As H&M gets older and wiser, their collaboration launches get bigger and better.

Stella McCartney launched her line with a Gwyneth Paltrow and Dita Von Teese attended bash in an old schoolhouse, Matthew Williamson rocked a ship in the Hudson River with Grace Jones and now, Sonia Rykiel will celebrate her collection for the Swedish mega-brand with a parade and runway show in Paris on December 1.

It’ll be in the Grand Palais, home to Chanel’s runway blow-outs, and feature both the lingerie, debuting for holiday and the knitwear which launches next spring.

No word yet on who will sit front row, but given the star power of Sonia’s 40th Anniversary bash, we have big expectations. And with Lara, Caroline and Anne in the ads, we expect big models, too.

—PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY KOST

For some reason, I had big expectations for Fashion Fringe.

Maybe it’s because some super cool designers have emerged from it and I thought I might see the next big thing. Or it could’ve been because Tom Ford was a judge and I have a huge crush on him. But it could be because when I walked in, the front row names read: Jerry Hall, Georgia May Jagger, Dita Von Teese, and Princess Beatrice.

But in the end, it was about the clothes. (Well, sort of. I did get a huge kick out of seeing Emma Watson end up in Jerry Hall’s seat and next to Dita. And it was kind of amazing to watch Donatella Versace walk straight into Faran).

The competition included four designers. The first showed an all-white collection inspired by Sarah Jessica Parker which sounds doomed for failure but actually ended up the winner (Eun Jeong Hong’s line, Go By a Secret Path). The second featured super cute, super wearable brightly colored dresses. The third went on print overload with more than a little Miu Miu influence. And the fourth, well the fourth kid was banking on Donatella’s vote and showed a parade of vampy dresses set off with dark lipstick.

Do I think I saw the next Chris Kane or Gareth Pugh? No. But I had fun.

I got to Earl’s Court fifteen minutes before the Vivienne Westwood show was scheduled to start in anticipation of masses.

I didn’t, however, anticipate being crushed by papparazzi once inside. I can’t be sure whether they were violently snapping pictures of Dita Von Teese’s heaving chest or Pamela Anderson’s obscene breasts, but they definitely weren’t interested in demure Emma Watson across the way.

The show opened and closed with Jourdan Dunn, and Daisy Lowe awkwardly sandwiched in between. British superstar Alexa Chung, (seriously, she’s like A-list-movie-star-famous over here), took a surprising turn on the runway, too. And for the record, she walks like Lowe’s complete and total opposite - give her a few more inches and a bit more attitude, and she’s right up there with Trentini.

Meanwhile, the clothes. Think The English Patient meets classic Vivienne Westwood. Then think Velvet Goldmine meets classic Viv. Oh, and the model without a shirt? I won’t tell you what to think.

Going to one of Westwood’s shows was a major moment for me - so please excuse the shitty pictures - I needed to soak it all in without digital camera interference.

During a transitional period of my life, I enjoyed a brief stint as a wardrobe stylist for Playboy magazine - also known as the most ironic job ever.

It was probably the most fun job I’ve ever had - deciding which frilly pieces of lace went with which table top, kitchen counter, couch, pool table… you get the idea.

Believe it or not, naked girls have been popular since long before Dita - but they haven’t always been “in fashion.” But now I can name a handful of lingerie designers (it’s funny to think that Kiki didn’t even exist three years ago) who one-up plenty of designers on the runway, and even mega-store Sephora now has a pin-up campaign.

Lingerie’s been on the mainstream mind since Marc’s Spring 08 show, since burlesque took over the LES, since Kate Moss for AP, since that Playboy France cover shot by Karl - but I’ve been taking notes since puberty.

So that’s why I’m so excited to see lingerie and pin-up get their due with a real-life fashion model - continue after the jump to see Anouck Lepere, and witness just why Playboy France might soon be getting more fashion props than Vogue.

— JAZZI McGILBERT

Dita Von Teese is performing for Cointreau tonight, but if you can’t get into that party (at a tiny little Boite on the Lower East Side), take heed:

There’s another burlesque act in town and it’s open to all.

Lord & Taylor has imported the cast of Gypsy to their Manhattan store this Thursday at 6 for a little performance.

The party commemorates Lord & Taylor’s recent revival of their coveted Rose symbol, and we suppose it’s appropriate since Gypsy’s having yet another revival on Broadway as well.

Still, we wonder exactly what kind of performance can happen in a public and family-friendly department store…

Especially since it won’t be happening in their lingerie dressing rooms! Ah well.

“I’m just an old-fashioned, shy girl” - Dita von Teese, to the Daily Mail.

Before the grandiose Erickson Beamon birthday necklace gesture of Gossip Girl ‘07, we had no idea people actually cared about Erickson Beamon.

Britt recalls from her days in retail that the hideously overpriced costume jewelry would sit untouched for months, only randomly purchased by total randoms. In fact, the only time she ever touched any of it was when it needed fixing - the polished rocks (yes, actual rocks) were known for falling from their settings a bit too often.

So we were a little surprised that last week’s big accessories news was a tame SJP outfit topped with a mélange of mismatched Beamon baubles, for which we hope she was dearly paid.

And today’s first e-mail pitch? “Media Alert: Dita von Teese wearing Erickson Beamon!” from the Phillips de Pury party.

Somebody over there’s working overtime to get glass and plated gold that starts at $700 a pop on everyone’s mind - the question is, who’ll be paid next for a red carpet plug? Paging Rihanna…

If you love Dita Von Teese (and it’s really amazing how many fashion people just love Dita Von Teese) then pay attention:

The stripping starlet is in town, and she’s going to be very, very busy.

This week, she hosts her Buy a Nude auction at Phillips de Pury for charity, with one lucky bidder getting to pose with the Louboutin addict in a custom portrait.

Those not invited uptown might want to crash the Lower East Side next Tuesday, when Dita performs at the Angel O. Foundation for Cointreau liquor and their cheeky “Be Cointreauversial” campaign. To promote it, the drink brand sent giant feathered fans to Manhattan media insiders as their invitations.

And finally, if you have some sort of a beauty hookup, perhaps you can invade the National Arts Club, to have dinner with Dita and M.A.C…

Maybe she’ll ride a giant lipstick in glittery underwear again?

We know Dita von Teese loves to wear Dior couture for those times when she’s wearing clothes, and she definitely sat front row at the show, but we have to admit we had no idea she’s the star of the house’s next ad campaign.

At least that’s what it seems like if the video at left can be believed.

Surprisingly, we’re not so into the close-up of the sunglasses, but the rest of the shoot seems like a fresh departure from their previous ad landscapes.

And yet still, somewhat of a shock.

We’ve struggled with this question for a while now.

The word “corset” usually makes us think of the word “tacky”. But this spring, when everyone’s wearing their underwear as outerwear, we wonder if we’ll be seeing tiny, laced waists and heaving breasts walking past us on the street.

Women’s Wear Daily profiles Mr. Pearl today, corset maker to Gaultier, Dior, and of course Dita Von Teese. He says, “To me, a corseted body, with the shape of the indentation at the waist, is beauty in extreme; it represents absolute femininity.”

We agree, so long as it’s done correctly. This is one trend that requires a significant investment if it’s to be worn well.

Please do not buy a corset from Victoria’s Secret and wear it with jeans; stay away from H&M’s lingerie section or you risk looking like Lindsay Lohan pre-Rachel Zoe. Explore the look with Vivienne Westwood or Kiki de Montparnasse etc.

The look can be head turning if done subtly and on the right occasion, but a poor quality corset made of cheap satin and lace would be disastrous.

So would you wear one?

Lingerie companies tend to feature the same women over and over:

Agent Provacateur and the yummy mummies; Victoria’s Secret and the super tan, super tall beauties.

Now, Wonderbra has revealed its newest collaborator (first collaborator?) - Dita von Teese.

Dita will design a line of 1940’s-inspired lingerie, to be sold first in France and the UK starting this September.

Even though this pairing actually makes sense to us, we think it’s pretty funny - Wonderbra is, after all, best known for bringing the push-up bra into popularity, which Dita has truly owned in everything from cabarets to giant martini glasses.

But since no one seems to have any idea where Wonderbra is actually sold (we’re not even sure we’ve seen one in person - we didn’t even realize it was still a company until this news,) we’re betting this collaboration will launch then disappear quickly. In which case, check Overstock in October if you’re looking for a good deal on new underwear.

January’s W may center around a cold interview with Hilary Swank, but it also boasts a very warm, very striking 1970’s inspired editorial.

We read it on our flight back to New York from California, and we almost screamed for the pilot to turn the plane around so we could dress like this every single day. The clothes, the hair, the bags, the sunshine!

We’ve always been the first and most enthusiastic to embrace retro glamour - we’re the only one in the office obsessed with Dita Von Teese and we were Bettie Page for Halloween to everyone’s confusion - but when it comes to actually getting dressed in the morning, we acknowledge the possibility of going too far.

We’re just not sure where the line is - A blousy silk top with flares and wedges might be a costume to some, but for us it’s just toeing the line between Spring ‘73 and Spring ‘08. Is the addition of a denim vest too much? What about a floral headscarf?

It’s standard to mix and match something vintage with something modern, but sometimes we have fun creating an entirely retro look. We just wish people wouldn’t ask us if it’s Halloween when we do.

Since the look of the 1970’s has always been our favorite, we’re loving the return of wedges and can’t wait to see the Halston revival.

Is there an era of clothing that designers have not yet revived that you emulate? Or do you stay away from retro, afraid that you might look, well, tired?