If the fact that it just snowed on the first day of spring is as confusing to you as it is to us, then you know there’s only one real response: shop!

This weekend’s a particularly good one for sales, so here’s a little guide for those of you who may have missed our sale calendar:

Tomorrow, you can sip champagne while getting 20% off at the new Hayden-Harnett store, then skip over to the nearby Staerk, Built by Wendy, Only Hearts, Libertine, and Abaete sales. And if you’re really into it, you could head west to hit up the Falls pop-up store on Greenwich, before you check out the Alaia, Proenza and Givenchy at the nearby Edon Manor. You also have Michael Kors in Chelsea and Lauren Merkin a little further uptown. Or if you’re in LA, we highly suggest the Kiki de Montparnasse garden shopping party.

Starting Sunday, you could pick up Valentino (and Roberto Cavalli, Blumarine) on 57th Street, or if you’d rather not leave the comfort of your bed and Sunday Times you can have a Blair moment on Colette Malouf’s sample sale online.

Finally, if you feel like feeding your weakness without spending too much cash, the Loomstate event at Kaight today might be the way to go - you get an exclusive, stenciled Loomstate shirt for free with any Spring purchase, which means spring shopping fever is officially in full swing.

Happy Friday.

Beauty inspiration backstage can run the gamut from “English Rose” to “Post-Apocalyptic Bladerunner Chic.” But this season, it looks like the name of the game is mostly just rock ‘n roll.

Rock as an inspiration is nothing new - it pops up every season. But this time around things feel a bit different. Those that don’t take the “clean, fresh and simple” route are edging farther and farther into grungy, hard rock territory. Usually, Fall brings lots of retro-glam or Victorian-era looks to the runways, but the general feel from backstage is that this season is a lot harder and rawer than those past.

Hence the rock stars. There was boyish and British Quadrophenia hair at Preen, “Mick Jagger’s poet rock girlfriend” at 3.1 Phillip Lim, a gorgeous purple smoky eye at Miss Sixty, and the very fitting “street rock n’ roll” greasy hair and smoky cat eyes at Yigal Azrouël.

There was even a “walk of shame” theme at Carlos Campos, with models sporting pallid skin and a creamy, dark eye smudged off on the outer corners, as if someone had hurriedly tried to make the vampy eye look respectable for the light of day and the long walk home (been there, done that).

My favorites were the badass black and white eyes created by MAC’s James Kaliardos at Preen, and the ribbon-bedecked, “Seventeenth Century Rock Star” braids whipped together by Redken’s David Cruz at Abaete.

I for one am glad to see the Retro and Romantic Goth trends (with a few notable exceptions) phasing out. You can only see so many pin curls and “brooding” dark lips before you just want to hit the makeup artist over the head with your notepad.

Raw and deconstructed is so much more interesting than perfectly polished. Just don’t take it to Little J levels of raccoon grunge.

—MEGAN MCINTYRE

-Strings music, fancy

- Very slow pace

- This kind of feels like the chase scene in an indie movie, quiet but dramatic

- Elegant

- I wonder where Abaete is sold

- The braided hair makes it feel especially timeless

- Everything looks like it was made for Keira Knightley

- Ooh, Kinee Diouf closed - amazing!

—PHOTOGRAPHY BY REBECCA SUHRAWARDI AUSTIN, ELLE.COM’S LONDON CORRESPONDENT

We don’t have to tell you that Fashion Week starts a week from tomorrow, but here’s what we do have to tell you about Abaete:

The show will include a live performance from Priestbird, the band formerly known as Tarantula A.D.

Known fans include Daria Werbowy, who we’re hoping makes a surprise front row appearance, if not on the runway (though nobody’s holding their breath for that one).

Laura Poretzky, the girl behind the Abaete name, also sent along this sketch of one of her looks for your judgement.

In the meantime, we’re putting together some good notes on Fall 09’s musical tendencies. So far we have Priestbird, Duke Spirit… And stay tuned.

A few years ago, Tinkerbell got licensed out for a clothing line, famously hyped by Paris Hilton and fused on jewelry and cashmere sweaters at Kitson.

The collection was such a success that it spawned others: Tweety Bird got her own “fashion line” repped by Harrison & Shriftman and starring pink plastic flip flops. Disney Couture went on to create accessories for every Disney princess, ever.

And now Supergirl has entered the mix.

We hear the DC comic babe will star in her very own fashion line, created by a coven of New York’s cutest designers, including Shoshanna Gruss and Laura Poretzky of Abaete. The idea is that a New York City woman is basically like a Supergirl, zooming from one place to another with incredible speed and strength.

Apparently, bikinis and underwear will be included in the line.

For Marchesa, Abaete and Erin Fetherston, the 20th century is so nine years ago, and it’s time to party like its 1599. With Joan of Arc, Juliet, and Queen Elizabeth influencing fall collections, you may want to start practicing your best damsel in distress act - or at least rent the Claire Danes version of Romeo + Juliet and practice some hairstyles in the mirror.

—BRETT KANE

A running tally of our favorite Fashion Week sightings this morning / afternoon…

Jessica Stam chatting with Patrick Demarchelier backstage at BCBG today. All we could think of was “Miranda, I have Patrick!”

Cintia Dicker in the Abaete show.

“Noted fashion photographer” Nigel Barker at Toni Maticevski, “being whisked away by an entourage so quickly afterwards that you’d think he’s Tom Cruise or something.”

Orlando Pita running to a Preen hair and makeup test.

Ali Michaels insisting she was always made fun of for her eyebrows.

Our guilty Britney Snow (seriously, we could watch John Tucker Must Die on repeat…) leaving the Tents - “but I’m coming back for Erin Fetherston!”

Funny, we’re sprinting that way, too…

Things Laura Poretzky has that we want:

1. A dress form named “Gemma� in her studio.

2. Ancient photographs of Hollywood movie stars.

3. Fluency in Portuguese.

4. A song written for her by a major rock band (but that’s all we’ll tell…)

5. Every dress and swimsuit that Abaete has ever made. Of course, that’s only right considering she’s the owner.

We won’t lie: there’s lots of little dress labels crafted by pretty party girls who scatter about the city like jelly beans dropped on the floor.

But Laura actually makes all her own patterns and samples, she usually boycotts the scene-y parties, and her dresses end up in W for a reason. They’re cool; they’re cute, and exceptionally well made.

Laura’s clothes are also a little more gussied than some of her competing labels – her dresses don’t come with built-in cigarette ash –

But this means her favorite swear word is even dirtier than most…

How do you pronounce Gareth Pugh, anyway?

You asked and Faran answered (Pugh is said like pew), and then we thought - designers are difficult, and maybe we need a cheat sheet - or else face the fate that Faran once witnessed, when a fashion director heard a potential assistant say “Ralph Lauren” and never asked them back.

For designers with French names, remember that in Francais you say “er” as “ay” so: Gaulti-ay is a couturi-ay.

In French you don’t pronounce the “s” at the end of a word, so Comme des Garcons is com day gar-sohn, Yves is Eve, Hermes is air-maze (you don’t say the first h at the beginning of a French word), and Rochas was Ro-sha.

And:

Abaete is ah-bye-ah-tay.
It’s Caro-leena Herrera, not Caro-lie-na Herrara.
Nicolas Ghesquiere is Ni-co-la Guess-key-air
Givenchy is jhee-von-shee
Ralph Lauren, like the girl’s name!
Monique Lhuillier is Monique L’oo-li-ay
Christian Louboutin is Christian (with a light n) Loo-boo-tahn
Marchesa is Mar-kay-sa,
Moschino is Mo-ski-no, not moschino like the cherry
Dries van Noten is pronounced Dree-s
Raf Simons is Raff See-mon
Hedi Slimane is Eddy Sli-mahn
Olivier Theyskens is Olivi-ay Tay-skins

Now: can anyone who speaks Japanese tell me how to say Rei Kawakubo? Thanks.

—ANNA FIELDING GRIGGS

WWD reports that Payless and Alice + Olivia will team up next year, marking the fourth diffusion line for the mass market brand. Abaete, Lela Rose, and Patricia Field have Payless collections already.

The latest announcement comes after a fame rush for Alice + Olivia, which began when The Times profiled designer Stacey Bendet , and spiraled as Mena Suvari cheered the A+O runway, Sarah Jessica Parker sported an A+O silver dress on the red carpet, and multiple sightings of A+O dresses on celebrities became more common than Lohan boy toys. The yellow slip dress worn by Hayden Panetierre and Eva Longoria is a good example.

One can’t help but wonder if Stacey’s celebrity fans helped Payless take notice, and leads us once again to this question: If a famous person wears a brand, will you wear it, too?

As for the actual shoes in the collection, they’re not even designed yet, but here’s what we’re hearing: metallics.

We’re always looking for the perfect summer dress, and this one is definitely a contender.

Mary Kathryn Wells’ new line Smart Fitzjerrell hints at some of the summer’s top trends (i.e. nautical, color blocking.), without taking it too over the top.

Our current obsession is this cotton pique and peau de sois navy and white dress – simple, but perfect for work, drinks at the Gowanus Yacht Club, and everything in between.

We’re thinking gold shoes to complete the look – what do you think?

—ALISON COOL

I think it looks like Abaete from last year. Cute socks, though. — Faran

Is fashion an oligarchy? We still don’t think it has to be, but if there was any proof on this site that the tastes of a few dictate the choices of millions, here we go:

Last week, Romney emailed and asked us if the Abaete for Payless line looked like Versace. We didn’t quite see it, but today, reader TK sent us something more compelling:

Shots of slides from Abaete and Payless, along with Chanel’s most recent shoe collection.

Those are Chanel shoes on the left, and Nine West ($99) above, Abaete for Payless ($25) below.

What Would Coco Do?

Here’s another little secret, brought to you by Abaete’s Laura Poretzky: if you sneak into the Payless Shoe Store on Fifth Ave. and 39th St., you can buy the spring Abaete for Payless shoes that were on Monday’s runway!

The shoes are available for this week only - then they get put back in storage until their official March launch. If you’re in the neighborhood, go buy a few pairs at $20 each. They might match your new Proenza for Target jeans ($30), the upcoming Jovovich Hawk line for Mango ($50 - $150), and your growing stash of secret Phoebe Philo for Gap dresses ($75 - $100).

Of course, nothing can beat the notes Laura sent out with model Polaroids from her show, all the girls wearing their new shoes - that’s pretty much priceless.