photo courtesy WWD
Katie Hillier, the creative genius, or accessories designer, behind first Luella, Giles, Stella and then Marc by Marc Jacobs has finally launched something of her own.

It’s the bunny necklace at left, yes she’s really only launched one thing, and it goes on sale at Dover Street Market and Colette this week.

The bunny, whose bottom half is basically a fancy safety pin, is made from 18-karat gold with a diamond eye and retails for $1,325 - probably three or four times the amount her “Daddy, I want a pony” belt sold for ten years ago so here’s hoping for a Katie by Katie Hillier line very soon.

photo courtesy WWDMoschino’s finally adding accessories to their bridge line.

The Italian house, parent to Moschino Cheap and Chic (which is chic, but not cheap), had Moschino Jeans up until last year, but now they’ve renamed it Moschino Love and put their money in the thing that makes money - accessories.

It sounds like they’ll have a Marc by Marc Jacobs-like price point starting at $165 and going up to $445, including wallets, bags, totes and clutches in leather, suede and canvas which “allows a younger aspirational customer to own a Moschino handbag at a more affordable price point.”

Which is, after all, the genius way in which every luxury brands reels in the almost-rich. We’ll take a heart clutch in every color please.

Overall, New York Fashion Week kept to a very neutral palette, but when color was needed designers went straight for neon yellows and lime greens to brighten their quiet visions of spring.

We spotted it at Jonathan Saunders, Brian Reyes and Marc by Marc, of course. But Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi of Preen, Yigal Azrouel and Clare Waight Keller at Pringle all paired their bright yellows with dove grey for a pretty fresh look that even I (I never wear color) would consider working into spring.

The Anna Sui show is always a party.

But this season, for some reason, lacked a certain spunk (and we don’t just mean the confusing empty boxes inside the gift bags). It had all the good models (though it missed Agyness), the brightly colored embroidery, the youthful influence, and a party soundtrack, but it was, as the person next to me said, “all over the place.”

Her backdrop featured circus tents and if my Twitter icon hadn’t suddenly disappeared off the face of my iPhone, I’d have tweeted three’s a trend. The circus was nowhere to be found in Sui’s clothes though, instead there were a handful of hippie references and school girl looks we’d guess we’re inspired by her Gossip Girl inspired Target collection - if that isn’t too confusing.

And yes, we know ideas get recycled from season to season and that Marc’s own collection screamed “Rei,” but I swear those metallic dresses were in Bleecker’s Marc by Marc window last spring.

—PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY KOST

Until we spotted Jordan Catalano and the Horrors took the stage at the Another Magazine party on Sunday night, Faran and I speculated about just how big Marc would filter down to little Marc.

It didn’t. Instead Marc channeled his collection for Louis Vuitton AW09, at least in the modified bunny bows over messy chignons. Poufy shoulders came in sweatshirt form instead of tafetta and he belted Cosby sweaters instead of camel blazers over mini skirts. Mixed prints ruled: plaids, polka dots, stripes in neon colors and super comfortable silhouettes. If you still haven’t found the perfect jumpsuit, Marc just sent it down the runway in emerald green.

As for the show itself, it was celebrity-less, fifteen minutes late and so much fun. For every twenty times we see her stomp in a fantasy outfit, it’s fun to watch Karlie walk down a runway in something we’d actually wear everyday.

And mega thanks to Holly at Nylon for knowing how to use my camera better than I (and to the Apple store on 5th for being open 24/7).

Dear Lady Gaga, will you please fill us in on your Fashion Week stamina secrets?

Over a month ago we reported the popstar was throwing a major after party with Marc Jacobs and V Magazine, on top of her VMA duties.

But today comes news of a third performance, at The Box of course, in honor of the new Givenchy fragrance, Play.

It’ll be hosted by Out Magazine and Patrick Duffy, featuring an acoustic set of her greatest hits. WWD says The Box is even bringing in a grand piano for the occasion.

And you thought the Marc party would be the hardest thing to crash this week.

Everybody’s been talking about Chairlift’s show at Saks this weekend.

And the four videos of the Brooklyn band wearing clothing and accessories from Marc by Marc Jacobs’ Fall 09 collection in which Chairlift members Aaron Pfenning, Patrick Wimberly and Caroline Polachek hang out in their native borough looking cool and making us jealous of their musical talents and attire.

New music, Marc Jacobs, and Saks is already a very exciting combo but that’s not even the best part.

As any fashion lover knows, dressing fashionably and dressing for the opposite sex are usually two very different things.

It’s a long debated argument, just who exactly to dress for, one we’ve even covered a few times, but today’s story in the Daily Mail got us thinking; while broad shoulders and draped bodices are hot trends for AW09, wearing say, a poof-sleeved, leather Louis Vuitton-shaped dress on a Friday night, isn’t the best way to rope in the dude at the bar.

Not that we expect that to be your number one concern, we just wonder how you balance your love of runway fashion with your social life. You probably don’t forego baggy Marc dresses or shredded Current/Elliots or massive Marni platforms just because the girl in low slung jeans and a white tank looks at you like you’re nuts or the guy you’re dating says, “You look like a cake topper,” - (true story) - but you also must shy away from being too fashion forward at some point.

The disconnect between fashionable and sexy can be frustrating, so how do you make it work?

This morning, we had breakfast with Don’t Miss the Marc, Marc Jacobs’ uber-bridge line.

As in, so bridge that everything costs under $200 and all the accessories - totes, wallets, super cute chunky bangles and necklaces - come in under $100.

You can get the clothes - striped leggings, denim tulip skirts, brightly colored t-shirts and even a coat or two almost everywhere you spot your usual Marc by Marc. The accessories, however, are only available in Marc by Marc stores.

The “Don’t Fret My Pet” girl, the line’s wide-eyed, black haired mascot is half-Emily the Strange half-Becca Moody. Or maybe we should stop watching Californication.

It’s no big revelation to be a Marc Jacobs fan, in this industry or otherwise. This, I know. But I have a confession to make, I am obsessed with children’s clothes. And especially those of Little Marc.

I don’t want to get all biological clock on you guys, but that may have a little something to do with it. Or the fact that I have a boatload of friends with kids that I find to be beyond adorable. And I like to spoil them. So, while yes, the price points on the clothes MJ makes for tots are kind of ridiculous, I still like to dish out the cash on gifts for the kiddos I love.

Today I’m hearing word of swimwear, and I like it a lot. Apparently the line draws a lot of inspiration from the Marc by Marc line. I like the sounds of this, a lot.

Georgia, 20 & Leah, 27, salesgirls

Got Them: Strolling through Soho on the perfect spring day.

Stalked Them: Wouldn’t you? They’re dressed kind of perfectly and we worship anyone who still manages to layer and look comfy come New York heat.

Shot Them: Because Georgia’s striped dress and scarf are a prime example of mixing patterns. And Leah’s silk Calvin Klein top was to die for, especially underneath her loose boxy jacket.

They Said: “We usually shop at vintage and consignment stores, but mostly we like to wear the things we get for free from work.”

We Say: You must have the best dressed office ever.

—MELISSA ELLIOTT

Ed. note/warning: This is an Adventures in Copyright post. If reading it will cause you to wish death upon us, please jump to the next post! xxB

Remember this Marc by Marc dress?

Yes, SS06 was a long time ago, but it was all over the press again after model Heather Bratton’s tragic death. (She wore it on the runway and it was the image accompanying almost every news story.) And now it’s back.

When we saw the dress at right on Nordstrom’s site (it’s sold out now) we thought it was actually the same dress. We thought it was weird that Marc was bringing the old print back after so long, but kind of cute because it really is such a great pattern and we really did love the dress.

But it’s actually by DKNY. Guess they didn’t feel the need to change the swirls of the roses, the size, the color scheme, the fabric, the price point etc.

They changed the sleeves though, that was nice.

—MELISSA ELLIOTT

Lindsay, 24, works at a digital interactive agency

Got Her: At the Tommy Hilfiger/PAPER Magazine Re-Branding America party last night, on the stairs.

Stalked Her: Do you see her shiny jacket? Everyone was stalking her.

Shot Her: Because she was wearing a giant flower purse, a shiny jacket, the pink Marc dress we’ve wanted forever and cowboy boots and still looked relaxed and adorable.

She said: “I saw this purse in Teen Vogue once and totally tracked it down. It’s from some totally random website out of like Ohio or something and I’m obsessed.”

We said: Shine on flower girl.

We have a question for the brand 5Preview.

And it has nothing to do with the pricing structure of a variation on a men’s white tee, because we could ask the Helmut Langs of the world that same thing.

What we’d really like to know from the company, which we found on IDon’tLikeMondays (we don’t either) is how are you basically plastering Chanel’s logo all over tees and using the Marc by Marc by Marc template and font on others?

There’s nothing sneaky about the interlocking ‘C”s and the recognizable format. And while No.221 isn’t No.5, they do add up. And even Marc’s tees are less than $87.

So they’re basically selling a $10 Canal street knock-off, packaged as a $129 “underground Italian sensation.”

We’re not buying it.

—CARSON GRIFFITH

Wang’s Non-Campaign: Alexander Wang’s one young designer who won’t be buying ad space anytime soon, his lookbooks are already pretty enough. {StyleFile}

Biba-licious: LOVE meets Barbara Hulanicki and the countdown to her Biba for Topshop collection officially begins. {LOVEblog}

Cover Girl: Emma Watson’s on the cover of May’s Interview. Sneak a read of her Derek Blasberg penned Q&A and Nick Knight shot images on their site. {Interview}

What credit crunch? London’s a hotbed of fashion retail growth.

This past week, Rick Owens and Marc by Marc Jacobs opened doors on South Audley street in Mayfair. And a walk down New Bond Street revealed workers near completion on Michael Kors’ new store, set to open later this month - all of which suggest both designer and brand faith in shoppers.

And if they’ll find that loyalty anywhere, it’s London. There’s a palpable difference between shoppers here and in the states. I spent a Saturday afternoon walking from Barneys to Bergdorf in New York just a few weeks ago. Racks of clothes went untouched and bored sales staff milled around. It was like a museum of clothes in which more than one salesperson told me, “No one is shopping in New York right now.”

But then I spent this past Friday doing some spring shopping in Harrod’s and the store was bumper to bumper, can’t-get-a-salesperson-to-help-you packed. Sure, London’s an international shopping hub, but so is New York.

Why, in the midst of this global economic crisis, do London’s stores feel like the circus and New York’s a mausoleum? And is the answer to that question the same as why designers continue to open stores on this side of the Atlantic?

—REBECCA SUHRAWARDI AUSTIN