The best part of this article, in which WWD explains they’ve heard Michelle Trachtenberg’s ‘designing’ a line of jewelry for Coach’s new Poppy line, is when they describe her, “tough-girl meets sugary-sweet vibe.”

That’s Georgina, right? Minus the all-important word “psychopath?”

So she’s making baubles with Coach for spring. The line will focus on colorful crystals and fake pearls with “intricate hardware.” We loved the necklace she wore last night, to the nightmarish American Eagle flagship opening in Times Square, so maybe, despite our increasing distaste for celebrity collaborations, we’ll like what she does for Poppy.

(More on Leighton’s performance once I figure out how to upload videos to Youtube.)

Reed Krakoff’s starting his own fashion house.

The President and Creative Director of Coach (and Vice President of the CFDA) is ready to do his own thing in tandem with his responsibilities at the mega-brand. The project, however, is entirely funded by Coach which gives him the unique advantage of being able to launch his line for AW10 with ready-to-wear, bags, shoes and jewelry - not your average sixteen piece start-up collection. In fact, he’s already talking to WWD about men’s clothes, furniture and fragrances.

“It’s about a new craftsmanship,” he said, citing brands like Miu Miu and Balenciaga as inspiration, though he talks more about brand building than design and sounds more like a sound businessman than a passionate artist.

The only peek we have so far is the fluffy black organza dress Reed’s wife Delphine wore to the CFDAs in June (at left) - it’s from the upcoming line and so far, we like it. You have to be crazy to launch “the next great American fashion house” right now and crazy makes for good design.

Kinky Mickey: These S&M meets Mickey Mouse ears that Stephen Jones created for Ascot are one more reason to love the fantastical milliner. {VogueUK}

Forget Disneyland: If we won a lawsuit we’d go shopping, too. 50 Cent just dropped $33,000 on Tom Ford suits. {NYPost}

But We All Wanna Be Like Kate: Beth Ditto wouldn’t perform at Topshop without designing her own line. They said no, but gave her Evans and now plus-size lines are popping up everywhere. Ruth La Ferla discusses. {NYTimes}

W in Jersey? Someone over at W has actually eaten at the restaurant where the Real Housewives of New Jersey finale, aka the best episode EVER, took place. Perhaps it’s time for a Zip car road trip. {W}

It is with excitement and delight that we report the following news:

18-year-old Ali Michael is the new face of Coach.

The Texan shot their Fall ‘09 campaign last week, with a salary reported at around $50,000 for a day’s worth of work.

That’s about 150 Coach bags, or like 1500 if you buy them on Canal Street (but obviously, you shouldn’t do that).

Ali follows Lisa Cant, Caroline Winberg, and Mandy Moore as previous faces of Coach.

But… you know… much, much cooler.

The one nice thing we consistently say about Coach is, “Well, they use really nice leather.”

But we don’t care if they use the nicest leather in the entire world, (which they don’t, because Rick Owens does), if they’re going to cut it up and paste it into this nauseating Prada rip-off.

They’ve scalloped, or at least waved, the edges of the strips of leather just like Miuccia, left out a single strip of magenta, added some extra gold hardware and their ridiculous little wagon plaque to make sure everyone knows you’re not carrying just any Canal Street knock-off, but a genuine seven-hundred-dollar Coach issued fake.

If you prefer your copies more subtle, go for the pea-soup colored one, because only the girls who looked beyond Sasha’s ads will probably recognize its Prada roots.

Then again you‘ll know, because we just told you.

I used to live in the West Village, and let me tell you, walking past Magnolia bakery on your way to and from work every day is disastrous. The last thing in the world I would have needed is a free cupcake.

But now that I live in Brooklyn and have lost the ten pounds I gained during that six month sublet, I can’t think of anything better.

Only catch is, in order to get your free cupcake, you have to buy something at the newly opened Coach store down the street.

This is bad because it means supporting the outdoor mall that now lives on Bleecker, but good because you can get cute shoes (without c’s please) and a delicious pink cupcake.

Just please don’t eat it on Carrie Bradshaw’s stoop.