Last night, at a party in honor of Francois Nars’ new book and the 15th Anniversary of Nars, I finally spoke to Daphne Guinness.

I’d been standing there staring at her Alexander McQueen shoes and her awe-inspiring beehive and barely looked away long enough to realize that Marc’s kilt is actually just a pair of shorts with a panel in front, a skort, if you will, when I just reached out and said, “Excuse me,” I had to know how much her shoes weighed.

“They’re quite light actually,” she answered.

“Is the top part hollow,” I asked.

“Hmm…I can’t be quite sure. They’re lighter than…um, lighter than…”

“The ones from the runway?”

“Oh no! These are the ones from the runway.”

“Right. Duh.”

“They’re less weighty than the Nina Ricci’s. Does that help?”

“Yes totally!” I thanked her, though of course I have no idea how much the Nina Ricci’s weigh and she’s actually the only person in the world who’s worn both shoes in real not-on-the-runway life. But you can’t help but worship a woman who measures her life in Ricci.

Alien Invasion: According to a McQueen spokesperson, ladies are clamoring for the “alien” shoes from S/S10. Some want to wear them, some want them as art. We loved hearing that the process to make them is copyrighted. {Grazia}

In Goal: Before she debuted at Christopher Kane (in 2007), Karmen Pedaru was the goalie on the Estonian soccer team. Very cool. She also has a dental phobia. We know that pain and that’s less cool. {W}

Aspirational Hair: Serena’s the new Rachel. Blake Lively’s hair gets 713,000 hits with a Google search. We’re not loving the outfits but we would take the hair any day (as long as its not in that awful braid.) {NY Times}

Not Posh: Contrary to rumors, Victoria has no plans to become a model agency owner. We’re not gonna lie and say we wouldn’t have wanted to be a fly on the wall during an open casting with VB. {Vogue UK}

The interwebs are all abuzz today with the release of Lady Gaga’s new video for “Bad Romance.” She’s the ultimate crossover as every music, celeb, and fashion site is fairly obsessed with its arrival.

As expected the styling is ridiculously awesome. The S/S10 McQueen is killer (as is the Lady’s ability to walk in those shoes.) And it’s totally creepy and gorgeous all at the same time. I’ve already watched it three times and can’t imagine getting sick of it anytime soon.

In honor of Gaga’s new gig as a beauty spokesperson, I’ll point you to my favorite non-clothing related styling choice in the video: the barbed wire-like nails. While they’re not exactly practical for every day life, you (or rather your manicurist) could create something nifty like this for a holiday party.

P.S. How weirdly cartoon-y were they able to make her eyes in some of those shots? I felt like I was watching Roger Rabbit!

The rumor that Jean Paul Gaultier was next up for Target’s Designer Collaboration spread like wildfire just a month ago.

But now it’s true and everyone can rejoice and jump for joy like we did upon waking up this morning.

He’s the third designer after Alexander McQueen and Anna Sui to participate in this series, which shouldn’t be confused with Go! International (even though it’s much more international). Contributing to the series demands a muse, and Gaultier’s chosen the American woman, and America’s pop culture, as his.

We’ve developed a very particular cycle of excitement regarding designer collaborations. First, we’re excited to hear their names in an affordable sentence. Then we worry about how their runway brilliance will translate into prices ending with $.99. And then finally, we’re thrilled they’ve accepted the challenge and look forward to what they’ll make when stripped of financial freedom.

The best part is, we’ve done it so many times we skip straight to part three. Gaultier’s collection will be in Target stores from March 7th to April 11th. No word yet on Manhattan’s usual pop-up.

We almost forgot about fall given the SS10 hysteria.

Now that it’s freezing outside, we’re digging to the bottom of our closets to find the ball of tights that gets us through every winter, but plain black tights are significantly less satisfying than usual.

For FW09 designers showed a range of patterned and embellished tights that left us longing for something more exciting. From Marc Jacobs 80’s neon paisley to McQueen’s optical houndstooth, tights stopped being just something to keep warm, and started being a crucial accessory with which to liven your outfit.

Wouldn’t you rather brighten your fall wardrobe with some sparkle tights a la Anna Sui or some bejeweled Miu Mius? And if you still feel for black, try the sheer dotted tights seen at Balenciaga, which are perfect for adding a detail to a simple outfit.

We say ditch the black tights and start walking in technicolor!

Business of Fashion has just provided you with a very high fashion way to spend your afternoon by compiling the top 10 fashion films of the season. And they don’t mean The September Issue.

This season more than any, designers used film to show off their craft. The list will surely include a few you missed that you’ve been meaning to watch, like the Guy Bourdin one above. BoF’s Imran Amed called it “one of the most moving displays of fashion imagery I have seen.” And we agree. Or you can always watch the McQueen show again.

Happy viewing!

To say that the fashion industry is like high school is nothing new, but it’s also totally true. Which is why I love this Vanity Fair piece wrapping up the SS10 season with yearbook-style awards for different designers and collections.

We pretty much agree with their choices. Prabal Gurung was definitely on our Most Likely to succeed list. And Mary Kantrantzou for Best Nerd and we like Christopher Kane for Biggest Flirt. Though perhaps our favorite was the cutest couple, which is actually a threesome: Lara, Freja, and Baptiste.

A few more high school-themed suggestions that came to mind are Tory Burch for Class Treasurer because really who does sell-able better than she does at this point? That would be one profitable class. Plus I found this season much cooler than usual. Monique Lhuillier can head up the prom committee with all her pretty party dresses. And Alexander McQueen is for sure in charge of the A/V club.

So who do you elect to Class Council? And who gets your superlatives?

Dear Stella McCartney,

I still check eBay about once a month hoping to stumble onto the horse pants you did for Chloé. I have dreams about the beribboned wooden espadrilles you sent down your SS05 runway and I guard my chain print dress from your SS06 collection with my life, even though I’m still not quite sure how to wear it.

What I’m trying to say is, I love your clothes and always have, but this season was so perfect that I can’t stop thinking about it

When people ask what I do and I answer, they always ask one of two questions - “What do you think of my outfit?” or “Who’s your favorite designer?” and I always answer McQueen or Vivienne Westwood, lately Christopher Kane. And I really do love all of them, but if I had to wear one designer and one designer only, it’d be you, hands down.

At the end of August, we wrote an Adventures in Copyright begging Alexander McQueen to do something about Steve Madden’s blatant copies.

Some of you agreed, one commenter asked, “Do you think McQueen cares this much?” To which of course we’d heartily answer yes.

So you can imagine, or try to, how high we jumped for joy when this morning, WWD announced that McQueen’s suing Madden.

The suit, filed in Manhattan October 1, calls Madden’s Seryna bootie a “studied imitation” of McQueen’s Faithful and points out, like we did, that the only detail missing is McQueen’s trademarked skull zipper. In exchange for Madden’s attempts to profit off of the Brit’s “widespread media attention,” they’re asking for an injunction, profits and payment of legal fees.

Now if we could just get Messieurs Blahnik and Louboutin on the case, throw in Tamara Mellon’s attitude, Jessie Randall’s charm and Marc’s spunk, this could be the most fashionable class action lawsuit ever.

Say What Alber: Remember when Alber told The New Yorker he’d never do a diffusion line? And then when he did do a diffusion line? Someone did and someone asked and he just couldn’t handle it. {ElleUK}

On McQueen: Try to break up your Sarah Mower with other important critics. Like Hilary Alexander’s Alexander McQueen review; it’s twice as long and has a video of the show (since Lady Gaga killed the initial live stream for most of us). {The Telegraph}

The Fat Lady Is Not Singing Yet: It’s still unclear how many more names will be added to the 180 that already lost their jobs this week at Condé Nast. How un-fun are those flights back from Paris going to be? {NY Observer}

They All Fall Down: We’re rather partial to the “Drop It Like You’re Hot” but what’s your favorite Falling Model dance? What would have happened to me if I ever tried to put on those McQueen shoes defies all known categories. {The Frisky}

This headpiece, from Paris based Maison Michel, went on sale on Net-a-Porter this morning.

The site suggests pairing “this opulent accessory with your favorite LBD to bring bygone beauty to a modern cut.” We suggest:

1. Wearing it as a necklace and perhaps layering with other pearls in homage to McQueen’s sea theme, or The Little Mermaid.

2. Double wrapping it around your ankle to achieve some of that ankle/shoe fringe we’ve seen - and loved - on the Spring/Summer 2010 runways.

3. Putting your $2,195 toward a pair of Brian Atwoods and this adorable ombre Miu Miu clutch. In total, you’ll spend an extra couple of hundred, but hey, it’s worth it.

4. Jumping for joy because the recession must be over.

“im [sic] wearing part of the titanic tonight. mcqueen will be amazing.” —Heidi Mount’s Twitter. Color us intrigued, as if we aren’t always by McQueen.

Everyone’s doing it.

Louis Vuitton just announced that they’ll hop on the live stream bandwagon and broadcast their SS10 show, too.

Burberry did it in their stores, Dolce and Gabanna (and D&G) did it online, but ever the exclusive ones, Louis Vuitton will broadcast it on their Facebook page only. The show will stay up for just twenty-four hours and then slideshows will have to satisfy you.

So pencil in ten minutes in front of a computer next Wednesday, October 7th at 2:30pm in Paris which means 8:30am in New York or way too early in California. And don’t forget the night before, Alexander McQueen’s broadcasting his show, called “Plato Atlantis” at 8:30pm Paris time (which you can translate accordingly).

It all makes the hurt of not actually being in Paris slightly more bearable.

Sure, Burberry and Michael Kors and even Twenty8Twelve have provided live broadcasts of their shows to make the public feel included, but Alexander McQueen’s one-upping everyone by partnering with Nick Knight’s ShowStudio.

Together, they’re reclaiming control of the front row’s Flip Cams and Twitters with the use of robot cameras both on and off the runway to guarantee that everyone, everywhere (with a computer) sees the show and the atmosphere as though they’re present.

“I want to generate something else, something for a wider audience — for people in Australia, Asia, and Middle America who don’t have a seat at the show. Really, what I’m aiming for is world domination,’ he joked to WWD.

Of course the problem with the public seeing the clothes immediately is that it’s still hard for most to wrap their head around the fact that they can’t have what they’re currently falling in love with for another six months. Though McQueen’s thought of that, too and wants to start building capsule collections that can be bought right off the runway.

Sounds dangerous.

Sometimes I think Steve Madden worships Alexander McQueen the way I do, and that that’s why he constantly attempts the same designs.

But that can’t be right, because I’d be sick with guilt if I made my small fortune off stealing his creativity.

Madden has no such guilt - he’s struck again with McQueen’s peep toe Faithful bootie. His Seryna bootie comes with a ridged leather heel, snapped leather pulled over the ankle and a zip up the front.

It’s missing the skull zipper puller though, and as our tipster says, “McQueen’s luxe leather.”

Kenley Collins may have just gotten out of a two day stint in prison for throwing a cat at her boyfriend, but we think she should be sent back for blatant theft of Alexander McQueen’s genius. AGAIN.

After famously ripping off an A/W 2008 McQueen dress for her final collection on Project Runway, Kenley’s at it again, this time for her eponymous line.

She says it was inspired by her post-jail freedom. Right.
Kenley’s excuse on PR was that she had never seen the McQueen dress before, but after that fiasco we know she’s seen every last piece of that collection, and we’re shocked that she would dare to copy another dress from it.

Nina Garcia would not approve.

Alexander McQueen made some super sick grommetted booties. Which we spotted on Mischa pre-breakdown.

We’re thinking they’re an ideal transitional shoe. The grommets take what is a fairly average bootie and make it amazingly sexy and edgy. They’re currently on sale for $900.

Then one of our sleuthing readers showed us that Steve Madden, the brand ubiquitous with stealing designs and parading them as their own, was at it again, this time attacking Mr. McQueen’s booties.

Now You See It: Photographer Greg Kadel shot an editorial titled Come As You Are for Australian Vogue and released an early shot to models.com. In the actual magazine, they’ve airbrushed out Abbey Lee & Cat McNeil’s nipple rings. So, the title’s kind of funny. {Frockwriter}

About That: Those Sex and the City auditions were yesterday. Here’s a sampling of the crowd looking to linger behind SJP & Co. in the film’s sequel. {Interview}

Babies’in’Fashion: Cynthia Rowley’s designing a line of baby clothes for Babies’R’Us. It’s called Hooray, launches in 2009 and she’s been “dying to do baby clothes for a long time.” Because designing bibs and diaper bags gives her something a runway doesn’t? {PRNewswire}

Better & Better & Better: As if there’ll be a moment to breathe during London Fashion Week, now you’ll have to squeeze in the National Portrait Gallery’s Twiggy exhibition. {Telegraph}

WWD’s “Rodarte a ‘GO’ With Target’ headline made us fall out of bed with shock.

Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the Pasadena based sisters who took home this year’s CFDA award for womenswear, have designed a 55-piece holiday collection for Target’s GO International (not Designer Collaborations like McQueen).

The clothes launch December 20th and range from $9.99 to $79.99 instead of Rodarte’s usual $3000 to $21000 and Target’s spokesman says the key to maintaining that Rodarte feel is layering.

Rodarte’s clothes are the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in person - seriously, they belong in a museum alongside great works of art - but maybe 1% of America’s heard their name which we imagine makes it hard to turn a major profit which in turn makes the PR they’ll get from Target pretty brilliant.

We don’t expect the clothes to look anything like Rodarte’s past collections. We do, however, expect them to be well thought out and whimsical.

Maybe if we buy Rodarte for Target clothes we can justify Nicholas Kirkwood for Rodarte boots?