Simon Doonan

Well, if they're making any that is.

The sometimes-controversial designer doesn't like talking about himself -- but he does like talking about amfAR and the importance of their AIDS research.

The Fashion Group International's 30th annual Night of Stars gala happened last night in New York and, well... it was exactly what is says on the tin. Everyone from Miley Cyrus to Alexa Chung, Sofia Coppola to Kate Upton, and even Aretha Franklin put on the glitz for the event--though some clearly found a bit more sartorial success than others.

As part of his promotional tour for his new book Asylum, Simon Doonan sat down with Fern Mallis at the 92Y for a highly personal (and, of course, hilarious) chat. He dished about his life--like that time he auditioned alongside Philip Bloch and Robert Verdi for the role of Nigel in The Devil Wears Prada--but Asylum being a book about fashion, he also discussed the state of the industry.

As a lovely kick off to fashion week, online editors and bloggers were treated to storytime with Simon Doonan at Barneys' Upper West Side location yesterday morning. The retailer's always-quotable ambassador at large was on hand to read from his latest tome (his seventh), The Asylum, A Collage of Couture Reminiscences… And Hysteria, out this month. As you can imagine, Doonan, who has been in the industry for some 30-plus years, has many "reminiscences" worth sharing. When I arrived late (I went to the wrong Barneys... shh... ) he was regaling the crowd with a story about Tom Ford giving him a wedgie. And that was only the beginning.

Simon Doonan is never one to fear going against the grain. He was certainly going against the grain when, a few months ago, he said he didn't think Michelle Obama's style was "chic." Cue the audible gasps! But, Michelle seems to have won him over, after all. In a recent interview with New Republic about his forthcoming book Asylum, Doonan explained his previous comment:

Don't get us wrong, actor Stanley Tucci did a fine job playing a fabulous gay editor in Devil Wears Prada. That being said, I think we can all agree Simon Doonan, he of the liberty print shirts and endless quips, would have done a much better job. It turns out that's no coincidence. According to Barneys' creative ambassador at-large, Tucci based his character partly on Doonan.

Simon Doonan: always, always hilarious.

One of Michelle Williams's multiple AnOther covers (left) is stirring up controversy. {Jezebel} So what exactly does creative ambassador-at-large do? Barneys's Simon Doonan tells all.{Business of Fashion} Designer Disney: Designers the Small World over, including Alber Elbaz, Philip Treacy, and Sibling by Sister, are redesigning classic character costumes for Disneyland Paris's 20th anniversary fashion show on March 23. {Vogue UK} Cindy Crawford got honest with Oprah about her four-year marriage to Richard Gere, which ended a hundred years ago in 1995. {HuffPo}

Being the wife of a Barneys New York executive certainly has its perks--like, say, snagging your well-connected husband's 'plus one' invite to industry insider events that most people only dream of attending. Sharon Socol--wife of Howard Socol, who served as Barneys’s CEO from 2001 to 2008--used that exclusive access to her advantage and then some. Toting a 35mm loaded with black and white film, Socol, an avid photographer since age seven, snapped behind-the-scenes photos of fashion shows, parties, and some of the industry's most legendary characters. Recently, she compiled those photos into a book titled Plus One: An Outsider’s Photographic Journey Into the World of Fashion--the release of which garnered a crowd of fashion's elite last night on Barneys's 9th floor.

After Amanda Brooks stepped down as Barneys' fashion director last May, 29-year-old-Tomoko Ogura (yes, she's only 29!) quietly filled her spot. Ogura had previously served as the fashion director for Barneys CO-OP, and having started working at Barneys in 2005, she's one of the few staffers to have carried over from the pre-Mark Lee days. And now she's starting to come into the spotlight a bit. So we asked her to chronicle her New York fashion week for us. Here's what she saw.

Today, the New York Times published what is maybe the most hilarious pre-Fashion Week story ever about something that isn't actually supposed to be that hilarious: The flu. Let's just say the fashion world's idea of flu prevention is a little different from the rest of the world's.

We have to hand it to Alexander Wang, this is pretty clever and bound to go viral. The designer enlisted comedienne Anjelah Johnson to bring back MADtv's Bon Qui Qui for his T by Alexander Wang spring campaign, and got everyone from Simon Doonan to A$AP Rocky to Natasha Lyonne to make cameos. The whole thing is basically one big '90s nostalgia trip and we're loving every minute of it.

During the holidays, it's easy to get a little misty-eyed about childhood and the past in general. So we decided to be the "Ghost of Christmas Past"

It's Thanksgiving! The one day a year the fashion world puts aside its fad diets and smizes in favor of that extra slice of pumpkin pie and some awkward yet so-necessary family photos. To keep things light on this day of heavy feasting, we asked some of our favorite people in the industry what fashion things (what else?) they're thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

The season for dinner parties is upon us and just in the (saint) nick of time, Simon Doonan (who recently gave us a great pumpkin pie recipe) has created a handy video with tips on how to make your holiday dinner party a lot more fabulous--a word he says at least eight times in two minutes.

Thanksgiving is almost here and you know what that means: Time to tie on your apron, put on some stretchy elastic band pants and start cooking (and eating!) with your loved ones. In celebration of the holiday, we asked our favorite fashion people to share their most beloved Thanksgiving recipes with us. After all, this holiday is about sharing. From Karlie Kloss's mouth-watering cookies to Billy Reid's Southern grits and Simon Doonan's festive pumpkin pie, read on for sixteen Thanksgiving recipes from fashion's VIP.

Kate Middleton can now add a new title to her already-distinguished name: The Duchess of Campbridge has been voted Britain's most naturally beautiful woman. {In Style UK} Marion Cotillard continues her world tour as the face of Lady Dior. Next stop: The Hamptons! After having starred in campaigns shot in Paris, New York, Shanghai, London and Los Angeles, the actress was lensed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino on the beach in the Hamptons for Lady Dior's latest campaign. {WWD} Forever 21 is in legal trouble again--though this time it's not for violating intellectual property rights. The US Department of Labor has served the fast fashion retailer with a subpoena, after they failed to turn over pertinent documents concerning the labor practices of their apparel contractors and manufacturers. The documents were originally requested because investigators found some goods were being manufactured in "sweatshop-like conditions." {WWD}

At Lucky magazine's Fashion and Beauty Blog Conference, bloggers came from all over the country to network and listen in on insight from speakers like the Macy's CEO Terry Lundgren, Rachel Zoe, The Man Repeller's Leandra Medine, Barneys' Simon Doonan and reality TV star-turned-fashion designer/blogger Lauren Conrad. Naturally, awesomeness ensued. Here's the four most important things I learned throughout the course of the day.

There are only a few people in this world who are so iconic, all you need to say is their first name, and everyone knows who you're talking about. Whitney. Madonna. Jesus. Iman. Last night, the legendary supermodel fêted the launch of her new fashion and lifestyle website, Destination IMAN (yes, that's IMAN in all caps) along with a host of fashion notables.

Anyone who works in the industry has had ‘em: A fashion week related nightmare. We asked designers, editors and stylists to share theirs with us, and

What do you have to do to keep a nearly 90-year-old British heritage brand relevant? If you’re Belstaff’s Chief Creative Officer Martin Cooper, the ke

Now that Barneys New York is out of the red thanks to a debt-for-equity deal with new owner Perry Capital, the retailer is ready to flaunt some recent improvements. Today, Barneys unveiled its newly redone fifth floor featuring shoes for both men and women. It's the first time the department store has done a co-ed floor, which makes it a unique shopping experience--only Harrods in London offers something similar. The new floor is truly elegant--chic and restrained, airy and luxurious, all the better to display the shoes, which are presented almost like artwork. Simon Doonan put it best when he said it looked like "a beautiful dreamy '60s apartment."