

And so, we wonder:

Which celebrity should have their own clothing line?

We think Michelle Williams would do wonders with a Rogan partnership…

Coke and L’Oreal aren’t the only ones teaming up this fall:

Pepsi is lending Aquafina’s name to the beauty aisle too, according to WWD.

Their new product is called Aquafina Advanced Hydration RX, and you can get it in August.

Meanwhile, those visiting France need to hit up Sephora this summer, when the beauty chain launches a juice bar of sorts, with drinks and elixers specifically targeted for skin, hair, and wellness.

If the beauty smoothies work in Europe, they’ll head to New York’s Sephora counters next year.

Will shoppers go for it? Or will their various hangover remedies be the only “beauty drink” they need?

(For the record: Our favorite is Pedialite mixed with Half & Half, some shaved ice, and a tiny splash of vodka. Mmm.)

Refinery 29 kidnapped our friend Alexander Wang to learn all of his style secrets, and you can consider them a cheat sheet:

Alex tells us he’ll stage his first full fashion show this September for Spring ‘08. Study up!

We’ve wondered before if anyone on America’s Next Top Model could truly become a fashion industry staple.

Gemma Ward managed to turn a few seconds on Australia’s Search for a Supermodel into her break, but so far, the only one who’s gotten bigger thanks to ANTM is Tyra Banks.

That might change next season, when Samantha Francis hits New York. You might remember Samantha as the lithe, blithe girl who got eliminated in Top Model’s second episode… the one who actually looked like a model.

And though Tyra didn’t feel Samantha had Top Model potential, Elite models recently signed her to their new faces board.

Ironically, that’s where she joins Jaslene, whose Top Model prize is an Elite contract!

Let’s see if Samantha can break the Top Model curse… we’re not into betting, but it does seem to be a great year for those booted from reality TV.

Last year, Kimora Lee Simmons invited beauty editors to her house in New Jersey when she launched her new perfume.

This year, Kidada Jones picks up the trend to showcase her latest stuff for Disney Couture.

The artist, designer, and sometime DJ just sent out invites to visit Quincy Jones’ Bel Air mansion for a “Princess Party,” where they can see the latest in Tinkerbell baubles while getting their brows done by Anastasia, their nails painted by Deborah Lippman, or their hair done by a handful of Hollywood stylists.

As the day’s entertainment, best friend Samantha Ronson will spin music, so you never know when a little Lohan could stop by…

It’s one thing to see a status bag copied on Canal Street, but it’s another to find it while online shopping on a website that doesn’t have a URL like replica-bags.com

We were browsing through handbags when we came across this one, which immediately struck a very familiar chord.

It’s called the “Lock It Up” handbag from Stil, and it comes complete with a padlock enclosure and a dangling key.

The bag is a nearly identical copy of Chloe’s Paddington Satchel, which just goes to show that putting a big lock on your bag won’t necessarily keep others from stealing.

And admit it - at first, could you really tell the difference?

—KEVIN KHUONG and FARAN

Last night’s Top Model finale was so obvious, we almost Tivo’d through the whole thing.

Cha-Cha queen Jaslene edged out goofy Natasha and mean girl Renee to take the crown, ensuring twelve months of jumping lines at Marquee and getting swarmed by eight year olds in the drugstore.

Meanwhile, Tyra tried to cause drama by hinting at bigotry behind the scenes, and Sass + Bide threatened to legitimize the entire fashion portion of the show by dressing the girls on the last runway. Thankfully, they put antlers on their heads to restore the show to the correct level of crazy.

And on a sad note, we turned to our Top Model correspondent Brooke Miller for the very last time. Here’s what the 4.0 freshman at the University of Texas said about the show…

LVMH announced today that they’re investing in Wenjun, a Chinese brewing company that makes “baiju,” a white grain alcohol that - according to our friend, the bartender - is somewhere between sake and vodka, and is incredibly strong.

At first glance, the move seems a little strange -

Why does a luxury fashion company want to run the booze market?

But remember, the “MH” after “LV” stands for Moet Hennessey, so spirits are part of the company’s core. And there’s another thing to think about with the news:

Louis Vuitton’s influence on global luxury trends is huge. Without them, logo accessories would be unacceptable, the apocalyptic layering of Marc Jacobs might still be obscure, and Murakami would just be a cute cartoonist in Japan.

So, if by the fall, everyone in New York is drinking some trendy cocktail made from baiju, all we’re saying is, don’t be surprised.

(note: we know the LV cigarette case has nothing to do with the post; we just can’t believe they made one…)

Last week, ELLE showed us the return of logos.

Today, their ’90s flashback continues with an ode to Manic Panic, which they’ve renamed “Pop Lights.”

Among their proof-of-trend: Rachel McAdam’s bubble gum streaks and Joss Stone’s questionable red tresses.

Meanwhile, the designers pulled for this story - Vivienne Westwood, Antoni and Alison, and Zandra Rhodes - are all based in London, where punk and ska influences still linger, street trends hit the runway more quickly, and catwalks are styled like a circus and not like a beauty pageant.

Still, Marc Jacobs dyed some of his girls deep blue and purple, and we’ve seen blondes paint a few lavender highlights into their hair and look gorgeous -

Would you do it?

Angelique, shopgirl at A.P.C.

Got Her: As she was heading to work, and we were leaving the Marc Jacobs bag sale on Mercer Street.

Stalked Her: Because we were having a Strawberry Shortcake moment.

Shot Her: Because her dress is adorable and the perfect portions for a tiny person, and the hot pink necklaces made our day.

She Says: “I wore this dress because, well, I thought it was supposed to rain and it’s my rain dress. It’s from H&M, so are the necklaces. Make sure you say that this big bag is my gym bag! It’s from American Apparel. The purple one is from Paris, where I’m from, and it’s by Gerard Darel.”

We Say: Magnifique!

—BESS LEVIN

We did say we were over Dior Cruise, but here’s one addendum:

WHICH of the falling models was tipping over because she was tipsy? Backstage spies say the girl couldn’t hold herself up because she couldn’t hold her cocktails, not because of the crazy shoes (though they certainly didn’t help…)

Sometimes a TV show can launch a girl’s wardrobe.

Just look at Mischa Barton and Rachel Bilson, whose O.C. stints proved a goldmine for looted Marc Jacobs dresses and Marni flats.

That show may be gone, but Candace Bushnell’s latest novel, Lipstick Jungle, has turned into an NBC pilot starring Brooke Shields as a film producer and Lindsay Price as her best friend, a fashion designer.

You might remember Lindsay from her darling days on 90210, but lately we’ve been pairing her with Cynthia Rowley in our minds (there’s Cynthia on the left and Lindsay on the right).

Why?

Her character, Victory Ford, is based on Cynthia, and they even share the same winning, winsome grin.

We’re eager to see Lindsay’s wardrobe in the show, and if it extends into her personal image as well. Sarah Jessica may be tired, but isn’t it time for another TV girl to thrill us with her closet?

Our favorite new blogger, Rachel Clark, reports on the frenzy backstage at Alberta Ferretti’s recent cruise show:

Apparently, all the girls got stuck in the elevator going down to the runway.

Though Chanel Iman looks a little panicked, it didn’t seem to last too long.

Still, the incident reminds us of the Calvin Klein show at Milk Studios several seasons ago, when one of the Olsen girls got caught in the lift and almost missed the show…

And how one of the girls at Balenciaga last year got stuck inside her gold-plated leggings, and was so late to her next runway that they almost had to slice them off of her…

How perilous, this industry!

Rachel then reveals she booked the Dolce and Gabbana campaign, which is great - hopefully, nothing gets stuck there.

Those in the mood for some Naomi Campbell with their coffee should press play now, and wonder why people doing community service with the model were afraid to talk to her.

No doubt, Naomi thinks it’s because she’s a huge celebrity.

Meanwhile, we think it’s because she was convicted of hurling her cell phone at someone, and confessed a rage problem in court.

Thankfully, Naomi’s found a new way to channel her anger:

Dancing to Tina Turner in an almost-decent mini dress.

We love it!

Ben Sherman’s first New York store turned a year old last night, and in its honor, we have a little scavenger hunt for you.

Here’s a photo spread of their party last night.

Can you find…

1. Thom Browne’s newest crush and possible next collaborator?

2. A former Streetwalker?

3. The Safilo heir?

4. The guy who styled Dance Floor Anthem?

Happy hunting, and while you’re at it: How do we feel about the lead singer of Dragonette wearing an all-white suit on stage?

It’s official: The private equity fund Permira has bought Valentino, for a whopping 3.5 billion dollars.

What this means for the company (and the clothes) is still unclear, though when bigger firms buy smaller fashion houses, several things tend to happen:

1. The staff changes.
This is especially important here, since those close to Valentino have indicated the designer’s wish to retire in the near future.

2. The company explores licensing and diffusion brands more readily.
You’re the future, and you don’t want to pay $5,000 for a dress. We’d love to see a cooler diffusion line for Valentino and with more funding and a bigger company running the show, it might actually happen.

3. Everyone gets a little nervous and a little excited.
Especially, we hear, the folks at Hugo Boss - remember, Valentino owns a controlling share in that company, which is actually the main money maker for brand. Valentino also works with M Missoni.

Meanwhile, more practical information: Those fabulous red-banded headbands that all the girls in the Spring ‘07 show wore down the runway? I found them at Duane Reade for $3.50.

Doctors are issued hospital scrubs and cops get guns - so maybe some celebrities think they have an innate right to sunglasses?

That’s the way it seems according to Socialite Life, who rag on Lindsay for snatching up seven pairs of Ray Bans at a Lucky Magazine event yesterday.

Meanwhile, Radar reports that heroine Hayden Panettierre asked for two extra pairs of Prada Luxottica sunglasses on her trip through the Lucky suites, which basically exist to get celebrities photographed with products and / or the magazine logo.

And if you’ve ever wondered why fashion editors have such incredible sunglasses, here’s a hint: Safilo, the company that makes most of the luxury shades out there, sends boxes of product to magazine fashion closets in hopes they’ll use them on photo shoots. To make sure they do, the glasses are on permanent loan - unlike the clothes, shoes, and bags that PR companies send to magazines daily, the sunglasses never need to be returned.

If you’re lacking the connections of Hollywood or a major masthead, don’t panic:

We’ve found almost 50 pairs of vintage (but never worn) sunglasses online, all for under $20.

Bonus: you won’t have to worry that Lohan has the same pair.

Another sign that celebrity style might take a backseat to yours in the eyes of Corporate America:

Look-Look, a popular cool-hunting company in Los Angeles, just sent an email to the thousands of kids in their “tribe” asking for street style shots of their favorite outfits.

The memo includes Sartorialist photos as “examples” and says, “We’re looking for insight and inspiration on style! This is an opportunity to showcase you and your friends’ style. Be sure to take head-to-toe shots, including everything from shoes, to outfits, to accessories, to hairstyle…

For each photo, be sure to note a first name, age, city/ neighborhood, and the inspiration for the look (you can name the attitude as well, if you like.”

The attitude in this case might be “cheap” - LookLook will chose 10 photographers total, and pay each snapper $20 for images that major companies will shell out thousands to analyze (and probably, to copy).

But is it cool to have your style copied by the masses, or would you rather be left alone?

Still waiting for you guys to take pictures of what’s inside your bag and send them… then perhaps this madness will stop!

The Liv Tyler obsession continues today with this freshly released photo from The Strangers.

The thriller opens this July, and stars Liv and Felicity cutie Scott Speedman as a couple whose vacation home gets terrorized by three mysterious strangers.

The fashion angle? One of those strangers is Gemma Ward.

And there she is, on the right, wearing a mask and wielding a very sharp knife.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t recognize her: Even with the creepy face covering and the dowdy outfit, Gemma’s walking toward Liv as if she’s stomping down the Chanel runway, and there’s really no hiding it.

Though IMDB lists Gemma as “The Masked Stranger,” we’ve learned that her character’s name is actually Strawberry, which is sort of adorable.

What if her hair is dyed red for the part?! Stay tuned…

Jauretsi, filmmaker / DJ / new media queen

Got Her:Outside the semi-secret Indian restaurant on Crosby St.

Stalked Her: Actually we’ve been stalking her since 2003, when she was one of our bosses at Jane

Shot Her: Because if you’re going to do high-waisted jeans, this is how: In a deep color, with a more voluminous top, and slim (not flared!) legs. Jauretsi got hers at Grey Ant; their jeans are great, and starting this August, you can get yours at Old Navy, too.

She Says: “My top is from Gaby Basora - when I worked at Paper, she used to be one of my interns!”

We Say: We still have so much to learn…

Coco Rocha may be a trained dancer, but we think her future might lie as a Sci Fi heroine.

While some other girls at Dior looked weighted, dated, or just plaid odd with their high starched hair and glittery headwraps last night, Coco managed to pull of a look very close to princess (and she didn’t stumble, a miracle!).

After wondering if she might be channeling Star Wars, we realized instead she was taking after Arwen, the elf princess played by Liv Tyler in Lord of the Rings.

And this isn’t a one-time trend: as the February runways proved, Warrior Princess Chic is fighting to replace the fauxhemian and equestrian vibes of the past few seasons.

Really, it makes sense - social and political strife trigger anxiety in everyone, and each aspect of culture reacts in their own way. Fashion’s current response is aggressive, almost taunting - would you want to get swiped with one of Burberry’s metal studded gauntlet gloves? No way.

More important: Will you embrace your inner Xena and go with the trend?

We got a giggly description of a girl last night who says she’s one of the assistants in the upcoming Fashionista Diaries, the reality show that follows girls as they work at Jane and Showroom Seven.

“This girl at my gym would not stop talking about how she’s on the show…

She was small and had fake blonde hair and a fake tan… She was 22 or 23… and she was the type of girl who wears shorts with “Juicy” on the butt. She had a thick Long Island accent.

She couldn’t stop talking about how she was helping to produce a fashion show, and how that was one of the big points of the show… she said she was really nervous, but she didn’t sound it - she sounded excited to be on TV instead. You know?”

Yes. But there’s already a Lauren Conrad, who was real blonde hair, a real tan, and real nerves about working in the fashion industry - will a faux hold up with viewers?

Highlights from last night’s International Center of Photography awards:

*Ryan McGinley confessing, “I’m picturing you naked right now.”

*Karl Lagerfeld’s face when a British reporter asked him, “So how did you hook up with Lindsay Lohan?”

*Meeting Lady Amanda Harlech, the stylist and Chanel muse whom we’ve secretly been stalking via Style.com for years. Here’s what she had to say about her life of crammed glamour…

So Amanda, we’ve never met an official muse before. Unless Cory Kennedy counts. How did you get your job?
Truly, I fell into it. I left school, and I thought, well I want to work at a fashion magazine but I’m not really a writer at all so I started helping out stylists on photo shoots, and that’s where you really meet people, you know, by working with them for hours a day. So you get passed on from person to person and eventually, I met Karl.

So many people are intimidated by Karl. I’ll admit, before I met him I was a little scared…
Isn’t that funny? Karl is incredibly sweet and such a good conversationalist but… you know, I wouldn’t tell people to not be scared before they meet Karl because maybe they should be! Did you like him?

Yes, very much! Give us a hint about next season - what are you obsessed with right now?
Right now I’m most obsessed with my daughter Tallulah. She’s eighteen and she came to the States with me last week, so I’ve been spending a lot of time with her. She just went back to London today. I’m sad… she’s going to Strasberg, for acting.

That’s cool. But you have to stay and do the Chanel cruise collection in California.
Yes, on Friday. It’s going to be a wild time, that’s what I’ll say… the clothes are an adventure… oh, watch out, Sebastian’s about to knock into you!

And with that, Karl’s infamously gorgeous bodyguard, Sebastian, nearly knocked us over on our Loeffler Randall heels. Our night was so complete.

WHICH indie rocker described his model date at last night’s big benefit as a “Ferrari”? The model in question has several campaigns under her belt, but since the rocker has already dated a Manhattan fashion designer and a hard partying starlet, he’s probably more into her glossy hair than anything else…

Don’t pretend you don’t watch The N.

The network that brings you Degrassi High, Instant Star, and South of Nowhere has developed a cult following among otherwise cool city kids, who can talk with scary fluency about how much they hate Emma, why Tommy won’t love Jude, and if Ashley is really a lesbian.

Now the network debuts its first reality show, and it’s all about fashion.

Called Star Stylist, the show challenges a handful of 20somethings to style their way through challenges and win the grand prize - a chance to dress a character on one of the N’s shows, plus a $5000 shopping spree at a store “to be determined by The N.” Which we imagine will be American Eagle…

The show’s judges include Mark Jacobs (the writer, not the designer) and Jamie Rosenthal, who used to work with Form. And lest you doubt The N’s fashion cred, consider this:

Degrassi star Stacey Farber (left) took time out from cutting herself on camera to intern at Nylon this year…

Too bad that’s not the star stylist prize!

Are these skull charms at Coach for…

a) Moms desperate to understand their daughters’ My Chemical Romance crush…

b) Spoiled NME readers.

c) Friends of Marilyn and Evan Rachel.

d) Avril Levigne.

e) _____________

Choose one or fill in the blank.

And would you ever buy them?

The Washington Times reports that Chinese hackers are using their skills for something stylish:

They’re breaking into the computers of major fashion houses and stealing images of status bags, to be copied and sold on the street at slashed prices.

While ripping off a bag is nothing new, hacking into a computer brings something new to the game:

With stolen patterns and graphics, fake makers can knock off bags with even more accuracy than before.

Even more alarming - or exciting, depending on your point of view - is the fact that with stolen information, those in the faux business can copy and create bags that might not be on the market (or even on the runway) quite yet…

Have your fakes gotten any better?

We’re now entering the show season known as “resort,” when European designers come to America to showcase their floaty dresses, bathing suits, and heels.

It’s a fun time, and usually a beautiful one, but last night’s Dior Cruise show had a few snags.

The show itself was luciously out of control - metallic jacquard print, beehave hairstyles, bejeweled Bollywood headbands, maribou feathers dusting the bottoms of babydoll tops. There were some Breakfast at Tiffany dresses that I would kill for, and the whole thing was like Beach Blanket Bazaar.

All the girls wore knives disguised as shoes - tall, teetering pastel things that stabbed the ground with laser-like points instead of bottoms. Galliano also attached little balls to the ends for decoration, but those got in the way of actual walking, and three models took a tumble on the winding runway. “It looked painful,” snapped an insider at the show, “and people were actually laughing as they left. What a Dior-saster!”

Well, it wasn’t all wrong - some of the clothes were cool, and it’s a testament to the geniuses behind the scenes that although the girls fell, their hair didn’t budge an inch.

First Erin Fetherston makes a short fashion flick starring Kirsten Dunst.

Then Prada casts Daria in a brief Ridley Scott film for their perfume.

Now it’s Charlotte Ronson’s turn.

We hear she’s teaming up with photographer Pamela Hanson to shoot a short film about her collection.

Though Charlotte’s celebrity fans include Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie, and Eve, we really hope the movie stars Jessica Stam, who was the only model to sit front-row at her Fall ‘07 fashion show.

Another possibility?

Maybe Mischa Barton - she’s worked with Ms. Hanson a million times before on her Keds shoots, which are so flawlessly cool, it’s hard to believe they’re for $40 sneakers.

NBC was smart enough to sign Seinfeld, to renew Frasier, and to cancel Joey - but they’re outdoing themselves with Lipstick Jungle, the pilot based on the Candace Bushnell novel that takes place, in part, at a fashion magazine called Bonfire.

The premise may sound a little like ABC’s most recent glossy hit, but while Ugly Betty merely brings you inside a faux magazine, Lipstick Jungle will let you read it:

Starting in September, Bonfire magazine will be available online to all NBC viewers.

The magazine will join the very real Cosmo and Marie Claire on the iVillage network, and further blur the lines between fiction and reality for TV viewers.

Which we guess is okay, but if we ever check into a hospital and have Ellen Pompeo taking our vital stats, we’re never watching TV again.

Mara, 24, actress and California native

Got Her: At Old Devil Moon in the East Village, during brunch.

Stalked Her: Because we’re a sucker for long, slim dresses, and colors that are rich but not loud.

Shot Her: Because once she struck that pose, our hearts turned to flavored slush.

She Says: “My dress is vintage but what’s really cool are my necklaces… this one has nine stones meant to symbolize the nine planets, and that’s supposed to bring peace and harmony with you, because it brings balance.”

We Say: Celestial!

This month’s Interview has a sweet shoot of Lydia Hearst wearing rose-inspired dresses.

We thought that Lydia was also wearing grunge-influenced gowns on another page, until we realized it was a completely different girl:

Alison Sudol, the lead singer of A Fine Frenzy.

In the piece, written by Selma Blair, Alison says “I’m an itty bitty little white girl… I just want to be able to make music until I’m old and nobody wants to look at me anymore.”

That’s okay, because if that ever happens, they can just start looking at Lydia instead.

In the meantime: Girls, call your colorists - besides Lydia and Alison, we spotted two other redheads - including Lindsay Lohan for Miu Miu - in the magazine!

—BESS and FARAN

SheFinds has a post that makes us extremely sad: an attack on the dress with pockets.

Okay, fine, it’s not really an assault, just a calmly stated preference for keeping “pockets where they belong -– on pants and shorts,â€? but to us, that’s what it feels like.

We’ll be rational (for one second), and say that dresses with big bulky pockets on the front are very hard to pull off, unless you’re Caroline Trentini in the Marc by Marc Jacobs show.

But the dresses with the slit pockets on the side, like the one Amy Adams wore last year to the Oscars (left), and the one Renee Zellweger wore to last week’s Met Ball , and the one we just bought on ShopBop are fantastic and even a bit utilitarian - like the early Prada bags made of nylon.

Right?

—BESS LEVIN

ELLE.com has a small slideshow today to announce the return of the logo.

They’ve pulled runway photos from Luella, Heatherette, and Commes de Garcons to illustrate the point.

But while the various t-shirts and sweaters might look cute on the catwalk, the question remains -

Would you ever actually wear something with a logo?

We think style has more to do with how you look than where you shop, but we will concede that this Vivienne Westwood t-shirt (and left) would look cute with our new Luella brocade skirt.

Also, a tangent: doesn’t the Louis Vuitton model in the LV tee (below) look like Lindsay Lohan?

When Target sold out of its Tara Jarmon dress last year, girls across the country were visibly bummed.

Thankfully, Forever 21 has recreated the dress in several colors for summer.

Our favorite is this blue and yellow version, which is built almost exactly like the Tara dress, but costs $5 more than the Tara for Target version.

Oh well.

We’re just glad to have it back in our lives.

The Telegraph has an article on Biba, the ’60s clothing explosion that started with a small London store and an even smaller mini skirt, and steadily took over the world.

The article pegs Biba as the first H&M, describing its disposable clothing and its ability to turn young, normal girls into style icons - something that never happened in London before.

But maybe the most interesting line in the story is this:

“[Biba founder Barbara] Hulanicki found her niche designing clothing for the postwar, protein-deprived young women who were growing girls when rations dictated the size of their suppers.

The clothing she designed was so narrow that when the fashion maven Adie Hunter recently passed on her Biba fake-fur coat to a friend of her daughter, the young woman could barely squeeze into it - and that young woman was Sienna Miller.”

So. Does the body ideal for fashion women come, in part, from food rations?

Something to think about. Though I do agree with ELLE’s Roberta Meyers - obesity among young women should be discussed with the same heat as “skinny fashion” …

Hilary Rhoda may be Estee Lauder’s new face, but in a few weeks she’ll be the poster child for The Bravery.

The Maryland model was just photographed with the band for Fashion Rocks, the Conde Nast booklet that fuses music and style, and culiminates with a star-crammed concert during September Fashion Week.

She’s part of a larger spread where bands get matched with top models - including one of our favorite girls, Anna K.

That still leaves the question of the Fashion Rocks cover - last year’s issue starred Beyonce and Jamie Fox, and this year?

We’ve heard rumblings of a fashion-music couple on the front, which means it might be Sienna + Jamie, or Kirsten + Johnny, or Kate + Pete… anyone we’ve missed?

Once upon a time, two fashion publicists with the same firm went to London. One of them slept with Liam Gallagher while the other one slept with Pete Doherty. And they all lived happily ever after, but not with each other. The End.

We love the Times Magazine spread where style icons wear their moms’ clothes.

Irina in her mother’s peasant blouse and Aerin Lauder in Estee Lauder’s diamond bracelet elicit a particular “ooh” factor.

Also, we never even knew Maya Rudolph’s mother was a famous ’70s singer until we saw the piece.

The story reminded me of my own favorite piece of clothing, a sheepskin coat from the ’70s that was made just for my mother, and in high school, I started wearing it.

When I thought of it shoved in the back of my closet, it made me wonder -

Have you ever gotten a great style piece from your mom or grandmother? Send photos!

Young Love hops on the fashion train with their newest video, directed by photographer Terry Richardson.

Things to answer as you watch the clip:

Shouldn’t lead singer Dan Keyes be the new face for Calvin Klein jeans?

Who’s that girl?

Is the best part of the video when Terry Richardson gets into bed at the end?

Or is it the American Apparel dress that the girl is wearing?

The London Times has a great (and huge) article today on Anya Hindmarch and the backlash for her now infamous non-plastic bag.

The tote was created to inspire eco-friendly shopping, but ended up causing stampedes all over England when women couldn’t get their hands on one.

It’s been photographed on Keira Knightley, Lily Cole, and - our favorite - Style.com editor Laird Borrelli, but it’s also inspired harsh criticism from those who question if sweatshop labor was used to make them, and why the London totes got delivered in giant plastic bags.

American fashion editors tell us that their bags came in paper boxes, which we hope were recycled. But we also hope a few of the spoof bags - shown at left - get sold here. They may be bitchy, but we haven’t laughed this hard since we saw Jessica Simpson’s Met Ball dress.

Oops. We didn’t mean to say that out loud…

The odd thing is that sometimes, fashion can tell the future.

Two skewed examples: the Harper’s Bazaar cover with Paris Hilton dressed as a jailbird, and this McQueen spread from V Magazine, which seems like a spooky last homage to McQueen’s patron, Isabella Blow.

Besides the fact that the story’s called Long Live McQueen, it also features the models in various death-masks, and a quote from the designer that “it was all about decay… I used flowers because they die.”

As new details surface about Blow’s untimely death (“new” = details everyone in the industry already knew, but wouldn’t share), the whole spread becomes a little creepy, no?

Like a best friend in middle school who’s suddenly pretty, Burberry has decided to dump its partner-in-crime, the signature check.

Business Week reports today that head designer Christopher Bailey has made a definite decision to step away from the plaid, focusing instead on the Burberry Prorsum collection, along with their burgeoning handbag category.

We adored what Burberry put on the runway this season, and their leather totes have certainly sprung into the status category (thanks largely to Kate Moss and Kate Middleton), but still -

Louis Vuitton continues to promote their monogram, and even Gucci’s glaring Gs are stamped on sunglasses, bikinis, and canvas bags.

Can Burberry’s succeed without its aspirational print, even if that print has gone the way of spray tans, Victoria Beckham, and Harvey Knicks hooligans?

The Times Style section has an amusing article on an item that, embarrassingly enough, I’d been thinking about for the last few weeks: the fanny pack.

The universally mocked “bag” usually equals lame tourist, but it’s now being reinvented by some very not-lame (unlame?) designers.

Kris Van Assche (newly of Dior Homme) has a day-glow “waist packâ€? that is quite reminiscent of the hot pink one I had circa 1990, though for some reason, it looks leaps and bounds cooler. Not that I wasn’t a pretty awesome six year old…

Meanwhile, Alice Roy’s design is inspired by a coin purse.

But the one that I’m thisclose to requesting as an early birthday present is Philip Lim’s envelope pouch, with black piping.

Of course, there’s always the old Louis Vuitton fanny pack that my friends wore junior year of college. The memory had me almost bidding for one on eBay…

But in the case of a ’90s trend that’s slowly creeping back, does an eBay sighting mean it’s vintage, or just very outdated?

—BESS LEVIN

We had a bit of deja vu with this oddly striped dress, but we couldn’t quite place it.

Then Lauren Chiang emailed us with the same obsession, except she knew its roots:

The dress may have turned up at Forever 21, at Mandee, at Strawberry, and on street corners, but it started last season on the Tibi runway.

Net-A-Porter has it (at left) for $369.

Meanwhile, we spotted it yesterday at a stall on Broadway for $10.99.

That brought out another mystery:

Was this dress really such a hit that it got girls craving knock-offs?

We love Tibi, but we don’t get it!

Those looking for Sienna Miller today should camp outside the Conde Nast building and the Hearst Tower -

Ms. Miller and her sister Savannah are showing their new collection, Twenty8Twelve, to select fashion editors, including Anna Wintour.

We hear the sisters were so nervous about looking perfect in front of the Vogue team that they ordered Bumble & Bumble room service for coiffing before their appointments.

We wish the team behind the line great luck, because we do like the clothes, but let’s be realistic:

If Kate Moss’ TopShop collection can get an entire Vogue spread and Jovovich Hawk can launch their entire line in a magazine profile with the top glossy, then Sienna and Co. should fare just fine…

We fell in love twice during Fashion Week - once with a certain heart breaker, and once with the glimmering headbands at Marc Jacobs. As it turns out, neither were available once the runways had wrapped, but we can still dream…

You’ll need: Netted metallic fabric.
Bags of flat-backed rhinestones.
Super glue.

Step one: Lay out your rhinestones - face down - on a flat surface.

Step two: Coat the rhinestone backs with superglue.

Step three: Gently press the rhinestone backs onto the fabric. Allow 5 minutes to dry, then begin to layer more rhinestones on your foundation. Don’t over-pile or the band will be too heavy!

Step four: Wear the band with a little white dress and give Lily Donaldson a run for her money… or flip it to the front and make Arden Wohl jealous. We think the headband works especially well inside the Met’s Costume Institute, where the Poiret dresses are screaming for a little glitter.

—our Marc band was made by Kevin Khuong and modeled by Shruti Ganguly

Ichiko, Recording Engineer

Got Her: Walking to work on Lafayette St.

Stalked Her: It was the green nailpolish that did it.

Shot Her: Because if you’re going to wear overalls, you want to look like an adult and not like an Osh Kosh ad. This is a good way to go.

She Says: “These are from Min-K down the street! I wear them everywhere!”

We Say: Over, exposed.

Those curious about what happened to Marc during rehab will undoubtedly gulp this video of the style icon.

Here he is on CNN, as interviewed by Paula Zahn about his experience.

The video shows Marc meditating and jogging; then the designer shares his decision to enter rehab and his hopes for the future.

We’re glad Marc seems to have recovered, and we wonder what (if anything) this will mean for his Spring ‘08 collection…

Can hospital scrubs go couture?

Portfolio rocks our world again, this time with a first look of Twenty8Twelve.

The line is designed by Savannah Miller and her sister Sienna; Portfolio’s Lauren Goldstein Crowe says it’s “by far the best “celebrity collection” to date.”

It’s also the most expensive - the clothes will retail from $150 - $500, but judging from the first photos, it’s worth it - especially that white pleated dress.

But maybe the line itself isn’t as exciting as where it will retail:

We hear Twenty8Twelve will have its very own London shop, where it will sell clothes from the line, plus related accessories.

This means rabid Sienna fans might catch a glimpse of the star just by going shopping. It also means there’s crossover potential in the States - don’t you think Barneys will want an annexed Twenty8Twelve boutique in the Coop?

Last week in a comment, Lily asked, “Can’t you see the difference between copied and influenced by?”

We think it’s a slick slope, but we agree that sometimes, it’s not quite a copy.

For instance, these Aldo jelly flats aren’t quite like the jelly flats from Marc Jacobs.

They shine a little bit more when they’re photographed.

Their insole isn’t plain like Marc’s, it’s zebra-print.

Their bow isn’t quite as flat, and they have a bit more traction on the bottom.

So maybe the Marc shoes were really just inspirational and not knocked off. After all, there are some things about them that are vastly different…

Like the price - Marc goes for $155, Aldo for $34.50, which we think is still a bit too much.

Of course it could be worse - some designers get copied much harder.

We got a great tip today about Kate Bosworth in Hawaii.

Reports say she’s showing off a new, “more healthy” body, and we do think she looks pretty great - especially in that Gap Body bikini, which is so down to earth and so easy to wear, it actually makes us want one.

Still, we have to wonder:

If Kate looks skinnier than the fit model who’s showing off her swimsuit on the website, does that mean that she’s too skinny?

Or merely that Gap has wised up and hired beautiful women who wear a normal size?

Style Dash says on May 30, Christie’s auctions this pink cocktail dress, worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

The move is a repeat of last year, when the LBD she wore in the movie went for the bargain-basement price of $932,178.

Clearly this (dress, but the movie, too) is a classic, and telling someone “I’d marry you for your money in a minuteâ€? will never go out of style, but if you’re going to shell out that much money, the question remains—what do you do with an archive dress?

Put it a frame? Send it to your parents’ home for safekeeping? Or wear it on the biggest night of your life? Or, you know, every day?

Natalie Portman sported the black Breakfast at Tiffany’s dress on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar but she’s Natalie Portman, and it was the cover of Harper’s Bazaar.

Could you wear this dress to a party? And if you couldn’t, is it worth 5 of 6 figures? Let us know. We’ll be watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s on loop for the rest of the day before we make a final decision…

—BESS LEVIN

Vera Wang has an important date tonight in Chelsea, where she’ll gather to show fashion editors her first diffusion line for Kohl’s.

We’re anxious to see what she’s got, though we know it will be closer to her own style - black, elegant, draped - then to her latest runway collection (at left), which broke so many barriers that everyone got dizzy.

Though it won’t create the same frenzy as Proenza for Target, it may offer some sophisticated options to older women on budgets, and that’s exciting.

Meanwhile in Europe, YSL is testing the waters with a capsule collection called Edition 24. Created by YSL head designer Stefano Pilati, the line is called “moderately priced.”

We think that translates to “still really expensive, like Miu Miu,” but we’re still excited to see it.

We can’t believe how much we like Unruly Heir, the clothing line started by Kristian Laliberte. It’s sharp, it understands that it’s sort of a joke, and if a guy showed up for a date wearing a piece of it, we wouldn’t mind at all. But we still think its creator is a little funny.

Meanwhile, Doug Marshall took time out of his busy schedule wearing blazers and shorts to make these tees in honor of the now-fallen Socialite Rank.

With Genevieve Jones launching a jewelry line and Tinsley’s second batch of Samantha Thavasa handbags hitting shelves soon, we had a brief moment of panic until we realized:

Tory Burch was a certified lady who lunched, until she became something of a style genius.

Of course, we don’t expect many to follow her success… do you?

We hear that last week, one recently rehabbed style icon went into the office of a major Hollywood stylist, who also consults on a clothing line. And then they did heroin. Boo.

Fortunately, their respective employees won’t stop talking about it, which means there’s hope they’ll realize their behavior is silly and stop. Please, before it gets too late.

Dear Fashion Editors,

We realize it’s fun to put Agyness in day-glo clothing.

We see the temptation with her porcelain skin, her shorn yellow hair, and eyes so blue they look like an iPod screen on backlight.

She’s also got the attitude to match, and anyway, it’s a trend:

Even pickles come in neon colors now.

But still, be warned:

If you keep dressing her in clothes that glow in the dark, normal girls like us will start wearing them too.

Is that what you really want?

WWD reports today that blue jean sales have dropped significantly.

They speculate the money women used to spend on jeans has gone instead to handbags and shoes, which have replaced status denim as the “It” things that every woman wants.

We think there are a few other factors too, like…

*Sack dresses outshining denim on the runways

*Climate change leaving less room for spring and fall, when jeans are most comfortable

*Cheap Monday, Ben Sherman, and Proenza for Target making great jeans for under $100

*The O.C. going off the air

How much will you spend on a good pair of jeans? And does cost really make them better?

Catwalk Queen reports that someone besides TopShop wants to cash in on Kate Moss’ success:

A rumor flying around London pegs Gisele Bundchen as the latest model-turned-designer, with her first collection - a range of lingerie - debuting this Fall at H&M!

The rumor seems likely - After all, Madonna and Kylie Minogue are two major faces who “designed” their own H&M lines - but is this why Gisele left Victoria’s Secret?

And - more importantly - would you ever buy Gisele lingerie?

Our first thought is no, but then we remembered Elle Macpherson’s line of knickers - which we actually love…

As you’ve been reminded, the Kate Moss for TopShop collection hit Barneys New York this morning. Accordingly, our intrepid fashion novice, Bess Levin, made an early morning stop at the store to see about the fuss…

Though I’m not a fan of getting out of bed in the morning, when there’s a promise of the Kate Moss for Top Shop (for Barneys), I can be known to make sacrifices. The early rising thing was also helped by the fact that my apartment much closer to the flagship store than the office, which has always been more of a curse—“look at it, there it is, just stop by, you have time�—but today served me well.

I arrived around quarter to ten, thinking I’d be one of the first few people online, but I’d underestimated Ms. Moss’s star power in America (and several coordinates above Houston and Lafayette). While I waited for the doors to open with 90 of my newest friends, I noticed the window displays: Each had a model in an outfit from the line, wearing Kate Moss masks. Cool or creepy?

Inside—on 7, for those of you making the trip today— Kate’s picture was plastered all over the walls.

There was a dash for dresses—the black one in particular, because it’s the best made—and the gold studded tee (literally, every girl had one in her hand). I’d considered the basic tank, but couldn’t justify it at $55. Hello, Forever 21. The black vests were grabbed immediately; a huge hit. But the big question of the day was the floral dress—cute or wrong?

One girl said she was underwhelmed by the offering, but “I saw the line in English Bazaar,” she said. “They made it look so good!”

When I left at 11, there were tons of girls and the pile was dwindling. Several staffers told me the morning was a definite success, and we agree.

But what about the other Barney’s? Could you get the line in Chelsea, in Florida, in Los Angeles? Let us know!

Here’s another hint about the infamous Met Ball subject:

We hear she almost got a socialite in trouble for leaving a certain something in her borrowed handbag after a photo shoot. Fortunately, the bag was cleaned out before it went through customs and now, nearly two years later, the girls are still friendly.

We love everything about Rihanna, but lately we’ve been wondering:

Is her style going the way of Hedi Slimane and Surface 2 Air?

Witness her recent Umbrella video, where she rocks a sharp sliver of a bob, yesterday’s eyeliner, and a dress that’s halfway between Versace and Urban Outfitters.

Rihanna looks incredible but she also looks familiar -

A lot, in fact, like DJ Leigh Lezark.

Her costume institute choice was equally Houston-and-Rivington - a white gown with scuffy black gloves, and again with the hair and the eyeliner.

We’re anxious to see more of her style this season - if she starts to layer shredded tanks and pair them with anorexic black jeans, we’ll know for sure that she’s inspired by The Cobra Snake.

(Also: wouldn’t she look beautiful on a Nylon cover?)

Today, the CFDA announced that Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen will host their pre-awards dinner in June.

(Note to entry-level Fashionistas: The CFDA is the governing board of the fashion industry. Their awards are akin to the Oscars but with more Marc Jacobs references. Andre Leon Talley’s booming presence on the red carpet will probably be about the same. Anyway…)

MK & A are set to kick off the night at the famously fashionable supper.

You may wonder why the style-blessed Olsens have been corralled into anything tied to food.

Meanwhile, we’ll speculate on which CFDA-nominated designers will dress them.

We hope for Phillip Lim!

Q: What’s up with the Got Milk ad you chose for the graphic?

A: It’s an amazing pop culture moment, don’t you think?

Cheri Bowen, modeling agent (for Irina!)

Got Her: At the Kate Moss for TopShop launch

Stalked Her: Because the room was full of famous people but we couldn’t stop looking at her dress!

Shot Her: Because we get emails from petite girls about graphic prints, and this is how you can do it.

She Says: “I’m not even going to tell you where I got the dress because you’ll make fun of me! But the bag is vintage and it’s bold! I like it when clothes are bold!”

We Say: And beautiful.

WWD reports today that Amanda Bynes will launch her own Steve & Barry’s clothing line, just like Sarah Jessica Parker.

While we wait for her website to launch (so we can hack photos from it, naturally), let’s consider something:

Does Amanda Bynes have anything to do with fashion?

She was adorable in What a Girl Wants and magnetic in She’s The Man, but we don’t remember seeing her in anything but jeans and a tank top from American Eagle.

Do you?

Let us know if we’re missing something - meanwhile, we’ll consult our own Amanday Bynes cheat sheet:

The Vanity Fair cover from 2004 that stars her, the Olsens, and a handful of other teen stars. Lindsay Lohan may be all the way at the end of the flap, but she’s still rocking her unfortunate pastel outfit with some fashion attitude.

Is Amanda?

Dazed and Confused isn’t the only place to get your Jefferson Hack fix anymore.

The magazine founder, perennial cool hunter, and father of Lila Grace Moss just launched a new column for The London Telegraph about men’s style.

His first piece tackles Tom Ford, emerging designer Patrick Ervell, and the death of Isabella Blow.

It also offers a lengthy shout out to The Sartorialist, which it calls “an invaluable source of ideas and inspiration for the style-conscious.”

Funny, that’s usually how we describe Dazed… where we expect to see some shots by the Sartorialist in the very near future.

Keep a lookout.

Maybe our copyright obsession started with Jessica Kagan Cushman, the bracelet designer whom we exalted, then imitated - then realized we weren’t the only ones!

In March, we caught a Chanel bangle that looked just like Jessica’s real thing (middle photo)- prompting the designer to make a stack of bracelets that screamed Ripped Off by Chanel” (last photo).

An article this weekend in The New York Post followed, where some of your comments were pulled as quotes! Amazing!

After we read the story, we took a stroll through Forever 21, where a pair of giant plastic Love Bangles made us swoon.

Until we realized, they’re just another part of the chain…

Jane is one of our favorite magazines (after Sassy, of course), but consider this quote from their May cover story, starring Spiderman babes Kirsten Dunst and Bryce Dallas Howard:

“Kirsten certainly looks the part of a cool café owner, in a black-and-white sweater, black leggings and ballet flats. Her It-girl bangs make her look like she stepped out of a Chloé ad. Bryce is classic-comfy in a gray knit wrap, loose black pants and Crocs. She wouldn’t look out of place in a Banana Republic catalog.”

Yikes. We would never imply that Jane was offering a backhanded compliment but…Banana Republic v. Chloé?

One half of this fashion equation seems to have gotten the shorter end of the stick. Unless really, Jane just thinks Bryce looks like Jessica Joffe…

—BESS LEVIN

WHICH style fixture had the wrong kind of attention last night? Though she hoped the press would notice her almost modest dress, their attention grazed instead to her new (and secret) breast implants. Oops.

Hint: you can see a photograph of her here.

Jordan Silver, 22, DJ for tonight’s Circus ‘68 party

Got Him: Behind the turntables at a Bedford St. house party - five minutes before the cops came.

Stalked Him: Because he managed to wear a Fedora without looking like Pete Doherty

Shot Him: Because this is the first cute boy in Williamsburg we’ve seen with straight leg - not skinny - jeans. Take notes.

He Says: “I like to play Motown and Oldies when I spin… everybody knows it, everybody dances to it, and people dress up a little more. I’m all for people dressing up at parties… and nobody’s wearing neon.”

We Say: “What, you think because Sammy Davis died, there’s an opening in the Rat Pack?”

This weekend, my friend justified her new Gucci shades like this:

“They’re more expensive, so I won’t lose them and I’ll always remember to take them with me.”

We wonder if that can also apply to designer shopping bags, like the new Stella McCartney Organic Canvas tote at left.

It retails for $495 and is meant to encourage women to abandon plastic shopping bags in favor of a luxury carryall.

We think Stella’s eco conscious brand is amazing, but $500 for a shopping bag? Eek.

On the upside, it makes $34.50 seem like nothing for a tote…

Is Pete Wentz starting a trend?

First we see his bulldog tee, as designed for DKNY Jeans.

Now Gap Body joins the trend, with this pair of bulldog panties that you can get for Fall.

Pups with smooshed faces are nothing new in the fashion world - Gaultier sent a pack of dogs down its runway three seasons ago, and Valentino is famously photographed everywhere with his pugs.

Still, this is the first time we can remember dogs hitting actual clothes.

Would you wear them?

OIivia Ong may look like a normal fashion student, but she’s actually a style scientist:

Her senior thesis collection for Cornell, called Glitterati, is made with with bacteria-trapping fibers that kill germs and pollutants before they can reach your skin.

The garments were made in conjunction with Cornell’s graduate science lab. They might look a little K-Mart, but their function is revolutionary, and could help prevent disease in places where medicine is scarce. They could also keep doctors and nurses from catching colds in the hospital, or even help parents taking care of sick kids.

The big drawback to these clothes is their price - Cornell estimates they’d need to retail for $10,000 each. Still, it’s an exciting development, and it raises an interesting idea:

If Project Runway is still short on cast members, wouldn’t a mad scientist do the trick?

Note to Tim Gunn: track Olivia down.

As Racked so sadly discovered this weekend, today is the first day that Patrick Robinson for Target hits stores.

It certainly doesn’t have the fanfare that Proenza’s diffusion line did, but as you all like to remind me, hype can’t make the clothes fit any better.

That said, it looks like the only thing from the line that we want is the print dress at left - a dress some pegged as a knockoff Chloe.

We’re not surprised.

Famed fashion stylist Isabella Blow has died.

The woman who discovered Alexander McQueen and championed eccentric British style and a slew of young designers, was found dead today - though no other information has been released.

I only met Ms. Blow once, at Camilla Al-Fayed’s birthday party last year. She wore a Philip Treacy hat and told me in a very firm voice that I should look beyond Proenza Schouler for fashion inspiration.

She scared the shit out of me, but I liked her.

The giant fashion bash known as the Costume Institute Ball is tonight. We’ll leave its reporting to Vogue - it’s their party, after all - but we will examine one curious tidbit today:

Why is Lindsay Lohan going as the guest of Bally?

In the past, Lindsay’s been taken to parties by Karl Lagerfeld, Francisco Costa of Calvin Klein, and Marc Jacobs.

Why is she switching her couture chaperone to a brand that’s more prized by the soccer mom set?

Possibilities:

1. Lindsay may have lost her fashion fizz. After misbehaving at last year’s CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund awards, other designers are worried that Ms. Lohan may irk the Voguettes and compromise their favor with the magazine.

2. Bally may be paying Lindsay a lot of money. The exposure is undoubtedly great for the line, their new creative director Brian Atwood can actually make cool clothes for cooler girls, and this wouldn’t be the first time money changed hands before the Ball.

3. Lindsay might like the Bally dress the best. After all, when you’ve worn every major designer before you’re 21, you’re bound to be over a label for label’s sake.

Any options we’ve missed?

Fact: that white dress by Kate Moss for Top Shop looked great on Irina.

Fact: that white dress by Kate Moss for Top Shop looked awkward on Selma Blair, despite her intrinsic style and obvious loveliness.

Fact: you’ve accepted the reality that this dress probably (read: definitely) doesn’t work on normal girls, but still can’t give up the desire for something white for the summer.

Although we maintain that wearing white is a death sentence for anyone planning on eating, drinking, and maintaining composure on a date, we’ve found a few options for those of you who can’t be swayed.

If they displace the toga (our new nickname for the dress at left), we’ve done our job.

—BESS LEVIN

After Victoria’s Secret sponsored HBO’s Adrian Grenier’s birthday party on Entourage, we had to marvel at the network’s amazing product placement.

Last night, the TV channel scored another fashion coup:

Not only did Adrian Grenier wear Cartier’s infamous Love Bracelet for the entire episode, he also had a conversation about it with Kevin Connolly.

We thought the accessory looked a little ridiculous (all right, a little Sopranos) on the otherwise adorable Adrian, but really, we’re not the ones who matter.

Would you want your boyfriend wearing the Cartier Love Bracelet? Or do you prefer the rubber spoof version, as invented by downtown art rogues Andrew Andrew?

Let’s play with this analogy:

Perfume Commercials : Fashion :: Videos : Music

They’re oversexed and usually make no sense, but you can’t stop watching.

The latest example is this French commercial for Liberte, the new scent from Cacharel.

It’s Gisele’s first public outing after Victoria’s Secret (remember, those YSL ads don’t hit magazines until Fall) and it’s pretty gorgeous.

But so, so pointless.

Also: isn’t it odd to see Gisele clothed?

WHICH beautiful designer has a temper that’s even hotter than her up-and-coming clothing line? Her business partner and her romantic partner can handle her, but everyone else in her life (including several studio assistants) have been dodging her wrath for months.

(the article itself - on designer Narciso Rodriguez - is excellent)

Kevin The Intern has exams today, but he’s much more obsessed with his wardrobe than his grades.

In fact, instead of studying, he’s shopping for copies.

The favorite so far?

This “Gotham Tunic” from Forever 21, which would look adorable over thin pants and heels.

Unfortunately, it also looked adorable during spring Fashion Week…

When its longer, more expensive version was in the Vena Cava presentation.

Perhaps when it comes to prints, sharing isn’t caring…

The LA Times has the first scoop on Jack and Meg’s new clothes.

As their latest record, Icky Thump, gears up for release, the team needs a new way to wear red and black - fans are already over striped t-shirts, rockabilly suits, and the way Meg swings a giant Stam bag for Jurgen Teller.

This time around, stylist Brandy St. John created pearlized suits that shine with thousands of lacquered buttons that she sewed herself. The suits are inspired by 19th century Cockney style and are meant to vaguely reference My Fair Lady.

Except to us, they look like Anna Sui’s spring pirate collection…

We’re going to blame Keira Knightley and be done with it.

Alice Temperley may be moving into Target this Fall, but she’s not the only one with big news:

Isaac Mizrahi just launched a wedding dress collection for the chain.

It stars four dresses, all priced below $160. The gowns are conservative - high necked, ivory colored, lots of tulle - but still a bit of a revolution because of the price.

Maybe - finally - women understand their wedding is about the guy next to them, not about the price tag.

Or maybe these dresses are getting used as something else instead - we’ve gotten three emails from girls wearing an Isaac bridal dress to prom, and one from an interior designer who unseamed the frocks with scissors and used them as slip covers for her dining room chairs.

We think we’ll wear ours to the Costume Ball.

A confession:

We’ve been asking Valentine and Olga Rei if they were behind Socialite Rank for months.

Each time, they swore it wasn’t true.

Each time, we believed them a little bit more.

And now it turns out, we were right all along. Here are some of their confessions, as spilled to Fashionista last night.

The Socialites Played Along
“Socialites would contact us at our anonymous Gmail address all the time! The emails we reprinted on the site were forwarded to us by socialites… The info we had came from them… Everything.” — Olga

Patrick McMullan Guessed First
“He came up to us at a party a while ago and said, I know you’re behind Socialite Rank and I think it’s fantastic! Let me take a lot of pictures of you!” — Valentine

They’re Not Stalkers
“People who read the site thought whomever was behind it was obsessed with socialites. But we’re not at all! We think the socialites are wonderful but we don’t have, like, pictures of them on the walls. To us, it was like an art project.” — Olga

It Might Be a TV Show
“We’ve gotten the strangest phone calls from producers… like from people who work with Tyra Banks. We will see what happens.” — Valentine

It Had an Unlikely Inspiration
“The Imaginary Socialite is the root of all evil! When you put us on your blog, Olga started reading it and had the idea for our site. Why do you think it was in WordPress format?” —Valentine (aww)

Nobody Knew. Really.
“It was odd watching socialites point fingers at each other. That’s when we realized we could stay anonymous forever. We chose to Out ourselves because we think New York is a wonderful magazine and we only wanted to do the site for a year. We were really bored with it.” — Olga

We can’t believe how excited we are for Old Navy’s fall clothes.

Why?

It seems their designers have been clicking through the Marc by Marc show from Fall 2006 on repeat.

The shapes are slouchy, the skirts are bubbled, and there are a few tunics - like this rosette-print shirt, at left - that definitely correspond to Marc’s exact designs.

Also check out the cropped trench over the tunic - it’s actually made of sweatshirt material. When it’s sold this fall it will win the award for coolest sweatshirt ever.

We are very hot and cold with Lavin, but if you love the label unconditionally, you should head to Saks Fifth Avenue (in New York) at noon to meet Alber Elbaz, the adorable genius behind the collection.

Mr. Elbaz will introduce Lanvin’s new fragrance to Saks and the world, and greet some adoring fans along the way.

If you’re more into Lanvin clothes than intoxicating scents, you’ll have to console yourself with this thought:

Jessica Stam, in Los Angeles with Steven Meisel, shooting the Lanvin ads for Fall right now.

But perhaps it’s all just a dream…

Dear Sarah Jessica Parker,

Thank you for your oddly worded manifesto about bloggers, as seen on The Budget Fashionista.

While it’s admirable that you want to make clothing for “people all over the country,” it’s insulting to think that those people who appreciate you and your work don’t appreciate great design - the design sadly missing from your collection.

By saying that “there’s no criticism a person can make” about your clothing line, you imply that women around the country should somehow feel privileged to wear your line of $7 basics as if they were a second skin. Second skin which we haven’t seen you wear, because you’re photographed in designer clothes all around New York.

And when you do deign to wear your clothing line, you’ll look amazing, because you’ll have a hairstylist, a makeup artist, and at least five years with a personal trainer behind you. Don’t forget the Manolos - how much were those again?

We don’t think you should apologize for your amazing style, your success, or your wardrobe - it’s inspired many women and it’s amazing.

But please don’t pretend that you’re “just like us,” that every woman in a flyover state is thrilled to wear your line, that this is a charity project instead of a way to keep you visible in American pop culture. Maybe the real problem with design in America isn’t the lack of cheap blouses, it’s the way mass retailers condescend to their shoppers?

You are right that every woman should “feel good when they go to an interview and they can still pay their utilities and they can still take care of their children or buy a present for a friend.”

We just wish your new clothing line supported that idea a little more.

The normal women whom you champion so strongly deserve it.

When Mario Testino falls in love, he falls hard.

Example: Catherine McNeil, the seventeen-year-old model from Australia who caught his eye with Carine Roitfeld, and immediately booked 35 Fall shows, then landed on the cover of V Magazine.

But that’s not all:

Catherine McNeil is reportedly signed to a six-month exclusive deal with Mario Testino where she can’t shoot with anyone else.

That deal helps make Catherine the new face of Versace. If the rumors are true, she’ll be featured by herself on several Versace ad pages this fall.

If the rumors are false… well, then Donatella’s crazy, because Catherine would be perfect.

Camilla, 16, 11th grader at Spence

Got Her: At the Teen Vogue / Liya Kebede Foundation auction

Stalked Her: Because party dresses are vastly underrated, and skinny jeans are starting to bore us.

Shot Her: Because we didn’t learn to be this self-possessed until we hit 22. Also, note the navy blue nail polish…

She Says: “My dress is from Development. This is actually the first time I’ve worn it out - it was so exciting to take it off the hanger!”

We Say: Posing is half the battle.

WHICH starlet almost signed a contract with a major modeling agency? She was lined up for a million-dollar beauty deal but the modeling agency pulled out because they didn’t want to deal with the celebrity’s increasingly tarnished image…

We hear that Kate Moss will reprise her role as TopShop mannequin next Tuesday night at Barneys.

The supermodel stood in the TopShop windows in London for approximately thirty one seconds, as every camera in the country snapped.

If Kate gets into the Barney’s window, the response may not be pandamonium, but it’ll still be very cool.

Will she do it? Probably -

After all, she’ll by flying here on the private jet of TopShop owner Sir Phillip Green (along with her crew of agents), so she’ll be way more rested than if she took Virgin Atlantic.

Because she managed not to get thrown into a pool by 50 Cent, Dionne won the Keds challenge on Top Model, and chose fellow competitors Jaslene and Whitney to shoot the Keds campaign with her.

The ad is now running in Seventeen, and we’ve scanned it for you so that we could hold our own little judging panel.

If you look really hard, you can make out Jaslene in the bottom right corner. Squint even harder and the blur behind her becomes Whitney. As for Dionne, whose photo is front and center, we just think this shot proves she’s not the winner. She looks really uncomfortable on camera, especially considering how she’s supposed to be “casually” lounging poolside in LA. This doesn’t bode well for a Cover Girl.

And speaking of LA, is there some kind of rule that every girl in town has to own a Primp hoodie/ thermal/ sweatpant? Tyra seems to think so… maybe her friend Nicole Richie gave her a hand-me-down.

Today’s love comes from Time Out Chicago, where fashion editor Annie writes in to tell us…

“Hi Faran,

I thought of you because I was just at Forever 21 to pick up bracelets to prop a photo shoot.

I found this:

and this

I rate them a “3.1” out of ten.”

We couldn’t have said it better…

But since it’s not an exact knockoff, would you buy it?

Two films about Coco Chanel are racing towards completion.

The first is a French movie directed by William Friedkin, who also made The Exorcist. It stars Marina Hands, who may not be famous here, but she’s basically the Paris version of Nicole Kidman. Called Coco Et Igor, the movie’s focus is on Chanel’s affair with the composer Igor Stravinsky.

Meanwhile, director Daniele Thompson is working on a Coco Chanel biopic for 2008. While no cast has been announced, we think Angelina Jolie should have the role.

Why?

Well, Chanel was a bit ruth