Vogue's January issue features their annual "Best Dressed List," including Agyness Deyn, as styled by Katherine Neale and paired with E.T. It's actually sort of amazing and fizzy, and almost negates the essential question - why would you hire a stylist for a shoot that showcases one's personal wardrobe choices?

Writer Monica Corcoran asserts that brown roots with blonde hair is "the latest way to feign indifference to your appearance" - if $300 shredded jeans, threadbare designer t-shirts, and anything by Martin Margiela doesn't really work for you.

Her proof is a slew of rooted celebrities, including both Olsens, Madonna, and even Jessica Simpson, plus Los Angeles stylists paid hundreds of dollars to paint "lowlights" and darker roots onto their fair-headed clients.

There's also a new wig from the Raquel Welch collection that comes with built-in roots, and a stash of Marilyn and Brigitte Bardot photos showing the sexbombs with their own dark scalps.

Corcoran surmises the tarnished blonde hair represents a good-girl-gone-bad complex, and her argument is both persuasive and intriguing.

Still, in our ash-blonde experience, we can also say those dark streaks growing in are less good-girl-gone-bad and more good-girl-gone-broke.

It must be those $300 jeans that were carefully run over by a monster truck before hitting Barneys...

This makeup trend is also embraced by actual socialites, whose various Patrick McMullan poses require a Sephora overdose for maximum glamour and don't-you-want-to-be-me power.

Today, WWD acknowledges these women as aspirational inspirations for a handful of makeup companies. These brands think the tastemaking power of Tinsley, Fabiola, and the rest of the UES pack is comparable with actual celebrities, and they're prepared to compensate accordingly:

Dior Beauty is going public with its Tinsley Mortimer partnership - she's their "beauty ambassador," alongside Charlize Theron, the face of their fragrance. Mortimer's fee goes to charity. Meanwhile, Lucy Sykes Rellie just signed up to consult for Blow, the West Village salon specializing in hot air. Similar deals exist with Byrdie Bell (left) and Orlane, and Lydia Hearst and Sephora, and Julia Restoin Roitfeld and Tom Ford's fragrance, Black Orchid. And we can just see Jessica Joffe as the face of some skin cream, since her face is so glowy and fresh.

But will there ever be a socialite linked to a Botox brand? In public, we mean, of course...

On December 20th, Louis Vuitton rented various areas of the Regency Hotel in New York for their latest commercial, directed by Ms. Leibovitz and produced by Karen Mulligan.

We hope some behind the scenes footage of the shoot can eventually leak online, especially since Louis Vuitton just posted a slew of scenes from their Mert + Marcus shoot online, with Marc Jacobs and Naomi Campbell describing the production, and Zoe Cassavetes creating the footage.

The last round of Leibovitz + Louis ads starred old school actress Catherine Deneuve and Russian icon Mikhail Gorbachev. Maybe this new slew has Gwyneth.

Apparently, the Brooklynite was sent a new handbag by Karl the Kaiser Lagerfeld, but the clutch never made it into her clutches. Since everything from Chanel is so gorgeous and in-demand, the accessory was accidentally swept up and sent to a shoot for another blonde actress. It now floats between a photo set and a fashion closet on the Left Coast.

When my mom heard the story, she asked, "Can't Chanel just give Michelle another bag?"

I answered, "Ooh, Chanel and Michelle rhyme."

But yes, they could find Ms. Williams another bag. Maybe this one's engraved or blessed by an Australian rabbi - or just incredibly gorgeous, as Chanel things are wont to be.

Anyway, if you're on a celebrity photo shoot in Los Angeles, keep your eye out for a lovely bag that shouldn't be there - then steal it, since it's already lost - much like the Golden Globe nomination that Michelle Williams really should have gotten for I'm Not There...

(I should confess now that Whitney and I were partners in crime at Duke, so her new extracurric intrigues me, but also: How does a groomed Texas blonde go "undercover" at Brooks Brothers? With a fake lisence from Connecticut? Questions for another day, and another girl.)

Anyway, Whitney found the Brooks Brothers' / Thom Browne merger to be fun and slightly overpriced, just like Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art, where I went today and saw an exhibit of Thom Browne's clothes. They hung as part of a show on industrial design. There were also some pieces by Narciso Rodriguez, Zero Maria Cornejo, Nike, and Kid Robot, plus an actual robot that said "Hey baby, gimme five" when you walked past it.

The offer was tempting, but instead I camped out by the Thom Browne stuff to see how museumgoers would react. The place has a neat policy of letting anyone under 18 in for free, so there were lots of families and especially (for some reason) lots of preteen girls.

Sort of funny: Most didn't understand the clothes were actually for men. "That's a pretty jacket," said one, staring at a blazer threaded with silver tinsel. "Like in The Parent Trap, the old one," said another girl to her friend, as she pointed at long, slim shorts.

Sort of predictable: Most adults said something about the pants being too short. But it's still interesting to consider whether Mr. Browne's silhouette will one day flood the mainstream, or whether it's just something for hipsters, fops, and really cute skinny guys.

At the other end of the design hall were wigs designed by Orlando Pita, showcased along with an image of Mr. Pita with Lily Donaldson, which appeared two years ago in Vogue.

I took the Lily D. sighting as my cue to leave, but not before the robot called "Hey baby" again as I searched for the exit.

"It was cruel enough to imagine Ms. Wintour in her underwear (as the site does), but it was downright inhumane to offer her a Missoni-style knit hat and moon boots." --Eric Wilson on the year's worst style crimes

The shoes are vegan friendly, and debut in February, which should make for a very fun party complete with Natalie Portman on everyone's camera phone rosters.

We like Natalie Portman very much, but when we heard the footwear news, we had to smile and remember this quote from the actress, widely circulated in the celebrity columns last month:

"I get pissed off that I go to a premiere to talk about my movie and the first thing they ask me is what dress I'm wearing. And look, I buy into that because I play along - you have to, in a certain way. If you don't dress up then they'll talk about that! It almost becomes less of an issue to play along with it, because then it doesn't become a conversation topic. But that's annoying."

Maybe not annoying enough, huh?

The shoes will cost about $200, far cheaper than the Stella McCartney vegan heels, but hopefully just as cool.

A rumor from luxury consultants that although Juicy Couture's numbers are still good, they're not nearly what were projected when Liz Claiborne bought the company. The rumor is that Liz's head honchos are considering whether or not to resell Juicy as an independent label, and focus instead on Kate Spade, Narciso Rodriguez, DKNY Jeans, and their other brands.

If Juicy does get freed from its corporate ties, it could be great for the brand - their suburban clout is still strong, but reeks of manufactured popularity, and that might not give it the same kind of legs that let American Eagle and Urban Outfitters reign supreme in junior high schools.

Then again, that kind of cultivated cool does seem to work for Abercrombie + Fitch, albeit A+F has more sex appeal and a unisex banner of inclusion that doesn't happen with Juicy (despite a line of menswear). So maybe cafeteria domination is inevitable if a financial heavyweight is behind them.

Either way, it's just a rumor, but here's a side dish of fact:

There's a pile of Juicy Couture longsleeve t-shirts for $28 at the T.J. Maxx in North Andover, MA right now, and if you're in the Boston area, perhaps you'd like to buy them.

WHICH major fashion stylist was recently so enraged at a Manhattan magazine office that she had a vicious temper tantrum? The bony muse must have invoked all her strength, because she managed to pull down an entire rack of YSL and Givenchy dresses that were hanging for a shoot.

[And no guys, it's not Rachel Zoe. She's actually really nice and reasonable.]

Apparently, Van Cleef's lawyers thought so, too:

This week, they announced they're seeking about $25,000 in damages from Ms. Klum and her jewelry company for copyright infringement.

We recognize they may not win, since the Alhambra shape is also very close to a classic clover, as seen in Lucky Charms cereal and also (sort of) in classic Louis Vuitton monogram.

We'll be following the case, and meanwhile, we do appreciate the irony of Klum hosting a show that constantly challenges designers to be as innovative and industrious as possible.

Also, we're still a little bitter that there's no new Project Runway tonight, but perhaps that's another story.

PS - Heidi's design is on the right; the original Van Cleef pendant is at left.

For those of you waiting for the complete Girls Gone Styled screen test, here it is.

We shot the whole thing on my bed in the East Village, it's very rough, very unedited, and very silly.

For actual episodes of Girls Gone Styled, check back in January, when there will be models, designers, studio visits, and other blips of madness.

Also:

Start cleaning your closets - there will be more wardrobe visits in Season Two.

"I have also begun to think the unthinkable. That people in L.A are not stupid after all. Could this be an extremely sophisticated, somewhat cruel joke that they are playing on the world, pretending to be shallow, self-absorbed and unable to make a left turn? Is this a cunning plan to fool us into underestimating them so they can take over? Mmm." - Franklin Getchell, partner of home furnishings company Moss, on Los Angeles, in The Moment.

Though both fashion hubs sought to ban Size 0 girls, smoking, long hours, and underage models from the catwalks, initial reports say those guidelines "are not being implemented."

The funny thing is, we didn't need a study or survey to tell us that -

A quick survey of this year's catwalks revealed the spindled backs and undead eyes of many familiar faces, and a rush of Russian girls whose other lives lay in junior high.

To combat the issues, the British Fashion Council is trying to get Milan, Paris, and New York to agree on the conditions of a "model health certificate" that would endorse those women fit to work. But regulating the tastes and tolerances of an international fashion community is both difficult and perhaps inappropriate - will companies really allow themselves to be told whom to cast?

The BFC is also seeking to limit digitally enhanced graphics in magazines, which seems extremely unlikely and may do more harm than good:

There will always be impossibly gorgeous and young people working in the fashion industry - if photo editing is banned from style spreads, those few girls will get all the jobs, limiting what's considered beautiful even more.

The project is a Lifetime TV miniseries, which chronicles Chanel's later years returning to Paris, after exiling herself in Germany and Switzerland during World War II.

According to Variety, the project is completely endorsed by both Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld, with costume designer Stefano de Nardis even getting archival research from the company.

The program will run next year on Lifetime. Meanwhile, the Chanel feature-length movie, Coco Avant Chanel, has begun production in Paris, with Audrey Tautou as the lead.

Demi Moore is still rumored to be in talks for an American Chanel movie, and we think that would be fantastic - but Angelina Jolie would be cool for the part, too.

The question of who in fact did wear it better is kind of obvious, but we’re more interested in the bizarre meeting of worlds that somehow led to Sienna and Britney wearing the same dress.

What does it mean? Are Sienna’s days as a fashion icon finally over? Or is Britney some kind of prescient genius that we just can’t fully appreciate in her lifetime?

If we were Sienna, we might have some pretty harsh words for our stylists - how could they let her leave the house in a dress lent to Britney Spears? Unless, of course, Sienna wore it first. In which case, Britney's stylist should have warned her of the style bar set light years above her head...

--ALISON COOL

The boutique is a pop-up shop at the Earnest Sewn store in the West Village, at 821 Washington Street. It follows other Earnest Sewn collaborations with Repetto, Malin + Goetz, and Rogues Gallery.

The move seems smart for Earnest Sewn, the celebrity denim brand, since although Trovata makes cute khakis and slacks, it hasn't yet started a denim line, so there's no product overlap between the two companies.

The store stays open until February 9th, and by then, you'll have a whole new load of Trovata clothes to covet - they'll be back in New York for another presentation during Fashion Week, showcasing their Fall '08 collection.

A delicate silver outline – which on first glance looks like an artsy abstract design – forms the contours of a real human heart.

The shape is solid cast in sterling silver, and dangles low, so it's perfect for layering.

It’s a little edgier than the ubiquitous heart locket, and a little less gross than a full-on replica of a beating heart - a pretty funny Valentine's Day present, if you're already sick of thinking about the current holidays.

--ALISON COOL

WHICH model had to be thrown into a vat of water in order to sober up during a magazine editorial shoot? As a revenge of sorts, the magazine put the photos in their final spread.

Just two months after her October meeting with Hugo Chavez, Naomi Campbell is out to score another high-profile interview, this time with Chavez' personal friend, Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Campbell is planning on staying in Cuba as long as it takes, saying that she'll even spend Christmas with him "if that's what it takes."

According to Vogue UK, the two interviews are the first in a series of interviews by Campbell to be featured in GQ. Next on her list? French President Sarkozy.

We don't know if this is incredibly cool (maybe Naomi Campbell is the new Oriana Fallaci?) or an incredible waste - there are countless journalists who would kill to have this kind of access, and who would undoubtedly have the journalistic experience to handle it appropriately.

But maybe some kind of interview (both Chavez and Castro are notoriously silent to the press) is better than no interview at all?

And more pressing - do you think she'll wear a Che Guevara tee?

We didn't know that khakis and blouson t-shirts could be reinvented so forcefully, which makes us wonder what's actually happening to Old Navy.

Our guesses?

1. Old Navy realizes everyone in America is now (somewhat) obsessed with fashion - or at least, with "fashion" - and they're turning themselves into a Forever 21, with influxes of on-trend clothes flooding into stores, and flooding out just as quickly.

2. Old Navy is releasing a quirky TV commercial with their new head designer, Todd Oldham, that's going to be like House of Style on a sugar high.

3. Old Navy is finally buying Fred Flare and turning into a complete lifestyle store.

That's the rumor, anyway.

Japanese footwear designer Miho Masui, went that extra step, winning our vote for Best Heel of the Year with these quirkily striped conical heels - The soft leather uppers and surprise gold lining don’t hurt either.

Stripes have been everywhere lately (see Giles and Gareth), so apparently heels were just the last possible space to take on the look.

Our only suggestion is to avoid wearing them with anything else striped or red, lest you should look like a deranged candy striper.

--ALISON COOL

Jewelry designer Jill Alberts clearly understands the psychological resonances of the sticky bows that sit atop the cutest presents, designing a ring loosely based on their shape.

The “ribbon ring” has little bits of turquoise nestled inside the folds of a gold bow. The result is a really unique (and timely) take on this season’s large cocktail ring.

Best of all, you don’t have to do that weird trick with the scissors to get the satisfaction of a curly ribbon – all the work’s been done for you.

--ALISON COOL

She was wearing an all-black pantsuit with a black scarf and gloves - probably a lawyer, we thought. We wouldn't have noticed her at all if it wasn't for one thing: her otherwise funereal ensemble concluded with a pair of mens' wingtips.

She'd managed to turn a boring, single-note work uniform into an outfit - kind of like adding a fun dot to straight line, she turned herself into a walking exclamation point.

It was the first time we'd ever seen menswear on a regular person (i.e. not a 6' tall model or a theatre actress out for a cigarette break,) that actually looked like clothing, and that the wearer rocked completely as her own. We don't know if we could take it much further than maybe a vest (and we'd die if we could actually get away with suspenders,) but we certainly stop and admire those who can pull it off so well.

Do you ever wear styles truly inspired by menswear?

Because of the complications of writing the Oscars and Golden Globes, both events are threatening to be smaller, shorter, and maybe devoid of the fashion parade that opens each night.

But though some designers will panic at the prospect (like Allen Schwartz at A.B.S., whose entire business depends on knocking off celebrity gowns), an awards season without red carpets could open the celebrity floodgates somewhere else:

New York Fashion Week.

It's a known fact that some starlets need red carpet publicity as much as movies (or maybe more) to fund their lifestyles. Scarlett Johansson is a great actress, but she's made more ads than films at this point - ads built on her fashion reputation, not her IMDB roster. Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie, Joy Bryant, Emmy Rossum, Rihanna, and even Camilla Belle are dependent on fashion coverage to maintain their careers, while Kirsten Dunst, Michelle Williams, and Anne Hathaway have branded themselves as smart and cool because of their outfits and magazine covers.

If red carpets disappear in February, maybe front rows will afford these stars - who usually don't come to Fashion Week - their big opportunity to score face time in InStyle.

Of course, an influx of in-demand celebrities will make fashion shows start later, and turn seating situations into minor soap operas, but that's what caffeine and expense accounts are for...

According to PETA representative Michael McGraw, "the only people who can be excused for wearing fur are the homeless - to keep warm during the winter," and that's exactly where Kim's furs will go in a few weeks.

The donations sound noble, except for one piece of information: The New York Post reports that the "donated skins will be marked with a red X on the back".

It's good to know that PETA's charity only goes so far - it's okay for the less fortunate to keep warm in winter, as long as they're stigmatized with PETA's self-righteous version of the Scarlet Letter, right?

"Of course that only proves that Pantone is on the curve, and not ahead of it, and I recognize the pure publicity value of 'naming' a color from the 21st century palette. As if." - Cathy Horyn, on the announcement of Blue Iris No. 18-3943 as the color of 2008, imitating Cher Horowitz.

According to Vogue UK, the former Victoria's Secret Angel has been hounded by designers to create her own line, but stuck to strutting until her close friends, Stefano and Domenico, asked her to guest design for them. The news comes almost a year after rumors swirled that Gisele would have her own range of lingerie and bikinis at H&M.

No details on what the range will look like, but we're pretty confident it'll be a mix of slinky, sequined tops and miniskirts with hardware.

Of course, the irony is that Gisele is most famous when her clothes are off, but that doesn't mean she can't endorse (and vaguely "design") a great slinky halter dress.

That's the only way we can reason the recent and very funny news from London, that Victoria Beckham received a book - yes, really - from her husband David for Christmas.

The new face of Marc Jacobs got the Valentino retrospective, Valentino Garavani: First Name in Fashion from Vanity Fair byliner Matt Tyrnauer, which costs about $1500 - it's signed by the designer and limited edition.

Although Ms. Beckham confessed in 2005 that she'd never read a whole book before, she'll probably sail through this one just fine -

There are lots of pretty pictures... although none are of her, so she could get bored.

We hear Rumer Willis will be attending some select shows at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in February.

The Rumer rumor certainly makes sense, as Ms. Willis will take the stage as Ms. Golden Globe in January - a position often undertaken by Hollywood aristoquettes looking to break into movies.

Having photos snapped at Rag & Bone or Temperley would definitely help a public profile get raised, without any scandal, seduction, or shocking pregnancy (ahem).

If Rumer does attend New York Fashion Week in February, we hope two things:

1. That she takes tips from her mom, Demi Moore, on front-row posing, since last season, Demi was a total pro.

2. That she gets rid of her hair extensions and goes back to the bob. It was so, so chic.

Watching this Who What Wear Daily video of the latest Fall Trends felt a bit like letting a big sister into our closet: When someone's being a gentle know-it-all, especially about your style, you want to tell them "Get out of here, and give me back my Converse!" And yet, you know you should listen, so you grudgingly take a seat and let her work some magic.

That was our reaction to this video, anyway, where the WWWD team skis through a range of runway trends, including the belt-over-sweater trick and also a series of mild lectures about how you should spend all your money on shoes and coats (this may explain why they've shown Givenchy shoes with an H&M jacket, which seems like a good idea).

Those living in colder climates (including us, in New York!) really liked how much layering happened in the show, which is a huge bonus when it's freezing and you're sprinting to work.

But our favorite moment comes at the end, when they tell you to "make the look your own" - something that's so easy and so very hard when you're copying trends from the runway and celebrities!

Next time, we want an All-Olsen episode.

According to WWD, 114 industry leaders have been sent paper ballots to return with their vote for two fashion designers each, one living and one deceased. After the tallies, eight designers will be commemorated along with the likes of Claire McCardell, Donna Karan, Halston, and Marc Jacobs.

The requirements: each nominee must be an American designer with a showroom in New York, and a business history of at least ten years.

We think it would be a shame for Gilbert Adrian not to make it – the man who turned Greta Garbo into a fashion icon deserves the recognition, even if he was technically a “costume” designer (see his handiwork at left). As for living, our vote goes to Diane von Furstenberg. If a designer is clever enough to build a decades-long empire on a versatile dress, she at least deserves the plaque for it.

And as for her having been born in Belgium, we think they’d make an exception – plus, not everyone on the list is American-born (continuing reading to see who’s already made it to the Fashion Walk of Fame.)

Who would you add to your ballot?

And last week, it finally paid off.

Natalie's team tied for first place after she picked all three winners for episode four - Rami, Jillian and Kevin - winning an actual prize!

But since it's the season for sharing, we're giving away the trophy, the Project Runway Complete Second Season DVD, t