The Brit’s are taking a cue from our successful CFDA/Vogue Fashion fund; Vogue UK and the British Fashion Council have teamed up for the sake of their country’s flourishing young design talent and formed the BFC Vogue Designer Fashion Fund.

Each year, the fund will award £200,000 to a fresh-faced designer, plus a mentor, to help him or her build a successful brand on “the international stage.”

Britain does, of course, already have similar programs. Topshop’s NewGen, which has sponsored Christopher Kane, Marios Schwab, Richard Nicoll, Louise Goldin, Henry Holland and so many more tends to scoop up the most talented, most broke of St. Martin’s talent and give them the perfect place to show, but the BFC/Vogue fund will have more follow through and individualized attention.

“Geez”, muttered a friend Wednesday night. We’re standing in a jam packed club - not even a famous one - heaving with human traffic and queueing for £14 drinks. “What recession?”

Indeed what recession — it’s certainly not in London. After a manic LFW, one would expect everything to calm down for a moment, for the money and champagne to stop flowing. Instead, we’ve experienced a pent up demand to party - and wear the clothes \ we so innocently bought during fashion month.

The action’s hot and heavy: this week alone saw the bash celebrating the Juicy Couture store opening (which shares a block with Matthew Williamson & Stella’s store), the Tatler 300th anniversary party and the Vogue/Bulgari party. Last night, Alasdhair Willis (Stella’s husband), threw an intimate do at his Duke Street gallery, while Cindy Crawford launched her Omega collection at the Almada club (where Anna Wintour made her LFW date with Chris Kane). The latter drew the most stars yet including Lily Allen, Rosie Huntingdon Whiteley and Jasmine Guinness whilst Rhys Ifan flirted outrageously with model du jour, Tolula Adeyemi.

All students know that Wednesday is the worst homework night of the week.

That’s why tonight’s Student Shop at Topshop is the perfect distraction!

From 7-10pm, the Topshop store at Broadway and Broome is offering a 20% discount with student IDs.

Aside from the excellent savings, there will also be a DJ and hidden prizes - fun times.

I’ll be stopping by between writing my French essay and doing my million pages of art history reading to grab this Christopher Kane for Topshop dress (that looks all the better with a discount) and this casual blazer that’s perfect for fall.

Grab your ID and meet me in Soho for some chic procrastination!

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.

Do you spend obscene amounts of time in the dark room? And the rest of your time flipping through magazines full of brilliant photography? Are you waiting for your big break?

Then grab your SLR and start shooting.

Tomorrow, W’s launching a contest for young photographers based around the theme,
‘Obsession’ - I’d shoot Christopher Kane’s Lolita gingham, since I’m still swooning. Each contestant can submit one photo which will be judged by a panel of experts, including W’s Creative Director Dennis Freedman. Twenty semi-finalists will be selected and their images will be posted online and submitted to a public vote.

Georgia Peach: Just in case you don’t have as massive a crush on Georgia May Jagger as we do, which is kind of inconceivable, here’s a mini-portfolio from Vanity Fair. We like to say we knew her when. {VanityFair}

Herm-Asprey?: Maybe Hermès thought no one would notice if they bought Asprey’s massive New Bond Street store since the whole fashion world’s on a plane to Paris. But they did, and now word is they’re not just buying the store, but maybe the whole company. Interesting…{VogueUK}

Kane Control: From the second I left Heathrow, I was bombarded with Christopher Kane for Topshop. For every fifteen pieces, an original ape popped up, but for the most part with was crocodiles (alligators?) everywhere you looked, as captured here. {Streetpeeper}

The fashion world’s been waiting for ages to get a glimpse of Christopher Kane’s Versus collection for Versace.

Last season, the duo teased us with a peek at killer shoes and bags, as black and studded and sexy as expected. But this Sunday, he and the boss lady finally revealed the whole thing during a presentation in Milan.

In the video, he talks to The Guardian’s Jo Jones about the process, the importance of Donatella, and why he steers clear of too much color (to showcase his almost manic attention to detail). A few of the dresses actually bear a striking resemblance to Kane’s Topshop collection, with their lace panelling and detached sleeves and of course all of them sort of scream sex.

Red carpets should be flooded in no time.

(Ed. Note: Excuse us while we rewind a bit. We were anxious to get Burberry up as soon as possible, but we’ve still got a few pre-extravaganza things to discuss.)

There’s something about Christopher Kane where at first, you’re flummoxed by the collection, but then comes the slow burn. In time, you learn to understand and then grudgingly like it. Eventually, you don’t just love his pieces, but covet them ardently. We’ve been doing this dance with Kane for a few years now, so this time around we just went straight for the covet.

We were besotted from look one.

Kane reeled us in through simple nostalgia with the delicate pale pink gingham and beaded details. We’d bet every girl in the room (including Anna Wintour, Donatella Versace, Natalia Vodianova and randomly, Joan Collins,) returned to their five year old self, begging their mother for a pretty pink gingham picnic dress. Kane perfectly captured that sentimentality. Then he hit fast forward to adolescence, where girly-ness gave way to womanhood and a boned bust took root inside the gingham.

At left we have two examples of brilliant, not-recession friendly pieces of fall fashion: the bomber jacket.

On the far left, the classic’s perfected by Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte. On the right, Christopher Kane comes pretty damn close. Both retail for almost four months worth of rent for a decent New York City room, two tickets around the world, or a Vespa.

Over at T, Anne Christensen favors the Rodarte. While the bondage-wrapped Rodarte makes us weep, the Christopher Kane one is slightly less on-trend and saves you a few dollars for the peanut butter & jelly you’ll have to eat for a year.

If we’re playing fall fantasy wardrobe, we’d throw the Rodarte jacket over this Chris Kane dress. In yours?

Dream Team: Donatella Versace tells Chris Kane that “insatiable curiosity and a love of experimentation” set British designers apart. She also talks music, Gianni and being a diva. {TimesUK}

Burgled: Someone robbed the Michael Kors store on Prince the night before last at 5:30am. He distracted the security guard at the Apple store before breaking iinto Kors’ store and stealing $13,000 worth of merchandise. We understand loving clothes, but stealing from Apple might’ve been more lucrative. {Villager}

Do You Have IT?: Refinery29’s on a mission to help you be a fashion darling, or at least determine if you have what it takes to be in the running. They’ve followed up their successful sartorial flow chart with this. Click to find out if you’re the next Harley. {Refinery29}

Come Again: There is a “scarfigan” for sale. We don’t know if Missoni named it or Net-a-Porter, but we want it so we can say “scarfigan” everyday. {Net-a-Porter}

“Sometimes, dodgy can be good”. So said Christopher Kane to me once when we were chatting at a party, and a D-list starlet/soft porn actress walked across in one of his key looks of that season. Despite her astonishingly uplifted ass, I was appalled. He was thrilled.

It took me a while to understand where he was coming from, but I always remembered his words over the years when looking at designers like Clare Tough.

At her LFW shows, I would alternately be delighted or disgusted at the cheap looking patchwork jumpers, knitted swimsuits that no one could swim in, and astronomical prices.

It amazes us that Scottish designer Graeme Black isn’t more widely known.

After all, he was senior designer at Armani for years (not to mention the great Giorgio’s boyfriend for much of that time), and before that Creative Director of Ferragamo. He launched his luxe, very tailored, eponymous label a few years ago.

Victoria Beckham’s a major fan; her own line was equal parts inspired by Black as Mouret. His fiercely loyal following also includes Arab princesses, political wives, English (celeb) royalty including Elle MacPherson and Yasmin LeBon, whose daughter walked Graeme’s AW09 runway and so on.

The designer’s been more quietly successful stateside, his new Saks concession is ka-chinging along and he’ll be part of the new ninth floor in September. In London, he’s launching an entirely new retail concept - think a more luxe Colette - this fall.

And why are we talking about him now? Because the Scottish Fashion Awards were kind of irrelevant until Scotland started producing the likes of Alexander McQueen, Louise Gray, Christopher Kane etc. and since Jonathan Saunders was more than expected to take home designer of the year, everyone’s eye has turned toward Black after scooping the award this weekend.

So for now, Black gets to be the Great Scot.

—CHARLEY B.

Dear Rihanna,

I don’t know much about your music. Mostly because I tend to pick up on music from the boys in my life and yours aren’t exactly their go-to tunes. But you’re on my radar (because I don’t live under a rock) and I’m digging your sartorial choices.

I know you have a red carpet/video/tour stylist, but I’m pretty sure when you walk out of the house in something like the Chris Kane dress at left, you’ve thrown it on all by yourself. Between that and your Stella sailor cardigan, the slouchy bag with which you dressed down that Alex Wang dress, your Balmain touches and this necklace you’re rocking all over NYC, we’re impressed.

So please wear more Chris Kane, check out Charles Anastase and maybe grab one of Marios Schwab’s 3D dresses? Also Ann D’s ribcage belt probably has your name etched along the spine and we’d love to see you in some Rodarte knits.

In closing, thank you for branching out where so many wear faded white tees and leggings - you’re like Michelle Obama for the Hollywood set and we kind of love you for it.

When large companies rip-off small designer’s work, we get irritated.

There’s something tragic about watered down design - like watered down beer - ew.

Post-Chris Kane, someone sent us another disturbing Topshop rip-off. That Alexander Wang dress? The black stretch mesh sheath with thick, detailed embroidery? Topshop’s taken it upon themselves to bring the exact same thing, not an interpretation, to the masses.

Wang’s expertly coiled embroidery, extra-long sleeves, fun thumb-loop, and back zipper have been replaced with a far less innovative diamond-patterned embroidery, short sleeves and a plain sheer back.

Just this weekend we dubbed it the new “dress that won’t die.” It’s been everywhere - Kanye’s girlfriend wore it in Paris, Missy Rader wore it in Wang’s lookbook, in editorials featuring everyone from Eniko Mihalik to Liu Wenn - which means that everyone on Topshop’s design staff is ultra-aware of it.

The Wang original is for sale at Opening Ceremony for $955, while the Topshop version is going for $90.

The thing is, no one has to buy the $1000 version. Most people can’t. But instead of buying a copycat, why not admire the original and honor the designer’s work by not encouraging mass reproductions and rip-offs?

—MELISSA ELLIOTT

Regardless of where you stand on the the habits of mass retailers ripping off designers, you have to admit that it’s pretty fucked up for Topshop to take a designer they sponsor - a championed, beloved, we might even say genius designer - and copy his clothes.

Especially when you consider the stake Sir Philip Green has in Christopher Kane. His store doesn’t just fund Kane’s runway shows, provide a venue and almost bottomless financial backing, they’ve also recruited the Scottish designer to create his own collection for Topshop.

Which is, in fact, the best way to offer his talent to the customer who appreciates it, but can’t drop five grand on a cocktail dress.

Obviously, Topshop lacks the time and money to make the dress as detailed as Kane’s SS09 collection. But if your eyes are able to discern that the dress on the left is, indeed, a color called lavender, there is no way you can deny that it desperately wants to mirror the look on the right.

And, well, you know how that makes us feel.

The British Fashion Council’s just appointed Sarah Mower its first ever Ambassador for Emerging Talent.

You already know Sarah from her stories in Vogue and her brilliant Style.com show reviews. And now she’ll play an even bigger role in shaping the face of up and coming talent - so much of which comes out of London.

She’ll be in charge of the NewGen committee, the Topshop-sponsored council that provides financial support (and often show space) to the young designers and recent grads showing the most promise. Think Marios Schwab, Chris Kane, and Danielle Scutt.

Sarah said, “In Britain we have a phenomenon on our hands at the moment: a uniquely
vibrant, varied and collaborative flowering of talent that is some of the most exciting on
the world stage.”

So all that power basically makes her the cooler, hipper Anna, right?

Funny Face: Can someone who know something about beauty tell us how to get that perfectly red-rimmed eye without looking diseased? Thanks. {TheMoment}

Already Wins: Andre Leon Talley helped Marisa Tomei decide on a “lemongrass” Madame Gres toga-like dress for next week’s Met Ball. This will be in our top five. {VogueDaily}

And He’s Back: Christoper Kane’s doing Topshop again - this time bigger and better with shoes and bags added to the range. Guess that explains his New York presence earlier this month. {Grazia}