Sarah, Buyer

Got Her: Rushing in and out of the bathroom pre-Guy Laroche at the Louvre.

Stalked Her: Because I couldn’t believe my eyes, was that a mom in Balmain?

Shot Her: Isn’t it obvious?

She Said: “I am a buyer for the department store Detail in Korea, and everything I am wearing is Balmain, except the t-shirt. It’s just a t-shirt. Oh, and the necklace is Erickson Beamon.”

We Said: This is multi-tasking at its best.

—REBECCA SUHRAWARDI AUSTIN

Settled: Woody Allen asked for 10 million, but this morning settled for 5 from American Apparel. {NYPost}

Smells Like Guinness: Daphne Guinness revealed her new perfume, made with Comme des Garcons, at the George in London yesterday morning. A short film will accompany its September launch, because nothing sells without a film apparently. {ShowStudio}

Alice & a Milkshake: Stacey Bendet, of Alice & Olivia, says a McDonald’s Big Mac and strawberry milkshake are her favorite meal. She’s also working on a jewelry collaboration with Erickson Beamon. We believe one of those things. {Blackbook}

So Far So Good: Isobel Lucas in Vanity Fair - the best showing of SS09 Chloe we’ve seen yet. {VanityFair}

Showroom Seven did what every smart showroom should do - open a retail space, Beyond 7, underneath their offices at 27th and 11th to sell the designers they represent.

The store, which opened a little over a month ago, houses lucite racks hanging with Tony Cohen, Issa, Benjamin Cho, Andy & Debb, Jillian Lewis, Elise Overland (they might not rep her, but they still love her) and of course walls and walls of Erickson Beamon jewelry (Showroom Seven was founded by Karen Erickson, Erickson Beamon’s designer).

The best part, aside from the rare guitars, are the one-of-a-kind pieces their designers make just for this space. As in, you can buy a dress by someone who sells everywhere but still be the only one wearing it. And if you’re lucky, one of the major stylists and personal shoppers who spend their days pulling from Showroom Seven will be around for an honest opinion.

Given the abundance of galleries in the neighborhood, they’re doing their best to embrace the arty side of fashion with rotating exhibits, book readings and dance performances.

Also, Seventh House is going forward with nine whole runway shows which gives us confidence that somewhere out there some people are ok.

We’ve talked about publicists getting carried away when Z-list stars wear their client’s product, but what about when the product itself is Z-list?

As in, even if a major celebrity who this time around is worthy of their celebrity, wears something by your in-need-of-press client, there are some occasions on which you might want to keep the exciting news to yourself.

Like if, for example, Rihanna were to wear an eye patch. And not just any eye patch, but a Swarovski crystal eye patch that matched the crystal chains hanging from her neck and the unidentified spikes on her shoulders. And if Rihanna were to wear said eye patch on stage despite the fact that she’s not in need of an eye patch and has two well-functioning pupils, you might not really want the press to cover it.

Because though we’re the first to jump on the fashion fantasy bandwagon be it McQueen’s capes or Gareths’ rubber bodysuits, we don’t really think the world’s in need of Swarovski crystal eye patches right now, and we don’t think you really want customers to identify you as the brand who made Rihanna’s sparkly eye patch.

Unless of course you do. In which case, rock on.

Fact: Michelle Obama loves to wear Thakoon on TV.

Fact: Thakoon’s collection for Target comes out Christmas Day.

Fact: Michelle Obama loves to wear Erickson Beamon on TV.

Fact: Erickson Beamon just scored a Target collection of their own, hitting stores the day after Valentine’s.

Future Fact: Maria Pinto for Target?

Doubtful.

But Michelle sure has the high/low down, doesn’t she?

Have you ever heard that saying, “champagne taste on beer money?”

We think that must be tagged on the wall of the Urban Outfitters meeting room, because they keep getting normally high price-commanding designers to make cute and (more) affordable versions of their aesthetic for their stores.

First, it was Bing Bang with Bee 23, in stores this Fall. Then, they announced a cheaper range from Erickson Beamon, available right now in the UK.

And now? A line from Luella, in UK stores this month (and hopefully in US stores soon after), which already seems to resemble Luella’s regular accessories range also in stores this month.

Vogue UK tells us to expect “paisley print prom dresses, gypsy embroidered shirts, striped Ts and studded clutches,” but we’re betting there’ll be some stiff navy blazers with notched collars and bright yellow piping (maybe with studs for cufflinks) in there, too…

It looks like Urban Outfitters thinks we all need inexpensive versions of expensive jewelry for this year -

Last month, UO announced that it would exclusively sell a lower-priced line from Bing Bang, to be called Bee 23, starting this Fall.

Now, Erickson Beamon’s revealed that their own more affordable line will be available in Urban stores first, as soon as the end of the month, in the UK.

The Erickson Beamon line will range from £88 to £288, making it by far the most expensive jewelry to ever hit Urban Outfitters, ever, even though it looks a bit like the work of a BeDazzler and hot glue gun, at left (though we think for Urban Outfitters, that’s actually kind of cute.)

Let’s hope Bee 23 is more in line with UO’s general prices.

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…