• Lady Gaga, in a show of uncharacteristic sartorial restraint, wore a chiffon-and-human-hair Holly Russell dress that more or less covered her legs to an awards show. She thanked her publicist. [WWD]

• Marc Jacobs loves people wearing his clothes. Even knock-offs: "Even when I see a copy, something that's inspired by something I've done, it's a rewarding feeling." [TeenVogue]
• Richard Nicoll is the new women's wear designer of Cerutti. [WWD]
• At a party celebrating a champagne's ascension to the menu at the Lowell Hotel — verily, some people will show up to the opening of an envelope in this town — a woman told a story about a fashion designer who never let a little thing like a death in the family interfere with his duties as a host. "Once I was in Rome for a dinner at Valentino's villa in honor of Jacqueline Kennedy. Sadly, his father had died upstairs earlier in the day. Valentino, always a gentleman, did not wish to upset his guests, so he didn't announce the death until the next day. Jackie had a wonderful time." [P6]
• Coach is suing Target for allegedly selling knock-offs of its handbags. A federal judge dismissed Coach's last infringement suit against the retail giant. [WWD]
• What recession? Domenico Dolce just bought two Manhattan penthouses for $29 million. [NYPost]
• Some 30 outfits belonging to Audrey Hepburn will be auctioned, along with the actress's letters, in London this December. Naturally, there's heaps of Givenchy. [Telegraph]
• Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Museum is auctioning off nearly 8,000 garments and accessories from its costume collection, following the decision to merge its fashion with the Met's. Items from as far back as the 17th Century, as well as modern looks by designers like Bonnie Cashin and Halston, will be deaccessioned as a cost-cutting measure. [NYPost]
• Rosie O'Donnell would like everyone to know that despite her starring role in Nora Ephron's Love, Loss, And What I Wore — a play which contains a joke about wearing Eileen Fisher being tantamount to announcing, "I give up" — she really loves the brand. "When we did the first reading of the play, I said to Nora, ‘I'm really objecting to the Eileen Fisher comment being that I just purchased every single thing she makes and threw out everything else I own. Literally, my entire wardrobe is only Eileen Fisher…that and sweat suits." [WWD]
• Last week in Los Angeles, David Beckham launched something called the David Beckham by J. Bond Collection for Adidas's Originals by Originals line. "It's my style. I wanted to create something that everybody could wear whether it be going to practice, or the gym in the morning, or going for a coffee or going out to dinner at night," explained the soccer star. Coffee or dinner! How versatile. [People]
• Tory Burch loved being on Gossip Girl. "I have never acted before, so I was a little nervous about messing up my line. Blake made me laugh and put me at ease though, and the crew was so gracious." [People]
• Is it proper to call Lindsay Lohan a "client" of the Ungaro boutique when no indication is given that she is paying for the $150,000 worth of clothing she snapped up there in just one trip? Mounir Moufarrige, the guy who hired Lohan to "revive" Ungaro on the justification that "it could work," says: "What do you want, for her to be naked? I'm just so glad she likes Ungaro." [WWD]
• After the new artistic advisor's first Ungaro show in Paris, she may be the only one. Moufarrige went on to say, "I'll tell you one thing on the level: I'm crazy." The collection — which was styled with sparkly love-heart pasties — was so bad that front-row photographer Greg Kessler asked guests to pose as Lohan by hiding their heads in their hands. [NYTimes]
• The after-party, to which the actress arrived late, was no better. Possibly because Ungaro designer Estrella Archs spent her time reading the reviews. Either the stunt will work, said owner Asim Abdullah, or "we go down in a blaze of glory. Or unglory." [WSJ]
• Reviews that rated the show thusly: "An embarrassment." [WWD]
• And: "The Emanuel Ungaro show on Sunday may go down in history as the final gasp of celebrity madness." That line's from a little story, entitled "Hearts But No Soul," by a woman who goes by Suzy Menkes. [IHT]
• Lohan, for her part, says working for Ungaro is "pretty much a fairytale." [People]
• As part of its ongoing "Go Forth" ad campaign, Levi's is launching some kind of online game to build its brand image. Its advertising agency invented the odiously named Grayson Ozias IV, a 19th Century home recording artist around whom the game revolves. Tediously, there is a "corporate responsibility" phase of gameplay, in which players will vote on which charity will receive Ozias' $100,000 "fortune." [AW]
• Levi's would like to point out that 75 years ago, it pioneered the marketing of jeans to women. Not that Levi's, or notoriously non-environmentally friendly denim production in general, is any particular friend to the predominantly female, and overwhelmingly non-union, garment workforce it relies upon. [Feministing]
• Stella McCartney — a woman who was once hired for an unlikely position (head designer at Chloé) by Mounir Moufarrige, though that is neither here nor there — thinks long and hard about the environmental impact of her garment dyes. And she sure seems pretty smart and likable in this interview. [Guardian]
• Meanwhile, McCartney's latest replacement at Chloé, Hannah MacGibbon, says of contemporary fashion, "Everything's so hard at the moment. I don't feel like wearing that at all, even though it's nice to look at. It's completely lacking that sentiment that draws you in — the emotion of it….There's a lack of romanticism in the air. There's a real need for that softness."
• If you just can't wait to see Alexander McQueen's spring show when it's broadcast live from Paris on Showstudio tomorrow, check out the teaser greatest-hits clip that's already running. [Showstudio]
• According to one survey of Japanese retailers being bandied about at Paris fashion week, Alexander Wang has the "hottest" brand right now. Whatever that means. [WWD]
• Is it still news that Kate Moss continues to "design" collections for Topshop? Yes, because it's moderately cute? No, because it's hilariously overpriced? Maybe, because it might inspire a productive trip to the Salvation Army? In any case, Kate Moss continues to "design" collections for Topshop. [Refinery29]
• Latest datum in the Evidence That Martin Margiela Is No Longer With Maison Martin Margiela file: the fact that Maison Martin Margiela has signed on to do something as douche-bourgeois lifestyle-brand-y as "redecorating a suite at Les Sources de Caudalie "vinotherapy" spa near Bordeaux, which is feting its 10th anniversary this year." [WWD]
• Israeli Sports Illustrated model — and current Israeli Defense Force draftee — Esti Ginzberg has added to criticism of fellow model — and compulsory service avoider — Bar Refaeli. After a general called Refaeli a draft-dodger for avoiding Israel's standard 2-year service by taking advantage of rules regarding soldiers' marital status (Refaeli briefly married a family friend), Ginzberg, who started her service in July, told the press, "enlisting is a duty, not a choice. There are a million things I don't feel like doing, but I do them because I have to. Military service is part of the things I believe in, the values I was raised on." Around a quarter of young Israelis find ways to make themselves ineligible for IDF service; Refaeli says she totally really absolutely wanted to do hers, but "celebrities have other needs." Ginzberg is putting in her two years at an IDF reception base, where among other things, she tells new recruits that enlisting is important. Naturally, the media's playing this one as a catwalk catfight. [Independent]
• There's a rumor going around that Milan fashion week might become Rome fashion week. [WWD]
• Betsey Johnson, of all people, is being honored this fall by the National Arts Club. We cannot wait to see how that particular hot-pink whirlwind of hair extensions takes to the club's stodgy Gramercy Park headquarters. [WWD]

• Bijou Phillips on Michelle's Narciso "hell dress": "It made her look fat...It didn’t fit her properly... If you print that you need to print that I would have voted for her." [BlackBook]

• Get out your fantasy checkbooks: Carla Bruni has donated a Dior to an AIDS auction. [WWD]
• Anna Wintour's infamous ram's horn Chanel gown has made Time's worst-dressed list. [Time]
• OMG. Louboutin is designing a Barbie pump in "Barbie Pantone 219 Pink," for the doll's 50th anniversary. Chewability yet to be assessed. [WWD]
• Breaking! Marc Jacobs goes to party, canoodles with boyfriend. [NY Post]
• According to Lagerfeld, excess is demode: "I have moved to a smaller house in Paris, and I don't fancy having so much staff now...The chambermaid, chauffeur and chef are still musts, around the clock." [New York via WSJ]
• Not Christian Siriano! "It's a bit inspired by Egypt, but more like the colors of the desert. It's really warm, it's really badass. Strong, like rock. It's hot. It's beautiful," quoth the wunderkind. [New York Magazine]
• Belgian ad shows men a use for socks. [AdRants]
• The cultural institution that is Gianni Versace's Miami mansion is now open to the public, by popular (?) demand. "Tourists get a look at the house's exquisite central courtyard, dining room, lounges, pool and a marble toilet with a golden seat, billed as one of only three in the world." [CBSNews]
• Awesome. The estrogen in many moisturizers may worsen breast cancer. [Reuters]
• Talk about multiculturalism in action! "I'm a Canadian living in East Africa and we make cowboy shirts in Kenya from secondhand clothes that end up in the marketplaces." [BoingBoing]
• Target ups the ante with artist-designed towels for summer. [WWD]
• Louis Vuitton abandons plans for a Tokyo flagship. [Reuters]
• Not Frederick's of Hollywood! The campy fixture posts major losses. [WWD]
• Wait, what? Zac Posen's not launching a cheap line?! “In light of the current economic conditions, any plans for a secondary line are on hold,” said a rep, nonsensically. [WWD]
• The Brooklyn Museum is selling its (apparently incredible) costume archive to the wealthier Met. [NY Times]
• Ann Demeulemeester: open-minded or patronizing? "I saw pictures of Herman Hesse and I really liked the man. He was so beautiful in his fragility, so old and so fragile and so rich in spirit that I had to do something with it! I thought it would be beautiful to do a show where you have the fragility of the very young and the fragility of the very old and put them together. The older you get, the wiser the clothes would be. The young would be black and the older would be beautiful, shining and white, like an angel. It was an experiment, I wanted to break the rule of the young and the beautiful. I wanted to show the old and the beautiful. The oldest model was 87! I thought he was the most beautiful. It was amazing to me how proud they were, they had so much dignity." [DazedDigital]

The Good: Waris Ahluwalia and Chriara Clemente are one fierce duo. Linda Evangelista: Oh yes. Selita Ebanks is the shit. I want to put Takashi Murakami in my pocket and bring him home with me.

The Bad: Eva Herzigova was one of my favorite supermodels; why must she pain me by wearing this heinous fur? Jennifer Creel is stiff; perhaps she could use a stiff one? I pray to Pat Field and whomever else might be able to salvage Kristin Davis from the wardrobe of Charlotte York. This MR. guy scares me. Same goes for Terrence Koh. And Tinsley Mortimer.

The Ugly: Oh no, Chiho Ashima. Oh. No.

• "I think he's a great-looking guy but I think his suits don't fit him very well...I wouldn't say he's badly dressed, but he could sharpen up his look a little better." —Tom Ford on Barack Obama. [Vogue UK]
  
• Holy. Fucking. Shit. Comme des Garcons for H&M? Start lining up for this now. [WWD, sub req'd]
  
• Jude Law is set to be the face of a yet-to-launch men's fragrance from Dior. It will invariably smell douchey. [Cosmetics News]
  
• Your cell phone does not need its own pair of Crocs. [Sassybella]

• The Murakami-Louis Vuitton show at the Brooklyn Museum is kind of a big "fuck you" to counterfeiters. [WWD, sub req'd]
• Liz Claiborne CEO WIlliam McComb took a 2% paycut this year, making only $8.9 million for 2007. Poor guy. [Crain's]
• Word on the street is that Alessandro Dell'Acqua wants to be the new creative head of Malo. [Vogue UK]
• Two resignations from Harper's Bazaar in under a month? And both of them to go to InStyle? Ouch. [Fashion Week Daily]
• This just in! Fashion has just discovered a new-fangled contraption that lets people communicate, transmit information, and buy expensive shit with the greatest of ease. It's called the Internet. [WWD, sub req'd]
• Kate Moss acting? Uh, stick to modeling, tootsie. [Sassybella]
• Dude, how crazy is it that American Apparel will be selling American-made clothes in China? [LATimes]
• The new St. Ives campaign focuses around the slogan "Get a happy face." Because loving your wrinkles should be a positive experience, they say. [Brandweek]
• The Greeks buy more designer clothes than any other country. Who knew? [WWD, sub req'd]
• Another reason to love Patricia Clarkson: "You will never guess where I bought these earrings: Sears! They came free with a washer and dryer." Love. [WWD, sub req'd]