The Hottest Thing in Mannequin Design Is Back Fat

It's not just the merkin-working American Apparel mannequins! In an attempt to woo customers, retailers are tinkering with more realistic models, adding everything from heads to tattoos and back fat.
Rihanna's Rumored Topshop Line
- Rihanna had dinner with Topshop founder Philip Green and Simon Cowell. Because Green and Cowell run an entertainment company that produces television and fashion ventures, the tabloid seers are pretty sure that means Rihanna's getting a clothing line. [Daily Mail]
Naomi Opens Up To Oprah; "Cougars" Drive Sales Of Lingerie
- Naomi Campbell taped an episode of Oprah. It must be tremendously comforting to be able to confess one's blood-diamond-mongering sins with warlords to Oprah's stern-but-spiritual countenance. Oprah also extracted from Campbell a pledge to stop throwing phones. [WWD]
Madonna Fronts For D&G; Grace Coddington Discusses Lady Gaga's Pubic Hair
- Madonna goes all Italian neorealist for spring's Dolce & Gabbana campaign. You'd almost swear these images were by Vittorio de Sica, not Steven Klein. The advertising shots ran as editorial content "previewed" in Italian Vanity Fair. [Swide]
Kate Moss's Deep Thoughts; Obama Girls Wear French Fashion
- Kate Moss says her motto is, "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." [WWD]
Model Will Not Be Called A Skank; Marc Plays Host To Miss Piggy
- They said it would never happen, but a judge ordered that Google reveal Liskula Cohen's anonymous online tormentor. The model sued Google to find out who was behind a hate-blog about her, in order to file a defamation suit. [NYPost]
Brüno Takes The Cover, Takes Aim; Isabel Toledo To Dress Bo Obama?
- British Marie Claire cover star Brüno gave the magazine a scintillating interview. On Naomi Campbell,: "She's amazing — twenty years in ze business und all ze pressure und fame hasn't changed her a bit — she's remained a total bitch."
A Frabjous Day's Trading For The Fabulous; Will Bill Blass Return To The Runway This September?
- Geithner's proposed new regulatory framework buoyed retail stocks by 4.4% yesterday. Saks' shares rose 15%, Ann Taylor was up 18%, Macy's climbed 10.2%, and Liz Claiborne rose 16.2%. Finally, some good fashion economic news! [WWD]
Smell Like Amanda Lepore For Under $1,000; Supermodel Births Superbaby
- Amanda Lepore has a scent which is more art project than perfume — sold at a gallery for $950, the crystal bottle contains notes of steamed rice, mandarins, champagne, and cucumber. It's fermented. [NY Times]
Victoria Beckham Sells Out; Mary Kate & Ashley Do Men
- People love Posh's dresses. Net-a-porter.com sold out in one day, and Posh herself stopped by Neiman Marcus to instruct sales associates and top customers in the ways of the frock. Thirty pieces were sold. [WWD]
Ruby Slipper Party: Celebrities, Booze & Shoes, Oh My
Christian Siriano Aims To Make Expectant Moms Fierce In Fashion
- In weird/amazing news: Christian Siriano is doing a maternity line. "Siriano teamed up with his two friends Marta Abrams and Elise Rosemarin, founders of Moody Mamas maternity clothes, to create a collection called Fierce for Moody Mamas by Christian Siriano." Apparently he liked the idea of a gay man doing maternity…
Olsen Twins Launch Jewelry Line
- Do what you must to prepare yourselves: Crazy rich homeless-chic promoters Mary-Kate and Ashley are at it again! Not content to stay in clothing, they're moving on to baubles: "The diminutive Olsen twins have created a fashion jewelry collection through a licensing partnership with Robert Lee Morris under the brand…
Christina Aguilera: If You Are Going To Shill Overpriced Jewelry, Do It Like This
- OMG Christina Aguilera looks so pretty in these Hitchcock-inspired Stephen Webster ads! It's like, we finally see what Christina Aguilera has been going for all these years with this excessive bombshell crap — and it is good. The wonders of Photoshop, folks! [Sassybella]
- Contrary to the rumors being reported like …
Knockoffs Get Knocked Off
- Americans' chances at getting a fake Gucci bag or fake Chanel sunglasses just decreased, big time. Last night brought about one of the largest counterfeit busts in recent history, with 29 people arrested, $230 million in merchandise seized, and $1 million in cash found and collected. [WWD]
- We love J. Crew, but a line…
Will Your Semitism (Or Lack Thereof) Impact Your Barneys Shopping?
So now that Barneys New York is owned by a Dubai-based investment firm, some (er, Lauren Goldstein Crowe of Portfolio's 'Fashion, Inc'. blog) are convinced that luxury-minded Jews are going to take their business to other luxury department stores because no way in hell will they fund something owned by, you know, Arabs
Who's That (Former Spice) Girl? A Vague Visit With Victoria Beckham And DVB
We wish the following statement weren't true: Some of us are fascinated by the fascination with Victoria Beckham. Don't get us wrong, she was always our favorite Spice Girl (she was the only one who seemed to get how funny it all was, she couldn't really sing, she wasn't even necessarily conventionally pretty, but she…
Saks Shoezilla To Take Manhattan
- Saks will open a shoe department in its flagship NY store that's so big, it has been given its own zipcode. Somewhere, the ghost of Carrie Bradshaw squeals and says something painfully cutesy. [WWD, sub req'd]]
- Fashion designer Jill Stuart taps actress Lindsay Lohan to star in her fall ad campaign since she's so "sexy…
