—PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY KOST

You know a show’s bad when you can’t wait for it to be over, especially when it’s only seven minutes long.

Unfortunately, that’s the way Matthew Williamson went yesterday. It wasn’t all his fault though. The ridiculous heat - sweat poured off front row faces including Olivia Palermo, Cecilia Dean, Twiggy, Yasmin LeBon, Leigh Lezark, Aliona Doletskaya, Michael Roberts and Jodie Harsh - was hard to stomach. Kind of like Williamson’s attempts at tailoring.

So far, he’s built a pretty solid business over the past few years with his haute gypsy, running off to Ibiza look. It includes lots of long flowy dresses, mirrors, colour and hippie dippy frocks often without shape and still eye-poppingly expensive.

His marketing’s genius, Sienna Miller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Plum Sykes, Jade Jagger et al, are his best friends, campaign stars and constant photo companions so he was, essentially selling a dream lifestyle, rather than clothes, which is quite easy to buy into.

But this year, Mr. Williamson decided to tailor which was, we agree, long overdue. And yet it didn’t work. You can’t just add a structured waist and a cupola sleeve without changing everything else that needed changing, i.e. Ibiza happy prints and weird houndstooth which is what came down the runway.

In fact, the final piece, a silk maxi dress, had beauty pageant written all over it, which is probably the worse thing you could say about a collection.

—A LONDON FASHIONISTA

About halfway through day two of Fashion Week, the rain showed no sign of letting up, but the nasty weather didn’t stop the crowds from pouring into Milk for the Preen show.

The beloved Brit label’s front row held Alexa Chung, Cory Kennedy, Leigh Lezark, Trish Goff and and a bundle of editors. And even though I chose to puddle-hop around town in flat boots, it’s pretty clear that nothing will come between the Vogue-ettes and their Proenza heels.

The show opened with a series of moody and monochromatic looks in black, gray, and white before including hints of neon yellow and hot pink - I loved the yellow shoes! - until they finally showed fully hot pink jumpsuits and dresses.

Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi had a ball with texture. It wouldn’t be a Preen show without some lace, but they used ruffles, rosettes, laces and coral-like poufs to build depth into their dresses.

It was pretty clear no one would see the sun today, but the brilliant colors at the Preen show made my day a little bit brighter.

—ALYSSA VINGAN

Another Tuesday, another round of fashion parties. Not that we’re complaining. A few of the highlights:

- Drinking Budweiser (at the Tommy Hilfiger/Paper Magazine fete to celebrate the mag’s new Rebranding America issue) and listening to John Mellencamp made us feel very American, in a good way, which we suppose was exactly the point. But where were the pigs in a blanket?

-Random guest side note: Matthew Modine, our long-ago crush from Vision Quest and Gross Anatomy, looks way older than we’d like to remember him.

London says Leigh Lezark is Matthew Williamson’s new muse.

The DJ, who recently posed for Mango, is signed to IMG. And while she and her fellow Misshapes continue to DJ fashion shows and parties all over the world, Leigh has been spending more and more time in front of the cameras this year.

Whether Sienna Miller’s gotten too old for the gig or is just too busy playing muse to sister Savannah, she’s definitely been less associated with Williamson this past year and Leigh has taken over, posing in a number of Matthew’s H&M looks lately.

She’ll have to work hard to inspire Matthew’s upcoming collections, accompany him to events and lend a rock n’ roll edge to a label generally worshipped by those of the boho-chic persuasion.

As for Leigh’s outfit choices…in spite of her penchant for the prettiest, but always black clothes…this makes so much more sense than Hogan or Mango. Keep the high fashion coming.

We discussed the fate of Hogan earlier in the week when Tod’s S.P.A. announced they were closing their downtown store and moving uptown.

Their downtown image, one cultivated through ads starring Leigh Lezark and Elettra Weidemann, wasn’t quite working - so above 14th Street they went.

And of course we wondered who’d star in their new uptown ads. Someone said they’d tell us but they’d have to kill us, but then someone else told us. Hogan’s Fall 09 ads will allegedly star: Paz de la Huerta, Annabelle Dexter Jones, Rachel Chandler, Sam Hayes and Nate Lowman. Also, someone named Theo, we’re thinking Richards, and a Josephine.

Now we’re lost because it doesn’t really get more downtown than Mary-Kate Olsen’s artist boyfriend and the Ronsons’ baby-sister - unless this person’s constructed a super elaborate list to throw us off.

But, no, it is real and Hogan is confused.

Hogan, Tod’s cooler, younger sister, is closing its downtown New York store in June.

The lifestyle brand says it wants to move uptown and the current economic climate has finally given them access to the kind of space they need.

A spokesperson told WWD that Hogan’s the largest growing brand within the Tod’s family and that they need to move uptown to launch their new retail concept and solidify their customer base.

What it doesn’t say is that the line was supposed to be downtown’s answer to Tod’s, that making Leigh Lezark and Elettra Wiedemann the face of the brand was a very calculated move to attract a customer whose eye is more focused on the Phillip Lims of the world and that it’s not quite working so they’re heading uptown where people actually wear Tod’s loafers and actually look like Gwyneth Paltrow.

So our question is, who gets to star in the new ads?

—PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY KOST

I held on tight to my Nina Ricci invitation all day.

Hard invitations are gold in Paris - no invite, no luck - and I wasn’t going to miss Olivier Theyskens’ last Nina Ricci collection for anything.

Unfortunately, my cab driver, or the traffic ahead of us, didn’t care that I had to get there, and so, at 7:27 I bolted out of the car and ran, desperately looking for a familiar face or anyone significantly underdressed for the Paris cold. Finally, I stumbled past a very serious security gate and into my seat with seconds to spare.

Paparazzi descended upon the front row, a hippie-headbanded Milla Jovovich was sandwiched in between Carine and Lou Doillon (side note: Earlier today, an editor suggested that I remind them of Charlotte Gainsbourg to which I almost actually said, “I die” out loud. Time to stop quoting Rachel Zoe in my head and time for said editor to get glasses), with Leigh Lezark and Emannuelle Alt on each end. Five camera flashes and the lights went out, a model started walking and the music clicked on - in that order.

The clothes were gorgeous, of course, but the shoes were literally breathtaking. The ball of the foot rested on at least a five inch platform while the heel ascended another few inches, without an actual heel which made it look like the girls were floating on air. Gowns came with giant sheer black ruffles, hot pink and turquoise glitter and beaded floral trains. The red jacket and long skirt caused the audience to spontaneously combust in applause mid-collection (something I’ve never seen, Natalie once at ThreeAsfour) though front-row grins lingered for the duration of the show.

Though I’d corrected at least three people throughout the day, “But it’s not confirmed that he’s leaving! He might make it!,” there was no questioning Olivier’s wave good-bye and the enthusiastic but sad standing ovation.

Last night, I came to terms with the fact that talking to Matthew Williamson is about as close as I’ll ever get to talking to Johnny Depp. And I think I’m ok with that.

He sat front row at Sienna and Savannah Miller’s show at some place called The Dairy. We walked down a long gravel path into a champagne and cigarette smoke-filled tent before entering another tent for the super small show.

The British designer and friend to Sienna sat next to Roisin Murphy who sat one seat away from Alexa Chung, a few down from Leigh Lezark (where’d she come from?) who talked to Lydia Hearst.

According to the program, the collection was inspired by Jean Luc Goddard and Charlie Chaplin. According to us, it was inspired by Sienna Miller. There were waistcoats, skinny jeans, super cute girly dresses that were beyond short (and I’m a huge fan of short). The show ended with colorful sequins or beads (I couldn’t really tell) over thin black jersey shirts and dresses. Jourdan closed the show with the sexy sparkly dress at left.

And you can add the chunky studded platforms to the list of awesome shoes taking London Fashion Week by storm.

—PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY KOST

Chanel Iman’s on the sure-to-be-mind-blowing episode of Gossip Girl - the one where Serena throws an amazing party and everyone shows up.

It’s the same episode in which Patrick McMullan takes pictures, the Misshapes look miserable and this guy got in trouble with the producers for trying to drink booze in Dan’s fake room.

So now we’re wondering, will there be other models present? Other fashion people? Between Leigh (who we hope hope hope gets to make eyes at Chuck) and Chanel, the show’s obviously on a mission to up its high fashion cred.

Also, this means Chanel’s at least sort of into the idea of being on TV, which makes the rumor that she’s set to co-host House of Style with Bar Rafaeli a bit more believable.

That’s a lot to think about - and it’s only Tuesday.

—PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY KOST

It says something about a designer when the front row is full of notable buyers but lacking in especially noticeable press.

We’re not sure of its official meaning, but we’d guess it’s something to do with the designer making clothes women want to wear instead of striving to produce the next great editorial gem.

So it makes sense that Anne Valerie Hash’s collection actually looked comfortable despite its beauty. She twisted jersey into all sorts of sexy knots for yes, more jumpsuits. Lou Doillon, who sat front row with Leigh Lezark, will probably throw one under her leather jacket within the week.

And if you happen to be in the market for a metal mesh vest or tank, Anne’s got you covered.

—PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY KOST

Those much anticipated Gap ads have finally debuted. Well, sort of.

Division Street just posted four: Chanel Iman, Georgina Chapman, Lily Donaldson and, unexpectedly, Julia Restoin-Roitfled.

We love models, duh, but Carine’s daughter wins this one.

Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for the ads featuring Leigh, Liv Tyler, Hugh Dancy, Ryan McGinley and hopefully, despite what we’ve heard, Scott Schuman.

We love that Gap ads actually make us want to go to the Gap. Do you think Carine shops there?