Louise Ebel, 24, Blogger

Got her: Having a bite on the Quai Malaquais, pre-Rick.

Stalked her: Have you seen her hair? Her headband? (ed. note. And just when we’d rejoiced in Dan throwing Blair’s down the stairs?) Her boots? The purse?

Shot her: Because she’s incorporated too many major trends. And yet, she fails to look like a fashion victim.

She said: “I love my headband, it’s by my friend, Madame Sal.”

We said: There’s a reason you’re the most photographed girl in Paris.

—REBECCA SUHRAWARDI AUSTIN

Spot the Angel: Miranda Kerr walked Balenciaga yesterday, looking tres Parisian runway appropriate and less like Orlando’s paparazzi-fodder lady friend. Not that that look isn’t gorgeous too. {StyleFile}

A Scent We’ll Never Buy: Kim Kardashian used to think perfume was made by putting flowers in a blender. She’s also famous for inexplicable reasons, including a sex tape with Brandy’s little brother. But she’s still got a fragrance deal. And I just died a little inside. Also, if those rumors about Sarah Palin getting a beauty contract are even vaguely accurate, you guys may have to institutionalize me. {WWD}

It’s Rick Owens Day Around Here: And we wouldn’t mind if every day was. I’m still dying over this leather jacket that I can’t afford. So maybe I’ll soothe myself with something from his collaboration with Eastpak. {Vogue UK}

Before we even saw the clothes at Rick Owens, we were obsessed with the major cat-eyes.

Not to mention obsessed with the fact that none other than Karlie Kloss sat still for my camera so that I, in turn, could learn the brilliant secrets behind such perfect liner.

You know that blue tape painters use when they paint trim on walls? That stuff that keeps a hard edge on the paint? Well those are the extreme measures to which they went for this eye. Except they did replace contractor’s tape with Scotch, because yes, that blue tape would be a terrible idea.

So the hard part here is setting the tape, not painting on the makeup. You literally take two pieces and create the border of the liner. Once that’s the perfect shape, you just paint in between the lines. Then peel it off and voila! You’re the next Karlie.

And ok, you might not actually wear liner out to your temples, but it could be the best way to perfect your Halloween makeup, no?

—REBECCA SUHRAWARDI AUSTIN

Have you ever wondered just how hard it is to get a ticket to a show like Rick Owens?

Adrien Grenier was seated third row—and there were only three rows. So if I was squished into a doorway, peeking my way through someone’s arm or above their shoulder, I’d still be more than thrilled. What I’m trying to say is, excuse my pictures, the place was packed.

On top of all the seating drama, Owens’ show ran a whopping 50 minutes late at which point a staffer loudly articulated everyone’s thoughts, “If the show doesn’t start in two seconds, people are going to start screaming out there!” And by the time the models were ready, the venue was packed - like going on a family road trip cross-country sort of packed - there wasn’t a single spot to take a decent shot. Which means I was backstage with actual paparazzi pushing and shoving and elbowing me. Me! The little girl in silk Marc by Marc and ankle socks. Finally, I crouched down low enough to shoot through their legs.

Anyway, back to the clothes.

Book Away: IMG’s S/S 2010 show package is out and ready to analyze—there’s plenty of fresh blood to dissect too. Perfect Friday before a long weekend time waster. {Models.com}

Hipster Historian: Spend a little time with Cobra Snake and discover when you might find him in Ed Hardy and Crocs. {All the Rage}

First Lady on Film: Looks like Carla Bruni-Sarkozy might be returning to the big screen in Woody Allen’s next movie. No word on whether or not she’ll be crooning as well. {WWD}

Who’s the Man? Topman. The men’s brand isn’t getting picked on by its big sister any more. {Guardian}

Don’t get me wrong, New York is the best city in the world as far as I’m concerned. That’s why I had to move back after a couple of years in SoCal. But Los Angeles has things like temperate weather, hiking Runyon and Topanga, ridiculous Mexican food, Coffee Bean, and In-N-Out that I miss on a regular basis.

They also have Jenn Ripley’s Archive Agency - basically a fashion lover’s mecca in the heart of Larchmont Village. Jenn puts together an amazing collection of designer pieces (often exclusive, based on her industry relationships with showrooms, designers, and even factories) that she sells out of her loft. She often holds weekend sales open to anyone, but her most frequent visitors during the week are stylists (personal and wardrobe), professional shoppers and agency types searching for the perfect item for a client.

Cameron Diaz, Leo Di Caprio, Mickey Rourke, Rihanna, Russell Crowe, Pharrell Williams, Michelle Williams, Jude Law - no hang on, Jude lives here….so apart from him, what are all these Hollywood’ers doing in London?

Looks like school is out in LA, as they seem to have descended en masse. Of course, the tabbies are having a ball speculating whether Cameron is here with her new “boyfriend” Leo di Cap, or if she’s dating Jude Law, who she hooked up with in the nightclub Movida. (A weird choice to be sure - it’s a bit bridge and tunnel.)

She will be happy to know, however, that Kate Moss’s hairdresser/bestie, James Brown, has finally opened up a salon in London. His staff charges, well, a snip - only £55. But to get the man himself, you need to be prepared to fork over £500.

“I call it my all-American collection. It’s sort of an apology for being such a [jerk]. I was quoted in an interview saying American tourists were ruining the Paris landscape with their fanny packs and their man bags, so this collection has leather jackets that have arms that zip off and the jacket becomes a bag.” —Rick Owens on his AW09 Men’s collection.

Love Me: The LOVE staff, including Tim Clifton-Green and his perfect hat, spent the afternoon perusing The Armani Times. Rubbish Mag, one more reason we wish we lived in London (or Britt does). {LOVEblog}

Greener Pastures: This made us so giggly and excited, we’re a little embarrassed. There was not a cooler shade on the runway all season, and now it’s coming to real life. Hooray! {BeautyCounter}

Renzo to the Rescue: Sophia Kokosalaki apparently scored a big enough paycheck from Diesel to get her own company back too. Well played. {VogueUK}

Nine Daughters and a Stereo: There’s no headline better than the actual name of this model agency in Cologne of all places. Rick Owens and Raf Simons think they’re way cool. We agree. {DazedDigital}

The Whitney Art Party’s on Wednesday night and we’ve gotten the first edition of the confirmed guest list.

Starlets and artists will be there in droves, but as far as models go, there’s Coco Rocha, Lydia Hearst, Dree Hemingway, Brooklyn Decker, Lisa Cant, Julie Henderson, Maggie Rizer, Selita Ebanks and Hilary Rhoda.

And of course, we have no idea what to wear, especially since the party’s sponsored by BCBG again which means all of their perfect little bodies will be swathed in Herve bandages with feet tucked into sky high heels. Because sure, no one’s looking at us, but it takes a serious outfit to guarantee we won’t hide in a corner under the weight of being anything less than 5’11 with long blond hair and the perfect Rick Owens leather jacket.

So, should we follow in the footsteps of last year with a long vintage floral number, flat sandals and little effort? Or, is it time to step it up with something a bit smaller and louder? If only we had this in our closet.

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

What I saw/heard at the Convenience Store pop-up shop at the St. Martins Lane Hotel last night:

- Designer Hannah Marshall weighing in on a raging debate about who started the “shoulder” trend (said Marshall: “I did that shoulder two or three seasons back - I’m pretty much over it now).

- Racks of show stopping pieces from off-the-beaten-track designers like Felder and Felder, Camilla Skovgaard, and Rick Owens, all stocked by Convenience Store’s owner, Andrew Ibi, who easily runs the most adventurously edited shop in London.

- Hannah Marshall telling a story of the world’s most loyal customer ever: “There was one lady who just arrived from Miami, went straight from Heathrow to the shop, let the cab idle outside, bought my jacket, and in a space of three minutes, was gone. That’s the kind of loyalty that I hope to continue to inspire.”

- Richard Mortimer of Boombox, Camilla Skovgaard (the woman, not just the label), Kei Kagami, and rock star Cherish Kaya from Ipso Factor, all cooing over the pieces like a leather harness dress fit for Britney’s comeback.

The store, which is normally located in the seediest, greyest part of West London amongst the projects, will be at the luxe hotel for just three weeks. I suggest snagging the stuff while it’s still easy.

—CHARLEY B (our new London correspondent!)

“The thing about Rick is, it’s so classic. You can buy anything from the collection and wear it forever,” declared Heidi Mount pre-show at Ecole des Beaux-Artes.

One might question that judgment when the clothes are styled a la Rick and presented in a deep dark room with feathered headdresses and leather bubble boots, but overall, she’s right. Individually, his clothes are almost subtle, definitely delicate, and so brilliantly constructed.

Which is why the cream of the fashion crop swamps his shows. Today’s front row included Carine (of course, with Julia behind her), Ikram Goldman (Michelle Obama in Rick?!), Gareth Pugh, Julie Gilhart, Franca Sozzani, Kate Lanphear, Gloria Baume, Glenn O’Brien, Bill Cunningham and Morley Safer (whom I assume means Anna, though I didn’t see her). The first rate front row matched the first rate - though noticeably white - cast: Raquel, Iris, Stam, Olga, Vlada R, Ali S, Karlie, Daiane, Sasha, Heidi, Hanne - most of whom showed up wearing at least one thing Rick.

The futuristic, sometimes sparkly collection elicited actual hooting and hollering from the audience - the most excitement I’ve heard this season (aside from Chris Kane) until the Nina Ricci crowd actually broke into applause mid-show. More on that, coming up.

One half of us is backstage at Rick Owens in Paris right now, armed with a camera and curiosity.

So here’s a sneak peak of the Rick Owens show, courtesy of Britt’s surreptitious shot of his look book board (in case you’re not addicted to our Twitter yet), before the show has even started.

How’s that for real time?

Bon matin!

I landed in Paris this morning, grabbed my tickets and pranced through Paris’ gloomy rain to the Boulevard Faubourg de Saint-Martin for Gareth Pugh’s Fall 09 show. There, a surprisingly small group of people stood behind a curtain in a tiny black room before being ushered into a make-shift movie theatre.

I knew something was up when they handed me a credit sheet declaring, Model: Natasa Vojnovic. Natalie emailed, “Is she listed for every look?” Before I could respond, I realized I’d be watching the same video that everyone around the world (or every fashion obsessed person around the world) would be watching live on ShowStudio.

Granted, I was watching it in a mini-warehouse, full of three white benches, Suzy Menkes, Sally Singer, Lauren Santo Domingo, Jefferson Hack, Pugh-wearing London kids, Rick Owens and loads of dry ice-induced smoke. People actually smiled during the video, so impressive were Natasa’s warrior dance moves, not to mention Gareth’s collection, before hopping to the back room to congratulate the soft-spoken designer on a kind of historical fashion moment.

We finally left to grab a bite to eat in between the show and the party, our only regret that we wouldn’t get to see the nailed bodices and pleated trousers in person - until Natasa Vojnovic turned the corner, charging across the cobblestones, arms linked with Kate Lanphear and trailing a Gareth cape - which means Paris Fashion Week is off to a grand start.

We love street style blogs - from Garance, to Scott, to Jak&Jil - and Phil from StreetPeeper just made his even more fun.

He’s added a search feature so that you can enter a name - whether a designer’s, a label’s or an individual’s - to narrow your search and see how real, albeit super stylish, people incorporate Rick Owens and Marchesa into actual wardrobes - not editorials.

And to make things more interesting, he’s starting a new feature in which he recruits some pretty awesome fashion people to pick their favorite looks from the site. First up is Lisa Mayock of Vena Cava who doesn’t just choose the most inspiring, most creative outfits but actually explains what she likes about them and why she wants to be reincarnated as a dude.

Rogan and Kate Lanphear are compiling their lists - so we’d suggest checking in rather frequently.

“But the problem isn’t limited to design. The overwhelming number of people in their 20’s at the shows guarantees that everything will seem new to them. So Mr. Jones can do pointless things to tailored clothes. John Galliano can summon his pirates and tri-cornered highwaymen. Jean Paul Gaultier can pop on the Afro wigs and issue some jivey pinstripes (with a mini-me line of children’s clothes). And Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy can evoke a Teutonic fantasy with laced black-leather leggings and severely buzzed heads. There is little demand to do something that’s actually new and relevant.” - Cathy Horyn, on Men’s Fashion Week, in the Times.

Perhaps Rick Owens’ animal clutches were just a warm up to designing accessories in jest.

The American in Paris has signed a deal with Eastpak, of junior high and hiking fame, to design a collection of fifteen bags (plus a unisex raincoat) under his denim brand, Dark Shadow.

If Raf Simons’ previous collections for Eastpak are any indication, you can expect the Rick backpacks to cost at least $100 each, making you the most subversive (yet well-packed) kid in the hallway.

At least, if high school kids even carry backpacks anymore - Do they?

A while back, Rick Owens started releasing a series of fur monsters - first the bunny clutch made of mink ($700), closely followed by The Monster ($850).

And now? Marc’s released a skull face watch, which we find a little too scary-looking for ordinary life (and $200).

So what’s with designers obsessing over busted faces? (Remember that Kidrobot made a mean bunny, too.)

Relatedly, Britt thinks the Marc watch must have been inspired by Jack from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

But for us, this just means we really think Tim Burton should take this trend and run film.