Karl Who? The Kaiser talks about the bag that got us all talking. {WWD}

Paul Hearts Michael: A runway finale tribute to the King of Pop. We’re almost over the nostalgia moment. Almost. { Catwalk Queen}

Happy Belated Birthday! Ed, we’re so sorry we missed your party because we’re sure that invite just got lost in the mail. Guess we’ll catch you on your 23rd. {People}

Hat Day: We went to a wedding this weekend where a lovely girl totally rocked one of the black Marc Jacobs hats. We’re still debating whether or not we’d be able to pull it off. Perhaps this will help us decide. {WhoWhatWear}

Dear Mayor Bloomberg,

See this rather large rabbit. He’s actually a five foot tall trash receptacle designed by Paul Smith as part of London’s Super Contemporary Commissions Show.

He, along with his bunny friends, will today become part of the Covent Garden and Holland Park neighborhoods. When you throw trash in him, his ears literally light up.

How cool is that? Don’t you think that will make kids and adults alike more excited about throwing away their trash?

We know you love beautifying this fair city of ours. So how about enlisting Marc, DvF, Donna, Oscar and the crew to design some chic garbage bins of our very own? And let’s not limit it to just Manhattan. Let’s take this project to every borough.

We know times are tough and budgets are tight. But we bet the CFDA would get involved. And some environmental groups too.

If there can be lounge chairs in the middle of Times Square, there can be fashion-forward trash bins, right?

xo,

F

Vogue’s recruited Henry Holland to host a handful of interviews on their website this week.

There’s a slight problem in that you can’t actually watch them via VogueUK.com from America, so here’s one in which the Brit designer interviews Alexander Wang. Discussion includes Alex’s love of black, his childhood dream of becoming a back up dancer, and the time that Henry couldn’t get into Alex’s SS09 after party - the one with Foxy Brown.

Henry tells us, “I got to meet some amazing people, some of my heroes. Paul Smith was so
inspirational and a lovely amazing man, but then chatting to my friend Katie
Hillier was much more informal and a funny chat. I loved them all!”

While we’ve always like the idea of capes, their structure has always been a little baffling. Even Britt, who wears hers no matter what her roommates say, finds the awkwardness of where to put your arms (no sleeves? Pseudo sleeves?) and temperature gauging for outside wear (50 degrees? Less? More?) to be a deterrent from sporting the witch-like frock.

But we think it’s about time for us to get over our fear if the Fall runways are any indication of what’s to come (and aren’t they always?). From Marc Jacobs’ bright yellow belted version, to Thakoon’s militaristic button down, we think it could be the right time to have some fun with our outerwear.

It might a good idea to start with something a little less intimidating, like Paul Smith’s simpler version. Or you could go all out and embrace the cape for what it is - a stylized version of the blanket, or, the original Snuggie - and throw it on top of your otherwise normal outfit with aplomb.

So, would you wear a cape? Or is this a look better left to Count Dracula impersonators?

— CARSON GRIFFITH

Sir Paul Smith stuck with the basics for his Fall 09 collection.

Models strutted down the pink and green runway inside Claridge’s Ballroom last night, wearing everything from fair isle sweater dresses to almost military uniforms to floral dresses.

It started out eclectic Brit before entering military territory. Once there, he showed brass buttoned coats and capes and dresses with rhinestone epaulets and baggy trousers. There was a long mossy green gown, striped sweaters, red lips and florals at the end.

It was kind of like the Gap, but British, busier, and more expensive.

To be perfectly honest, the thought of runways kind of makes me nauseous.

I’ve spent the past four days perfectly Fashion Week free - but I can’t get sheer pants out of my head.

Out of all the transparent whatevers this season - dresses, tops, head gear, etc. - barely-there pants might be the thing that kills the trend dead in its tracks, or they might be the one thing we’re still semi-interested since everything on the racks requires specific underpinnings anyway.

But you can’t just throw a slip underneath, or a cardigan on top, and call it a day. Do you wear boy-shorts like at Erin Fetherston? A bodysuit a la Ali Michael at Paul Smith? Nude Hanky Pankys from Temperley?

I’m not sure what Angela Lindvall wore under her jumpsuit at Stella, but I do remember thinking how strange it was that the jumpsuit started out solid on top and became sheer on the bottom.

So we want to know, if you could wear sheer pants without looking like Barbara Eden in I Dream of Jeannie, would you?

I sat behind Erin O’Connor at the Paul Smith show in Claridge’s Ballroom last night.

That’s the most British I’ll ever be.

You can read about how Erin’s saving the models on Teen Vogue.

But what to tell you about the clothes? Well, it’s like if you went to Morocco with really wet hair and watched Little House on the Prairie re-runs and got a Russian boyfriend and thought, “Hey, what would happen if my wardrobe paid tribute to all of the important things in my life?”

I could tell you more, but even though I was totally into the dresses and turbans, I was doubly interested in the supermodel sitting in front of me.

So know that the music included “The Way You Make Me Feel,” and enjoy the pics.

Let’s call it The Sartorialist Effect:

After years of tiny flowers dotting the fabric of Paul Smith shirts, the motif seems to be stretching into more men’s fashion - most specifically, and surprisingly, into men’s streetwear.

You can find floral guys’ shirts at H&M now, and floral ties at Steven Alan and Urban Outfitters.

But our most surprising find were these red sneakers from Nike, which feature tiny dotted blossoms all over their leather fields, at Opening Ceremony (Ok - so they’re sized for women, but the store purposely carries up to a women’s 12 - which is a men’s 10 - especially for boy shoppers.)

The kicks retail for $125, and if a boy wore them out on a date with us, we’d be kinda psyched.

Would you?

We didn’t say much about men’s fashion week, not because we don’t care, but because some things are best left to the Sartorialist.

(And because we aren’t really taking Miuccia’s man-skirts seriously).

But we just clicked through Paul Smith’s A/W ‘08 show and realized that we’ve been sort of missing out.

An English dandy meets rock n’ roll meets East Village hipster ensemble sounds disastrous, but Smith’s pompadoured models pulled it off masterfully.

The British designer, (who also makes great women’s clothes), styled an eclectic look that’s both high fashion and masculine. His mix of traditional plaid with satin pants, pocket watches and skewed ties made us want the outfits, and the accessories, off the runway - for us.

And we haven’t said that since our first look at Thom Browne.

As anyone with open eyes knows, bikes aren’t just for sports geeks anymore.

Seen around the city are models, designers, and other fashion packers who’d rather spend their money on Ghesquiere than on gas, and anyway, no cars = more carbs - if you work out while you travel, there’s no need to fuss with food.

Apparently London agrees, as they’ve just done a piece called “Goodbye Lycra, Hello Street Cred” in their fashion section.

The story details Chanel’s new bike, Paul Smith’s new sportsgear, and the way environmentalism, economics, and looking cool are colliding.

What they don’t mention, despite their “Street Cred” title?

That part of the reason bikes are so hip now is because they’ve popped up in fashion editorials and street style blogs around the world!

But maybe they’re just making a more subtle reference:

Check out the photo from the story, shot by Stephen Lock. See the guy running towards Agyness in the background? It’s chicks-on-bikes addict Scott Schuman, also known as The Sartorialist.

Maybe The Telegraph should back pedal a little?

After Anya Hindmarch got burgled this week, Style.com has a hypothesis:

Now that Luella, Christopher Kane, and Anya have been smacked by the same band of fashion robbers - who also broke into Ralph Lauren and Marc Jacobs to steal goodies - the only boutique left to sack is Stella McCartney.

And since the tale of the sensational London fashion thieves seems almost like folklore - they only rob stores? Are they Tatler editors on a dare? - we don’t mind joining the guessing game.

Like, don’t you think they’d hit Mulberry before Stella McCartney? Aren’t bags easier to carry than organic cotton blazers?

We have to wonder… and if it were us, we might have to steal one of Paul Smith’s rumply dresses. They look so good with Fall’s big boots!

When Chloe announced that Chloe Sevigny would be its new fragrance face, a jaunty game ensued.

Chloe for Chloe? What about Christina Ricci for Nina Ricci? And Travolta for Trovata? Paul Rudd for Paul Smith!

And though our name-game didn’t inspire any fashion pairings this season, we think the Chloe for Chloe match might unveil in the flesh next Saturday.

Why?

Because Chloe’s throwing a petite party to launch its new scent, and really, can there be a Chloe bash without a girl named Chloe - especially if she’s starring in their upcoming ad campaign?

We suspect non… and we’ll be watching Colette, Cafe de Progres, and that place with all the Bob Dylan boys for our second-favorite indie actress (sorry, Julie Delpy is still tops…).

Meanwhile, you should head over to Bluefly, because they just got in a new stash of the label - the last shipment from the brand’s pre-P.M.A. days. It’s still expensive, but actually about the same as what’s at the Chloe outlet right now - and the shoes have better sizes.

The strangest thing at Paul Smith:

Lily Cole finally appeared on the runway, and when she did - not first, but fifth - you could hear the camera popping increase times a thousand.

It was like a new soundtrack being played over the jazz music that Sir Paul chose as his music, this constant click-clack of shutters, this shrill beeping of digi-cams.

Lily, of course, was unphased, and did the entire show in round tortoise-shell glasses that can really only work on her, Hamish Bowles, and anyone wanting to be them.

The clothes were long and cable knit, but towards the end were some incredible prints, mixed and meshed together with long plastic beads - they clicked down the runway too, challenging the photographers in the audience to keep up.

Walking around New York checking out guys – um, I mean, their outfits – we’ve noticed this Keith Haring hipster thing happening.

We’re not talking about the drawings of cartoon dudes with squiggles around them that made Haring famous (although we love those too), but about Keith Haring’s personal style in the early 80s – his trademark repertoire of oddball glasses, grungey tight athletic gear, shorts and weird socks, frazzled hair, and tight dirty black jeans.

We even think the Paul Smith spring 08 collection looks like a cleaned up, polished version of the Keith Haring look, but we miss the dirt and grime.

If the Keith Haring, circa 1984, were to suddenly appear in Williamsburg, he would be the best-dressed guy in town. We revisited some old pictures of Haring, and kind of fell in love.

Are we alone in this?

—ALISON COOL

Today’s WSJ brings both tired and shocking news:

The boring news is the Thom Browne for Brooks Brothers collaboration, Black Fleece, will finally hit stores this fall.

The long-awaited alliance has been brewing for over a year, so we know what to expect upon its arrival. Fashionable males will surely snap up Browne’s trademark tight, short suits— just as stylish girls snatched Proenza for Target dresses.

The shocker?

Browne’s Black Fleece line offers dozens of items for women as well, and we’re afraid these pieces will sell slower than Kevin Federline CDs.

Why?

Women are used to seeing designers collaborate for cheaper- than-usual prices (Vera Wang for Kohls, Libertine for Target).

But Browne’s Black Fleece items retail for aristocratic prices. Especially considering what they are.

Maybe we’re being too harsh. But how many women do you know would buy a $4,500 dress made out of gray flannel? Or consider it a wise investment to drop $ 10,000 on a fur cape from Brooks Brothers?

We’re suspect that if you suddenly found thousands of dollars for menswear-inspired fashion, you’d turn to Alexander McQueen or Paul Smith.

Do you agree, or will you covet these Black Fleece pieces like you would the new Harry Potter ?

—NATALIE MATTHEWS

In 1995, Paul Smith launched the first branded taxi cab in London. Now, two luxury car companies rev their engines for the runways: after Mercedes-Benz announced their title sponsorship for Fashion Week in New York, Lexus jumped in the ring with some financial assistance of their own.

After aiding the CFDA and Vogue with their Fashion Fund last year, the car company helps young designers Thakoon, Rodarte, and Linda Loudermilk launch their Fall ‘07 shows. Besides financial backing, Lexus will drive fashion VIPs to the runways in their new hybrid cars.

Sadly, the fashion friendly vehicles won’t be decorated like the Paul Smith cab, but there’s always next year - with SmartCar finally launching in the US, we can hope that someone wraps the tiny taxi in quilted leather and claims it in the name of Marc Jacobs!