1. Nina, can you hear me?

2. Lifetime, you’re kidding about those “most talked about season” commercials, yes?

3. As far as bridal challenges go, could you have picked a worse week editorially? Nope!

4. The rest of you also thought Tamara was going to be a bigger bitch, right?

5. Would Anja have totally killed in Gordana’s dress? Of course. Sorry for the rhetorical.

6. MK, did you just bring up Cher? Yep, you did. Thank you for balancing out the bad and the Nina-less with a little bit of diva - even if it wasn’t your pithiest moment.

—PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY KOST

A few months ago, I spent a good three days a week trekking to my local Bikram studio, but getting back into practice seemed daunting - until now.

As if staring at models all day isn’t enough, now we can watch Anja Rubik while working out, too; she’ll be featured in the new Yoga game for Nintendo Wii. She’ll lead players through the different asana - those are “postures” in yoga-speak - alongside an official yoga guru.

Apparently Anja’s a big yogi. She does it to stay in shape and manage her stress and we assume, to help look the way she does. We can’t really imagine better motivation than having a mega-model work out next to you, or better yet telling you what to do.

—PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY KOST

Remember this Alexander Wang dress?

Its evolution started with a runway debut on Aline Weber last September, hopped right to a V Magazine party that same week on Anja Rubik, and quickly became the new Prada lace, popping up in every single editorial until even Topshop attempted to rip it off, disastrously, and everyone who’d bought it finally tucked the piece away into the back of their closet.

But we hear Tyra Banks rocks it on the season premiere of America’s Next Top Model.

What does this mean? Well, we’ll finally see it on a womanly body, which could give those squiggles a whole new dimension. But more importantly, it means Tyra might start incorporating relevant fashion into the show (though yes, a year behind). Maybe she can put the models in Prada’s epic SS09 sandals in the second episode and see if they fare any better than the originals?

This morning marked the final debut of Gap’s new 1969 denim collection, (we think).

So despite the fact that it’s fifty blocks away from my apartment, it’s one million humid degrees outside and I’m usually still in bed (though working) at 9am, I made my way to their flagship with the promise of Anja’s perfectly distressed skinnies - cute boys with coffee and Patrick Robinson weren’t bad either. (Yes, I know I sound like a brat.)

But when I got there, I wavered on my Anja decision. There was a full spread of the softest jeans in white, black, light and dark, with or without holes and buttons and even a riding pant in green with Gwyneth Paltrow’s name all over them (a good thing). Patrick and his team have been working on the fit and design for over a year and their attention to detail, especially considering the $69 price tag, is impressive.

I did walk away with the Anja’s - or in Gap speak the Destructed Always Skinny - but as soon as it’s cool enough to even consider pulling on pants, I think I’ll go back for more.

The thing about Balmain’s party dresses is that if they weren’t made quite so skillfully out of of such exquisite fabrics and crystals etc., they’d run the risk of looking downright trashy.

Christophe Decarnin’s perfected the tight sexy thing and made it work among the fashion crowd because, well, it’s so well done—which makes the girl look and feel the same. And isn’t that the point of looking hot on a night out?

Because even if you rock this Bebe knock off with its spot on asymmetrical hemline and triangular zig zags, you’re not going to look like Anja Rubik at the Met Ball. However, if you buy something that’s not supposed to look like something else inexpensively copied, something for well under $179, you just might look better than Anja.

Though you probably know that.

Also, while we’re on the subject of Bebe, these are heart-breaking.

Last night we ventured into the gray and misty New York night and headed over to the Steven Kasher Gallery for the opening of photographer Miles Aldridge’s first solo exhibit in the US.

We’ve long been fans of the hyper-pigmented, fetishistic sexy work. But seeing it in large format in one space is well worth a trip over to the west side (the show runs until June 20th).

Some of the sketches that he uses to work out shots beforehand are also on display. We love when you can see an artist’s process and longingly wish we were close to that visually gifted. We highly recommend investing in the monograph Miles Aldridge: Pictures for Photographs.

After the opening MAC Creative Director, James Gager, hosted a little dinner at Trestle on Tenth for Aldridge, who’s been collaborating with the cosmetics company for three and a half years. We were bummed that Aldridge’s wife, Kristen McMenamy, wasn’t in attendance. But Anja Rubik, Simon Doonan, Jonathan Adler, and Patti Wilson made it all better.

For Sure: Anja’s on the cover of Vogue Nippon’s beauty issue and Daily Feed thinks it’s time the girl landed a cosmetics contract. Um, yes. {Models}

Ah!: The thirteen-year-old girl inside me is dying over No Doubt’s performance on The Today Show this morning. The twenty-four-year old is loving the Balmain (I think) Current/Elliott jeans Gwen’s rocking. {NBC}

Oh Boy: Alexander Wang’s up for GAP. Meanwhile, will the sun please just fucking shine already so we can break out our almost vintage Rodarte for Gap? {TeenVogue}

Bubbles Away: Stephen Jones has built a hat for Perrier-Jouët. The bespoke anemone hat comes inside a white leather champagne hat box for a mere £5,000. {LOVE}

It seems Julia Restoin-Roitfeld isn’t the only socialite to nail a Gap campaign:

Joining Anja Rubik and Mila Kunis in the store’s imminent holiday ads are the downtown sisters Nina and Chiara Clemente, otherwise known as the curly-haired daughters of the renowned artist Francesco Clemente.

While Nina works full time as a stylist in Los Angeles, Chiara is a Soho-based artist and the constant companion of designer / actor / party boy Waris Ahluwalia.

Perhaps casting the sisters has furthered a trend pinned down by the Times last week, that while celebrities are losing their luster, socialites and It Girls - known for nothing other than their connections, trust funds, and constant appearances on photo blogs - are the only thing left fueling the luxury economy and the aspirational fashion pushes that go with it.

Or maybe Chiara and Nina just really like t-shirts…

Yesterday’s Preen show was at Espace. The only thing we know about Espace is that Christian Bale really needed to get there in American Psycho. Which brings the number of American Psycho references to a grand total of two this week. Which is way surprising.

Here’s what we saw and heard backstage:

- Make-up artist James Kaliardos, “We’re approaching each girl like we’re painting her portrait.”

- Jourdan Dunn, with her best friend from home, tasting different sandwiches. (You can read an interview with her at TeenVogue.com).

- Sewing, ironing, taping, pinning - up until the last second.

- Anja Rubik eating dates. Irina K. eating trail mix. Maryna Linchuk eating a turkey sandwich.

- Dresses that lace up, button up, ruffle up and look like they’re made to come off.

What I learned at the Met Ball last night:

- Zac Posen is my fashion superhero. Please see his combined superman costume with Kate Mara.

- Models only hang out with models. I felt like a kid in a candy store watching Coco, Anja, Hilary, Chanel, Stam, Lily D., and Doutzen cluster for 15 minutes…although literally no one else cared. Apparently George Clooney’s a bigger deal.

- Michelle Trachtenberg is one of the models. She jumped into Stam’s arms and kiss/kissed everyone else, (while also, interestingly enough, avoiding every single Gossip Girl cast member on the red carpet).

- Philip Lim and Chanel Iman are the perfect couple - and probably the only two people who look amazing in that faded mustard color.

- The Voguettes did not have to wear shades of white. I spotted mint green, gold, purple, and navy - which was on Meredith Melling-Burke who also wore Natalie’s beloved YSL star necklace.

- When I asked Christopher Bailey which superhero he was channelling, he said, “Christopher Bailey!” and giggled.

- Donatella Versace wears a wig.

- Penn Badgley wears red and blue cufflinks - his personal homage to Spiderman - while waiting for Blake Lively to pose for pictures. Apparently, the waiting has become a nightly routine.

- When Pacey stands next to Chuck, Nate and Dan, I long for the teen dramas of my adolescence - even if the clothes are better now.

WWD reports that Valentino is looking to the 90’s for the final ad campaign before his scheduled retirement.

The campaign features models Amber Valletta and Shalom Harlow, who appeared as a duo frequently in the 90’s, most notably on the March 1997 cover of Vogue.

The campaign will also include Raquel Zimmerman, Anja Rubik, and male models Oriol Elcacho and Michael Gandolfi. But we’re most excited to see Shalom and Amber together again -

Maybe there’ll be a surprise appearance by Cindy?

We doubt it, but stay tuned for the pics anyway…

Most retailers are still scared about slow sales, but today, WWD reports Gap’s profits are up 26%. It’s a big leap for a company that’s endured a very public struggle, plus big changes in both their executive and creative teams. We’re sure retail analysts have their own scientific reasons for the rise in profits, but here’s our inside scoop into why Gap is gaining…

1. Their European collection was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Balenciaga’s Marie Amelie Sauve brought a whole new dimension to khakis and white shirts when she consulted on the line, and we’re sure Pierre Hardy’s shoes will sell out in minutes. When Gap picks a shoe designer stateside, we’ll be waiting.

2. Magazines may still want celebs on their covers, but Gap finally gets us back to models. Stam, Anja, Caroline, Coco, and Chanel Iman all said “cheese” for $49.99 denim, and that was perfect. Gap is finally targeting the fashion crowd, and it’s a good idea.

3. They lowered their prices. A couple of months ago we walked into a Gap store and everything was on sale. Doing away with excess sale stickers and pricing clothes according to their worth might be their best move yet. If it costs less, people buy more, right?

4. This one pair of boys pajamas. They’re navy with skulls and we want them. This is the true secret of Gap’s success.