And…scene. Boy, was this a painful season of PR. We’re not sure we can be convinced to go back for more. But we will keep you spoiler-free in the meantime.

1. Did you look at Heidi and think “Holy Pink!?”

2. Nina’s face at Irina during judging, who didn’t love it?

3. Really, that much black wasn’t a conscious decision? Really? It’s not necessarily wrong, but c’mon.

4. When you saw the black headbands, didn’t you just think Carmen Kass in every single Michael Kors show you’ve ever seen?

5. Were you mad when Tim didn’t reference Balenciaga re: the shoulders?

Crushed Leopard: Can a cast have a cumulative crush? Marie Claire thinks all of New Moon is obsessed with Dolce & Gabbana. Maybe. We think it’s more probable they grab what they see first. {MarieClaire}

Who Is Yvie: Have you checked out YSL’s new blog yet? They’re sending five bloggers around the States for “experience.” Not like Kate’s experience in the commercial, but still fun. {YSL}

Get Your Blog On: If you’ve always dreamed of blogging your way through London Fashion Week, you’re probably too young to enter this competition. If you are old enough though, here’s your chance to land backstage at Somerset House. {Grazia}

Bridge & Tunnel: Try telling a tourist to leave Manhattan to find fantastic shops and they look at you like you have ten heads. Send them here for proof. {Refinery29}

Because Fashion Week brings out the best in them.

Pucci’s Upswing: Anna Dello Russo must’ve made Peter Dundas’s day. She wore his green and white cut-out sequined long sleeve mini, dare we say it, better than a model ever could. And thank you Tommy Ton, for all the angles. {Jak&Jil}

Color Me Crazy: We dare you to read a single post of Garance’s and not want to hug her. She may be the nicest person on the street style circuit (and really they’re all nice), which is why everyone’s smiling and glowing when she snaps. These pictures make us want green, now. {GaranceDoré}

Peeps on the Street: Remember Balenciaga boy? Phil Oh managed to catch him on the only day of London Fashion Week that he wasn’t rocking his Louis Vuitton bunny ears. Yeah, we were jealous. {StreetPeeper}

It sounds like Vogue’s landed high on McKinsey’s priority list.

Condé Nast brought in the consultants just a couple of weeks ago, with the promise that significant changes (other than firing every secretary in the building) wouldn’t be made for at least a couple of months.

But they’ve already prepared a focus group just for Vogue. Readers were asked to take a survey to gauge their qualifications and then a select few were chosen to participate in more written surveys as well as in person interviews and round table discussions about the magazine starting next week.

Meanwhile, in other Condé Nast news that has nothing to do with McKinsey, we hear Taylor Tomasi Hill, Teen Vogue’s Accessories Editor, is leaving the Sartorialist’s dream team for Nina Garcia at Marie Claire. And as of right now, Teen Vogue won’t be replacing Tomasi.

This morning while we were having breakfast with some beauty publicist friends, they pointed out a Cover Girl ad in the new issue of Marie Claire that got us talking.

Now it’s not news to anyone that mass cosmetic brands often follow in the footsteps of the department store brands in terms of technology and formulas. But we’ve never see anything as blatant as this ad that very clearly spells out which CG mascara is knocking off specific Lancôme and Dior versions. As in “If you like Lancôme Definicils, try CoverGirl LashExact”. The full ad is after the jump.

Before you all start in on me, I realize that not everyone wants to spend on prestige brands, but this is a pretty direct attack, and a definite change in advertising strategies from the past.

Isn’t this just saying “We know you did it first and we simply don’t care”?

Marie Claire’s fashion department needs a superstar intern for fall.

You’ll assist the Fashion Assistant for a minimum of three to five days a week. Interns will be based in the fashion closet and responsible for checking in and returning samples, creating story boards, organizing the fashion closet, filing lookbooks and responding to ongoing requests as needed.

Candidates must be highly-motivated and proactive, extremely organized, and able to work well in a fast-paced environment, not to mention you better have a positive attitude. As always, it’s great if you have closet experience but not a necessity.

You can send your resume and a cover letter stating your availability and potential start date (the sooner the better!) to mcfashion34@gmail.com, with “Marie Claire Fall 2009 Fashion Intern” in the subject line.

Good luck!

I knew exactly who I wanted to interview for my first Life With column as I soon as I got the job here at Fashionista, my old friend Elizabeth Kiester (pictured here with one of her besties, Loven.) I’ve been very blessed in my 11 (gasp!) year career in this business to be able to work with some amazingly talented and wickedly smart and funny people. Eliz pretty much tops that list. And I was lucky enough to get to work with her twice, at Jane and YM.

But it’s not because she’s my friend that I wanted you all to meet her. She truly has had one of the most interesting careers in fashion—going from magazines to trendspotter for A&F to creating collaborations with Stella at LeSportsac.

As of late last year, she is a full-fledged designer, selling her wares at her incredibly colorful store, Wanderlust, in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Yep, Cambodia.

Unfortunately, a trip to Cambodia isn’t exactly in the Fashionista budget, so I talked to Elizabeth via email about how she ended up where she is today and how a life in fashion in Siem Reap is so very different from the one she used to live in New York.

Monday, we’ll chat more about what’s selling out in her store, what she misses most about New York, where Wanderlust is going next, and how to rock 5 inch Marni pumps in a Cambodian village.

Michelle Trachtenberg’s danced around the fashion crowd for a bit now without actually attaching her name to anything (except for her stint as one of the faces for Candie’s at Kohl’s which she’d probably like us to forget.)

But now she’s throwing a party for Guess.

They’re re-opening their Soho flagship store at the end of July and Georgina Sparks, along with Marie Claire, will host the bash.

Which of course makes us wonder, will Michelle grace an upcoming cover of Marie Claire or join forces with Guess’ sultry models?

It also makes us wonder what went wrong in the world of Gossip Girls-turned-campaign faces. We’re still not over Leighton for Reebok or Ed for K Swiss, and Michelle for Guess is just as disturbing. They all have faces worthy of high fashion campaigns and Michelle and Leighton both have curves we’d love to see in runway clothes.

Make us proud Blake.

Ashley Olsen’s going to grace the cover of Hamptons magazine.

No really.

Apparently July’s all about The Row and people in the Hamptons like The Row which means she’s a perfect smack-in-the-middle-of-summer cover girl for the lifestyle magazine whose previous cover girls include Bridget Moynahan, Kelly Ripa and Katie Lee Joel.

We’re not sure where to get our hands on a copy of Hamptons, but we can’t wait to hear Ashley dish on her summer habits.

Meanwhile, the same Olsen spent some quality time at Marie Claire yesterday - here’s hoping for an Olsen-filled summer.

“When I think about doing my own line, I think Lagerfeld. Not so successful with his own line, but super successful with Chanel.” —Francisco Costa answering inquiring minds at his FIT talk.

Marie Claire certainly knows how to generate some buzz in this dwindling ad climate:

They’re following in the steps of Interview and GQ, and hiring a supermodel for some light editorial work. The December issue premieres Christy Turlington’s soon-to-be regular column, which will feature “topics such as politics, mothers around the world and her global travels for humanitarian causes.”

Also, MC is apparently filming their own reality show right now, Running in Heels, meant to give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at putting together a fashion magazine.

Which kind of makes us wonder - beyond hiring the pretty people and filming the crazy ones, what other sort of gimmicks will print magazines come up with to draw extra attention to themselves after every big book shoots their own prime time mockumentary and hands over page space to celebrities? Next move: pop up issues and music when you open the cover? A game show with the top prize of getting your own magazine to edit?

Yesterday, a rumor started that Marie Claire needed a new fashion assistant.

It was buoyed along by the website Ed2010 (which all of you searching for an editorial job should absolutely read religiously), and now Hearst HR is getting inundated with calls and emails.

It’s great everyone’s so enthusiastic about working for MC (it’s a great magazine, after all), but there’s one little problem:

There isn’t an opening. Somebody (why?!) made up the rumor and spread it around.

So don’t stress if you’ve already sent your resume and haven’t heard back - it’ll be kept on file in case a position at MC actually does open up, and then, good luck!

Sorry to start your weekend off like this, but this statement’s been emailed to some press from NBC Universal:

“NBC Universal is pleased that the court granted our motion for a preliminary injunction against The Weinstein Company. The overwhelming evidence demonstrated that The Weinstein Company violated NBC Universal’s right of first refusal to future cycles of Project Runway. After hearing all of the evidence, the court issued an order prohibiting The Weinstein Company from taking the show or any spin-off to Lifetime.”

Questions:

1. Will PR go back to Bravo, or does that mean it’s just (gasp) done?

2. Does this affect Nina Garcia’s job / tenure / existence at Marie Claire?

3. What about Project Runway: The Movie where they just mash all the episodes into one big marathon? Can that happen?

4. What will Heidi Klum do with all her free time?!

Are you dying to see Nina Garcia in action?

Then get your resume ready and ship it to Marie Claire ASAP.

The massive fashion glossy needs Fall interns for their closet, and if you’re in college and willing to work really hard, you might get to enter the Hearst Tower every day until December.

If you think you can handle it, send your resume and a short email about why you’re perfect for hauling racks, steaming clothes, and taking salad orders to Abby Kalicka, akalicka@hearst.com

And remember that Marie Claire thinks it’s the smart fashion magazine, so try to word your letter accordingly (“OMG, I am so perfect” might not cut it over there).

Okay, good luck.

We thought Gwyneth Paltrow’s July Bazaar cover was just a very delayed reaction to Iron Man - turns out it’s part of a 40-page Estée Lauder campaign that continues within the magazine, just barely disguised as editorial.

The cosmetic giant placed the four faces of their new perfume, Sensuous, throughout the issue, even though the actual ads don’t debut until fall. The move means a priceless Gwyneth cover for Bazaar and an insane amount of advertising for Estée Lauder before their ads, (which also feature Elizabeth Hurley, Carolyn Murphy and Hilary Rhoda), even hit.

This weekend, The New York Times asked if the partnership meant Hearst, (which owns Bazaar) was selling out, before admitting that it’s actually a pretty smart move.

This morning, WWD reports an even cooler partnership between Marie Claire, (which is also owned by Hearst) and Ray-Ban. The two have commissioned five New York City artists to create billboards to promote Ray-Ban’s new colored Wayfarers. And the magazine will also run three times more Ray-Ban ads this year than ever before.

The symbiotic relationship between fashion magazines and fashion advertisements has been losing steam as circulation has slowed for print publications and more companies turn to online advertising. So while at first these ad campaigns, whether subliminal like Estée Lauder’s or in your face like Ray-Ban’s, seemed a bit desperate, we actually think they’re kind of cool - especially when real artists are getting into the mix and what used to be a boring ad gets taken to a new creative level.

We actually kind of love it, and we’re sure Andy Warhol’s probably giggling in his grave.

A source inside the Hearst building says “it’s all true.” Marie Claire. Project Runway. Everything. Expect a formal announcement a little later today.

We’re not the only ones worried about Elle’s massive shake-up this month.

Project Runway’s allegedly looking to partner with a new magazine for season six, which, by the way, will officially be taped in Los Angeles.

WWD reports their choice is likely to be Marie Claire which we find strange considering Marie Claire isn’t exactly a fashion authority. But it is owned by the same parent company as Lifetime, which can’t hurt their chances. The collaboration, however, is likely to do more for the magazine than for the show.

In other Project Runway news, one of our favorite, and arguably most successful, designer alumns, Alison Kelly, is launching a new line for Brooklyn boutique Alter and they’re throwing a shopping launch party this Thursday night on Greenpoint’s Franklin Avenue.

Christian, meet Alison.

Our favorite How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days scene is Kate Hudson in the Conde Nast lobby, while Anne Hathaway’s building in The Devil Wears Prada actually belonged to InStyle. And while Carrie Bradshaw really did get to work at Vogue in Sex and the City, most other TV “magazines” are somewhat fabricated.

The latest example can be seen this week at Marie Claire, where the crew of Lipstick Jungle is filming scenes with “editor” (or rather, actress) Kim Raver.

The fashion team has even called in clothes for a fake run-through on set, and editors have been instructed to ignore the myriad cameras that have essentially taken over the Hearst Building.

Will the upcoming scenes be more riveting than what happens in The Hills’ fashion closet?

Well, obviously - except the Jen-Bunny-sex-tape-phone-call, which was so silly, it was indelible.

Guess what?

Marie Claire is looking for accessories interns to begin immediately in their Manhattan office.

You should be available 3 full days a week. Responsibilities include working in the closet on jewelry check-ins and returns, running errands, and working on special projects for editors. Sometimes this will include coffee, lunch, or photocopies. You should be excited about that.

You also must be professional, detail-oriented and able to perform well in fast-paced environments. This is an unpaid internship so you must be able to get a letter of responsibility from your school [editor’s note: these can be forged; we’ve actually done it].

To apply, please email your resume and availability to Jen at jkramer@hearst.com.

Good luck!