It seems Karl Lagerfeld has ended his bizarre “feud” with Ashley Olsen:

The tiny mogul and her twin sister both showed up at the Chanel show this morning, highly guarded and looking rather sprightly (and spritely, but that’s probably due to the fairy princess trend of the season).

MK + A were joined by Rihanna and a lot of French girls in the front row, but you could tell they were the Americans because they refused to take off their sunglasses the entire time.

As for the collection itself, it was sort of great - very young, nipped at the waist or slouched and super-short, lots of light gray and light blue and black, basically the way we want to look every day but for a lot more money.

A lot of the models wore huge glasses and everyone had dirty hair.

Sarah Lawrence, your time has come.

We’ve examined the Subversive Jewelry for Target line, and now we have a question:

How much is too much for a mass-produced, “cheap” accessory?

Justin Giunta’s latest collection of layered necklaces, bracelets, and earrings retails for higher than we’d expect:

$14.50 for a plastic bangle; $59.50 for the necklace at left.

We really like most of the stuff, but we don’t know if we could fork over $60 for a string of Target jangles, especially since we know on clearance, it’ll go down to like, $6.03 (the amount of our Erin-for-Target dress).

Since Justin’s already made the money from his Target deal, we don’t feel guilty if we wait to buy his jewels - but maybe we’re being too stingy?

“Art, film and music have nothing to do with fashion asides from fashion, by necessity, having to associate itself with other art forms because it is in itself vapid and cannot stand alone.” - Julian Schnabel in Dazed and Confused.

WHICH model took a date with a famous designer’s son in hopes of booking their latest campaign?

Our favorite runway trends aren’t usually about the clothes - instead they’re subtle shifts that signify something social, something cultural, and something that almost everyone can do at home.

This season, it seems to be hair color, which has been dulled and deepened until yellow blondes and platinum blondes have all but vanished from the runways.

Some of this season’s biggest newbies are Masha Tyelna, Ali Stephens, and Heloise Guerin - all with ashy brown hair. Meanwhile, Mariacarla Boscono seems to be making a major runway comeback, with hair restored back to its natural brown (two years ago, she reigned supreme on the runways with a brand new white-blonde bob).

Meanwhile, Jessica Stam, Tanya Dziahileva, and Karlie Kloss seem to have toned down their sunkissed streaks to match Abby Lee’s chamomile tint, and the white-blonde girls among them - Agyness Deyn and Sasha Pivovarova - have crawled home sick.

Does this mean we can cancel our appointment at Bumble & Bumble, and grow everything out?

So Amy Winehouse is slated to perform at Louis Vuitton this weekend, and of course we’re jealous and want to scream.

But perhaps the folks at LVMH also want to scream, since apparently they’re paying a hefty bill for taking Karl Lagerfeld’s muse and putting her up on a rival catwalk:

We hear Amy will snag $1 million for her appearance, which shakes down to about 1000 Louis Vuitton bags.

Seriously, for that kind of money, she better be getting an LV tattoo on her ass.

Not that we’d ever, ever want to see it…

Although, you know, Juergen Teller probably would.

Oh Forever 21, have you been slacking off?

We’ve come to expect fast fashion knock-offs - key word being fast. But it took you almost two years to rip-off Marc Jacob’s Trish bag.

It debuted on his Fall 06 runway and now it’s debuted on your Spring 08 website. While we actually like the grey and black color combination, the “leather” looks like plastic - even on the screen.

We don’t understand knocking off handbags in the first place, but if you make a living doing so - do it faster.

“Sure high fashion clothes look better on tall and slender figures, and there is the fantasy and artistic aspect to fashion that asks us to suspend reality. And of course fashion should be taken and interpreted individually. But these models are real 16 year-old girls, who are not only still physically growing, but emotionally, too. Is it fair to ask them to keep off that extra five pounds? Absolutely not. I would love to see a popular designer take a stand and have their models be sizes 6 or 8.” - Reader shinyredthermos.

“The fact that she was sent home over five pounds makes me so mad! After all the stink last season about the underweight models, then they turn around and send Ali home, but it seems Lily Donaldson’s new bobble-head look is all the rage this season!” - Reader leia.

“This is disgraceful. I had finally warmed up to Ali Michael’s look this season, she was positively glowing. If that healthy beauty comes with five pounds, then screw anyone who would tell her she somehow failed as a model. French designers are officially dead to me.” - Anonymous reader.

All from yesterday’s story on Ali Michael.

A recent discussion at the Fashionista office:

Natalie: Topshop releases a floral print mini dress like everyday.

Brett: I know.

Natalie: How did this start?

Brett: Liberty of London?

Natalie: I bet it was the Kate Moss one.

So we were delighted this morning to see not a floral print spaghetti strap ra-ra opening the “New In” page, but a star-print version instead.

Not exactly a 180 degree turn, but still, welcomed and a nice addition to our stash of April-ready clothes.

Thanks, Karl!

What’s that?

We’re going to start seeing you around even more?

Fashion obsession Agyness, of course, is the face of the newest Burberry fragrance. And, of course, it’s called “The Beat,” meant to be a combination of attitude and energy (so edgy, so cool, so street, just like her!)

And the fragrance? Reportedly, “woodsy, sparkling and tea-infused.”

As always, Aggy looks stunning. But we’re having a hard time taking her facial expressions in the ads seriously -

There’s something about the middle pose that says Zoolander a little too knowingly.

Though she does pull off the bra-over-top look quite well.

Ever since Gisele resigned from Victoria’s Secret, we’ve been killing to know which new girls the brand’s got in their stable.

Well, today we’ve got one:

Behati Prinsloo.

The 20-year-old Namibian will make her first big appearance for Victoria’s Secret next month at the Raleigh Hotel in Miami, when the Pink line has a giant pool and pajama party.

Behati will be joined by veteran VS babe Miranda Kerr, plus Brody Jenner and Frankie Delgado from Laguna Beach… wait, sorry The Hills… wait sorry, Total Uselessness.

Although, we guess anyone from US Weekly will be interested to know they’re hosting a bikini party - surely if Brody were still with Lauren Conrad, she wouldn’t allow such behavior?

Things one could acquire at this weekend’s Cobrasnake Yardsale in Paris:

1. Books

2. Buttons

3. Stickers

4. “Rare Vinyl”

5. Furbys

6. Shoes

7. Cory’s old gym socks

Be there or be a totally normal, well-adjusted person.

This Sunday at Hotel Amour on the back patio, 8 rue Navarain, Paris - France, not Texas.

March 2nd, 2-7pm - NYLON TV will be there to film the French frenzy.

Camilla Belle is confirmed as the new face of Vera Wang Flower Princess.

We imagine it will smell just like Vera Wang Princess.

Except with a $500,000 bonus for driving sales.

And also probably a little bit like “Oh yeah, I meant to see that movie…”

Stay tuned for the ads, which we’ll hopefully have soon.

xo.

“If you look at the girls, they are not beautiful like models were 20 years ago…The girls are thin, they have strange faces… At first, you look at them and you’re not sure if they’re beautiful or disgusting.” - Jimmy Pihet, Spokesman for the Federation Française de la Couture, in the Wall Street Journal, in relation to Ali Michael being sent home from Paris for having gained five pounds.

We’ve often argued that fashion is always a political statement, even if you don’t want it to be:

And maybe Stefano Pilati agrees.

The head designer of Yves Saint Laurent has sent out another Manifesto - this time a series of Kate Moss photographs - and decked Houston Street in New York City with giant Kate Moss panels backed with mirrors and glass.

The effect is a little too small for the massive Manhattan energy - and further dwarfed by a Kate Bosworth for Calvin Klein billboard hanging above the YSL space - but it’s still pretty cool, if you like Kate and luxury brands and weird branding and all that.

If you’re insulted that a company demanding $300 for a t-shirt and $1000 for a dress would deign to use the word “manifesto” as anything but a prediction of their own proletariat demise…

Well, we can’t help you there. Kate looks cute though.

Ideally, our closet would be a mix of a little bit Blair, lots of Serena, and a touch of Chuck via his endless stash of cardigans. (Can you tell we miss the way Wednesday nights use to be?)

It might sound far too busy, but if you took one piece from each, you’d end up in an eye-catching, original outfit that says, “I’m a little bit nutty, but I’m filthy rich, so whatever.”

Or, you could just end up in this dress from Reine designer, Mirit Weinstock.

There’s baby pink and a bow for Blair, slouchy sexiness for Serena, and an incredibly flattering open back revealing plenty of skin for you-know-who.

So now that we have the perfect dress, we just have to find Chuck. He can’t be that bad in real life, right?

Vogue UK reports the return of the Carrie necklace -

UK shopping site Icecool is resurrecting the nameplate in all its tacky glory in honor of of the Sex and the City movie.

But we secretly think (ok, hope) that this has more to do with the comeback of The Hills.

Maybe if Heidi gets one, too, she and Lauren can go back to BFF?

WHICH beautiful socialite is often on the Vogue Best Dressed list despite the fact that she carries counterfeit designer bags? She says she likes them because “they’re funny.”

We’re repeatedly told it’s best to splurge on a pair of luxury shoes or an it-bag - but in our office, some would rather spend serious money searching for the perfect white tee.

While a nice bag can last a lifetime, a white tee will never last more than a year, (you might still have it in your closet, but there’s no way it looks good). However, the satisfaction of finding the best-fitting, softest, most flattering t-shirt to be the blank canvas for everything else in your closet is enough to validate its short life span.

Britt guesses she has about twenty white t-shirts ranging from $7 Hanes undershirts to a $100 James Perse linen tee, (the most she’s ever spent). But then again that’s pretty much all she wears, whether with a brocade skirt or ripped jeans. She’s currently lusting after this Alexander Wang version, and would like you to justify the $138 purchase.

Natalie is in the same boat (shoe…ha!), although she usually just stocks up at American Apparel (still overpriced remembering the price of those Hanes.) She’s bought a few James Perse items in her past, but she doesn’t feel so bad about it, because she knows that you’re not just paying for cotton, you’re paying for the perfect fit and the ability to practically triple your wardrobe via strategic layering and other slights of fashion.

When it comes down to it, buying a $100 t-shirt might be as ridiculous as buying a $5,000 handbag, except it’s more within reach, it’ll actually be on your body rather than just to the side, and it’s less of a commitment.

Which makes it OK, right?

We hear from someone close to Dov Charney that American Apparel is planning to open a chain of thrift stores.

The stores might start out as adding vintage pieces into existing American Apparel stores, and then branch out into full-scale boutiques of their own.

The concept is rather brilliant especially since Urban Outfitters’ vintage line, Urban Renewal, does awfully well - also, the wannabe Strokes who raid American Apparel on a daily basis are also avid thrift shoppers.

Of course, what we’re most interested in is a new ad campaign:

Will the American Apparel heads dress up their girls in vintage lingerie and see-through blouses?

Well, we always knew that much like “Halloween,” “vintage” was code for “hypersex” in some people’s style vocabulary.

I was complaining about my skin a couple of weeks ago and Natalie screamed, “Stop wearing makeup!”

I laughed as she rambled about how much make-up she wore circa 1998, when she finally stopped cold turkey (she resumed a year later after everything on her face calmed down.) Apparently, if I wanted my skin to clear up I had to stop covering it up.

Since Natalie’s skin literally glows, I took the challenge and I haven’t worn face makeup in two weeks, (I have, however, been wearing extra mascara to make up for it), and voila, my skin is clearer than it’s been since 1998.

But no makeup at all? I can’t do it. Not even to the grocery store. Wearing mascara is as non-negotiable as wearing a bra as far as I’m concerned.

As too-cool as the models at Burberry looked, showing off totally bare faces (not even lip gloss!), I think this is a look better left to, well, runways and makeup artists skilled in the no-makeup-but-yeah-really-this-took-like-three-hours look.

Do you, would you, leave the house without a single swipe of make-up?

“At least twice a year, a fashion reporter will write an article about ‘The New Modesty,’ declaring that clothes are finally returning to well-constructed tailoring of subtlety and restraint. Then, in the same publication, you will see a fashion spread of an impossibly chiseled man in a python codpiece straddling a Russian supermodel wearing a bikini made of pink dental floss, and you wonder (1) what that writer was on; and (2) if humanity will ever be sophisticated again.” - Writer Mike Albo, in a funny intro as to why Y-3 is cool for the clothes (not just the fashion show,) in the New York Times.

Reader Helen alerted us to a very strange knockoff, indeed:

The shoes at left are not, in fact, the same. One is from Dolce Vita, sold at Urban Outfitters.

The other appears to be Urban Outfitters’ own take on the show, except with a pointier toe and a slightly altered buckle.

But why?

You’re out $30 either way, so we’re not really sure why they bothered to knockoff Dolce Vita in the first place.

Why make the knockoff if the higher quality original is the same price, and on the same site?

Better yet - Why copy a shoe at all if it’s not more like Miu Miu?

10. Christian gave everyone his haircut as a stylist, didn’t he?

9. Oh Tim, are Christian’s pants costume… or Carine? But you’re right, the jacket has to go.

8. Who pays for Jillian’s apartment? Not Ralph Lauren!

7. Is Jillian an undiscovered heroine of ’80s teen movies?

6. Hey Chris, “If it’s not Baroque, don’t fix it!” Oh… nevermind.

5. Why are Chris and Christian picking on each other?

4. Jillian’s hat: Stolen from a high school production of Annie?

3. Is Chris’ collection a little bit Laura Bennett, Vampire Slayer?

2. Is Rami’s collection a little bit BCBG?

1. Aren’t both of them a million times better than Commes des Garcons?

New York reports that Derek Blasberg will ghost-write the new Mary Kate and Ashley book, but we can report something different:

That Derek will host Mary Kate and Ashley, plus The MisShapes and the misfits and Ben Cho and Lily Donaldson, at a Paris party this Sunday.

The bash is also thrown by Opening Ceremony (the store responsible for Chloe Sevigny’s line) and GrandLife NYC (even though we’re in Paris). It’s at Paris Paris, which is probably one of the most fun places we’ve danced in the whole world.

If you’re in Paris, zoom on down.

Oh, and Derek’s not the only one holding court this week:

Today, Alexander McQueen and his posse headline the notorious Don’t Tell My Booker bash, which is usually a coke-fueled streak of “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I did that” - albeit, not for the models walking in Lanvin, etc, on the weekend.

Let’s count, shall we?

1. Her own t-shirt.

2. A Mulberry bag.

3. Countless runways.

4. Countless editorials.

5. Gigs with Giorgio Armani, Burberry, et al.

6. Her own mannequin.

7. House of Holland muse.

8. And now, a cover for Time!

Ok- Time: Style & Design, but still, Time nonetheless.

We love Agyness, but… Woah, you know?

Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton may be feuding, but Jeremy Scott doesn’t care.

The designer just styled Ms. Lohan for an upcoming issue of Paper Magazine, but despite his BFF status with the wrecked starlet, he’s still showing Hilton some love:

Specifically, wearing the Paris-and-Cory-Kennedy tee shirt that Ksubi whipped up this year.

Thanks to Jacques for taking this photo in Paris, and let’s muse for a moment on this oddness:

Last year, Paris was on Heatherette’s t-shirts.

This season, she’s representing a subversive Aussie clothing label.

Identity crisis, or just a need to be in every photo?

Britt: Yesterday’s Balenciaga collection scared me.

Brett: Really? It impressed me!

Britt: If a woman were to actually wear these clothes, Carine and Jennifer Connelly aside, she would look so scary, almost like a modern day warrior. The shoes practically look like weapons! Chic weapons, of course. The clothes are stunning, but more so as pieces of art, not something to actually put on your body.

Brett: But don’t you think the Balenciaga Runway is like a petri dish for ideas? Nicolas pushes fashion forward, and to quote one of my favorite Cathy Horyn-isms, “adjusts the eye”. Also, what is the Balenciaga customer if not an urban warrior? All those curved seams, studs - for crying out loud, the house was rebuilt on a motorcycle bag!

Britt: The runway might be a platform on which to present an idea instead of necessarily wearable clothes, but shouldn’t we at least aspire to wear that idea, especially if it’s supposed to be Ready to Wear?

Brett: Leave all the subsidiary Balenciaga lines to give women something to wear, but let the seasonal shows provide clothes for the daring and the bored!

Discuss!

Reader Emily is amused that Urban Outfitters and Old Navy have the exact same sandals for sale right now.

We’re amused that the Prada sandals from 2003 are still carrying so much influence on mass retailers.

Those aren’t for sale anymore, but the Urban Outfitters pair are $38.

The Old Navy pair are $19.50.

Weirdly, Forever 21 had a far more convincing pair that straddled both the Prada and the Balenciaga versions last summer.

Or you can just borrow ours.

WHICH former starlet claims a recent magazine article and fashion shoot is disrupting her marriage? Here’s a hint - magazines don’t ruin relationships. Husbands do.

We’ve been meaning to do a DIY brooch before spring hits.

Ideally, the floral accent would be simple, chic, everyday appropriate, not at all reminiscent of Carrie, and less than $20.00.

Unfortunately, work has been seriously cutting into arts and crafts time, so we’re going to buy this one from designer Foundling. She, appropriately, uses all recycled materials for pieces that aren’t cheesy or overly crafty.

These poppy brooches are made from vintage silk blouses and recycled glass beads and come in a handful of colors. We’ll be pinning the butter yellow one onto our navy linen scarf come May.

Now if we could just skip the April showers on our way into Spring.

In college, we studied with a rich girl. She was in our art program, and bought Louis Vuitton bags to cut up or cover over, or half burn or part shred or whatever. She said it was a comment on consumerism but we thought a little differently:

That she was a pretty 19-year-old showing off all the shit she could buy.

We haven’t seen her since, but yesterday in Paris, we did spot this:

A new Colette art exhibit from the artist Comenius Roethlisberger, with giant chocolate blocks carved with designer logos.

You’ll notice the logos are white, and that’s because they’ve been filled with a mix of powdered sugar and cocaine.

We have to laugh because of how it could hold up in court:

Drug laws versus artistic expression?

Also: You think anyone will bust Colette for possession charges?

“For fall, the most perverse thing you can wear might actually be a white shirt. But like in any good Catholic tale there is no pleasure without punishment. Were all of those heart shaped holes at C.D.G. for love or were they for sex?” - Stefano Tonchi, Editor of T: Style in The Moment.

The NYPD raided an enormous counterfeit operation on Canal Street yesterday, reports WWD.

The facts:

1. 32 illegal storefronts were shut down.

2. $1M of knockoffs - from handbags to perfumes - were confiscated.

The reality:

This isn’t the first time the city has staged a huge crackdown on counterfeit sellers, and the market for them has bounced back every time.

We’d like to think that this is the beginning of the end - with yesterday’s raid, the NYPD has targeted the landlord that seems to be behind the majority of the buildings involved - but we think it’s likely that the operation may just move elsewhere. We’ve seen a lot of sellers by the South Street Seaport and near the World Trade Center, in hopes of catching the Saturday afternoon tourist foot traffic.

But if Canal Street really does go through a change, what will it look like? Could this be the beginning of actual shopping on Canal? We wonder if Steve Madden is looking for a new location…

Teen Vogue has Camilla Belle on their upcoming April cover, which marks the second time in two years that she’s gotten the spotlight.

But last time Ms. Belle had the cover, we were a little confused.

After all, with the exception of a Vera Wang ad campaign and a B-list horror movie, there wasn’t much to discuss about the starlet.

This time around, however, things are different:

Camilla has a big budget action movie (10,000 B.C.) breaking this Spring, plus a Sci-Fi thriller called Push with Dakota Fanning and Djimon Honsou happening later this year.

And Vera Wang’s launching a sequel to the Princess fragrance, called Flower Princess - so in between movie promos, she’ll probably be busy on a commercial set, too.

To: Natalie@Fashionista.com

From: Thomas@BestReaderEver.com

Thought you’d get a kick out of my paintbrush masterpiece.

enjoy

xx
thomas

So cute!

Remember when Christina Aguilera sent a million baby presents to Britney Spears when Sean Preston was born?

Now we’ve got one better:

Sean Combs released a public statement today, saying that Jennifer Lopez’s new twins were getting their first birthday present from him -

And it’s Sean John baby clothing.

Besides being a brilliant way to keep his clothing enterprise in the public eye, this move is also sort of sweet - after all, Sean and Jen had a famous relationship a few years ago, and now he can remind her about it every time her kids need a clean onesie.

If only Ben Affleck made teeny little Red Sox sweatshirts!

Proof of my devotion to Vivenne:

-Last year, I dragged my entire family to her exhibition at San Francisco’s DeYoung Museum. They were confused but they played along.

-I once announced to the office that I’d wear absolutely anything and everything by Dame Vivienne. (In truth I’d probably only wear 90% of it, but I’ll still admire the last 10%.)

Case in point: From yesterday’s collection, I’d have to say no to the fur suit - look 23 - and the stilts. But I’d happily don the rest, (minus the face paint).

Her dresses and jackets - made of sharp folds and eloquent draping - look more like sculptures than clothing. Last night, they were painted by second grade students instructed to explore a jungle-warrior theme. It made me want to take a paintbrush to my summer dresses from last year, but since they aren’t Vivienne in the first place I know they’d look ridiculous.

I don’t know how she makes jungle-warrior-English-pirate-ripped-bulky clothes with sashes look so amazing - but she does. And I love her for it.

Lydia Hearst may look like Strawberry Shortcake on the current cover of Missbehave, but she’s got something a little sexier happening soon:

The blonde-redhead is the newest face of Escada perfume.

We hear Miss Lydia will pose for the German luxury label in their latest slew of fragrances, which will probably be called “Tropical Sex” or “Evening Rush” or something.

She does look incredible in evening gowns - the very things that Escada is famous for making - and she’s got a killer face, so it seems like a good fit.

The only wonder is if she’ll sign her own perfume bottles the next time she’s at Sephora, where she was last year’s campaign face.

Thoughts on Amy Winehouse producing her own fashion and make-up line:

1. There are some people - Vivienne Westwood, Mary-Kate Olsen, Anna Wintour, in this case Amy Winehouse - that we love to look at, but don’t actually want to look like.

2. We could maybe like the clothes, even though we’re pretty sure we can buy them now at H&M. But make-up? Seriously?

3. As intern Brett so eloquently asked, “What is it with famous girls thinking they can try out whatever ‘career’ they want?”

4. The line will apparently include hairspray. Will it come with an instruction manual on beehive styling, too?

Can’t wait.

Our denim consultant Josh reports on the latest Obama sign:

“Is Obama rocking the Chanel font?

Because that I would vote for.”

In fact no, it’s just a stretched-out version of Helvetica, but funny nonetheless, especially considering Chanel is a European luxury label - not necessarily an association that an American courting the liberal middle classes would want.

Then again, Obama represents the youth vote, and what 22 year-old girl wouldn’t want a cute Chanel bag?

Maybe if taxes were lowered and the exchange rate somehow controlled, all those girls could actually buy one.

We hear from a TV source that the very silly Cashmere Mafia has been laid to rest.

If the internal gossip bleeding proves true, it means Candace Bushnell has won this battle with Darren Starr - remember, both her Lipstick Jungle show and Darren’s woolly production are based on previous Bushnell books.

The move also marks the first time (maybe) that Patricia Field hasn’t been able to save or at least salvage a production from total boredom - remember her costumes for Hope and Faith? They basically rescued the whole show.

Those wondering what Lucy Liu will do with her spare time might jet over to Germany, where the actress is giving an exhibit of her paintings next month.

Maybe she and Iekeleine can have a joint show at Gagosian?

1. Why did we see you on Greene Street in Soho today, when all the other models are in Milan?

2. Why do you look so much prettier in person than you do in photographs?

3. Why did nobody tell us you were so tall? Taller than some models!

4. When does the Burberry campaign shoot?

5. How many Doc Martens do you own?

6. Why didn’t we have the guts to stop you and take your picture?!

My first official French purchase was a top from Isabel Marant.

I knew just from passing the window on the street that this flowy, yellow and white checked top was the exact degree of light handed pretty that I wanted to project that particular summer. I have been one of her devoted followers ever since.

A sign that we’re fashion soul mates? She made the exact top that I have been searching endlessly for - tan and almost-red, plaid, but only subtly (look 33.)

I don’t hear enough about Isabel Marant over here. I’m not sure why - her clothes are so perfectly wearable, and not at all in the boring sense.

Couldn’t you see the dress at left on a 75-degree day?

“Stylists have ruined everything…Nobody wants to be Björk. I love Björk. We need Björk.” - John Waters, on the mostly un-fashiony dresses at the Oscars, in WWD.

Who’s Lily Collins?

1. A model signed with Next.

2. A girl who turns up in Marc in Teen Vogue’s party pages.

3. (Perhaps most significant) Phil Collins’ daughter.

4. A student at USC

And now?

4. Nickelodeon’s fashion reporter.

Lily will report from the sets of Nickelodeon shows, movie premiers, award shows, etc, to bring viewers 30-second clips of fashion news throughout the day, kind of like when MTV used to air news “on the hour every hour.”

We’re not sure how you would spin fashion into an interesting subject for a viewership of six year-olds (focus on accessories?) but, at the very least, we’re sensing a Teen Vogue cover in Lily’s very near future.

A lot of models like to make claims like, “Modeling is just how I make my money so I can pursue my real passion - photography” (paging Janice Dickinson,) but it turns out that at least one current model may actually mean what she says.

Iekeliene Stange doesn’t just take photos to work out her wrists, they actually end up in magazines like Muse, Japanese Harper’s Bazaar and The Room for all (ok, some of) the world to see.

She’s currently taking black-and-white photos of the backstage madness during Paris Fashion Week, all of which will be, according to her, “from my perspective.”

According to WWD, she plans to show an exhibition of her work, which covers several seasons of fashion, at a London gallery.

This is actually a little bit funny - Iekeliene did everything possible with her body language to ward off photographers snapping pictures of her getting ready backstage during New York Fashion Week. When they were either too nice or too important to ignore, she would contort her body in a weird pose giving a face like, “Happy now?”

But maybe it’s different when you’re a model yourself?

“I don’t use a computer; I do research with my brain…And if I want or need to - I get people to do it for me.” - Karl Lagerfeld, on his computer illiteracy, in the International Herald Tribune.

ShopVogue continues to sell the best of the season’s advertisements, and perhaps it’s a growing success with revenue.

That’s the only explanation we can find for the new Teen Vogue Look Books, a series of click-through galleries (on a totally separate website) that encourage Teen Vogue readers to shop through their favorite magazine.

The fun: The site lets you point and click on about a hundred outfits.

The funny: Even though Teen Vogue is one of the most aspirational books out there, it’s proffered merchandise isn’t - there isn’t a thing on this site that you can’t buy at the suburbia mall, and most of it costs under $50.

Much like a 10th grade gymnast, the site looks a bit underfed - we’ll be checking back in the next few months to see how it fills out (and how quickly they can get Vera Wang Princess perfume as one of their sale items!).

We fell in love with a pair of boots this weekend. They’re vintage, mid-calf, flat, neither round nor pointed toe, and wait for it - they’re white.

White boots are generally terrifying. We spotted a girl wearing them at Whole Foods this morning and we actually recoiled in fear. Her feet looked huge, the heels were spiked and to be really blunt, she looked like she belonged on the street corner.

However, our white boots, (the ones currently hidden behind an uglier pair at Zachary’s Smile just in case we go back for them), are casual, and really cute in their minimalism.

We’d promise not to wear them with black or anything too mod. We’d promise to keep them clean. And we’d promise not to wear them with a sweatshirt, (like the girl at Whole Food’s). In short, we’d promise to do everything possible to wear them without looking cheap.

But does that make it ok?

Lauren Davis and Reese Witherspoon may be Olivier Theyskens’ biggest fans, but all other Yankee babes might need to step back:

We hear the notoriously snobby Nina Ricci press crew is revoking seats from American magazines, giving their viewing privileges to glossies in Russia and Japan instead.

The swap is creating something of a crush for magazines that aren’t Vogue, forcing editors to squabble rather loudly in certain hotel lobbies about who’s status is more important, an accessories director or a senior market editor.

It would be easy enough to say Fuck It if the clothes were overrated, but sadly, they’re gorgeous, so the fights might actually be worth it…

I didn’t discover Daphne Merkin until this great article in T:Style a couple years ago.

It was about the idea of the “jolie laide” and it became the basis of my own senior thesis on the idea of beauty.

Ever since then, I’ve read everything of hers that I can get my hands on, but what I’m always most impressed by are her articles for T - always sharp, always reasonable and always about fashion.

I almost laughed myself silly when she contextualized lip gloss using Sontag’s “Notes On Camp,” and now I am again totally tickled by her newest T story, “Heel, Girl!” an essay that compares high-heeled shoes with men known to her as “heels” and that reveals a lot about Daphne herself.

I’m pretty sure that was a story idea of Carrie’s on Sex and the City when she started working at Vogue, and yet, Daphne makes me smile over an idea that once made me smirk.

I actually get excited whenever I feel the heft of an extra magazine in my Sunday Times and I go out to buy a latte companion after I’ve made sure that Daphne’s words are included.

Never let this writer go, T. She practically makes every issue.

WHICH sort of starlet, who’s also been in a major ad campaign, is mobilizing to start a fashion website?

What’s the difference between the Kate Moss for TopShop cardigan at left and its Forever 21 copy, dubbed the “Sweetheart Cardigan,” at right?

It used to be the price, but not anymore.

Now that Kate’s cardi has hit the Barney’s Warehouse sale, it’s going for $20.

That’s actually $2.80 less than the Forever 21 cardigan copy.

And then you have money left over for Twizzlers!

(Also: We realize the irony here, since Kate Moss copied her entire TopShop collection from “vintage” pieces of her own wardrobe. It’s still funny.]

“I arrived in Paris from Milan last evening, on a flight with perhaps 20 models, including Lily D and Coco Rocha, and nearly half of them carried stuffed animals in their arms. It’s a strange sight to be standing at baggage claim watching ordinary travelers stare at giraffes with teddy bears and blue stuffed dogs, and I was surprised how many pieces of luggage a model could have, considering she spends her day wearing other peoples’ clothes. Girls are girls, I guess.” - Cathy Horyn, in her blog, On the Runway.

Reader Rebecca sent this in for our viewing pleasure.

It seems that Coco, Behati and Kelly like to have fun in front of the computer, like a lot of us.

The only difference? Their fun includes what is likely helium and the theme song from the Lion King.

Here’s to a happy Monday morning.

Enjoy!

Our baby Nicholas Routzen just finished a very interesting assignment:

Photographing Saleisha Stowers for the cover of Florida International Magazine.

We’ve never heard of it, but we like Saleisha’s odd makeup in the shots -

It reminds us a lot of our favorite Miami hotel, The Standard, where you can get an incredible colored mud bath on their beach.

And who will be Florida International’s next cover model - sorry, we mean America’s Next Top Model?

Well, for the new season, we like Lauren and Whitney, so of course, neither will win (boo!).

[The L Train going east to Brooklyn. BRITT and FARAN sit side-by-side.]

BRITT: So how was the Warehouse sale?

FARAN: Actually, it was pretty good. There was a lot less Marc by Marc, so the new collection must fit better than past seasons, and there were a handful of Christopher Kane dresses, like the old velvet ones.

BRITT: Seriously?

FARAN: It was amazing; they were so heavy, but gorgeous. But even on sale, they were almost $2000. Ooh, but I got a Proenza dress for $350.

BRITT: WHAT? Which one?

FARAN: This one. And then I got two pairs of Sigerson Morrison ballet flats for $50 each.

BRITT: I love how J. Crew clothes now cost more than stuff at Barneys Warehouse.

FARAN: It’s fun. So how was your day?

BRITT: Well, I saw Patricia Field shopping with a private client. Some woman from Texas. I didn’t know she made private appointments! How much do you think that costs?

FARAN: More than the clothes.

BRITT: And isn’t she supposed to be working on Cashmere Jungle?

FARAN: Cashmere Jungle? What is that, a diffusion line by Alexander Wang?!

Who knew Victoria Beckham could actually move clothes?

Last season, she deigned to wear an Herve Leger dress to the Marc Jacobs show, but Marc didn’t seem to mind since he cast the Soccer Mom in his latest ad campaign (next season, Kate Moss? We’re still waiting).

Anyway, now the Posh Dress has finally hit stores, and it seems to have caused an internet shopping frenzy.

Despite retailing for $1375, the bandage gown has essentially crashed the Intermix server - click on the dress, and get a lot of maddening code instead of an easy way to buy it.

One more observation: The dress sells for $25 more than any other Leger dress, despite the fact that it’s got the same construction as all the others.

$25 seems trifling in the face of $1300, but still - we can’t help wondering whether the Posh effect has boosted the price for everyone.

Top Model may cast a dudded group of girls, but not all reality mannequins are sans jobs:

Angelika, the mean-spirited and self-righteous cast member of TLC’s A Model Life, is a regular face of Mike & Chris, and now she’s the Look Book girl for Development’s latest line.

Their Fall ‘08 collection boasts a print we think we saw in Austin Powers, plus some really cute skinny pants, and a lot of slouchiness.

Meanwhile, Angelika looks pretty much the same:

Like she’d never let you sit at her lunch table, but once you met her, you wouldn’t want to anyway.

Yet another weird debate got out of hand at the Fashionista office today (and via Instant Messenger):

The question: Wardrobe maintenance

Jazzi uses a steamer to get her clothes wrinkle-free. All day everyday. A habit she no doubt picked up during her time in the fashion closet.

Brett is in agreement - both even like the smell of the steamer.

Faran and Britt think they’re freaks - “Who has time for that?” (they iron, but rarely).

Natalie is shocked and appalled that anyone would actually spend time removing wrinkles instead of just popping things in the dryer for a few seconds - and opposite to Jazzi, she finds the smell of a steamer nauseating, no doubt due to her own time in the fashion closet.

So we come to you to solve this debate: Do you steam, iron, hang by the shower, or none of the above?

— JAZZI McGILBERT

My closet is full of dresses, skirts and a couple pairs of jeans, but I generally don’t wear pants.

Mid-fashion week, I bought a pair of super wide-leg black trousers. I’d seen Meredith Melling-Burke wearing hers for a couple of days and they looked so chic. I wore them for a miserable couple of hours and realized, incredulously, that just because MMB can wear something, doesn’t mean I can.

So I returned them.

It was the first time I’d ever returned an item I actually wore. I felt 90% guilt and a 10% thrill of “Wow! I can actually get away with this?”

According to The Boston Globe, I contributed to a serious economic problem. Apparently, an increasing number of consumers are purchasing items extremely beyond their means for a specific occasion and returning them for a full refund when they’re finished. They call it “renting” - one woman even rented a dress to wear to her daughter’s graduation.

Do you guys do this?

“I mean, here we are in Milan, spiritual home of the sexpot, birthplace of the Dolce & Gabbana label, and we’re looking at models dressed like geography teachers.” - Lisa Armstrong, on the Milan shows, in the London Times.

Spotted:

Model Han Jin flying to Milan, in coach.

When asked why she wasn’t flying in business class like the other models, Han answered she’d rather save her money for an apartment.

That’s pretty cute, but we have to wonder:

Did the male passengers fight to sit next to her?

We dig a little airline crushing…

Lauren at Forbes emails us over some outrage:

The 3.1 Phillip Lim top that she found at Fred Segal last season for $320 is now at Forever 21.

Except it’s blousier.

And yellower.

And $22.80.

We wonder if Lim has the resources, or the desire, to sue the company, and also what girl thinks she can wear a giant streak of saffron without sunglasses.

Reader Ashley writes in to say that the Spice Girls concert was amazing but the t-shirts were even funnier than Scary Spice’s hair:

Apparently, Posh and the rest heart Henry Holland!

The t-shirts feature lyrics from the girls’ most famous songs, all rendered in Henry’s trademark block script.

Our favorite?

The ones that say “Stop Right There”… but this one that screams “Who Do You Think You Are” seems more appropriate:

It seems Mel, Mel, Victoria, Emma, and Gerri think they’re nu rave club kids!

Even with it playing right in front of us, we can’t even believe it -

What appears to be the real Sex and the City: The Movie trailer reveals way more than we ever thought it would.

If this is to be believed, then:

1. Big (whose actual - still fictitious, here - name is John Jason Preston,) and Carrie actually get married. Well, actually, you see as far as their wedding day and then (surprise!) there are some problems.

2. Charlotte finds out that she’s pregnant, and adopted a child.

3. Steve cheats on Miranda (this one actually made our jaws drop.)

4. Samantha is probably going to step out on her boy toy (surprise?)

The best part, in case you can’t turn the sound up on your computer? Big: “Should I get you a diamond?” Carrie: “No, just get me a really big closet.”

Is this for real?

[Update: Sorry, guys. It seems that the trailer has been taken from iklipz, which probably means it was real.]

Dear Anne Slowey,

You look better than any of the Prada models did in those clothes.

No really, you do.

In fact, we thought they were kind of wretchedly doily until we saw your face pasted on top of them.

Now they’re kinda perfect.

Hope they give you a really good discount!

xoxo Fashionista

“Daria looked great, considering she was partying until 5 a.m. — breaking and entering into the Presidential suite at the Principe with 50 other people.” —Anne Slowey on the Versace show, in The Moment.

We love Henry Holland and we love Levi’s.

But when we think of the two of them together, visions of acid wash denim, neon embroidery, ‘H’ emblazoned pockets and exaggerated rips dance in our head.

Henry announced yesterday that he’ll customize their classic 501’s and feature them on his Spring/Summer ‘09 runway in September.

Levi’s claims, “We don’t enter into collaborations lightly,” but the last brand they collaborated with was Stussy. So even if the jeans come out in shades of neon only Agyness can wear, we’re sure they’ll be more successful than Levi’s last partnership.

And if the jeans end up tartan, we might even love them.

[PS. First Project Runway, now Henry Holland - it looks like Levi’s is really trying to get in with the fashion crowd.]

Here’s a fun fact to start the morning: Rachel Bilson is designing a dress with Brian Reyes.

She announces the collaboration in next month’s NYLON. the But don’t get too excited - the dress won’t be for sale.

The design is meant for Rachel’s best friend’s wedding. Somehow, Ms. Bilson has been called upon to design the bridesmaid’s dress, so the aisle can look as cute as possible while Ms. Bilson’s best friend marries OC and Gossip Girl mastermind Josh Schwartz.

Brian Reyes is a red carpet favorite of Bilson, so we’re sure the two will have no problem agreeing on the design.

We’re betting it’ll be short and lavender in a sort of collision of OC style and the Fall runways.

Maybe with a matching headband?

Thanks, Fashion Week!

Looks like the runways have taken a cue from Balenciaga’s florals- they’ve blossomed even bigger at Marchesa, Blumarine, and Benjamin Cho for Fall. Now we have an urge to go home and watch the Secret Garden…

—JAZZI McGILBERT

We thought the Burberry collection was sick in a good way, but it turns out, many fashion editors thought Gucci was sick - in a real way.

“Looking at the floor made me nauseas,” moaned one fashion friend. “The bags were patterned and the tile was patterned and I really needed a Dramamine.”

“Headache!” emailed another editor, “Total headache!” Though perhaps she was talking about the collection…

A model also texted in to tell us the floor caused many girls to fear tripping over themselves, which may be why no girls who have fallen in the past - Stam, May Anderson - were cast in the show.

Instead, Natasha Poly opened, which means she’ll probably be a face of the brand for another year - hopefully the campaign set will cause less vertigo than the current runway.

When we got the press release announcing YSL’s Manifesto, we had no clue what they meant (and neither did anybody else who wrote about it,) and so we didn’t care.

But after a few phone calls, its turns out it might be worth waiting for.

This “manifesto” is more like a really on-the-street ad campaign that starts in Milan and London on Saturday, then moves to Tokyo on Sunday, and New York and Paris on Wednesday. The campaign, featuring Kate Moss and shot by Inez van Lamsweerde, will be handed out by some kind of street team to passersby, there’ll be a video on YSL’s site, blah blah.

The bright spot? There will be life-size installations on the streets of each visited city as part of the campaign - we could only confirm that they were going to be somewhere with lots of people, and they are most definitely not just billboards.

Possibilities:

1. A Kate Moss hologram ala McQueen walking down Fifth Avenue.

2. Kate Moss mannequins taking over the lawn of Central Park.

3. Kate Moss herself in the window of YSL’s Madison Avenue boutique? (Don’t rule this one out! Why else would YSL be so secretive?)

Guess we’ll have to wait and see - In the meantime, here’s a clip of Kate getting snapped for the campaign to ease the mid-day blues.

WHICH European fashion brand is hinting to front-row celebrities that a possible Fall ad campaign is up for grabs, if they’re agreeable with the press and paparazzi during their show? But whatever - we’re only buying a bag if Kinga’s holding it in the campaign!

Heidi Montag may have her own (awful) clothing range, but her former co-worker, Elodie, seems to be getting a better outfit homage:

There’s a new Marc by Marc Jacobs tank called “The Elodie,” now onsale online.

Now, Marc lives in Paris and there are definitely a few minor Paris pop stars named Elodie, so he could have lifted the name from them. But it’s an awfully good / great / excellent coincidence that Marc by Marc gave themselves a huge boost by appearing on a string of Hills episodes, and this blouse could just be the aftermath.

Either way, it’s awfully cute, and might just revive the discussion about whether a woman vying for a promotion against her work friend is really backstabbing, or just good common sense.

Actually, we’ll leave that one to Jezebel, and stick to the tank.

The Daily takes great care to report that Sasha hasn’t parted with Prada, as they should since they’re owned by IMG - the same company that manages Sasha’s thriving career.

Instead, they say that Sasha’s unwell and could barely hold herself up during Fashion Week, managing to only walk one show - Anna Sui - and then hit her bed.

There’s only one eyebrow raise that goes along with the explanation, and it’s this:

Sasha managed to stay out well past her bedtime on Friday, February 8, first at an exhibition of her drawings and later at the Jeremy Scott bash at Mansion, where she was spotted and snapped by The Cobrasnake (that’s his photo, at left).

We hope Sasha gets better before Paris, since as far as we’re concerned, she was the highlight of last season’s Chanel show. But here’s a hint if she’s going to recover:

No more parties, young lady! Chicken soup instead!

In the upcoming Confessions of a Shopaholic, Isla Fisher’s character carries a black and white Stephen Sprouse for Louis Vuitton bag.

We know this because no matter where we go in the city, we can’t escape the set. We’re constantly explaining, “We work there!” or “We live there!” to get past the pushy clipboard holders hollering for us to get off the sidewalk.

A good friend happened to snatch a bit part in the film the other day, after which she sent this picture from Victoria’s Secret with the subject, “Look! They’ve already ripped off Isla’s bag!”

Victoria’s Secret poor, but blatant rip-off will probably be the first of many to come. But we hope that instead of an influx of fakes, everyone breaks out their original Stephen Sprouse bags because really, they’re the brightest, most fun status bags ever.

10. Shall we resume the great Kevin drinking game of chugging whenever he insists he’s not gay?

9. When Tim says Victorya is always uptight, could he be alluding to the time she stormed off the set after elimination?

8. How great are those Converse / Target commercials? Sorry, tangent.

7. Did Elisa just call Project Runway a “yawner”?

6. Wait, no, back to Target - shouldn’t they sponsor the show next season, and do a Project-Runway-for-Target collection?

5. Victorya, don’t you know getting knocked down on a blog doesn’t count as a “write up”?

4. Did Chris sabotage everyone with his laugh?

3. Why is Carmen so emotional? It’s a reunion show, you’re supposed to be like, “No hard feelings, it was a great experience!”

2. Does Michael Kors look like a Lollipop Guild member when he laughs?

1. How good is Jillian’s impression of Heidi?! OMG!

0. Should we do 10 Questions for Top Model next, or just retire?

We love the crazy, swirly designs that came from the London runways.

But sometimes (ok, almost all of the time,) it’s a little weird to show up to work looking like Fred Flinstone.

Our solution, as always? Say it with accessories.

We scouted out this perfectly colorful and slightly trippy ring from Vermont designer BrokenFingersArt.

Even though each ring is only $13, each one is made to order, so put in your request fast if you want to pair it with the perfect little white dress come May.

Maybe you could even convince them to change the colors since they’re custom made? Just saying…

“This Ruritanian rock ‘n’ roll was open to every cliché: “Rock the Czech Republic!” “Blonde models have a lot of polish!” - Suzy Menkes, on the Gucci show, in the International Herald Tribune.

Kira Plastinina is officially raiding the U.S., and it all starts just a few blocks from our office.

The first of twelve stores, all set to operate by this July, will open on Broadway between Prince and Houston in NYC (right by where the new TopShop is supposed to be, incidentally,) on May 2nd.

Why the rush? Because Miss Kira (who’s 15, in case anyone forgot,) wants to have fifty of her boutiques open in the States by 2010.

We think this girl is going to be a huge success - not only does she have the money to pull off such a huge expansion (Daddy is like the Bill Gates of Russia,) but her clothes are adorable. And the best part? Her average price point is $48.

Watch out H&M, we can already envision a subsidiary line for Kira (KP? Kira by Kira?) beating out fast-fashion chains with a whole new game.

Dear Mr. Maier,

I stayed up way too late last night reading an article on you in the new Vogue UK. You came across differently than most designers. Softer, more intellectual, maybe even slower thinking - none of which is better or worse - just different. I liked you.

Then I woke up this morning and looked through the pictures from yesterday’s show and I changed my mind - I love you.

The next time someone asks me what I want to be when I grow up, I’m not going to ramble incessantly about the million and one things I plan to do in the next thirty years; instead, I’ll say, “I want to be the kind of woman who wears Bottega Veneta.” Which will, I think, sum up those million things nicely.

The monochromatic palette is ideal, the shapes are surprising yet appealing, and the simplicity is what makes it all truly perfect. And that tailoring - I can imagine each dress fitting my size 8 body as well as Freja’s size zero. (Very differently! But still well.)

So thanks for giving me an answer to that terrible question. And thanks for giving me something so tangible to look forward to.

xo,
Britt

We stayed home from Milan this season to show you things you might actually wear.

Namely, the latest collection from Old Navy - except, although it’s new, you’ve probably seen it before.

We know we have - the bold prints, the white shorts, the head scarves, all of it - as it walked down the runway last season at Diane Von Furstenberg.

Now, Old Navy is smart enough to not copy a DVF pattern, and what they’ve come up with on their own is really, really adorable.

But there’s something about the styling that just screams “Alek Wek on the runway last year!”

It’s a great look, it’s easy for many women to pull off, and it looks like Old Navy is going a long way towards facilitating that.

We just wonder how much cuter this stuff will be when you mix it with your own stuff, instead of matching it up with someone else’s luxe runway - like the shorts at left, with a threadbare band tee, could be kinda perfect.

For those taken with the ka-pow of colors on the London runways this season, or with Jazzi’s adept roundup of them, maybe you want to think about this:

J. Crew’s latest merino dress, on sale for $175.

We’re a little shocked to see it at the preppy chain store, since it looks a little bit like a graffiti child’s scribbles after ice cream cake, but it’s crazy and fun, and could be rocked very well with some simple tights and heels.

Weirdly, Anouck Lepere might look a bit too sweet to pull it off (she’s the model wearing it here), but the dress captures the vivid explosion of pattern and color that rushed through London Fashion Week. It’s not as expensive as those clothes will be, and you can have it now instead of in August / September.

Sounds like a good deal to us.

I fell in love with the 3.1 Philip Lim jacket, at left, while browsing on eLuxury last week.

I love wearing jackets but I don’t always want to look like I’m on my way to the country club. The shrunken fit of the Philip Lim makes the look a lot younger, and kind of precious - almost like picture day in second grade.

But Philip Lim’s version goes for over $700, so what’s a stylish boy to do?

Check out the Brooks Brothers boy’s department, of course! I found this prep school version for a fraction of the original’s price, and I’m already planning on throwing it over my Steven Alan shirts and Rogues Gallery tees.

Now if I could only get cheaper versions of everything Thom Browne through his imaginary boy’s department, then I’d be all set to have my photo snapped everyday.

—BRETT KANE

Charlize Theron is on the upcoming issue of T Fashion, but we’re way more interested in Chloe Sevigny, and also, of course, her story.

The Big Love actress and sideways style darling gave The Times a flurry of photos, all documenting what she thinks are milestones of her style.

There’s the gamine Miu Miu ad from the ’90s, the iconic poster of Kids, the slinky minidress from The Last Days of Disco, and of course a few shots of her latest project with Opening Ceremony.

The magazine hits stands on February 24th, but we’d be really bad friends if we didn’t leak the Chloe Sevigny story to you right here, right now.

Now go wash that Chloe perfume off your hands…

These looks from London’s Armand Basi, Erdem, and Eley Kishimoto could have popped straight out of a Saturday morning cartoon. Or a Crayola box. The 64-ct. of course.

—JAZZI McGILBERT

Our baby Emily Eisen sent us a panicked note last night:

“Sasha missing from Prada! Sasha missing from Prada!”

And, well, she’s right:

There’s no Sasha in the Prada show…

But does that mean there will be no Sasha in the upcoming Prada ads?

Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves…

Though Ms. Pivovarova might finally get to go to art school next season!

WHICH socialite/kind-of designer needs all her clothes laid out for her? Her ability to put together an outfit is so lacking that her personal shopper at a major New York department store picks out almost all of her clothes for her and even has to stop her from trying to put together ensembles by herself…

And they made YouTube videos about it!

We know we shouldn’t be laughing so hard, but oh, we totally are.

Guess if you’re going to put your self at risk for another night in jail, it should only be for the muse of Chanel and Balenciaga?

Sticking a giant bow on any accessory is a risk that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Sticking a giant bow on an already huge satchel that’s either loudly metallic or patent leather, is probably not the best bet.

And charging $2,000 for that bag would just be ridiculous, since one could only wear it so often before being known as the girl with the giant bow handbag. But if anyone’s going to try, and maybe even achieve success with said oversized bag, it would be Valentino.

We’re not sure how successful Nine West thought their rip-off would be. Future note to them: There are some accessory details - giant bows, excessive ruffles, textured leather etc - that really do need to be exceptionally well made (read: expensive) to look nice.

Oh, and it’s a good thing they remembered that name plate.

“What you don’t often see in a fashion advert is a model giving a colonic to an unspecified four-legged animal, as our Gucci model seems to be.” —Hadley Freedman in The Guardian.

For those of who you worship Agyness Deyn, your taste has just been venerated. For those of who you are sick to death of her, well, we hope you’re not going to shop at a Zara anytime soon.

The Daily Telegraph reports that Adel Rootstein, the British mannequin company, has designed an Agyness model to launch in a Dusseldorf branch of Zara before being released in Zara’s worldwide.

With this deal, Agyness joins the ranks of Twiggy, a former Adel Rootstein mannequin herself, and kind of one-ups Kate Moss, who was rejected by the late Adel Rootstein herself for being “too short.”

Aggie is reportedly hanging on to just one life-size doll of herself - maybe to send down the runway on skates to pick up a little extra cash?

We hope the Zara window dressers are smart enough to not put the Agyness mannequins anywhere near the windows - she’d be a prime steal for those smash-and-grabbers…

[PS If you can’t get yourself to a Zara, or if you just can’t wait, you could always wear Agyness’ likeness on your back - is this girl a phenomenon or what?]

Has Jourdan Dunn been cast at Prada?

That’s what we’re hearing out of Milan - that Ms. Dunn was indeed booked in the show that launched Sasha, Gemma, and Daria Werbowy.

Also walking in Prada this morning:

A series of black-and-white laced petticoats and whale-bone inspired hip stomachers that look like a cross between the Infantata and a tablecloth…

But more on those later - so far, our favorite Milan runways have been Burberry and Just Cavalli (we know, we’re shocked too).

“I just moved to New York because I want to do this modeling malarkey, but I think it means I’ve more moved into a Virgin Airline Boeing 747.” —Daisy Lowe, to WWD this morning.

Which major designer pays a young lad to prance around his apartment in just his underwear? The lad in question is a very well-known male model…

If you need another heap of bangles to add to your stack, here’s a good stash of them:

The Alex and Ani bangles called “Charms 4 Life.”

The set of four metal bracelets come with Chinese peony symbols carved into them, and cost $32, with proceeds going to prevent cervical cancer among women.

Buy them now, and get them before they hit the upcoming issue of Vogue next month -

Because it’s always fun to have something before Mary Kate Olsen, aside from occasional bouts of sanity.

We were browsing Jourdan Dunn’s pictures on Style.com this weekend.

Jourdan does Henry Holland, Jourdan walks Marc Jacobs, Jourdan gets her make-up done.

Oh, wait…that’s not Jourdan. That’s Chanel Iman.

Funny they can tell the difference between Sasha P. and Gemma, but not between Chanel’s Teen Vogue cover face and one of the most striking girls we’ve seen in awhile.

Just saying…

We have never not laughed through a McConaughey film.

How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days was clearly the funniest bad movie we’d ever seen. We can still quote it, pretty much line-for-line.

Failure to Launch was ridiculously dull, but the good natured Texan was still totally adorable, and got us to giggle. The Wedding Planner was equally horrid, but oh! We couldn’t help laugh when he started checking J. Lo’s pulse on the sidewalk. And Dazed and Confused? Hello - best comedy ever.

Therefore, we weren’t surprised that we cracked up during the entire Dolce & Gabbana commercial starring our favorite class clown, Matthew Conaughey.

Of course, the D&G people might be…

We always end up flipping through Sephora’s catalogues, not so much out of curiosity, but because they arrive in our mailbox so consistently.

But, in truth, they bother us every time. And this time is no exception.

Page 5 of the catalogue reads, “Wear the Trend - Red Lips,” and then the reader is shown the usual suspects of Nars, Dior and Sephora’s own house brand.

Page 7: “Wear the Trend - Coral Lips” (Sephora’s own brand is included again.)

And the real kicker:

Page 9: “Wear the Trend: Nude Lips”

Huh?

We understand that it must be difficult to categorize what are basically the same shades of makeup from the same group of companies several times a year into groups that are visually appealing and that egg you on to drop your cash. But we still don’t understand why you would just contradict yourself on every other page. We do like makeup, but that doesn’t mean we’re stupid.

Can anyone explain?

Is there a British model who hasn’t landed herself in a Burberry campaign?

After the long reign of Kate Moss and the brief intervention of Aussie Gemma Ward, the campaign shot by Testino has scooped up Lily Donaldson, Agyness Deyn, Keira Gormley, Morwenna Cobbald, and Georgia Frost.

The only girl left is Daisy Lowe, who’s lent herself to Doc Martens and Agent Provocateur, but not yet worn the famous Burberry check.

That may soon change, as the daughter of Gavin Rossdale and designer Pearl Lowe was finally spotted on the Burberry Prorsum runway yesterday. She looked cute in her amber necklace and Erin Wasson cap, and walked alongside Lily, Aggie, and the rest of them.

Will she appear in store windows next season?

It would be silly to think not - unless Fred Perry or someone’s already called their dibs.

Attention potential interns:

W Magazine needs some help in their accessories department.

The job is purely with the handbags, shoes, and jewelry (no writing) and is unpaid. You need to be available 2-4 days a week, you need to have prior experience at a magazine, and you need to be chic (duh). But most of all, you need to be incredibly organized, respectful, and willing to follow directions.

If you want the job email William_Kahn@condenast.com with a brief (seriously!) description of how you can make life in the W fashion department easier for the editors.

Also, you might get to see Kate Moss - the last time we were in the W offices, we did!

“Very perfect. Hair is perfect, they have a manicure. They are very clean, they follow fashion. I don’t think they take many risks. They do the total look of Prada.” - Carine Roitfeld, on American fashion editors, in New York Magazine.

We went all the way to London just to try on Gap’s latest European collection!

Okay, not really. But we did slip into some of it, which finally hit the Gap website this week. Here’s the latest slew of things to cram into your closet:

1. The Short Empire Dress in Sugar White Cookie, $59.50.
Can you say See By Chloe? Your friends will when they see you in this dress - and you can actually eat some sugar white cookies in it, because it’s got an a-line fit.

2. The Classic Military Jacket, $88.
The proportions of this piece are perfect. The hem is cropped, so the designers have thought to make everything - the sleeves, the lapels, the buttons - thinner and smaller, which means you can wear it no matter what your size and still look really sharp. Double points if you wear it over a silk floral dress.

3. The Oversized Denim Shorts (at left), $39.50
These go with a bunch of baseline styles (hippie girl? Fine. preppy? No problem.) And their length suits a lot of different bodies, especially with the wide leg. Also, you can buy a size up and have them sit on your hips, or you can get them in your actual size to let them hug your waist. We really, really like them.

Everything else? We weren’t so into… But there’s always a new shipment of shoes…

It looks like after a couple months of hiding, London’s fashion looters are back in action.

According to Vogue UK, up-and-coming designer James Long showed a well-received line for Topman’s MAN runway, only to have the entire collection stolen from his East End studio hours later.

The strangest part? Everything else in the studio, including the designer’s laptops, were in their normal place. Only the clothes - all but a few accessories - were taken.

No word yet on how the burglars entered the space - but we’re curious if it’s the same group that raided Alexander McQueen and Marc Jacobs back in December. We doubt it, since that group’s signature move was to “smash and grab” - ride by on mopeds and smash the windows of store-front displays to grab whatever they can.

We’re not sure how to calculate the street value of obviously stolen clothes. But since only the clothes were stolen, maybe they really are just a group of fashion fanatics?

In any case, we suggest questioning all the well-dressed men hanging out in Hackney. Or, rounding up all the victimized designers and finding out if this is some ploy to gain publicity…

It’s President’s Day! We’ll be back tomorrow!

Alice Pope found a criminal pair of shoes at Nine West this weekend, and not just because they’re tacky:

The Olavera shoes they’re selling for $89 are a broken version of Gucci’s Sevigny sandal, also out this season.

Of course, the Sevigny shoes have some odd properties of their own, most notably their name -

Doesn’t Gucci know that Drew Barrymore is their celebrity face, while Chloe Sevigny poses for rival brand Chloe?

Also, we’re not sure Chloe would ever wear these things, except maybe in a deleted scene of The Last Days of Disco… and certainly not for $725, their current price in boutiques.

And on that note, we’re out for President’s Day.

It’s amusing that a brand whose entire modern value rests in the hands of celebrities, models, and the wealth that buoys them has made their first-ever commercial — using none of those things.

Instead, Louis Vuitton’s TV debut is a series of traveling men and women who look wide-eyed at monuments and aquariums while a voice over about self-discovery echoes through the images.

Of course, we’ve never discovered anything about ourselves by buying a $3000 travel bag -

Unless you extend that discovery to the tolerance of our credit card companies.

Somehow, we don’t think that’s what Louis Vuitton means here.

“How long is it going to take for greeting card technology to enter the luxury market so bags can sing “Prada! Prada!” when opened?” - reader FWD, yesterday, on people who dress like “Walking Advertisements.”

Did anyone else notice the science class captions in the news Saks ads?

We don’t know if it’s cute or weird, but Lanvin is begging for something like, “Grecco Floatium.”

Suggestions?

—BRETT KANE

When I was approached by a CW Casting Director for Tyra’s much-debated new show, I wasn’t sure what to think. On the one hand, I thought, “This could be my big break! ELLE!” - (Fashionista is now my fourth internship in the fashion world.) On the other hand, I thought, “Ew.”

After myriad debates with friends and at the office, I knew I was at least going to try it out when I found myself in the midst of the 21-page application.

But when I arrived at the casting, one for fashionistas handpicked by the CW’s casting crew, I was confronted with about 100 girls (and about twenty boys) who could have stepped out of a ShopBop catalog. I got the sense that these were hopeful kids who had never actually worked in the industry, but were cute enough for primetime TV (In fact, it should be noted that when I was approached, although I was assured that it would be more Apprentice than ANTM, I was never asked about any actual experience.)

There was a blue screen, lights, and a camera set up in the middle of a converted hotel banquet room where CW staffers demanded, “Show me your personality! Show us crazy!”

I should have known when the application asked questions like “What character are you most like from The Devil Wears Prada? (Read some application highlights after the jump!)

I snuck out of the room before the camera could find me. I just can’t picture ever being a top editor with footage of trashy housemates (and me!) performing timed runs to showrooms in six-inch platforms re-playing on late-night MTV marathons.

And I wasn’t the only one - I caught a few other hopefuls leaving early, and I heard the CW is still casting. For a show that’s supposed to air this Spring, they’re going to have to find some good candidates fast - Trashy or not, I know I’ll be watching.

—JAZZI McGILBERT

So yesterday’s Vivienne Westwood show was lots of fun, but the first thing we thought was Desperately Seeking Susan.

Then today in the office, our friend Amanda remarked, “These clothes are all amazing, but I can’t help but think I could go to Urban Outfitters or TopShop or even Barney’s Coop and Forever 21, buy a ton of them, and mix them all up to look just like this stuff.”

But that’s the thing -

Without Vivienne Westwood, the shape and the attitude wouldn’t necessarily exist in all those other mass market clothes.

Also:

It’s a little sublime to send a girl with a protest sign down the runway, and have it be for political causes instead of fur, don’t you think?

Hopefully it’ll make the Peta kids planning to crash Milan and Paris realize what the really dire problems are in the world (though admittedly, we’d rather wear a Vivienne Westwood wool jacket than anything fur, anytime).

—PHOTOS AS ALWAYS BY MORGAN, THE CUTEST BOY IN ENGLAND

After the Charlotte Ronson show last week, we ducked into Old Navy to get out of the freezing, sideways rain.

Of course we couldn’t actually enter and leave a store without purchasing something - even if in a not-so-exciting place like Old Navy.

We bought the shoes at left and we’ve worn them almost everyday since. In fact, yesterday’s grouchiness re: the “where did you get that question” probably arose from being stopped every five seconds to explain that yes, our shoes really are from Old Navy.

We’ve worn them with tights, with socks, with dresses and with jeans. We’re very klutzy and have yet to fall in them. And despite their heft, they’re actually very comfortable (for those of you of the cheap-shoes-are-impossible-to-walk-in persuasion).

They’ll probably be sold out before the first warm day; maybe we should buy another pair?

Which model tried to buy a bikini for her upcoming tropical vacation with an unsigned credit card. When asked for her ID, she pulled out her model card and said, “Will this do?”

Are skinny jeans going away?

Absolutely not, and here’s the proof:

We just spotted French Vogue goddess Carine Roitfeld and her lovely daughter Julia shopping at the Ksubi store in Soho.

There are many things beloved by Ksubi fans, including their scandalous fluorescent miniskirts, their outrageous sunglasses, and their new “secret” bar in a basement.

But the trademark Ksubi thing that tops them all is jeans so vacuum sealed that - much like those classic Balenciaga leggings - you’ve got to oil yourself in and out of them.

Which we’re happy to do for another few seasons, as long as we can have a big shaggy Chris Benz coat on top of them.

We adore the photographer Pete Miszuk and wish wish wish we were in London with him.

Meanwhile, on the ELLE blog, Pete wishes he knew the identity, and phone number and boxer-or-brief preference, of the woman at left.

We’re pretty sure it’s Zandra Rhodes, the legendary club kid designer of the ’70s who’s appeared in ELLE’s pages a few times, and dressed Bianca Jagger, Diane Von Furstenberg, and Marisa Berenson.

Can any of our British babes give us a confirmation?

And then send her digits to Pete so he can ask her out?

“Of course I am a Spice Girls fan. I love everything that teenage girls love. I am the oldest teenage girl.” — Michael Kors backstage at the Spice Girls concert in New Jersey Wednesday night, in WWD.

J. Crew
Marc Jacobs
Sigerson Morrison
Miu Miu
H&M
DKNY
Gap
Banana Republic
Diane Von Furstenberg
Missoni
Zara
Coach

That’s twelve brand names, and that’s three pages into the script of Shopaholic, which was either leaked to us or just shamelessly stolen from a film set last night. Shopaholic is a chick film based on a chick book currently in production in New York. The book has a dreaded pink cover and we suspect the film will, too.

The movie will star Isla Fisher, and we hope she’s got some clause in her contract to get paid for all the brand-dropping. The costumes will obviously be by Patricia Field.

As for the script itself - well, much like the book, we couldn’t stomach it, but maybe it’ll be good because we adore Isla Fisher - even if the hysterical actress is 32, and her character in the script is 23.

Guess Anne Hathaway just couldn’t deal with another movie about a girl who tries to work at a fashion magazine?

Last week at Betsey Johnson, we saw a troop of teen models crash into the store. They looked familiar, from the runway show, and they were hungry - well, for clothes anyway.

“How much do they get?” I asked the salesgirl, as they gleefully tore apart the store like a Supermarket Sweep rehearsal.

“A lot,” she answered. “Like, unless it’s a one-of-a-kind piece, they can have it.”

Alas, we don’t get the same privileges, but here’s something that could be fun:

Starting Saturday, Betsey’s having a President’s Day sale that ends on Monday. Select stuff is 75% off, which means a dress you like might be $50, $75, or at most $110.

Let us know if you get anything - we found a really cute black flapper dress and already wore it to The Box!

Little by little, the Mulberry brand is oozing its way into clothing.

Last year, they had some choice t-shirts and a really gorgeous caftan by artist Julie Verhoeven.

This season, they’re striking out on their own, with a tiny but very cool collection of cocktail frocks and menswear that manages to straddle the line between rumpled and style conscious, probably because all of their designs are really fresh and rather young.

The question is whether Mulberry can take the fan base they’ve got for their bags and transfer it, slowly, into their entire lifestyle brand. It’s something that Kate Spade and Coach are doing here in the States, and something Mulberry’s invested a lot of time, money, and coolness into cultivating in London.

Bottom line:

We really dig the clothes, especially the printed blue dress, but if these outfits are as expensive as the Mulberry bags, we’ll have to raid TopShop for an alternative…

Oh, Daily Rubbish

We wish you were every week -

Not just London Fashion Week.

Because nobody writes about frenemy kissing.

And even if they did, it wouldn’t be like you.

I might have gone on and on about Tanya D. during fashion week, but Natalie would not shut up about Jourdan Dunn.

“You have to see this girl!” she gasped, post ThreeAsFour, “I couldn’t take my eyes off her!”

So I kept my eyes peeled, and when I saw her saunter at Peter Som, I had to agree. Her look: Regal cheekbones and exaggerated cat-eyes. Her walk: One of the best I’d seen.

Though she walked Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren last year, her big break came when Kate Moss chose her as the face of Kate’s Christmas collection for Topshop. She went on to walk twenty shows last week and Gap just released the first image from her new ad campaign, at left.

You might not understand our love for models, but really, who wouldn’t want to look at (or like) a girl like that?

“Speaking of fat asses, I’m having mine electrocuted as I write.” — Anne Slowey on the ELLE blog. Thanks, dear.