August 2007: It was the quote pulled ‘round the world. Fashionista Diaries’ cast member Nicole told everyone that her favorite designer was Juicy Couture.

Fast forward to September 2007: Karlie Kloss, Teen Vogue cover girl, adds Juicy to a “three way tie” between Miuccia and Marc.

And then last Thursday, veritable cute girl Emma Roberts, talks shop with Stacie Farber, and sandwiches the suburban staple between Luella, Marc, and Miu Miu on her list of favorites.

Are they paying these girls to say this? Do adorable, rational teenagers with access to anything money can buy really choose Juicy over say Charlotte Ronson or Trovata?

Because if so, we are really out of touch with high school girls…

—BRETT KANE

Our favorite news from last night’s dinner party:

Genevieve Jones is teaming up with artist and t-shirt maven Dana Veraldi (whom you probably remember from the Agyness Deyn tees of last season) on a new project that’s TBA (but we bet it’s connected to Genevieve’s hyper-cute jewelry line).

To celebrate, Ms. Dana created the Genevieve Jones t-shirt.

Much like the actual Genevieve, it is cut petite, and very stylish -

But with a good, sharp sense of humor.

Rebecca from Stylehive just clued us into the best collaboration we’ve heard of since Proenza for Target -

Margherita Missoni and Damon Dash are working together to create a new line of sneakers for ProKeds to benefit Orphanaid Africa.

The line will consist of six pairs of sneaks covered in collages of Africa-inspired prints (we’d kill for shoes with a tiger on them), and will be sold at Barneys and Colette.

No word yet on a launch-date, but we’re willing to bet the event will merit an in-store visit from Damon himself - but will Margherita fly back from her new home in Paris for an appearance on Fifth?

If you were planning on using some old t-shirts as rags or just bottom-of-the-dresser-drawer fluff, you might want to hang on a couple more weeks.

Starting April 13, all Barneys stores will accept all those “vintage” tees from Urban you bought when you first started school, and hand them over to Loomstate so Rogan Gregory can turn them all into a way cooler limited-edition t-shirt collection to be sold exclusively at Barneys for the holidays. Proceeds will benefit 1% for the Planet, and the whole thing is sponsored by the Sundance Channel.

If it strikes you as a rip-off to return to Barneys after eight months and buy back your own old stuff (mixed with a bunch of other people’s old stuff), take comfort in that you’ll receive a 20% discount on the line (and on other Loomstate) for exactly fifteen days in April.

And if the whole thing strikes you as a little too cool for green, you could at least show up to the kick off event at Barneys on the 22nd to be DJ’ed by, of course, Paul Sevigny.

Attention designers, fashion students, interns and magazine addicts: Gallagher’s on 12th Street is (almost) officially no more.

WWD reports that the 17-year old basement store, piled high with what seems like every copy of every magazine ever (they have over a million editions), will close up at the end of this week, due to a steep rise in rent.

The Gallaghers are moving their archive to their barn in the Catskills, and you can still buy certain editions from Vintage Magazines.

We have no idea where design assistants will go to flip through old issues of Charm, but we guess Gimbel Library (Parsons) and Gladys Marcus Library (FIT) might get a lot more interesting people hanging out in the study cubicles now.

This weekend, we received an official statement from IMG about the Russel Marsh rumor. Here’s what it said:

“The allegation that Prada or Miu Miu have utilized models managed by IMG based on anything more than their talent is ridiculous and flatly untrue. We have the privilege of representing many of the most beautiful and sought after women in the industry and we are outraged that those model’s hard work is being disparaged.”

We welcome other feedback (and got a ton of it the past few days), but we can vouch for this: IMG is right, their models do work incredibly hard.

It’s been over a year since Marc Jacobs showed harem pants on his Spring ‘07 runway, but we’re just now spotting them in H&M and on Topshop’s website.

The latter just posted their newest trend category called, “Can’t Touch This,” (which also happens to be Vogue’s new phrase of choice). The collection includes a pair of silky, silver pants with the baggiest crotch we’ve ever seen.

The page boasts that “harem trousers are the essential wardrobe staple this season.” Unless you’re MC Hammer and your trying to make a comeback, we beg to differ.

We’ve yet to see someone wear them off the runway, probably because unless you’re almost six feet tall with spindly legs and no hips, this style of pant might not be so flattering. Plus, you’d have to be prepared to field an army of guys serenading you with that song.

But then again, we’re often surprised at how people can make really ugly stuff like this look really cute.

Are you wearing them?

Question:

What’s Hedi Slimane doing in Los Angeles?

We got some e-mails spotting the former Dior Homme designer in various L.A. hot spots.

Is he casting more skinny boys for an upcoming photo exhibit?

Or is there something more business-worthy going on?

Hit us up if you know - tips@fashionista.com - and if you see Mr. Slimane and want to talk to him, here’s a hint:

Bring him a jar of baby food and you’ll have his heart forever.

Here’s a considerably less salacious story from the modeling world:

At the Victoria’s Secret Pink party in Miami last week, Brody Jenner told Behati Prinsloo (and basically anyone who would listen) that he was very close to starting his own modeling agency in Los Angeles.

Mr. Jenner joins Donald Trump and Janice Dickinson in the list of TV boldfacers who’ve launched their own agencies, but while Trump’s girls are steady bookers in the high fashion world and Dickinson’s lot are more soap opera than style, Jenner will probably cull the beachy, the spray tanned, and the bikini born.

In other words, we’d bet anything that his first client will be Audrina Patridge.

Good luck, Mr. Jenner -

Surely this career move can turn into an entirely new TV series, if you’d like it to…

I promised you a Heidi braid how to, so I’ve done my best to capture the process in pictures.

I personally think pretty much every hair style, whether up or down, looks better just a little bit messy - random out of place wisps and the occasional lump add character. Plus, by the time it’s warm out, I’d rather spend the extra five minutes on something other than my hair.

So here I am, on my balcony, with almost dirty, definitely messy hair, 4 bobby pins and no mirror. If I hadn’t stopped to let my roommate snap a picture of each step it would have taken one minute. I swear.

But, I have pretty thin hair, so the thicker your mane the more complicated and time consuming this look can get.

It’s really easy. I promise.

Oh, and please excuse the super tacky chipped nail polish. I’m embarrassed.

“That makes me laugh…People who are like, ‘I’m dressing for myself!’ But Rihanna! You’re wearing a latex bikini!” - Alexa Chung, on modesty in her modeling career, to The Guardian.

Vogue UK gives some credibility to weekend rumors that Amy Winehouse has been signed to act as a sort of brand ambassador for Roberto Cavalli.

The deal: Amy shows up to events in Cavalli in return for free clothes.

Apparently, Cavalli decided to sign Amy after Posh declared to love her style - but we’re betting the whole Chanel thing might have had something to do with it, too.

But who knows. The last fashion related rumor about Amy - that she would start her own makeup and clothing line - seemed to disappear as soon as it was reported.

Maybe Amy is really just fashion’s favorite rumor girl…

We got into a little scuffle with our favorite (ok, our only) Fashionista contributing editor, Josh Madden, when he showed us the Ezekiel tote on the right.

We said, “Omigosh, they stole the Damier Speedy from Louis Vuitton! That’s so wrong!”

He said, “But Ezekiel is a skater brand for sixteen year old girls. They can’t buy a Louis. So why shouldn’t they have this?”

We said, “Because they should have a Le Sportsac or a Gap or a Banana Republic, like we did when we were in high school.”

He said, “But this is so much cuter. And Le Sportsac is overpriced.”

We said, “But it’s kind of against the law. And maybe if you colored all over it with paint pens, it would be better…”

And that was pretty much it. The Ezekial bag sells for $44 (also overpriced, Josh!) and the Speedy is $650 at eLuxury, which - trivia - is the only authorized online site to sell Louis Vuitton.

Years ago, in that strange and wondrous time called the 80s, mens’ clothing ads were different.

Every man was in an Armani style power suit, presumably on his way to work, and about the age of my dad. Designers were definitely targeting who they thought could buy their clothes, moneyed older men, by featuring them in their ads.

Now, even though the target consumer probably hasn’t changed, menswear ads seem to be going the way of womens’ - that is, featuring too young boys who could never afford the clothes and overly sexual scenes (almost always homo erotic) suggesting that maybe menswear designers think that guys in rock bands can keep them in business.

Even Zegna, that final refuge of buttoned up men in expensive suits, has had an about-face with boys in windbreakers, and one of them is too bashful to tell the other guy he likes him. Z Zegna is expensive Sunday brunch gear for CEOs, not really fodder for a bromance.

There’s just something about a 16-year old boy in Dior Homme that’s a little too jokey for a brand that should be aspirational. Though we’ve been wondering the same thing about women’s ads since forever.

—BRETT KANE

We were going to call this post, “The Devil Scares Prada,” but instead we’ll get right to the point:

There’s a swirl of agents and casting directors buzzing about a very dire rumor. Some have accused Prada’s longtime casting director, Russell Marsh, of accepting bribes from IMG and Women to put their girls front and center in Prada and Miu Miu’s casting. According to the rumor, Miuccia’s team had no knowledge of the bribes, and according to Style.com, the evidence that IMG and Women girls are usually on Prada’s opening and closing moments (and of course their Sasha Pivovarova campaigns) is quite solid. Although we’ve always believed that those two agencies, collectively, have the best stash of girls anyway. It’s also true that Meghan Sutherland had a Prada moment last year, but you may have noticed she was missing this season from the runways…

Furthermore, there’s an email going around, purportedly from Russell Marsh to his contacts, saying he needs to “go away for a while.” But we remember when the faux Olivia Palermo email got out last year, so we know how easy it is to forge an email address.

So why is this rumor going around and around?

Either it’s true, or a very vicious agency feels violated because their best girls got nixed from the Prada runway or campaign, and they decided to take matters into their own hands.

Also:

We get emails every day from people asking how to get into the fashion business. This is probably a good example of why you may not want to try.

And of course, if you know anything about this, email tips@fashionista.com and fill in the blanks.

Natalie and I have both depended on Heidi braids to make it through humid New York summers.

The 60 second up-do is the only way, or at least the only chic way, to guarantee all of our long hair stays out of our face and off of our neck.

We never understood why Sienna Miller received such negative reviews for, among other things, pulling her wispy blonde hair up into the same look.

Now it seems the criticism has dissipated and pretty girls everywhere are catching on to the easiest and cutest way to wear long hair.

We’ve spotted Mamie Gummer, Lauren Conrad, a random fashionista at Style.com’s party, and Christy Turlington (for Chanel) with Heidi braids atop their heads - and that’s just this week, it’s not even summer yet!

So if your hair’s not long enough, start using horse shampoo, forego monthly trims, and please, please, please don’t stick a fake braid on your crown.

Suzanne, 30 , Executive Assistant

Got Her: Texting a friend at Style.com’s party at Glass Houses last night

Stalked Her: Because anyone who goes out in green tights deserves to be noticed

Shot Her: Because upon closer inspection, we realized the tights are genius (we noticed her from across the room and it was super packed), and there was something really cool happening on her back (click through!)

She Says: “I originally had on just black tights, but they had a huge snag in them, so I switched to this green pair I got at Target instead. And this is actually a long, open-backed top! I sewed straps into the back, and made it into a kind of dress!”

We Say: We’re green, people.

Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen recently debuted the Spring 2008 collection for their cheaper-than-the-Row-but-still-not-that-cheap label Elizabeth & James. It’s already available all over the US, and oddly enough at Urban Outfitters in the UK (or not that odd, Britt says Urban is boutiquier across the pond).

Now get this- Tuesday, psychologist Richard Wiseman unveiled the results of his name association experiment. Which names top the list as “most associated with success”?

Elizabeth and James, of course.

Good news for MK & A, and anyone named Elizabeth or James (although we guess this one didn’t really work out for Jessie Spano), but if this experiment is any indication, all you Lisa’s and Brian’s out there might want to reconsider that diffusion line…

[Click through to see a new video of the Spring lookbook]

—JAZZI McGILBERT

Seriously, do not click through unless you want to watch a major potential spoiler…

So we ran into Agyness at Style.com’s party at Glass Houses last night, and here’s what she had to say:

Natalie and Britt: Hi!

Agyness: Hi! How are you?

Britt: Good, how are you?

Agyness: Great!

Natalie: Wait - aren’t you supposed to be in Paris shooting Reebok right now?

Agyness: I’m so not endorsing Reebok. I just went to a party! My friends work for Reebok and I was in Paris and they were all like let’s hang out! So someone snapped a picture of me. But then everyone was like, “Agyness signed a contract with Reebok!” - but I didn’t!

Britt: It was a just a rumor?

Agyness: Yeah! So, big scoop girls! Tell everyone.

Natalie and Britt: Done.

Rumor Mill: Karl Lagerfeld is having a dinner tonight at the Waverly Inn. Fashion editors, models, Mary Kate. Field Trip to Bank Street!

When we first heard that Polaroid was discontinuing its instant film (a fashion crowd favorite), our first thought was, “What’s going to happen to Jeremy Kost?”

Well, in addition to his work achieving a whole new level of antiquity in a few years, we at least know he’s going to have a career in making fun videos.

Tomorrow night is the premier of his first video installation work in NYC, “Not Yet Titled (Making Faces)”, (a take on Bruce Nauman’s own video work), to be shown in the lobby of the Tribeca Grand through Sunday night, when the private bash hosted by Terence Koh and Shamin Momin (the Whitney curator), takes place.

We highly suggest making the pit stop way downtown if you want to see 20-foot tall videos of boys in their underwear making faces at each other from across the lobby.

See you there!

(Click through to see a few more stills…)

By now we’re pretty sure most of you have read some of the fun facts in today’s New York Times article on what’s really in makeup.

If you missed it, or if you don’t want to read a 1,200 word article on your monitor, here’s the big news:

1. Sometimes, lipstick contains crushed beetles.

2. Sometimes, perfume contains whale puke (sort of.)

But what fun fact did the article totally miss?

Sometimes, perfume contains a note called “civet” which in reality should be called what it is - a French perfume ingredient that comes from the anal gland of the civet cat.

Yes.

And some of the fragrances that contain it? Shalimar, Musc Ravageur and, oh, Chanel No. 5.

Don’t believe us? Check out this report from scent master Chandler Burr in an old T: Style for the full story.

Today’s rumor?

Tanya D. for BCBG.

The Belarusian model stormed every catwalk this season, starred in her fair share of editorials and has now, allegedly, landed a much deserved campaign.

We wonder if she’ll stay on as the face of Michael Kors.

We also wonder how she keeps getting booked for such all American designers when her stunning face screams, “Versace!”

We think we just hit (in Faran’s words), reality TV meta overload -

We just got a glimpse of Christian Siriano’s first dress post Project Runway win.

And where did it appear? On television, of course!

American Idol contestant Kimberley Locke wore it during her performance last night.

We’re guessing this is just like a beginner’s Sudoku for Christian, who’s supposed to be designing for Posh, and who recently shouted dreams of making MK’s Met Ball gown.

So far the look is getting pretty mixed reviews online (everywhere from “fierce” to “hot tranny mess”), but if you’re interested and have $1,000 or so to spare, you can bid for it on Clothes Off Our Back.

If you really do love it, you’ve got about two weeks to come up with the cash. But it would be like a reality TV perfect trifecta if a winner from Amazing Race or Survivor was the one to actually win the bid.

ELLEgirl cutie Holly Siegel pointed out a very curious top to us -

The B Waldorf top from Forever 21. We’re pretty sure this is supposed to be an imitation of a dark dress Blair once wore (she was in her room, possibly talking to Jenny, possibly in the beginning of the brunch episode… anyone?) but the name just really seals the suggestion on this one.

The funny thing is, Forever 21 already kind of did this top over a month ago (eons in fast fashion galaxy), except that time it was a Phillip Lim knock-off. And mustardy.

The even funnier thing? The first thing we all said over here was, “Blair would never wear that.”

Yes, she’s real.

The Hayden-Harnett store is comfortably situated between my apartment and my favorite breakfast place ever, so I’m there at least once a week.

I’ve been obsessing over this vintage ring at the counter. The black metal would take up a good third of my finger and it’s punctuated by pin-head size pieces of glass. It was gone by the time I went back for it and I’m obviously still not over it.

But then I saw this one by VintageFilligree, and it’ll do just fine.

It looks Victorian but it’s size is modern. I love a big ring that’s still feminine and it’s hard to find something funky that stops just short of making me look like I’m gearing up for a fight.

Then again, if I do get in a fight, it can’t hurt.

Yesterday, The Daily reported that Dakota Johnson is IMG Models’ newest addition.

The 18-year old is tall, blonde, thin, and adorable, but there’s one thing separating her from other teenage models:

Her mom is Melanie Griffith.

Just in case you forget, the screen icon is featured as part of Dakota’s portfolio package on IMG’s website, though we don’t think you can book them as a package deal unless you have a really good day rate.

We hope this trend continues among other model daughters of famous moms. For instance, in their stable of thoroughbred girls, IMG has Theodora Richards (daughter of Keith Richards and Patti Hansen), Margherita Missoni (daughter of Angela Missoni), Daisy Lowe (daughter of Pearl Lowe and Gavin Rossdale; stepdaughter of Gwen Stefani), and Julia Restoin Roitfeld (la fille de Carine).

Wouldn’t it be cool if all those moms got onto their daughter’s comp cards, too?

Natalie: Ew, I just read that Ashlee Simpson’s designing a line for Wet Seal.

Britt: Of course she is.

Natalie: I didn’t even know Wet Seal was still around. Apparently it’s a line of t-shirts with pictures “inspired by her sense of style, her personality and her album artwork.”

Britt: Ew, I’m picturing Jessica strutting around in plastic shoes, Ashlee drawing on her t-shirts and Pete strolling in wearing DKNY girl’s jeans.

Natalie: HA! When she and Pete get married they can design housewares for Sears. And Jessica can pitch it on QVC!

Britt: They are so creative. Why couldn’t I have been born a Simpson?

(both dissolve into a fit of giggles)

and now, a note from Faran…

Lauren Conrad came to visit the NYLON office this week, and I swore I would mop the floors all month just to get in the meeting.

She was very nice, very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about her clothing line, and unbelievably pretty in person. She was also so social that I wondered if she’d ever done anything more fun than go to a party - when we mentioned two big NYLON events coming up, her eyes got huge like she’d just been given some free Chanel shoes.

Actually, she was wearing Chanel shoes, little flats; they were kind of amazing.

Anyway, we took a bunch of photos of her Fall ‘08 clothes, but I also paid particular attention to her nails. It’s no secret that at the Fashionista office, we’ve always claimed (and only half as a joke) that whatever Lauren did with her fingers, every girl in America would do later.

For about two years, she’s clung to Chanel’s Black Satin varnish, but this week, it was something different: Totally clear with nothing else.

For those who care, even secretly, I’ve attached a close-up below.

xo F.

Much like the blonde and preening Whitney, America’s Next Top Model improves its own performance every week.

Especially impressive are this season’s photo shoots, which actually resemble real magazine spreads - last week’s Nu Rave Spin-Art session looked dangerously close to a past POP editorial, while this episode’s music shoot was straight out of Conde Nast: Fashion Rocks. We dug it, especially the acknowledgment of “Emo” as a legit genre, and the way Fatima looked like a real Vogue model - if only she weren’t such a downer!

But there was one thing to take issue with:

The “nude” shoot bestowed on Russian surfer Anya.

In a few terrifying shots, it looked like she was baring all - and we mean all - on public television, and then we realized:

She was wearing an itsy bitsy thong to shield her itsy bitsy vagina.

We’re not sure it counts as a nude shoot if the model gets to wear underwear, but we were also mystified that the Top Model producers flashed so much random skin.

Surely after all this time, they don’t need more ratings?!

(Note: Please at least look over your shoulder before you click through if you’re at work…)

“She didn’t really have the sense of how to do things: she wanted stuff to fall on top of her and into her lap…I don’t know how she’ll do, I mean, I wouldn’t hire her, but she could grow.” - Kelly Cutrone, on Lauren Conrad’s performance on The Hills, to Faran when she was at The Daily, in May 2006.

Can you connect John Singer Sargent and Andy Warhol in one step?

Sure - they were both obsessed with society girls.

Now the painter David Foote takes his shot at stardom - or at least a steep commission from a wealthy family.

David’s drawn Patrick McMullan regulars like Jessica Joffe (left) and Olivia Palermo, and he puts them all up for exhibit next week at the L Gallery Studio, with a party hosted by Brian Wolk and Claude Morais of Ruffian.

We expect the portrait subjects will attend their big unveiling, but which socialite will lend her patronage to Mr. Foote for a future painting of herself?

Like the Spring ‘09 collections, that’s still TBA…

I’ve been begging Natalie and Britt to do a “Would You Wear Leather Pants?” for a month now, but Natalie always says, “Over my dead body.”

But today, I finally got the ultimate vindication: during a field strip to the meatpacking district, we spotted Blake Lively on set (Spice Market! They’re probably still there!) walking in head to toe black and leather pants.

[Side note: We also saw a very poorly styled Michelle Trachtenberg - guess she’s not going to be a lovable character after all.]

But back to Blake’s pants - I first started thinking about the Buffy the Vampire Slayer staple again (oddly enough, another Michelle vehicle) after Alexander Wang’s Fall 2007 80’s supermodel homage collection, which included leather pants just like his Fall 2008 (at left.)

Then, a friend brought back from home a pair of CK’s circa 1997 - terrible, but just the idea that she was thinking about them had my mind reeling.

Cut to Barneys CO-OP in Soho last week where a Rag & Bone pair (for women, let me say here that no man should attempt this look lest he should resemble Bret Michaels) caught my eye. And I mean, if the denim gods at Rag & Bone are sewing their label into slinky leather non-leggings, we should take note.

I just feel like as we move away from Lolita-inflected dresses of seasons past to fall’s body conscious sportswear, it seems right again to see women embracing that ultimate body conscious staple; a literal second skin.

Right?

—BRETT KANE

“Every day I have a moment when I say to Chris, ‘Maybe we should cash in. I’ll make handmade lotion, and you’ll write music and sell it on the Internet.’ ” - Kate Hudson, in Vogue, June 2004.

Who knew Perez Hilton was a source of breaking fashion news?

Yesterday the Manic Panicked blogger posted a shot of Agyness Deyn in Paris, getting photographed for the new Reebok campaign!

We think the face of Armani, Mulberry, and Burberry will be a brilliant fit for the brand, especially since they’ve let Scarlett Johansson and Christina Ricci put their stamps on the sneakers before.

There’s only one problem:

Agyness has famously claimed she never works out -

How will that fare with a sporting goods company?

Maybe nu rave dancing and DJing counts as cardio…

Last night’s hysterical launch of Heatherette’s makeup line brought a lot of cotton candy, a great streak of Teyana Taylor (who is gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous in person), too much glitter (who’s surprised?), and one bit of sad news:

Heatherette’s technical designer, Macky Dugan, is going out on his own.

The New Zealand native, who came to Heatherette almost five years ago, is opening his own studio (well, actually sharing a studio with super-cool designer Sue Stemp) and starting a new collection of clothing called “Macky Dugan” - which, we suppose, is better than Mackarette.

His contributions to the brand won’t be forgotten - Richie and Traver have been pretty constant with their praise of the cute blondie (left) and how his technical expertise helped the label build more sophisticated shapes and complicated patterns - plus that infamous paper pineapple dress as seen on Lydia Hearst last year.

“I’m doing menswear,” he told us, but when we pouted, he quickly amended it to “Unisex! Unisex!”

We wonder if those tuxedo jackets will come with purple sequins (please?).

Want to be Hedi Slimane’s next piece of meat?

Go to V Magazine’s website.

They may have lost their Editor-in-Chief to Interview, but they’ve gained a sequel to their wildly successful modeling contest, V A Model. Their first winner, Amanda Laine, got a shoot with Mario Testino, a contract with Supreme, and the opening slots at McQueen and Miu Miu (what?!). She also closed Louis Vuitton (double what?!).

Now V opens their contest to boys. If you win, you’ll score the cover of V Man (which recently had Brad Pitt as its star), plus a photo shoot with Hedi Slimane and a contract with Ford Models.

Clearly, these stakes are huge, so if you think you look like Ashton Kutcher in his pre-Demi days, zoom on over and good luck!

Britt: Spring’s finally here!

Natalie: Ha. You know it’ll get cold three more times before it’s actually spring.

Britt: Noooo! It’s really really here! I even saw a girl yesterday wearing the new YSL Spring Tribute Sandals. The weird thing was she wore them with white athletic socks. Like thick white socks, over her black tights, under her sandals.

Natalie: Oh my God! I saw that girl! I couldn’t figure out what was going on - are we supposed to be wearing running socks outside of the gym now?!

Britt: Um, I hope not. She was French, and so chic, but that’s one thing I definitely don’t want to try and pull off.

Natalie: Maybe she was just keeping her feet warm. Since this is still fake spring.

Britt: Please stop saying that! Spring IS here.

What kind of friends would we be without letting you in on some of our coolest finds?

When Jazzi told us she’s been using a website called Ebates to get paid for shopping online, we were like, “Whatever” but after hearing her out, we thought, “Woah! this could really add up.” If you’ve heard of it, you love it, and if you haven’t, allow us to explain:

1. It’s basically a shopping savings account that very simply gives you back money for shopping. Most websites make money for referring you, but Ebates just shares the wealth.

2. All you have to do is sign up (10 seconds max), then shop directly at some of your favorite stores through a link on the Ebates website.

The hardest part is remembering to go through the Ebates when you feel like shopping, but they even have a “reminder tool” for that, so we’ve got zero complaints. And the perks? Well, money for shopping and referring friends, no spam, a lot of shopping options (sorry, no Net-a-Porter), plus you get a $10 gift card just for signing up. And the best part? More shopping, less guilt.

So if you feel like shopping on the likes of Nordstrom, Shopbop, Bloomingdale’s, Old Navy, Saks, Target, Zappos, Bluefly and YOOX - to name a few - at least make some cash doing it for, you know, more shopping.

We seriously just made $39.00 on some relatively small purchases we would have made anyway. Maybe it really is magic…

— JAZZI McGILBERT

The nice girls over at Philosophy read my story about swearing off makeup and squealed, “We have a present for you!”

I love presents.

But it wasn’t a present so much as a product called, “The Present: Clear Makeup.”

The label reads, “Do you crave airbrushed skin?” Yes. “Do your wrinkles and pores deserve to appear minimized?” Yes. “Are you searching for a new foundation?” Don’t tell Natalie, but yes.

So I stashed it in my purse when she wasn’t looking and tried it in my bathroom after my roommates left for work even though it looks just like lotion, so I wasn’t technically breaking my no makeup vow.

And now that I’ve been using it for a week in place of moisturizer, my skin’s never looked better. I know I said that last time, but I’m seriously catching up to Natalie’s glow.

The only thing that’ll get me closer is the salmon and berry diet from Prom Countdown 2002. But that’s about a million times harder than slathering some moisturizer on every morning.

“As the owner of a 32E bosom, I was once informed that the Vivienne Westwood clothes I was eyeing up were for women who want to look as if they have breasts, not for those already in possession of them. On another occasion, a designer stared at my unclothed form and stuttered: “Hourglass!” in tones one might use to utter the word “paedophile”. Most mortifying of all was the moment an Armani tailor waved her hand dismissively across my chest, before pronouncing: “These are not Armani!” - Hannah Betts, in the Daily Telegraph.

Gossip Girl premieres in the UK tomorrow night, and so we have some words of wisdom for our British counterparts in preparation:

1. Stock up on head accessories (think bejeweled headbands, scarves, big barrettes) now before everybody else decides they’re Blair and shows up to work glittering with Stacey Lapidus holding back last season’s bangs.

2. Stock up at La Perla or even with Elle MacPherson’s lingerie. You will seriously reconsider striped underwear after Blair gets down to a vintage slip in “Victor, Victrola.”

3. Get ready for teenage school kids embellishing their outfits with ribbon trim and a hot glue gun - thanks Blair!

4. Do not ever begin a conversation with, “Can you believe Serena slept with Nate?!” or something like that, lest your desk mate bends a stapler around your monitor. All Friday morning conversation must begin with, “Hey, did you see Gossip Girl last night?” and continue from there.

Ok, now we promise to shut the hell up about GG until it actually returns. Well, if we don’t think of anything else about it, that is.

Diesel needs a women’s press manager, like now.

If you want the job, you…

*Have previous fashion PR experience.

*Live in NYC.

*Love Diesel, love denim, love cutting-edge culture, love music, love runways with crazy holograms.

*Are connected with fashion editors, stylists, and hangouts.

*Are smart enough to send a really good resume and cover letter to Erin Hawker, erin_hawker@diesel.com.

Bonne chance!

Attention makeup collectors and unabashed logo whores:

Neiman Marcus still has a stash of the YSL lip gloss charms in stock, and you can buy them online.

The charms come filled with YSL Beaute color, but that’s obviously not the point -

The real deal is they’re attached to a chain-link bracelet, and stamped with the huge and coveted YSL logo.

The last time these charms debuted, at Saks, we saw them fly off the shelves faster than hot chocolate chip cookies, so forgive our astonishment, but here you go.

$56, plus shipping, if you order them online.

To: britt@fashionista.com

Spotted: A couple of Gossip boys hanging out at my local pub - which turns into my local “lounge” once a week - if you catch my drift.

Do you think the rumors are true?

Or is this just some serious method acting?

xoxo,
LZK

Because you knew it had to happen…

10. Hey girls, how’d you get Karl Lagerfeld’s bodyguard to pick you up from the airport?

9. Who has let Whitney intern at W without saying “Givenchy” ?!

8. How much did Alberta Ferretti pay for that product placement? And how hard is Annelise Peterson smiling right now?

7. Natalie wants me to discuss Heidi’s plastic surgery, but I have a better issue: Has anyone else noticed that Heidi’s face in the opening credits is like two seconds long, compared to the five seconds for Whitney, Audrina, and Lauren?

6. Who noticed the paparazzi shooting Lauren as she left Colette?

5. Raise your hand if you prefer Whitney naked, and not in a Ferretti ballgown?

4. How much weight has Spencer gained?!!!!

3. Wait, Lauren: 20 minutes is a SHORT shower?

2. Why doesn’t someone take the snow shovel and hit Spencer with it? Over the head?

***At this point in the program, Faran would like to point out that when she went to Paris last year to work for Teen Vogue, she took the Metro everywhere and had no driver… and had no itinerary… though Vogue and Teen Vogue’s Paris bureau staff were unbelievable and amazing. I feel bad for Lauren and Whitney that they weren’t introduced to them; they massively missed out. And now, back to the show***

1. Indie rock bands just sort of hang at the Plaza Athenee? What?

0. Raise your hand if you screamed to the television, “Lauren, do not wear your ballgown to a nightclub”?!

-1. OMG chest hair. OMG silly French jealousy. OMG.

-2. Whitney,you thought you’d get to style the Crillon Ball? What?!

-3. So, which MTV producer switched on that curling iron when you weren’t looking?

-4. Did anyone else notice they played the same rock song that’s in the Sex and the City finale? And that made it sort of a party foul?

-5. Is there a perverse pleasure in watching Whitney and Lauren stand to the side as other rich girls get pampered and photographed at this Crillon Ball?

-6. Did Princess Beatrice sign up for this crap? Oh no, she did not.

-7. “PERHAPS YOU SHOULD PURSUE THAT, WHITNEY” ?!

-8. LC, you already ruined one ball gown and now you’re gonna get on a Vespa in another one?

-9. Audrina, why are you letting Heidi into your house? Don’t you know Lauren has control issues?

-10. Kelly Cutrone, where have you been all our lives?! YAY!

Jess, 19, British fashion student.

Got Her: Outside the Anna Sui store in Soho.

Stalked Her: Because she looked cool and age appropriate.

Shot Her: Because she looked cool and age appropriate (sometimes, it’s that easy).

She Says: “I run around all day and I can’t wear heels. I’ve been wearing Converse since I was a kid and they’ve just become a big part of my style. And the colored tights are from my mum’s closet, they’re like, vintage nylon tights from the ’70s. It’s an easy way to look like you’ve done something with your style, even if you haven’t!”

We Say: Love at first tight!

WHICH award-winning actress, who recently snagged a fashion campaign, has a habit of stealing shoes from showrooms? The Hollywood thief makes appointments to look at dresses, then sweeps 8 or 9 pairs of designer heels into a duffel bag at the end of each visit!

We haven’t considered wearing a backpack as a fashion statement since Dionne in Clueless, but since we’ve been fashion traveling to the 90’s lately, we find ourselves pondering them once again.

We know what the backpack means to many - Little kids, fifth grade field trips to Six Flags, 90210; you get the drift.

But we’ve been thinking they’d be kind of cute on the right person, as part of the right spring ensemble. Couldn’t you see a slouchy black patent version in place of the standard clutch? And bonus - we could actually bring more than just a credit card and lip gloss at night.

Kanye West proclaimed himself the first guy “with a Benz and a backpack,” (and we could totally see one hanging off Chloe Sevigny’s arm, though we’re not sure if that’s a good thing for us), and a friend of ours recently bought a red and black buffalo plaid backpack to sport around the city. Maybe not the teddy bear sac we handed down to our little cousin, and not quite the Louis Vuitton minis of Canal Street, but something in between could miraculously work…?

Though we’re still not completely sold on the look, backpacks are more practical than lugging around a hardware cluttered Marc Jacobs - and there is that whole thing about looking good if you feel good, right?

So what do you think - to two strap? Or not to two strap?

—JAZZI McGILBERT

To: Natalie@Fashionista.com

From: Timothy@Elle.com

Laura Dahl’s Longfellow leggings will be featured this Wednesday morning on the Today Show and we need a tall and long-legged model to be featured wearing them!

The stats are below. We will need all contact info asap…Thanks!

Availability: Wed, March 26th 9am to 11am
Place: Today Show Studios - Rock Center
Age: Mid 20’s to Early 30’s
Height: 5’10” +++
Specifics: LONG legs

So e-mail info@lauradahl.com if you think you can pull these off 7am.

Good luck!

If we saw someone walking down the street in the Marc by Marc tee to the right, we’d think “oh, Hollister.”

And we’d be right, sort of.

Marc’s cute Fly Away tee looks suspiciously like something from the teen mall favorite, and not just because of the general vibe, but because it looks a little too much like Hollister’s Dockweiler Beach tee.

Could the above shirts really be a coincidence?

Or is Marc making a second career of copying randoms?

Kimball: “So you feel like everything went well?”

Whitney: “Yeah, I think so…”

Kimball: “Because I didn’t feel like at the shoot, when you were taking down all the notes [deubutantes’ names and ages], it didn’t seem quite…natural, to me. … So, where would you see yourself?”

Whitney: “I sort of see myself in styling.”

Kimball: “Then maybe you should pursue that.”

[Followed by signature Hills’ eyes .] -

If you had any doubt that Michelle Trachtenberg is the next big prime time thing, think again.

Just four days after the announcement of her induction into the Gossip Girl cast, and we’re already being bombarded with PR e-mail blasts like, “Michelle Trachtenberg selects Lela Rose for the 25th Annual Paley TV Festival for Buffy the Vampire Slayer!”

We’re already wondering which of the GG cast will end up the Katie Holmes of the bunch, the one that actually continues to be legitimately famous well after the show has ended.

We’d normally bet on Blake, just because she’s so cute, or maybe Leighton because it appears that she can really act, but now we’re thinking it could end up Michelle, who has by far the most experience of the cast - and she hasn’t even filmed her first scene yet.

Clearly, at least a mid-summer Teen Vogue cover is in order here.

A few months ago, we went to the Marc by Marc store on Bleecker St.

“All the Little Marc clothes are on sale,” said the Shop Guy, “and if you pick out the large and extra large sweaters and shirts, they’ll fit you!”

We’ll confess we do this at Gap Kids (in the boys’ section) all the time, but we’d never thought to do it at MJ - despite the fact that fashion editors have bought little boy’s blazers at Ralph Lauren and Hickey Freeman for years.

Now it seems there’s another little kid craze sweeping some fashion women, and it’s all because of Brooklyn Beckham.

The little cutie was photographed with his mom in a Ben Sherman checkered shirt, and we hear that hordes of British birds realized they could buy it, wear it as a three-quarter sleeve blouse, and maintain their status as a secret Posh worshipper.

You can see more photos of Brooklyn on Just Jared ; you can see more plaid shirts at Little Ben (or, we guess, Big Ben).

“I am dealing with women. Their sensuality moves me. But the girls around me are rarely sex symbols in the carnal or voluptuous sense. I prefer Johanna Preiss or Charlotte Gainsbourg to Scarlett Johansson. I prefer Francoise Hardy to Marilyn Monroe.” —Nicholas Ghesquiere in Purple magazine on his love for androgynous women with good legs.

Our favorite Monday rumor:

That actress Parker Posey is in strong consideration to be the new face of Marc by Marc Jacobs.

If true, it means Ms. Posey is following the footsteps of M.I.A, Lily Cole, Jessica Stam, and Querelle - remember her? - as the bleached-out poster girl for our favorite brand, as captured by Juergen Teller.

If false - well, let’s face it, it probably is false, because we never get rumors right over here.

Do we? ;)

Gawker will be relieved to know that the rumor makes no mention of her apparently Satanic puppy.

Meanwhile, we’re relieved to hear that despite her front-row appearance at the Marc by Marc show this February, Fergie has not been mentioned for the campaign.

The Miu Miu Harlequin girl is haunting us.

Seriously.

We see her face on Kirsten when we flip through Vogue. She stares up at us from the “dress” on Byrdie Bell. She even shows up when we scroll through Net-a-Porter. But the odd thing is, we never see faces on girls in real life.

Whether it’s the futuristic Lanvin dresses from Spring 07 or the Dorothy dress from Heatherette Fall 07, wearing someone else’s face on a dress just seems innapropriate.

Okay, certainly if you’re Paris Hilton, wearing your face on your chest is as natural as wearing one of the Kitson-induced “Team…” tees of years gone by. And I’ll admit, I actually fell in love with Naomi Campbell all over again when she wore the “Naomi hit me, and I liked it” tee shirt to poke fun at her own violent habits.

But honestly, could someone without an ego the size of Alburquerque pull off an outfit dominated by someone else’s beautiful face? Are most women really that secure?

—BRETT KANE

Which teen heart throb consumed his whole mini-bar in one night? Funny thing is, not a single guest came or went.

Spring is finally here!

Well, at least according to the calendar if not the thermometer. Of course we’re one step ahead - already stocked up on sandals, a spring jacket and florals that we can’t wait to wear. But we’ve stopped short of shorts.

First of all, we’re still ghastly white. Secondly, shorts are hard to wear. They have to fit perfectly - long enough to be comfortable but short enough to be flattering. They need, for our purposes, to be at least semi-chic and fashionable but still doable on a daily basis.

So it’s a good thing we just came across the Taxi Short by Ditto.

They’re the perfect blue. They’re high waisted enough for tucking in shirts without looking costume-y. The inseam appears to be the perfect length and the belt loops look just big enough for our favorite woven brown belt.

So now that we have the clothes, we could really use some sunshine.

If it walks down a Dries van Noten runway, there’s a good chance we want it. Like, really really badly. The arm cuffs for Spring 08 were no exception. And since safety pins are a little more in our price range, we took to the craft store for this one (and added our own creative flare too)!

What You’ll Need:
- Size 0 Safety Pins (about 80 per bracelet)
- Beads (Bugle and Seed)
- Elastic Beading Cord (2 ft per bracelet)
- Pliers
- Any other Sequins, Trim, and Notions

If you get lazy like us, add:
- Hot Glue Gun
- Elastic Band

—JAZZI McGILBERT

There’s been plenty of talk about the actual building Zaha Hadid constructed for Chanel’s two year Mobile Art Tour.

But IHT finally sent someone inside to tell everyone who can’t hop, skip and jump to Hong Kong exactly what happens when 20 international artists are challenged to interpret Chanel’s 2.55 bag.

The author says it “feels like a very elaborate Chanel commercial.” While most chose to render a physical interpretation of the iconic handbag, the Japanese artist Tabaimo created a well in which the viewer looks down on walls covered in “floating objects, representing the dreams of Chanel customers.”

We’re very curious as to what the dreams of Chanel customers look like. Do they involve Karl? Are they littered with double ‘C’ rhinestone earrings? Do visions of 2.55 bags wearing tweed jackets dance in their head?

Guess we’ll have to wait for the exhibit to hit New York in September.

In the meantime, we might stop by the Chanel store after work and see if anything comes to us.

“Kira has been to our store. She loves candy. She likes pink gummies and lollipops.” —Dylan Lauren to WWD on why each of 16-year old Kira Plastinina’s US stores will include outposts of Dylan’s Candy Bar.

We hear from some chatty party planners that diamonds have a brand new face:

Eve.

The rapper, actress, and designer of Fetish Clothing will add “bejeweled spokesmodel” to her name this spring, when she helps Cartier with their Love Charity bracelet.

Based somewhat on the iconic Cartier Love bangles, the Love Charity program sells limited-edition baubles, with all proceeds going to good causes.

In the past, everyone from Eva Mendes to Rachel Weisz has donned a bracelet and partied for charity, but now that Cartier’s run out of celebs-who-arrive-everywhere (including Julianne Moore, Ms. Mendes, and Rihanna), they’ve picked someone fresh, and dare we say it, gorgeous.

No word yet on what Eve’s Love Charity bracelet will look like, or which other celebrities will be sharing her spotlight, so stay tuned.

Kirsten Dunst was supposed to be the next collaborator with cashmere line Lutz + Patmos, but we’ve gotten word of another one:

Richard Meier.

The famed architect will also launch a capsule collection for Lutz + Patmos this year, though his selection will be considerably smaller than Kirsten’s line - just one item.

It’s a very underwhelming belted gray cardigan, with a deep V-neck and a charity tie -

$10 from every sweater goes to Architecture for Humanity, an urban foundation that promotes better buildings for better lives (a principle that we feel also applies to fashion, but more on that thesis later).

The sweaters go on sale this summer, in the U.S. and also in Paris, where they can be found at the coolest store ever, Colette.

Click through if you’d like to see a very luxurious but very boring sweater designed by Mr. Meier.

According to a poll conducted by Debenhams, (the British Macy’s), Wonderbra, and all push-up bras, are the greatest fashion invention ever.

A spokesperson for the department store calls them a “weapon for millions of women across the world,” saying it beat out bootcut jeans and miniskirts because “there is no shame in faking the body beautiful.”

Really?

We think it’s weird for women to distinguish something that exists purely for men as the most important fashion invention.

If we had to pick something, we’d probably anoint the stiletto heel, the white t-shirt, denim in general or just bras overall since they eliminated the need for corsets and we should all be grateful for that.

Is the push-up bra the backbone of your wardrobe?

We hear that Colette is getting ready to sell a new Kate Moss biography in its Paris store, though the book itself will be in English.

The bio will differ from other Kate Moss books (like this one, from the late and wonderful editor Liz Tilberis) because instead of being a picture vault, it’ll actually feature episodes and background on Ms. Moss’ life.

But whether any parts of the book will be true is something unlikely to be confirmed.

Smartly, except for speaking of her Topshop line to Vogue UK, the supermodel is still not doing any interviews, anywhere…

Scene: The Tudor premiere party. Peter O’Toole dances by piano. Jonathan Rhys Meyers huddles with girlfriend. Wine flows like it did in Henry’s court.

Tracey Ullman: Darling, don’t you want to ask us what we’re wearing?

Britt: Um, sure.

Bruce Wagner: Ahh! This is my favorite coat! It’s by Ann D-d-d-d - what’s her name?!

Tracey: Demeulemeester - meulemeester - meulemeester!!!.

Who says BoomBox is dead?

Henry Holland is launching his next big project in a week, and it’s basically a rave.

Starting Wednesday, March 26, Mr. Holland and his neon posse will take over Movida, a club on Argyll Street in London’s West End.

The DJs for the shindig, which happens once a month, include Henry, Agyness, Sam Ranger, and Matt Irwin, plus someone named “Fleur Holland” whom we hope above hopes is Henry’s grandmother, but she probably isn’t.

Meanwhile, in other news, kids in New York now have to cross an ocean just to find a club with a decent dance floor.

Anyone want to help us out with that?

Those shopping uptown this week may notice something cool:

Giant stacks of the new ELLE Accessories magazine lining the walls and the windows.

And upstairs at H.B., there’s even more -

All of the accessories - scarves, bangles, shades - are laid out on giant white trays with black block lettering that mirrors the ELLE Accessories layout.

It’s incredibly clever - you’re literally shopping the magazine - and also points to the changing relationship between magazines and retailers. With recession fears and online shopping encroaching on big fashion boutiques like Henri Bendel, it seems the two establishments of women’s fashion need each other more than ever. But whether it’ll convince you to buy $80 bangles is another question.

Personally, we’d love to see ELLE Accessories open a freestanding store of their own, curated by their editors - we’d wear anything that Kate Lanphear picked out!

We’ve had grand plans of finding the perfect white dress at H&M and splattering it a la YSL. Or discovering the poufiest prom dress on which to duplicate Dolce’s wildy textured strokes.

But we might have been thinking a little too big.

The Sergio Rossi shoes on Elle’s March trend page, however, were the perfect answer to our painting DIY quest.

Since it’s pretty much impossible to find plain white stilettos under $30, we painted a pair of H&M heels white. After they dried, we penciled on a crude outline of dripping paint - as much as we would’ve loved to just pour the paint over the heel and go with it - we knew it’d be a disaster.

So we filled in the lines with blue paint, and voila! They might not look just like Sergio’s, but we actually like the visible brush strokes.

And from the looks we got last night, well, we’re either crazy, or we just made some really cute shoes.

Today’s Wall Street Journal features the cutest video of Stam showing off what she’s best known for - the Stam.

We don’t know what we like the best - watching her walk, watching her talk, or just the big pouf dress.

Though we couldn’t imagine having to strut alongside her like the other girl in the video, especially after the grand introduction of “intern.”

Best line - “Look straight ahead and go for it.” So that’s how you walk.

Enjoy!

“Love was winning. Dionysus and I were about to go four-wheeling with my credit card.” - Cintra Wilson, on shopping at Prada, in the New York Times.

These days, it seems like a lot of people get a TV show for reasons unknown, and then try to make a name in some kind of industry, often fashion. But at least Simon Doonan knows that it should probably be the other way around.

WWD reports that Simon’s memoir, Nasty: My Family and Other Glamorous Varmints, is being turned into a TV show on BBC 2, and will be produced by the same people that brought us Absolutely Fabulous and The Office.

But the show won’t be totally factual, just based on Simon’s childhood in industrial Reading, leading up to his search for glamour in London. Expect to see SImon fleeing from police in Vivienne Westwood bondage pants.

The show debuts this fall, so casting and scriptwriting have got to be in full swing. Hopefully, this program will work out a lot better for the BBC than Lily Allen’s failed Lily Allen and Friends.

So who will play Simon?

Not even Simon knows that yet, but we’re hoping BBC 2 has Rhys Ifans on speed dial…

Now we really can’t wait for the return of Gossip Girl.

The Daily Intel reports that Michelle Trachtenberg, known as Harriet the Spy in our world, is set to play the role of Georgina Sparks (rumored to have been first offered to Mischa Barton), Serena van der Woodsen’s arch enemy, in the coming weeks.

Georgina is supposed to return to Constance Billard after a stint in rehab and shake up the life of GG’s Golden Girl, no doubt by catching the eye of Dan (Michelle is from Brooklyn, after all), and simultaneously playing around with Chuck for good measure.

Look out for fights on the steps of the Met, Serena in Topshop, Blair in Chanel, and Georgina in Heatherette.

But we’re sure when the Met Ball’s worked into the script, we’ll see Teen Vogueette Michelle in a form-fitting, strapless Ralph…

We guess British socialite Peaches Geldof was taking notes when she beat out Agyness to open PPQ’s show in London last season.

The young label (think Richie Rich and Trevor Rains’ style, except British and with less glitter), has just announced that Peaches will design a capsule collection of mostly dresses, all around a color palette of peach and black.

The line hits racks this Fall.

In other Peaches news, Catwalk Queen has been reporting for a while now that Peaches has scored her own MTV reality show (to be produced by her father’s company, Ten Alps), in which she will play an editor of a celebrity magazine, to air in the UK.

We have no idea how this qualifies as reality TV - even taking into account the new mock meaning of “reality” - but sit tight for details.

Didi Wagner, Brazilian TV host.

Got Her: Outside the Louis Vuitton boutique, Greene St., Soho.

Stalked Her: Because her red spangled cardigan was an appropriate spring Chanel reference, without being cloying.

Shot Her: Because high waisted jeans live! And look great!!!

She Says: “I wanted to dress up today, and so the tie made me feel a little bit more formal… like that photograph of Kirsten Dunst! Do I look like Kirsten Dunst?! Okay, no, not at all!”

We Say:: Yo, Rio!

It used to be impossible to hear your favorite models speak, unless of course you were so embedded in the fashion crowd that your best friends had names like Linda and Cindy.

But now that snippets of Tanya, Daria, Coco and co. keep popping up on the internet, we can’t get enough.

Miss Rocha sat down for an interview at Toronto’s Fashion Week last night, and, well, we like her more with each and every word.

She says hi and waves to herself on TV, exaggerates her vowels, and maybe even makes a dig at Karlie Kloss’ death walk, all in good fun of course.

Now if only Ali would film a video at her local rodeo.

The last week in March is going to be heaven for fashion bloggers:

Not only is Cathy Horyn giving a talk at the Met on style and the internet (aaah!) but Diane Pernet brings her Shaded View on Fashion to the Tribeca Grand for a screening.

The movie is called You Wear It Well and it’s already toured Paris and Los Angeles, showing a series of fashion-focused short films created by some of our favorite people.

There’s a collaboration between Nick Knight and Gareth Pugh, an animated short by Ruben Toledo (at left), and a film by menswear designer Kim Jones.

The project was helmed by Pernet and Dino Dinco, and airs on March 31st at a special screening.

We wonder how many girls will show up with their laptops in hand…

So we hunted down the duo responsible for the now already infamous Marc/Juergen ad spoof of SS08.

The guys responsible, from concept to styling, are Thomas Larsson, who played Borg, and Greg Hart, who played McEnroe, of creative agency Hart+Larsson.

The official explanation, via e-mail:

Hello Natalie.

Hart+Larsson

But we bet you’re still sitting there wondering, “why?”

Let us begin by saying, we’re very aware that V-neck shirts have been around for a while.

That said, anyone who’s lived in a metropolitan city within the last five years will identify that specific deep V with ribbed trim and too-long sleeves with American Apparel.

So when we saw Urban Outfitter’s new t-shirt called, “The Truly, Madly, Deeply Deep V Tee,” (on the right), we thought first of dancing with our 8th grade crush to the Savage Garden song from whence the t-shirt name came, and then, of how much American Apparel’s success must be hurting Urban’s monopoly over hipster closets from Brooklyn to Berkeley.

The t-shirt coup comes hot on the heels of recent display changes we’ve noted at Urban stores, (at least in the New York area, because, you know, that’s where we live), that include loads of layered jersey fabric and heathered grey styled a la American Apparel.

And the question of which store is more insanely overpriced is finally answered: AA’s sells for $18.00 while Urban’s wannabe goes for a whopping $24.00.

It actually makes us feel a little better about the AA stack sitting in our drawer.

“The Marc Jacobs Spoof Is From Here. Stay Tuned For More Details.”

And here’s their Flickr page…

Thank you readers!

We all know Miuccia Prada is really into art and Rem Koolhaas, and now she’s bringing her two loves even closer together in her hometown.

The Prada Foundation just bought an exhibition space in the south of Milan to be turned into a museum, (design by Prada-stores architect Koolhaas), within the next three or four years.

There’s going to be a full story on it in Sunday’s New York Times Magazine, in which Miuccia explains that, “art is more or less [her] second career.”

The space is meant to be not just a museum, but a “cultural center” with room for Miuccia’s “collection” to be on view.

Could this be the future venue for Prada AW12? (God that looks weird.)

Maybe Sasha can donate some of her drawings, then it would really be an art/fashion collision…

One of the weirder rumors we’ve heard this morning is that Cole Haan is pairing with Converse.

The move seems inordinately silly, until you think about the fact that the brand’s spent a lot of time and money in the past few years to get a little hipper.

The evidence so far is a bunch of photos in People and InStyle featuring some cooler celebrities with their bags - like Keira Knightley, at left.

Seeding luxe bags to A-listers certainly doesn’t prove that you’re working with Converse, but since the new Lucien Pellat Finet sneakers - done by Vans - launch today, it may be that anything’s possible.

And John Varvatos hasn’t looked cooler in years…

Pipes burst on 14th street last week, flooding, among other things, Alexander McQueen’s New York showroom.

While it rained inside, stores closed, PR girls cried, and very expensive bags got very wet.

Now, it’s being reported that McQueen will host a mini-show of his AW08 collection at Milk Studios for his best clients and favorite fashion press.

The fashion industry’s favorite photo studio is right across the street from the still damaged showroom. Which means there are some stunning dresses stashed somewhere within a one-block radius.

First one to spot feathers sticking out of a garbage bag wins.

The ladies over at My Fashion Life located a video that we probably would have loved to have seen when we were thirteen.

So since the weather sucks and the weekend’s nigh, send an intern for cupcakes, grab some heels from the closet and practice your Stam with the co-workers you heart the most.

But try not to twist an ankle lest you end up with more of a stamp ala Meghan Collison.

The Marc Jacobs spoofers may still be anonymous and the Anya Hindmarch thieves haven’t been found, but at least one good fashion mystery has been solved this morning.

Yesterday, Racked had a minor freakout when photos from an “unnamed Target collection” surfaced on their website. The photos were labeled “Go! International Private Label” and Racked suspected they were secretly from Richard Chai.

They’re not - which is sort of a relief because most of these clothes are not so cute.

Instead, the clothes were created by Target designers in an attempt to “bring top apparel trends to Target in between each limited-edition GO International designer collection.”

It’s cool that Target’s designers are now being given the edict to go for trendier, cooler creations for their customers, and we adore well-made dresses for $40, but we also can’t help but sigh and know the truth:

“In between each limited-edition GO International designer collection,” we’re searching for the actual designer collections on the sale sections at Net-A-Porter, Barney’s Coop, and Bluefly.

If your dad’s name is Gordon but everyone calls him Sting, and your older sister’s name is Fuschia, it might seem like no big thing to switch from Eliot Pauline Styler Sumner to Coco.

Sting’s youngest daughter makes her major modeling debut in the SS’08 Burberry ads, you can spot her to the left of Agyness. And it’s official, if your parents are British music, theatre or model royalty, Christopher Bailey is your new best friend.

According to Marie Claire, Coco’s also the subject of “a bidding war” among various record labels desperate to sign her band, I Blame Coco.

She looks great in the ads, even next to Lily and Agyness, and if Sting’s her dad, she must be able to carry a tune.

But didn’t she realize the name Coco was taken?

“But suddenly I had to force myself to wear dresses and was being taught how to walk for fashion shows by a man who donned a pair of high heels himself and pranced down the catwalk, shouting out insults as I tried to imitate him.” - Rosie Mortimer, on her brief modeling career, in the Daily Telegraph.

Even WWD can’t figure out who’s behind the fake Marc ads we all sat watching yesterday afternoon.

All they could confirm was what we already knew - that there’s no way the ads are real Marc.

It looks like nobody has any idea who shot them, or even the identity of the two guys who played dress-up for it.

Our bet goes to a Parsons photography student making a show of his final project. In which case, we’ll all be dancing at the exhibit opening in no time.

We’re starting to think London may be super fashionable but really unsafe, because we have no idea how a band of burglars is still getting away with storefront smash-and-grabs.

Once again, Anya Hindmarch, this time the one on New Bond Street, was robbed late at night. The thieves broke through the front door using a sledgehammer (who gets away driving around on a moped with a sledgehammer?) then made away with thousands of dollars worth of bags.

Even though the police know the thieves were two men wearing silver hoodies and light-colored helmets, they still didn’t catch them.

In fact, from all the store robberies over the past few years, and all of the arrests the police told us they made in December, so far only one person has actually been put in jail - for breaking into Mulberry and Louis Vuitton - and for just 26 months.

Here’s a tip - don’t do any late night window shopping in London.

Pop Quiz:

What is this?

a) A viral marketing tool for the latest Judd Apotow movie.

b) Twisted revenge by Juergen Teller’s former assistant.

c) The sequel to The Royal Tenenbaums.

d) Something created by Ashton Kutcher to punk fashion junkies.

Seriously, actually, tell us because we have no idea… and unlike when we pretended we didn’t know which band was playing at the MJ show in February, this time we really don’t know!

Call it Agyness mania, but we couldn’t help but notice the new mannequin in Anna Sui’s Soho boutique.

She’s got a short pixie punk cut, but that’s not so unusual.

What’s bigger?

The eye patch painted onto the mannequin’s quirked face, just like the one Agyness Deyn had to wear down the House of Holland runway after opening Anna’s show in America with a nasty eye infection. The patch was replaced with huge sunglasses for Fendi.

Is Anna sending a subtle get-well-soon message to Miss Aggy in London?

That would be cool - as long as the Sui-worshiping high school crowd doesn’t misinterpret the patch as a full-out trend, and start wearing it to their weekend lunch excursions at Cafeteria.

Are you sick of “green fashion” yet?

If not, you may want to breeze through Whole Foods, where Lauren Bush’s famous line of FEED 100 bags go on sale starting May 1.

The bags cost $29.99 and can carry all of your groceries, your gym clothes, or even your Barneys purchases, and all proceeds go to the UN’s World Food Program.

This isn’t the first time Whole Food’s been in the eco-bag business:

Last year, the store famously rolled out the $15 Anya Hindmarch bags, which sold out in roughly 90 minutes.

We think the whole thing is pretty admirable, and encourage you to save up for one of the totes if you haven’t already got something sustainable to replace plastic grocery bags -

Though if you read this blog, you obviously already do!

We all know some of the rules of fashion, however antiquated they usually are - no white after Labor Day, no open-toed shoes until Memorial Day, no mixing of gold and silver, etc.

But if you actually follow all that, then you’re probably 90. And boring.

We like to think everyone has at least one fashion faux pas of their own that they rock to no abandon. The rule that short girls should avoid maxi skirts and dresses doesn’t stop either Olsen twin, and you know what? They always look amazing doing it - but if anyone else tried, they’d surely end up on US Weekly’s Worst Dressed. Lindsay Lohan doesn’t exactly get a lot of praise for keeping the cut-off leggings of 2003 alive and well, but at least she’s wearing what she loves.

If there were paparazzi camped outside Fashionista, we already know what would be mocked - Natalie for her shorts with tights, Britt for wearing black and navy, and Jazzi for her side ponytails… but we wear them with no apologies.

You know you all have one, too, and believe it or not, we really do want to know.

What’s your fashion faux pas?

—JAZZI McGILBERT

We’ve always associated wingtips, oxfords, spectators, and loafers, with men, and maybe poodle skirts.

Until recently, that is. Not long ago, we started seeing “inspired by men’s shoes” all over the place, mostly in the form of a lace-up oxford, and always with a heel.

Now, both on the runway and on the street, we’re seeing girls in actual men’s shoes paired with feminine dresses.

They’re a kind of sleek and sophisticated look without being too rough or too hard to pull off, and make us want to use words like “dapper,” “dandy” and “the bees knees”.

But since we’ve only found a few that are made in women’s sizes, we may have to take to the Boy’s shoe department to get exactly what we’re after…

—JAZZI McGILBERT

We all know green is the direction to which department stores (many kinds of stores, actually) have been inching.

Barneys’ holiday window theme was green, Nordstrom just announced its own earth-friendly plans, and now JC Penney is labeling all organic/renewable/recycled products with a “Simply Green” sticker to help shoppers make more environmentally conscious purchases.

And as much of a help all these different moves are for the greater cause of slowing down harmful effects to the planet, we’re starting to wonder, when will the inching stop and the real all out changes begin?

We’re surprised that no major stores have announced any plans to go completely green. We’re sure there must be little ones dotting the country somewhere, but when will major retailers like Kohl’s or Macy’s set a standard of totally sustainable practices? Like, solar-powered stores, totally recyclable bags - or better yet, charging people to use new bags - or selling clothes only from designers who watch their own environmental effects in their work?

We realize this is a long shot and is probably decades away, but we’re already sort of wondering who will be the first. We think it’ll start with a smaller but well known store, like Barneys of Maxfield, and then eventually the bigger chains would have to follow suit.

The question is, will we see it in our lifetime?

“Would Audrey be ‘green’? Would Audrey have a blog? Would Audrey read blogs? Would Audrey have her own money? Would Audrey go to rehab/Promises? Would Audrey appear in a reality television show? Would Audrey use a personal stylist?” - from Pamela Keough’s What Would Audrey Do?, a book on Audrey Hepburn.

The first time Kate designed for Topshop, we loved it because we love her. This time around, we’re feeling love once again, but it’s entirely independent of our love for Kate.

Her new collection launched today, and despite the lackluster reception at Oxford Circus, we’d wear at least 90% of it.

Natalie’s already put in her order for the daisy print tea dress and the embroidered tunic dress, and it better not come until it’s warm out because she’ll be dancing in the street as soon as the package arrives.

Britt’s obsessed with the Spotty Bandeau Dress and the Irina-esque Boyfriend Blazer.

And Faran, well, she cried.

And we both would have loved to have been at the party where Stefano, Karl and Kate huddled together and decided to sprinkle stars on pretty much everything this season.

Reality TV may be the best thing to ever have happened to so many kids in LA -

Not only did Lauren Conrad just show her first collection at LA Fashion Week, but now we hear she’s starting her own accessories line.

Overheard on set of her mark commercial, Lauren gushed that she was so excited about her new, unannounced accessories line.

We can already see polka-dot headbands, bright yellow plastic bangles and patent leather clutches made for posing outside of Les Deux.

We wonder if it’ll be under her own name, or something like “L by Lauren.” Or is she going true socialite style and designing for Samantha Thavasa?

Stay tuned…

To: Natalie@ Fashionista

From: Katie

Fashionista Crew,

I found this in People’s Style Magazine for this month. When I went onto the Kitson website they still didn’t have it up and couldn’t find it at any other website so I took a pic of the magazine picture. Thought it was interesting that someone was already copying the necklace when it’s not even out yet, and neither is the copy!

Ok, Thanks,
Katie

Dear Katie,

We can’t believe it either, especially since the copy is terrible and the original is worth a trip to Tahiti.

Thanks,
Fashionista

It looks like Marimekko has been up to more than just their collaboration with H&M -

The Finnish company has just announced a collaboration with beauty giant Avon. Marimekko has agreed to license its signature pattern, Unikko, to Avon for the makeup range, which will consist of just four products - an eye shadow, face powder, lip gloss and mascara, in addition to accessories.

We know we’re going to start seeing girls whip out bright pink Marimekko/Avon makeup bags on the subway come October, when the line debuts. But we’re hoping the print isn’t just relegated to cute packaging. We’re hoping Avon takes a cue from our favorite limited edition compact ever, YSL’s Opium palette, and make the actual makeup in the favorite print and colors of Marimekko.

We’re not sure how wearable a bright fuschia and yellow eyeshadow duo would be, but wouldn’t it look so cute on our dresser?

Against everything that we understand, the fashion industry seems to love Pete Wentz.

He’s designed his own line, Clandestine Industries, beat Rachel Bilson to designing a capsule collection for DKNY Jeans, posed for the Gap, and now, the prince of guyliner is partnering with Nordstrom to bring his junior high mall-kid aesthetic to other junior high kids at the mall.

According to WWD, Wentz is launching a junior sportswear line (not unlike Heidi Montag, may we remind,) still under the name Clandestine Industries to launch in April. The clothes, consisting mostly of jeans and tees are meant to be unisex (oh this is going to go over so well with 12 year-olds shopping with their moms,) and will be sold in Nordstrom’s BP sections, where we’ve been secretly buying flats for years.

Nordstrom already has a plan in the works to prime shoppers for the emo overload coming this spring - a Pete Wentz CD-DVD featuring behind-the-scenes footage of the design collaboration and some previously unheard songs by Wentz will be available just before the line debuts.

We’re betting on an Ashlee Simpson guest design collection next. Because really, at this point, why not?

Months after the Costume Institute announces it’s big ball theme - Comic Book Chic - and already we’re seeing it reverberate in the mass market.

To the left is an upcoming print from Puma; to the right is a hoodie from Topshop. They’re almost identical, and they’re not the only Pop prints you’ll see this Spring and Summer.

This is on top of the runway masks at Marc, Luella, and Alexander McQueen, and past the editorials in Bazaar and V that literally turn comic books into fashion spreads.

And if Vogue isn’t sponsoring a Lichtenstein exhibit in the next year, then our Magic 8 Ball is totally, totally busted.

Buying a brand-name flash is nothing new in film and television - in fact, when she was in college, Faran remembers helping the product placement department on the Dawson’s Creek set with some strategically scattered bottles of Clean & Clear foam wash.

So the news that Sex and the City will earn Sarah Jessica Parker and its other producers at least a million each in name dropping is annoying and a little bit tacky, but certainly unsurprising. After all, part of Carrie Bradshaw’s adorable appeal is in the way she substitutes clothing labels for love.

But when The New York Times released its piece today on SATC’s internal marketing, they left out something we’d consider pretty crucial:

How much, exactly, are these brands paying to be mentioned by Charlotte or Samantha?

We did a bit of yellow journalism and had a Hollywood source who’s worked on several chick flicks report back to us:

“For that movie, they’re paying quite a bit - probably the same amount they’d pay for a celebrity to come to their fashion show [from $10,000 - $60,000]. But if they needed to cut a deal - like shooting at Fashion Week - then there could be some wrangling, like, you can only shoot in Bryant Park if Samantha drives a Mercedes Benz around town, otherwise, you can’t do a Fashion Week scene.”

And what about for Shopaholic, the latest girls-will-only-get-boyfriends-if-first-they-get-shoes movie?

“Well the interesting thing about that movie is that in the script, all the brand names are done by voice over. That’s the last thing ever done for the movie, the voice overs. So if Isla Fisher is supposed to be talking about Moschino, but that brand won’t cooperate with the movie’s legal or financial demands, they can just change the brand to someone who will before the movie’s released.”

Ah, speculation. So, so fun.

And now, a note from Faran…

I had the incredible opportunity to check out the Topshop headquarters last week as part of my trip to London. It was a rather OMG experience, complete with a virtual tour of their latest collections, a visit to the crammed Topshop fashion closet, and a peek at Kate Moss’ latest collection.

Needless to say, I sort of cried.

And while I was trying on my favorite new Topshop dress - a floral tiered silk cocktail frock with purple and blue pansies that has an exposed zipper in back - I had to ask their PR masterminds:

Will Agyness Deyn be designing a new Topshop line?

“Er, no,” was their reply. “She was photographed with Sir Phillip Green, and so the story got very inflated. Right now, Kate Moss has one of the best selling lines in high street history, and so there’s really no limit to how far that can go… but Agyness is gorgeous and very, very cool. So never say never.”

But it seems safe to say, “Not for now.”

Alas.

One of our most hotly debated trivia questions was last year, when we asked which fashion company had actually patented a color: Tiffany Blue.

The shade is synonymous with Park Avenue engagements, prep school graduations, Audrey Hepburn yearnings, and of course, “I’m sorry I cheated on you with the nanny and Page Six found out before you did.”

But now it seems the color is getting hijacked by someone else:

Swarovski.

The brand most famous for sponsoring emerging designers, and decking Naomi Campbell in a pair of crystal headphones, has taken a turn from it’s deep violet ads starring Gemma Ward and Jessica Stam, and shifted instead to something…

Well, something that looks a lot like Tiffany blue.

Is this just the best shade to show off a sparkle? Or is Swarovski trying to imply something else?

We’re not usually so into paying $50 for a scarf.

But if it’s super cute, and 100% of net proceeds go to charity, we can make an exception.

Secrets of Charm, whose girly, whimsical clothes is a big hit with, well, girls, has partnered with Hope Shining, a foundation that helps children impacted by violence and abuse. They’ve designed four scarves, two cotton and two silk, that we think will look perfect tied up in messy hair with a white tee and tall sandals in a couple months.

The scarves are available only on Ravinstyle - and the cotton version is only $18 instead of the pricier silk version.

Now if the net proceeds of Balenciaga’s tallest sandals ever went to charity, we might have a really good reason to go to 22nd and 10th…

Faran just got back from London, where she reports that girls have thinned out their Irina-Lazareanu bangs of last year, turning their blunt and long bowl cuts into something shaggier, thinner, and more shredded.

In short, all the girls are now copying the haircut of Daisy Lowe - meanwhile, all the gay boys are copying the haircut of Agyness Deyn, and have even been dubbed “The Ag Hags” by Grazia Magazine. Amazing.

But while mimicking Agyness is understandable, the rumble for Daisy is slightly stranger:

She’s not quite famous, not so visible, and generally more under the radar.

Of course, that seems about to change:

We hear that Daisy has indeed clinched a campaign spot with Burberry, although those rumors might stem from her recent appearance at the Teen Vogue / Burberry Brit party in their Soho store -

Ms. Lowe was recruited by Amy Astley to host the event, though for her part, Astley didn’t change her trademark bob to show her admiration of Teen Vogue’s latest muse.

Topshop’s third collection with Kate Moss launches tomorrow, but that’s not the only exciting thing happening for the brand:

They’ve got a very cool collaboration in the works with Helmut Newton’s foundation.

The legendary photographer left behind an incredible legacy of fashion photos, and Topshop has been given special permission to use them in the store - and to recreate Newton’s famous (infamous?) “fashion machine,” a one-of-a-kind photo booth that allows the model to be her own lighting designer and photographer.

Topshop girls will get a chance to play with the machine inside their famous flagship store, and at least get a chance to pretend they’re Kate Moss…

Meanwhile in more Topshop news, their latest designer collaboration happens with William Broome, the graphic designer best known for his work with Marc Jacobs.

Suzy Menkes’ new video just went up on IHT’s website.

In it, Menkes declares, “There’s only one icon who mattered in Paris this season, and that was Amy Winehouse.”

She takes us on a whirlwind tour of the runways, from the beehives at Dior to the cat-eyes at Commes Des Garçons and attributes fashion’s interest in the cracked out singer to Karl Lagerfeld’s initial fascination with her retro look.

The best part is when Menkes informs the audience that Winehouse’s most popular song is called “Rehab.” And that in that song “she sings, “No, No, No,” but the fashion world is saying ‘Yes, Yes, Yes’.”

Calvin Klein can’t get enough of Eva Mendes these days.

They named her the face of their perfume, showered her with post-rehab presents and just named her the new body of their underwear line.

Tom Murray, the president and CEO of Calvin Klein, told Vogue UK, “We are trying to get across that these new products are for fuller busted, shapelier kinds of women.”

It’s a big leap for a company that’s glorified waif-like figures like Kate Moss and Natalia Vodianova who barely even need a bra.

Now that they’re embracing voluptuous women for their underwear campaign, can we get some curvy girls on the runway too?

Nordstrom is following in the steps of Barneys by going a little greener.

The Seattle-based department store introduced a reusable shopping tote to West Coast shoppers this past Saturday, featuring a cityscape illustration by Ruben Toledo; the tote won’t be available in Nordstrom stores across the country until later this year.

And for those of us either unwilling to part with $22 (the cost of the bag,) or too forgetful to bring the tote along on shopping trips, they’re getting ready for another green initiative - 100% recyclable shopping bags and gift boxes.

As of right now, the bags are only partially earth-friendly due to propylene handles; but those will soon be replaced with cotton ones, which will be filtered into stores while the old ones phase out, a move that should be completed by September, just a couple months before the new and improved gift boxes should complete their own transition.

We’re are all for this and hope that other retailers, big and small, follow suit. The next logical step? Companies like Urban Outfitters and Victoria’s Secret laying off on the 70 or so catalogs we get in the mail every five seconds.

“We’ve positioned this movie from the beginning as ‘the Super Bowl for women.’ ” - Chris Carlisle, President of marketing at New Line Cinema, on Sex and the City: The Movie, to the New York Times.

It’s funny how differently people can react to the same thing.

When the Sex and the City trailer leaked online, a lot of reactions went like, “How could Steve do that?” or “Carrie can’t get married!” But there were other people, we’ll call them “us,” who wondered things like, “Is she really wearing that?” and most confusingly, “Why the hell does Carrie need an assistant?”

Really, the Carrie character works approximately three hours per week, so we couldn’t imagine what sort of plot line would make Carrie so busy that she’d need a paid understudy but that still wouldn’t interfere with her life of lunches out and shopping.

And now we know - apparently in the movie, Jennifer Hudson, who will play assistant to SJP, is supposed to be as fashion obsessed as Carrie, but smarter about her money. So when Carrie asks over-the-top Jennifer (whose character still doesn’t have a name on IMDB,) where she’s been getting her stash of designer bags from, Jennifer smartly answers
“Bag Borrow or Steal” (think of it as a Netflix for handbags.)

And coinciding with the movie’s premier? A Sex and the City line on BBOS sponsored by New Line Cinema, of course.

Back before the Fashion Week madness, we reported that runway favorite ThreeAsFour was doing a capsule collection for Gap as part of the deal that Gap struck with the CFDA/Vogue fashion fund after a hefty dona