Couture Carries On: According to WWD, an Ajman sheikh has put in a bid for Christian Lacroix that would keep the biz running as is, which means couture stays, too. No final deal is in place yet.

How does one follow up a brilliantly Bardot themed couture collection?

With something far from similar if you’re Jean Paul Gaultier.

Here’s the first peek of a series of boots he’s doing for Doc Martens. The image includes two perforated women’s shoes in both black and white with just a cryptic caption and no real information on timing, though it sounds like they’ll only be available in Gaultier stores in France.

Each time we look at the picture we see a punk-y YSL cage shoe, but seriously, if you can’t get to Paris, these might be your next DIY.

There may be a little life in Lacroix yet.

We’ve all been following the house’s financial woes and many thought the designer’s most recent (and well-received) couture show would indeed be his last. Editors were saddened. Signs were present saying “Lacroix Forever”. Even the models walked for a much-reduced fee.

But reports this morning state that Bernard Krief Consultants have put a bid in for the company, not only as a business decision but because they feel Lacroix is part of France’s cultural heritage.

Our fingers and toes are definitely crossed.

Designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli took some serious hits from critics after their first couture showing in January.

But the press seems to have warmed a bit to the collection they presented yesterday in Paris.

There is definitely a new vibe at the house. While an occasional bow did make an appearance, the looks were dark, almost entirely black. And for the most part very short and sexy. There were no splashes of color and definitely no Valentino red to be found.

I will admit to not being the biggest Valentino (the clothes, not the man) fan in town, though I’ve always had a great appreciation for many things about the line. But this collection actually speaks much more to my personal taste. I think it looks young and hot and current.

Carlos Souza is going to be able to take this collection and run with it…all the way to Hollywood.

What say you about Valentino’s new direction?

I have been obsessing about growing out my hair since I got a choppy cut (avec bangs) in February.

It’s not that the cut was bad, but I know better than to have a style that requires a lot of maintenance (read: blowing it dry)…not gonna happen. I’ve even taken to popping daily pre-natal vitamins for no reason other than making my hair grow faster.

As if I needed another reason to want my super long locks, along comes the Chanel couture show with its extra lengthy ponytails and pompadours.

I’ve never seen hair pieces - especially ones of different shades on the same head - used so beautifully. Some of the extensions even looked to be fashioned as the famous Chanel camellias which is such a subtly cool touch of house history.

Obviously, this isn’t the kind of look you can create at home, but I am once again seeing some possible extensions in my future because the ponytail I’m sporting today now feels desperately inadequate.

The Chanel couture show in Paris yesterday was set amongst giant replica perfume bottles of No. 5 and couches for those in the front rows (nice touch!)

The hair was absolutely stunning from all the pictures we’ve seen (more to come on that later) but the standout theme was back panels and short/long proportions.

Style.com has the whole collection for you to peruse and they’re not sure Karl quite lived up to his past few outings—which may be true in terms of major drama.

But all in all we rather like what he showed, especially this look on Edita. And we’re definitely on board with those lace tights.

“Remember when I said Joe Biden was ushering in Middle East chic? Well, I think Riccardo Tisci was listening. Glitter, burkhas and ball gowns” -Derek Blasberg tweeting from the Givenchy couture show. Stripped down at Dior, covered up at Givenchy? Interesting.

In the Trenches: Sasha and Malia are about to cause another round of skyrocketing coat sales at J. Crew - this time of the khaki trench variety. {Politico}

LVMH Making Moves? Christian Lacroix was spotted at the Givenchy show just after his own (perhaps final) presentation. Tongues are wagging that the Arnaults might just step in to save the house. {FWD}

If She Could Turn Back Time: Holy photoshopping! Britney Spears looks like it’s 1999 in these shots for Candies. We bet she wishes she could revisit that past too. {StyleWatch}

Who’s the Man? The chicest of the chic stay at the Ritz in Paris. This guy makes their loves run smoothly while they’re there. {W}

This picture comes straight from Elle Creative Director Joe Zee’s Twitter at the Christian Lacroix couture show in Paris. And we have to agree with his tweet, “How can a man who designs THIS stop designing? Again, fashion injustice!”

That is one heck of a beautiful creation. Here’s what else Joe had to say (er Tweet?) about the rest of the collection before heading to Givenchy in a sudden rainstorm.

“The mood may have been somber and the clothes black but it was still pure French sophistication at Lacroix. Magnifique ca!”

“Even the shoes were quiet and restrained at Lacroix where he reinterpreted the classic Belle de Jour pump with the square buckle.”

“You can’t help but shed a tear for Mr. Lacroix as he receives a standing ovation for what could be his last s …”

There may be some investors interested in saving the company, but it’s not looking good.

It’s the Monday after a holiday weekend. I’m bummed that I’m not in Paris watching couture shows and spending evenings at the Meurice. And I miss Britt.

You know what makes everything just a bit better…puppies! Seriously, it’s true. Sure they may not be the answer for all that is failing in our economy, as seen in this funny sketch. But they do make us smile.

Modelinia’s slideshow of the day features the girls (Miranda, Gisele, Maggie) we love to watch walk and the pooches they walk every day.

And you know what? The afternoon just got a little better. Give it a try, we think you’ll like the results.

Oh how we wish we were in Paris to see these couture confections in person. But we’ll just have to settle for the internet with most of the rest of the world.

The first pictures we’re seeing look as delish as we expect from Mr. Galliano (showing at Dior’s famed headquarters on avenue Montaigne)

We can’t wait to see the collection in its entirety but already we’re liking the various states of dress (and undress, especially sans pants). And of course the hats.

What are your first impressions?

Picture This: There’s no video yet from Vanessa Bruno’s short film, just stills. But we’ll take Lou Doillon any way we can get her. {Fashionologie}

And They’re Off: Recession be damned, there will always be couture. Even if Anna isn’t there to watch it happen. {FWD}

With One Notable Exception: A “restructuring” plan has effectively wiped out most of the jobs at Christian Lacroix. {WWD}

After seeing the Richard Avedon fashion photography exhibit at the International Center for Photography, our love of fifties glamour is revived. We especially love the circle skirts that give volume to the models’ slim frames.

The fifties have certainly never disappeared from the fashion spotlight but what’s being accentuated of late, however, is the hips - going back to the Balenciaga S/S 08 runway or Galliano’s Lisa Fonssagrives-inpsired couture with its armor-like hip plates.

But it seems that the shoulders had to take their turn first.

Now that we’re all more than a little sick of that Balmain jacket, the hips taking center stage, quite literally in some cases.

Sasha and Carine brought the look to the beach and the past two nights, Beyoncé sang and danced in a gold Thierry Mugler leotard with padded hips at Madison Square Garden.

Seeing as this is an area of the body that often causes loads of female insecurity, do tell us, would you ever try out this look?

—AMANDA JEAN BOYLE

Reader Jen found this familiar looking pink and orange dress by a brand called Single on the Cusp website. (In case you don’t live in one of the few cities with a Cusp it’s basically Neiman Marcus’ answer to Barneys Co-op.)

Anyway, since she was so obsessed with the Christian Dior resort original that Eva Mendes wore to the house’s Spring 08 couture show, she placed it immediately.

And since that picture ran everywhere for months, because Eva looked drop dead amazing, it’d be kind of hard for anyone remotely into either fashion or Eva not to realize that it’s a total rip of Galliano’s fitted-on-top, poufy-on-the bottom sherbet creation.

Yes, you’d have a hard time finding the original Dior a year later, but that doesn’t mean you should spend $300 on the copy.

“When Valentino Garavani released a statement categorically denying that he had anything to do with the design of his former accessory designers’ first collection for the label, perhaps it was because he knew what was going to come down the runway today.” - Fashionologie, on Chiuri and Piccioli’s first couture try at Valentino.

“Luxury is for the rich, not the nouveau riche.” - Karl Lagerfeld, to Derek Blasberg backstage at Chanel couture, on Style.com.

If you had any thoughts that Valentino being left in the hands of the house’s longtime accessories designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli was something the higher-ups would try to sweep past as quickly as possible, think again.

The pair’s first collection as (temporary?) creative directors for Valentino - Spring 09 Couture which hits the runway tomorrow night at 6:30 local time - will be streamed live at three different Valentino boutiques in Paris, Rome and Milan (obviously, we’re betting it’ll hit the internet, too).

Valentino’s promising that the streaming aspect will add an “urban and sophisticated, dreamlike and digital dimension,” which is quite a change of pace from last season’s Facchinetti couture, which was widely described as “quiet” and “graceful”.

So does a celebrated entrance mark the beginning of the new longstanding tastemakers at Valentino? Guess we’ll know by Thursday morning - Valentino’s people will certainly make their true feelings known.