Wearing socks with sandals is usually listed near the top of any fashion don’t list.

Last fall, everyone welcomed tights with open toes. But it looks like spring’s headed in an even less practical direction pairing socks, whether ankle or knee high, with your favorite sandals. You can do it with platform wedges a la Topshop or Burberry, flats like Marni, shoe booties like Wang and Charles Anastase or studded party shoes like Louise Goldin.

Marc’s fall 06 show was the last time we even considered trying this (though alas, we aren’t Karen Elson), but we’re still not sure about its resurgence for spring.

That Girl: So Juliette Lewis might not be starring in that Erin Fetherston flick, but red-haired Columbia kid and musician Reni Lane is. {Nylon}

Chanel-o: Karen Elson’s already shot Chanel’s Cruise ads with Baptiste Giabiconi and Karl behind the camera. She’s got the wig, the high waisted not-pants and the jewels. We’re jealous. {Modelinia}

Goodie-Nude-Shoes: Around this time of year we consistently wish we could change the shade of half the shoes in our closet from black to nude. So for your shopping wish list, enjoy. {FabSugar}

We produce models as fast as we can, given the fact that you guys steal them away within months.`

We’ve recently lost Agyness, Daisy, Alexa and Karen, so thank goodness our model machine keeps churning out new faces.

Meet Amber Le Bon, daughter of Yasmin and Duran Duran’s Simon LeBon. The combination of her mum’s legs and her dad’s rock star appeal is thoroughly British. And she’s still too young to leave us. It’s no wonder she’s just signed contracts with high street store River Island and Myla, the lingerie brand whose recent ads starred your Lydia Hearst.

Thanks in no small part to her mum’s enviable Alaia collection, she stood out at last night’s Hogan party, even while surrounded by the likes of Beth Ditto, Giles Deacon, Savannah Miller, Lily Cole and Katie Grand.

—CHARLEY B.

Under normal circumstances, if I get to a show and someone is sitting in my assigned seat, I let it go and take the next one over.

But if I get to Chanel and everyone’s name is written in impeccable calligraphy and my nameplate happens to be next to Brad’s, as in Rachel Zoe’s assistant, then I am fighting for it.

And so, after a heated discussion in the best French I could muster, I took my seventh row perch (the Grand Palais offers fancy stadium seating, about twelve rows) and wondered how to start a conversation with Brad and his red bow tie. But then I read that Kate Moss was front row, got flustered, and before I could decide if I should search for Kate or talk to Brad, Karen Elson was in front of me in black and white tweeds and a whirlwind of models stormed the glassy catwalk.

Sasha, Stam, Freja, Angela, Eniko, Vlada and company wove their way in and out of the labeled doorways, sometimes not so gracefully, in their Edwardian collars and ruffled cuffs. The collection took a turn toward the playful in the middle with pink and green knit accents - tights, bags, ribbons - on the mainly black and white collection. Jourdan carried a 2.55 encased in plastic, Lara wore a giant pink cream puff sweater and Jessica Stam’s ensemble was hip Miss Havisham.

And of course Karl threw in two healthy doses of Sebastian and the boys for good measure.

At the end, trap doors opened from every doorway and out hopped Karl in his sequined blazer smirking, as if to say, “You did not expect me, no?”

The surprise end, maybe not. But these clothes? Definitely.

British fashion photographer Tim Walker’s just confirmed that he’ll branch out into film in 2009.

He’s the man behind most of Vogue UK’s fairytale-like editorials and a major contributor on Nick Knight’s ShowStudio. You know this almost iconic image of Lily Cole and the December 08 spread starring Karen Elson and Tim Burton.

His short film will debut this spring with a follow up feature length film slated for Fall 2009. No word yet on plot lines and characters but we do expect fantasy and would love for Gemma to land a role.

Between this and Tom Ford’s movie and Vogue’s Sundance debut, fashion’s officially crossed over.

We’re not usually so struck by a magazine cover. We see tons of them all the time, and besides, the ads (with actual models) are always so much better.

But Vogue UK really hit the mark with their upcoming September cover, and we’re smitten.

1. Karen. Need we say more?

2. The total absence of coverlines including words like “diet,” “botox,” “boyfriends,” etc.

3. The words “shoes,” “handbags,” and “international collections.”

4. And the best part? The way Karen’s golden red hair signals “Fall” even better than that close up of Prada’s Fall lace.

Thanks, Vogue UK. No shame in holding this one high on the subway.

It’s only been 2 1/2 months since we broke the news of the July Vogue Italia that’s now sold out through advance orders in most New York newsstands - and we’re already on to the next.

According to The Imagist, the August Vogue Italia’s cover will feature Linda (again?), Guinevere van Seenus and Karen Elson.

In case you’re curious about what comes after the most famous magazine issue that we haven’t even seen in person yet.

The April issue of W Magazine features a 60 page photo essay on New Orleans shot by Bruce Weber.

We’re dying to see the whole spread - but we’ll have to make do with this adorable video of Karen Elson swaying to Louisiana jazz in a very vintage living room.

The video’s called “Karen’s Boogie”; in it, she gracefully dances in the highest, most beautiful heels like only a supermodel can.

If we could only look this cool dancing around our apartment.

Karen Elson - pre-fall at Zac’s Fall Show

Freja, Coco, Irina, Chanel - Just posing pre-Posen…

—PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY KOST

For more, check out RoidRage.

Karen Elson fell during the finale of the Zac Posen show, about four hours ago.

She was wearing a long and winding dress with fabric splayed out like a slinky run over, and she looked absolutely incredible… and then she just kind of dropped.

After the five seconds of gasp, whisper, snap, Karen gracefully pushed herself back up to standing with a huge smile on her face and kept walking.

The audience burst into massive, booming applause, and then came the finale.

Karen Elson, you’re damn cool, and we salute you.

Caroline, we know Fashion Week is insane…

But please pull out someone else’s hair…

Yours is too pretty…

—PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY KOST

For more, check out RoidRage.

We’re kind of obsessed with the Polaroid camera we bought last month. It takes awesome pictures and works as an amazing conversation starter - try bringing it to a house party where you know there are cute guys…

But now there’s another camera we have to have.

It’s from Meg and Jack White (yes, the musicians), who paired with The Lomographic Society, a global photography organization, this month. The rockers helped create reproductions of the Diana and Holga cameras, from the 60’s and 80’s respectively. These snappers have a cult following - just like the White Stripes! - and take pictures that are “dreamy,” “radiant” and “cinematic”.

The new models come in signature White Stripes colors - black, red and white, and they’re only available at Colette.

We love the thought of a rock-n-roll camera that takes pretty, romantic pictures -

But will Karen Elson be our test model?

—BRITT ABOUTALEB

Do designers care how they look backstage at their shows?

It would be silly to think not.

With a throng of photographers tracking their every move, and major brands watching to see the season’s hot stars, it’s crucial that the runway look its best but the designers should probably try, too.

Our favorite example this week is Zac Posen, who just got his hair cut at the Bumble & Bumble salon. His stylist, Michelle Fiona, also coifs for Karen Elson, Jack White, Sarah Sophie Flicker, and Zooey Deschanel.

And now it’s a little clearer why Zac always looks like a movie star…

Today Karen Elson welcomed her new son, Henry Lee White.

When we saw that Yahoo announced the birth, we thought:

Wow! It’s great that Karen’s getting so much love from the press. She’s so cool.

And then we remembered, oh yeah, she’s married to a guy who fronts a little band…

Called the White Stripes.

Congratulations to Karen, Jack, and big sister Scarlett Teresa!

—ANNA FIELDING GRIGGS

Our tipster LH from Michigan writes:

“Forever’s done it again!”

Indeed.

Though their knockoff of the Anna Sui top at left isn’t quite as ruthless as their previous steals, it’s still awfully close in shape, color, and trim.

The Anna Sui top retails at Anthropologie for $290…

Forever 21’s goes for $19.80

Sadly, we don’t want either - only Karen Elson could pull off a print like this…