—PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY KOST

There was a universal call-out yesterday of all the designer’s who’ve riffed on Balmain’s distinct Fall 08 and Spring 09 designs - the reviews of Christophe Decarnin’s Fall 09 clothes called for something new so that all the other houses would have something fresh to copy.

With that in mind, it was all the more interesting to watch Isabel Marant’s homage walk down the runway this afternoon. Granted, her stiff shouldered mini-jackets started out in colorful tweeds and florals on Erin Wasson and Lily Donaldson, they were black on Lara Stone and Carmen Kass in no time.

Beneath them lay navy pants, grey jersey minis and tees, ruched silk skirts, zippered leggings, leopard print flounces and of course thigh-high boots. There was also fur, which looked too fake - even from the fourth row.

The great thing about Isabel Marant is that it’s wearable and chic, but the shiny leopard pants were trying too hard for the latter. We should have been looking at the collection, instead we were focused on the A-list models and Julia Roitfeld’s Christopher Kane sequins.

Michael Kors is thinking neon this season.

The man’s added an edge to his trenches and sheaths. He stuck Natasha Poly in leather and more leather, threw Raquel into a sleeveless camel trench with a perfect fur collar, Frankie Rayder (!) wore sequins, Coco did tweeds, Arlenis wore a Sherlock Holmes trench, Bruna got to wear a hot pink fur coat and hat, Anja slipped by in an asymettrical chartreuse shift, Carmen Kass wore more fur than I’ve ever seen and it was almost all accessorized with perfectly chunky chain necklaces.

The clothes were particularly quiet after spring’s stripes and spots - even the neon pieces were tailored and conservative.

Front row seating was a bit mixed up - the Vogue-ttes usually get to sit by the door for a quick exit but this time Anna & Co. made their way further down the runway, across from Mario Testino, while Heidi Klum, Molly Sims and Jane Krakowski held court by the pit.

And that was about the freshest thing happening at the tents this morning. Off to Marchesa!

Warning: I didn’t have time to get coffee pre-Michael Kors, so please excuse the blurry pictures, they’re a result of my blurry head.

It might be because we love the man blindly, but for some reason we don’t balk at Tom Ford designing a movie the way we balk at Jessica Simpson designing shoes.

Vogue UK reports that the busy man’s starts production on his first film, A Single Man, next month. He adapted the script from the novel of the same title with the help of screenwriter David Scearce and he’ll be directing, too - someone likes to be in charge.

Though we bet directing the likes of Colin Firth and Julianne Moore will be quite different from directing the Sophie Dahl’s and Carmen Kass’s of campaigns past. We’re expecting, ok, hoping, for at least a bit of behind the scenes drama what with Ford’s diva ways, a Los Angeles set, a dramatic story and a stellar cast.

Of course, we’re also hoping Ford has a hand in the set and costume design, too. Anyone who sees the movie, who knows Tom Ford directed it, and who knows who Tom Ford is, will be paying more attention to the aestethic details than the story line anyway.

It’s been far too long since Ford’s had a hand in dressing women and as far as we’re concerned, there can never be too much of the man.

Those Max Factor ads featuring Carmen Electra’s eyelids weighed down by 20 oz. strips of false lashes will soon be no longer:

WWD reports that Gisele’s been named the new face of the makeup brand once fronted by Mrs. Ricardo, starting with Nick Knight shot ads in all the October magazines.

But here’s a fun fact: Gisele will only be the face in North America, with Carmen Kass remaining as the face pretty much everywhere else.

So what is it about Carmen (Kass, not Electra) that works everywhere but here? Or better yet, why wouldn’t Gisele, who’s really known much better for her body than her face, work everywhere else?

Alongside information that the Narciso Rodriguez company has grown 20% every year except 2008 in today’s WWD, was a much more pleasant piece of info, too:

Narciso’s launching a new fragrance this January.

His only women’s fragrance, Narciso Rodriguez for Her (there’s also a Narciso Rodriguez for Men) will be a tough act to follow - it’s been a favorite, especially among editors, since its launch in 2003, and is widely recognized as the original (and more complex) version of Sarah Jessica Parker’s Lovely.

The new fragrance will also come with a new ad campaign - think he’ll use Carmen again?

We’ve spent the past two months trying to figure out how to channel Carmen Kass’ mermaid look circa June/July Numero.

It’s hard - probably because our closet isn’t overflowing with Givenchy sequins, Stella shell dresses or wave-y ruffles from Christoper Kane begging to be taken to the beach in Queens - but this ring might point us in the right direction.

We’ve lusted after some Iosselliani pieces before and this one’s finally within reach, (if we start saving). The triple silver band holds two river pearls in its literal claws, set in the midst of a rhinestone band.

It’s a little bit rock and roll, a little bit fantasy and very cool. Plus, we’re pretty sure we’ll still love it when we’re 40.

And that’s all the justification we need.