Thanks to the magic of television, I’ve seen Rachel Zoe die after Diane von Furstenberg told her “she’d become the woman she’d always wanted to be,” and watched Whitney Port stare blankly as the fashion icon dished out invaluable career and relationship advice. Now, thanks to Teen Vogue’s Fashion University, I’ve heard DVF for myself.

As the program’s keynote speaker, Diane walked out to so many flashbulbs that she had to tell her overly-eager audience to cut it out and listen. Here are some highlights of her lively, inspirational speech.

1. She takes pride in understanding women. Diane believes that clothes should be like close friends: “When you’re standing in front of the closet in the morning, and you feel like shit, you should go for the reliable one that makes you feel good.”

2. She always has a camera with her. Her close-ups of leaves, bark, or anything else she finds beautiful in nature can end up a pattern in one of her collections.

Who won big last night at the CFDAs? Here’s the full list:

Womenswear Designer of the Year: Rodarte’s Laura and Kate Mulleavy
Menswear Designer of the Year (tie): Calvin Klein’s Italo Zucchelli and Band of Outsiders’ Scott Sternberg
Accessory Designer of the Year: Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCullough and Lazaro Hernandez
Swarovski Award for Womenswear: Alexander Wang
Swarovski Award for Menswear: Tim Hamilton
Swarovski Award for Accessory Design: Justin Giunta for Subversive Jewelry
International Award: Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton
Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award: Anna Sui
Eugenia Sheppard Award: Women’s Wear Daily editor-in-chief Ed Nardoza
Eleanor Lambert Award: GQ’s Jim Moore
Board of Director’s Special Tribute: First Lady Michelle Obama

All For One: Happy Memorial Day. We’re embracing the one piece this weekend. Perhaps you should too. Oh, and it’s a half day here at Fashionista, so we’ll be outta here earlier than usual. Have a good one. {StyleFile}

Girls On Film: The Mulleavys muse about movies. Just when we thought it wasn’t possible to love them any more, they go and namecheck Pinhead. {LA Times}

Treat Yourself: Just click. You won’t be disappointed. Unless you’re the kind of person who doesn’t enjoy a deliciously tan Chuck Bass. And if that’s the case, there’s nothing more we can do for you. {Jezebel}

Great Scots: Who will reign supreme in the Scottish design world? Our vote goes to Jonathan Saunders. {VogueUK}

We had a semi-rude awakening Saturday morning when we caught a glimpse of Britney’s new album cover on Jezebel.

She looks healthy and happy, sure. And maybe we can’t stop humming “Womanizer,” (though we’d attribute that more to Chuck Bass than the songstress), but the pink Rodarte dress kind of knocked the wind out of us. From Alyona on Spring 08’s Runway to Britney on the front of something called “Circus?”

We wondered:

1. Did Britney buy the dress at Barneys last spring and save it for the album cover?

2. Or, more likely, did a stylist buy the dress and give it to Britney for the album cover? Because then we’ll wonder which stylist she’s working with. Rachel Zoe works with Keira Knightly, one of the few celebs ballsy enough to wear Rodarte, but would Zoe work with Britney?

3. Are the Mulleavys secretly huge Britney fans? Which would mean, and this would rock our fashion world, that they actually loaned her the dress.

4. Does Britney know what Rodarte is? If so, will she dutifully sit front row this February?

If you have answers to any of the above, inquiring minds, (that means us), want to know.

—BRETT KANE