Last night's unveiling of Banana Republic's Fall 2008 Holiday/Fall line was like a lot of other fashion week shows, except in April.

It started twenty minutes late, PR girls everywhere, editors pretending to ignore the free champagne, assistants in standing room only - the Vogue girls even held court from their first and second row seats, just like the good old days of February.

The clothes were, of course, perfect Banana Republic - cozy coats, elegant dresses, a muted color scheme of mostly blacks and grays.

But we think the real standout of the night was the models. Not only did Iekeliene walk for the label's 30th anniversary, but we fell in love with a new girl, too -

Meet Arlenis (she's so new we don't even know her last name), a newbie at Marilyn who's not only rumored to be involved in the already infamous Vogue Italia set to drop this July, but who's also a favorite of COACD.

Every time she stepped out on the runway, eyes stopped staring in the direction of the clothes, and went up to try and figure out where in the world this girl came from.

Can't wait to see what she walks in September...

Laura from Men's Health just alerted us to the coolest thing to happen to Google since G-chat.

You can personalize your homepage even more - and that doesn't just mean choosing where your icons go - it means picking an entire designer or artist theme.

Options include fashion darling and artist Jeff Koons, Coldplay, glass-blower extraordinare Dale Chihuly, Dolce & Gabbana, Oscar De La Renta and signature Diane Von Furstenberg prints including the one from that dress we're still obsessed with.

So now you have something to play with until lunch.

Enjoy!

The Hills has been lacking fashion lately, and with the elusiveness of labels and editors comes a sharp sense of anything with stitches - sort of the way you can smell anything when you're hungry.

So when Lo says to Audrina, "are we wearing the same pants?"

We were immediately like, "Why yes, you are, and they're Loomstate, and they're from Barney's Co-op, and they're $79 on sale, but you can find similar ones at Urban Outfitters and also at Madewell."

And that is when we decided that we will probably not watch The Hills anymore.

But even so, the pants are quite cute.

Also made from organic cotton, which we like - but not as much as we liked The Hills when it actually took place (or at least looked like it took place) inside a Conde Nast building.

Sigh.

Some of you have been asking why we're not covering The Hills today. Here's our official position.

For those of you left wishing you could live on set of Gossip Girl, here's a little snack to tide you over at the beginning of your week-long withdrawal -

The LA Times got their hands on a picture of the first of Lydia's outfits for her run on the show.

Personally, we think it could have been a little better.

The Sigerson gladiators are cute but just ok, the shape of that bag is starting to get annoying, and the dress, well, you fill in the blank.

Chuck, on the other hand, looks perfect in plaid, though we're still hoping for a shark sweater encore.

Reasons to check out this video on the preparation for the Met ball on Vogue's site:

1. You get to see Coco mid-superhero makeup

2. You get to see the little finger wave thing she does when talking about Poison Ivy

3. You get to see her throw a couple punches while smiling

4. You get to hear Stephanie Winston Wolkoff explain her strategy for seating ("Who went out with who?")

Enjoy!

10. So did Lauren just like text Lisa Love to say she's quitting?

9. Audrina wears dresses? Phillip Lim ones?

8. What the hell is a "computer class"?

7. Heidi - you really need another "girls' night"? Don't these usually end in embarrassment for you?

6. Is Lauren wearing a knuckle ring? For her first post-fight scene with Heidi? And Justin Bobby? (And is that a kids' bed sheet wrapped around her chest?)

5. "Oh my gosh, here comes Justin" - read from a teleprompter?

4. Oh Heidi, fake nails? Dark red? Oof - but we guess it's just another one for the list.

3. Could Justin Bobby care less about the whole Heidi-Lauren backstory? Guess he really wants to get Audrina on the bike...

2. Does Lo secretly hate Audrina?

1. Has Spencer kind of retired from the show? Because he's actually coming across as semi-sage compared to everyone else.

Last week, we got about a million messages asking us to post about Gossip Girl which, as you all know, returns tonight.

We assume you've all read the interview in NYLON and know all about the coming yogurt fiasco on the steps of the Met.

But here's a little more info courtesy Natalie's HD Player: Tonight's episode is called "The Blair Bitch Project."

And here's a little taste of what happens: "Blair hesitantly returns to school after being dethroned as Queen Bee; Serena struggles to adjust to living with her future stepbrother, Chuck, and receives disturbing packages from an unknown sender; Jenny's drive to be popular hits a high."

Who else thinks the packages come from Georgina? Discuss!

Ok! T-10 hours...

According to the Daily Telegraph, sales of sewing machines are way up, which means more people must be sewing their own clothes.

They cite the culture of fast fashion as inciting a backlash and causing people to want to customize their own clothes and make sure it wasn't sewn in sweatshop.

We've had dreams of being super seamstresses long before Season 1 of Project Runway. The idea of making clothes exactly the way we want it - rather than scanning a zillion stores and sites in search of a dress design that popped into our head - and of it fitting us exactly how we want is enough to make us consider taking our own sewing machine down from its high place in the closet, before we remember that we don't even remember how to thread the machine, let alone sew straight lines.

We've been considering taking a sewing class or two to get things started, but there are just a lot of other factors - time (it seems like it's a lot faster to shop rather than design a dress, pick out the fabric, actually make the dress, deal with mending the dress that we probably didn't sew correctly, etc), quality (after all, what the hell do we know about designing clothes?), and, oh yeah, skill.

So we're wondering, do any of you sew your own clothes? And if so, how did you get started?

(Editor's Note: If you make a compelling enough of an argument, you might be able to convince Britt and Natalie to sew their own dresses for an upcoming event. DIY ball gowns? Only if you're inspiring...)

Did Heidi Klum just reveal the first challenge of Project Runway's Season Five?

She recently told Contact Music that she's constantly inundated with requests to redesign uniforms for the likes of Starbucks and American Airline employees.

We're pretty sure these people aren't asking her directly, but probably the designer contestants she'll be Auf'ing all season in a few months.

First up? Actually, probably Starbucks. It would fit in with the brand's recent change of wardrobe anyway.

And the judge? Well, we'd hope for Armani, given his own work in uniform re-design, but we're betting it'll be more like Howard Schultz.

The sad thing is, we actually care about this stuff...

So we hear from a source at Epic Records that Audrina's "work friend," Chiara, will start having a bigger presence on the show. That seems to be good news, as the source claims Chiara is "smart," "hard working," and "rad." Look out for her towards the end of this season.

Meanwhile, Jessica from People's Revolution recently sent out an email saying she'd resigned to freelance for other companies. We hope at least one of those brands has an eyeshadow or mascara, because she has the coolest eyes we've ever seen.

But Jessica's new absence leaves more questions:

1. How will Whitney triumph at work if someone else isn't around to ignore the Pussycat Dolls?

2. Does this mean there's a permanent spot open for Lauren?

We can't get away from this interview with Simon Doonan for NBC's First Look. First it was in every cab we took, and then we woke up to it on the news this morning.

In the video - and his new book Eccentric Glamour, Simon pegs stylish women into three categories: the Socialite (diamond-studded grill), the Existentialist (black on black), and the Gypsy (flowy tops).

And he doesn't forget to offer us plenty of sound bite worthy quotes ("Say no to ho"), and in case you were concerned, assures us that "windows are very democratic," because we can have "no teeth and be completely destitute and still enjoy a [shop] window." Who knew?

For the record, our favorite New York City window is the Sixth Avenue puppy shop.

-- JAZZI McGILBERT

Remember back when Nick Knight requested flower donations for his December shoot with Kate for V?

Well the shoot is shot, photoshopped and can be bought on stands - but of course Mr. Knight also has a blog to which he must attend, and this time around, he used the shoot's extra bits to make a little video of Kate. Speaking.

Actually, reciting.

Click to listen to Kate's ghost-like rendering of Roddy Lumsden's poem "Bloom."

Try not to get the chills.

10. Wow, look at all those headshots. Are they casting for future People’s Rev employees?

9. “Kelly goes in and out.” Like the Wizard of Oz?

8. It's sort of funny Heidi is so stressed about Spencer being with other people. Because really, what girl in America would even talk to Spencer?

7. OMG I’m not getting married until I’m 32 either!

6. "Hey Audrina, they only want to be friends with you to get back at me!" Is Lauren really self absorbed, or just Machiavellian?

5. So Heidi moans, “I’ve never felt so betrayed” when she sees Spencer talking to a girl at a nightclub. But that's worse than when Lauren said she couldn’t be friends with Heidi because of her boyfriend? Really?

4. Whitley Kroes models = Cory Kennedy with better lipstick?

3. "Who takes a vacation from a relationship?”

2. Did Kelly just call Whitney a “bitch in training!?!” Aaah can we steal that?

1. Logistical question: If Lauren works for People's Revolution, then why is Bluprint PR (a different LA firm) doing the press for her clothing line?

Question: How many hipsters does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

a. "You mean you don't know?"

b. "It's a really new number, you've probably never heard of it."

c. "I was totally into that joke last year before it became popular."

d. All of the Above.

If you find any or all of this funny, you'll probably like this, too.

--BRETT KANE

Wondering what Karl's Grand Theft Auto DJ'ing would sound like?

We highly suggest you take a listen, even if it's just to hear Karl saying, "I am DJ Karl, or as they say in France, DJ Karl."

and

"We keeping things moving with the music that liberated all of us and taught us we were all the same."

Oh, yes.

Today's WWD has a full-on story about Whitney Port's clothing line, Eve & A.

But we weren't interested in her clothes as much as we were interested in her title at People's Revolution.

The story states that she is officially an intern for Kelly Cutrone.

Intern?

We're pretty sure she's supposed to be an actual employee on the show, some sort of assistant, something, especially since she had a supposedly paid position at Teen Vogue before she moved over to PR.

Is even Whitney's position made up for the show? We can't imagine one of the busiest PR companies putting up with cameras and crew just to have an extra person cataloguing clothes as "work." We understood with Teen Vogue - it was a fake set in their LA offices, after all.

But a fake job in a real place? Really?

Natalie: Either something's gone horribly wrong at my Starbuck's, or their cups got new outfits.

Britt: That's Starbuck's? It looks so sterile.

Natalie: I know! Why isn't everyone talking about this?

Britt: Um, I'm off coffee, so I'm not sure. But I did hear they have a new blend so maybe they're just coordinating? Or maybe it's a sign they're using more recycled paper?

Natalie: Oh. Well, I do like a monochromatic look and I'm all for recycling. But I'm kind of worried. I mean, will we still be able to recognize Mary-Kate?

Britt: Don't worry - the white cup will be totally easy to spot in front of all the new black Balenciaga.

It's no secret that working for high level people can include some pretty embarrassing tasks.

The Independent had a cute story this weekend about some of the strangest jobs in fashion, which centered mostly around (who else?) Karl.

They covered that he employs a music nanny - like a librarian for his collection of 100+ iPods - and that he requires a certain type of pencil for signatures. But they missed one other fun job he considers worth paying someone for - goblet holder.

At left, you can see the unnamed man who kept Karl's drink at the ready during his Fendi ad shoot with Raquel and Brad in Madison Square Park last month.

Glad we finally worked that picture in somehow. And now, back to reality.

When we read all about The Row and how Ashley seems to be the brain behind the whole operation, we wondered what exactly was coming of Mary-Kate's acting career, other than her cut scene from Factory Girl.

We can't say for sure right now, but after Thursday, we might have a much better idea.

MK's movie The Wackness, which won the Audience Award at Sundance, premieres in New York on Thursday at the Tribeca Film Festival, so if you couldn't make it to Utah in January, here's your chance to catch Michelle Tanner in dreadlocks chilling out to Phish.

You can try to catch the film at 6pm at 550 Madison even if you haven't rsvp'ed - they sometimes let people in if everyone on the list isn't check in on time.

We'll let you know if a certain twin shows up in support.

He's got his own teddy bear, a lead figurine, a vinyl Kidrobot - so what would be the next logical move?

A character in a video game, of course.

But not just any video game - Karl Lagerfeld's likeness will soon appear as a radio DJ in teen boy favorite Grand Theft Auto.

The game's in stores April 29, so you'll have to wait a little bit to find out if any of the "politically incorrect dialogue" the game writers included (and that Karl so loved) made it into the final cut. We imagine him saying stuff like, "If you hadn't stopped at D&D earlier you might be able to cruise through that hairpin turn a little faster" or whatever.

In other Meta-Karl news, reader Emily sent us an old Adult Swim clip we somehow missed from Metalocalypse - she thinks the fashion designer in question was drawn to look like Karl.

What do you guys think?

10. Why does Stephanie look 10 years older than Lauren?

9. Lauren – pink lipstick, red dress? Really?

8. Stephanie gets a condo?! Spencer is right for the first time ever when he says, “This is ridiculous.”

7. Does anyone else love these Alicia Keys commercials?

6. Hey, how did Matthew Fox get off the Island? Oh wait, it’s Brody!

5. "You're making yourself cry?!" Spencer is right for the second time ever.

4. Aaah, there's Mikey from People's Rev again! We love Mikey!

3. So nothing happens at Teen Vogue without Whitney?

2. Did Audrina steal that hat from Justin Bobby?

1. Does “I think you’re a really nice person” mean “I think you’re really dumb and you can’t choose your own life”? Because that's what it sounds like. Oy.

To: Natalie@Fashionista.com

From: Samantha@INoticeEverything.com

I was reading Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Luster (by Dana Thomas), and came upon this quote.

I couldn't get over the irony...

"'No matter how beautiful actresses are, they don't know how to dress,' says Kelly Cutrone, founder of the fashion public relations firm People's Revolution. 'They need to be told how to say the designer's name-- it's Jeee-van-she, not Ga-vin-chee.'"

Well I guess beautiful actresses can pronounce the names...

But what about your girl Whitney? Wait, isn't she an actress too?

This quote can be found on page 121.

To: Natalie@fashionista.com

From: Spice@UpYourLife.com

Hey, hey!

Here is a very interesting picture of MJ at David and Victoria Beckham's mansion in LA a few days ago.

They had a dinner party chez casa Beckham.

Lots of campness and bitchy gossiping from Marc and Posh; imagine!

Ummmm.... we have no idea where this photo came from or what, exactly, is going on, but 1) It's awfully interesting that Marc was in L.A. on the same schedule as Hedi Slimane and Kate Moss, right? 2) Wow. That's a lot of Posh for one morning.

Coffee, anyone?

I've always meant to donate my prom dresses to someone or some organization.

But I never know where or how, so my closet still houses one long, red gown and one short, black dress that I thought made me look exactly like Audrey Hepburn. I promised my parents I'd wear both again and again, but I'm pretty sure they're still in their dry cleaning bags.

Thankfully, Hearst Magazines is launching a new website called DonateMyDress.org because not everyone can "look like the cast of 'Gossip Girl' at prom."

It links all the national charities for recycling formal gowns. If all it takes is typing in a zip code to locate the closest drop off, there's no reason to hang on to too small prom dresses.

So give them your Jessica Mclintock and who knows? Karma in the form of an Alexander McQueen gown would be very welcome.

Remember when Vogue put Fendi's white canvas baguette on the last page of their December issue?

Well, we know who bought it.

ELuxury commissioned a pretty random group of people to decorate the classic Fendi shape. Marchesa's is to the left, but the rest won't be up until April 17th.

We picture Kim Cattrall's to be orange suede, with orange paillettes and pink sequins. Chris March will definitely use human hair, maybe supplied by Sally Hershberger who's already completed her markered version?

We bet on a half retro, half Stella McCartney design for Scarlett Johannson, maybe navy with a floral print? And the Misshapes, well, theirs will obviously be black with black embellishments.

The blank one in Vogue costs $5,500 but the celeb DIY's a bargain at $2,500.

The question is, would you rather pay more than twice the amount of money to make the bag your own, or less than half to carry around someone else's vision?

Every time we read an interview or see a video with Christopher Bailey, we love him even more.

Here, he talks about Burberry of course, but also about his new perfume, The Beat, working with Agyness on the campaign and the privilege of working with David Sims.

And we know you might be sick of her, but we love the way Agyness sounds next to Bailey's tea and crumpets accent.

His all British cast looks more like a super fun party than just another day at work. And with all that energy, maybe Reebok should sign the bubbly model.

First Episode

10. Why do they keep saying "Kelly Cutrone" and not "People’s Revolution?"

9. Can we end a segment with something besides Don't Funk With My Heart? Please?

8. Did Crystal Meers just get a shout out on The Hills? What?!

7. Side note here: See Mike, that boy in People's Rev's L.A. office? Mike = crushworthy. Trust me, you guys are going to want to kiss that boy. Let's hope he gets a lot of camera time.

6. Did Whitney learn some PR skills at Conde Nast? Saying Vogue instead of Teen Vogue during her interview?

5. *What’s a “work aesthetic”?

4. How much attention does Stephanie need? Yikes.

3. Hey Heidi, remember that episode of Friends where Ross and Rachel have a fight about whether or not they were on break? Yeah... don't do that.

2. Does Brody look like Matthew Fox at the end of Party of Five?

1. Is Frankie America's most famous wing man?

Episode Two

10. Is Donna Karan’s stepsister a teacher at FIDM?

9. Will People's Rev be good for Whitney's personal style?

8. How much did Hills producers bribe FIDM to put Lauren and Stephanie in the same class?

7. How scary / good is Stephanie at being nice ("nice")?

6. "Your voice is meaningful" ?

5. Heidi, you're painting your apartment in an Ella Moss cardigan? That's like $150!

4. "What’s the girl going to do to me?” - oh Lauren, do you really want to ask that?

3. Stephanie + Spencer = Pinky and the Brain? Or the evil bro and sister from High School Musical?

2. Raise your hand if speaking to Stephanie, ever, is a bad idea?

1. Is Lauren's life really so boring that she needs to resurrect this feud? Or does she deep down still love Heidi and want to be friends with her? And can this be figured out without the help of a therapist?