The International Herald Tribune’s hosting a conference in Berlin right now.

Techno Luxury’s the theme and Christopher Bailey, Jefferson Hack, Claudia Schiffer, Tomas Maier, Natalie Massenet, Frida Giannini and Prada’s Tomaso Galli will take turns speaking and answering questions about new technology’s effect on the fashion industry - blogging, twittering etc.

Top quotes (via Twitter of course) so far:

Federico Marchetti: The Marni online store is already the biggest store they have in the world. —Business of Fashion

Natalie Massenet says fashion bloggers contribute to 5% of Net-a-Porter’s sales. —Bryanboy

Massenet of Netaporter says that 25% of sale are returned. But as the store is in “every city in the world” that is not so bad. —The Moment

C[hristopher] B[ailey]: From Facebook, we understood how many of our young fans were entering the Burberry brand through fragrance. —Business of Fashion

You can tweet questions for Claudia Schiffer @IHTluxury right now - she’s up in two hours.

This morning brings a boatload of news in the digital and iPhone application world. Gucci’s launched their free app which includes personal playlists from Frida and Mark Ronson, a feature where you can play DJ and mix your own beats, and of course lookbooks and news from the design house.

Every week seems to bring another designer entering the application marketplace, but props to Gucci for consulting with Mark Ronson to give theirs a bit more individuality. And, hey, it’s free.

What won’t be free is the application that Condé Nast is launching for GQ in mid-November for $2.99 on iTunes. WWD reports that it will be a fully-translated version of the magazine, and also offer up a wide range of new platforms and possibilities for advertisers. The technology that created it was actually developed in-house at Condé, will be used across other titles, and can be adapted for any sort of e-reader that comes along. (We’re assuming that means Barnes and Noble’s The Nook, which was unveiled yesterday and even has a fashion spin with designer covers by Kate Spade, Jack Spade, and Jonathan Adler.)

Smile & Nod: Erin Wasson might like grunge, but prep pays the bills. She’s all smiles in J.Crew’s fall catalog. {J.Crew}

Word Up: A collection of fantastic quotes from Tom Ford, including his senate ambitions, his tailored Fruit of the Loom and the difference between a Gucci and a YSL woman. {Guardian}

Oh Boy: Penn Badgley tells Cosmo that he likes his women to dress “simply”. You know, like in “plunging v-necks” and “thigh high boots”. Sweater dresses are good, too. This editorial, however, is creepy. {Cosmopolitan}

Designer Facebook: Gucci’s launched their own social networking site, Eyeweb, to promote their new sunglasses; Frida Giannini even makes a cameo in one slideshow. There are only two models for now, but more to come, and more colors, for spring. {Grazia}

Bananas for Anna: We’ve had a crush on Anna Friel since Pushing Daisies, now she’s playing Eliza Doolittle in London’s West End. Here, some of her best looks. {ElleUK}

You know how there are movies that you have to watch through to the end every time you catch them while flipping the channels. Almost Famous definitely tops that list for me.

I would so have loved living on the road with Penny, William, the girls, and Stillwater. And, of course, I would have been there because of the music. But the clothes, also right up my alley. I’ve always been especially fond of Ms. Lane’s jacket with the furry collar and the way it just envelops her in bohemia.

The International Herald Tribune just confirmed Claudia Schiffer as on of the speakers at their super prestigious annual conference on luxury, this year being held in Berlin.

This year should definitely bring some interesting ideas to light as it focuses on the role that technology and how new types of marketing and branding affect the luxury sector. And, of course, with the economy in the state that it is, there has never been a more important time for creative ideas.

Christopher Bailey, Frida Giannini, and Tomas Maier will also be speaking, along with some super big wig CEOs.

Jacquetta Wheeler’s the new Gucci girl.

Sort of, she was the face of Tom Ford Gucci ten years ago, but the British-born, New York-living model’s been in campaigns more Lord & Taylor and Banana Republic these past couple of years. Her most recent high fashion campaign was Ralph Lauren in 2005, but Frida Giannini got swept up in London’s energy while in town to re-open Gucci’s Sloane Street store and wanted a real life English girl for her Fall 09 campaign.

Jacquetta joins the more traditional Gucci girls Natasha Poly and Freja, as well as Raquel Zimmermann who at this point is a given for pretty much every campaign.

Frida really wanted to capture the London spirit so Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin are shooting the campaign in a studio in North London.

Rihanna’s landed a major international campaign.

While Chanel, Prada and Louis Vuitton are re-living the 90’s, Gucci’s chosen the twenty-year-old pop star to front their new ad campaign for UNICEF just six months after her lauded performance at Gucci’s fall fashion week bash.

Rihanna, who’s posed for Clinique Happy, Covergirl and H&M’s “Fashion Against AIDS” campaign, will star in “Tattoo Heart”, a collection of ads for the children’s charity in which she’ll wear limited edition Gucci for UNICEF pieces.

Frida Giannini hand picked her because she, “felt a musician and a beautiful woman was the perfect icon for this campaign.”

True. And we’re all for a good cause. But is it wrong that we worry she’ll be contracted to wear Gucci on every red carpet and abandon the up and coming labels she’s been so good about supporting?

Stylists, take note!