Express

After two seasons, Fashion Star, the fashion competition show that saw aspiring designers compete to have their wares sold by the likes of Macy's, Saks and Express, is no more. Luckily, there are a couple of shows in line to replace it.

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Brown Thursday--all the sales days associated with Thanksgiving are starting to blend together into one big giant shopping-fest. It feels like the anxiety of getting the best deals has replaced the anxiety of roasting the perfect bird (and having to chat with your drunk uncle). Don't worry--we're here to help.

New York Takes Aim at Miranda Kerr's Vapidity: Sample quote from Miranda: "I want to encourage women to embrace their own uniqueness. Because just like a rose is beautiful, so is a sunflower, so is a peony. I mean, all flowers are beautiful in their own way, and that’s like women too.” Sample quote from New York: "Even if her workout routine, diet, and husband, Orlando Bloom, weren’t the only things reporters ever asked about, Kerr shows a strong reluctance to utter any sentences not purely banal." Zing! {New York} Daphne Guinness/FIT Exhibit Sponsor Pressured to Pull Out: Human rights group Adalah-NY is demanding the immediate withdrawal of Leviev Diamonds as a sponsor to the Daphne Guinness exhibit over at FIT. Apparently, Adalah-NY has beef with Lev Leviev (the company's owner), over his ties to the West Bank. If Guinness holds on to this sponsorship, Adalah-NY has pledged to protest the exhibit. {WWD subscription required} Cyber Monday Breaks Records: Analysts are estimating that retailers made close to $1.2 billion yesterday off Cyber Monday deals, up 33% from last year. As of 10pm last night, the tally was at $1.03 billion. {WSJ}

Express has been bringing fashion to the masses quite literally for the last few seasons by staging public outdoor runway shows in New York, Miami, and Las Vegas. They're really going for it this coming Saturday, by inviting passersby to walk on their public runway in Times Square here in NYC from 9am to 6pm. Have modeling aspirations but you're only 5'2''? No matter. Express is having the folks from the Guinness Book of World Records out to watch the retailer try to break the world record for most people to walk a catwalk. This distinguished honor is now held by Galeries Lafayette, according to WWD, where 521 people strutted down a runway. So we're assuming all you have to do is propel yourself from one end to the other, and you're good. Easiest model casting ever. (This is not to be confused with "longest runway," which we think Copenhagen has the honor of having hosted. Who wants to walk a mile in this heat?)

Cynthia Rowley Deal: Up to 80% off clothing and accessories. When: Thursday, January 27 through Sunday, January 30. Thurs—Fri 10am—8pm, Sat—Sun 11am—8pm. 376 Bleecker St between Perry and Charles Sts (212-242-0847) link: www.cynthiarowley.com Resurrection Vintage Deal: 30% to 70% off designer vintage clothing and accessories, plus new and vintage books When: Tuesday, January 4 through Monday, January 31. Mon—Sat 11am—7pm, Sun noon—7pm. 217 Mott St between Prince and Spring Sts (212-625-1374) link: www.resurrectionvintage.com Express Deal: Enter code 7537 at checkout to save 15% off your order When: Ongoing through Tuesday, February 8 link: www.express.com

Express decided to do things differently for their Spring/Summer 2011 show. Hitting the streets of Manhattan's Flat Iron District, the brand turned the corner of Broadway and 23rd Street into a public fashion show, inviting everyone to watch. As curiosity built up, a crowd of tourists, teens, and even nearby food vendors started to gather along the catwalk. By the the time the first model stomped the runway, we had ourselves a full-on outdoor fashion show--eclectic crowd and all.

Paper Magazine and Express threw a party last night at fashion hot spot du jour Don Hill's to celebrate the wrap of the brand's Spring 2011 spring campaign and runway show. Never mind how Paper and Express make sense together (they don't really)--Taylor Momsen's band, "The Pretty Reckless," performed. So we had to go. The expectations for Momsen were high: She recently told Revolver that she likes a good sex tape but "wouldn't fuck Tommy Lee," so we were counting on her to do something obscene. And she didn't disappoint. During "Make Me Wanna Die," she caressed herself and then pulled down her low-cut shredded rock concert tee down to flash the audience. Don't worry, her nipples were covered by duct tape x-es (it might have been electrical tape--either way, ouch). Which also means this was a premeditated move. Unless Tay just walks around with duct tape x-es over her nipples, which, considering her proclivity for stripper-wear, is entirely possible. Either way, I was a bit taken aback. I know she's trying to be super punk rock right now but she is only 17. The models however, the ones who walked in the Express show earlier (including Jessica Hart, Eniko Mihalik, and Erin Heatherton), were completely unfazed. Probably because they're all the around the same age as Momsen, have to get naked a lot for their work, and mostly because the handful crowded in front of us (we're not sure which ones) were too busy smoking a joint.

Last night we scampered around Manhattan, desperate for some good people watching and some great fashion. Fortunately, we were graced with both. First, it was cocktails at Prada on Madison Ave., where those involved with charity New Yorkers for Children gathered to take in gorgeous re-issued vintage Prada dresses--we were smitten with a long, lingerie-inspired number--and fall 2010 runway looks re-imagined in rich burgundy, slate and black duchess satin. (The latter will be loaned by Prada to several women attending the gala.) While we could have stayed at Prada all night--sipping cocktails mixed by The Carlyle Hotel's famed bartender--Jason Wu was calling our names.

Express turns 30 years old this year, and they've assembled quite a party crew. Vogue will play host to the brand, with Gossip Girl's Ed Westwick and

Today's WWD may be a little funky so far, but there's at least one story they made sure to get up there, and it's pretty dire. They've broken that the

We're actually surprised it didn't happen sooner. Herve Leger rip-offs, that is. H&M should have launched bandage dresses over a year ago, once Lindsa