It started twenty minutes late, PR girls everywhere, editors pretending to ignore the free champagne, assistants in standing room only - the Vogue girls even held court from their first and second row seats, just like the good old days of February.

The clothes were, of course, perfect Banana Republic - cozy coats, elegant dresses, a muted color scheme of mostly blacks and grays.

But we think the real standout of the night was the models. Not only did Iekeliene walk for the label's 30th anniversary, but we fell in love with a new girl, too -

Meet Arlenis (she's so new we don't even know her last name), a newbie at Marilyn who's not only rumored to be involved in the already infamous Vogue Italia set to drop this July, but who's also a favorite of COACD.

Every time she stepped out on the runway, eyes stopped staring in the direction of the clothes, and went up to try and figure out where in the world this girl came from.

Can't wait to see what she walks in September...

But here's a fun amendment to all the hype -

The Agyness mannequin is even getting its own party. MAO PR's throwing the bash in Chelsea on May 20, and Agyness' mannequin is said to be unveiled wearing an outfit that reflects Agyness' personal style - we're assuming something House of Holland is in order.

No word on what Aggy herself will wear - we think it's safe to assume she'll be in attendance.

But the real news, of course, would be if Twiggy showed up, too...

"Stop it! Stop asking me about Hillary’s pantsuits, or any other aspect of her personal style! If you persist, I swear to God I will stuff Mrs. Clinton into a Balenciaga bubble dress with matching gladiator spike-heeled boots, and then you’ll be sorry. Every 20 minutes, I get a jangling call from an earnest hack looking for quips about the fashion choices of the presidential candidates. These content generators are hell-bent on viewing the current political jousting match through the lens of la mode: What do I think of Hillary’s pink blouses? Is Cindy McCain hitting the mark with her fashion choices? How about that tie Barack wore last night? Oy vey! Talk about looking for love in all the wrong places." - Simon Doonan, in The New York Observer.

You're the talk of the town thanks to Iron Man's impending premiere.

Every newspaper/blog/talk show passes judgment on your legs, your children and your heels, (which by the way are so beautiful they make me want to take out a loan to go to Barneys).

I'm sorry everyone's being so mean.

I don't think you come off as cold and snobby, (in fact, that one time I met you in London you were beyond warm, friendly and gracious), but rather you handle your fame with the grace of movie stars past.

And your clothes? Not to obsess, but I'm in love with nearly everything you wear. Your short numbers of late have been fresh, innovative and appropriate. And that black lace Stella McCartney? Natalie and I pretty much had a heart attack when we saw pictures of it - it was kind of perfect.

So keep wearing whatever you want and talking about your kids and living part-time in London because I think everyone's just a little bit jealous.

Or, as Brett says, "Don't let the haters bring you down."

xo
Britt

Despite the bag's popularity, and the good things we know came from it, we couldn't help but burst out into laughter when we came across Fashion Indie's "I'm Not a Douche Bag" tote on Cafe Press.

So seventh grade, and yet, so on point - we'd love to swing this around the Whole Foods salad aisle while enunciating our plans to offset the bag's carbon footprint using only macrobiotic beets.

Not quite as structured as Blair's, but a little less lounging-in-capri than a headscarf, it seemed like a great way to hold back last season's bangs that you're desperately trying to grow out before summer.

And the best part? Like a true Teen Vogue subscriber, she made it herself.

Here's how...

--BRETT KANE

The Steve Madden version came first, then the Target by Tressa, but why copy at all?

We think Steve's were probably inspired by Juicy Couture, lover of useless chains, but the truly interesting aspect of this one is that a mass brand is knocking off another mass brand, which means that Steve Madden shoppers are much more likely to buy the Target pair, seeing as how they're almost $40 cheaper.

This is definitely a case of stealing a customer base - not to mention, a case of really ugly shoes.

You can personalize your homepage even more - and that doesn't just mean choosing where your icons go - it means picking an entire designer or artist theme.

Options include fashion darling and artist Jeff Koons, Coldplay, glass-blower extraordinare Dale Chihuly, Dolce & Gabbana, Oscar De La Renta and signature Diane Von Furstenberg prints including the one from that dress we're still obsessed with.

So now you have something to play with until lunch.

Enjoy!

So when Lo says to Audrina, "are we wearing the same pants?"

We were immediately like, "Why yes, you are, and they're Loomstate, and they're from Barney's Co-op, and they're $79 on sale, but you can find similar ones at Urban Outfitters and also at Madewell."

And that is when we decided that we will probably not watch The Hills anymore.

But even so, the pants are quite cute.

Also made from organic cotton, which we like - but not as much as we liked The Hills when it actually took place (or at least looked like it took place) inside a Conde Nast building.

Sigh.

"Why did we stop drinking these?" - Miranda

"Because everyone else started." - Carrie

From a SATC: The Movie commercial. Memo to Gossip Girl...

The former ELLE Fashion Director has partnered with Step Up Women's Network and Bayer to bring us another kind of design contest for which (we're guessing) she'll be a judge - the "YAZ: Step Up and Go Beyond" contest.

Yep, that YAZ.

The contestant who can best redesign what Nina calls, "an iconic accessory," the little plastic cases that house birth control pills, wins $10,000 to invest in a future career in design. You can enter until June 30, and the winner will be announced around Fashion Week this September.

Nina thinks the winner should be able to redesign the birth control case that Duane Reade gives out for free into "a chic, more sophisticated carrying case that they could slip into their purses" because apparently all women are secretly yearning to eye up each other's plastic pill packs.

You heard it here first - Lutera's so out for S/S '09.

"I just adore Chuck. Each Tuesday morning is indeed the beginning of a very long, boring drought until the following week's episode. Maybe you can start posting a picture of chuck every Tuesday morning? You could call the new feature "Chuck Bass Tuesdays"...or "About Last Night"...or "Aww, Chucks". Now what were you saying? Something about clothes, I think..." - Commenter rf, earlier in the day.

What: Wholesale-priced Vivienne, along with Maisy Bloom and Le Full

Where: Designer Sample Sales

When: April 30 at noon until May 2 at midnight

They even have a phone number in case your computer freezes and you need to beg to put something aside:

212.388.0339

Start working out your wrists now...

Some of you have been asking why we're not covering The Hills today. Here's our official position.

Maybe all that Coachella Valley sun and music got into her head, because NME just announced that the world's most over-exposed pixie cut will release her first single.

Yes, like, music single.

She's collaborating with New York band Five O'Clock Heroes, singing on the track titled 'Who', dancing around in the upcoming promo video, and probably being really, really, ridiculously good looking on the cover to be released June 23rd.

Maybe she, Kate, Karen, Omahyra and Irina can form like a Spice Girls of the runway tribute girl group.

Can't wait.

-- JAZZI McGILBERT

Maybe you've never heard that name before, but you will soon - her jewelry's been all over your TV sets, subliminally seeping onto wish lists everywhere courtesy of Serena, Blair, Jenny, and even Vanessa - you can also see Mary-Kate sporting her Wolfette ring on her January NYLON cover.

Considering at least one Kimberly Baker piece has been spotted on literally every female GG character, we're just waiting to see a throw-down between Georgina and, well, anybody, involving Kim's Bianca Ring, at left (our favorite).

Ok - I will now return to moderating the ongoing battle for official "Chuck's Girlfriend" title here in the office.

-- JAZZI McGILBERT

We'd obviously die over a Lanvin diffusion line - even though we know the clothes would be nothing without the luxurious fabrics and intricate detail that make them so expensive in the first place - but this is probably as close as we're going to get for a long time.

He announced, "It's time to go back to a product that has a dream to it. I asked myself, 'What kind of jeans can I bring that will be a Lanvin jean and Acne spirit infused in one?"

Unfortunately the jeans will be priced similarly to Lanvin's ready-to-wear, as in they'll be terribly expensive.

But we can't wait to see how he works with a material so foreign to a Lanvin runway, not to mention a brand so different than what he's built at the French house.

Will there be denim bow-ties?!

The LA Times got their hands on a picture of the first of Lydia's outfits for her run on the show.

Personally, we think it could have been a little better.

The Sigerson gladiators are cute but just ok, the shape of that bag is starting to get annoying, and the dress, well, you fill in the blank.

Chuck, on the other hand, looks perfect in plaid, though we're still hoping for a shark sweater encore.

Spotted: Nina Garcia leaving the Hearst building, sprinting across the street before hailing a cab and trying to avoid eye contact with anyone as she left. Stay tuned.

"It's a duchess satin stole, Champagne, specially made — I had several made for different photo shoots. I thought this one was really appropriate." - Michael Roberts, fashion director of Vanity Fair, on Miley Cyrus' not-a-bed-sheet outfit.

Still, that's what's sort of happening, thanks to the copycat masterminds at Forever 21.

The scheming stealers recently put up this "rosette dress" for $29.90, but of course, that's not where it originated:

Phillip Lim stuck it on his Spring '08 runway, and now it resides on Net-a-Porter - for $595.

Too much for a silk shift?

Absolutely.

One more example of an innovative designer getting royally screwed?

Yes, that too.

Nina Garcia's set to guest star on Ugly Betty in just two days, but if that isn't enough editor-on-TV for you, don't worry - both Robbie Myers and Joe Zee, (who must love appearing in front of a camera), will appear in the season finale with previously announced guest star Naomi Campbell.

The three make up part of Elle's softball team which plays against Mode's softball team for a charity tournament. We hope they don't actually let Naomi use a bat.

We love Elle, but once their hard working editors get tired of being on TV, reality or otherwise, can someone in production please get in touch with Vogue?

We can't think of anything better than Meredith Melling-Burke and Anna plotting in a dugout.

First, they let Ashlee Simpson design a line of t-shirts, some even with her face on them.

Now, they've launched a Community section on their site, which includes a "social networking element" meant to create a more in-store kind of experience, so that girls can chat with each other while they shop.

We're not sure what to make of this, but here's a funny coincidence -

Last week's episode of The Office (is this a shameless, un-fashiony television reference? Why yes, it is) started with the return of Ryan, and the problems that arose from Dunder Mifflin's attempt at incorporating a social networking component into their paper-purchasing site, which nobody saw a reason for...

"Galliano girls are very romantic and very after dark." --John Galliano, on his new gothic jewelry line.

The beloved annual spread is half swimsuit catalogue for women, half eye candy for men. (Yes, apparently over 28 million women read "the Academy Awards" of swim wear fashion.)

In this edition, Heidi wears a suit by Red Carter, and now the label's profits are up 60% from this time last year and they've already sold 400 of the $137 bikini Heidi wears.

When we saw Heidi posing with Will Ferrell, all we could think was, wait, Heidi Klum's a model? While the fashion industry devotes its love to the Tanyas, Natalias and Jourdans of its world, everyone else has made Heidi Klum the face of fashion.

Us Weekly just named her Style Icon of the Year and now even Bloomberg's reporting on the fact that whatever you put on her body will sell out in minutes.

Is it just us, or was her faux Van Cleef clover jewelry enough to discredit her style icon status?

LV has sued a student artist, Nadia Plesner, over her "Simple Living" campaign, a fundraiser that benefits the Divest for Darfur organization.

Plesner drew an image of a Darfur victim holding a teacup style dog and toting an LV-inspired bag, to prove that a Paris Hilton-centric image would get more media attention than real-life Darfur victims. She was right, and has been raising money for the cause by putting her drawing on t-shirts and posters.

Except LV isn't exactly happy about it - even though 100% of Plesner's profits have been going straight to Darfur victims, Louis Vuitton is suing her for around $22,000 per day that she continues her campaign - apparently they think the design, though it doesn't include an exact copy of the Murakami pattern, infringes on their intellectual property rights.

We understand why Louis Vuitton might not want what is clearly meant to represent their most recognized accessory hanging off the arm of an emaciated child victim, but, really? Suing a charity?

"We aim to be un-knockoffable." - Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler, to Teri Agins in the Wall Street Journal.

Then pay attention.

W Magazine needs full time and part time interns for Fall '08. You should be prepared to work 2-5 days a week, for 8 - 12 hours a day. You should be able to justify working for free to Conde Nast by either being a real college student with a lot of free time, or a fake college student with a plausible explanation for why you have a semester off.

You will be working in the W fashion closet, calling in clothes, helping to pack for fashion shoots, and occasionally assisting on sets. You will be really bored and really stressed unless the only thing you have ever wanted to do is work at a fashion magazine.

If you can handle that, email Garrett_Munce@condenast.com with a short explanation of why you will work until you collapse for nothing, and your Fall '08 schedule.

WHICH fashion assistant emails big PR companies, complaining about how wretched their own assistants are? We hear her roommate needs a job, and thinks she might like to work at one of them...

The arrival of Holly Kiser on New York Model Management's website.

You may remember Holly from her reign on Make Me a Supermodel, the super-boring Bravo reality show that we managed to watch half-drunk and mostly exhausted as we collapsed from nights of parties.

Holly managed to beat out four gorgeous boys - and the votes of thousands of gay guys - to win the title. Can her early success replicate that of Amanda Laine, the winner of the V a Supermodel contest that ran on the internet last year - who went on to open Lanvin - or Alice Burdeau, the winner of Australia's Next Top Model who booked Proenza and Louis Vuitton?

It's still too soon to tell, especially since NYMM has a really strong group of girls, but nobody who's massively famous - yet.

It's also worth noting Holly isn't the first reality contestant the agency's taken on - they've also got "Corinne" Hatch - whom you may remember as actually being Britt from America's Next Top Model.

I ignored it and shoved my cell back in my pocket.

At 1:07, she texted: "Just let us know you're ok! It's not like you to be late and not call"

So finally I had to admit where I was. I tapped out: "Hey. Sorry. Cheap Monday sample sale! 5 minutes, i swear! It was a fashion emergency."

I felt terribly guilty, shaking as I handed the checkout person my money, and yet I was filled with the same jittery excitement I always get when I see slashed prices and fitting rooms made from bed sheets.

The stats: Cheap Mondays for 20 bucks (they even have the really exciting pair flecked with dots, and the turquoise ones that look like Ksubis), Rogues Gallery T’s for $15, Vena Cava blouses for $100. Too good to miss. They had every size, even though this is the last day, and random boxes of clothes marked $10.

There was even Shipley and Halmos stuff, but it was all pretty expensive. And the women's Vena Cava was golden, as was all the Wayne (especially this white dress splattered with black that is totally giving us Cynthia Vincent for less).

Seriously, go.

495 Broadway, near Broome

This may be my last post for a while. Natalie is really concerned. She’s sending me to rehab, though secretly I think she's really hoping I’ll run into an Olsen.

--BRETT KANE

Witness the latest proof:

A slew of new boutiques from Intermix set to open in Orlando and Charlotte - cosmopolitan, sure, but hardly places where one immediately thinks "fashion" - in fact, in both cases, our first thought is "air conditioning."

So what can we learn from this?

That because of the internet and fashion's pervasive "reality" on TV, more Americans in cities without visible fashion industries are getting obsessed with labels?

Sure.

That if you're visiting cousins in Winter Park, you can now snag a Chloe bag out of boredom?

Definitely.

But also this: That despite the "crashing" economy, women are still really excited to shop. This is especially odd considering a full tank of gas now costs the name as a Marc dress, but it's definitely something to notice.

Buy them at Barneys on May 1 (New York) or May 7 (Los Angeles).

Bring them to Mr. Louboutin himself.

Give him a Sharpie.

Voila!

You've just stamped a pair of Louboutins with the undisputed seal of fashion approval.

The signings go from 3 pm - 7 pm, and bring your book / Blackberry / travel-sized game of Scrabble, because you know there's going to be a big line.