Last season, one couldn’t squeeze into a show without being knocked around by a pair of expensive shoulders. Though the Balmain or Margiela or any shoulder interpretation of the two have stuck around here and there, SS10’s featured a healthy crop of anti-shoulders so far.

Designers ranging from Richard Nicoll to the team at Topshop, from Australian Josh Goot to the Brooklyn based Vena Cava girls, haven’t just ignored shoulder pads, they’ve actually cut out the shoulders of their tops and dresses. Julien Macdonald placed extra larges slits at the shoulders of his slashed dress and Osman Yousefzada cut the shoulders out of a handful of looks in his all-white collection.

Will it knock its opposite off the runways? All eyes on you Carine.

I’ve been salivating over shoes this week.

At yesterday’s Josh Goot show, I literally had to hold myself to the chair so as not to grab the two-toned platform wedges off the models’ feet. I’m not even sure if they were suede or slightly furry leather, but I want them alongside my imaginary collection of Charles Anastase stompers, Charlotte Olympia for Krystof platforms, Basso & Brooke elf shoes, Vivienne Westwood bondage sandals and everything else that I dream about.

The dresses and suits that went along with the shoes were pretty, too. There were two parts to the large collection: The first was a grouping of clingy, pinkish-beige and black, two-toned dresses, and the second made up of ruched pieces in what looked like a paint-splattered print.

Basically, I walked away from the show thinking about shoes and about how lovely it would be to be 5’10” and 110 pounds (ok, not really) so I could wear skin-tight nude dresses.

Australians are making a big splash in fashion this season.

Josh Goot, Richard Nicoll, and Jayson Brundson all showed strong collections for spring, Catherine McNeil is on every major runway, and Gemma remains a campaign queen.

And now we’re charmed by down under designer Fleur Wood.

We can’t get enough of the way she combines highly tactile materials, so what could be just a simple layered outfit becomes an adventure in texture!

It’s been a while since we braved the world of velvet, but seeing this combination of high-waisted velvet skirt and satin camisole got us back on board.

We love the idea of wearing the luxe materials in a laid-back thrown-together outfit, so it doesn’t look too much like a costume from a Merchant Ivory flick. You know?

—ALISON COOL

Here’s a fun bit of runway news for you Thom Browne fans:

Despite the fact that it’s the Spring/ Summer ‘08 collections, Thom’s Thursday show is made of over 70% wool.

His lightweight merino comes from Australia, as does his show money:

This year’s sponsor is Australian Wool Innovation, a group that supports Oz sheep farmers and promotes their products around the world.

Melbourne man Josh Goot is also an AWI partner, but this marks the first time an American designer has paired with the company down under in such an official way.

The move is also good for Thom - more money means more clothes, and more ways to join his herd…

Christopher Kane is cooking.

After debuting a second successful runway collection, and getting editorial press with the speed of Lance Armstrong on flat pavement, Kane launches a cashmere line next season with Johnstons of Elgin.

The Scottish wool company will provide the raw materials for Kane and his design team, promoting the Scottish wool industry and keeping Kane’s business within his home country - and lowering his carbon footprint by reducing shipping.

The move reminds us of Josh Goot’s partnership with Australian Wool Innovation, the Oz alliance of sheep farmers that got a big boost when Goot made an entire collection of Aussie merino wool.

Their coupling even extended to Josh’s Target range, though Christopher Kane’s new cashmere will probably cost as much as his other clothes (and that’s a lot).

Still, investing in Christopher Kane cashmere is far less daunting than buying one of his leather dresses - and unless you’re Carine, you’ll get a lot more wear from your new Scottish sweater…

Last year, Josh Goot took over the windows at Henri Bendel.
This year it’s time for the MisShapes.

In celebration of their new photo book, the trio - Geordon Nicol, Leigh Lezark, and Greg “The Other Guy” Krelenstein - will deck the halls at Henri Bendel, where giant print-outs of their pages will be displayed on the first floor, starting in late August. The skinny style icons will also curate the window displays, and host a party at the department store to launch their latest project in mid-August.

But maybe what’s most interesting about the whole thing is this idea:

Giant photos from a grimy downtown party will line a glittery uptown boutique that’s stood for old-school luxury for over a century.

It seems like the tables will be turning because these kids hit the turn tables…

Erin Hawker, publicist and stylist

Got Her: At the Whitney Summer of Love ball

Stalked Her: Because it’s a fine line between a fashion party and a costume party, and Erin straddled it with gusto (and gorgeous orange Gucci pumps)

Shot Her: Because Proenza and Josh Goot have played with color block patterns in recent seasons, but wearing them off the runway takes some guts, some patience, and the right hemline (which Erin demonstrates should be above your knee, unless you’re Lily Donaldson).

She Says: “It’s a Lisa Perry dress. I saw the invitation for the party, so psychedelic, and I said, let’s really go for it… I dressed my friend Chris [Constable] in a tunic from Allegra Hicks, so I’m not alone!”

We Say:
Tune in. Turn On. Dress Up!

There’s a fun debate happening in Australia, where their designer golden boy, Josh Goot, is launching a Target range.

The issue isn’t whether a young designer should have a mass market line - rather, it’s that Josh’s Target collection looks thisclose to his actual runway clothes, which cost about five times the Target range.

There will always be arguments about quality and fit, but if you were choosing between a Crayola green tank dress for $400 and a Crayola green tank dress for $30… for most women, it’s not that hard to pick.

Josh’s Target line won’t be available in the States, but his actual clothes are sold in Henri Bendel. His Spring collection is particularly gorgeous, and the silver dresses especially seem worth the investment - unless the shipping costs from eBay Australia get reduced…

Nicole Richie is about to arrive in Australia, and with her comes this rumor from the Oz fashion set:

If a designer - or a sponsor - can pay Nicole enough money, she’ll come to their show.

We’ve witnessed a celebrity get money for a Fashion Week appearance before.

The first time it happened, we were shocked. By the sixth time - when a major male pop star was courted by a sportswear label - our only surprise was how little the check would be.

According to our sources, who once tried (and failed) to hire Nicole to host their cosmetics party, the starlet costs about $30,000 per appearance.

Regardless, we have total faith that if Nicole does attend Aussie Fashion Week, it’s because she believes in the emerging design talent down there. The first time we met her, she was wearing a Roland Mouret dress (and was gorgeous in it).

Nicole would look just as incredible in something by Lisa Ho or Josh Goot; hopefully she’ll swing by their showrooms in Sydney to play dress-up.

For love, of course, and not for money.

Here’s a fun leak from the Bravo office, accompanied by a tip from our gumshoe JM:

It seems our beloved Project Runway will start a little later than planned. This means you have to wait longer for your Tim Gunn fix, and we have to wait longer to erase the memory of Michael Knight’s trash-tastic runway.

It also means the rumors of a shallow talent pool might be true - how can you air a show that hasn’t yet been cast?

We adore Project Runway and hope the right contestants have found their way to Parsons, but just in case they’re still looking, here’s an idea:

Why not get some real designers to do a Project Runway All Stars edition? Though Michael Kors once told us he’d win the show if he ever entered, we’re dreaming of some hot up-and-comers -

Vena Cava, Ben Cho, Josh Goot, Karen Walker, Ashleigh Verrier…

Oh Bravo, please!

from left to right: Fabiola Beracasa with Ali Kay and Ali Wise, music video director Andy Carlson, Mena Suvari, Paris Vogue’s Michaela Dosamantes, The Freja Mural flanked by a Calvin party boy, designer Josh goot