We’ve started to think of Chanel as a little family.

A royal one of course, with Karl and Lady Amanda Harlech holding court as king and queen, Sebastian playing court jester, and a circle of courtesans, some of whom are in for life (Karen) and some (Irina, Heidi, Lara) who move in and out of favor.

Anyway, the family gathered in Venice yesterday for Chanel’s Cruise ‘10 (ah!) show and while it didn’t go off without a hitch, the clothes held their own in front of the Venetian sunset. The king was late and the queen suffered a mosquito-stung eye, but after the audience took to their wooden deck chairs the girls - Freja, Ikeliene, Siri, Tanya, Liu, Jourdan - strutted down the beach in stripes, tweeds, florals, pajama-like silks and even harlequin prints. There were loads of jewels, strappy sandals, plastic booties and even lace-trimmed biker shorts that make all our thirteen-year-old style dreams come true.

We hope someone packed up the Marchesa Casati-inspired wigs for this weekend’s Life Ball in Vienna while we imagine a dress or two is already headed to Cannes.

The worst rip-offs are the ones that hit particularly close to home.

Take, for example, these buckled Marc by Marc Jacobs boots. Our good friend developed a not-harmless crush on them after she watched Tanya D and Abbey Lee storm the Fall 08 runway.

But then they cost almost $1000 until she stumbled upon what the Barney’s salesperson told her was the “last pair in the universe” for one third of the original price just a week before Christmas. Of course, the rest is history.

Or was, until she discovered this Jeffrey Campbell copy at Oak. Campbell’s straps are a bit thinner, the toe is pointier and the heel’s not as chunky, but they’re the same and barely $50 less than she paid for Marc’s.

Of course, she also has the thrill of waiting, lusting, craving and finally getting the original - it’s like ice cream and frozen yogurt, no matter how hard you try to convince yourself otherwise, the real thing is always better.

I’m still not used to the kind of fashion show where people care more about Harvey Weinstein than Patrick Demarchelier, more about Katy Perry than Anna Piaggi.

But I guess that’s why I don’t work in PR and why I watch for editors’ reactions instead of the runway at a show where it’s only half about the clothes.

Dior’s afternoon show, held in a tent at the Place de la Concorde end of the Tuileries, boasted movie stars, dramatic music cut with MGMT, ridiculously caged Cindy Lou Who hair, and handbags, of course.

From my perch above the runway, I watched Galliano’s parade of modern warrior princess clothes. Raquel, Caroline Trentini and Tanya D teetered on their carved heels - think Basso & Brooke - wearing snakeskin corsets and chiffon mini dresses made for Tinsley. The Dior beauty ambassador sat front row, the paparazzi crush snapping away at Eva Green and Marion Cotillard right next to her.

The show ended with a string of sheer gowns and a runway strut from Galliano in a particularly deep-v vest. As my new French friend said to me, “Beaucoup de boobies this season, n’est-ce pas?”

So here’s something weird:

Don’t ask me why, but I was in a comic book store yesterday, and randomly, I picked up something called Glamourpuss.

The cover read, “World Peace: Michael Kors Luggage Leads the Way!”

Inside? An article (is that what you call them when it’s in a comic book?) entitled “There’s Nothing Funny About Anti - Depressants” included the following: a hand-drawn depiction of Michael Kors’ Fall 07’ ads with Tanya D and a story including the quote, “Carla Bruni? Oh, please. Glamourpuss is sure she’s a very nice woman but hold up the best picture of her ever taken on her best day and put it next to the model in the Michael Kors ad and… come on, Dr. Norm, NO comparison.”

Naturally, we scanned.

Decipher!

Today’s rumor?

Tanya D. for BCBG.

The Belarusian model stormed every catwalk this season, starred in her fair share of editorials and has now, allegedly, landed a much deserved campaign.

We wonder if she’ll stay on as the face of Michael Kors.

We also wonder how she keeps getting booked for such all American designers when her stunning face screams, “Versace!”

It used to be impossible to hear your favorite models speak, unless of course you were so embedded in the fashion crowd that your best friends had names like Linda and Cindy.

But now that snippets of Tanya, Daria, Coco and co. keep popping up on the internet, we can’t get enough.

Miss Rocha sat down for an interview at Toronto’s Fashion Week last night, and, well, we like her more with each and every word.

She says hi and waves to herself on TV, exaggerates her vowels, and maybe even makes a dig at Karlie Kloss’ death walk, all in good fun of course.

Now if only Ali would film a video at her local rodeo.

I might have gone on and on about Tanya D. during fashion week, but Natalie would not shut up about Jourdan Dunn.

“You have to see this girl!” she gasped, post ThreeAsFour, “I couldn’t take my eyes off her!”

So I kept my eyes peeled, and when I saw her saunter at Peter Som, I had to agree. Her look: Regal cheekbones and exaggerated cat-eyes. Her walk: One of the best I’d seen.

Though she walked Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren last year, her big break came when Kate Moss chose her as the face of Kate’s Christmas collection for Topshop. She went on to walk twenty shows last week and Gap just released the first image from her new ad campaign, at left.

You might not understand our love for models, but really, who wouldn’t want to look at (or like) a girl like that?

(and now, a note from Faran…)

Yesterday at the fin de Tommy Hilfiger, Britt and I watched Lily Donaldson climbing into a cab.

Magdalena tried to go with her, but after a quick chat that we couldn’t hear, Lily slid the door with a curt thwump and Magdalena joined two other brunettes on the curb, arms flailing, “Omigosh we need to get to Zac,” etc.

Like anything involving a show-stopping blonde, the whole thing seemed slow motion, and when it came back to real time, Britt and I realized we were cold, we were tired, and we were like a foot from the subway.

“Let’s go,” I charged and we clomped in teetering shoes down to the bottom.

Tanya D. was there, too, and so was Richie Rich from Heatherette.

“Are you kidding, it’s rush hour,” he chirped, “This is the only way to get somewhere on time.”

We hear from M.A.C that Tanya D. was, in fact, one of the first girls to arrive backstage for Mr. Posen.

Carlos Miele must make his clothes with the red carpet in mind, but they’re more suited to a beauty pageant stage.

There was an origami pleated, yellow printed mini skirt that we could find a way to wear everyday, but the floor length, ruched, beaded and ombred gowns were a bit much.

And the fur trimmed everything seemed strangely inappropriate in the midst of the industry’s current anti-fur stance, not to mention among the lingering Charlotte Ronson pins.

We still enjoyed the show. We giggled at Karlie’s death walk/stare and fell deeper in love with Tanya D.

Last year’s Michael Kors ads might have been awful, but after seeing her on the runway everyday for the past week, well, we’re kind of obsessed.

Some of the cuties at Miss Sixty last night…

Smile pretty, please!

—PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY KOST

For more, check out RoidRage.

See Stam Prep.

And Coco, Tanya D. and Siri?

…

—PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY KOST

For more, check out RoidRage.

More proof that blondes will rule the Spring ‘08 campaigns, despite the hype of industry diversity:

Tanya D. will join Anja Rubik in the DSquared campaigns. When we try to imagine Helen of Troy, we usually picture Tanya, though presumably she’ll be styled less classic for the antics of Dan and Dean Caten in their latest ads. The Siberian model is now seventeen.

Meanwhile, WWD reports that blonde and banged Kate Moss was snagged by Donna Karan for her new Spring ‘08 spreads, a job that belonged to brunette Catherine McNeil last season.

We’re thrilled to hear about Tanya’s first booking for Spring (she’s so pretty! she’s so magical!) and we’re always down for another few pages of Kate. But it’s interesting to note that yet again, a very vocal piece of the industry has done nothing to sway the actual practices of it… at least not yet.

Also: When we go to Bumble + Bumble next week for our semi-annual color fest, we’re actually thinking of going dark brown… is this so totally wrong?