April: the first reports emerge that Project Runway has been sold to Lifetime. Our own Jen feared that the show's patented bitchiness would be replaced by murderous cheerleaders and copious tears. NBC Universal immediately launched their lawsuit against the Weinstein Co. in an attempt to block the move to Lifetime.

May: Rumors that Elle will no longer sponsor Proj Run are leaked. Marie Claire and some Nina Garcia-lite on their staff reportedly may take over.

June: The new PR will be shot in L.A. rather than in New York and Heidi Klum describes the show as getting a "face lift." We fear, as with real face lifts, this means the show will lose its character and charming wrinkles.

July: Season 5 of Proj premieres to almost no fanfare. Many speculate that Bravo, like a jilted ex, refused to promote the show in order to stick it to the Weinstein Co. for moving to Lifetime. Bravo is foiled, as the 5th season gets the series' best ratings ever.

September: The Weinsteins hit a roadblock: New York State Supreme Court judge Richard Lowe blocked the Weinstein Co. from moving Project Runway from Bravo to Lifetime.

October: Lifetime joins the rumble! They want the case moved from state to federal court. As we reported at the time, "This means that the air date for Season 6 will probably be pushed back. Again. Despite the fact that filming has just wrapped."

Now: According to the Times, "A federal judge in Manhattan is now in the process of deciding whether to uphold or overturn the state judge’s injunction or whether to return the case to the state level." Lifetime remains optimistic, and the Times says that "Bravo is all but certain to have lost Project Runway…But there is also a chance that Bravo will beat Project Runway to the small screen with a competing show. " Bravo has already revealed plans for a Runway-esque show called The Fashion Show, which is just like PR except viewers choose the winner rather than a panel of experts. Bunim-Murray Productions, the folks behind the Real World, are the new producers of Lifetime's PR, but I wouldn't count on seeing the fruits of their labor any time soon.

Legal Tangles of ‘Project Runway’ Keep It Frozen on the Catwalk [NYT]

Earlier: Lifetime's Latest Sobfest: The Death Of Project Runway
Is Marie Claire Taking Over Elle's Sloppy Project Runway Seconds?
Project Ruinway
Can Project Runway Be Saved?
r Where Are The Project Runway Season 5 Reviews?

• In an apparent attempt to rob the Costume Institute of gravitas, Sarah Jessica Parker will be doing the audio commentary for the Met's latest exhibit. The SATC tour bus frantically adds a stop. [ElleUK]
• Says the curator, “Walking through the galleries listening to Sarah Jessica Parker’s narration will bring a sense of discovery and delight to the experience.” [WWD]
• Prince Charles is apparently inspiring British menswear! [FT]
• Having watched Stylista, we're sure Christy Turlington is eminently qualified to be a Marie Claire editor. [Fashionista]

• Robert Verdi on Michelle Obama's Narciso Rodriguez: "She looked like a lava lamp and we all know that. I didn’t like that light bright dress and I think she could have made a better choice. I like that she wore an American designer, I think she should continue to wear American fashion and speak the style of the nation in her public appearances and then move towards an international flavor." [FabSugar]
• What does the savvy recessionista drive? Why, the Hermès smart car! "The Fortwo édition Toile cars, manufactured by the Como group, are available in 10 colors including gold, indigo and the luxury house’s signature orange. Each is fitted with Hermès leather-covered steering wheels and gear levers, with colors including fuchsia and lime, along with the brand’s original canvas toile." [WWD]
• How better to transport your Christopher Kane radio! [VogueUK]
• "On the surface, the similarities are striking; they were both princesses born in the 1940s in a foreign land. Young and beautiful, the long-haired brunettes soon fell in love and followed their men to the United States where they built a reputation for steely determination and strength." That would be Diane von Furstenberg and Wonder Woman. Obvs. [CNN]
• Lauren Bush — oh, sorry, Pierce — "has been hard at work on her capsule collection of environmentally sustainable clothes since early 2008." [W]
• The all-important vintage couture bubble has yet to pop! [Forbes]
• Apparently Yves Saint Laurent collected stuff from China's Opium Wars. Now it's being auctioned. For a lot of money. [NY Mag]
• Remind me to avoid this Uniqlo stunt: "On Nov. 18 at Military Island in Times Square, a team of Heat-Techies dressed in silver bodysuits will be scanning pedestrians with a thermograph that reveals the coldest parts of the body. The consumers can then walk over to a giant human vending machine that dispenses free products. Press of a button for men’s or women’s clothing sets in motion models inside the machine, who dance a choreographed routine and dispense a package of Heattech innerwear." [WWD]
• Uh oh. Cosmetics, normally recession-proof, are feeling some pain. [FT]
• The Casual Male group is benefiting from Europe's rising obesity rates. [IHT]
• Apparently both PR designers Laura Bennett and Chloe Dao (yes, who won!) will be selling their lines on QVC tonight. Which is good, right? Right? [Blogging Project Runway]
• Following the success (?) of Model.Live, Conde Nast has the video bug. [Fashionista]
• Laetitia Casta is the latest Vuitton muse. [Sassybella]

• Unless you are living in a closet, under a rock, fifteen feet below the earth's surface wearing noise-canceling ear muffs, you've heard that Barack Obama was elected President. We still cannot stop smiling.
• Or crying!! These videos of Maya Angelou, Sherri Shepherd, Oprah Winfrey and Gloria Steinem will probably make you tear up.
• Obama's victory is a win for women, and these women, including North Carolinian Governor Beverly Perdue, Ohio Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, and New Hampshire Senator Jean Shaheen won their races.
• But the truly important election is yet to come: the race for first puppy. We're single issue voters on a purely pro-Corgi platform.

• We discussed Obama's status as a biracial icon.
• Oh hey. Remember Sarah Palin? Well the Republicans who anointed her are now slagging her in the press, which is distasteful.
• Unlike her wardrobe, which despite being horrendously overpriced (estimates have it at even more than $150,000, dontcha know), was quite classy!
• But enough about her, let's talk about body image with Kate Winslet and Thin Is The New Pretty scribe Valerie Frankel.
• Seriously, guys. We are wrecked. Bask in the win this weekend and dream of Michelle's inauguration dress. You deserve it!

Season 1 winner Jay McCarroll says of his burlap cocktail-length dress, "We need to live within our means and get back to basics."

But for his spring 2007 collection, Jay designed this citrusy gown and this metallic gown. Either one could be an elegant choice for Michelle Obama!

Season 1 finalist Austin Scarlett created this washed burlap strapless gown.

Here's a more formal choice, from Austin Scarlett's line, Kenneth Pool.

Season 2 semifinalist Kara Janx made a dress "about patriotism and change, with a pop culture spirit."

But can you picture Michelle Obama in one of Kara's famous kimonos? The gold trim adds a more glamorous touch.

Malan Breton of Season 3 cut the stars out of the flag and used them to highlight his dress.

But a more simple, regal shape from his 2009 spring collection seems more fitting for a First Lady.

Mychael Knight, Season 3 semifinalist, created a "youthful and sexy" gown. "She’s becoming the first lady, not an old lady!"

Mychael's designs are so youthful and so sexy (think: leather bikinis) that the only appropriate gown to be found was this one from an old episode of Project Runway. Still, Ms. Obama could rock this.

Alison Kelly of Season 3 says she "thought back to the Great Depression and remembered Coco Chanel’s dropped waist silhouette" when she dreamed up this black gown.

But what if she took this top from her line, Dahl by Alison Kelly, and lengthened it into a dress? It has a quiet yet impactful "wow" factor. And Michelle Obama has great shoulders.

LOL. This is from the lovable Chris March, Season 4. Due to dire financial straits, "The first lady will have to resort to wearing a barrel. Of course, hers will be glamorous."

Checking out Chris March's site, it was tough to find anything Michelle Obama-appropriate. This was the best I could do. It's very "after the revolution," no?

Rami Kashou of Season 4 used draping, of course. The stripes are awfully distracting, though.

Could Michelle Obama wear a Rami Kashou divine golden goddess number instead?

Last, but not least: Season 5 winner Leanne Marshall. Her gown features a dramatic collar and "a very full, pocketed sweeping skirt of 50 horizontally paneled potato sacks." Not bad, but…

This beautiful dress from Leanne's final collection would be much, much better.

The Ball Gown Challenge [The Daily Beast]

Related: Jay McCarroll
Austin Scarlett
Kara Janx
Mychael Knight
Dahl By Alison Kelly
Chris March
Rami Kashou
Leanimal

New York City, October 31. Image via Filmmagic.

• Lauren Conrad is On The Move, Azlan-style. After a prolonged period of alleged laziness, Conrad is promoting her eponymous clothing line all over our fifty states. [Yahoo]
• According to this Sun columnist's "hunch," Kate Moss is pregnant. Take that for what it's worth. [The Sun]
• According to model Niki Taylor — and her husband, doctor and uterus' hunch — she's pregnant too! [People]
• Fashiongate FAQ. [Washington Post]

• More signs of economic apocalypse: the cancellation of Fashion Rocks, CondeNast's annual fashion-rock concert-magazine. [AdAge]
• Here's how to get those undecided swing voters! "On Thursday morning, (Zac) Posen filmed a 15-second video urging people to vote, to vote for Barack Obama, and to dress for the occasion." [WWD]
• L'Oreal keeps its head above water, but cuts forecasts. [WSJ]
• There's hedging your bets, and then there's...this. In case they don't get Runway back, Bravo's introducing Fashion House, Celebrity Sew-Off and The Fashion Show, which sounds suspiciously like a Project Runway where viewers choose the winner. [Yahoo]
• Kate Moss, friend, rumored to be dressing up as Tina Turner, Cher for Halloween, kicks. [Fashionologie]
• "Where would Moss be without her languidly rockish locks?" Um, I don't know. Anyway, her hairdresser is releasing a budget line of hair products. So that we can continue to look nothing like her, on the cheap! [Guardian]
• Ferragamo does all the beautiful, 40s-style shoes for the epic film Australia. [W]
• As an army of Bettys and Joans can tell you tonight, Mad Men has had a serious influence on fashion. [LA Times]
• Charlotte Ronson for J.C. Penney is predictably darling. [Nylon]
• Speaking of cute fast fashion: Old Navy's latest plus-sized line is really pretty. [Fabsugar]
• On the other side of economic divide, Balenciaga's Nicolas Ghesquière ditches his celeb moddles. [New York Magazine]
• And the head of Chanel: “Even in tough times, people want to see beautiful and inspirational things." [Economist]
• Rami Kashou lectures at the Phillips Collection. Quoth the master-draper: "I want to talk about what it takes to keep a dream alive...What it's like to be a 5-year-old and have a dream." [Washington Post]
• Bottega Veneta gets into cruisewear. Believe it or not, more frequent collections is actually a Recession-proofing measure. [WWD]

• Even though AMC has "formally exercised" its option for a third season of Mad Men, Producer Lionsgate and network AMC not only have no contract with series creator Matthew Weiner, they have not made deals with the cast, either! What will become of Don Draper? [Fox 411, Variety]
• Oh, Mad Men star John Slattery was overheard trashing other actors while having dinner in New York: "De Niro's a jerk!" he said. And! "I was thinking about doing something with [Al Pacino], but I was told to run - not walk - away from him, he's so unbearable." [Rush & Molloy]
• Angelina Jolie plans to adopt another Ethiopian baby in the New Year, to "bond" with daughter Zahara. [Mirror]
• John Mayer is winning Jennifer Aniston back with "soppy texts." A source says "He has even written a song about their time together and played it to Jennifer who, naturally, was incredibly touched." [Mirror]

• Speaking of texts, Paris Hilton has been texting Prince William after meeting him in a club. She invited him to a club opening in Las Vegas; he declined but is "up for a few drinks" the next time she's in town. [Mirror]
• Sam Ronson bought Lindsay Lohan a "£15,000 Ferrari red diamond encrusted Tiret," which is, apparently, a watch. [Mirror]
• Uh-oh, Sam and Lindsay had a fight on an Acela train to Washington! LL was "whining incessantly." When Lindsay would get up, Samantha would sigh and put her sweatshirt hood back up. Oh, and at some point, Lindsay said to Sam: "Don't fucking lie to me!" [Page Six]
• David Duchovny's 28-year-old Hungarian tennis coach, Edit Pakay, was asked if she'd had an affair with Duchovny. She answered: "I don't want to say anything that might hurt David. I am not going to deny it. I don't know what our relationship means to him." [Daily Mail]
• Ooh, Harper's Bazaar editor Glenda Bailey liked Kenley's designs best on Project Runway and thinks it's a shame she didn't win! Also, the post calls Leanne the "viewer favorite," even though the "fan favorite" was Korto, hello? [Page Six]
• Mary-Kate Olsen and some friends ate at a restaurant in NYC and left a big tip — as well as a wad of chewing gum — on the table. [Page Six]
• Madonna's divorce case will claim that Guy Ritchie was cruel and verbally abusive to her. A source says: "She is alleging he would tell her that she really should give up the live touring and that she 'looked like a granny' compared to the nubile youngsters dancing with her on stage." [Daily Mail, NY Post]
• Seems like Madonna and A-Rod were getting together when his wife was seven months pregnant. He had this apartment he never told his wife about, and Madonna would meet him there. [Fox 411]
• David Banda's biological father, Yohane Banda, says if he had known Madonna had plans to divorce Ritchie, he never would have agreed to let the celebrity couple adopt his 3-year-old son. [UPI, Times Of London]
• Madonna's publicist, Liz Rosenberg, notorious for lying, says the divorce settlement has not been finalized. [AP]
• Guy Ritchie's dad says it was "horrid" to read about Madge calling his son an "emotional retard" in front of fans. [The Sun]
• Madonna says Guy was "against" the adoption of David Banda. [The Sun]
• Um, this report says that Madonna wants to have a natural child with A-Rod. A friend says: "She thinks he's physically a great specimen. And if she is going to have another child, he would be the ideal man to bring one to her." Gah. [Daily Mail]
• Madonna might not move to NYC after all; the kids are in school in London and she doesn't want to interfere with that. [Mirror]
• This report says Madonna thinks Guy is a gold-digger, and that the kids are home-schooled and go on the road with her. [The Sun]
• A source says of the Madonna/Guy split: "She’s got a team of Kabbalah advisers who guide her through her spiritual decisions. If they say something is justified, then she feels comfortable going ahead and doing it. It’s only going to get worse (the public jabs) if Kabbalah greenlights it. Expect ugliness of epic proportions." [MSNBC]
• Guy Ritchie maybe told friends that making love to Madonna was like "cuddling up to a piece of gristle." [Daily Mail]
• Nicole Richie is the happiest she's ever been. "Parenthood is easier than I thought. Everybody was saying, before giving birth, sleep now because you'll never sleep with a baby but she sleeps 12 hours a day and I'm sleeping, too. She's the sweetest little angel." [The Sun]
• The Lost Madonna Tapes. Early songs. [The Daily Beast]
• Russell Simmons has a "bunch of money" tied up in a Lehman Brothers fund in London, but he says: "I don't worry about it. I have lots of staff members; I want to make sure everyone keeps getting fed." He does worry about the five charities he heads. "I’m not going to cut down on them so I can have another ride on a private plane." [NY Mag]
• So the son of the Beckhams' housekeepers, who's being held in an eBay investigation, used to dress up in Beckham's suits. [Mirror]
• Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady: Getting hitched? They are planning a wedding reception at Tavern On The Green in NYC. [Page Six]
• Victoria Beckham arrived in Madrid and asked that her suite have "only white colors" in it. White candles and white roses. No word on whether she only let white people in. [Page Six]
• Tom Cruise was seen posing on the streets of New York with Suri Cruise. Walking slowly, stopping at the car with the door open, just letting the paparazzi get pictures. "Exploiting" his daughter? Or making sure the photogs get what they want so they don't jostle and follow the car? [Perez Hilton]
• At a listening party, rapper Q-Tip was asked if he really dated Nicole Kidman. He said: "Yes, I did. So what?" [LA Times]
• Sean Penn is visiting Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. Again. The actor accompanied the President during the inspection of a natural gas pipeline on Sunday. [Yahoo News]
• Heidi Montag's ex-boyfriend, Jordan Eubanks, says: "Since dating Spencer [Pratt], Heidi's whole mentality has changed—everything has changed. She's done a total 180, and I think it's so sad." Plus! There's a pic of him with Heidi and she's got her old nose and boobs. [E!]
• Chris Martin was being interviewed and talking about how Gwyneth told him he could only leave her if it was for one of the chicks in Girls Aloud. He told her that she could leave for Irish singers Westlife. The interviewer said, "You could have at least told her Brad Pitt." To which Martin replied, "She was engaged to him, you fucker." Then Martin punched the guy and called him a "cunt." [Jossip]
• Chris Martin says he was "just fooling around" when he punched the reporter. [Rush & Molloy]
• Don Cornelius of Soul Train was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of domestic violence. [AP]
• Katie Price, aka Jordan, has walked out on husband Peter Andre. She's on the cover of the UK version of OK!. [Perez Hilton]
• Actor Gale Harold, of Desperate Housewives and Queer As Folk, was in a serious motorcycle accident last week. He had swelling on the brain and a fractured shoulder but is expected to recover. [Star]
• Oi! Amy Winehouse and David Beckham have the UK's "most hated celebrity accents." [The Star]
• Eminem's new book includes thoughts about the 2006 shooting death of his close friend and fellow D12 rapper Proof: "I have never felt so much pain in my life. It was tough for me to even get out of bed, and I had days when I couldn't walk, let alone write a rhyme." [People]
• Andy Dick has been ordered by a court to wear an alcohol-monitoring bracelet for one year. Think he can last that long? [UPI]
• Ali Larter had an engagement party over the weekend. [People]
• Morgan Freeman has agreed to help kick off the first Blues at Moon Music Festival at Mississippi's Golden Moon Hotel and Casino in Choctaw, MS. [UPI]
• Sir Paul McCartney's new love, Nancy Shevell, has moved in. [The Sun]
• Headline of the day: "The Grandadiator: Russell Crowe's raging grandfather makes hellraising star look tame." [Daily Mail]
• Jeff Probst created a new show, Live Like You're Dying, for CBS. The gist: A person who has been given a terminal diagnosis with a finite amount of time to live will be taken "on the last adventure of their life." But it's not morbid! "The focus of the show is not death," says Probst. "The story we’re going tell is about living. This is a show that is intended to inspire everybody to get the most out of their lives every day." [EW]
• Carrie Fisher's memoir includes this info about Star Wars: She was looking at her white costume when director George Lucas said, "You can't wear a bra under that dress." "Why?" asked Fisher. "There's no underwear in space," he replied. [Page Six]
• Rihanna rode a Segway around the mall in Vegas, attempted to look cool while doing so. [Concrete Loop]
• A male friend of actress Bonnie Somerville was shot and wounded at a party in West Hollywood; it may have been a BB gun. [UPI]
• Jeremy Piven talks about being in Mamet's play Speed-The-Plow on Broadway: "I don’t think there would be an Entourage without David Mamet." [NY Times]
• Michael Kors: Spotted checking out pusses at the Cat Show in NYC! [Fey Friends]
• If Christie Brinkley's ex, Peter Cook, has a sex tape of himself with his teen mistress, it's a felony: She was 18 at the time and recorded without her knowledge. [NY Post]
• John Legend hearts Obama and the feeling is mutual. [Guardian]
• Liza Minnelli: On Broadway! Two weeks only! [Variety]
• Lily Tomlin wants Jenny, who's been working at the Dallas Zoo for 22 years, to retire. Jenny is a 32-year-old elephant; Tomlin wants her sent to a sanctuary. [MSNBC]
• Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood cheated on his wife with Kelly LeBrock…in 1981. [Daily Mail]
• "I never got introduced to [Bond creator Ian Fleming] until I was well into the movie but I know he was not happy with me as the choice. What was it he called me, or told somebody? That I was an over-developed stunt man. He never said it to me. When I did eventually meet him he was very interesting, erudite and a snob – a real snob." — Sean Connery, recalling filming Dr. No. [Daily Express]

• R.I.P. American Girls original, Samantha Parkington. May you rest in peace with the other overpriced, historically accurate plastic toys in the sky.
• Another American icon on the decline: Hugh Hefner's bunnies and balls are musty.
• Speaking of old balls, John McCain mocked women's health in an apocryphal argument against late term abortion.
• I can't believe we have two more weeks of this. At least the debates are over.
• Well, at least one contest of note is over this week: a Project Runway winner was declared, and her name rhymes with pee pan.
• It might burn when you pee if Cosmo gives you a "pear-fection."

• It would also probably burn when you peed if you had sex with a Don Draper type. Manwhores!
• You should apologize to your body for any pear-fections incurred by Don Draper-esque encounters.
• Seriously guys. It's Friday. So macramaé yourself a jumpsuit and throw down with Jane Winebox. You deserve it!

Kenley tells EW:

I teach sewing in New York. It's in the Fashion District, on 37th Street, called Sew Fast, Sew Easy. I teach a beginner's sewing class and intermediate pattern-making. I'm just trying to make some money right now. I lost all my money because I did Project Runway, and I'm just trying to get my money back, plus more. And it's working. I'm gonna expand my website and keep selling dresses.

Kenley swears her website, kenleycollins.com, where she sells headpieces, is doing really well, but it was down as of 11:15 this morning.

Kenley also knocks Korto's line: "Korto sent really bad, unfinished pieces down the runway, and underwear was showing, too. I don't care if you have the best line in the world, if your stuff is showing underwear, and it's unfinished, that's unacceptable at Bryant Park. That was really insulting, to have my beautiful, couture-made line come in third next to that was really insulting." Kenley also talks about the knock-off accusations (she thinks her floral dress looks "nothing like" Balenciaga) and says there's one good thing that came out of being on the show: "I came out of this competition with my two best friends, Stella and Daniel." Daniel is living with her, subletting her apartment. And Kenley talks to Stella every day!

As for Korto, who won $10,000 for being the "fan favorite," she says: "I'm still mad. I wanted to win… I'm glad that women got that I was fighting for the real women, women with curves, women that don't look like Heidi Klum. We need to go buy high-fashion stuff, and we want to look hot and sexy. Those are the people I design for. I represented for them, and I'm glad they got it." Korto is super close with Jerell, and fairly friendly with Leanne: "She's a classy lady. Kenley doesn't apologize for her statements." Korto's taking her family Liberia next year; she was invited to visit and design a gown for the president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. "Maybe I'll make Michelle Obama's inaugural dress," Korto sorta-jokes.

As for Leanne, she is super excited that Sarah Jessica Parker has asked for clothes. "I guess she watched the show […] and she wants to be my customer. It's amazing. When I was creating my collection, I listened to music all day, but at night I would kind of feel lonely and want someone to talk to, so I watched every episode of Sex and the City."

'Project Runway' Winner Leanne Dishes On Kenley And Her First Big Splurge [LA Times]
'Project Runway' Exit Q&A: Kenley Collins [EW]
'Project Runway' Runner-Up Q&A: Korto Momolu [EW]
'Project Runway' Q&A: Season 5 Winner Leanne Marshall [EW]

(Click on any image to begin galleries)

Kenley's collection was first. The judges liked the bright color palette and the fact that each piece was unique and different. Michael Kors said it was "full of charm" and had "a lot of personality." Tim Gunn pointed out Kenley's "impeccable construction." Nina Garcia was worried that the floral dress was very Balenciaga and Kenley admitted: "I realized now maybe I need to do some research." Finally: Something got through that hard head! That said, I reluctantly admit that I liked Kenley's the best. It was whimsical and made getting dressed look like fun. Oh. But. At the runway show, when Kenley said, "No one touches my clothes," I was quoting Nell Carter. Gimme a break!

Korto's collection was inspired by nature. Michael Kors declared it "great." Tim Gunn said she "hit a bullseye." Heidi Klum thought some pieces were "overworked." My mom said she was the only one who made clothes women who are not stick figures could wear. I love Korto, but I didn't love this collection. I did feel awful when Korto did not win, and said, "My heart is bleeding."

Leanne, the slinky little Leanimal, was named the winner of Project Runway. Michael Kors said her "workmanship looked divine." Nina Garcia appreciated that her collection had diversity, showing skirts, jackets and long dresses. And honestly? Leanne created stunning, innovative pieces. Congrats, Leanne! And thank you, Project Runway, not only for being entertaining, but for showing the passion, craftsmanship and artisanal skills involved when people really love fashion. Get your shit together and come back in January.

Photography by Alex Wright.

Project Runway Season 5 [Bravo]

• DVF's comic book, Be the Wonder Woman You Can Be, is here! The party sounds kinda crap, tho. "The green tome was stacked about the space, as were special DVF Wonder Woman tees and totes. Per the theme, bright red Wonder Woman cosmos completed the standard drink offerings of champagne, white wine and sparkling water. PR girls including Olivia Palermo and Whitney Port helped check off names at the door, and mingled with guests inside." [Racked]
• Oh, the woes of celebrity! LiLo was simply too famous to get into the Alexander Wang show. “I wanted to go to his show so bad, but his publicist said they weren’t allowing any celebrities to attend,” she said. “So I said, ‘Consider me a normal person then!’ But they wouldn’t.” [WWD]
• Screw the polls. What do the ties say? McCain's Windsor knot "screams old-guard Washington establishment, like a bolo screams cowboy." And Obama? 'He most often wears his necktie with a four-in-hand knot, an awkward and asymmetrical cinch invented by 19th-century carriage drivers (who held four reigns in hand) and popularized by Dilbert-types looking for a no-hassle way to spruce up for work. "It's a knot for someone who has 30 seconds for his tie in the morning...a knot for the masses.'" [Newsweek]

• In deference to our straitened circs, Vogue's gift guide is going low-end: nothing over $500. [New York Magazine]
• Wearing Thierry Mugler sounds horrible, actually. Reminisces model Nadja Auermann. "He liked to work with me because I could withstand the torture of some of his more extreme runway looks. We both thought the same way—if you wear a look, you go with it all the way. Once, I was in a gold robotic suit that I had to be sewn into, and I wore it for about half an hour, and I could feel my circulation was getting blocked. I walked in the show, and all I could think was, Oh, my hips are going numb! But I am nearly at the end of the runway; I can make it!" [Style.com]
• Charlotte, the designing Ronson, is the new face of Sebastien hair care. "Charlotte will represent Trilliant, a product that makes tresses stylish and manageable, while flaunting her I'm-so-downtown clothing as Nylon]
• Burberry sales mysteriously up. [FT]
• Wow they really make this People Tree ethical fashion book sound dreary: Browse our gallery of their latest looks, feeling safe in the knowledge that your fashion conscience is unsullied." [Guardian]
• H&M sales drop a bit. [WWD]
• 20-year-old Dior Homme model Randy Johnston dies; no cause given. [Fashionologie]
• Want to hear about an "eyebrow transplant" in exhaustive detail? No? Don't click on this link. [ElleUK]
• Louis Vuitton apparently shocked that that Gorbachev ad isn't popular in Russia. [AdAge]
• Avon tries to tempt more Avon Ladies into the game by offering incentives like gas money, "direct access to financial adviser Suze Orman." [WSJ]
• Remember Jack from Project Runway? (Yeah, he left pretty quickly.) He just made a wedding gown covered in condoms for this "Condom Couture" event. [Blogging Project Runway]
• Just what you've always wanted: how to get Oprah's look. No, no, we said "riches."[USA Today]
• The first high-end J. Crew "Collection" store "encourages mixing modern items with vintage pieces, uptown and downtown looks, and evening attire with a dose of the more casual in the same outfits." For a price, we're guessing. [WWD]
• Here's the new Patricia Field Marks and Spencer line. [Fashionista]
• Now along withersatz SATC threads, you can buy gas at M&S too. [VogueUK]
• Allen Schwartz on his Penney's line: “Today, what is exploding is the antifit look, the crop look, the boy jean, ruffle blouses and the new harem pant. It’s very baggy, very ‘I Dream of Jeannie.'" [FabSugar]

• LiLo's MySpace: "I'm thrilled to announce that my new fashion collection, 6126 is finally ready for launch!! I love to wear leggings, so it should come as no surprise that my first venture into the world of fashion design is with leggings! I named the collection after Marilyn Monroe's birth date, because to me she represents timeless, confident glam ­and that is the voice of this brand." [MySpace]
• Tyra Banks channels cult Diana Ross film Mahogany in some photo shoot. "Despite looking every inch the supermodel she is, Tyra's 'character' is that of the mentor, Carlotta Gavina, who transforms the character Tracey into the supermodel Mahogany." [Daily Mail]
• Apparently Project Runway L.A. is being dogged by WGA protesters. That would never happen in new York! [Perez Hilton]
• Patricia Field: "I don't have any social intentions. I am just creating stories, having fun and dressing Barbie dolls." [Independent]

• The credit crunch may kill the faltering domestic textile industry. [WWD]
• J.C. Penney is launching its own mid-priced clothing line, designed by Alan Schwartz of A.B.S. [WSJ]
• Payless is introducing a line of 12 green styles. "The new brand, which has yet to be named, will be made from materials with less effect on the environment, such as organic cotton and linen, hemp and recycled rubber outsoles." [Breitbart]
• Agyness Deyn shortlisted for British Fashion Awards. As...best moddle? [VogueUK]
• Amid market turmoil, J.Crew downgraded to "Sell" status. [Crains]
• Australia's Top Model host hopes to have a plus-sized winner. [News.com.au]
• Ridiculously high heels hit the marketplace, people fall, get hurt. [WSJ]
• Marc Jacobs hung up on ex. Adam Levine's brother and a Woody Allen movie somehow also figure in. [New York Post]
• The "Little Bra Company" makes push-ups for petite women. One hopes, not children.[FabSugar]
• You know what would be weird? One of these $1300 gold and diamond McCain or Obama rings as a wedding ring. Just sayin'. [NY Times]
• Agnes B probably approves; she's sporting a "Vote Obama" button. Despite being French. It's more of an order. [WWD]
• Geek chic specs are here to stay, not that geeks care. [ElleUK]
• President Bush signs an anti-counterfeiting bill that's good news for pricey purses. [Fashionista]
• Rochas still talking a big game about their comeback; still have yet to choose a head designer. [FabSugar]
• Juicy Couture's playlist for Nylon better than aural velour tracksuit. [Nylon]

• In case Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle blog, Goop, wasn't quite irritating enough, now she brings us a breakdown of how to get her look. Apparently Roger Vivier bangles help. And don't think that one Uniqlo skirt fools anyone, Gwynnie; we've been wise to those tricks since Lucky hit newsstands! [Racked]
• Fashionologie claims it's "always a treat" to hear Kate Moss talk. We respectfully disagree. Draw yout own conclusions from this video of her "designing." [Fashionologie]
• Here are La Moss's "10 Style Rules": one of them's "Make It Look Effortless." Another is, "When In Doubt, Buy Diamonds." Oh, okay! Maybe this is Gwyneth's secret? [The Guardian]
• Karl Lagerfeld is now a proper noun in Le Petit Larousse Illustré. He also designed the cover. [WWD]

• Anya Hindmarch for Target sells out in 2 minutes! [VogueUK]
• PR's Jerrell comes off as a class act. "Who wants drama? That's not what we're there for. This isn't I Love New York; we're not sitting in a hot tub getting drunk. We're here to show the world what we do." [EW]
• Elle teams with Stardoll to make a tween/teen virtual mag. Kids can dress avatars in "high end virtual couture (such as apparel from DKNY). Users can also play virtual dress up with celebrity avatars such as Paris Hilton or Katie Holmes." I'm still holding out for a virtual thrift store! [Media Week]
• Recessions make strange bedfellows: Ann Taylor teams up with Proctor and Gamble to promote cleaning products that cut down on dry-cleaning. [NY Times]
• Zara succeeds by making fashion faster — and paying workers better. [Business Week]
• Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor launches a fashion web site. [UPI]
• We can't really improve upon Mollygood's description of Stylista, the new Devil Wears Prada reality ripoff: "Incompetent people who have no business being involved in the fashion industry? Check. Frightening dictator (fashion news director Anne Slowey)? Check. Inane tasks that have seemingly nothing to do with fashion? Check. The difference: We wanted Anne Hathaway to succeed in the movie; in the reality TV version, we kind of hope everyone fails miserably." [Mollygood]
• Mary McFadden: "When people look back at this period in our civilization, they'll say: This was the beginning of functional clothes ... I'm sorry, in a way people's lifestyles have become very utilitarian." Well, that explains sparkly leggings! [BlackBook]
• Not shockingly, discounters keeping their heads above retailers'. Does anyone else think those TJ Maxx ads where they explain how they keep their prices so low are completely genius? [NY Times]
• And, yes, LVMH is finally feeling the pinch. [WSJ]
• Louis Vuitton keeping them afloat. [WWD]
• That said, Armani is still really confident about opening shop in India. [Hindustan Times]
• Liz Hurley's Versace safety-pin dress has been named "The Greatest Red Carpet Gown of All Time." "Greatest" is apparently open to interpretation. [Mirror]
• Pixie Geldof takes on human trafficking. Via a tee shirt, obvs! [ElleUK]
• Ethical knitwear label Izzy Lane has won the RSPCA Good Business Award for its sheep-friendly practices. [Guardian]
• Leona Lewis snubs Harrods because of their continuing sales of fur. [Peta2]
• Someone's plastering Rachel Zoe's face all over New York. [Fashionista]
• Taylor Momsen's first modeling shots! Based on our newfound Top Model expertise, we'd say Little J is still looking for her signature pose. [Fabsugar]
• Balenciaga launches new frangrance, hopes to "renew Balenciaga's image as a serious fragrance contender." [ElleUK]

Okay, so Bravo usually puts up posed photographs of each ensemble from the challenge for its Rate The Runway feature, but this time around, the network just used blurry video stills. What's up with that? Are they already over this show? It's not on Lifetime yet! And this is part one of the finale! Ugh. Anyway. Crappy pictures = not my fault.

Kenley's wedding dress was a frothy, feathered confection, but Michael Kors frowned and proclaimed that Alexander McQueen had already done it. Looking at this dress from McQueen's fall 2008 collection, it's obvious. Oh, and this one:

Anyway. Here's Kenley's bridesmaid dress:
Heidi Klum said it was "crazy good."

Leanne's wedding dress was weird and divine; she was inspired by the architecture of waves. Too bad you can't see shit in this picture! (Get a better look here). Nina Garcia, Michael Kors and Heidi Klum all loved Leanne's dress.

Here's Leanne's bridesmaid dress, or what you can see of it.

Oh, Korto. This wedding dress was crazytown. Michael Kors called it overworked, I call it fugly. Sigh.

Korto's bridesmaid dress was grody too.

Here is Jerell's wedding dress. Michael Kors no likey. He thought it was "overwrought." I thought it was sort of a mess.

Heidi Klum called Jerell's bridesmaid dress "mumsy." In a crazy twist, Jerell, who'd actually won two recent challenges, was booted from the competition. As we all know, he showed at Bryant Park anyway, as a decoy. Click here if you want to see his show.

So yes, the final three are women: Leanne, Kenley and Korto. If you want, get a sneak peek of what you'll see next week:
Project Runway Fashion Show: Leanne
Project Runway Fashion Show: Kenley
Project Runway Fashion Show: Korto

Project Runway Season 5 [Bravo]

• A very interesting interview with Jennifer Lopez reveals that she does not breast-feed, had a nervous breakdown after the birth of her kids and she's sort of into Scientology. And she sounds like a control freak. Then there's this quote: "At the tenth day after giving birth all that chemical stuff did peak—that hormone thing—and I did cry a lot that day because I was having so much trouble moving. I couldn’t get up fast enough to feed the babies…Marc was helping out a lot and I was crying and crying and going, 'Oh, Papi...they’re going to know everybody more than me…They're going to love everybody more than me!'" [The Daily Beast]
• Holly Madison and Hugh Hefner: Splitsville. [TMZ]
• How much would you pay to hit Michael Lohan in the face? Get your chance at a charity boxing match in Long Island. [Yahoo News]
• Yay! Tina Fey has signed a $5 million book deal for a work of nonfiction humor. [Reuters]
• Sarah Palin. On Saturday Night Live. Maybe. [MSNBC]

• Nicole Kidman tells Elle magazine that she has no regrets and would marry Tom Cruise again: "[He] taught me an enormous amount — as a girl into a woman." How delightful…ly creepy. [LA Times]
• Nicole tells Elle that being a mom at a later age "is a more painful love. It's almost like my heart is stretching." Then again she could be talking about her face on that cover. [People]
• Kate Moss and Jamie Hince: Back on. [Mirror]
• Victoria Beckham's skin looks great because she gets facial treatments that use a paste made from nightingale droppings. David uses bird poo too. [Daily Mail]
• "Brooklyn just loves The Beatles. Can't get him to listen to any of my records, though!" — Posh. [Page Six]
• As mentioned before, David Duchovny is out of sex rehab and back home, where he can watch his TV show about a guy who has an insatiable appetite for chicks. [People]
• Amy Winehouse is considered suicidal and her friends and family are watching her 24 hours a day. This editor suggests that Britney's dad, Jamie Spears, should stay with Amy, since he was such a stabilizing force on Brit. [LA Times]
• Rachel Zoe, lying about her age? Ha! Jo Piazza of the NY Daily News says: "Zoe has been ranting on her new show that she's so anal (and annoying?) because she's a triple Virgo. In astrology terms, that means she was born in the sign of Virgo, her rising sign is a Virgo, and her moon sign is a Virgo. Well, our experts say that isn't possible if Zoe is 37 and was born on Sept. 1, 1971, as she claims. In fact, says our pro, she'd actually be five to 10 years older than that if she were indeed a Triple-V." [NY Daily News, Perez Hilton]
• See Britney pretend to be a waitress on the set of her new video! [Socialite Life]
• Jennifer Aniston's pup needs therapy, and gets Reiki and acupuncture treatments at $350 a week. A dog's life is ruff. [Perez Hilton]
• The fifth season of Project Runway ends October 15, but how long before season six? Filming is almost complete. It was supposed to air in January, but the court proceedings may cause it to be delayed. But being on the air in January means the finale can be at Fashion Week in February; otherwise the contestants would have to wait until next September. And what about fans? "I think they're going to be sad if they have to wait," says Heidi Klum. "And, of course, we will be sad too. But we're all sitting in the same boat. We don't really know what is going to happen." [LA Times]
• A while back, Charlize Theron did an interview with MTV and questioned why The Hills is so big, since "it's about nothing." Recently, Spencer and Heidi fired back: Spencer says, "Reindeer Games, that was about what? I think she’s about 65 or something. She’s been in the game for like 100 years." [ONTD]
• Oh, and the rumor that Lauren Conrad hooked up with Justin Bobby seems to have been started by Spencer Pratt, though he denies it and also says, "Why LC continues to bring me up whenever she gets into trouble is beyond me." [MollyGood]
• Get ready to hear more about this crap than you want to: Us is supposedly putting the feud between Lauren and Audrina on the cover. [Perez Hilton]
• Kylie Minogue's new man is HOT. He's a model named Andres Velencoso and you can see him shirtless on the runway in a swimsuit if you click. [The Sun]
• Khloe Kardashian says Kim is relieved to be off of Dancing With The Stars because the judges were "harsh" on her. She also says Kim is "brutally shy." LOL. [People]
• Anne Hathaway has landed a part in Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland: She'll play the White Queen. Helena Bonham Carter is the Red Queen. [Hollywood Reporter]
• Pixie Geldof got a tattoo of her late mom's signature on her wrist. [Mirror]
• Matthew Broderick will return to Broadway in the spring in a revival called The Philanthropist. [AP]
• Dermot Mulroney is a dad again: Less than a year after his divorce from Catherine Keener, he and his new girlfriend, Thairta, baptized their seven-month-old daughter at San Pietro's Church in Roccascalegna, Italy. Dermot and Catherine have a son named Clyde, who was born in 1999. [Star]
• Mary Louise Parker wished her parents would adopt a sibling for her when she was growing up, and when she adopted her daughter from Africa last year, it was a dream come true. "I still think it's something everyone should do if they can and want to," she says. [People]
• Leo DiCaprio: Not getting married any time soon. [People]
• As previously reported, Bull Durham 2 is in the works. More info here. [UPI]
• Diddy and his twins are on the cover of Baby Couture magazine. You know, the one that says, "We put the 'coo' in couture." There appear to be 2 covers; one with Daddy Diddy and one with Baby Mama Kim Porter. Collect 'em both! [The.Life Files]
• Cher had to cancel shows in Vegas due to asthma-related bronchitis. Be well! [Perez Hilton]
• Breast cancer survivor Olivia Newton-John has a new CD, which helps raise money for a cancer wellness center in Australia. [CBS News]
• Rosetta Getty threw a giant birthday party at her L.A. home and Liv Tyler, Eva Mendes, Selma Blair and Rosanna and Patricia Arquette partied til the wee hours. Not there: Rosetta's husband Balthazar and his girlfriend Sienna Miller. [WWD]
• R. Kelly won a $3.4 million judgment against a former tour promoter. You can get really good lawyers with that kind of cash. [AP]
• Michael Douglas will get the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Awards next summer, 18 years after his dad got one. Despite his youthful face, Michael Douglas is 64. [Daily Express]
• Was Evel Knievel involved in a series of beatings? The FBI alleged he was connected to a "crime syndicate." [Breitbart/AP]
• Meat Loaf was rushed to the hospital last night after a "vertigo attack." [Mirror]
• "Brenda was realistic. She was normal. Not many 16-year-olds are so morally correct, you know? She had her moments where she was a great girl, and her moments where she was a bitch and you wanted to kill her, times when she was completely peaceful and times where she would bitch-slap Dylan in the face and never talk to Kelly again. She had those extremes." — Shannen Doherty. [Radar]
• "Really wonderful things are happening now. It looks like things are looking up again." — Lynne Spears. [People]
• "Between my wife and myself, I'm the pushover as far as the kids are concerned. I wouldn't call myself strict." — Russell Crowe. [People]
• "My priorities have changed so much. I've been single for months now and I've turned my attention toward my passions, my friends, and the causes I believe in. It's been about learning who I am, not through a man, but for myself. I've had a couple fun, frolicky relationships, but really, I got out of a five-year relationship and I dated a few people here and there. I've been spending time with my friends and doing more traveling with the U.N. and challenging myself at work." — Drew Barrymore. [People]
• "I was at a function, and a bunch of political types were there. And John McCain was there. He came up to say hello, I said, 'Look, don't even ask it. I will not be your vice president. I have to be on the top of the ticket.' Most of the time - (from Bill Clinton's former vice president) Al Gore, going back - you saw the vice president very little. That would be the least appealing job, I think." — Clint Eastwood. [Daily Express]
• "Sarah Palin can't come to my party. Sarah Palin can't come to my show." — Madonna, during her concert. [TMZ]

• Happy New Year, little Jewzebels. It's starting off pretty rocky, but we guided you through the rough shoals of the VP debates with a steady hand and a drunken heart.
• This Palin supporter sounded like she was drunk with her garbled endorsement of the moosetest with the mostest.
• Times are tough for this country, and for weepy Prodge Run contestants.
• You know who always has a stiff upper lip and a lot of fun? "Spinsters."
• Thankfully we can reminisce fondly about the days before we knew what a mortgage was. Check out the Jezebel school pictures and remember this: the older they are, the cuter they ain't.
• You know what else ain't cute? Elisabeth Hasselbeck when she gets all yelly.

• Even less cute: a mother and son who do it. That's like, the inverse of cute. That's etuc.
• You know, some people think Michael Cera and his Earnest Fumbling Manchildren are pretty adorable, but we beg to differ.
• We might be irked by EFMs, but they're still more enlightened than what ladies had to put up with in the days of Joan Holloway.
• But you know, it's Friday, and guess what? WEEKEND JEZEBEL is here! So kick back, relax, and enjoy the new content.

• Apparently emboldened by last week's success in Milan, Bruno — aka Sacha Baron Cohen — crashed Stella McCartney today. "With his red thong clearly visible above his jeans, the comedian — who was virtually unrecognisable in a flamboyant leather gilet, with his slicked-down hair dyed blonde and brown — sucked Tampax, clapped along to the music and generally disgruntled the front row by continually pushing aside those sitting in front of him for a better look at the models." He then delivered a "lone standing ovation." [