“Just because I’ve become spiritual doesn’t mean I can’t love crocodile.” —Tom Ford gets serious in W.

Two years ago we mentioned the making of a Gucci movie and wondered what, if any, role Tom Ford would play.

This was pre-Single Man and pre-soon-to-launch-womenswear and we relished the idea of seeing Tom Ford playing Gucci-era Tom Ford on screen. At the time, only Ridley Scott was attached to the project, but late last night Variety reported that Angelina Jolie’s ‘this close’ to signing on to the project.

She’d play Patrizia Reggiano, the matriarch who got twenty-nine years in jail for planning the assassination of her ex-husband, Maurizio Gucci. As of now, the movie’s plot will cover the 70’s and 80’s Gucci golden years, but they’re still looking for the perfect script, and thus the perfect writer. Ridley Scott’s also allegedly courting Leonardo DiCaprio for the role of Mr. Gucci.

Though nothing’s nailed down, and everyone’s actually attached to other projects at the moment, Fox is making the movie a 2010 priority and hoping to start production early next year. Of course, what we really want to know is, who’ll do the costumes? Or even better, will we see the actual Gucci archives on screen?

Smile & Nod: Erin Wasson might like grunge, but prep pays the bills. She’s all smiles in J.Crew’s fall catalog. {J.Crew}

Word Up: A collection of fantastic quotes from Tom Ford, including his senate ambitions, his tailored Fruit of the Loom and the difference between a Gucci and a YSL woman. {Guardian}

Oh Boy: Penn Badgley tells Cosmo that he likes his women to dress “simply”. You know, like in “plunging v-necks” and “thigh high boots”. Sweater dresses are good, too. This editorial, however, is creepy. {Cosmopolitan}

Designer Facebook: Gucci’s launched their own social networking site, Eyeweb, to promote their new sunglasses; Frida Giannini even makes a cameo in one slideshow. There are only two models for now, but more to come, and more colors, for spring. {Grazia}

Bananas for Anna: We’ve had a crush on Anna Friel since Pushing Daisies, now she’s playing Eliza Doolittle in London’s West End. Here, some of her best looks. {ElleUK}

I know a bit about clothes and maybe kind of a lot about shoes, but when it came to sunglasses, I was clueless.

Until last week when I spent the morning at Silver Lining Opticians. It’s a hole in the wall on Thompson Street run by Jordan Silver and Erik Sacher and an absolute mecca of vintage frames.

But before I really got it, I needed a tutorial. Here’s how he explained it to me: In the early 80s, a man named Leonardo Del Vecchio started offering designers the opportunity to license eyewear. Before then, designers had treated the accessory as an extension of their ready-to-wear collection. For example, Christian Dior was one of the first brands to offer eyewear and he made super high quality frames that correlated to the kind of product on his runway. But Luxottica gave designers an “easy option,” and over the years production quality’s steadily declined.

In this morning’s WWD writer Jacob Bernstein poses an interesting question about whether or not fashion’s intense global exposure takes away a bit of the mystique that made it so interesting for so long.

It’s certainly a valid point. But not one that I think that I can come down on one side or the other on. Certainly, part of what drew me into the world of fashion and magazines as a kid growing up in Indiana was the apparent exclusivity of the club. Well, that along with the beautiful people wearing the beautiful clothes in the beautiful photographs.

But these are different times. Obviously (and thankfully, considering how I earn my living) there’s the internet. But the article also cites reality television (Project Runway, The Rachel Zoe Project, ANTM), documentaries like Valentino: The Last Emperor and The September Issue, and even the photography of Terry Richardson and Juergen Teller as giving the world an actual look in on our little world. Kate Betts said, “Fashion used to be a much smaller and more insulated business,Then it became more of a global business and now it’s in many respects a part of the entertainment business.”

This, the trailer for Tom Ford’s highly anticipated directorial debut, A Single Man, dropped a couple of week’s ago.

But not even Ford penetrated our Fashion Week bubble, which means we’re just seeing and sharing it now, in case you missed it, too.

We’ve already watched it four times (seriously) because even though no one speaks and the story looks terrifying, it’s stunning. From Julianne Moore’s exquisite make-up to the costumes to the furniture to the icy crash and all the men in between, each and every shot is almost shockingly beautiful. Like Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette before it, Ford’s made a visual feast.

Pretty Please, With Sugar On Top: Rumors are swirling that Tom Ford is on the lookout for investors for a new womenswear line. I don’t care if I can never afford a single piece. This is amazing news. Also, I love an excuse to run a gorgeous 90s Gwyneth pic.{Vogue UK}

Shop, Shop: Are there any other nerds out there who think of Alias every time they see the number 47? No, it’s just me. Oh, well. Anyway, Refinery gathered up 47 awesome pieces for fall, that you can actually afford. Merci. {Refinery29}

Vive la Resistance: The great airbrushing debate wages on, this time in France. Politicians are currently proposing labels on retouched photos with very major fines for naughty companies who disobey. {The Frisky}

Another Fashion Week: Lakme Fashion Week is going on in India while the world is focused on Europe. Catch up on the pics here if you need a little change of pace. {Guardian UK}

A Python Named Bambi: That’s one thing model Imogen Morris Clarke would like in the future. That and focusing on her studies and trying her hand at acting. {W}

Not Faris: Anna Friel is the West End’s new Eliza Doolittle, so Vanity Fair photographed her in loads and loads of pearls with touches of Alberta Ferretti & Julian Macdonald for a supplement to their UK edition. {VanityFair}

Venezia Bound: Tom Ford’s directorial debut, A Single Man, will screen at the Venice Film Festival on September 11 which means it’ll have a teeny, tiny, if any, fashion quotient in the audience. {LATimes}

The Mulberry Bush: Mulberry’s look book gets re-invented for the cool kids. It must be an English thing - we’ve never seen the Bayswater look so impossibly hip. {Nylon}

Ooh-La-La: Bonpoint’s founders opened Merci in Paris this March. Here’s a peek inside the charity shop with its specially designed Stella & YSL. It also houses food, vintage, perfume and furniture and looks positively heavenly. {Dazed}

Kinky Mickey: These S&M meets Mickey Mouse ears that Stephen Jones created for Ascot are one more reason to love the fantastical milliner. {VogueUK}

Forget Disneyland: If we won a lawsuit we’d go shopping, too. 50 Cent just dropped $33,000 on Tom Ford suits. {NYPost}

But We All Wanna Be Like Kate: Beth Ditto wouldn’t perform at Topshop without designing her own line. They said no, but gave her Evans and now plus-size lines are popping up everywhere. Ruth La Ferla discusses. {NYTimes}

W in Jersey? Someone over at W has actually eaten at the restaurant where the Real Housewives of New Jersey finale, aka the best episode EVER, took place. Perhaps it’s time for a Zip car road trip. {W}

“Thing is, people look much better naked. They’re all the same colour and they can’t screw up. You see someone at the gym and they look great. Then they put on their clothes.” Tom Ford to the Times UK, where he also claims to hate talking about sex.

Jacquetta Wheeler’s the new Gucci girl.

Sort of, she was the face of Tom Ford Gucci ten years ago, but the British-born, New York-living model’s been in campaigns more Lord & Taylor and Banana Republic these past couple of years. Her most recent high fashion campaign was Ralph Lauren in 2005, but Frida Giannini got swept up in London’s energy while in town to re-open Gucci’s Sloane Street store and wanted a real life English girl for her Fall 09 campaign.

Jacquetta joins the more traditional Gucci girls Natasha Poly and Freja, as well as Raquel Zimmermann who at this point is a given for pretty much every campaign.

Frida really wanted to capture the London spirit so Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin are shooting the campaign in a studio in North London.

TIME Magazine loves their lists.

They’re already working on the 100 Most Influential People of 2009, and for the first time they’re letting readers get in on the voting process.

In the Best Designer category, they’ve lumped together fashion, art and architecture - though the latter two categories include Renzo Piano, Damien Hirst, Rem Koolhas and Takashi Murakami, all of whom have serious fashion cred.

The actual fashion designers on the list include Stella McCartney and Tom Ford, though we wonder if Stella’s influence comes more from her commitment to veganism than necessarily pushing fashion forward. As for Tom Ford, he’s influenced Brad Pitt and caused a toe-sucking uproar,but hasn’t necessarily started a fashion revolution this particular year.

Granted, it’s unusually early in the year to pick the most influential designer of 09. Bu given the season we’ve just seen, who would you pick?

Mention Ruffian to anyone in the fashion industry and they’ll squeal, “Oh my god, I just love those boys.”

So maybe it’s because of that or maybe it’s because they always use stellar models that their show is such a good time. Once I stopped eavesdropping on front row conversation - “But I don’t understand Tom Ford! For the price of one blazer you can get two suits made on Saville Row!” - the intimate show started.

Brian and Claude were inspired by Paris this season, or “the aesthetic archetype of New Yorkers in Paris and the French romanticism of Americana” which came through in their point d’esprit hosiery, nipped jackets and silky dresses. There was silence when Arlenis popped out from behind the curtain and a quiet clap for Vlada’s jacket. Ikeliene got to wear sequined leopard print and Liu Wen rocked ruffled cuffs.

I loved the clothes - but I spent most of the show coveting the red lips and towering Louboutins and jumped for joy when my gift bag held a tube of MAC’s Ruffian Red lipstick which I promptly applied.

Let’s just say it was a very happy Valentine’s day - thanks boys.

British fashion photographer Tim Walker’s just confirmed that he’ll branch out into film in 2009.

He’s the man behind most of Vogue UK’s fairytale-like editorials and a major contributor on Nick Knight’s ShowStudio. You know this almost iconic image of Lily Cole and the December 08 spread starring Karen Elson and Tim Burton.

His short film will debut this spring with a follow up feature length film slated for Fall 2009. No word yet on plot lines and characters but we do expect fantasy and would love for Gemma to land a role.

Between this and Tom Ford’s movie and Vogue’s Sundance debut, fashion’s officially crossed over.

Our Tom Ford wardrobe dreams have been slashed much too soon.

Arianne Phillips, best known as Madonna’s personal stylist, will be dressing the cast for A Single Man. Her past film credits include Walk the Line and Swept Away. Her past Madonna credits include the icon’s last four tours, loads of Givenchy and an influx of Gucci leather jackets.

While we might not always love Madonna’s sartorial choices, we did love June Carter Cash’s and can’t wait to see what Phillips does with another 1960’s cast.

Meanwhile, Ford’s said to be collaborating with a couple of Mad Men’s production designers on the sets.

So if Tom can convince Don Draper to make a cameo, this should be the best looking film of the year.

It might be because we love the man blindly, but for some reason we don’t balk at Tom Ford designing a movie the way we balk at Jessica Simpson designing shoes.

Vogue UK reports that the busy man’s starts production on his first film, A Single Man, next month. He adapted the script from the novel of the same title with the help of screenwriter David Scearce and he’ll be directing, too - someone likes to be in charge.

Though we bet directing the likes of Colin Firth and Julianne Moore will be quite different from directing the Sophie Dahl’s and Carmen Kass’s of campaigns past. We’re expecting, ok, hoping, for at least a bit of behind the scenes drama what with Ford’s diva ways, a Los Angeles set, a dramatic story and a stellar cast.

Of course, we’re also hoping Ford has a hand in the set and costume design, too. Anyone who sees the movie, who knows Tom Ford directed it, and who knows who Tom Ford is, will be paying more attention to the aestethic details than the story line anyway.

It’s been far too long since Ford’s had a hand in dressing women and as far as we’re concerned, there can never be too much of the man.

“Oh. My. God. We just got the new GQ. And Scott Speedman wears Rag & Bone. And Joshua Jackson wears Tom Ford. And I feel fifteen, but better.” — Britt, to Natalie, just now.

When we think of Tom Ford, we think of sex. And then Gucci. And then perfume.

But we’ve never conjured an image of interpretive dancers in the middle of Les Galeries Lafayette promoting White Patchouli. Like, never ever.

And yet, there they were yesterday evening. Men in beaded black boleros violently gesticulated toward women in leotards and S&Mish pleather suspenders on top of a platform in the middle of the store coated in pictures of Erykah Badu and the retro perfume bottles.

Once we tore our eyes away from the scene, we wondered whether or not Tom had any creative control over the performance. Because aside from the bra tops and sleek hair, we don’t think he’d approve.

Apparently it happens everyday, so if you’re in Paris, we highly recommend checking it out, (especially since we were forbidden from taking pictures to share with you).

For laughs, at least.

For some reason, I had big expectations for Fashion Fringe.

Maybe it’s because some super cool designers have emerged from it and I thought I might see the next big thing. Or it could’ve been because Tom Ford was a judge and I have a huge crush on him. But it could be because when I walked in, the front row names read: Jerry Hall, Georgia May Jagger, Dita Von Teese, and Princess Beatrice.

But in the end, it was about the clothes. (Well, sort of. I did get a huge kick out of seeing Emma Watson end up in Jerry Hall’s seat and next to Dita. And it was kind of amazing to watch Donatella Versace walk straight into Faran).

The competition included four designers. The first showed an all-white collection inspired by Sarah Jessica Parker which sounds doomed for failure but actually ended up the winner (Eun Jeong Hong’s line, Go By a Secret Path). The second featured super cute, super wearable brightly colored dresses. The third went on print overload with more than a little Miu Miu influence. And the fourth, well the fourth kid was banking on Donatella’s vote and showed a parade of vampy dresses set off with dark lipstick.

Do I think I saw the next Chris Kane or Gareth Pugh? No. But I had fun.