Autumn Bottom: Whether fall makes you think of fashion or of crunchy leaves, both visions probably come in the same color palette. Hillary and Katherine take layering to the max in their fall fashion editorial. {WWW}

On the Job: Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, former director of special events for Vogue, just landed a new position. She’ll be the director of Fashion Week for Lincoln Center when it moves in September 2010, “consulting on internal and external coordination between Lincoln Center and the fashion industry.” But the question is, who can she steal back from MAC? {FWD}

Still Haunting: Alison Sarofim’s Halloween party brings out fashion’s best and brightest. This year’s theme was downtown New York circa 1980’s; Marc and Lorenzo were dutifully costumed while Valentino opted for a spot-on Valentino look. {VanityFair}

Joy to Your Feet: Loeffler Randall’s resort collection just landed on their website this morning. Jessie Randall found inspiration in the children’s book Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni and you can also find the booties from Costello’s show. {LoefflerRandall}

Lady Gaga may talk about starting a clothing line and she may pop up in front rows, but now she’s landing real fashion work (or as real as can be expected from Gaga).

Yesterday, the Daily Mail leaked photos of her Hello Kitty campaign. The pop star wears stuffed kittens and too much glitter in honor of the Japanese brand’s 35th Anniversary. The images will also cover special editions of her album (which’ll be sold with locks of her hair).

And now she, with Cyndi Lauper, will front the new MAC Viva Glam campaign.

The annual project sends 100% of the profits from MAC’s $14 Viva Glam lipstick to their AIDS Fund (which has raised over $150 million since its inception in 1994). This year’s campaign launches on February 25 and the lipstick goes on sale March 18th.

We can’t even fathom the launch party for this one.

Makeup for spring is almost always lighter and dewier than its fall counterpart. But one of my favorite trends so far is the use of pastel and Easter egg shades, but in a totally non-precious way. I’m not usually one for light purples, pinks, blues, and greens in beauty. But I’m truly starting to think about them in a new light.

Hints of the purple hair streak trend had already popped up in editorials before Jack and Lazaro sent them (and green too) down the runway at Milk. The shimmery mix of shades at Derek Lam even feels slightly rock star, in a Jem and the Holograms kind of way. And the robin’s egg blue at Luella is simply cheeky and downright fun.

I’ve only just now switched into my dark and moody fall black and bordeaux phase (current obsession: MAC Resolutely Red) but I’m already excited to try something outside my normal comfort zone this spring.

Also, does this trend not have Drew Barrymore’s name written all over it?

As I made my way into the St. Regis on 55th St. for my backstage appointment at 11:45 (the show was called for 12), Karlie and Lakshmi were just running in, on their way to hair and makeup. This rain is seriously making everything even later than usual. Ick.

But inside, it was all kinds of glorious and pretty. Jason obviously has a thing for hotels (his resort show was at the Greenwich Hotel) and it makes for a much lovelier backstage setting than the tents. But it’s still totally chaotic. There were like a thousand video cameras around Jason as he finished final touches on looks and they were in the way of me seeing the clothes, so I made my way over to hair and makeup.

Lucia from MAC told me that Jason’s girl this season is cute and sexy, but slightly raw (see: visible stitching on some pieces). And he’s loving the Tim Burton-type girl, pale skin and major lips. And that’s certainly what he got. The girls had three variations: a bright berry matte, a black currant matte, and burgundy reddish brown with a bit of shine. All this paired with fresh, glowy skin looked like a ridiculously better looking version of what I attempted this morning. Aveda’s Odile Gilbert pulled hair up into a ponytail for weaving in pieces of black fabric in a criss cross pattern. She swears it should only take 10 minutes. I’m not wholly convinced but it does look super cool.

On my way out, I peeked at as many outfits hanging in wait for the show as I could (along with the test shots for the girls’ dressers). I was very much liking what I was seeing, especially the metallic touches on dresses and the feathery details. And there was definitely one knit top/skirt combo that has MObama written all over it.

Shared the elevator down with Siri as she searched valiantly for some food. Apparently there was a catering truck outside. But wouldn’t room service have just been easier?

The first solid details on the tentatively titled MAC at Milk shows we’ve been talking about since the cosmetics company decided to end its partnership with IMG leaving Maybelline to jump in as the official makeup sponsor at Bryant Park.

And the initial list of designers signed on for events at Milk Studios is very, very strong: Proenza Schouler, Alexander Wang, Peter Som, Threeasfour, Vena Cava, Band of Outsiders, Adam Lippes, Altuzarra, Barbara Tfank, Costello Tagliapietra, Erin Fetherston, Pamela Love, Preen and Temperley London.

All that buzz was right (as usual), MAC’s officially out at the tents, marking the first major SS10 Fashion Week announcement, and Maybelline’s officially in.

This season, one of two left at Bryant Park before IMG pitches its tents uptown at Lincoln Center, will be orchestrated by Maybelline’s global makeup artist, Charlotte Willer. She’ll lead the backstage teams for all the shows at the tents which, this season, includes Erin Wasson x RVCA.

Sounds like Milk Studios is going to become one of our most-visited locations come September and New York Fashion Week.

WWD reports this morning that MAC, the usual cosmetics sponsor in the tents, is negotiating to sponsor shows at Milk instead.

This is an interesting development as MAC makeup teams typically create looks for more than 60 shows during any given season. And they bring the best key artists in the business with them.

Milk is a great venue and one that has hosted many a fashion event, and show, in the past. It will be interesting to see who jumps ship from the tents and goes with MAC. Will it simply be smaller designers? Or will any of the bigs head to Milk too.

So I know that many of you were annoyed with me when I told you about the nail polish collaboration between MAC and manicurist Jin Soon Choi without showing you the colors.

But now we can finally give you a look at Nail Trend F/W ‘09, which is available starting August 27th.

My favorite switches every time I try a new shade. Though right now, I’m rather partial to the khaki green. But as I said before, what I like the most is that they actually feel new.

Which one do you like best?

This week of fashion parties continued with last night’s celebration of Ruffian’s new book, Ruffian Inside Out.

Though the book, written by Style.com’s Executive Editor Nicole Phelps, officially launched in April, we’ve been loving it since their AW09 show in February. Jamie Isaia’s photographs of Brian Wolk and Claude Morais are basically fashion porn.

Thus the party was a celebration not just of the book, but of the talented designers themselves. John Demsey, Group President of Estée Lauder, played host, even offering up his own home for the night and we spotted everyone from Simon Doonan and Rachel Roy to MAC ûber makeup artist James Kaliardos.

MAC has a special relationship with the brand and the book — they created a limited edition, just-for-Fashion-Week, not sold in stores lipstick shade for the Fall 2009 show called Ruffian Red, (which Britt obsessively rocked throughout Fashion month) that they so generously handed out again last night.

I also got a sneak peek at those fabulous Jin Soon-created polishes we mentioned last month and I can tell you, judging by the gorgeous orchid shade I saw, the collection is going to be fantastic.

—MEGAN MCINTYRE

Last night we ventured into the gray and misty New York night and headed over to the Steven Kasher Gallery for the opening of photographer Miles Aldridge’s first solo exhibit in the US.

We’ve long been fans of the hyper-pigmented, fetishistic sexy work. But seeing it in large format in one space is well worth a trip over to the west side (the show runs until June 20th).

Some of the sketches that he uses to work out shots beforehand are also on display. We love when you can see an artist’s process and longingly wish we were close to that visually gifted. We highly recommend investing in the monograph Miles Aldridge: Pictures for Photographs.

After the opening MAC Creative Director, James Gager, hosted a little dinner at Trestle on Tenth for Aldridge, who’s been collaborating with the cosmetics company for three and a half years. We were bummed that Aldridge’s wife, Kristen McMenamy, wasn’t in attendance. But Anja Rubik, Simon Doonan, Jonathan Adler, and Patti Wilson made it all better.

Being a former beauty editor, I obsess over skin. Not just my own but others that seemed to have perfected the art of making it look, well, perfect.

I also fully admit to being a Paltrow junkie, so do forgive me if you are not.

But I don’t think anyone can argue that in this shot of GP at a Coldplay show over the weekend, her skin looks much like that of a fresh-faced young twenty-something.

Obvi, we realize that she’s got all the money in the world, and a beauty contract to boot. But I have recently discovered my own little product combo that definitely knocks at least a few numbers off my 33 years in the form of MAC’s Prep + Prime Line Filler and Skin products. They were tested out by the MAC artists during the last round of shows and garnered super high marks.

And I now literally can’t walk out of the house without putting them on.

Try ‘em out and I swear you’ll notice an instant difference and your natural skin tone shines through, freckles and all.

Anyone else have any favorite tricks/products to share?

Last night we got a sneak peek at the fall collection of nail polishes from MAC and let us just say that we’re certain we’ve never been this excited about painting our nails.

The collection is a collaboration with editorial nail guru, Jin Soon Choi. This is a woman who refers to Steven Meisel as “my man” and has also shot with Irving Penn, Annie Leibovitz, Craig McDean, and Michael Thompson.

Now, we’ve been sworn to secrecy for the moment (that’s not one of the colors in the photo), but promise you will not be disappointed when we can finally reveal the delicious shades. They’re edgy, editorial and incredibly chic.

I don’t know much about beauty.

I’m a wash my face and go kind of girl, after three swipes of mascara at least, but I’ve always been slightly obsessed with liquid eyeliner. But despite all of the brands I’ve tried - MAC, Nars, Dior, you name it - I’ve never been able to perfectly apply both lids in under ten minutes.

And so this weekend, while roughing it at a friends house in the woods, I was confused when she emerged after three minutes in the bathroom with perfectly applied cat-eyes. “Um, excuse me,” I asked, “how did you do that?”

“Bobbi Brown liquid eyeliner gel,” she said. So I bought it Monday morning, on my way to work no less, and have been using it these three days and love it so much that if I was the kind of girl who carried make-up in my purse, this would be the make-up.

It’s insanely easy to apply and it stays pitch black all day. Also, it doesn’t move - I know this because I furiously rubbed my eyes from exhaustion yesterday and it was still there afterward.

So if you’re already addicted to it, great, if not, check it out.

Zandra Rhodes, the fuchsia-haired eccentric British designer, is designing a capsule collection for Marks & Spencer.

Zandra says, “I’ve always found prints are so easy to wear they don’t show marks very much, they make you feel wonderful. It’s great to see my things out and I can’t wait, I can see people wearing them with big hats!”

So of course the line, swimsuits, silk dresses, caftans and jumpsuits plus lingerie and accesssories, is covered in brightly colored prints. And everything’s priced between $9 and $130, you can buy it online or in stores starting May 7th, which means pretty much anyone can get a piece of the legendary Brit woman.

Zandra, who was the star of the British fashion industry in the 70s fell off the radar for a bit before resurfacing with a full runway collection in 2006 and then a collection with MAC, a tribute to her own colorful make-up ways and a shout out in Influence, where Mary Kate mentions she’s obsessed with collecting vintage Zandra caftans.

But vintage Zandra bathing suits? These are a much better option.

Looks like the r-word hit the runways harder than we thought. I heard the term “DIY” batted around backstage so much it had me wondering if next season we might see models backstage with lash curlers and cans of Elnett in hand.

The smoky makeup at Chris Benz and Anna Sui along with the hair at Jason Wu, Rag & Bone, Wren and Miss Sixty were all fashioned to look as if the models had done it themselves. At the Twinkle by Wenlan show, MAC’s Gregory Arlt took the inspiration quite literally, letting some models curl their own lashes to get his “50’s girl on a first date” look.

Good news for those of us trying to recreate these straight-from-the-runway looks at home, not so great news for beauty pros if some designers actually decide to take their words at face value and let the models do their own thing. While I doubt the reality of that particular scenario, you never really can be sure. Stranger things have happened at the tents.

—MEGAN MCINTYRE

Mention Ruffian to anyone in the fashion industry and they’ll squeal, “Oh my god, I just love those boys.”

So maybe it’s because of that or maybe it’s because they always use stellar models that their show is such a good time. Once I stopped eavesdropping on front row conversation - “But I don’t understand Tom Ford! For the price of one blazer you can get two suits made on Saville Row!” - the intimate show started.

Brian and Claude were inspired by Paris this season, or “the aesthetic archetype of New Yorkers in Paris and the French romanticism of Americana” which came through in their point d’esprit hosiery, nipped jackets and silky dresses. There was silence when Arlenis popped out from behind the curtain and a quiet clap for Vlada’s jacket. Ikeliene got to wear sequined leopard print and Liu Wen rocked ruffled cuffs.

I loved the clothes - but I spent most of the show coveting the red lips and towering Louboutins and jumped for joy when my gift bag held a tube of MAC’s Ruffian Red lipstick which I promptly applied.

Let’s just say it was a very happy Valentine’s day - thanks boys.

MAC’s teaming up with Hello Kitty for a winter collection of make-up and random accessories including key chains, bracelets and tote bags.

There will be two separate cosmetic collections, Hello Kitty Colour Collection and for the brand’s more mature customer, Hello Kitty Kouture because they need to reel in the kids who have an extra twenty bucks to spend on lipgloss as well as the moms who’ll spend $90 on something called Sheer Mystery Powder that comes in a white Swarovksi crystal Hello Kitty compact with a pink bow, (assuming they exist).

Though fashion’s had an awkward relationship with Hello Kitty for some time, see Japanese Vogue May 2007, it always seemed more like a silly joke than an actual marketing ploy, like Star Von Bunny but recognizable to those outside the industry.

Will women above the age of thirteen really spend a lot of money, (because the price points for this partnership are significantly higher than MAC’s usual), for “glitter eyeliners because she loves anything that twinkles?” She, of course, is Hello Kitty, whom you probably think is a cat but is actually “the face of a girl without a mouth, [who] speaks from the heart.”

And if you think that’s strange, Nick Knight shot the counter visuals featuring blonde models with black vinyl Hello Kitties for an overall “dominatrix” look which we suppose is meant to reel in an entirely different customer.

MAC’s 2007 Barbie collection sold out in minutes, almost, so our sarcasm is probably unwarranted and the collaboration will surely fly off shelves despite the tanking economy and despite WWD’s weak outlook on beauty sales and despite the Swarovski crystal overload.

Though we’ll never understand how or why.

Even though we write and build a website, we’re not the most technologically advanced group.

We’ve been having a hard time wrapping our minds around Twitter - more than one person has tried to explain it but it still just sounds like one more way to stalk and we don’t think there should be anymore ways to keep tabs on someone you haven’t spoken to since high school.

However, MAC will be “Twittering,” or is it “Tweeting,” backstage from over 175 shows from New York through to Paris.

“For the first time, our MAC Senior Artist Team can give instant, detailed insight into what happens backstage, all in real-time,” said a rep.

This means constant model updates, make-up tips, action shots and the most inside scoop you’ll probably ever get unless you plan on walking the Prada runway anytime soon.

You can subscribe to the Twitter widget, whatever that means, on MAC’s Facebook page. Come to think of it, this could actually be useful if you are in fact trying to stalk Coco, no?

MAC is teaming up with Ungaro’s Esteban Cortazar for fall.

It’s the second “from the runway” collaboration for the make-up giant, after partnering with Alexander McQueen last year. (They don’t count Heatherette because their make-up wasn’t based on anything runway related.)

The Ungaro colors, set to debut this fall, will feature a “softer palette of delicate shades of pinks, blues and lilacs” said MAC make-up artist Sharon Dowsett, “It’s a colorful collection but very transparent so you don’t have to worry about overdoing it.”

Sounds pretty, but we still don’t understand limited edition designer make-up. Unless Pat McGrath’s in your bathroom every morning, armed and ready with liquid eyeliner, you’re not going to look like you walked off a Parisian runway, no matter whose designs inspired the color on your lids.

Still, if we had our pick, we’d love to see someone partner with Luella - can you imagine the pink lipsticks and glitter eyeshadows?! Maybe Stila can give her a call once their Marchesa shades sell out?