(Photos and Nails by CND)

Live at 7:45: Twenty8Twelve is streaming their show from London on their site. That would be 2:45 this afternoon if you’re here in NYC and you guys elsewhere can take it from there. Enjoy. {Twenty8Twelve}

Ambassador Bundchen: Gisele has been named a UN Goodwill Ambassador, focusing on environmental issues, clean water, and all around saving the planet. Her powers did not enable her to score a win in NY against the Jets for the hubby yesterday, however. {Modelinia}

Sitting Down With Yoko: Cory Kennedy talks to Ms. Ono (and Sean) about ThreeAsFour, her new album, and why she wouldn’t co-write with John. {NylonTV}

The first solid details on the tentatively titled MAC at Milk shows we’ve been talking about since the cosmetics company decided to end its partnership with IMG leaving Maybelline to jump in as the official makeup sponsor at Bryant Park.

And the initial list of designers signed on for events at Milk Studios is very, very strong: Proenza Schouler, Alexander Wang, Peter Som, Threeasfour, Vena Cava, Band of Outsiders, Adam Lippes, Altuzarra, Barbara Tfank, Costello Tagliapietra, Erin Fetherston, Pamela Love, Preen and Temperley London.

I held on tight to my Nina Ricci invitation all day.

Hard invitations are gold in Paris - no invite, no luck - and I wasn’t going to miss Olivier Theyskens’ last Nina Ricci collection for anything.

Unfortunately, my cab driver, or the traffic ahead of us, didn’t care that I had to get there, and so, at 7:27 I bolted out of the car and ran, desperately looking for a familiar face or anyone significantly underdressed for the Paris cold. Finally, I stumbled past a very serious security gate and into my seat with seconds to spare.

Paparazzi descended upon the front row, a hippie-headbanded Milla Jovovich was sandwiched in between Carine and Lou Doillon (side note: Earlier today, an editor suggested that I remind them of Charlotte Gainsbourg to which I almost actually said, “I die” out loud. Time to stop quoting Rachel Zoe in my head and time for said editor to get glasses), with Leigh Lezark and Emannuelle Alt on each end. Five camera flashes and the lights went out, a model started walking and the music clicked on - in that order.

The clothes were gorgeous, of course, but the shoes were literally breathtaking. The ball of the foot rested on at least a five inch platform while the heel ascended another few inches, without an actual heel which made it look like the girls were floating on air. Gowns came with giant sheer black ruffles, hot pink and turquoise glitter and beaded floral trains. The red jacket and long skirt caused the audience to spontaneously combust in applause mid-collection (something I’ve never seen, Natalie once at ThreeAsfour) though front-row grins lingered for the duration of the show.

Though I’d corrected at least three people throughout the day, “But it’s not confirmed that he’s leaving! He might make it!,” there was no questioning Olivier’s wave good-bye and the enthusiastic but sad standing ovation.

New York Fashion Week may have been sparse with retro hair and makeup looks, but that didn’t stop designers from having some serious nail nostalgia.

Ruffian, Thakoon, ThreeAsfour and FORM all went retro for their runway manicures, taking inspiration from a look featured in a 1936 issue of Vogue. The original look consisted of a coral nail bed and bare moon, but nail artists for CND updated the old idea using blacks, whites and reds for a look that was both classically mod and slightly futuristic.

But more importantly, would you wear it?

—MEGAN MCINTYRE

[IMAGES FROM CND]

While waiting on a yet another too-long line to get on a freight elevator for the ThreeAsfour presentation, Amy from New York Magazine walks out, having already been inside, and says, “Don’t do it! It takes forever to get in and forever to get out, it’s not worth it!”

I say, “Were the clothes good?” (ThreeAsfour has always been my favorite show of Fashion Week, hands down.)

Amy: “I have no idea, I could barely see anything.” It was around then that people started to just leave for Elise Overland rather than wait.

Feeling like we’re about to see U2, we stay on the line anyway. After another fifteen minutes, we’re surreptitiously waved by a PR person who says there’s another elevator on the other side. On the way there, we realize we have to jump a couple feet off a platform to get to it, but since I’m in a miniskirt, I scooch down. In the process, my trustiest pair of opaque Wolford tights rip: “This shit better be good”.

Fifteen minutes and one Roisin Murphy sighting later, we’re inside. Except the teeny tiny venue - a one room art gallery in Chelsea - is packed to the point where all you can really see are people’s heads, and since the PR people keep telling you to keep it moving, you end up catching only a glimpse of what looks like a truly great presentation. In fact, it was almost exactly like trying to see the Mona Lisa on a Saturday in July, if that gives you a better idea.

We managed to push our way to the front long enough to see the clear Ohne Titel Spring 09 influence in the sparkly leggings, and the fact that the models are picking at tiny little plants. Excited, we start snapping away, except all of a sudden, the presentation ends about an hour earlier than the invitation indicated.

So really, we wish we could tell you more about the clothes, but we’re still a little pissed at the incredibly poor planning (there really should have been time shifts for such a small space) and the fact that we had to go on Style.com to see clothes that were right in front of our faces last night.

We’re hoping ThreeAsfour sends us some sparkly tights in apology.

Just because Target refuses to build a central Manhattan location, doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten about us.

In fact, they love us so much they’re erecting a McQ Market at St. John’s Center (330 West Street at West Houston Street) from noon until 10pm on February 14th and 15th so that those of us stranded on this Target-less island can pick up our McQ for Target almost a month before the rest of the world.

And it won’t be any old mini-mega store, they’re transforming the space into their own version of Camden Market complete with chain link fences, distressed plywood and graffiti-covered grates to “evoke some rock ‘n roll nostalgia” - we’re not sure how successful that element will be but we’re willing to give it a go, especially if it means a surprise appearance by Leila Moss.

They’ll be selling the entire collection and local artists will be around to customize whatever you want.

Your best bet is hopping over in that two hour slot between Wang and ThreeAsFour on the Saturday, unless you’d rather wait until after Miss Sixty on Sunday, in which case fingers crossed there’s anything left.

It’s that time, kids. The Fashion Week schedule is making its way into our lives, and we can already spot some time slot duels:

On Friday, February 13th, Cushnie et Ochs is showing at the same time (4pm) as Shipley & Halmos (which is a presentation, but you only have until 5pm to get there, so if Cushnie starts late - hah! - you’re out of luck.) Then later that day at 8pm, Form and Lorick will have to compete for pretty young things’ attendance.

Then on Tuesday the 17th, advertiser-driven Badgley Mischka will have to contend with buzz-driven Sophie Theallet at 10am, and Phillip Lim may lose some seats to Carmen Marc Valvo the next day at 3pm.

Also of note: Even though plenty of small designers are nowhere to be seen for the Fall 09 shows, Hayden-Harnett is officially on the schedule with a 6pm presentation on Thursday the 19th, and ThreeAsfour, who usually hosts a pretty heart stopping show, has switched to presentation format (Valentine’s Day at 7pm, same as Elise Overland.)

Three weeks…

…Because they were all over the New York runways for Spring.

They came huge (Threeasfour, Jenni Kayne), they came small (DVF, Alexandre Herchcovitch, Phillip Lim), they even came minuscule and in body art-like swirls on sheer tops and leggings (Ohne Titel).

We fully expect to see them in every store come February, but the bigger question remains: Will we see them on every girl come April?

Only if we don’t mind looking like disco balls (or Sienna Miller circa 2006)…

Last season, ThreeAsFour was our absolute favorite show, and we were delighted that the crowd felt the same way.

So we were a little disappointed when we spied certain front row fixtures chat, text and even yawn during their show last night, an ethereal mix of their new swimwear line (which was much more daring than even we imagined) and dresses that drifted behind the models for so long it was like the effect of a good perfume, except visual.

But then, something happened. The music couldn’t be heard anymore, because there was a static-like noise growing from backstage. And then we all saw it, coming towards us, but so very slowly.

The final look - a floor-brushing, off the body gown, constructed of huge pastel sequins (or were they way too heavy to actually be sequins?) that rattled as the model walked - no, she stepped. The dress was either just that heavy, or maybe she was tip toeing for the grandeur.

Either way, the crowd freaked out. Editors stood, photographers whistled, and everyone broke into applause. It literally stopped the show.

Truly, only ThreeAsFour can elicit that kind of response from a room of jaded fashion people even more jaded from the storm outside.

Update: The final look was constructed of capiz-shell discs.

Here’s some news we’re pretty sure was lost to the long weekend:

ThreeASFOUR, which was easily the most exhilarating show of last season’s Fashion Week, is planning on wholesaling their new swimwear line.

In the past, their swimsuits have been designed mainly just for the shows, rarely retailing, and at serious prices when they did (the suit at left was originally priced at almost $1,000.)

The line will debut at their show this Saturday night, and will wholesale between $100 and $250 alongside a line of bodysuits and leggings.

We can’t wait to see what affordable bathing suits from ThreeASFOUR will look like, but we’re confident they’ll be as amazing and malleable as all their other designs. We’re just hoping the line gets picked up by somebody easy to shop from - we’re talking to you, Net-a-Porter!

Everyone’s talking about Zara - Hayley got a new dress, I got a winter coat and now they’ve overtaken Gap as the largest fashion retailer in the world.

The Spanish chain’s profits increased by 9% while Gap’s fell 10% in the first quarter according to the Guardian. Blame’s fallen on the American consumer for cutting back on spending - but shouldn’t some of it be placed on the Gap, too?

While Zara’s devoted itself to absorbing high fashion runway designs and interpreting them for the masses with an incredibly fast turnover rate, Gap’s flailed its image all over the place - Euro designers, capsule collections, the all-American Patrick Robinson - to no avail. Their profits might increase the week their new white shirts hit the racks, but that customer won’t return until the next special collection - they’ll probably be at Zara instead.

Why did I buy my winter coat full price from Zara two weeks ago? Because I know it’ll be gone by the end of the month, replaced with some other diluted Rick Owens interpretation. Meanwhile, Gap’s overproduction means that if I like something, I can wait months with the guarantee that it will go on sale for a fraction of the price (good for me, bad for Gap) - but the bigger problem might be that I don’t like anything.

If Gap wants to cater to a jeans and t-shirt customer, then do that, without mixing in Pierre Hardy shoes and ThreeAsFour dresses, but if they want to cater to a customer who cares about Philip Crangi and Rodarte, do that. They’ve overreached, leaving their customers, and apparently their own brand strategists, quite confused.

Zara picked a customer early on and continues to target her while opening almost 4,000 stores internationally. If Gap wants their crown back, they better start paying attention.

Back before the Fashion Week madness, we reported that runway favorite ThreeAsFour was doing a capsule collection for Gap as part of the deal that Gap struck with the CFDA/Vogue fashion fund after a hefty donation.

Now WWD fills in the rest reporting that 3.1 Phillip Lim, Band of Outsiders, Michael Bastian and Philip Crangi will also design limited-edition collections (all having to do with the white shirt) for the mass brand this year.

The clothes hit stores next month, but you might have to do some hunting for some of it - as of right now, it looks like only Phillip Lim’s designs will be available in most Gap stores (including Gap Canada, UK and Japan.) So if distribution is decided by popularity or name recognition, we’re not sure where ThreeAsFour will land - but we’re hoping right on Broadway so we can just swing by on our way to work.

In the meantime, we’ll be sure to put up the ad as soon as possible, featuring guest appearances by Chanel Iman, Jessica Stam, Lily Donaldson, Du Juan, Catherine McNeil, Anja Rubik, Doutzen Kroes and Irina Lazareanu.

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?

Something you might notice at a Fashion Week show is that a lot of people aren’t really there for the clothes.

And not only that, a lot of those people don’t even pretend to pay attention to the clothes - if they’re not whispering with their friends, or scrolling through their Blackberry, you can often see them just staring out at nothing or checking out who’s in the crowd. (And the famous, and even the semi-famous, often arrive for just the photo op before taking their place in the front row.)

But such was not the case at ThreeAsFour last night, where the audience hushed the minute the lights dimmed, and then later broke into random applause and whistles at the site of three of the looks: The sparkly, hooded silver coat; the flowing, cross-strapped silver dress; and the sheer, dark green ruffly gown that closed the show.

The mood was unsettling (the music was some kind of remix of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and a Western-sounding track, making for an eerie effect,) and the models stepped carefully as if on their way to a place unknown.

The show was sent off with the first genuine applause we’ve heard this Fashion Week.

Guess what we heard?

Three AsFour is doing a new line for Gap!

The design collective follows in the footsteps of Rodarte, Thakoon, Doo.Ri, and Roland Mouret, all of whom created past collaborations with the retail brand - including a line of crisp white shirts that landed smack on the cover of Vogue, directly after Gap made a million-dollar donation to the CFDA / Vogue Fashion Fund.

You should be able to get the clothes starting this Spring, and they’re not the only Gap arrival we’re anticipating:

That GapBody collaboration with Marie-Amelie Sauve, of Balenciaga fame, should also be just around the corner…

Yipee!

Most fashion show sponsors express their love through the gift bag, but Saturday at ThreeAsFour sponsor Kate Spade offered something sweeter:

Free ice cream!

Kate commissioned her very own ice cream cart, complete with tiny piano and enthusiastic busker, which was parked outside and ready to serve as guests poured out of ThreeAsfour’s show.

The treats were particularly welcome considering the climate - Saturday’s heat was awful, and sometimes, being crammed into a Fashion Week venue was even worse.

No wonder we saw notoriously discreet editors digging into their edible swag.

—ANNA FIELDING GRIGGS

PS: Fashion Trivia from Faran - Kate Spade once worked at Haagen Daaz…

The CFDA just announced their ten finalists for the CFDA / Vogue Fashion Fund.

Winners get $200,000, mentoring by a major fashion figure, a giant spread in Vogue, and probably their own Target line.

The new kids are:

Band of Outsiders, a preppy mischief menswear brand that presents their clothes on a blog (swoon).

Erin Fetherston, the Paris-trained BFF of Kirsten and Zooey with Leith Clark and a lot of heart necklaces on her side.

Koi, the under-the-radar Thai label run by Nunthirat Suwannagate

Michael Bastian, the former men’s fashion director of Bergdorf Goodman.

Philip Crangi, a jewelry designer with a thing for hammered gold

3.1 Phillip Lim, whose sweetly slouchy dresses you probably already own

Rogan, the BFF of Bono whose jeans get worn in by rock stars before you buy them.

Three AsFour, enfant terribles with pretty architectural dresses

Vena Cava, Brooklyn girls with Paris style

VPL by Victoria Bartlett, whose company initials stand for “Visible Panty Line.”

Our hearts go out to Sophie and Lisa from Vena Cava (whose design is pictured, left), but we think Phillip Lim has this one in the bag, with ThreeAsFour getting a second place award, since they have so much support from Vogue’s Sally Singer…

The winners are announced on November 15, and you can expect to see the Vogue team at all their shows in September.

And also, here’s some fashion trivia: The Casting Director books 3 out of the 10 shows on this list.

How do you celebrate the end of Paris Fashion Week?

With an ’80s aerobics lesson, courtesy of the coolest store in the world, Colette!

Last week, the boutique packed models, stylists, socialites, designers, and international Vogue girls into their discotheque, resurrecting the neon sneakers and baggy white sportswear that you may remember from the Girls Ain’t Nothing But Trouble video.

Whether the aesthetic will stick with the street kids is still in the air - though to be fair, this does seem like a logical outgrowth of all things rave and Day-Glo. Skid through photos from Mark the Cobrasnake and decide - if ThreeAsFour and Emmanuelle Alt can do the Electric Slide, can you?