I have to admit, my fall/winter wardrobe is looking pretty drab. I’ve been trying to find a way to brighten up my monochrome closet, preferably with one or two pieces that really make a statement.

That said, over the last few weeks I’ve noticed an emerging trend that’s perfect for what I am searching for, though I find it a bit perplexing. Vivid Navajo and tribal prints seem to be popping up everywhere, but I can’t figure out which is the way to wear it best.

Opening Ceremony is carrying a selection of wool, Navajo print items in unexpected shapes that make them look fresh. I love how the mini-skirt is styled with simple black tights and boots, allowing the color to really pop.

In case you’re in Berlin tonight, and in case you’re curious about Iekeliene Stange’s photography-related pursuits, you’re in luck, because her first Polaroid-only exhibition, “I Like Ponies,” gets feted with an opening night party by projektGALERIE at 7pm local time.

Entrance is free (even for the party), and the pictures stay up through January 31st (more details here).

On a side note, projektGALERIE’s blog includes some interesting information: That Iekeliene is so serious about her work, she’s considering moving to Berlin full-time in order to concentrate on her art.

So does that mean less face time with the Dutch model for the fashion world? …

Recipe for style.com success:

Step One: Include hilarious picture of Iekeliene making Dutch pancakes.

Step Two: Throw in “Amy Sacco’s spinach dip” recipe available on the back of the Knorr’s vegetable soup mix box. (I know, because my Mom has made it for every holiday and superbowl for as long as I can remember)

Step Three: Find several recipes with bananas and kale.

Mix. Stare at it for 20 minutes.

—BRETT KANE

Mental notes at Karen Walker:

- Is endlessly whining that you didn’t pack an umbrella the new thing?

- I love Lynn Yaeger’s hair - how come her and Mickey Boardman are always sitting together?

- Faded leopard prints, oversized everything, Conehead-esque straw hats - and oddly, this is making me excited for Spring…

- Ohh, love all the glasses. Definitely one of the better accessories aside from the rope necklaces.

- Do those rope necklaces actually weigh more than the models?

- Gift bag = Karen’s lookbook and pom pom tights…

- She’s trying to bring crimped hair back, but a little more brushed out

- These clothes are like the best combination of your boyfriend’s clothes, great tribal prints and some girly finishes

—ALEXANDRA BEN-GURION

If you read your news online rather than in paper form, you might have missed Iekeliene Stange for the Pulse part of the New York Times style section.

Check her out in what she calls her “gypsy princess outfit”

Best quote: “I just ordered a harlequin [catsuit] on the internet.”

Last night’s unveiling of Banana Republic’s Fall 2008 Holiday/Fall line was like a lot of other fashion week shows, except in April.

It started twenty minutes late, PR girls everywhere, editors pretending to ignore the free champagne, assistants in standing room only - the Vogue girls even held court from their first and second row seats, just like the good old days of February.

The clothes were, of course, perfect Banana Republic - cozy coats, elegant dresses, a muted color scheme of mostly blacks and grays.

But we think the real standout of the night was the models. Not only did Iekeliene walk for the label’s 30th anniversary, but we fell in love with a new girl, too -

Meet Arlenis (she’s so new we don’t even know her last name), a newbie at Marilyn who’s not only rumored to be involved in the already infamous Vogue Italia set to drop this July, but who’s also a favorite of COACD.

Every time she stepped out on the runway, eyes stopped staring in the direction of the clothes, and went up to try and figure out where in the world this girl came from.

Can’t wait to see what she walks in September…

Last year, Topshop revealed their highest group of website hits came from their MySpace page.

This year, they’re using their online fan base to its full advantage.

Today we got an email from The Arcadia Group, also known as TopShop’s parent company, saying they had a new online press person whose only job is to get images, samples, and scoops to the internet media.

The idea makes sense, since TopShop is a youth culture company, and if you’re under 30 (and not Amish or in med school), you basically live online.

But it’s impressive to see that such a major financial force is taking the rumblings of highly unqualified blogs like us into their fold, and also their consideration, and realizing that it’s not just market pages and celebrities that drive sales.

Although, that photo of Iekeleine Stange in the striped Topshop dress from last month?

Hello, we’re still waiting for our order to arrive in the office.

A lot of models like to make claims like, “Modeling is just how I make my money so I can pursue my real passion - photography” (paging Janice Dickinson,) but it turns out that at least one current model may actually mean what she says.

Iekeliene Stange doesn’t just take photos to work out her wrists, they actually end up in magazines like Muse, Japanese Harper’s Bazaar and The Room for all (ok, some of) the world to see.

She’s currently taking black-and-white photos of the backstage madness during Paris Fashion Week, all of which will be, according to her, “from my perspective.”

According to WWD, she plans to show an exhibition of her work, which covers several seasons of fashion, at a London gallery.

This is actually a little bit funny - Iekeliene did everything possible with her body language to ward off photographers snapping pictures of her getting ready backstage during New York Fashion Week. When they were either too nice or too important to ignore, she would contort her body in a weird pose giving a face like, “Happy now?”

But maybe it’s different when you’re a model yourself?