Some scoff at the frenzied shopping experience that is the Barney’s Warehouse Sale, but we really love it.

Where else can you see Prada sheaths mopping the floor and Louboutins piled up like recycling?

If you can deal with the sacrilege, and live in New York, you might want to visit before the sale concludes on Monday.

Why?

Because everything is 60% off the last markdown price. Which means besides $30 Marc by Marc dresses, there’s also a lot of Lanvin and Balenciaga, for under $400 a dress. It’s an investment, but if it fits you well - and only then - you should run to the cash register.

Check out some of our scores below… alas, the Lanvin was either too big or too small!

When Sam Shipley and Jeff Halmos were part of the Trovata brigade, we instantly liked them.

They were funny; they were rumpled; they were hot (yes, fine, admitted); but also:

They never apologized for making clothes that kids actually wanted to wear.

There was no Trovata bubble skirt and no Trovata chain mail - just miles of cotton that everyone understood. “But is it overrated?” I asked Vogue’s Sally Singer one season. “I have khakis too, from The Gap.”

She explained that my Gap khakis weren’t as well built as Trovata’s (very true, once I examined them) and that also, some designers (Elbaz, Ghesquiere, Zac) build dresses. And then some of them build brands.

Now Sam and Jeff have a new one - Shipley + Halmos. It’s all menswear, it’s all very controlled, and it’s all stuff you’d want a guy to wear when he takes you on a date.

We love it, we love Men.Style.Com for showing it in such depth, and we love the designers -

Though sadly, we know we’re not the only girls in town who do!

When designer Peter Bertsch took home the 1,2,3 prize at Hyeres, we were intitially struck by the sculptural beauty and absurdity of his his “Half Plant/Half Human” collection.

With dresses that recalled the ambigious sexuality of Georgia O’Keefe’s flower paintings, Bertsch revealed his talent for playing with the physical boundaries of the body and the sensual pleasures of fabrics.

Still - it didn’t occur to us that Bertsch might design something we might actually want to wear until we looked further into his collection and found the beautiful diaphonous, Midsummer Night’s Dream-inspired dresses that look perfect for running through the forest in the middle of the night and for more ordinary activities.

We also love what we read about Bertsch in this month’s Paper — apparently:

“Christian Lacroix, who was the president of the jury at Hyeres this year told [Paper’s Diane Pernet] a funny story about the the jury deliberation over whether Peter Bertsch should be awarded a prize — some of the jury members thought that he was too handsome and that his collection was too perfect!”

—ALISON COOL

Racks of Burberry trenches hit our shores each year - now Christopher Bailey wants us to return the favor.

The checked designer was in Chicago last week for a Burberry fashion show, and the local models used on his runway made quite an impression -

According to Time Out Chicago, Bailey booked several of them for his Milan runway next month.

Stranger discoveries have certainly happened, and remember that Cindy Crawford developed in Chicago 20 years ago - it’s also Erin Heatherton’s hometown.

Who’s next?

Maybe Shaletta Porterfield from Ford - Andre Leon Talley reportedly called the Vogue home office about her, and today, WWD runs a photo of her storming the Burberry show.

Look out, Milan!

Which designer hasn’t issued an invite to an always-photographed starlet, despite her publicist’s requests?

The designer’s camp - which has also taken several fashion editors off its list - claims their new show space is small, and can’t fit too many people.

But how much room can this celebrity need? She’s always the thinnest girl in the room!

Add one more girl to the stack of Fashion Week casting cards:

Cory Kennedy just signed up with Muse models.

The boutique agency has a small stack of sex bombs whom they call their muses - yes - which includes Nylon favorite Holly Hayden and also Kemp, who may be best known in the States for her Young Love video with Terry Richardson, but also has a huge Maybelline campaign in France.

Now they’ve got Cory “by special arrangement,” which we think is code for “we must bring her Mochaccinos whenever she’s on set.”

Whether she’s signed in time to walk a runway is something, of course, we’ll keep investigating…

It’s not just models who come from Slovenia.

Cathy Horyn’s NYT blog has a particularly erudite —and, okay, at times a pretty pedantic— set of commenters.

The most famous is “Autre”, who writes virtual dissertions on a variety of subjects - some related to fashion, some related to him.

Yesterday “Ms. Horyn” (as her commenters call her) posted a 7,000 word essay of Autre’s, and revealed that he is actually writing a dissertion:

He’s a Ph.D candidate in art history at the University of Ljubljana.

We found the essay, which uses ‘Silence of the Lambs’ as a vector for exploring fashion, and particularly fashion criticism, to be quite intriguing— both in and of itself, and for what it represents about the changing face of fashion commentary.

We think it’s great that the path to writing about fashion is no longer always through the fashion closet.

Right now, some of the most exciting commentary is coming from people like Autre; outsiders in a very insider industry.

But while his removal from New York and Paris means his voice is fresh, and brings his academic training to bear on Nina Ricci’s feathers and Marni’s sack dresses, it also means Autre is sometimes talking in a bubble.

Which is natural, considering he’s in Slovenia.

Should fashion be guided from the outside in?

—ANNA FIELDING GRIGGS

This week’s Time Out New York has an extremely useful article about the best photo booths in the city.

Our personal favorite location for photo booths is in bars, because it’s a good make-out spot, and a good place to shamelessly immortalize your making out, for better or worse.

We also think that color photo booths are a waste of time -

It’s all about the retro appeal of the black and white in the era of digital photography.

And B&W is way more 1960s Andy Warhol photo booth self-portrait-esque.

But do photo booth strips lose their cool factor when you scan them for your myspace page?

—ALISON COOL

With summer coming to a close, you can get steals on beachwear while designers stock their stores with the first crop of autumn attire.

But is there really much difference between what you wear in August and what you will wear three months from now?

Today’s Wall Street Journal features a piece on the decline of seasonal dressing.

The article credits global climate changes, as well as Central AC, as a leading cause for why you’re going sleeveless in November.

The shift might also be part of the “casual movement”, since people can wear the same jeans year-round, and simply add or remove layers.

We can identify with many of these observations - especially when we think back to last December, when it was 60 degrees and we were ditching our coats for t-shirts.

And then there are those girls who wear flip flops in the winter, even if it’s snowing…

—SARAH MUEHLBAUER

We’re not allowed to say how we know this, but we can promise that Angela Lindvall is back at IMG Models.

After working with the agency for 10 years, she briefly decamped to One in 2005.

It’s worth noting that Angela is one of the rare American models right now, and also that she’s (gasp) 27 and a mother of two boys - both things that make her something of a mannequin rock star in our book.

Angela is the current face of Zara, but we expect she’ll score. even bigger campaigns for Spring ‘08…

After all, IMG is sending her out on the runways with the rest of their pretty posse next week, and she’s too gorgeous not to get booked… and booked… and booked.

Remember Best Friends necklaces? The necklaces which each had half of a heart, and when you put them together it made a whole heart that said “Best Friends”?

We love how Swedish designer Agnes Rosa Beckman Carling has updated this concept - and made it way more morbid - with her “half animal” necklace.

She’s still a student at Sweden’s prestigious Beckman’s, but you can email her at agnesrosa_bc@hotmail.com if you don’t want to wait until she graduates to find out more.

As far as the necklaces, we suggest getting a pair. Then, you could give one to your best friend, best enemy, or just selfishly wear both of them yourself!

—ALISON COOL

IMG’s show package is up online, and it includes some of our favorite VIPs:

There’s Freja, Jessica Stam, and Tanya D. all looking gorgeous.

There’s also some incredible new “talent” - and by “talent,” we mean “gene pools” - and our hearts actually stopped when we saw Heidi Mount, a blonde who looks like Tommy Hilfiger built her specifically. And though The Casting Director picked some gorgeous girls for ELLE, we also wouldn’t discount IMG’s Hannah Davis, the beachy beauty who booked some Ralph Lauren ads last year, and now is here to stay.

Meanwhile, Gemma is not in the New York package, and neither is Lily Cole.

BUT.

We hear from a casting assistant that Lily is being quietly allowed as an option for a few select designers.

We hope it’s true -

We love Lily!

Things that impress us about Betsey Johnson’s invitation:

1. It came with a hot pink balloon that said “Prom Queen.”

2. It came with several photos of Betsey at her own prom, at Terryville High School in Wethersfield, Connecticut.

3. It came stamped with the date of Betsey’s actual high school prom - 1958.

How many fashion icons do you know who will admit their age in writing?!

Also, is it us, or does Betsey’s pink dress need its own crinoline zip code?

Amazing.

Thursday Styles has an article about the Hampton Classic that might just be the best reading the Times has to offer today.

The piece focuses on rich girls and their horses, and sheds a lot of light on why equestrian fashion never really goes out of style. And of course, the first two words in the article are Ralph Lauren:

“RALPH LAUREN was lying on the grass in the late afternoon sun, eyeing the willowy teenage girls, flushed from humidity, cantering their steeds. Clad in an orange Polo shirt, Ralph — the Yorkie, not the noted designer — was but one of many preppy attendees of the Hampton Classic horse show, where it actually feels appropriate for a dog to wear a collared shirt rather than a collar.”

Doesn’t it seem like the traditional clothes sported during the leisure activities of the wealthy - horse racing, polo, hunting, etc. - are having a big moment right now in fashion?

First you have Kate Moss wearing those understated Hunter boots at Glastonbury, and now we’re seeing jodphurs, houndstooth, and tartan all over the place.

Pretty soon NYC hipsters will be indistinguishable from the English landed aristocracy. They’ll be like “Oh, are you going to the secret White Magic show”? “No, I’m going to Wimbledon. Cheerio!”

—ALISON COOL

Reader FM writes in with this challenge:

Can you tell which of these dresses is Kate Moss for TopShop ($150 at Barneys, when still in stock) and which dress is $24.80 at Forever 21?

True, Kate’s “original” dress was also a copy - she had a Versace dress just like it in the ’90s.

But will that stop TopShop from suing?

We doubt it -

And we wonder how many girls will miss their chance at buying the Kate dress and this one when it’s pulled from shelves…

All the sneaker companies are going crazy trying to compete with one another to make the coolest, most limited-edition, hippest artist collaboration, niche market sneakers.

You practically can’t walk down Broadway without tripping over a pair of rainbow hued Reebok Freestyles, and Adidas and Nike are probably spending more than the GDP of some countries trying to outdo one another generating buzz around their new styles and re-releases of classic & vintage styles.

And now the weird little brother of sneaker companies - Vans - is joining the game.

We’re actually kind of excited about their line of sneakers in tribute to metal and punk bands - including Iron Maiden, Circle Jerks, and Motorhead. Style-wise, our favorites are the Iron Maiden hi-tops, but music-wise we prefer Motorhead.

But it kind of begs the question - how many models are we going to see wearing sneakers in tribute to bands they have most likely never heard?

—ALISON COOL

A few months ago, we asked you which celebrity should design a clothing line.

Most of you answered Chloe Sevigny… and she must have read your comments.

The actress announced last night that she’d show a small collection for Opening Ceremony in New York and LA.

It’ll debut with a presentation on September 4. the day before Fashion Week officially starts, and also the day when Jen Kao, Form, and Trovata unveil their Spring ‘08 lines.

We’ll take photos for you, and try not to get them mixed up!

PS: We love this image from photographer Chris Buck so much. We hope he’s shooting for Fashion Week.

What is Qoniak?

It’s not a fourteen-year-old Belgian with a Prada exclusive—

It’s Cheap Monday’s new, more expensive clothing line (pronounced like “cognac”), which just debuted at Stockholm Fashion Week.

We were not thrilled about all the acid wash, but we were impressed by the resemblance between one of the models and writer/socialite/Banana Republic campaign girl Jessica Joffe.

However, we can’t decide if the person in question is Jessica’s long lost twin brother… or sister.

Androgyny is big for fall.

—ANNA FIELDING GRIGGS

Ever since Kate Moss for Topshop flew in and out of stores, we’ve been kicking ourselves for not snapping up that cute pansy-print mini dress.

We tried to make peace with our loss, and managed to forget about it (sort of) for a while -

But a recent sighting of the dress in Southampton spurred a major obsession-relapse, and we’ve been scouring eBay for it ever since.

That is, until today, when we spotted this “Ditsy Print Tea Dress” on Topshop’s website.

The floral pattern is a bit dottier than the original, and the waist is cut slightly different. Still, we think it would look just as good with sandals and a cute boyfriend.

It may not have the Kate label (or her seal of approval), but we just might have to snag this one anyway.

—SARAH MUEHLBAUER

London artist Matthew Stone has already caused quite a stir in London:

Besides exhibiting his massive, fantasy photos at various British museums, the 25-year-old “art shaman” has also performed as part of the WoWoW! Collective, a UK group of culture misfits that also includes Gareth Pugh, and gets a large amount of credit for re-sparking the rave scene in England.

Now Matthew’s come to New York, and we’re told to expect him at a few fashion shows and parties.

Perhaps he’ll be in the company of Terence Koh, the Manhattan-based artist whose recent performance piece let him wear Balenciaga’s robot leggings. Matthew photographed Terrance at Boombox, where he did a living art installation and wore some Pugh masks, too.

And while Stone’s work may not be as scene-driven as Ryan McGinley’s, it’s a good bet he’ll be collaboration with the fashion world for years and years.

Start watching now.

You’ll either love this or hate this, depending:

Besides the usual crush of TV actors and stylists coming to Fashion Week from LA, there’s a new infusion of style seekers that hail mostly from Cinespace.

They’re the LA scenesters, and they’ll be out in full force next week.

Starting the party is Imitation of Christ, who’ll launch their diffusion line on September 4th at Snitch. The DJs are Paul Sevigny, the Czar of the Beatrice Inn, and cutie David Katz. And we’ll be looking for designer Tara Subkoff and her neon blonde hair.

Meanwhile, Steve Aoki will spin at Alexander Wang’s show and party, while rumors swirl that his sister, Devon Aoki, will walk the runway. Those whispers are very unconfirmed, though we can promise that supermodel Erin Wasson will be there - she’s styling the clothes for Wang’s latest collection.

Finally, Jeremy Scott’s muse, Cory Kennedy, is in Manhattan for two weeks. She’ll attend various shows and parties, and pose for countless MySpace pictures along the way.

And now, back to the clothes…

We can all agree that J. Lo looks hot on the cover of eFashion Rocks.

Corset belts are huge for fall, and in general we are totally in favor of them. But we think the Dolce & Gabbana metal corset belt deserves a little bit of closer inspection.

The corset itself has a somewhat problematic history in terms of women fainting and suffocating, but that doesn’t bother us as much as the way the D&G belt references the chastity belt.

And here’s why:

The lock and key on the D&G corset belt reminds us of how medieval knights would lock up their ladies in chastity belts to guard their purity while they went out marauding and plundering.

We think this trend started with the recent resurgence in popularity of the Cartier love bracelets and the idea that locking someone down in a piece of expensive metal symbolizes commitment.

But really, whose vision of sexy is this?

—ALISON COOL

The snowball effect has swept up one of our favorite designers:

After being named creative director for Bill Blass, and getting a fast-selling lipstick from Lancome, Peter Som may get a big cash infusion from Lord and Taylor.

The Wall Street Journal says the store’s owners want a stake in the company.

If the deal goes through, it marks the second young brand this year to get a big fashion investor (Proenza got its own payment from Valentino’s parent company this Spring).

It also hints at Lord & Taylor’s emerging strategy to pair with high fashion labels and turn around their image - remember, these are the people who got Vogue’s Lauren Davis for their fall ad campaign.

We’ll be watching Peter’s front row this season, searching for the Lord & Taylor team - though really, anyone at Fashion Week who isn’t Daria becomes a blur by day two…

As someone who routinely panics in front of her morning closet, I’m taking huge comfort in this Style.com video.

It trails the streets of London in hot pursuit of style, and finds three well-dressed women - albeit women who are massively hooked up in the industry - to gab about their clothes.

Maybe the most interesting thread running through all the women is the idea that your looks shouldn’t be perfect.

As British Vogue contributor notes in her own interview - while wearing a slouchy smock and Beatles t-shirt - “I guess you could dress like a supermodel, but I’m not a supermodel - I’m me.”

We’ll just keep repeating that to ourselves, over and over again, as we stare at our piles of jeans and heels, and moan we have nothing to wear.

Will America’s Next (or just latest) Top Model pose for Fashion Week?

We don’t know - but we do have her show card from Elite.

Jaslene looks really good in her industry composite, and we know her wiry frame will look great in the menswear shapes hugging the catwalk.

But we haven’t heard of her appearing at any castings yet, and designers may not be interested in casting a mild TV personality.

One place we will be watching:

The runway at the Van Cleef and Arpels Paris-themed party, which promises to feature a handful of models in dazzling Van Cleef jewels, and all will be procured from Elite’s boards.

Wait a minute - wasn’t catwalking in 10 lbs of diamonds while surrounded by Can Can dancers a Top Model challenge?

Last night we checked out the 1971 noir-ish movie Klute at Film Forum, mostly to see how they outfitted Jane Fonda to play an early ’70s call girl named “Bree.”

And we were not disappointed.

Other than her somewhat unfortunate haircut, which recalled the electroclash “fashion mullets” of 2001 (remember that?), we found a lot of outfit inspiration.

Our favorite Jane Fonda look was a mini-dress cinched at the waist with a wide belt with over-the-knee leather boots. But the true genius of the outfit was the classic trench thrown on casually over the whole ensemble.

In retrospect, we think the whole film should have been devoted to exploring how adding a trenchcoat to any outfit instantly makes it look WAY less slutty.

—ALISON COOL

Easy Spirit snagged Tara Subkoff; now the other comfort shoe company wants to climb on the catwalk.

On Friday, Aerosoles will meet with Nicole Romano to discuss a possible collaboration for next year.

The move follows Fashion Week sponsorship deal between the brand and the designer, and a shoutout on Style.com for Aerosole’s newly cute flats.

The pairing would be great for Nicole, but it’s also threaded with irony:

Nicole’s big break came when Patricia Field dressed Sarah Jessica Parker in her clothes on Sex and the City.

But if her shoe collection launches in the next year, it’ll compete directly with Patricia Field’s new range for Payless!

Until those lines debut, let’s get acquainted with these $89 chunky heels…

One trend may emerge for Fashion Week that has nothing to do with the runways:

Flats!

10,000 NYC cab drivers are threatening a strike to protest new laws mandating GPS units in every cab. Unfortunately for the fashion industry, the strike is scheduled to start on September 5th; the first full day of shows in New York.

The move may even affect magazine editors, who rely on car services to shuttle them from show to show - but even some car services belong to the Cab and Limousine union whose cars could sit in the garage.

That means if you’re an editor, model, designer, dresser, make-up artist, stylist, casting director, or someone who shelled out for skybox seats in the tents, you may be walking or (gasp) taking the subway.

We suggest doing so in a pair of these terrific Marc by Marc mary janes, and maybe bringing a good book

- The shows will almost certainly be running even more behind schedule than usual.

—ANNA FIELDING GRIGGS

In fashion math, $200 will get you 1 pair of Lanvin flats on sale at Barneys, 10 Tarte lipglosses, or half the sleeve of the Chanel penguin sweater.

It could also get you into the Carolina Herrera show.

American Express recently announced a deal with IMG - the company producing New York Fashion Week - which makes tickets to runway shows available to Amex gold card holders.

$200 buys you a seat for two collections — in a specially constructed 26 seat skybox in the tents, complete with food, beverages, a giftbag, and a very small view of the back of Anna’s head.

Or at least, it did.

The 450 packages available went on sale 5 days ago, but they’ve already all been snapped up by Coco fans, DVF lovers, and would-be Olsen spotters.

The ticket proceeds go to American Express, but the company is paying IMG a substantial sponsorship sum for their special seats. IMG says that it’s a way to keep charging labels the same amount to show their work, despite rising production costs.

But insiders say the deal is why more designers show outside the Tents - They want total control over the show’s environment, guest list, and advertising, and feel that IMG is more concerned with its own brand than those showing in Bryant Park.

Despite the nay-sayers, IMG plans to offer similar deals for other fashion week events it produces (in London, LA, Berlin, and Miami). They’re tapping into a growing desire to see real live size zeros stomp the catwalk:

In November, labels like Oscar de la Renta and Valentino re-enact their spring collections in Dallas, during four days of 18 runway presentations. Every seat is for sale, and prices start at $25 a show.

This could be a great way to demystify fashion for those who don’t breathe the industry - but it might also kill some of its magic.

Will fashion shows lose their appeal? Or will fashion be better when it answers to the people as well as the press?

—ANNA FIELDING GRIGGS

Will fall’s It bag be….a sunglasses case?

Roberto Cavalli hopes so.

His limited edition ‘Eva’ shades - named for his wife - go on sale October 15th, with a hefty price tag of $640 - most of the brand’s current pairs retail for $300-$450.

But the press release points out that “The original packaging, created exclusively for the “Evaâ€? sunglasses, is covered in leopard print champagne colored satin and decorated with the RC monogram logo in bronzed metal. The case can also be used as an evening clutch or shoulder purse.”

Clearly, Cavalli expects the case to be a selling point. Perhaps they’re anticipating women rationalizing this way:

$640 is a lot, even for designer sunglasses…

But not so much compared to the price of a regular designer purse (a Cavalli clutch will usually set you back $1000).

And if you deduct the price of a normal pair of Cavalli shades ($340), you could say that you’re getting a Cavalli bag for $300 or less…

We know some girls who do similar arithmetic when it comes to justifying buying Dior make-up (pricey eyeshadow, “free” bag).

Are you convinced by their math?

—ANNA FIELDING GRIGGS

As much as we loved Hussein’s electronic contraption dresses, we are fully aware that as far as we are concerned, they about have as much to do with our everyday wardrobe as our toaster.

That’s why we got a crush on this blue shadow puppet t-shirt from the Hussein Chalayan e-shop.

It’s about $90, and as far as we know, it does not open or close while you are wearing it.

We were initially attracted to the shirt because it has a horse (cute!) and shadow puppet hands (nostalgia!), but then we read more about the concept, which is meant as a “playful interpretation of surveillance and CCTV where hand movements reproduce the shadow of a horse’s head, transforming sinister shadows associated with being watched into a game.”

The wording slightly boggles our mind, but we agree with the sentiment.

And the cute horsie!

—ALISON COOL

Let’s face it - all too often great shoes come with a price, and wreak all sorts of havoc on your poor feet. Stilettos, platforms, those super cute flats that you bought on sale 1/2 a size too small….

Obviously, abandoning your footwear friends and wearing comfy sneakers 24/7 is not an option. So what’s a girl to do?

Our outdoorsy friend recommended these admittedly unglamorous British blister band-aids from Compeed, which are about $8 on Multipharmacy.

Realizing they would be a serious lifesaver for shoe-induced pain, we tried them.

And they work!

We love this scientific description of why they are so great:

“Compeed is an advanced type of plaster [that] relieves pain and pressure. The unique Hydrocure System allows the plaster to absorb moisture from the skin, forming a cushion that provides optimum healing condition.”

But they forgot to mention that now you can safely try on those insane Balenciaga shoes!

—ALISON COOL

If songs came with dresses to match, we think that Leonard Cohen’s “Bird on a Wire” would go well with this black and white dress from Saja’s pre-fall collection.

The print on the dress is more interesting than plain black and white vertical lines, but packs the same graphic punch. And we think the abstract pattern looks a bit like little birds lined up on a telephone wire - are we alone in this?

Short-sleeved dresses are the most comfortable item of clothing possible, and when they have little pom-poms on the hem, like this one, all the better.

We suggest wearing it with tights and peep-toe shoes. Summer never really ends!

—ALISON COOL

Good news for the suburbs:

According to Sara Glassman at Minneapolis / St. Paul Magazine, the Vera Wang for Kohl’s line is already in stores.

Sarah’s impressed with some of the dresses, especially the deep gray and blue ones with beading.

Meanwhile, we’re impressed with something else:

The huge discrepancy between when we can buy Simply Vera on the web, and when those with cars and Midwestern drivers licenses can buy Simply Vera in person.

Let’s change the name of her line to Simply Not Fair!

Reader Sophie writes in to tell us about her latest shopping experience:

“Dear Fashionista,

My friend just bought a Vuitton fake on Canal Street - I know, I’m sorry.

But when she pulled it out to show us, the plastic straps were a dark brown color.

I know one of the easy ways to spot a Vuitton fake is by its straps - usually they’re that light yellow color, and they never darken like actual LV leather.

Did they make the strap like that so it looked more real?”

Probably - the same way that when the Murakami fakes came out a few years ago, a few counterfeiters made them with deeper colored graphics, which made them look more authentic than the cheesy neon hues you’d associate with a fake Cherry Blossom bag.

We wonder if they’ll ever start using canvas, and not plastic, for the skin…

Some stalk celebrities; we stalk wedges.

Hunting down our favorite pairs on sale (so far: Louboutin from Bluefly; Bottega from Net-A-Porter) is our official past time, but last night, we caught some panic:

It’s almost September, and open-toed shoes will officially fade.

Of course, there have been a few editorials lately with girls in tights and wedges…

And we even tried the look - and loved it - at a party for the Made: I Wanna Be a Hipster spoof last week.

But was this just a failed attempt at Judy Jetson’s wardrobe, or is it a realistic option for Fall?

In other words: Will you do it, too?

Steve + Barry’s wants to assure you that no designers were harmed in the making of their Bitten collection -

In other words, they sent us a very firm email declaring the Anna Corinna ripoff bag that caused such a fuss was never, ever made.

We don’t shop at Steve + Barry’s (sorry!), so we can’t confirm seeing the bag or not seeing the bag (as you readers have). But we do think it’s awfully funny that even after insisting the bag never made it past production, it still appeared in not one, but two press previews of the line.

Still, we appreciate the S+B awareness of the issue, and we even made a special graphic (below) for Bitten’s second collection.

It admits that some of their new pieces are darling, and now the only issue is the tag line “Fashion Should Not Cost More Than Your Groceries.”

Well, our groceries definitely don’t cost as much as our clothes… maybe we’re just not eating enough?

The frenzy for Fashion Week celebrities has officially reached a fevered pitch, as publicists scramble for stars and fashion editors pretend not to care.

So far, Calvin Klein’s been the only brand to release public names - Kate Bosworth and Julianne Moore have both been invited (sometimes in the fashion world, that’s a polite word for paid) to their show and also their Fashion Week dinner party.

Meanwhile, Miss Sixty has Jessica Stam in their ads and two movie stars in their seats.

Look for Hilary Swank and Maggie Gyllenhaal to attend their famously loud and glossy show.

It may seem like an odd fit for the two stars and the teen brand - Hilary with her architectural leanings and Maggie with her sharply stylized pout, but we know from experience that everyone needs a great pair of jeans - even Oscar winners…

Vests were huge for Spring and Summer, so maybe it’s not surprising that we’re seeing a lot of puffer jackets in various Fall collections.

Our first encounter with The Puffer came at boarding school, when North Face ruled, and the infamous jacket-with-no-sleeves was everywhere.

But the new Puffers are slimmer, with a longer cut and more detailed quilting to streamline its shape.

The Puffer has also gone from girly to unisex, as several men’s collections have introduced them in place of a blazer.

Our favorite so far comes from Club Monaco, where they’ve cleverly styled it with pinstripe pants and a tie.

Logo babes can also take comfort - See by Chloe has a few cute ones for winter, which seem ideal for those who want to pick up a snowboarder.

WHICH indie rocker is going to Fashion Week castings? Turns out burgeoning exposure and radio-friendly songs just aren’t enough… plus, doesn’t every guy in a band need to meet more models?

It’s a good day for tofu here on Fashionista.

Besides discussing the kangaroo leather at Adidas, we got word from reader Wendy, who noticed something odd about The New York Times, and their super-fun piece on Hogan’s Guitar Handbags:

“The ponyskin Chrissie — which the Times says is a tribute to Chrissie Hynde — looks gorgeous. Too bad the formerly leather-pants-wearing Hynde is now a PETA activist!”

Ah well.

The singer did used to wear those leather pants, so a bag in her old-school homage seems reasonable - especially when it looks great, and especially in a story where a choice line “puts the muse in music.”

Still, if The Pretender’s star really offended by a misappropriation of patent leather, here’s a suggestion:

Chrissie could stage a protest in front of their Soho store… wearing her own cloth handbag, of course.

Her actual accessory can inspire a new Hogan fabric line for Spring, which will hopefully wind up with another cool Times write up.

Bonus: If it’s a cloth bag from Hogan we’ll actually be able to afford it.

We’ve marveled over the fall/winter menswear collection from Swedish label Gentlemen’s Affair. With no current stockists in the states, your best bet is to email lotte@gentlemensaffair.com to find out more.

The theme of the collection is “Haunted House,” which translates into David Bowie-meets-Baroque moody knits, tailored suits, and just a touch of theatricality.

We know the cardigan is a surefire staple for fall, but we’re not sure if the guys we run around with would style theirs with a giant bow, as in Gentlemen’s Affair’s lookbook.

But we might!

—ALISON COOL

If you want Kate Moss for Topshop stuff, it’s on sale all over town. They’re practically giving away those yellow striped shorts and the matching vest.

But what happens to more desirable designer/mass market collaborations after the fact?

Obviously, they go on eBay.

We slept on the Luella for Target collection when it came out, and we were thrilled to discover that the cute cherry-print stuff is totally up for grabs on the site.

We have our eye on the Luella Apple Sling Bag (starting bid $12.99) for our back-to-school look, but there are also plenty of the Skulls & Hearts totes for very reasonable prices.

If you’re feeling flush, there’s a good selection of Proenza for Target stuff as well - but be prepared for a bidding war especially if you want that cute purple corset dress, which is already over $50 with over two days to go.

Worth it?

—ALISON COOL

The Independent reports today that Stella McCartney’s taking heat from animal rights activists.

The longtime vegetarian is getting flack for her secondary line, Stella for Adidas. While her sportswear is all made without animal products, Adidas itself uses kangaroo leather in many of its shoes, causing some cries of hypocrisy.

Should Stella refuse a partnership with any huge company that goes against her own fashion ethics?

Or is the designer actually pushing her cause by setting a good example for Adidas, inspiring them to play with other vegan fashion options, and making animal-free sportswear available to a bigger group of shoppers?

It should be noted that kangaroos are neither endangered nor slaughtered inhumanely, and according to our Aussie source, they also make excellent beef jerky - though we realize this is beside the point.

Christopher Kane is cooking.

After debuting a second successful runway collection, and getting editorial press with the speed of Lance Armstrong on flat pavement, Kane launches a cashmere line next season with Johnstons of Elgin.

The Scottish wool company will provide the raw materials for Kane and his design team, promoting the Scottish wool industry and keeping Kane’s business within his home country - and lowering his carbon footprint by reducing shipping.

The move reminds us of Josh Goot’s partnership with Australian Wool Innovation, the Oz alliance of sheep farmers that got a big boost when Goot made an entire collection of Aussie merino wool.

Their coupling even extended to Josh’s Target range, though Christopher Kane’s new cashmere will probably cost as much as his other clothes (and that’s a lot).

Still, investing in Christopher Kane cashmere is far less daunting than buying one of his leather dresses - and unless you’re Carine, you’ll get a lot more wear from your new Scottish sweater…

We’ve already discussed the creeping prices of mass brands, and how a Club Monaco dress at full price is the same - or possibly more - than something on sale at Barneys.

But even more mysterious is the new trend of handbags from the mall that cost almost $300.

The bags are featured in an ELLE spread on Cheap Chic, but we’d only consider a $295 bag “cheap” if it came from the Chanel sample sale - not from J. Crew, like the one at left.

In fact, if we had $300 for a handbag, we’d just buy one from Marc - and we imagine our more conservative friends (okay, and mom) would buy one from Coach.

Or do mass brands really have the cache to charge designer prices?

TopShop’s threats to open a US boutique haven’t happened yet, but at least we’ll get to party with them in 2 weeks.

The store’s throwing a bash with British label Preen on September 4th!

The fete celebrates Preen’s upcoming US show and also their new TopShop collaboration, which hits shelves soon (and is available for Americans to buy online).

We hope TopShop’s head boy, Sir Phillip Green, arrives to toast his newest fashion stars -

That way, we can grab him and beg for an American TopShop to finally appear!

If you dig Julia like we dig Julia - and we know you do - then you were psyched to see her new ad campaign debut this month in Purple Magazine:

She’s the new face of Restoration of the Monarchy, a jean line by fashion furniture guru Eric Villency, with ads shot by Hugo Tillman.

The clothes were named to spoof the low-class roots of denim, and range from pants and skirts to vests and shredded t-shirts, which Julia dutifully dons in a photo spread for the brand.

In honor of her latest gig, we quizzed the graphic designer (she was via Blackberry; we were on Sidekick) about her denim habits… and her future as a fashion legacy….

Isabella Blow passed barely three months ago, and Urban Outfitters has already created this bizarre Philip Treacy-on-acid hot pink feather hairpiece.

Would you wear little kid craft project dyed feathers in your hair?

We don’t think Isabella would.

The feathered hair clip is $8 on the Urban Outfitters website.

We’re mildly creeped by the way the store even found a model who looked a little bit like Ms. Blow, right down to the stare.

Alison anticipates seeing the clip mutilated and deformed beyond repair in sale bins across the nation in the very near future.

Faran thinks it’ll pop up a lot on The Cobrasnake.

You?

—ALISON COOL

Well it turns out we won’t see Agyness behind Cavalli’s DJ booth:

The Just Cavalli team just emailed to let us know

1. Their upcoming Fashion Week party is going to rock

2. But it’ll rock with British spin sisters The Queens of Noize.

You might recognize the girls from Kate Moss’ stateside TopShop launch, where they DJ’ed at Barneys. Meanwhile, Brits know the feisty duo - also known as Tabitha Denholm and Mairead Nash - from their BBC radio show about underground rock.

They might also know them because they’ve apparently dated Pete, Johnny, and various Von Bondies members, but that just adds to the fun.

Stay tuned for actual coverage from the party, where we hope Agyness makes an appearance, and we really hope we get to preview the Spring ‘08 collection from Just Cavalli.

We’re into guys in pastels. The sweet pale shades make dudes look so kind-hearted!

Luckily, Spanish menswear designer Armand Basi is on the same page.

His S/S 08 collection has loads of pale pinks and demure baby blues, but our favorite ensemble is this faded pink, white, and blue tie-dyed t-shirt with matching jeans.

Of course, we don’t recommend wearing this look head-to-toe, but one piece with an otherwise neutral outfit is great.

The look also has an unexpected bonus for guys with girlfriends, girl friends, or girl roommates:

We definitely wouldn’t mind borrowing those jeans and wearing them with a black tank.

Thanks in advance!

—ALISON COOL

People.com has a post about J.Lo’s extra-long pants, which reminds us that we don’t see the point of floor-grazing pants.

We’re more into ankle-baring Thom Browne styles.

The problem with the super-long pants are twofold:

The practical issue is, they drag on the ground and get dirty and ragged/

The stylis issue is, we can imagine girls buying them and being like, “If I wear these with heels I’ll look really tall”!

But actually, they look like short girls with pants that are too long.

Pants that are too short, on the other hand, make it look like you are so tall your pants just can’t keep up with your long legs.

—ALISON COOL

WWD has an interesting story today about limited-edition scents.

Beauty companies want to compare them to status bags, and hope their scarcity drives up demand, cache, and ultimately sales.

Our immediate reaction is, “Whoa, hold up!”

Something special about perfume is the way it helps define you. Girls walk by and they leave a trail of fragrance - how many times have you been next to someone at a party and thought it was your best friend / your worst enemy / your sister just because of the scent?

By asking women to shake up their smell every season, you might actually alienate them from a trendy perfume.

Or you could inspire exactly what you want - hording, Seinfeld Elaine-and-sponge style - by creating a scent so craved, it sends women buying cartons of it… but that seems less likely.

Of course, there is one more option:

Make a “limited-edition” perfume and keep it there forever, like the “I Love Marc Jacobs” perfume that’s claimed to be scarce at Sephora for like a year…

It’s still there, you can go buy it.

You asked and now it’s happened:

The Gap gets in select clothes from their European stores this week, which you can buy online at Gap.com.

The line was designed with Marie Amelie-Sauve, the Vogue Paris stylist who’s also a Balenciaga muse. And yes, they’re very cool.

Keep in mind that most of the garments cost a little more than normal Gap stuff - the $350 leather bomber is so cool, but hardly traditional for the brand - and the sizes run a tiny bit smaller because they’re built for the European market.

Also, there are no Gap johdpurs, but the slinky knits seen on Coco Rocha are definitely in stock.

Good job, Gap!

Roxanne Marie, 25, Parsons student

Got Her: Walking past Fanelli’s Cafe at Prince and Mercer

Stalked Her: Because she made all black look all new again.

Shot Her: Because her short-sleeve coat was completely adorable and weather-appropriate, and because her boots brought a punk schoolboy edge to her look.

She Says: “These boots are vintage, and the coat is from Opening Ceremony.”

We Say: Black to school!

—SARAH MUEHLBAUER

We’ve already mentioned Show Cards, but for the uninitiated:

Show Cards are like catalogs, but instead of clothes they show people.

They’re basically a booklet of which models are in town for the shows, and they’re sent to designers and casting directors so they can cast their catwalks.

COACD is chronicling their own Show Card addiction, but we had to post our favorites so far:

The ones from Elite.

Besides featuring Coco, Darla, and Bobbi, the cards have bizarre, fortune-cookie phrases about each of their girls.

Example:

“Like a newly finished edifice, she evokes a modern life: hard and cool and clean and well designed.”

See for yourself below…

Hipster Fact One: They shop at Urban Outfitters (although many will deny it, and proclaim Urban duds to be “vintage” - as you’ve pointed out in your comments).

Hipster Fact Two: They love Day Glo photographer Mark Hunter, aka The Cobrasnake.

Ven Diagram Moment: When we think about it, we’ve never seen a photo set by Mark that wasn’t teeming with Urban-clad kids.

So it was only a matter of time before these two beacons of Nu Rave joined forces commercially.

Urban Outfitters’ online store now features a spread of tees and sneakers photographed by The Cobrasnake in his signature spontaneous style.

They also have an exclusive interview with Mark about the collaboration on their blog (which we keep forgetting exists…)

Our favorite of his shared insights? -

“They wanted me to do what I do best… take creepy photos of feet. I love that we were on the same page.”

At least he knows his strong points.

—SARAH MUEHLBAUER

Lily Allen isn’t the only one with immigration troubles -

We’ve heard from several sources that many models are having trouble getting work permits this season.

The move is less about fashion and more about Homeland Security - ask any foreign friend about their job, and they’ll immediately launch into a stressed-out explanation of their international employment.

The problem here is that most models aren’t American, and though the Canadian girls are driving across the border with ease, their stick-thin sisters from Russia and Brazil are running into major issues - especially if they’re new and haven’t worked before.

What does that mean for the runways?

Fewer girls will walk more shows - which means more breakout stars could happen, since we’ll start recognizing new faces on the catwalk.

But there’s also an underbelly:

According to an agent, “A lot of the younger girls can come on student visas.”

Which means the “I’m fourteen but I have to say I’m sixteen” syndrome from last year will probably continue…

Editor’s Note: Model Siri, at left, is neither underage nor illegal - we just liked her show card the best so far, and so we pulled it!

Lately, it seems that Parisian rock ‘n rollers are growing younger and younger -

Alison recently informed us that the Bob Dylan doppelgangers she spotted in Paris were “all underage.” Oh dear…

And in French Vogue’s September issue, boys no older than six hog the spotlight, toting guitars and looking very much like Pete Doherty minis.

You can watch these little Libertines in action in Boys Don’t Cry, a behind-the-scenes peek at the photo shoot featured on Vogue.fr

We think the concept is adorable, and the kids pulled off the look perfectly.

Let’s just hope that style is the only Pete-influence they adopt…

—SARAH MUEHBAUER

Cammie, 23, artist

Got Her: Talking on her cell phone on Mercer St.

Stalked Her: Because she can clearly teach us all a thing or two about dressing for this suddenly-cooler weather.

Shot Her: Because she wore just the right combination of colors and proportions, and because her scarf was the perfect dose of cabin-meets-city chic.

She Says: “I’m actually here from LA, and these are the only clothes I brought with me.”

We Say: Cammie’s packing lesson - quality, not quantity!

—SARAH MUEHLBAUER

Every once in a while, you have to ignore all of your friends’ warnings and sage advice and follow your heart. Sometimes this leads to dating a real jerk. Other times, it leads to the acquistion of amazing, but challenging item of clothing.

Take, for instance, these “banana” khaki-colored, high-waisted, tapered, puffy jeans from Acne. These are the kind of jeans your friends would never advise you to purchase.

OK, so they don’t promise to flatter.

And you can’t wear them with everything. But if you really think about it, the rolled bottom part is so “The Sartorialist,” and they’re guaranteed to be more comfy than your high-waisted skinny jeans.

So maybe love can conquer all. These are our new favorite jeans…

—ALISON COOL

We heard something fun from our theater friends last night:

That The Devil Wears Prada is in preliminary development to become a stage musical.

With Legally Blonde and Hairspray still playing Broadway after premiering at the cinema, the idea doesn’t sound that far fetched -

Except the kind of arias we’d expect from Miranda Priestly would be bitter, brittle, and probably best written by Stephen Sondheim in the vein of Ladies Who Lunch.

And we think Patti Lupone should play her, Evita style.

Would you go see a fashion musical -

Or would it be too maddening to be in yet another room with hot artsy guys who would rather do their makeup than do you?

Reader Raezele writes in with a complaint:

The Strangers was originally slated for a Fall release date, but now it won’t hit cinemas until winter.

That’s never a great sign for a film - remember Factory Girl’s continued delay?

And yet, we have faith in this horror flick - it does star Liv Tyler, whom we love in pretty much anything - even jeans and a worn out flannel shirt. It resurrects Scott Speedman, whom we’ve missed since Felicity. And it brings us the big screen debut of Gemma Ward, who can be seen here…

Whispering “You’re Gonna Die” in a vaguely American accent.

Thanks Gemma. We sort of feel that way every time you come down the Chloe runway, wearing something usually reserved for a liquid diet devotee.

Also, note the masks…

Last week, intern Anna discovered the strange trend of socialites carrying fake status bags “because they think it’s funny.”

This week, Paper cutie Jordan also jumps on the Faux Show, rhapsodizing about his plastic “Chanel” bracelet:

“I’m pretty confident that everyone knows it isn’t real… I like to think that in my love affair with such quality inauthentic low-fashion accessories I’m merely critiquing the futility (and kind of douchey attitude) of ultra-expensive name-branded high fashion itself!”

Okay, so there’s a certain smirky irony in buying a Cucci or a Goach bag off the street.

But even if you knew that your tacky fake accessory was made in a decent work environment - and we don’t know that, which is why we stopped buying plastic Paddingtons - does it ever look cool?

One confession from us:

We do love those graffiti’d fake Vuitton bags. We love them…

So you’ve spoken out on the Hammer Pants from Cheap Monday, but what about acid washed jeans?

They bring to mind big hair, hairsprayed bangs, and morally-lax girlfriends of guys in metal bands. Generally, the term “acid-washed” is spoken in a tone of scorn and derision.

But all of that may change.

We love how denim labels are updating the acid-washed 80s look in subtler washes and with deep colors. Our two favorite looks are from Goldsign - it’s like acid-wash light! - and Cheap Monday - who probably deserve an award for managing to make magenta acid-washed jeans look wearable.

The only problem:

As Glamour’s Ashley Baker tells us, acid-washed fabrics are horrible for the environment, because the chemicals used to treat the denim are almost always toxic.

—ALISON COOL

We’ve been seeing these “We Run Brooklyn” t-shirts… all over Brooklyn.

They’re the new thing to wear now that you only see the “I Heart NY” tees on Europeans who have never been to New York and think that Brooklyn is the toughest place on earth, even Park Slope.

The tees are from NYC-based label Paulies and are available exclusively at Vinnie’s Styles on Flatbush Ave.

Of course we recommend picking one up in person -

They’re already sold out on the website, but we saw them in the store over the weekend in men’s and women’s sizes.

Get one, and then go running… to your nearest pizza joint or cheesecake bakery.

—ALISON COOL

We love that Zoe Kravitz and High School Musical’s Vanessa Hudgens decided to wear the same dress to parties.

It’s partly because Zoe seems like the girl who pretends not to know about Zac Efron, and partly because of this:

Both dresses are screaming Marc Jacobs, but neither of them actually are.

We’re dying to know where they came from, and also dying to know why the two starlets didn’t grab the MJ dress from the showroom instead of this simpler, shorter frock.

But maybe Marc doesn’t lend evening dresses to girls under 18, unless they’re in his runway show.

Emma Watson may be a Chanel baby, but Marc seems like he’d rather get the girls on the street…

WHICH model is caught between two bickering agencies - one in Europe, one here? Because her US bookers get her more jobs, the ones in Europe dyed her hair to make her almost unrecognizable. The result? Her new American photos - and increasing portfolio - is now almost obsolete.

Pretty much everything is going to look cute with some nice big buttons. This concept, plus bows, has been keeping Marc by Marc afloat for years.

But for fall, we’re getting more into zippers - and not just on hoodies.

Dresses with a big zipper running up the front look fresh and vaguely punk rock, in a post CBGB kind of way.

The metal counteracts the girly factor of floaty dresses and makes dressing or undressing a piece of cake.

Some of the best zipper dresses we’ve seen for F/W 07 come from the ladies at Baum und Pferdgarten , the somewhat unpronounceable Danish label that NYC fashion girls snap up at LES boutique Travessia.

You can also find them exposed on the backs of Lanvin and Luella dresses…

—ALISON COOL

We interrupt your regularly scheduled shopping to drop this bit of gossip:

We hear Jane’s overachieving booking director, Heather Catania, just got snapped up by ELLE.

The magazine hired her to helm a large chunk of their photo department, and she’ll start on Monday.

Heather’s new gig marks the latest in ELLE staff additions - they recently took Joe Berean, the market director from Nylon, and Tracy Lomerantz, a Daily News style writer.

The job also marks the first Jane refugee to get rehired at a major fashion magazine - though we love what former entertainment efitor Shelly Ridenour is doing at Style.com.

Q: But why did you pull Lindsay’s first ELLE cover?

A: Because we remember better days…

We’re into suspenders for girls and guys - they work with pants, with skirts, you name it. Just make sure you tuck your shirt in. But the coolest variation on this look comes from up-and-coming Danish designer LIzette Snorgaard.

We love the way this black and white skirt references the fall origami trend, looks kind of like a tuxedo, and has the daintiest suspender straps we’ve ever seen. It looks great styled with the gray tank in the fall/winter lookbook, but we think it would also look cool with a big flouncy blouse or even a black turtleneck.

Tragically, you can only find Lizette Snorgaard in Denmark and the U.K., but you can email her if you’re like us, and you absolutely must have this skirt as soon as possible.

—ALISON COOL

m Let’s face it:

Most ways of showing your Brooklyn neighborhood pride are really lame. Cheesy hoodies emblazoned with “Willamsburg”? Anything from the MTA subway store? Please don’t do that.

We’ve found a better option for you. NYC jewelry designer Thea Grant has created really cute collections of necklaces, bracelets, and trinkets inspired by your favorite neighborhoods.

You can choose the collection that best suits your zip code - Williamsburg, The Heights, Red Hook, or The Navy Yard, but you can rest assured that whatever you pick, it will look good.

Grant favors asymmetrical looks and Calder-esque counterbalance of weight that give each design a one-of-a-kind quality. We don’t mean to be untrue to our neighborhood (Bed-Stuy!), but we really like the subtlety of “The Heights” collection.

Let’s just call it….aspirational?

—ALISON COOL

We thought we were well-versed in fashion’s hair-of-the-moment - Agyness’ pixie crop, Irina’s lash-grazing fringe -

But then we spotted this one, and we’re baffled.

Like a cross between a street vendor pretzel and alien antenna, the style is both strange and distracting.

Sienna sports a slightly less twisty take on the ‘do in her recent Valentino ads, and we find ourselves gazing at her hair instead of the clothes.

We’re intrigued, but can’t say we’re a fan.

Besides, we’re trying our best to go green, and the hairspray we’d need to achieve this look would obliterate our efforts.

—SARAH MUEHLBAUER

As if they could get any cooler:

British bag brand Mulberry’s new creative director is stylist and scene queen Katie Grand. The appointment will be announced officially tomorrow, but we know now.

The move seems natural, as Katie styles all the Mulberry ad campaigns and look books (which sheds light on the choice of Agyness Deyn as the Mulberry face - besides being a hot Brit, she’s Katie’s current favorite).

Katie replaces the current Mulberry Design Director Stuart Vevers, whose last collection for the company will be Fall / Winter ‘08.

The Mulberry move comes several months after Mulberry announced a high-profile push for their brand, which will include more presence in the US and more parties in the UK (and obviously, more must-have accessories).

Stay tuned to see what Katie has up her sleeve (or maybe in her patent leather bag)…

Thanks to reader E.S., who’s so psyched about the upcoming screening of Lagerfeld Confidential that she emailed us with the details.

The documentary on Chanel visionary Karl Lagerfeld premiers October 24 at the Film Forum, a New York cinema organization that screens art movies from around the world.

The screenings come after Lagerfeld Confidential hit Colette in Paris for its secret premiere, the Berlin Film Festival for its actual premiere, and (soon) London.

It may seem like October is ages away - especially with three Fashion Weeks happening between now and then - but you’d do well to reserve tickets ASAP.

With a limited showing and a huge audience of Karl fans, we predict the film gets a bigger wait list than the Paris-Biarritz handbags.

John, 25 musician

Got Him: At the Tribeca Grand, just after the Made: I Wanna Be a Hipster movie

Stalked Him: Because his cross-front sweatshirt was an understated risk that made him look very cool, not very in need of attention.

Shot Him: Anyone who can wear slim jeans without looking like a Swedish heroin dabbler is good with us.

He Says: “This sweatshirt is from Alexander Plokhov’s last Cloak collection… my roommate works in fashion, but he doesn’t tell me what to wear - I dress myself!”

We Say: Okay, now dress us, too…

Normally, when we hear the word “remix,� we cringe and think of one of our favorite songs set to a cheesy dance beat.

In fact, the only positive experience we’ve ever had with the phrase comes from the amazing mixes at Lindbergh Palace, but those are the sad exception.

Unless, of course, we’re talking fashion.

We’ve been forced to reconsider our “remix” fear, because Danish label Designers Remix Collection has nothing to do with embarrassing techno hits.

Instead, it’s about the cutest fall jackets we’ve seen in a long time.

The only problem is we can’t decide which look we love the most – the adorable black cape shoulder trench, the patterned puff sleeve jacket, or the perfect slate gray wool coat?

We might have to mix all of them into our Fall clothing budgets…

—ALISON COOL

After two runway shows and shoots in dozens of fashion magazines, we hear that Erin Fetherston and her stylist Leith Clark have split.

The move comes as Erin attempts to brand herself nationwide with an upcoming Target collection - and competes for the prestigious CFDA / Vogue fund against Phillip Lim and Vena Cava.

Leith is a fashion star from British Vogue whose fairy princess aesthetic mashed nicely with Erin’s catwalk poofs - and spilled over into photo shoots with Kirsten Dunst and Zooey Deschanel, where wooden heart necklaces reigned and sprites glittered instead of flashbulbs.

But we hear Erin was given a list of Anna-approved stylists earlier this season, and settled on Havana Laffite, a Teen Vogue contributing editor who could help elevate Erin’s looks past signature whimsy and into something deeper.

We’re psyched, and we’ll be watching…

We spent a little too much time on the Hermes website yesterday, trying to pick out a new scarf.

While some may think those accessories read hopelessly old, we know some tricks: You can use an Hermes scarf as a belt, a headband, a collar, a sarong, or even a halter top - especially if you’re on a yacht, or pretending to be.

But then, we went to Ina, a really good consignment shop in Soho. That’s where we found this psychedelic graffiti inspired scarf from Hermes.

It was designed by painter Zoe Pauwels, as a limited issue for the 25th anniversary of the Japanese band Alfee - and they’re really weird, 2 guys and a redheaded woman - in 1999.

We thought the print was so uncharacteristic of the brand that we had to look twice and make sure it wasn’t fake. We’re obsessed with the bright colors and street-style graphics, and it might be the freshest scarf we’ve ever seen.

Also, it was $150 - which is about half price from the scarves on sale at the Hermes boutiques…

—SABRINA BACON

Fun Fashion Week news:

LA designer Katy Rodriguez will show in New York this year, and the stylist for her runway is Arianne Phillips - otherwise known as Madonna’s personal stylist.

You may not be familiar with Katy’s clothes, but you definitely know her store:

The designer runs Ressurection, a vintage clothing boutique whose incredible finds have hit Kirsten, Zooey, and also our own Alison Cool, whom we spotted coveting some old-school Chloe in their Soho shop last week.

We’re excited to see the clothes, although Arianne won’t be in the audience.

For more on Arianne, stay tuned to Fashionista tomorrow, when we interview the stylist about designing costumes for the new movie 3:10 to Yuma.

Sometimes, we feel bad for the way guys have to shop.

If it weren’t for a few little things – like how men make a dollar to our 75 cents, hold 99% of all the highest paying jobs in the world, and can walk home alone at night, we would feel so bad for the boys.

And now that menswear is getting so much cooler, they don’t even get sympathy in the shopping department.

It’s because London-based designer Siv Stoldal created a whole collection of solid staples that are pretty much guaranteed to make any guy look good. He was born in Norway and trained at Central St. Martin’s, which might explain why some of his rumpled necklines and sleeves look awfully Stella McCartney.

We especially love the blue windbreaker re-imagined as a blazer, and the super snuggly tan and blue ski sweater, both from Stoldal’s A/W 07 collection.

It’s really not fair, is it?

—ALISON COOL

Yesterday’s story on celebrities and Fashion Week certainly incited some panic.

And while some celebs will be paid to warm the front row - Welcome, Kate Bosworth! - the list of those who can’t make it keeps growing.

Witness Sean Combs, the stepfather of Zac Posen’s label whose newest Sean John perfume launches with Estee Lauder during Fashion Week.

Mr. Combs was supposed to have an incredible party on September 4 to unofficially kick off the week.

But instead, he’ll probably be at the Video Music Awards in Vegas, and his party’s been rescheduled for the week after the Tents.

Good news: Rumor has it, the bash will be even more opulent, more star-studded, and more fun than its Fashion Week replacement.

Bad news: If Sienna makes it over to New York - and she may not, since the Twenty8Twelve shop launches in London that week - she won’t have her favorite party buddy.

But Sienna, we’re totally available!

Get ready to see a major flood of Chanel Iman.

We hear she’s been shot for The Gap, with ads premiering later this winter.

The California native, born Chanel Iman Robinson, was styled by Marie-Amelie Sauve, the Balenciaga stylist and muse who recently took a creative consulting job with the company.

Meanwhile in the States, we’re all eagerly awaiting the new Gap crop from designer Patrick Robinson, who headed Paco Rabanne and married Vogue’s Virginia Smith before doing a Target collection sweet enough to catch the eye of the San Francisco denim empire.

Of course, the coolest thing would be for Chanel and Patrick to do an ad together, because then it could be called Mr. and Ms. Robinson, and then the soundtrack could be Simon & Garfunkle, and…

Anyway.

Well done, Chanel, for a lucrative ad campaign that’s actually age appropriate. You’ll look amazing.

Much has been made of Deluxe, the new book by Dana Thomas that claims to explain “How Luxury Lost Its Luster.”

Thomas starts with the roots of luxury brands like Vuitton and Hermes, explaining their origins and early successes.

Then she rolls into the way the brands have been co-opted, maybe even hijacked, by a sect of middle class shoppers for whom they were not designed (including, we imagine, us).

So maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that the passage everyone seems to be highlighting has uneasy connotations:

“The luxury industry has changed the way people dress… it has realigned our economic class system. It has changed the way we interact with others. It has become part of our social fabric. To achieve this, it has sacrificed its integrity, undermined its products, tarnished its history and hoodwinked its consumers. In order to make luxury ‘accessible,’ tycoons have stripped away all that has made it special.”

Our first thought: Whoa. So luxury goods are defined more by their elite owners and than their own qualities?

Our second thought: We need a chocolate milk.

Our third thought: Wait a second. “Luxury” hasn’t faded - it’s simply changed.

Maybe a Vuitton purse isn’t the ultimate symbol anymore, but there are other more subtle signs:

Three James Perse t-shirts, layered and shredded on the same Pilates-perfect body. The way a real Balenciaga bag gets so old, the leather looks pulpy. Wearing Forever 21 with $500 jeans because you care so much, you don’t care at all.

Has Ms. Thomas simply neglected the next step in luxury - a new school vision (perhaps, in fact, a New School vision) that totals luxury as the summation of an entire look and attitude, not just a bag with logos?

Or can “luxury” only be defined by those very logos, and the small sect of people who were once their exclusive wearers? And what happens now that high and low mash together, and their mix defines what’s cool?

Phew. Your turn.

Even though you could wallpaper your apartment with unremarkable new magazines, every now and again something really good comes along.

Currently, we’re all about Blag, the brainchild of British identical twins Sarah J. Edwards and Sally A. Edwards.

While the mag’s real strength is its insider music coverage, we’re also pretty into their fashion stories – especially because they usually just have cute boys from bands all dressed up.

This month, the glossy has Anthony Rossomando, the hot singer from Dirty Pretty Things, wearing labels like Licentious and Neil Barrett.

We marvel at how boys in bands never really look styled - and also how much we’re in love with James McAvoy, the actor clad in Hugo Boss on several of the new issue’s pages.

Even if it’s not the most inspirational menswear, it can still lead to aspirational dating…

—ALISON COOL

It would be naive to say models are getting younger:

Gemma’s first Prada ad came at fifteen; Gisele’s been booking since junior high.

Still, with the renewed talk model health and the restrictions of teenage girls on the runway, it’s amusing to see how many huge girls are still taking algebra.

The most obvious example is Tanya D., who was allowed to walk at fifteen because she had a chaperone backstage (and who, let’s face it, was born for this). Likewise to Chanel Iman, who finally turned seventeen this season.

But in September, there will be some new kids in the hall - sorry, we mean tents.

Anabela Belikova (left) just turned sixteen - and just got promoted from IMG Development to their Women’s Board. Her work has earned it, since she snagged a Balenciaga campaign and a Marc Jacobs crush - not bad for a beautiful girl born on the ’90s.

Also promoted to IMG Women: Irina K, the waify cutie that British Vogue weirdly called out to signal The Return of the Woman. Not quite - especially since Irina is also still prom-aged.

Stay tuned for them on the catwalk next month, and if you see them backstage, maybe offer to help them with their homework?

This episode is really amazing, because it shows you the secret life of Proenza Schouler’s technical designer Rainer Wolter - he has a line or organic cotton clothing that’s absolutely gorgeous…

Today’s the launch of Shop Vogue, the website that makes the magazine’s ads interactive.

Here you can click through Lily’s Burberry campaign and buy the dress she’s wearing, and here you can watch Gisele dish makeup tips and pose secrets - all thanks to her sponsors.

The website is easy to use and fun to browse, but there’s one unexpected quality:

It’s really informative and gorgeous.

The video clips in particular will distract for hours, beautifully shot and almost more exclusive than stories in the magazine - for example, a breathless backstage look at the Chloe campaign shows the way Shalom writhes on set, and the bashful smile of Freja in full use. Meanwhile, there are incredible shots of Anja Rubik’s new haircut and further flashes of her movie-star grin.

Meanwhile, the site has full-screen video of some of the season’s best collections, and watching the Nina Ricci show, with its original music and close camera angles really might make you shiver. So what if you stare at a Nina Ricci ad while it loads - don’t you have to flip though them in print anyway?

With magazines teetering between their independent vision and their commercial duties, many fashion spreads feel like commercials, anyway. Maybe Shop Vogue just embraces that reality, and lets us get on with the clothes.

Of course, there’s one thing we can’t get on the website that we must have:

Sally Singer and her sharply amorous rundowns of what the clothes actually mean.

Thankfully, that will never be sponsored… we hope.

WHICH major stylist had to be told dirty jokes while starring in a recent photo shoot, just so she would crack a genuine smile? Those on the set chalked it up to nerves and maybe diet, but not attitude.

After lugging totes the size of Texas, it’s going to be a rough transition back to tiny bags.

Where are we going to put the extra pair of shoes, hair straightener, three books (fiction, non-fiction, and “otherâ€?), and laptop that we’re used to lugging around?

But we realize this is for our own good - and the good of our chiropractor.

So now, we’re pretty attached to this JÉRÔME DREYFUSS bag.

Called “The Momo,” it’s crocodile with ostrich details, brass hardware, and the perfect back-to-school shade of brown.

Even though it’s kind of dainty in size, it still looks tough enough to beat up those Prada Muff clutches.

Now who wants to carry our laptop?

—ALISON COOL

We’re more than a little obsessed with “El Cuervo,� the Fall/ Winter 07 collection from Jose Castro – our current favorite Spanish designer. And you know how we feel about black.

The collection, with its saturated blacks and ash-dipped grays brings to mind haunted houses complete with ghostly creaks and shudders and eerie spider webs. It’s starting to look more than ever that Irina was really onto something with her high-school era “Morticia� look.

But if you don’t want to look like one of the ill-fated children from The Gashlycrumb Tinies, we suggest taking a cue from Castro who describes the use of denim in his fall collection as “a way of bringing it from the darkness into the light, from the ghostly into the real world.�

Our feelings about jeans are more sartorial than spiritual, but we think Castro is right about adding a dash of denim to lighten the mood of tonal blacks and grays.

Also a relief – another season of use out of last year’s ubiquitous gray jeans!

—ALISON COOL

Memo to celebrity publicists:

If you have a cute client who needs a little push, RSVP her to a fashion show.

We’ve been hearing from PR Blackberries around the city that so far, there are way less celeb confirmations than in the past - in part because MTV’s Video Music Awards happen at the exact same time, in Las Vegas, “and we’ve lost so many regulars because of it,” confided one fashion publicist.

Of course a few famous faces will show for the shows, but this trickle could be a continuation of last year, when Mary Kate’s arrival at Jenni Kayne was received like the gift of the Magi. Just look at New York’s backstage photos to see the star drought.

But why have celebs stopped mobbing the runways?

In part, because they’re scared of the press mobbing them. Fashion shows are notoriously open season, with the understanding that if a famous person comes to a catwalk, they want the exposure - and the constant paparazzi.

We’ll never forget the arrival of Paris Hilton at Nanette Lepore last year - the panic was like the apocalypse. And at Zaldy’s show, when we had the bizarre experience of sitting next to Hilary Duff (who was awesome, we should admit), we had to wear our sunglasses because of all the flashes.

We suspect the other reason celebs fear fashion week is this story from The New York Times. Called “Look at Me, Look at Me, Please Look at Me,” it mocks Mischa Barton’s front row occupation during Spring ‘07 showings.

By Fall ‘07, Mischa didn’t appear at all, and celebrities who did deigned to make multiple shows got called out on their needy flashbulb habits.

Note the sneer we heard from two fashion insiders this weekend, when each remarked separately, “At least Debra Messing will be there.”

And maybe Evan Rachel Wood, too, since she has 3 movies premiering…

We think Vogue should get a big “Bravo!” for its winking September cover line, “Extra-Extra Large - Our Biggest Issue Ever!”

All we could think of when we saw it was the Whopper Jr. with cheese.

But then we spotted a show package from the Casting Director .

(“Show packages” are big packets of models, sent out by the agencies during Fashion Week castings. Sometimes the girls’ photos have been embellished with a sort of theme).

This year, Rocket Garage made their models’ cards look like vintage newspaper print outs.

The part where they flicked their wit?

One of their girls got grafted onto an old newspaper ad for weight gaining tablets, so now next to her picture, it reads, “Gain Up to 5, 10, 15 Pounds!”

The graphic on the ad is a busty, smiley blonde woman.

The photo of the girl on the other side is none of those things.

We weren’t watching A Model Life on TLC until a few weeks ago, when a certain casting director whispered it could be the one model show where girls actually book jobs.

Shocked and cynical, we set our TiVO and eventually started watching.

Apparently you did too, since every week we get a flood of emails:

“Is Anjelika really that ignorant?”

“Why is Michelle there?”

“Lucia did a movie in Czech!”

We get it; you’re obsessed.

As for us, yes we’re definitely impressed: The girls are mostly 16, when real models start out. And we like Petra Nemcova as the hostess, especially during her “modeling lessons,” striking “swimsuit” poses on a cement floor to demonstrate the right way to sell a bikini. We’ll be sure to try that on Martha’s Vineyard next week.

But what about the girls?

It’s no secret that Brazilian Beatriz will get sent home - she’s so pretty, and so inept in front of the camera.

And while Angelika may have too much attitude for the Next new faces board, we know one girl with a definite spot:

The British Abby, who’s already been uploaded onto their women’s board.

So that suspense is ruined (sorry!), but instead you can wonder which runway she’ll score in September… we hear she’s a pretty good walker.

Hate to say we told you so, but…

It seems the scenester duo of Agyness Deyn and Jackson Pollis have been booked for their very first Fashion Week gig.

The pair will DJ the Just Cavalli party to open the brand’s new boutique, on Friday, September 7.

The booking is especially fun since one of Agyness’ New York friends is Leigh Lezark, the MisShapes DJ who just starred in Cavalli’s campaign for H&M (with Jessica Stam and Steve Aoki, another DJ).

But Agyness won’t just learn by osmosis -

Besides practicing her spin skills on Friday night at the Annex, the fashion star also joined designer Henry Holland (a childhood BFF) behind the turntables at the POP Magazine party last year in London.

Expect to hear The Clash.

We’ve always thought a guy with great style is even cuter than a guy with a J. Crew face.

Apparently, Diesel agrees -

They’ve just started a dating service to match denim fans with like-minded (or at least like-dressed) mates.

To break the ice, a group of Diesel models are available for contact on the site - and they’re contractually obligated to send you a note back.

Those more fearless can upload their own photo onto Diesel’s site, link their MySpace page, craft a little blurb about themselves, and wait for the love connection.

Besides being brilliantly interactive, the move seems like a good and sneaky way for Diesel to cull customer info:

Imagine knowing the basic looks, preferences, and MySpaces for thousands of your shoppers.

We haven’t been brave enough to post a profile yet, but maybe it’ll go something like this:

“Rehab Jean addict seeks silly, smart boy who understands Entourage is fiction and won’t wear skulls.

Likes: straight-leg, dark-wash.

Dislikes: corduroy, potheads.

No cuffs, please.”

If Shakespeare were here, he’d write a coke-fueled comedy about the supposed love triangle between Pete Doherty, Kate Moss, and our favorite model Irina Lazareanu.

Instead, we’ve got The Daily Mail, which calls their comedy “Betrayed!” and gives it two pages in today’s paper.

Their story:

Irina and Pete are back together.

Kate Moss is devastated.

Boo.

The reality:

Probably not so much.

Irina and Pete have been friends for years. The circumstantial evidence of a mutual drug-binge between the two doesn’t confirm a conjugal visit (though it does sound awfully dangerous).

Meanwhile, we have trouble trusting the credibility of any paper claiming that only after booking the TopShop campaign, “Irina has since become an increasingly popular fashion model, modelling for top designers including Chanel, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Anna Sui, Lanvin, Versace, and many more.”

The bonus to this circus: Album sales for Irina will probably skyrocket (if the record ever comes out).

Those wishing to look like a British supermodel have two options:

1. Rewire your DNA and wear lots of Rimmel.

2. Try on this dress by Jovovich Hawk.

Milla and Carmen altered it slightly for Lily Cole’s Cannes adventure - note the tight straps in place of cap sleeves - but the length, the fit, and the pattern are the same.

We like the dress because it works for women of many skin tones, and it’s below-the-knee length makes it great for family events, daytime dates, and - with some deep violet stockings and a light leather bomber - all of September and October.

The big snag:

Even 50% off, the dress is almost $500, which means if you buy it, you won’t just look like a supermodel -

You’ll have the same kind of bank account.

An interpretive dance happens in our closet every night.

It spawns from getting ready to go out, and heaving the idea that “I don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard� onto your clothes.

You go back, you go forth, you go to the bubble skirts, you go to the halters.

And then, inevitably, you inevitably end up wearing jeans, a cute top, and heels.

Then you get to the party, and every other girl obviously did the same dance, and you all look the same.

So we think we want to get SERIOUS about party dresses, and we want to know who’s in.

Anyone who said yes:

May we suggest Ashish ‘s fall/winter collection?

It’s like Luella meets Art Deco meets Dynasty. This isn’t trying too hard; this is throwing clothing caution to the winds!

This is a plea to all you girls out there – can we please wear crazy party dresses everyday?

We’ll do it if you do it (and obviously, we’ll all share).

—ALISON COOL

When The O.C. premiered in 2003, its fashion really did influence the way girls dressed. The rise of Marisa Cooper and her mix-and-match style - the Chanel school bag with the Hurley tank top and the Marc by Marc overalls - it was flawless, and so Teen Vogue you’d swear Conde Nast owned the series.

Now Josh Schwartz creates his second teen series, this time an East Coast ode called Gossip Girl. It’s based on the books we all pretend we haven’t read, and stars Blake Lively, whom we love, as heroine Serena (though we peg Taylor Momsen as the breakout star, since she’s fourteen and looks like Barbie).

But will Gossip Girl’s fashion have the same O.C. impact?

We’re undecided.

Watching the first episode, we weren’t inspired to try anything new - not the way The O.C. was alternately like a shopping list (must buy American Eagle cutoffs to wear with heels), a DIY post (must apply metal studs to China flats with hot glue), and a secret lesson in layering (must always and forever put Hanes wifebeaters under strapless evening gowns).

And though the use of new labels like Vena Cava and Phillip Lim is admirable, and the cast looks gorgeous in them the clothes look a little off-kilter on (supposed) high school kids - and not in an iconic, Saved by the Bell kinda way.

To find out why, we snagged actual Upper East Side student Tess Brokaw, a recent Brearley graduate, to ask how Gossip Girl succeeds… and sometimes fails.

Something about head-to-toe black seems really appealing right now – it’s the inevitable backlash against the brights of Nu Rave, and after a summer of cavorting about in shorts and printed dresses, it looks so fresh and sophisticated.

And judging from Stefano Pilati’s somber fall collection for Yves Saint Laurent and Gareth Pugh’s dip into darks, black is – well, the new black.

The key to monochromatic dressing is to pay close attention to the silhouette – when you aren’t going nuts with color, you can get more experimental with shape and proportion.

That’s why we love Danish label Wackerhaus – we covet their entire fall collection, which looks so stark and tough, and also really beautifully-made.

Just make sure to wear blush and lip color, or risk being nicknamed “Morticia Addams” - just like Irina Lazareanu was in grade school!

—ALISON COOL

We’re in love with something strange— a hoodie.

We never thought it’d happen, since the past few years have forced us to equate that word with sherbert-colored terry cloth.

But since our newfound love is leather and $920, we’re probably just going to forget about it and move on.

Yet if Mike & Chris can make such a cool, rocker style hoodie, surely other lines can do the same, and for cheaper.

Torn has a mod version of the style that retails for $154. It’s white and super long, so it only needs a great pair of sunglasses to compliment it. And for just $48, American Apparel has the perfect hoodie for wearing oversize on top of a flirty dress (while pretending that you just don’t care).

We’re thrilled that the Juicy monopoly has long since disbanded, and ready to stock up on hoodies once again.

But is it okay to wear a hoodie to the office or a cocktail party - even if you can find it at Bergdorf?

—NATALIE MATTHEWS

Summer’s print overload has assaulted the maxi dresses, but for Fall there’s a new option: Outerwear.

Sometimes, you’ll feel like going a little more incognito in the classic trench or the newly cool motorcycle jacket, but if you’re ready, you can also add some graffiti to your autumn layers.

SWD/Skyward is a Scandinavian genius of splatter paint, despite their extremely confusing website. We especially like this black and white cape, where it looks less elementary school art project than minimalist /abstract expression.

Also, for fashionable slobs and cute art students out there –

This kind of pattern is extremely effective for concealing stains and real painting accidents

—ALISON COOL

There are few fashion critics whom we aspire to be, but Amy Larocca is up there.

The New York style writer wrote one of our favorite pieces ever - on Marc Jacobs - and broadcasts her trend forecasts with restrained glee every Fashion Week.

But next week, she’ll do something a little odd:

Proclaim Mary Kate and Ashley the “Fashion Gremlins,” but then give their new clothing line a glowing review - her summary of the article says that “the Olsen twins-glamorous and bohemian-take their peculiarly prescient fashion sense mainstream with a grown-up line. And the result is surprisingly good.”

Well, who woudn’t want to dress like a scrubbed-up Olsen, if given the affordable option?

But the girls will have to justify their price points - $600 for a dress is still hard to take.

And hopefully, MK will clear up the mystery of Elizabeth & James’ sparkled mini-dress… you know, the one she wore to Zac Posen’s afterparty last year, billed as “vintage”…

In our opinion, white shoes are always cute. Before Labor Day, after Labor Day - on Labor Day. Whenever.

Yes, it’s hard to keep them clean, and no, they are not practical. But that hasn’t stopped us from going crazy about these “Brigid� heels from Finnish accessories designer Minna Parikka.

Having cherubic wings on your feet sure beats having them tattooed on your back (Nicole Richie, you’re sort of awesome, but…).

And now you can look like a perfect little angel while you trample all over the hearts of boys.

We can’t see a better reason to splurge.

—ALISON COOL

Smoking is already banned at most dance parties, but now it might stop happening in magazine pages, too:

Last week, Congress sent a letter to women’s glossies, urging them to reject advertisements from tobacco companies.

The letter came with a firm suggestion to get rid of those ads, and also a deadline: Reply to Congresswoman Lois Caps by this Wednesday.

But it seems her letter wasn’t too popular, since Caps’ official response was that “magazines seem to care more about their bottom-line profits than the health of their readers, young and old.”

Well, we could have told you that - Craving the body of Gemma Ward, the hair of Raquel Zimmerman, and the clothing allowance of a hedge fund salary is hardly considered healthy (but that doesn’t mean we don’t love it, and find a greater purpose in it, somewhere).

As for the smoking issue, it’s worth noting that tobacco ads take up a tiny fraction of magazines, so if Conde Nast and Hearst were to ban them, their profits wouldn’t really suffer.

What seems to be the real issue is, in the words of Vogue publisher Tom Florio, “…The goal of Congress should be to create legal guidelines for the marketing, distribution and sale of tobacco products, rather than to bring pressure on a magazine to forgo its legal right to conduct business as approved by the lawmakers of the United States.”

And if Congress tries to ban smoking ads in fashion magazines, what else could they ban - birth control ads? Ads with nudity? And what about editorials with smoking? You get the idea - it’s a hard slope to walk, even if Congress isn’t wearing the Fendi bubble heels approved by Vogue.

We don’t smoke. We don’t love it when our friends smoke. We think tobacco ads are lame. But we’re not sure it’s okay to ban Camel and Marlboro from buying space in magazines?

One more thing:

We can’t help but wonder why this initiative is only aimed at women’s magazines. Apparently when GQ and Details run their tobacco ads, men aren’t as influenced by their seductive powers? Really?

HICH model was sent home from an editorial shoot when Pat McGrath found white powder stuck in her nose? It didn’t come from a makeup brush.

Debra Messing’s pretty cool, but to us, her only fashion cred comes from that one episode of Project Runway where she endlessly flattered Michael Kors.

We hope she wears his stuff tomorrow when she cuts the blue ribbon at Saks’ must-hyped new shoe department.

If you’re dying for a glimpse of Grace Adler, show up at the New York flagship around 9 30 AM for the ribbon cutting ceremony…

Then since you’re already awake, you can go down to Century 21 before work and buy the same shoes, at slightly cheaper prices.

It may not be glamorous, but it’s what Grace Adler (and probably Carrie Bradshaw) would do…

Last week at Marc Jacobs, we were surprised when the saleslady tried to sell us children’s clothing, instead of a sundress or a Stam.

We discarded the idea of children’s clothing at the same time we stopped using crayons in restaurants [editor’s note: Faran and Sarah still use crayons in restaurants.]

But with the saleslady’s prodding, we checked out the boys’ Little Marc shirts—and really liked the styles
and colors.

Although we’re used to borrowing our brother’s shirts, we also realize that he’s 21 and 6 feet tall.

Surely clothing made for boys half our age wouldn’t fit.

Yet it did. The secret is that Marc’s XL boys’ shirts are similar in size to a Small in his women’s.

They won’t fit every Marc fan; but if you’re on the slimmer side, consider browsing the boys XL and XXLs in Little Marc. The stuff is simple, adorable, and way cheaper than Marc by Marc.

Plus, if you pair the boys’ shirts with the girls’ barrettes and hats, you can easily achieve that tough-but-sweet look.

You can also find the same type of items at J. Crew Crew Cuts and Gap Kids. But stick with tops and vests:

Fitting into a boys XL vest is a great, but if you try to squeeze into a pair of shorts, you probably won’t get them past your ankles.

—NATALIE MATTHEWS

Recently, it seems rock ‘n roll has taken the fashion world by storm (which we realize is nothing new, but hear us out) -

Almost everyday this week, British Vogue capped their “breaking news” roundup with a different old school rock collaboration.

Today, they’re singing the praises of designer Gina Alexander’s Hendrix-inspired line of bags and leather jackets, all of which are stamped with the legendary guitarist’s iconic image.

Yesterday, they mused about Worn By, a new t-shirt label dedicated to recreating the original fashion pieces of classic rock idols.

And over at the LA Times, California skate label Altamont Apparel gets a shout-out for their limited edition rocker tees - also in tribute to Hendrix, but adorned with his sketches instead of his face.

We love rock stars, and we think the idea behind these collaborations is really cool.

Still, we hesitate to buy. Especially when we remember the Beatles t-shirts shoved way back in our closet, which we tried desperately to work into our wardrobes - but ultimately couldn’t, because even when it went under a blazer or with an expensive skirt, it looked a little too Ashley Tisdale.

Would you wear a rock tee? If so, how could you make it work outside the gym or your bedroom?

—SARAH MUEHLBAUER

It’s crazy, it’s overwhelming, it makes you want to scream…

It’s the Barneys Warehouse Sale.

But is it worth braving the insanity?

We did this morning, and you should too, if:

-You really wanted a pair of those satin cap-toe platforms Lindsay wore in the Miu Miu ads. There are lots, and they’re marked down to $235.

-You need a pair of pants for work. There are piles of basic black, white, and tan slacks from Jil Sander and Balenciaga in the $130-300 range.

-You really like Sophia Kokosalaki, or the line she designed for Vionnet, as Sophia has surpassed Alber Elbaz this year as the designer most represented on the sale racks. But be willing to shell out for it, since most of the pieces are still a few thousand dollars - and not that nice!

-You’re a tall girl who wants heels (there are lots of great pumps in sizes nine and ten), or a short girl who wants flats (there are lots of cute ones in size six and seven). If you want cheap designer shoes, there’s no in-between.

-You really loved those Louboutin espadrilles Sarah showed you yesterday - they’re heeeere.

-You do modern dance, and you want a Marc by Marc unitard - they’re everywhere.

-You like Dries van Noten and you like spangles.

There’s also the usual clutch of DVF dresses (some nice Vena Cava, too), mountains of Loomstate hoodies, a lonely feathered Giles gown, tons of Rick Owens tube tops ($50), and lots of great stuff from Balenciaga’s capsule collections (Knits, Silk, Pants).

I picked up a Balenciaga shell ($99) and pants ($138)…

But all I really want to put on are my pajamas. I think I need a nap.

—ANNA FIELDING GRIGGS

In Episode Two of Girls Gone Styled, we discover the wonders of vintage dresses thanks to stylist Quinn Asteak, and then we shop far, far too much…

Here’s a fun email flying through some agencies, about a girl from a rival booker:

The agents say she was booked for the Prada campaign - then dropped when Meisel realized she’d already shot Italian Vogue with Klein.

Accusations are flying of “mismanagement” - probably an attempt to sway the girl over to her side. Will it work - or is it just a nasty rumor tactic?

Normally we’re not super into green and orange together, but we’re making an exception.

These adorable “Swirl Army� headphones from AiAiAi are about $75, and look more like modern art than army gear.

The phones also come in black and orange, but that’s a little too Halloween for us - and not in a good, Evan Rachel Wood kind of way.

Meanwhile, the traditional white iPod earbuds get gross and grungy pretty quickly - not to mention, they’re a little too conspicuous late at night.

Besides the colors, we love the old-school telephone cord swirl on the cables, and the sound is really good too –

Perfect for looking cool on the subway while secretly indulging in guilty pleasure tunes (“I saw the sign/and it opened up my eyes/I saw the si-i-i-gn�).

[Editor’s Note: Please realize only Alison sings this song in the subway…]

—ALISON COOL

Thursday Styles has a piece on Zandra Rhodes today, where Ruth LaFurla explores the zany British designer’s influence on the current Nu Rave look:

“This month interpretations of her looks found their way into Fashion Rocks, the fashion and music magazine from the publishers of Vogue.

“Someone congratulated me,� she said diffidently, “but those clothes weren’t mine.�

Funny.

Meanwhile, the story quietly announces that Zandra has new handbags out at Bergdorf Goodman this fall, and a (slightly less new) collection at M.A.C Cosmetics counters.

We’ll try to snag Zandra during British Fashion Week, but if you’re a fan of her prints, try scouring eBay for her maxi dresses - they’re usually sold cheap, and even if it doesn’t fit you, you can use the flowing fabric to your advantage and have a tailor cut the gown into a cute tunic.

We had a great laugh last night, when we finally had time to enjoy summer’s Vogue Italia.

It’s called the “Cleanse” issue, has a much-hyped spread on rehab chic, with Sasha laid out in a mental hospital and Caroline OD’d on whatever.

V.I.’s editor, Franca Sozzani, found the idea of the story “quite powerful,” but The Telegraph wonders whether a spread with pretty girls pretending to be junkies has anything to do with clothes.

And it is an odd time, when America’s most famous starlets are hiding in hospitals and even Amy Winehouse, the girl who sang a whole song about resisting rehab, is actually stuck there.

For our part, the photos seem like a great example of dry, black humor, spoofing the downfall of blonde Vuittoned junkies, and yanking us back to reality with a good silent smirk.

As for the fetished scenes in the mental hospital, which look a little Girl, Interrupted, let’s just remember that if you really need a break from the real world, you probably don’t get to soak in a tub full of Chloe…

When we heard Damien Hirst was the guest designer for Levi’s Warhol Factory X collection, we were a little stunned:

Would the starkly morose artist make jeans out of animal hide? Would he glue little shark’s teeth onto each button? Or would he just coat ten pounds of denim in blood?

It turns out his vision was a little safer than that:

He’s taken black denim and grafted them with crystal skulls.

It could be an homage to his $99 million skeleton, or it could just be mass fashion talking:

Like terrycloth sweat suits and bootcuts before it, the skull trend has another few years of playing out to do.

The complete collection debuts at New York Fashion Week, where a Damien Hirst sighting might be even more exciting than the prospect of Sienna…

The oddest thing about this video of Christian Louboutin on a trapeze:

His strenuous teetering feels like sympathy labor pains.

Christian can’t know the demands of walking all day in his gorgeous 4 inch pumps, so he elevates himself in a different, equally unnatural way.

It’s also fun that he doesn’t realize the irony in a new shoe collection inspired by trapeze artists:

The parallels between a performer staying afloat without slipping and a woman staying strong while balanced, sort of, on two thin rods are just too strong.

But Christian’s such a cutie, so we can’t fault Style.com for adoring him.

As for the new shoe collection, they’re certainly gorgeous, but if you’re a girl who walks everywhere, you might find it easier to swing on a trapeze than to swing these heels for Fall…

Especially since they retail for almost $1000.

If you do get your hands on a Prada LG or an Elle Glamphone, you’ll probably want to protect your expensive gadget from scratches and damage.

Best Buy thinks they have a way for you to do it - and still reflect your “sense of style�.

The company is teaming up with Liz Claiborne to produce fashionable cases for cell phones, cameras, and laptops. The move is definitely part of Liz Claiborne’s new strategy to seduce young American shoppers - and you can bet their new creative director, Tim Gunn, had something to do with it.

No word yet on what the cases will look like, but considering that Liz Claiborne owns Kate Spade, they might be cute- and definitely less expensive than their Vuitton counterparts.

Of course, since Liz Claiborne also owns Juicy Couture, the move could be dangerous…

—NATALIE MATTHEWS

With the abundance of stylish chain stores and the recent onslaught of cheaper-chic designer collaborations, many thrifty fashionistas have fled high-end territory -

But is skipping out on Saks in favor of Urbans really saving them that much money?

We did a bit of online sale-snooping, and here’s what we found:

Anthropologie offers these Market Square Espadrilles for $89.95, marked down from $138.

Meanwhile, Shopbop recently sliced the price on these Marc by Marc ankle tie sandals from $295 to $88.50.

And over at Saks’ online store, this pair of Christian Louboutin canvas espadrilles is up for grabs at $92.92 (deflated from $310).

It takes a bit of detective work, but it’s definitely possible to unearth some upscale steals and match mass market ensembles price-for-price.

It’s harder to play this game with more expensive pieces, like leather jackets and status purses, but with thrift stores, eBay, and sample sales, it can be done.

—SARAH MUEHLBAUER

While we were out shooting Streetwalker, we ran across Broadway to get a photo of Lisette:

Her red dress, black heels, and white bag looked great even from across the street.

But when we got closer, we saw it wasn’t her outfit that was stunning, it was the girl - a model from Holland who’s new to NYC.

We’ll have this experience again, since Fashion Week Castings have started, and girls will be roaming the streets in search of jobs for the next month.

But though the streets are teeming with pretty girls, they won’t be part of Streetwalker (pesky models look good in everything, so we don’t feature them).

But even if Lisette’s more of a catwalker than a Streetwalker, she can take consolation in having just come from Nylon, where she’d booked her first editorial!

No wonder she had a special glow.

Look out for her at Fashion Week…

—ANNA FIELDING GRIGGS

Just got an email from Heatherette Headquarters, which - as I’m sure you’ve imagined - is a flying disco ball that hovers over New York and sometimes sends Skittles out into the Manhattan skyline.

The label has switched its show time - now it’s on September 11th, the same day as Betsey Johnson and Zac Posen.

But Heatherette’s also switched its venue:

For the first time in a while, they won’t be showing in the Bryant Park Tents.

Perhaps that’ll make the crowd easier to manage - an hour before the show, the line to get in is notoriously long, crazy, and throbbing with too much sugar and too little sleep - a bad combo when you’re also dealing with flashbulbs, stilettos, and Amanda Lepore.

We hope this means Lily Allen can walk the runway!

The carefully-crafted Fashion Week calendar should, in theory, be about as flawless as Doutzen’s complexion.

After all, editors have enough issues to handle, without having to worry about major scheduling conflicts, too.

But we see a problem already:

Heatherette and the Fashion Rocks party are at the same time— 8 pm on Thursday, September 6.

Going to Heatherette and then arriving fashionably late (sorry, lame pun) to Fashion Rocks is more ideal than practical.

In reality, the chaos, traffic, and transition time add up— a major problem for celebrities, who often walk in the Heatherette show and / or play at the Fashion Rocks concert.

Of special concern is Lily Allen, who’s been having her dresses custom-built for her by the Heatherette team. If she’s in town for Fashion Week, it’s a good bet she’ll walk the finale in the Heatherette show -

Unless she’s posing at Fashion Rocks, since their magazine did a full-page spread on the singer with the Klaxons…

—NATALIE MATTHEWS

Kate Schelter 31 years old, creative director

Got her: On Greene Street, on her way to Kirna Zabete.

Stalked her: Because she’s the only person we’ve ever seen who can pull off Toms shoes.

Shot her: Because her colorful dress brightened our day.

She says: “It’s vintage YSL.”

Also: Andrea Brueckner bag, Hermes cuff.

We say: We’re jealous…

—ANNA FIELDING GRIGGS

WHICH occasional model was only signed to her major agent because of a family connection? The frequent party poser is lovely, but it’s her drop-dead gorgeous relative they’re really after… and they think a good relationship will eventually seal the deal.

In theory, recycled fashion is a great idea - especially when it means an Anya Hindmarch tote, a pair of Edun jeans, or buying vintage instead of Forever 21.

But every once in a while, we see a garbage-based creation that makes us want to run screaming back to fossil fuels and Styrofoam.

This Luna Bar Bag is a perfect example. If you don’t belong to Equinox, perhaps you need a definition:

Luna Bars are low-calorie, natural energy bars, marketed only to women, that have names like “Nutz Over Chocolate,� “Chai Tea� and “S’Mores.�

We’ve always found them pretty embarrassing – it’s like the execs had a meeting to figure out their female consumer and were like, “Chocolate!â€? “Chai Tea!â€?

They don’t taste terrible, but they’re much worse for you than a piece of fruit and some nuts. Meanwhile, their new wrapper bag, with the dancing woman silhouettes, is embarrassing.

Recycled fashion is a great idea, but here’s a general rule for eco designers:

Don’t make anything out of candy wrappers, trash bags, laminated newspaper or magazine pages, license plates, or MetroCards.

We know you’re more brilliant than that.

—ALISON COOL

Thanks to reader Keisha for this video, which seems to be an IMG promotion of their biggest star.

It’s fun to see Gemma wink and wave to the camera, but we don’t really get it:

She’s already the most successful model in her age group, and major designers don’t need a commercial of their occasional muse in order to cast her again.

Meanwhile, if this is for movies, we’re depressed for Hollywood starlets everywhere - Gemma doesn’t even talk in this reel.

Maybe she wants to be a music video girl, like Alicia Silverstone and Aerosmith?

Designers adore clutches, because they’re a sort of gateway drug to the rest of their brand.

Besides looking cool, they’re smaller and therefore cheaper - so girls who will spend $400 on their favorite logo - but not $1000 - might have some luck.

They’re also good when you’re feeling madcap - why lug something on your shoulder when all you need is your cash, your phone, and your date?

But therein lies the problem -

Clutches are an evening thing, when you’re probably dancing, probably drinking, and probably way more inclined to leave things in cars, cabs, or boys’ apartments.

Do you really risk your wallet and your iPhone just so you can look carefree?

We recovered from our Jefferson Hack crush after June’s Dazed and Confused party, but if you haven’t been so lucky, here’s a treat:

In the Daily Telegraph, Lila Grace’s daddy reveals his new underwear, made bespoke for him on Saville Row.

Besides instructions from Mr. Hack on how to buy custom undies, the article boasts a bit of an overshare:

“[At the underwear store where they measured me], I unbuckled my jeans and calmly tugged them over my hips. As I was about to step out of them, a stereo gasp from the tailors either side of me filled the room. I looked down and realised that I had gone commando that morning. Quickly, I yanked them back up.”

Thanks, JH.

Now during Fashion Week, when we try to imagine the front row naked so we’re not as intimidated, this is exactly what we’ll envision.

On the upside:

This piece does boast a great idea: custom-made boxers would be a very cool gift for a boyfriend.

There’s no shortage of luxury labels diffusing:

McQ, See by Chloe, Libertine for Target, Vera Wang at Kohl’s…

But slowly we’re seeing mass labels who want to trade up.

Forever 21 announced their prestige line this spring, but you weren’t crazy about it - probably because the clothes were awful.

H&M also has a luxe line that’s only available in Europe.

Now J. Crew gets on board, announcing their own upmarket label, called J. Crew Collection. Prices range from $225 (for a babydoll dress) to over $1000 (for an evening gown). The clothes will be sold in a separate store on the Upper East Side, though you can already buy a few pieces online (but they’re not marked J. Crew Collection).

If any mass brand can pull this off, we think it might be J. Crew - their affluent image and dabbles in bridal wear, suiting, and cashmere already give the label luxe touches.

Still, we have to ask what every suburban mom has already wondered:

Isn’t J.Crew too expensive already?

Our “favorite” parts of magazines are the “Buy or Toss” section.

You know the one - a chart or list, where the magazine decrees army blazers “in” (so Balenciaga right now), or army blazers “out” (so Victor and Rolf from 2 years ago).

But any fashion maven will tell you it’s the mash of current and past seasons that makes style interesting.

So why the constant spreads telling us what to “buy or toss” for the upcoming season?

Loads of items on September’s British Vogue “Keep or Delete?” page have woven in and out of fashion for decades, never truly losing steam. They don’t like leggings - we’ve seen them on half the runways. They don’t like ballet flats - we’ll never surrender our Repettos. And they don’t like skinny jeans, which are great layering pieces for fall.

Should magazines urge you to toss these fashion fixtures? Or should they focus on highlighting trends that actually are seasonal, not timeless. We understand why magazines want us to put aside our summer neon and white shoes / skirts / pants - those only work on vacation.

But can you really edit your closet based on someone else’s list?

—SABRINA BACON

We went into the Soho Prada store this weekend to ask about their infamous phone.

The saleslady only laughed a little as she told us that the wait list had been closed for weeks
.
Since we clearly can’t get our hands on the Prada LG, maybe we should settle for the new Elle Glamphone instead, even if we have to go to London to buy it.

It comes in several colors (orange, purple, and yes, pink) and has a simplistic, classic feel.

Also, it’s called a Glamphone. Use that in a sentence.

Plus, if a subscription to the magazine comes with the phone, we’d really be saving money, somehow…

—NATALIE MATTHEWS

The ultimate insult from ANTM judges is that a contestant might be “too catalog�, as if the catalog and runway worlds don’t mix.

But in the real fashion industry, why can’t a successful model do both high fashion and mass market?

We were a little surprised to see Lily Cole in the new ads for Bloomingdale’s, instead of for Prada or Burberry.

We briefly wondered if her prestige as a model had passed, but then we realized:

With Lily for Bloomingdale’s and Jess Stam for Barneys, maybe being “catalogâ€? isn’t as bad as Tyra makes it seem…

But what about Caroline Winberg posing for beauty chain store Ulta?

—NATALIE MATTHEWS

Here’s an interesting conversation starter from London:

Rumors are swirling that the very cool daughter of a very together magazine editor is starting her own “Daily” for London Fashion Week, after graduating from Central St. Martin’s with a band of hip friends and insider contacts.

It won’t be affiliated with IMG’s official Daily, but it’s quietly staffing all over Britain and could debut in the London Fashion Week Tents.

We’ll scan it if it happens…

Our vote for the coolest shoes in the world goes to Heather Blake’s recent RCA grad collection.

The theme is “Industrial Baroque,� and the footwear is inspired by the curves and swoops of digitally-designed architecture.

And while many brands claim to reference industrial design - the Frank Gehry Tiffany’s jewelry, Vera Wang’s bridal gowns, Balenciaga heels - these shoes refer to architectural forms in a more literal way.

Some of the accessories seem more like little sculptures you’d want to display on your shelf, and we’d be afraid to walk in a few pairs, but we’ve seen women pull off all kinds of stilettos, so we know it’s possible.

We know Heather Blake wears her own stuff, and she recommends her designs be worn by “a confident and theatrical woman.�

Any takers?

—ALISON COOL

Previously on Fashionista, we marveled at W’s use of Lara Stone.

First, the Dutch model writhed on a cracked ice floor, naked and cozy with a giant fur Fendi (it was bright orange, like a traffic cone).

Next, Lara posed for Juergen Teller, naked and spread-eagle, and splayed on another giant fur (this one was red).

Then Doutzen posed on a bed of leaves, with a teddy bear, also pretty naked.

Now it’s Suvi’s turn - though she looked so much like Lara that we got confused!

Unlike DK and LH, Suvi actually gets to sit up for a bit - as she’s straddled by a bird.

The tableau is a modern take on “Leda and the Swan” - the Greek myth where Zeus comes in bird form to rape a beautiful mortal woman who’s vowed to remain a virgin. The result of the assault is Helen of Troy, who is birthed in a golden egg.

We love that W mixed Lanvin and J. Crew, and we love mythology references, but we wonder:

How many other submissive poses - with fur or feathers - will W whip up?

Also:

Is that a tattoo like Gisele’s on Suvi’s hand?

Remember sailor bracelets? Those knotted white bracelets that you had to get wet to get on, and could never take off?

Well, you could if you cut them off, which you had to, since they inevitably got grimy after a few weeks of wear.

But still, everybody had them - Ralph Lauren even made them to sell in his stores (and we put them in the washing machine once, but they didn’t survive).

We think this twisted black muslin and silver chain necklace from UK-based jewelry designer Susie Lloyd incorporates everything that was good about those bracelets without the ick factor - and as August pushes on, you can still have a nautical twist in your jewelry without looking like you’re stuck in summer’s marine vibe.

Plus you can take it off – not that you’d want to!

—ALISON COOL

Yesterday at Gemma’s - the Bowery Hotel restaurant, not the model’s house - a coven took place.

It starred Glam’s Susan Cernek, ELLE’s Carol Han, Glamour’s Ashley Baker, and Leslie of Fashion Tribes.

Loads of secrets were discussed, but there’s one bit of gossip we’ll share with you:

There will be no Jovovich Hawk show this season, because Milla is “too pregnant to move.”

It’s great news that the model / designer / Dazed and Confused stoner is having a baby, but we wonder if we’ll get a Lou Doillon sighting in NYC this season without Milla and Carmen to tempt her overseas.

Fingers crossed, and felicitations to Mama Milla on her upcoming delivery…

You may remember Abby as our Fashionista muse and model, but she’s actually a stylist and TV producer who’s pulled us into something crazy.

It’s Girl’s Gone Styled, a new mini-show that’s like The Style Network on twelve triple lattes.

Check out our first manic episode, where we quiz designer Rebecca Minkoff and pillage a wardrobe of Marc by Marc.

And coming up:

An interview with Proenza’s technical designer, a tour of the Seventeen fashion closet, and a crash-course on how to shop for vintage clothes if you hate thrift stores (in fact, we did, before we filmed that episode).

We may not have as much eyeliner or drama as The Hills, but you need something to last you through the rest of the week…

Those with cramped London Fashion Week schedules will be pleased to know that the kind people at British Vogue are thinking of you.

The magazine has teamed up with LFW organizers to broadcast the shows at Harvey Nichols department stores throughout Britain and Ireland.

Diners at Harvey Nichols’ restaurants in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Dublin will see the shows just hours after they happen - with all at the comforts of a restaurant. and none of the hassles of actually going to a show (like waiting or getting elbowed by an irate, tired, and underfed editor).

It’s not clear yet which shows will be broadcast, as the official LFW schedule awaits a final update.

Though covering the catwalk shows may increase appetites for shopping, there is no word on how it will affect restaurant sales.

—ALLIE MERRIAM

When we hear “conceptual clothing,� we think of Junya Watanabe and avant-garde, sculptural silhouettes.

But for Danish artist and designer Karoline Kjeldoft, “conceptual fashion” uses design to explore how contemporary beauty ideals and identity are manifested through clothing.

Her current project, “86 / 77 / 96,� is a collection of dresses.

The line uses the average body measurements of an 80-year old woman – 86 / 77 / 96 (or, in inches 34 / 30 / 38) – as the starting point for the construction of garments that reveal and accentuate the body shapes of older women, rather than trying to “flatter� or obscure the actual figure.

Photographs of the designs are on display in Copenhagen’s Øksnehallen. The clothes are startling and provocative, and raise a lot of questions about the relationship between youth and fashion.

What if clothes were designed to highlight the way your body actually looked, instead of creating the illusion of more “perfect� body?

—ALISON COOL

In the humble tradition of K by Karl Lagerfeld and Marc by Marc Jacobs, Raf Simons (of Jil Sander fame) has introduced a secondary line named… RAF by Raf Simons.

In an interview with Dazed and Confused, Simons explains his desire to create a second line.

The urge stems from Raf’s feeling of disconnection, both from the youth culture that’s inspired him (like Hedi Slimane), and from an industry that requires his designs meet other people’s expectations.

But despite the fact that RAF is technically a diffusion line, Simons is quick to point out that lower prices don’t indicate lower standards:

“I don’t want to be ruined, like other people have been, by their second lines. You can get to a point where the whole image is lost, and it becomes so tacky that it damages the whole brand.”

Judging from his F/W 07 collection, Simons shouldn’t be concerned. His RAF pants could be the Hedi Slimane suits of the future - chic girls everywhere might be vying to get into a pair of his graphic jeans.

—ALLIE MERRIAM

Walking around New York checking out guys – um, I mean, their outfits – we’ve noticed this Keith Haring hipster thing happening.

We’re not talking about the drawings of cartoon dudes with squiggles around them that made Haring famous (although we love those too), but about Keith Haring’s personal style in the early 80s – his trademark repertoire of oddball glasses, grungey tight athletic gear, shorts and weird socks, frazzled hair, and tight dirty black jeans.

We even think the Paul Smith spring 08 collection looks like a cleaned up, polished version of the Keith Haring look, but we miss the dirt and grime.

If the Keith Haring, circa 1984, were to suddenly appear in Williamsburg, he would be the best-dressed guy in town. We revisited some old pictures of Haring, and kind of fell in love.

Are we alone in this?

—ALISON COOL

Fashionista’s middle name is trouble (okay, Faran’s middle name is Alexis, and Allie’s middle name is Leigh, but still, you get the point).

Today, Steve & Barry’s told WWD their Anna Corinna ripoff bag - as spotted by Fops and Dandies, tipped to us, and featured in Thursday Styles - was never produced.

We didn’t visit Steve & Barry’s during the Bitten debut, but much like Carrie Bradshaw, we “couldn’t help but wonder” —

If the bag had been pulled from the collection, why did they give an image of the tote to the New York Times … two weeks after her line had launched in stores?

That’s why we turn to you:

Did you see the Anna Corinna bag in Steve & Barry’s? Did you buy it? Do you love it?

Or is this a new mystery - The Case of the Missing Copied Bag?

We love Style.com’s story on models and buzz - apparently, agencies are panicking when new girls get press, worried that the hype will kill their careers too early. Says Romney:

“Call it the Catherine McNeil effect. In the spring, the much-buzzed-about McNeil was an up-and-comer with a promising career ahead of her and Paris Vogue’s Juin/Juillet cover to her credit—only to subsequently drop off the radar, eclipsed by new It girl Irina Kulikova.”

Now Supreme and other agencies are keeping their girls in hiding, letting them emerge only for fashion week castings.

But there may be a flaw in the theory:

Catherine McNeil stopped booking when magazines realized that the girl only makes one face. It’s beautiful, but so far, it hasn’t changed.

Compare Catherine with Agyness, the It Girl of the Spring ‘07 runways - when casting directors realized her versatility matched her buzz, they kept on going. Irina and Coco had similar stories.

And as for this season, we expect Catherine to still hit some major runways, along with Irina K, but our two watch-out girls are Suvi K and Anabela, the girl pictured here.

They’re both teen willows, they’ve both booked the new Balenciaga campaign, and they’re both on the must-have list of several casting boards.

Stay tuned…

Evelina, 20, student

Got Her: Out and about in Söder

Stalked Her: Because this is a great way to balance the Balenciaga prep vibe with Miu Miu’s woolen fall visions - and you don’t need oddly cut pants.

Also, note the skinny belt on the high waisted shorts - a good thing to pair with the new silhouette.

Shot Her: Because she’d look cute with black shoes, but the red shoes are just so fun!

She Says: “I’m wearing vintage shorts and a shirt I stole from my Mom’s closet. The shoes are from Din Sko.�

We Say: Don’t return the shirt.

—ALISON COOL

We’ve gotten a few t-shirts from Vince as gifts, and they’re gorgeous.

But we could never buy one ourselves, because $100 for a tee is like $25 for a Big Mac - it’s not going to happen.

Still, we couldn’t help but wince when reader Mian noticed some eerie similarities between Vince’s color block mini dress and Forever 21’s capsleeve tunic.

Besides the exact same shape, color palette, and pattern, the F21 version features pockets directly above the hem -

Right where Vince and his design team decided to put them.

Forever 21’s is $24.80 and Vince’s is $150. We’re not sure we’d wear either.

When last we left our heroine Agyness Deyn, she was posing for Nick Knight and topping the Vogue best dressed list.

Now she’s got a new adventure:

Her very own rock band - slash - DJ collective - slash - spoof.

Check out the new MySpace page AGGY + JACKY, a music space that puts Agyness with downtown scenester Jackson Pollis in a series of nutty photos.

Agyness fans may remember Ms. Deyn was once part of another fledgling rock band called The Tyger Picks, but this one might get more steam:

Though Agyness and Jackson have never performed together, they DJed at the Annex on Friday night, and seem to be booked for more parties through summer (yay!)

Will we see them behind the decks at a Fashion Week party?

We get Sarah Silverman and Selma Blair in Gap photos; London gets Coco Rocha and Elettra Wiedemann.

While you ponder the fashion injustices of American ads, check out this new campaign running in British fall magazines - and previewing in the Times UK, where James Collard declares the brand to have a “more fashion forward twist” than in America.

Behold the power of Marie Amelie Sauve, Balenciaga’s creative babe who agreed to consult for Gap this fall. She followed a brief (but unconfirmed, but we have two sources - one British, one American, who’ve assured us she was, but whatever…) stint by Phoebe Philo at the brand.

Marie-Amelie brings major heft - besides scoring Ms. Rocha for the campaign, she’s also got a coup with Lady Amanda Harlech, the official Chanel muse who’s gamely posing in a Gap trench coat. We wonder if Karl owns the same one in black.

Meanwhile in America, The Gap gives us Patrick Robinson, the former Paco Rabanne designer who recently stinted at Target.

He may not give us jodhpurs (see post below), but hopefully he’ll give us Coco… or Lily Cole, if we’re really lucky.

Odd words from Hilary Alexander, the madly fun and shard-sharp editor of the London Telegraph:

“Jodhpur mania has set in,” to the point of wait lists at Harrod’s and Browns.

Jodhpurs are those crazy little pants that taper at the knee and then poof. They’re a staple of the equestrian uniform, but Hilary’s seeing them on the streets, not the stables.

Balenciaga had an odd khaki pair on their Fall ‘07 runway; now Hilary says they’re at Miss Sixty and The Gap.

And though some British trends never fully catch light in America (maxi dresses, pageboy caps, The Klaxons), we’re still a little curious, and even a little alarmed:

Would you wear jodhpurs out of the barn?

We love Jezebel’s brazen swipe at the Copyright Debate:

Doesn’t our Congress have anything better to do than ban wealthy women from having their textiles copied - usually badly - by chain stores? Isn’t there health care, education, infrastructure, and a very snarled war to resolve instead?

We think the answer is yes and no.

Obviously, genocide and civilian slaughters should get top priority with government officials. But just because there are worse things happening in the world than copycat fashion doesn’t mean it shouldn’t get addressed, at some level.

Breaking counterfeit laws is still wrong. What’s right is Jezebel’s wish that “fashion [were] an engine of jobs that could actually be reasonably held by people whose parents aren’t real estate moguls.” But even though many mid-market clothes are priced too high - and many fashion salaries are too low - it’s not okay to steal, and that’s what’s happening.

There are other issues at stake - the fact that street style is constantly copied by designers, so why shouldn’t the street swipe it back?

But ultimately, we should all be rooting for the death of copyright infringement, and here’s why:

It’s going to be better for you.

If Forever 21 and H&M are forced to make their own designs, we’ll start to really see mass fashion compete with runway fashion, because it will probably be just as innovative, exciting, and new.

And if mass chains need to hire good designers - not ones who copy the runway, but ones who challenge it - there will be far more jobs for incredibly talented kids without “parents who are real estate moguls.”

Root for it - or at least consider how great it could be.

Sometimes the most blinding thing at the beach isn’t the sun, but the embellishments on other people’s sunglasses.

Thankfully, we usually have our own shades on hand to shield us from those glaring rhinestones and neon logos.

But what will we do if the trend hits the office?

Coco Rocha’s new D & G ad makes us wonder if prescription eyeglasses will start to look more like their outrageous sunglass counterparts.

Suddenly our co-workers might be showing up to work, looking like they have giant belt buckles glued to the sides of their face.

But if handbags and shoes can be everyday accessories and still make a bold statement, why not eyeglasses?

—NATALIE MATTHEWS

Playsuits, onesies, overalls, jumpsuits.

Whatever you want to call them, the shorts-with-top attached styles clogged discount bins all over Europe. Apparently, most girls decided this look was definitely not for them.

The fall version – the coverall – is sort of like what technicians wear when they go deal with toxic waste, a jacket and pants all in one.

The idea is cool – you’ll have less laundry to do if your whole outfit is one piece, and in the morning, it’s as convenient as pulling on a dress, instead of whipping together an entire outfit.

But will anyone wear it?

We love this patterned coverall from Danish designer Stine Goya, but we have to admit that even with a belt, it would be pretty tough to pull off.

Is there any way it can look non-toxic?

—ALISON COOL

TopShop says that the muse for their new Scandinavian collection is Love Story’s Ali MacGraw.
We love movie-inspired fashion, but we think the clothes were more likely triggered by a designer than a film character - less Ali MacGraw, and more Phoebe Philo.

These boots and these Mary Janes would definitely look cute on a ’70s Ali MacGraw… but they also looked great on the Spring ‘06 Chloe runway.

The irony is, TopShop’s already had to pull one piece - that famous yellow jumper - because it was a direct Chloe knockoff.

And though the Scandinavian Collection is definitely wantable - though we wonder why it’s named after Sweden and Denmark, when Ali MacGraw was from upstate New York - the bigger issue is trying to get the pieces into your hands before Chloe’s legal team does.

—NATALIE MATTHEWS

Internet homecoming queen Cory Kennedy snags this month’s cover of Jalouse, but her photo poses an odd question:

Are there some people who look better dressed down?

Though Cory’s beauty is hotly debated on various blogs, we’ve always thought she was stunning - in part due to her shards of makeup, slivers of designer accessories, and shreds of denim that she pulls into an outfit.

Add professional hair, makeup, and wardrobe into the mix, and Cory just looks like another gorgeous girl.

But it’s the personality she infuses into her runny eyeliner and scorched skin that makes it really magical.

Take that away, and the cover line - which translates into, “Who Knows Cory Kennedy?” - means something totally different - in that photo, we didn’t recognize her at all.

Heatherette’s not allowed to talk about their new makeup line, which you know must be difficult because Richie, Traver, and the rest of the glitter gang love to dish about everything.

But even though they’re not permitted to share the details just yet, we heard a rumor that their perpetual muse, Lydia Hearst, will star in its upcoming ads.

The move seems perfect, since Lydia’s not only a loyal Heatherette babe, she’s also a very good beauty model (check out this photo we snapped, in two seconds, backstage at last year’s show). But we’d also love to see Natalie Rock, Heatherette’s teen model, in the campaign, or even pop star Mya, a die-hard supporter of the brand who’s so beautiful, it’s distracting.

As for the actual makeup, you can bet it comes with one thing:

Sparkles!

But are you really surprised Heatherette will finally get it’s own line?

One fashion trend inspired by Risky Business i is everywhere this summer, and this time, we’re not talking about Wayfarers:

Shirt dresses hang on the racks in almost every store we visit, from mass market chains (Gap) to more expensive boutiques (Philip Lim).

We decided to try the trend. and wear a navy Steven Alan shirt dress to work last week. We liked it - until dinner, when we paired it with heels and kind of felt like a prostitute - or like we woke up in the morning, put on our boyfriend’s shirt, and went to the office.

Shirt dresses are tricky to accessorize, as too much jewelry or too-high shoes can ruin their natural simplicity. And then there’s another issue, since the cut is sometimes more pillowcase than pillar, you might need a belt - something we don’t love with the style.

Are you wearing shirt dresses, and if so, how?

—NATALIE MATTHEWS

Abercrombie may best be known for All-American, country club aesthetic (as seen, constantly, in their ads), but it appears they’ve set their sights on a more international crowd -

The Herald Tribune reports the clothing empire’s plans for its first store in Asia.

The retail space is set for Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district, and is expected to open in late 2009.

Interestingly enough, the article also indicates that Abercrombie’s London store will soon generate more sales than their Fifth Avenue flagship store in America.

We found this bit of news particularly unsettling, since we’ve always viewed the London kids as pioneers for offbeat, edgy style.

But thinking back to our UK adventure this spring, we seem to remember a surprising number of A&F hoodies and moose-embroidered polos.

So now we’re wondering -

Will the mass-market chain turn our overseas counterparts into Aberzombies?

—SARAH MUEHLBAUER

Today’s WSJ and NY Times are in an argument:

While both agree that prices for luxury fashion items are rising, they disagree about the ensuing effect.

The Times declares that higher prices actually make a shopper more willing to pay for those big luxury pieces, since the price point makes the item seem more exclusive and rare.

We can’t really relate to this, since we’re on a limited budget. A $2,000 tag on a Dior dress just makes us think “Yah right�.

Because of this, the WSJ has a theory: The higher prices are really a marketing ploy, implemented to appeal to people like us, and sell the less expensive items instead.

Think about it:

You crush hard on the $1,800 Balenciaga bag. But since you can’t afford it and rent, you buy the $120 T-shirt. It’s not the same, but at least it’s something.

The WSJ calls it “a matter of pride.” It’s how brands like Louis Vuitton make money- the cache of their $40,000 bags makes you feel justified buying a $85 keychain.

So who’s right:

The WSJ, with their idea that high prices actually drive sales of lower priced items? Or the NY Times, whose theory goes that women will pay $4000 for a coat, precisely because it’s so costly?

—NATALIE MATTHEWS

WWD has an article about how magazines’ are cutting costs:

Using fewer models in their editorials, and more “real” women.

We’ve all seen the spread in Vogue where a Harvard physicist talks about the designers in her closet, and the many features in their little sister mag about the purchasing habits of celebrity offspring.

But is this really a way for magazine’s to save money?

Yes, but it’s not by replacing Jessica Miller with Tinsley Mortimer. At least not directly.

Model labor comes cheap; one of our model sources says “You might make $300 a day for an editorial shoot (unless you’re Gisele, and then you get more).”

It’s not the models who are expensive; it’s the trappings of the projects they’re hired for.

When ELLE uses a model, they usually shell out for an exotic location-based shoot (flying a whole production crew to Tahiti is not cheap), or a pricey studio. They also spend lots of money on elaborate props (giant balloons! robots!) , hair (Orlando Pita, whose day rate is much more than $300), and make-up.

But when a magazine shoots a “real woman” wearing her real clothes, it’s not a huge production - it’s usually at her house, in her own outfits, and she’s not posing with a mini-spaceship (like Liya Kebede did for Bazaar).

So even if the “real” women get shot in $10,000 couture gowns, it’s still a cheaper production than a high fashion spread.

—ANNA FIELDING GRIGGS

If you have a party and nothing to wear, will you spend much more on the shoes than you will on the dress?

Hoping people will notice your feet and not your torso is a pretty common feeling:

Hollywould recently found that their customers were willing to spend $700 for a pair of their shoes— but not nearly the same for their dresses.

Because of this, designer Holly Dunlap will abandon her expensive ready-to-wear clothing - think $900 for a spangled sundress - and venture into more contemporary priced clothing.

Come spring, WWD says her dresses, tops, and pants will be priced from $125 to $395.

Yet Holly’s embellished sandals and metallic wedges won’t be any cheaper, which means you could walk out of the store with a $200 printed dress, and a pair of $600 wedges. Maybe that’s because Holly’s beachy style is fine for accessories, but not every girl (and certainly not every woman) can pull off her blazing patterns and slouchy fits.

But would you justify spending three times as much on shoes as you did on a dress?

—NATALIE MATTHEWS

We remember when backpacks were an everyday staple -

They were bright colors, like teal and fuschia, and often of the L.L. Bean or Jansport varieties. And we were in first grade, toting around spelling books and wearing leggings without any sense of irony.

But junior high saw the arrival of messenger bags, and high school brought our fashion fixations, so we haven’t touched our backpacks since.

Now it appears the old school homework-haulers are making a resurgence, and we’re not so sure what to think.

Marc Jacobs introduced a zippy metallic version of the classic backpack earlier this year at his accessories store, and LeSportsac has been churning out some cute graphic designs (which are bound to get even cuter with an upcoming Stella McCartney collaboration).

There are also smaller, more refined (and more expensive) takes on the sporty accessory from Burberry and Louis Vuitton.

We’re intrigued to see what the upcoming collections will have in store on the backpack front, but we need to know -

Would you ever wear it?

—SARAH MUEHLBAUER

Fall clothes tend to cost more than Spring ones - cashmere and leather, coats and boots, everything really adds up.

There’s great vintage finds in those categories, and J. Crew’s latest batch is crisply awesome, but still -

There’s that one big thing, the coat or the bag or the shoes, that probably cost more than rent. And still, it tugs at your gut until you finally give in and buy it.

So we have a system in our heads:

Buy that Big Thing and wear it once - it cost you $1100.

But wear it twice, and it only costs $550.

And if you wear that Big Thing to work every day for a year… well, you get how it goes. Pretty soon we’ve convinced ourselves that the $1100 trench or the $1500 bag really costs 75 cents - even negative money, if we imagine giving it to our (equally imagined) daughter.

We call this system Pay-for-Play fashion, and though it’s risky and can only be done in moderation, it does soothe our panic when we know an item is extraordinary, but we also have a budget.

Are you a Pay-for-Play girl, or do wait for the Sample Sale?

Vogue staffer Lauren Davis is used to seeing her name on the magazine’s masthead - but what about her face the magazine’s ads?

This fall, it’ll happen.

In September, the new Lord and Taylor campaign will be unveiled in magazines, (including Vogue) as well as posted in the Bryant Park Tents. The launch symbolizes the store’s rebirth, and repositions it to compete (they hope) with Bergdorf Goodman, Saks, and Barneys.

Lauren’s campaign cast mates include some of our favorite models, including Jacquetta Wheeler, Carolyn Murphy, and Lydia Hearst. Children of celebrities like Clint Eastwood and John McEnroe will also pose in the ads.

But the one we’re most dying to see is Lauren’s - maybe because we wonder if it’ll make the Vogue Best Dressed List, where Lauren is often a guest editor.

Or maybe because it’s the first time a socialite, and not a pop star, has starred in an ad campaign in The Tents. We’ll be looking for it.

—NATALIE MATTHEWS