• Gisele Bundchen has given birth to a baby boy. Husband Tom Brady has a two-year-old son with actress Bridget Moynihan. [People]
• A Chantilly lace LBD worn by Audrey Hepburn in How To Steal A Million sold for $97,000. [AP]

• Naomi Campbell might do a modeling reality show in the U.K. Then she and Tyra would really have something to fight about. "Naomi has been approached with an offer, which we are talking about and discussing," says her spokesperson, somewhat redundantly. [UK Vogue]
• Executives at Maison Martin Margiela have confirmed that the Belgian designer, famous for his closely guarded privacy and his avant-garde designs, has left the house he founded and later sold to Diesel. Margiela's presence or absence at the house had long been a subject of speculation, with most fashion commentators, including us, operating on the understanding that Margiela the person was gone, but this confirmation comes with a twist: Diesel will not be hiring anyone to take Margiela's place. (Haider Ackermann and Raf Simons had been mentioned as potential replacements.) The design work will continue to be spearheaded by the 28-strong creative team, saving the house the expense of a "name" creative director. Will this work? Fashion design is a collective effort — all designers rely heavily on their creative teams for the generation, not just the execution, of ideas — but fashion observers yearn for an identifiable individual (even one who is rarely seen in public) to pin their criticism on. [IHT]
• Yesterday morning, police executed raids on 30 businesses on Canal Street in Chinatown, long a hotbed of counterfeiting. The Cut snapped a photo of what a shop without its imitation Coach and Prada goods looks like: basically a particleboard shell with racks and cases. "It's time to take back the streets of New York," said a police officer. Could this be the start of a crackdown? [The Cut]
• The counterfeit goods seized, including perfumes and handbags, filled an entire trailer. The sting was the result of a month long investigation carried out by the police and a private firm called Counter Tech. Officers made controlled buys of the imitation goods, which bore the trademarks of companies like Cartier, Gucci, Tiffany, and Chanel, and then used those goods to obtain search warrants. Investigators noted that during the five weeks they observed Canal Street, there seemed to be more foot traffic in the stalls than ever before. [WWD]
• Apparently pointing out that Michelle Obama "is not the next Jackie O" is enough to count as evil, unthinkable "sniping." Designer Douglas Hannant allegedly said this perfectly reasonable thing — Michelle Obama and Jackie Kennedy-Onassis are different women who had different roles in public life even if they shared a position, and all the Obama/Kennedy comparisons are a tad trite — and people gasped. [P6]
• Vogue is doing a shoot with fashion bloggers. Somehow our invitation must have gotten lost in the post! There are allegedly seven bloggers involved, and only three of them have been named: Tommy Ton of Jak & Jil, BryanBoy, and Todd Selby of The Selby. Who are the others? Garance Doré recently mentioned losing weight thanks to Anna Wintour in New York, and Tavi Gevinson certainly merits inclusion. Seeing the women behind Refinery29 would also be great (although they were just in Elle). But how much do you wanna bet it'll just be Julia Frakes and Sea of Shoes again? [Fashionista]
• Speaking of Tavi: She plays a prominent role in this video about the Rodarte for Target collection. You won't spend a better 2:37 today than watching Tavi interview Elijah Wood and Jason Schwartzman at the Rodarte show, or seeing the Target ad shoot in surprisingly picturesque North Dakota. [Style.com]
• And Tavi is now writing for Harper's Bazaar. [WWD]
• Just what you needed for the holidays: A $3,000 Judith Leiber Hello Kitty clutch. [Racked]
• Tamara Mellon went out to the premiere of A Single Man after trouncing her mother, Ann Yeardre, in a legal battle. Mellon, the owner of Jimmy Choo, won a $10 million settlement against Yeardre after some Jimmy Choo shares were mistakenly transferred to Yeardre, and she refused to give them back. [P6]
• The spring Louis Vuitton campaign has leaked. Lara Stone's position, reclining on dark, mossy grass, with white doves and, duh, handbags, looks like a friendlier revision of editorials done by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, one earlier this year for Vogue and the other in 2007, for W. The ads were shot by Steven Meisel. [Blackbook]
• After auctioning off all his and Yves Saint Laurent's artworks and household goods, Pierre Bergé is putting their 5,400 square foot Paris apartment on the market. It has a garden roughly equal in size, and is expected to sell for around $30 million. [WWD]
• Curious about who the most powerful 25 people in British fashion are? Well now you can find out. Good to know the British Fashion Council's on top of this stuff. [Telegraph]
• Carolina Herrera is opening her first freestanding store on Madison Avenue. [WWD]

Artist Natalia Fabia's outfit is really appropriate for any situation, when you get right down on it.


Candice Yath, meanwhile, has tailored her Lolita duds for the occasion.


Designer Jessica Louise is clearly influenced by 40s glam...among other things.


Audrey Kitching: maximum flair.


Designer Yuko Yamaguchi may or may not always carry this doll. I wouldn't blame her.


Lenora Claire doesn't do cute, not even gothic-cute.


Artist Misha does!


Miranda Cosgrove meets the punk-cute quota...barely. Cherries do count, though.


Tarina Tarantino's steampunk iteration is rounded out by a cameo. Well, kind of.


Really, Paris Hilton must be feeling practically matronly!


And what do the adorable Ming Lee and Aoki Lee Simmons think of the adults' getups - thrilling or terrifying?

[Images via Getty]

[Tokyo, June 10. Image via Getty]

A Hello Kitty character wears a tartan check dress next to its designer Yuko Yamaguchi (L) as Japanese character giant Sanrio unveiled a new taratan collection for the celebration of her 35th anniversary at a press conference at the British Embassy in Tokyo on June 10, 2009. The pinkish tartan was registered as 'Hello Kitty' at the Scotish Register of Tartan as official and certification documents are seen framed (R). AFP PHOTO / Yoshikazu TSUNO (Photo credit should read YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images)

• Nadya Suleman is finally getting a "quasi-reality" show. She's reportedly "hoping to have an arrangement whereby several events in the children's lives would be filmed in a documentary series," says her attorney, Jeff Czech. [JustJared]

• Meanwhile, Jon Gosselin's mother, Pamela, says her son's story will never be told correctly. "I don't think he will ever be portrayed fairly. It's always twisted." [Star]
• Denzel Washington says his Taking of Pelham 1-2-3 co-star John Travolta is still struggling over the loss of his son, Jett. "What can you say, really? Just be there as a friend, because he's such a sweet, sweet person. Our prayers are with he and his wife. [People]
• Mike Tyson is also suffering after the tragic death of his 4-year-old daughter, Exodus. "I think he's at a point where he can deal with it," says LaLa Vasquez, one of the producers of Tyson, "But I don't care how confident you are in yourself: This is a crusher. With maturity and age and everything he went through, he will be able to pull this through for his family. He will make it through this. But, man, what else can happen to him?" [People]
• ABC News Now actually interviewed Hello Kitty for SIX MINUTES. Does she even have a mouth?! [Videogum]
• Britney Spears is being sued by a paparazzi photographer after she ran over his foot in 2007. [E!]
• Rose McGowan will star in an upcoming adaptation of The Bell Jar. "My character's name is Doreen," McGowan says, "She's kind of a 50's magazine girl from New York, it's really fun. We're shooting in South Africa most likely. I've never been there, so I'm really excited." [JustJared]
• Natalie Portman, meanwhile, has signed on to star in a comedy alongside James Franco and Danny McBride called "Your Highness." [Variety]
• Blind Item: "This very A list singer is starting to get very peeved at another pop star. Although each individual's music could be considered in different genres, the source says that our A list singer takes issue with this British Tart's outrageous fashion sense. Our A list musician was doing the strange outfits first and can't believe the attention this new up-and-comer is getting. She claims she will rave about her in future interviews if asked about it, but secretly she is fuming." [BlindGossip]
• Jay Leno delivered his final Tonight Show monologue last night, thanking Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton for helping the show become successful...and apparently for giving him outdated jokes to tell for the past 10 years. [People]
• The Killers' Brandon Flowers and his wife Tana, are expecting their second child. Congrats! [People]
• Michael Jackson is reportedly "terrified" of his recent skin cancer diagnosis and is "convinced that his nose is going to fall off." [TheSun]
• Want to watch Susan Boyle's final performance on Britain's Got Talent tonight? Here are a few tips to help you catch the show. [Yahoo]
• Despite the stress caused by her sudden rise to fame, Boyle says she's in it to win it: "I want nothing more than to stay and sing in the Britain's Got Talent final. I've spent weeks rehearsing - it's all I've been thinking about. I'm not going to throw away my big chance now." [DailyMail]
• "I think by entering the Miss USA pageant, she made herself a public figure. If a civilian were to answer that question, would I think the response that she got was appropriate? No. But when you become a tabloid figure, which she did, the rules change."- Perez Hilton [Time]
• The child actors from Slumdog Millionaire have been offered new homes by the Indian government. Danny Boyle recently announced that he was buying new apartments for the children after learning that their homes had been torn down. [DailyExpress]
• "I don't declare myself as one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood. That's other people's label."-Cameron Diaz [ONTD]

• Chloe Sevigny says doing oversized unisex menswear for Opening Ceremony was easy. "Except for the trousers — getting the fit right was really difficult." She thinks we'll buy that she draped the pants herself? [WWD]

• Here's the Times of London's reviews of the Twenty8Twelve, Nicole Farhi, Christopher Kane, Richard Nicoll, and Luella shows, which all took place at London fashion week. (The gist is: Sienna Miller — good; Nicole Farhi — better than usual; Kane — a "masterclass" in cut; Nicoll — better luck next time; Luella — OK.) [Times of London]
• Fashion bad boy Gareth Pugh is the subject of renewed speculation about LVMH's possible decision to name him as the new creative director for Dior Homme. [The Cut]
• Blind item: maybe a model working London fashion week got a boob job recently. Any thoughts? (I'm going with not Kate Moss, because upsizing from an A to a B cup while simultaneously gaining a little weight on one's hips sounds totally within the realm of non-surgical female experience to me. Frankly, it sounds like something to aspire to.)
• It can't be Adriana Lima. She was busy eloping (to Wyoming!) that weekend. [People]
• And Lily Cole was too busy studying. She's skipping the rest of London fashion week to return to her art history classes at Cambridge. [Daily Mail]
• Mario Testino used to study economics at Lima University, and when he first moved to London he squatted in a partially disused hospital where the parties were legendary. Of fashion, he says, "Anyway, I am not really of that world, I just work in it." Which is about the best attitude you can have towards the industry. [Telegraph]
• Despite the economy, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé's art collection fetched the highest price of any private collection ever sold when it was put to the hammer in Paris yesterday. The first night of auctions have already raised $264 million. The proceeds will go to Saint Laurent and Bergé's charitable foundation. Record bids were tendered for works by Matisse, Marcel Duchamp, Constantin Brancusi, James Ensor, Piet Mondrian and Giorgio de Chirico. A 1911 painting by Matisse sold for $40.9 million, or double its estimate. Bidding did have to be stopped on a Picasso that failed to meet its 25-30 million Euro estimate, but all in all it seems like the rich people of the world are doing their part for the art market. [NY Times]
• The fashion crowd, on the other hand, needs to learn to do its part and spread a little economic love around at this difficult juncture. Make your coffee at home if you must — I'm straining yesterday's grounds through a sock — but please, please, please, if you are in any kind of financial position to do so, buy something from this season that'll make you feel pretty for years to come. [WWD]
• Liz Claiborne has signed a long-term agreement with the Hong Kong-based exporter Li & Fung to let them handle Liz Claiborne's global sourcing exclusively. Li & Fung will pay the American retailer up to $83 million for the privilege. [Crain's]
• That deal to buy the house of Vionnet has gone through. Matteo Marzotto, former chairman of Valentino, and Marni CEO Gianni Castiglioni, joined forces to purchase this bit of prime fashion real estate. Others have tried to revive Vionnet before, never successfully, but the name seems latent with so much promise I can't help but cross my fingers. [WWD]
• Marzotto's old stomping grounds are seeing layoffs at the New York office. The director of communications and head of men's sales — plus his assistant — were among those to be let go. [WWD]
• Things continue to stumble along in the retail sector. Yesterday, Nordstrom announced earnings for the 4th quarter of last year dropped by 67.9%; they expect double-digit falls in sales and earnings this year. [WWD]
• Jaeger, which is privately held and therefore not obligated to release sales or earnings figures, but which does admit its US sales have not met expectations recently, intends to weather the downturn by concentrating on emerging markets like the Middle East and Australia. [Reuters]
• Just Cavalli has canceled its show at Milan fashion week. The move was expected after its main licensee, Itierre — a division of IT Holdings SpA — was forced to recently file for bankruptcy protection. [WWD]
• Conversely, Versus, Versace's diffusion line, picked this season to make its comeback. [WWD]
• In case you hadn't suspected, now is a bad time to be looking for a job in fashion. Two thousand people turned up to a job fair where only 20 companies were hiring; one of the job seekers was a 58-year-old production manager who was just laid off from his job at the Olsen twins' clothing line. [NY Post]
• Hello Kitty has signed a licensing deal with toymaker Jakks Pacific that will see Hello Kitty dolls and collectible figurines hit Target stores this fall. [BrandWeek]
• Erin Wasson, who said last summer that she thought the people with the best style were the homeless on Venice Beach, totally compounds the offense in this explanation. [The Cut]

During the fall shows at the upcoming NY Fashion Week, two groups of designers are doing special shows: one, Hello Kitty-themed, to celebrate a collaboration with MAC cosmetics, and another in honor of Barbie's 50th birthday. While we don't know who all the designers are yet, we can't help but wonder what will win out: the Icon or the It Girl? Says the Times: "Barbie is to Cindy Crawford what Hello Kitty is to Naomi Campbell. One is the conscientious workhorse of her oeuvre, with a heart of gold (or plastic) and an improbably perfect body; the other is more difficult to read, with a sinister streak lurking behind that sweet, beautiful facade...'I love that there is an innocence about Hello Kitty, but she's also sexy,' said Esteban Cortazar, the Ungaro designer, who was taken by her cockeyed red bow."

Kitty may have Ungaro, but Babs has got the home-court advantage! Here are the stats:



Name: Barbara Millicent Roberts, aka Barbie
Age: 50
Height: 11"
Hometown: Willows, Wisconsin.
Education: Willows High School, Manhattan International High School
Profession: Teen, Ballerina, Flight Attendant, Astronaut, Doctor, Nascar Driver
Inspiration: Bild Lilli, the German "adult" doll.
Film and TV work: Superstar
Fans: Andy Warhol
Friends: Ken, Midge, Skipper, Teresa, Christie
Enemies: Saudi Arabia, Aqua, Bratz, Gloria Allred
Fashion Inspiration: Christian Dior, Bob Mackie, Christian Louboutin, Karl Lagerfeld



Name: Hello Kitty aka ハローキティ, Harō Kiti
Age: 34
Height: Varies
Hometown: Tokyo, Japan
Education: Primary School
Profession: Child-cat
Inspiration: Vinyl coin purse
Film and TV work: Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theatre, Hello Kitty and Friends , Hello Kitty's Stump Village
Fans: UNICEF, Hello Kitty Murderer
Friends: Mimmy, Badtz-Maru, Cinnamoroll, Chococat
Fashion Inspiration: MAC, Esteban Cortazar of Ungaro
Tributes: Hello Kitty Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Hello Kitty Restaurant, Taipei, Taiwan.

We're just going to go ahead and declare the winner Hello Kitty. Although Barbie has classic appeal, Kitty brings a freshness and innocence - as well as a less-conventional body type - that appeals to the current ethos, and her integration of Japanese influence and classic girlishness could have very interesting sartorial results. Like all classic fashion icons, she inspires, is a chameleon, yet is always herself. Also: Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theatre made 1986 a year to remember. She may be young, but the cat has a serial killer and a maternity hospital; hard to top that.

Hello Kitty And Barbie: Round 1 [New York Times]

[Image via Ike The Thumb Cat]

Additional TGIF cute: Cat Versus Dog

Cat Versus Dog [Funny Or Die]

[Image via Getty.]

Photo released January 15, 2009, by the French Museum of Natural History shows a female Chinese Panther with her two cubs, born on November 30, 2008, at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. A rare species, there exists around 2500 Chinese Panthers in the wild. News of the arrival of two cubs to the Parisian Zoo was delayed 'to confirm the health of the mother and cubs'. AFP Photo / MNHN / FG GRANDIN (Photo credit should read FG GRANDIN/AFP/Getty Images)

Let's welcome 7-week-old brothers Wei, or "big and strong," and Xun, meaning "fast" or "quick."

2 Chinese leopard cubs born in Paris zoo [AP]

Two baby white tigers made their public debut at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo today.
Image via Chris Boex/MyFox Tampa Bay.

Click here for video!

(Thanks to MJ for the tip.)