The best part about holiday shopping, aside from apple cider, is the overflow of shopping events (especially in the wake of such financial disarray).

Next week, Elle and Armani Exchange are teaming up to make you shop. And by Elle we mean Style Director Kate Lanphear.

The party’s next week, Tuesday, November 10 from 6pm-8pm at Armani Exchange’s Fifth Avenue store at 20th Street. You’ll get to preview Armani’s holiday collection, drink champagne and snack your way through the store.

And if you spend over $100, you get to customize your own A/X t-shirt with Kate on hand to dish bedazzling advice.

If a tee designed by Kate isn’t the perfect pre-holiday treat, then we’re not sure what is.

In the worst season of the show ever, we finally know who’s showing (or sorry, already showed) at Bryant Park…last February. And now, on to the questions:

1. Seriously, Michael’s not involved in choosing who’s going to Fashion Week? No offense to Cynthia Rowley, who was lovely, but that’s just infuriating. Lifetime, please realize you cannot film this show in LA and still have it be relevant.

2. Cindy! Um, what’s your secret and how do you still look that damn amazing? Can we please get the number of your derm? Thanks much.

3. Mayor Villaraigosa, don’t you have a budget crisis to deal with? Also, if you think Los Angeles is the “creative capital of the nation” and “leading the way in fashion”, we cordially invite you to visit New York. Bring on the hate, west coast, we can take it.

4. Did anyone else think this Getty challenge would have been better suited for an early round where we could have seen a wider range of viewpoints? It really is one of the most culturally sound places in LA (and the views are ridiculous), making it the perfect place to get an early glimpse into everyone’s vision.

Back in August we got our hands on an early copy of Miss J Alexander’s book, Follow the Model: Miss J’s guide to Unleashing Presence, Poise and Power.

Now you can meet the man, the myth, the legend himself when he hits up Barnes & Noble for a book signing next week.

WHEN: November 10th, 7pm
WHERE: Barnes & Noble, 97 Warren Street, NYC

We can only imagine the amazing people-watching at such an event. You just know that many a girl is going to arrive ready and willing to show her “amazing” runway strut to the ANTM judge.

And his outfit is sure to be major. If you go, let us know what sort of over-the-top message he writes in the front of your book.

Vogue.TV just launched their new series, 60 Seconds to Chic.

It’s hosted by Louise Roe, who used to host videos for Vogue UK before moving to America and trying, maybe, to follow in Cat Deeley’s footsteps.

This first episode features winter boots (in fact, it’s almost like a commercial for Sorrel), but styled for different winter occasions including a night out. Louise, who’s credited as a Vogue.TV ‘stylist’ pairs short furry galoshes with a black mini-dress and sequin jacket which sounds cozy, but awkward, kind of like when I wore galoshes with a dress on fashion’s night out and then it didn’t rain. Would you actually wear winter boots to dinner with your cocktail dress? Even if Vogue says it’s ok?

Never in life did I think I would be talking about Regis Philbin on Fashionista, but here I am. Don’t get me wrong, I love Reege big time, but you know what I mean.

That all changes today. The Halloween episode this morning featured this fairly hilarious spoof of The Rachel Zoe Project with Regis as Brad!! I loved it so much when he mentioned a dress for Annie. Kelly gets dual roles as Rachel and Taylor, but my second favorite was Gelman’s Rodger, at the ready to make Rachel some toast.

I die. Literally.

Tonight’s ep was such an Adventures in Copyright moment. But I’m still annoyed that yet again, Michael was absent…even though Nina was back in good form. But on to the questions.

1. “How creative are you that you have to steal ideas from people?” —Althea

2. Do you think Althea stole from Irina?

3. Have we heard the nickname “Meana Irina” before? I missed it, if so. Though even when she’s right, she’s totally a mean girl.

4. Didn’t Gordana’s dress outfit look like it was made for the saddest I-banker’s secretary in Wall Street? Oy, the ’80s.

5. Wait, Nick Verreos is a fashion professor now? Sir, I hope you don’t think you’re any kind of Tim Gunn.

Models take off their clothes all the time, obviously. And the fashion industry is no stranger to the “green” movement. But in this video, the two come together in a totally cute way. And we likey.

Cameron, Hanne Gaby, Heidi, Crystal, et al really couldn’t look more adorable getting down to their skivvies for a good cause, 350.org—which is all about taking action for climate change. Go, girls!

But, we ask, can you name all the pieces they discard?

Thanks to the magic of television, I’ve seen Rachel Zoe die after Diane von Furstenberg told her “she’d become the woman she’d always wanted to be,” and watched Whitney Port stare blankly as the fashion icon dished out invaluable career and relationship advice. Now, thanks to Teen Vogue’s Fashion University, I’ve heard DVF for myself.

As the program’s keynote speaker, Diane walked out to so many flashbulbs that she had to tell her overly-eager audience to cut it out and listen. Here are some highlights of her lively, inspirational speech.

1. She takes pride in understanding women. Diane believes that clothes should be like close friends: “When you’re standing in front of the closet in the morning, and you feel like shit, you should go for the reliable one that makes you feel good.”

2. She always has a camera with her. Her close-ups of leaves, bark, or anything else she finds beautiful in nature can end up a pattern in one of her collections.

This past weekend, Teen Vogue hosted a Fashion University event for their readers who were eager to learn the ins and outs of the business.

Not only were they given the rare opportunity to visit the magazine’s editorial floor and famed fashion closet, but they also got the chance to sit down with designers like Richard Chai, Philip Crangi, and Thakoon Panichgul. In a discussion moderated by Amy Astley, Thakoon shared stories about his rise through the ranks of the industry and gave pointers to the many aspiring designers in the audience.

You may already know that his Fall 2005 presentation was the most buzzed-about of the season, or that his most famous customer is Michelle Obama. But here are some things you might not know about the designer. I definitely didn’t.

Has this week felt as long to you guys as it has to us? Seriously, Tuesday felt like it should have been the end of the week. But finally it’s Friday. We especially love Fridays when we get little treats like this one in our inboxes.

We’re pretty sureYoungest Indie might be Hedi Slimane’s biggest fan and in his honor has created a Play-Doh/Claymation rock video with the band members wearing pieces from Hedi’s work at Dior Homme.

Um, amazing. And so fun. Enjoy!

1. Nicolas, are you sure you know what “fashion-forward” and “over-the-top” mean because they usually don’t come in the form of white jersey and (very Contempo Casual) gray trousers?

2. Also Nicolas, ever think that choosing a fabric (jersey) that you’ve never worked with before might not be the best idea for a challenge on Project Runway?

3. Logan, what happened to the oversized sweater with pockets situation you described to Tim? That did sound very Mary-Kate and very cute for that matter.

4. Nina, where is that serious tough love? These remaining designers really need a good kick in the pants from you.

5. While I agree that Carol Hannah’s dress was very pretty and that I, like Milla, could live in it, why did no one point out its real lack of a unique point-of-view? You could find that dress many places. And it was very Uli, no?