• Tara Subkoff's short films for Bebe are all set to premiere. Says the designer of her "star," Lydia Hearst: "She truly reminds me of the classic 'Hitchcock blonde' — he would have loved her and she would have been a huge star in his films if we could go back in time." Obviously, like Subkoff, Hitch would have staged lesbian makeout sessions with Aubrey O'Day in front of Bungalow 8 for his art. [WWD]
• Sometimes we wonder whether Karl Rove is behind this seemingly systematic campaign to get everyone in Fashionland behind Obama. "Designer Patricia Field has created an Obama t-shirt that reads "Elegance. Dignity. Obama. Statesman." Naturally, this is written in glitter. [Racked]
• We kind of don't understand why Jeremy Piven was the host of Conde Nast's Fashion Rocks concert last year, but according to Page Six the actor "was a 'nightmare,' insisting on a separate green room and rewriting the script up until the last minute. 'And it wasn't even funny,'said the source." [P6]

• Wait, what? Luxury brand LVMH acquires yacht company. [WWD]
• After months of speculation, minimalist label Jil Sander sold to Japan's Onward Holdings Co. [WSJ]
• Gryphon designer Amy Cho meets fashion halfway with a "Responsible Fur" initiative, which encourages the use of "recycled" vintage furs and extra-soft fakes. Methinks we love her. [Style.com]
• Baggy jeans are back. Not Katie-Holmes sloppy, either: these Bottega Veneat guys are more early-90s harem. [The Life Files]
• Buckingham Palace guardsmen may switch from real bearskin hats to Stella McCartney fauxs after animal rights activists meet with Ministry of Defense. [Daily Mail]
• Following in the footsteps of Vera Wang, various penniless freelancers, Oscar de la Renta will be a guest-blogger on Brides.com. "He'll be writing about wedding choices on dresses, jewelry and destinations. " [WWD]
• In a desperate bid to lure back-to-schoolers, mid-price retailers pull out all the stops. "Kohl's launched six lines of clothing this summer with a star-studded advertising campaign featuring celebrities from including Lenny Kravitz and Hayden Panettiere. JCPenney introduced another half-a-dozen labels, the department store's biggest crop of new brands, with looks ranging from urban rock to all-American. And Dillard's is chasing soccer moms with a line designed by Sheryl Crow that hit stores last month." Wait...Lenny Kravitz? [LAT]
• Style.com is branching out. "On Sept. 2, the site will debut Shop Now, where designer advertisers can pay to have their brands featured." Or, to have them considered: the editors will decide which of the submissions to feature. [MediaWeek]
• To celebrate its centennial, venerable makeup brand Max Factor has treated itself to Gisele Bundchen. For a campaign, I mean. [ElleUK]
• The relatively youthful British Harper's Bazaar is thriving. [Independent]
• Wait, isn't this what the internets do? The new magazine Distill "will present a digested read of the style and fashion press from all over the world, offering a shorthand guide to what and who are in fashion, and how those trends are being captured and covered." [Independent]
• Guess legendary photog Patrick Demarchelier likes his work. "I love all women. Women are sublime beings. I love all of it: their eyes, their noses, their bodies." [Telegraph]
• You know there's a problem when models are complaining that they're too thin: says Karen Elson, "Fashion is obsessed with finding young, beautiful and vulnerable girls, bringing them into the fashion world, praising them, worshipping them but suddenly dropping them like a stone when they hit puberty and grow boobs and hips. It's so dangerous and can potentially harm the girls mentally and physically." [Guardian]
• Shockingly, real designers don't want to dress Heidi Montag. "They don’t want their stuff on Heidi, even despite the fact that she is very media-friendly and is photographed a lot," the rep said. "It’s just not the caliber of celebrity most clients go for." [The Superficial]
• Sadie Frost arranges celeb auction for breast cancer. The haul? "Here are the black peep-toe size 38 Christian Louboutins which “Kate” has signed and covered with graffiti love hearts, a dress belonging to Amy Winehouse, a suit Jude Law wore on the set of Alfie, a guitar donated by Kasabian guitarist Jay Mehler, a Jake Chapman picture." [This Is London]
• Tamara Mellon's ex, Matthew, is hoping second time's the charm: "Mellon has joined forces with his new bride-to-be, designer Nicole Hanley, to introduce Hanley-Mellon, a clothing line that will launch for spring 2009. “It’s a mix of Chloé, YSL and bohemian chic,' Mellon told WWD." [WWD]

• Sean Combs's new fragrance, "I Am King" will premiere as a Macy's exclusive in December. 'I Am King is a statement about all men,” said Combs, during an interview at his Bad Boy Entertainment offices in Manhattan. “We are all descendents of royalty — and if we carry ourselves and respect ourselves in that manner and believe in ourselves, then we are all kings." The new fragrance, he says, is "more about sophistication. It’s strong and also sexy, with an elegance and simplicity to it.” [WWD]
• More on how design chief Patrick Robinson is trying to make The Gap cool. Can't they just...you know, carry better clothes? [Business Week]
• Lydia Hearst says she's not like Paris Hilton, ruins it by calling herself a "supermodel." "Don't ever compare New York media heiress Lydia Hearst to Paris Hilton. "Remember: I am a supermodel and have the award to prove it, and she is a celebrity. There's no comparison." [Page Six]

• Oy. Armchair activists Benetton bring their usual brand of asinine commentary to the Beijing Olympics. "Benetton on Friday took out double-page advertising spreads in a number of leading news dailies worldwide, showing a Tibetan monk and a Chinese soldier praying face to face under the word 'Victims.'" They also show pictures of Sichuan earthquake victims (Benetton supports the Red Cross) and explain that their work “attempts to make a small contribution to dialogue and engagement between Tibetan and Chinese people." [WWD]
• Judge awards LVMH huge payout from Canadian counterfeiters. [WWD]
• Bollywood spawn makes like Hollywood spawn, launches clothing line. Riddhima Kapoor, daughter of well known Bollywood actors Neetu and Rishi Kapoor, has names her line"ARA"."My collection makes a girl look hot. It is sensual but, at the same time, it's not at all vulgar. You just have to be yourself in these clothes," [Hindustan Times]
• Philllips de Pury & Co are hosting an auction of "hip hop's crown jewels" including bling "sported by 50 Cent, Biz Markie, MC Lyte, Kanye West and the late Notorious B.I.G and Tupac Shakur." [Fashion Week Daily"]
• The popular kids aren't shopping either! Along with Hot Topic, Abercrombie and Fitch, American Eagle sales are down. [Wall Street Journal]
• Designers Amy Molyneaux and Percy Parker are dressing phones. "BlackBerry smartphones are now an integral part of everyday life, so it's great to be given the opportunity to add some extra glamour to the way in which they can be carried," explain the design duo, who have taken inspiration from BlackBerry's magenta, silver and midnight blue colour palette."We've taken the stunning colours from the new summer range and really brought them to life through our pouch design. The combination pouch and handset will make even the most stylish fashionista stand out." [VogueUK]
• Andre 3000 has made it. Into The Sartorialist. [The Sartorialist]
• Polo profits up. I guess the rich are different! [WWD]
• And Ralph Lauren is sensitive about his age. [WWD]
• The same people who let all those fashionistas DJ are now letting them make films. "The aim of the project is to give stars of the fashion world the opportunity to show off their clothes and the spirit of their label in any way they see fit. Among the line-up of participants are Pierre Hardy, Peter Jensen, Todd Lynn and Rodarte. Each designer has produced a film between 30 seconds and three minutes long - and judging from the stills that we've seen each promises to be quite a spectacle." [ElleUK]
• Reebok is teaming up with toy co. Hasbro to launch a Monopoly sneaker. I want the thimble. [Fashionista]

• Cute little 14-year-old Taylor Momsen — aka Gossip Girl's "Little J" — launches her modeling career with a rather self-important bang. 'A source from the shoot - in Brooklyn - tells us that "Taylor was so nice and so cool. She took the subway from her apartment in Chelsea to the set, with her mom. They said they didn't want to do the usual obvious stuff that a teen TV star would do; they were looking for really high-end things."' [Fashionista]
• Diane Von Furstenberg uses Warhol images. Unlike everybody else who does that, though, she actually knew him. [Fashionista]
• Naomi Watts has a total girl crush on Kate Moss, despite obviously being vastly more awesome. "I want to be hip like her," says Naomi. [VogueUK]
• "Nothing is dead or alive. There are just always great new categories. But who am I to say what’s in or out? I walked in here with my dress on backwards." That's Stefani Greenfield, the owner of the Scoop chain, being interviewed with pal Stuart Weitzman. [Scoop]

• Nike investigates worker abuse allegations. [Wall Street Journal]
• Video of that Vanity Fair new designers photo shoot. [Vanity Fair]
• Meet the "Nat 2 Shoe," which looks kinda like a really ugly Converse and "unzips" into a flip flop that is, presumably, equally ugly. Oh, it's German. [The Sun]
• I didn't want to believe it but we can deny it no longer: the leather dress is huge for fall. [Mail on Sunday]
• Also big, literally: huge bows. [Fabsugar]
• Time's running short for models to get their special, sorta illegal fashion week Visas! [Times of London]
• Liz Claiborne recruits creative type to revamp menswear: "The fashion world is filled with pairings of creative souls and bean counters, the yin and yang of the industry, but this is one of the most pronounced cases of opposites attracting with the mission of reviving a withered American brand." [Washington Post]
• Is Agyness forgetting the little(ish) people? Designer Henry Holland: 'Now Agyness is hugely successful and I'm so pleased for her. I just hope I can get her to fly back for my show.' [Daily Mail]
• Gott in himmel! People are wearing rolled-up jeans. "The puffy, peg-leg '80s profile we never thought would come back is with us again." [Los Angeles Times]
• Yet another self-described "first supermodel", Penelope Tree. [Guardian]
• Lanvin's tres chic new denim: "Miles away from the navel-grazing, hip-hugging, utilitarian image of jeans in America, this is denim like you've never seen it before — sophisticated, feminine and utterly French." [Los Angeles Times]
• Yeah, yeah, we've heard: Man Men inspired fall fashions. [AdAge]
• High-tech fabrics — self-cleaning! — morph from sportswear to runway. [Financial Times]
• Graphic novelist Adrian Tomine designs pretty nifty tote for the Strand bookstore, which is just nerdy and awesome in so many ways. [MediaBistro]
• Betsey Johson turns 30! (You know what I mean; she's obviously 60-something.) Says her business partner, "The first show, I sat everyone, and then I modeled, and the next day I went to the showroom and sold it, and then I paid the bills, and Betsey did the patterns." [Yahoo]
• New chairman for luxury behemoth LVMH. [WWD]
• Japanese shoe-removal conventions lead to sock anxiety. "Many Japanese will sympathize with (expat) Tanahashi - we all know how Bad Socks Days can be. On the other hand, wearing great socks is a good way to boost morale. By great socks the Japanese mean they must be functional, lovingly made, attractive and comfortable." [IHT]
• Also from VF's 'fashion issue: seriously freaky London models spread. [Vanity Fair]
• Another one bites the dust: Boscov's chain files for Chapter 11. [WWD]
• The age-old question: do those creepy dry shampoos work? [ElleUK]

• Literary sensations Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen premiere their first book, Influence. '"Ashley and Mary-Kate take readers on a journey through their celebrated young lives, pausing to reflect on what has helped shape them into who they are today," the book's publisher said in a statement. "They interviewed 20 people and wrote brief essays about each other." Those interviewed include fashion designers Karl Lagerfeld, Diane Von Furstenburg, John Galliano and Christian Louboutin. "We interviewed the people who have inspired us, with the hope that they will inspire and teach others," Mary-Kate said. "We want to explain culturally how ideas evolve."' [People]
• The first "Cavalli Club" will open in Dubai this Fall. Says Roberto, '“living against monotony, with the enjoyment of music, of good food, of pleasant company” is the club’s philosophy. In his goal to offer “multiple culinary and sensorial experiences,” Cavalli plans an Italian restaurant flanked by a sushi bar and a wine bar on the top floor.' We can only assume this will be convenient to Lagerfeld's "Fashion Island." [WWD]
• A new investor allows Sadie Frost's company to live another day. Said a rep of the Jude Law ex and her design partner Jemima French, "Sadie and Jemima relish the opportunity to be fully hands-on again and being able to return to the creative and business helm of a fashion label. Both designers are currently working on their next collection" [Independent]

• The new Calvin Klein "Secret Obsession" campaign, starring Eva Mendes, was deemed too provocative for U.S. air waves - so it's to preview on the 'net. "TV networks will simply not allow Steven Meisel's commercial to be aired - it's too raunchy and risque, featuring Eva enjoying a private, intimate moment, set to a seductive sound track, wearing very little." [ElleUK]
• Lipstick Queen Poppy King should stick to cosmetics: "To be in fashion right now means to understand the difference between feminine and female and to get the balance right: too feminine and we are back in the submission of the '50s, too confrontational and it becomes '80s power woman. But in between these two is that wonderful space that it just 100 percent female—neither overly hostile nor apologetic. Perhaps if Hillary Clinton had got this sense of female right it may have turned out differently for her." [JC Report]
• Ashton Kutcher to return as face of Pepe Jeans London. [VogueUK]
• Cartier apparently thinks it's 2005, teams up with MySpace. [Guardian]
• Denim line Rock & Republic launches makeup line for unclear reasons. [Cosmetics News]
• Hockey player and novelty Vogue intern Sean Avery now dating Calvin Klein's ex-wife, Kelly. Well, they said Wintour was crushing on him, too...[Page Six]
• Modeling agency sues other modeling agency for model poaching. [UPI]
• Jewelry designers haggle over intellectual property. [Fashionista]
• Good old J. Crew weathers economic storm through "honesty and communication." [AdAge]
• Vidal Sassoon on his "rags to riches" story of hairstyling to the stars. [KQED]
• LVMH, Sony settle over musicians playing fast and loose with their trademarks. Kanye West, "Louis Vuitton Don," we're looking at you. [WWD]
• "Supergirl" line a fashion dream team: "Warner Bros. is moving full-steam ahead with a long-term, global Supergirl branded contemporary sportswear line, ready for resort selling. The line is designed by the trio of Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss, Alice Roi and Laura Poretzky." [WWD]
• Weak global economy means less direct sourcing from India. [Business Week]
• Despite Blane's desperate attempts to force a catch-phrase, "boring contestants" and an earlier time slot have Project Runway off to a slow start, ratings-wise. [Portfolio]
• Canadian con man convicted of selling fake Gucci stock options. [WWD]

• Lagerfeld on Bruni: "She’s imaginative, clever, educated. She knows how to behave. She speaks many languages. It must be an embarrassment for the wives of other heads of state to see this beautiful creature who can wear anything and speak like that. They are hunters who met—predators. It’s a good thing. He had seduced many women, and she was a kind of seductress. When two like this meet, it can be good.” [NY Observer]
• The Kaiser's mug is on this Urban Outfitters tee, part of a line called "Beautiful Ones Superstar Raglan." [BlackBook]
• So, NBC is totes suing the Weinsteins for how they handled the whole Project Runway decamping to Lifetime thing, but here's the really touching thing that came out on the stand: apparently Tim Gunn, the dearest fashion queen on cable TV, did the first season for free. Awww. [Rush & Molloy]
• Fergie's shoe collection: "I have always loved fashion because it's a great way to express your mood. And I'm definitely a shoe lover. The right pair of shoes can change the feel of an outfit, and even change how a woman feels about herself. A woman can wear confidence on her feet with a high stiletto, or slip into weekend comfort with a soft ballet flat." [FabSugar]
• Shocker: Naomi Campbell, terrible journalist. Her question to the Argentine president? "How did you feel when you saw Madonna playing Evita on the screen?" [The First Post]

• Marc Jacobs' marital status still ambiguous. [The Cut]
• Self-described "dirty fairy" and Gwen Stefani sorta-stepdaughter Diasy Lowe to model for Brit designer Karen Millen. "'She looks incredible in the clothes," gushed one fashionista, "and she's the ideal Karen Millen woman - young, eclectic, unique and an international style icon in the making." ' [Page Six]
• California institution Mervyn's files for bankruptcy. [Los Angeles Times]
• The south of France is seeing a high incidence of clothed breasts this summer. '"It looks like going topless has gone out of fashion," our girl on the Cote d'Azur tells us. "Men are whining everywhere you turn that there are no more bare boobs on the beach." ' [Page Six]
• Tory Burch seeks investor. [WWD]
• Is Kanye gonna buy Jil Sander? [Fashion Week Daily]
• Vanity Fair's 'up and coming designers' foldout cover is already generating controversy. And I mean, Zac Posen? Really? [Fashion Week Daily]
• Macy's categorically denies having used that sweatshop in Queens that got busted last week. [New York Times]
• With Vogue numbers slipping (and, come on, it's a recession) is the Nuclear Wintour's job safe? [Fashionologie]
• Kate Spade expands her (presumably preppy, perky, pricey) clothing line. [FabSugar]
• Feeding into our supposed hunger for inane fashion-driver rom coms, "'Fashionistas' traces the career of a young designer working at a design firm who plots to take down her ruthless boss by inventing a fictitious must-have designer." [Hollywood Reporter]
• The Mirror on Agyness's new do: "It's an unfortunate cross between Mr Spock, Sarah Harding and a suet pudding basin... The awful fringe, weird pointy sideburns, bouffant back and uneven sides are all reminiscent of the haircuts our mums used to give us. When we were three." [The Mirror]
• More on the Karan/Klein jungle jaunt: "Ms. Karan has been telling friends that the trip is part pleasure and part quest for inspiration for her new store and collection Urban Zen, which sells high-end organic clothes, furniture and knickknacks." [The Observer]
• You can't keep a good luxury brand down! LVMH sees profits. [WWD]
• Lots more shops planned for JFK Airport. [New York Times]
• Michelle Obama's harstylist: "The foundation of any hairstyle is the cut. That’s one thing we focus on doing very well here at Fekkai. With that, I am able to switch the hair into like maybe two, three different looks. We try not to give her too many different variations. People want to see her with the same style, especially when it comes to politics; there’s a lot of scrutiny when you’re in that arena." [Bellasugar]

• Rihanna has been made the face of Gucci’s new UNICEF campaign. Gucci's creative director, Frida Giannini, chose the pop star and founder of the Believe Foundation after seeing her perform at a UNICEF fundraiser in February. "When we decided to dedicate a full ad campaign, more than just creating products, to really come out and show our commitment to UNICEF, we wanted someone with a strong personality," Giannini explained. "I felt a musician and a beautiful woman was the perfect icon for this campaign." [ElleUK]
• Louis Vuitton has introduced a new bag that comes emblazoned with cornball jokes by mid-century Borscht Belt comedian Henny Youngman. (My wife went to the beauty shop and got a mud pack. For two days she looked beautiful. Then the mud fell off," is one.) It's part of the "Jokes" series by designer Richard Prince "pertaining to sexual frustrations and middle-class American mentality." [The Life Files]
• Naomi Campbell on fashion's inequalities: "Now at Paris Haute Couture there was only one black girl out of all the shows. It cannot be a trend." [Yahoo]

• The much-anticipated Lindsay Lohan legging line has hit Intuition's shelves. Zippers, knee pads and leopard prints are involved. [Bauer-Griffin
• Some ranking of fashion capitals shows that while "the big five" still dominate (that's NYC, Rome, Paris, Milan and London), "B-list" cities like Sydney and Dubai are "coming on strong." [Yahoo]
• A judge has green-lit a class-action lawsuit against possibly lead-tainted LVMH lipsticks. [Cosmetics News]
• London scenester and daughter-of-Sir-Bob, Peaches Geldof, is hawking a bunch of her old clothes on eBay. Some of the dosh goes to charity. [Sunday Mirror]
• Alleged 'Bust-firming bra' promises '4 weeks to a firmer looking you.' We call possibly-temporary-and-almost-unnoticeable-improvement-bullshit. [Victoria's Secret]
• Alexander McQueen goes all high-tech with an e-commerce option. [WWD]
• Gossip Girl crosses the pond! The show, "perhaps, the most cynical product placement exercise in history, is set to transform British teenage girls into preppy Manhattan Upper East-Siders." Come on, you know you love us. [Guardian]
• Los Angeles luxury market pushes the architectural envelope: "L.A. is in the midst of a designer boutique boom that's as much about statement-making architecture and one-upsmanship as it is about selling bags and boots." [Los Angeles Times]
• Macy's chairman puts a brave face on dismal market. [WWD]
• A wedding's locale “has everything to do with choosing the dress.” As They Might Be Giants bride discovered the hard way. [New York Times]
• Tragic YSL muse Talitha Getty. [Telegraph]

• The latest on the Nina Garcia saga: If she takes the editor-at-large gig she'll only be there til mid-October, when ELLE's contract with Project Runway ends and then she'll be let go for reals. (Dear Nina: You can do better than that.) Meanwhile, no one at ELLE or its publisher Hachette Filipacchi Media has issued a single comment on the entire situation. [WWD, 1st item]
  
• Meanwhile, everyone at ELLE is pissed that the taping of its reality show Fashionista is ruining everyone's lives. [NY Daily News]
  
• Audrey Tatou is rumored to be the newest face of Chanel No. 5. Does this mean that Nicole Kidman got the boot? Maybe she and Nina can start a sort of ex-wives club together. [WWD, 1st item]
  
• "I think the luxury is not only what we give to ourselves, but what we can give to others. Obviously, we can get more of this and this, but the true luxury is being able to give back. When one has been blessed with the ability to have made it...it's our social responsibility." Nice try, Donna Karan. But...no. [WWD, sub req'd]

• "You can sort of tell the designers by the pieces," says Gap designer Patrick Robinson on the retailer's white shirt sdesigned by Phillip Lim, Band of Outsiders, Michael Bastian and Threeasfour. Um, wouldn't it be troublesome if you couldn't? Isn't this sort of a given when it comes to design? [WWD, sub req'd]
• Victoria Beckham is not above groveling to get L.A. boutique Kitson to not drop her denim line from its stores. [PopSugar]
• Women need to learn to "shop like a man"? My ass! Don't know about you, but the ladies I know think a lot more about where they put their dollars then the fellas in my life. [Telegraph]
• Margaret Thatcher: Style icon? Sure, and Hillary's yellow pantsuits are going to be the next big thing for spring! [Telegraph]
• Kenneth Cole has poached Liz Claiborne executive vice president Jill Granoff to make her the company's new CEO. Smells like another failure of the Tim Gunn-Bill McComb regime at Claiborne to me. [WWD, sub req'd]
• LVMH's profits are up by 12%, largely because of the roaring success of the Louis Vuitton label. Marc Jacobs: 1, haters: 0. [WWD, sub req'd]
• How the hell are Burberry's profits up by over 19%? Really: Explain it to me. [WWD, sub req'd]
• And L'Oreal's profits are in the shitter. [Reuters]
• Who's the most accomplished Versace sibling now? Santo Versace, who has just joined Italy's House of Parliament. Can't you just see Donatella busting in there, screaming, "Geeeeeeeet outtttttt!" 'Cause I can. [WWD, 2nd item]
• Gucci has hired David Lynch to direct commercials and James Franco to front its new men's fragrance. [WWD, 3rd item]
• So word on the street is that Sasha Pivovarova is being ousted as the face of Prada for Linda Evangelista. Drama! [Sassybella]
• Designer Roland Mouret on what makes a fashion icon: "Icons last but fashion changes. What I try to do is allow a woman to work with the icon inside herself. The body is an icon, and I create a shell for that body." Just like Invasion of the Body Snatchers! [Vogue UK]
• These shoes scare me. [Chic Report]

Perhaps you remember way back when the music industry was suing college students; Madonna put a bunch of fake Madonna tracks on various file-sharing services cheekily inquiring "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Okayyyy, Graydon... leaving aside for one sec the "heartstrings gap" between worthless college students versus farmers ...can we address the fact that private investigators use pretty much the same exact tactics to defend the "intellectual property" of every stupid brand advertised in your magazine?

How exactly did we get to the point where we can accept that ruthlessly protecting the patents of laboratory-developed seeds is a grave offense to All America Stands For, but the horrible Oriental derelicts who dare to stamp offending Ls, Vs and Cs onto shoddy bags must be stopped? (Even as, as your sister publication once pointed out, piracy is considered integral to the success of most luxury brands.) How did we get to the point where the New York Times is willing to associate Chinese entrepreneurs knocking off silly French symbols with terrorism, and meanwhile, a company that actually does something — that arguably, despite its creepy malevolence, offers some benefit to society by spending money on the research and development necessary to make the food supply more efficient — can be cast as an irredeemable villain? How did the luxury goods industry — whose titans, like LVMH, have achieved revenue and profit margins that vastly exceed Monsanto's — snag themselves such a free pass? Did they buy it?

Ha ha ha —look it's a Versace ad next to that Monsanto piece! — and yes that was a rhetorical question.

Monsanto's Harvest of Fear [Vanity Fair]

• ANTM cycle 8 winner Jaslene Gonzalez: Now the face of Lot29. What? A Top Model winner actually booked a job after wrapping the show? [WWD, sub req'd]
  
• Yes, still more on model Gemma Ward's film debut in The Black Balloon: Her character's name is Jackie. Jackie helps her boyfriend learn to accept his brother's autism. Also, Ward will be starring in another movie coming out this year, a thriller titled The Strangers which co-stars Liv Tyler. [WWD, 1st item]
  
• The new Versace fragrance is supposed to smell lke Donatella and its bottle is supposed to look like a Versace dress. We assume this means it actually smells like cocaine and cigarettes. [BellaSugar]
  
• Video! Marc Jacobs interviews Jennifer Jason Leigh, still has blue hair. [MySpace]

• More proof that everything is better in Japan: a machine washable suit will be introduced early next year. [USA Today]
• Alyona Akhmadullina, 29, is the biggest up-and-coming designer in Russia. Seeing that fashion is obsessed with all things Russian right now, expect to see her become fetishized and exploited in no time at all! [WWD, sub req'd]
• Three women in Birmingham, England were hospitalized after collapsing while waiting for a store to open after Christmas so they could score the big deals. [BBC]
• A la Karl Lagerfeld for Fendi, Ferragamo is also having a big ol' par-tay in China this year. [WWD, 3rd item]
• The dollar sucks against the pound right now, which means British fashion isn't selling so well stateside. Boo hoo, Stella McCartney. [WWD, sub req'd]
• Britain's Accessory Designer of the Year Tom Binns aspires to make women look trashier. [Vogue UK]
• Ew: Long pointy finger nails scare us. Do not want. [BellaSugar]
• Mazel Tov Karl Lagerfeld: Our favorite Krazy Kraut celebrates his 25th anniversary of designing Chanel in 2008. [Sassybella]
• Memo to all those celebrities shilling fragrances: The fragrance industry's sales are slipping. [WSJ]
• Fuck coffee: Fashion labels are going fair trade, too. [Times of London]
• The late Queen Mum was quite the soothsayer: bitching and moaning over the course of 80 years that fashion was too damn expensive. [Telegraph]

• Venus Williams was awarded with an associate's degree in fashion design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale over the weekend, becoming the first celebrity "designer" to ever get a degree in fashion design. She even got a prize for the "Best Sportswear Collection" and a 3.5 GPA. Also, she has a collection for Steve & Barry's. [Sassybella]
  
• Mango takes a nod from Pedro Almodovar, keeps Penelope Cruz as the face of its brand for a second consecutive season. Now if she could only find a boyfriend with the same devotion! [WWD, 3rd item]
  
• Italian director Franco Zeffirelli wants to give the Pope a makeover. But would the Pope approve of all the gratuitous tit scenes in Romeo & Juliet? [Sassybella]
  
• French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld is in New York for her lesser-known spawn Vladmir's 23rd birthday. [Fashion Week Daily]

• Film mogul/fat man Harvey Weinstein and Marchesa designer/pretty young thing Georgina Chapman's honeymoon: not so picture perfect. The $250,000 yacht they're renting is unable to enter St. Bart's due to a fuel strike there. We weep for them, seriously. [Page Six]
• The real reason Vivienne Westwood is showing her Red Label line in London revealed at last: She has a coffee table book to promote. This from the woman who wrote the manifesto against capitalism! [WWD, 2nd item]
• New Balance will be releasing a new line of women's shoes called NB Inside which offer style, comfort, and basically no actual athletic usage capabilities. [MediaPost]
• Former Dior Homme designer Hedi Slimane is now in talks with his former bosses at LVMH to start his own eponymous menswear line. Which, we assume, will look just like Dior Homme. [WWD, sub req'd]
• Names to know: Roksanda Ilincic, Richard Nicoll and Jens Laugesen. These designers all won the big prize in the UK's Fashion Forward competition this year, which is basically a guarantee of becoming the Next Big Think in Cool Britannia fashion. [Vogue UK]
• Jeweler David Yurman is coming out with a perfume. There has been no mention of what it smells like. And, surprise, a whole lotta mention on the elaborate-jeweled bottle which will hold it. [Fashion Week Daily]
• Current fashion darling Phillip Lim will be making his debut in Bryant Park during the upcoming fashion show season, which means he's "arrived" or whatever in fashion world terms. [Fashion Week Daily]
• For the first time ever, we are envious of socialites: the society set got to attend a private performance of the Isaac Mizrahi-narrated Peter and the Wolf over the weekend. Mizrahi's costume consisted of a scarf and a fedora. Swoon. [Fashion Week Daily]
• Okay, for the second time today, we are envious of socialites: the rich bitches got to buy the Miu Miu spring collection at a private sale/party Friday night in New York before it goes on sale for the masses this week. [Fashion Week Daily]
• One in four Massachusetts hair and nail salons stands in violation of health codes. And if they're being that poorly behaved in a bleeding heart and highly moral state like MA, we don't even want to think how bad things are here in hedonistic New York. Ew. [BellaSugar]

Anthony Kleanthous, a senior policy adviser at WWF, said most of the luxury companies did well in some areas but were weak in others. "Luxury companies do not consider their products to be particularly damaging to the environment," he said. "They just don't think people are going to be asking the questions. But there has been a paradigm shift." In fact, in a recent survey of 950 high-income American adults, 57% said they'd pay more for a brand that had socially responsible practices. 70% look for brands with "superior environmental records."

Meanwhile, Bernard Arnault, chairman of LVMH, and designer Tom Ford seem to agree. They attended the International Herald Tribune conference on luxury, and spoke about so-called "ethical luxury" — products that "define their owners or wearers as people with human and ecological consciences." Said Ford: "Luxury is not going out of style. It needs to change its style. We need to replace hollow with deep." (He also mourned the state of luxury in the 1990s, when "luxury went from hard to find to hard to miss.")

And if making luxury products eco- and employee-friendly winds up inflating price tags, so be it. As Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute, says in a Q&A in AdWeek: "Affordable luxury is a contradiction in terms. Those luxury brands racing to transform themselves into affordable luxury by making deals with mass retailers have forgotten that their business model is not just about stamping out more products."

Do luxury brands have a responsibility to be ethical? Can they be, while selling fur, ostrich, fine cashmere? And would they make a difference in the world? And, despite what the survey said (people lie!) do luxury consumers actually care how something was made? Or do they just want the logo?

Luxury Brands Fail To Make Ethical Grade [Financial Times]
At IHT Luxury Conference, Ethics Are In Vogue [International Herald Tribune]
Q&A: A Social Approach for Luxe Brands [AdWeek]
Earlier: My Week With A $4000 Snakeskin Handbag

• The battle between Stella McCartney and Heather Mills rages on regarding Heather's divorce from Stella's dad Paul! And even though we declared ourselves Team Stella for this one, we're a little wary about her latest overture: A necklace baring a single leg. Perhaps in nasty homage to her prosthetic-using former-stepmum? Ouch. [NYP]
  
• You know how the Armani collections shown in September weren't, er, all that good? (Hello, I Dream of Jeannie pants!) Well, it seems like Mr. Armani gets that: "I want to fine-tune the organization behind the company. I offer too many choices, and variations of the same outfit. I must focus and edit, offering narrower guidelines." [Vogue UK]
  
• Ralph Lauren has poached the associate articles editor of Departures — OMG! the associate articles editor of an in-flight magazine! — to serve as editorial director for some new editorial venture that will no doubt be full of really hard-hitting, informative content. [WWD, 2nd item]

• Luxury brand conglomerate LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton has finally gotten its hands on the French newspaper Les Echoes, which was owned by the same parent company as the Financial Times.[Vogue UK]
• The Sundance Channel will air fashion-related programming during every night of next Spring' Fall 2008 New York Fashion Week they'll be airing fashion-related programming and documentaries. [Fashion Week Daily]
• Sorry, can't help it: We love Target! They've commissioned Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, Elizabeth Peyton, and Kehinde Wiley to design beach towels which will retail for $50, the proceeds benefiting charity. All because Target believes that art should be for the people blah blah we don't care we love Target! [Fashion Week Daily]
• Australian model Gemma Ward turned 20 on Saturday. And had a "Jungle Fever"-themed birthday party. [Fashion Week Daily]
• Do not put Swarovski crystals on your ass. [Fashion Week Daily]
• Dita von Teese for Frederick's of Hollywood just looks trashy. We know, we know... Shocking. But we had hoped Dita could transcend marabou trim. [FabSugar]
• We're doubtful of a panty that claims to be line-less. [FabSugar]

• Those invited to Marc Jacobs' annual holiday costume party (aka - not us) need to start preparing their costumes now. The theme has finally been announced! "Arabian Nights." We double-dare someone to go as Edward Said. [WWD, 2nd item]
  
• The most important movie of all time, the Sex and the City movie, shot at the offices of the most important magazine of all time, Vogue. My god, how did the world not combust when these two forces joined powers? Also, Anna Wintour will not be appearing in the movie. But Andre Leon Talley will! And we hope that Jennifer Hudson, who is playing Carrie Bradshaw's assistant in the movie, manages to restrain herself re: that whole idiotic bolero-from-Mars thingy he made her wear to the Oscars. [WWD, 1st item]
  
• Why we love Barneys New York's Creative Director Simon Doonan, reason #482: "Everyone in the music industry looks like a hooker. Let's call it porno-chic. It seems to me nowadays that Janis Joplin wouldn't be able to get her clog in the door without a full makeover!" [Fashion Week Daily]

• Aerin Lauder's new line of products for Estee Lauder has nary a cosmetic in it. No, no: It's a full-fledged line of hostess gifts. Gag! [Fashion Week Daily]
• Bono's eco-aware fashion line with Rogan Gregory, Edun, is once again making T-shirts to help African children and also the images of certain highly-remunerated celebrities who will be endorsing it i.e. Gwyneth Paltrow, Liv Tyler and Ben Affleck in ads shot by Helena Christensen. The stars even styled themselves to help cut back on costs. [Vogue UK]
• Tennis star Andre Agassi has filed an injunction against Target for selling sandals with his name on them without his permission. Huh. Is Agassi still a big draw? [MSNBC]
• California-cool fashion line Trovata joins its fashion brethren in claiming that Forever 21 copied their designs and is now also suing their fundamentalist Christian asses blah blah take a number folks. [NY Times]
• French Vogue: Still a gajilliony times cooler than American Vogue. (This is why we're going as Carine Roitfeld for Halloween.) [Radar]

• Amy Winehouse is reportedly making donations to a Romanian orphanage as a token of appreciation for donating the hair that makes up absurd/awesome monstrosity on her head. [Sassybella]
  
• Designer Keanan Duffy on his David Bowie-inspired line for Target: "Fashion is always out of fashion; what happens on the street is always stolen by designers who, by their very nature, are out of touch. I actually find unfashionable ideas to be more interesting." Um, yeah, you're not exactly doing a Frank Zappa-inspired collection here, so maybe get off the cocaine horse. [The Fashion Informer]
  
• "I'm supporting other women for what they do and want to do. I'm all about burning your bra." —Actress Jaime Pressly regarding her attendance at Nicky Hilton's fashion show. [WWD, 2nd item]
  
• Catherine Bailey is the next face of lingerie label Agent Provocateur. Moe doesn't know who that is, but the ads can't be as fugly as those Maggie Gyllenhaal ones. [Vogue UK]
  
• Designer Adam Lippes went on Oprah. Now he's having crazy sales. We wonder if he'll be sending her 21 pairs of Louboutins as a thank you? [WWD, sub req'd]

• Totally least surprising news of the day: Designer Thakoon to collaborate with luxury leather goods label Hogan. [Vogue UK]
• In case you were losing sleep worrying about it, LVMH made a really healthy profit last quarter. [WWD, sub req'd]
• Last night in London, artist Martin Creed had a party for an installation piece of his. The Calvin Klein S/S 2008 collection was show as part of it. Naomi Watts hosted. Mary Kate Olsen was guest of honor. This doesn't exactly sound like an art show to us. [Vogue UK]

• The more celebs who launch perfumes, the worse they all smell, apparently. Sales of the celebrity stink fell 17% last year. Can Mariah Carey save the celebrity-olfactory complex? 80% of white women and 90% of black women view Mimi favorably, according to surveys. Which is really the only important thing when we're deciding how to smell — whether we approve of the public persona carefully cultivated by the celebrity licensing his or her name to the perfume. Usher, Gwen, Diddy, and SJP are also launching scents.[WWD]
  
• In other smells-need-faces news, the face of the new Tom Ford fragrance is...Tom Ford! He rated EXTREMELY favorably with himself. [WWD]
  
• "Bush's decision to wear black socks with his Crocs was ill-considered. The combination makes one think of an old man on his way to the beach." [Washington Post]
  
• LVMH is holding a Fendi fashion show on the Great Wall of China. Because the Great Wall was about as effective as keeping out Genghis Kahn as Chinese anti-piracy laws are at eradicating fake baguettes? Because no one told them you can't really see the Great Wall from the moon? Or just cause it wouldn't be the fashion industry if it weren't psychotically bombastic? [Reuters]

• In other LVMH news, the corporate parent of pretty much every luxury brand known to woman is getting into the terribly lucrative and glamorous newspaper business. Because why turn 30% operating margins when you could be losing money and battling unions? Because it's retro? [Vogue UK]
• Ronson out! It appears that SoapNet's upcoming reality show The Fashionista Diaries is on the brink of canning initial star Charlotte Ronson. They say contract negotiations. We say... eh, who cares about Lindsay Lohan's cokehead lesbo hanger-on-er's twin sister? It's like Scarlett Johansson's twin brother. But stupider. [WWD, 2nd item]
• One third of women attending music festivals buy new wardrobes for them. And one out of every one of those one third women have something "kinda Kate Moss-ish" in mind. [Fashion Inc.]