“It’s an incredible achievement and means that people are paying close attention to the brand [Dior] when it speaks,” said Alex Mendoza of Stylophane, a company that monitors crap figures like this. “They have an incredible brand and they are saying things that are bringing people back.”

Dior’s 12 posts during the month of January racked up around 13,000 likes each. Other luxury brands who are popular with the kids today include Chanel with an average 7,200 likes per post (lpp), social media juggernaut Burberry, which averaged about 6,800 lpp and The Art of Travel by Louis Vuitton, clocking in almost 4,400 lpp.

And for more in-depth info, take a gander at this handy dandy chart of the top 10 brands:

 [WWD]

This peek at the top five collections casts a spotlight on the most au courant accessories. Proenza Schouler and Prada both look to midcentury Americana, invoking the smoldering glamour of 1940s California and summery, slightly cheeky 1950s Southern California, respectively. With Louis Vuitton, sugar sweetness is superbold. Céline creates streamlined cool with androgyny and minimalism, and Jil Sander explores all of the nuances and complications of femininity. Our look at the season ahead.

Re-posted from WSJ Magazine. Check out the original post here.

The major fashion titles were generally up in advertising from last year with W posting the greatest  gain at 25%  or 41 pages — though at a total of 204 pages, it is still only fifth in the rankings. InStyle had its biggest ad count since stomping onto the newsstand 18 years ago with 344 pages — a 13 % (39 pages) increase — bringing it in at number 2. And this is how the rest of the list shakes out:

1. Vogue — 442.74 pages, up 3.7%

2. InStyle — 344 pages, up 13% (39 pages)

3. Elle — 319 pages, up 2% (6 psges)

4. Harper’s Bazaar — 271 pages, up 16% (37 pages)

5. W — 204 pages, up 25% (41 pages)

Meanwhile, what really matters in this story is that the March issue of Vogue will feature one Ms. Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, which — just saying — will be a marked improvement from the current Grammy gal gracing the February issue.

- The bro-ing of America continues as men become more and more in touch with their inner lady. The latest development,
“Brotox.” Women are even getting in on the action, gifting their dudes with the gift of immobile foreheads. [HuffPo]

- Dolce & Gabbana caused outrage — and protests — among Hong Kong citizens after passing a ban on photos of the store’s window displays. The ban, however, was not enforced for foreign shoppers or Chinese nationals. [WSJ]

- The Vatican continues sweet-talking the gays with Pope Benedict claiming gay marriage basically signals the downfall of humanity. Joke’s on him, that happened after season one of the Jersey Shore. [Towleroad]

- It may be time for Barbie to start picking better friends. Doll versions of Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian – called Dash dolls after their miniature Kardashian-inspired clothing — will befriend Mattel’s golden girl this year. In addition to wearing the trashy leopard print jumpsuits synonymous with the family’s Dash Boutiques, the dolls will “reflect the girls’ measurements.” Meaning the Khloe doll will be played by Ken. [MTV]

“I appreciate everyone’s support for my clothing line but I wanted to clarify a few things…The name of the line is Kanye West not DW… The Dw was a design element placed on the invite in homage to my mom : )…I really appreciate the fake DW twitter page but since it’s not official I can’t co sign any information on it,” West revealed in a series of tweets.  He further explained that he funded his first show out-of-pocket and that he’s “been working at this for 8 years now …from the first offers to do urban clothing lines that I turned down.”

Among other opportunities Kanye turned down included a position, one assumes an internship, at Versace “wich [sic] I could not take due to my contract with LV which was for 2 years.” After designing his Kanye West for Louis Vuitton shoe collection, West expressed his disappointment that he wasn’t asked to do  a second. He did, however, work “at Fendi for 4 months under cover,” alleging he was “there to give ideas for the men’s collection.” West then continued his covert couturier career when he “snuck [into the] Giuseppe Zanotti Factory still under contract and learned to design woman’s shoes for 2 years before” his first show.  While in Paris, Azzedine Alaïa, whom Kanye refers to as “the master,” even came to pay his studio a visit.

From there, he talks about creative directing the Jetsons movie (?), his love/hate relationship with the Grammys, the pressures of fame, the problems with the public school system and his desire to make a difference. West also announced the creation of a new company called DONDA (“the best name ever of all companies of all time!!!”), which he describes as “a design company which will galvanize amazing thinkers and put them in a creative space to bounce there dreams and ideas.”

My first impression is to wonder what Kanye was on at the time, but as he explains, it was his dreams that kept him “woke” and tweeting from London at 5 am. Yeah, I’ve been there — must be some quality, uncut dreams. Either way, I’m fully supporting everything that West alleges, if only for the image of Kanye West sneaking into a Giuseppe Zanotti factory and chillin’ with new BFF Azzedine Alaïa.

If memory serves, Kanye had adopted CSM professor Louise Wilson as his mentor and even utilized students as interns. Undaunted by the (dis)likes of Anna Wintour, West plans to stick with the Brits and will reportedly show again in Paris come Fashion Week. Kudos to you, Kanye, for putting your enormous ego aside and not letting reason or common sense get in the way of your fashion dreams. Take notes, kids. This is how you buck convention. And Ye is bucking shit up. [Vogue UK]

Images via Fashion Gone Rogue

- The feds seized $76.8 million in counterfeit Burberry, Coach, Fendi, Prada, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton and other fashionable items as part of a six week sting appropriately titled “Operation Holiday Hoax.” [WWD]

- Oh, Rihanna. Following a legal flip of the weave by David LaChapelle over copying his photographs for her “S&M” video, the pop tart looks to have turned her pilfering eye on the work of Sølve Sundsbø with her latest clip, “You Da One.” [Fashionista]

- Mark Fisher, who produces the controversial shoes Derek Lam has accused Ivanka Trump of “blatantly” copying from him, “strongly denies Lam’s claims.” Fisher argues that Lam’s design “has been used by numerous manufacturers for many decades” and adds for good measure, ”There is nothing iconic about the appearance of the Lam sandal.” Calling a man’s wedge sandal not iconic? Dem’s fightin’ words. [WWD]

- Oooh-la-la…oh, no. No. French health authorities are recommending that 30,000 women who received potentially defective breast implants from a French company have them removed as a preventative measure. [NYT]

- Brittany Murphy‘s mother is claiming her daughter and son-in-law Simon Monjack were killed by toxic mold found in their Hollywood home. The mold apparently caused the pneumonia that killed both Murphy and Monjack and now Momma Murphy is taking legal action against her lawyers for mishandling her case against the construction company back in January. [TMZ]

“There have been on-and-off conversations about Dior,” the designer admitted. “I don’t know; maybe someday in the future, maybe years from now, I may end up going someplace else, maybe Dior. But right now I am at Vuitton, and all that matters to me is that that’s where I am and I’m going to keep doing my thing.”

Do your thing, girl! Jacobs went on to further explain his decision to stay with Vuitton and his general boredom with haute couture:

“The irony in all of this is that I don’t dream of doing anything else, or I didn’t. My greatest challenge is to do something better than we’ve done the season before. The idea of couture doesn’t hold that thing for me. It’s archaic – in my opinion. I mean, I am really interested in the craftsmanship behind couture. But I can explore all that in ready-to-wear. With couture, one dress each season is photographed by a couple of magazines; there’s no advertising; it reaches 20 customers. I don’t feel there is anything lacking in what we do. I get to work with these amazing craftsmen. Maybe not the same ateliers that would make a couture dress, but, again, we are not in a deficit for working with people who create beautiful things. I am not sure I ever looked at couture as this great opportunity.”

Jacobs, obviously doesn’t skimp on the candor in his Vogue  interview. Among the Dior revelations, Jacobs talks about his family — he hasn’t spoken to his mother, sister or younger brother in 20 years — and the illness that inspired him to go from slob to stud — ulcerative colitis — but it’s this little tidbit about his former drug use that really brings this story into a glorious landing: “Jacobs has been honest about his drug-use and addiction issues over the years. He says Naomi Campbell ’really helped me get sober.’”

You know you’re going down a dark road when Naomi Campbell is the light on the other end. [Vogue]

[Fashion Gone Rogue]

Joan Juliet Buck wears a unique blend of Yves Saint Laurent men’s perfume and Gerlain Shalimar together. And she always wears her father’s old watch.

Dripping in Bulgari earrings and necklace, Leviev ring, Graff diamond on the wrist, and a Louis Vuitton leather top, there are most likely 8 guards flanking her every corner, and have been photoshopped out.

For more deets on the ladies, see the WSJ.

To be perfectly honest, the female body frightens and discomforts me. But even I must marvel at the amazing work of art that is a naked Karlie Kloss — emaciated yet at the same time muscular (no doubt from all those years of ballet) with bafflingly long limbs, her body defies the laws of physics and perhaps even Photoshop. In between moments of undress, fashion editor Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele tries to cover the teen up in looks by Michael Kors, Louis Vuitton, Max Mara and Roberto Cavalli.

But really, who’s looking at the clothes?

Photos: Fashion Gone Rogue

Adele is up for the biggest prizes of the night, Album (21), Record and Song of the Year (“Rolling in the Deep”) — I mean, the RIAA might as well just start engraving her name on those golden gramophones now and call it a day. Kanye’s masterwork, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was somehow snubbed for an Album of the Year nod (god save the assistant who had to deal with that fallout), though Ye will go against himself in the Rap Album of the Year category — Watch the Throne, his collaboration with Jay-Z and Fantasy are both nominated.

Rihanna‘s Loud (no comment), Lady Gaga‘s Born This Way, Foo Fighters‘ Wasting Light, and Bruno Mars‘ Doo Wop & Hooligans are also up for Album of the Year. Joining Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” and Kanye’s “All of the Lights” (both highly deserving) in the Record of the Year category are Bon Iver‘s “Holocene,” Bruno Mars’ ”Grenade,” Mumford & Sons‘ ”The Cave,” and Katy Perry manages to sneak her way in yet again with “Firework.”

Shockingly absent from this year’s mutual admiration society is Grammy staple, Beyoncé. 4, in my opinion her best solo effort to date, received only one nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for “Party” — not the video version, but the good one with André 3000. Of course, Queen Bey has 16 Grammys already and she’ll probably be busy giving birth to her alleged baby come Grammy night anyway.  Her chief rival for diva supremacy, one Lady Gaga, only came out with three nods this year, and not even one for music video (if not for “Born This Way,” at least “Judas,” kids).  Meanwhile, late chanteuse and 5-time winner Amy Winehouse garnered a posthumous nomination for her duet with Tony Bennett, “Body and Soul.”

The last category anyone could possibly care about is that combination gift/curse, Best New Artist. Nicki  Minaj is the frontrunner based simply on popularity and record sales, and is the only female solo artist nominated this year. She will face off against Bon Iver, The Band Perry, J. Cole, and Skrillex.

For a full list of the 54th Annual Grammy nominations, visit the Grammy website. And to vent any resentment over slights, snubs and oversights, visit our comment section below.

[Fashion Gone Rogue]

Photo: Vogue

In a plot that sounds like the long-discarded gay Ocean’s 11 sequel, Ocean’s 69, a gang of five masked robbers “neutralized” a security guard and four employees at the Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport terminal on Friday, before making out with 10 pallets of Louis Vuitton goods.

Authorities are currently looking into the matter, but they had better look quick. The rule of 3s dictates that another crime will take place and the smart money is on Dior, as everything Marc Jacobs seems to touch — whether he wants to or not — goes missing. Meanwhile, this sounds like the long-discarded Woody Allen gay dramedy, High Fashion Crimes and Miss-Dior-meanors. [WWD]

[Fashion Gone Rogue]

Over 950 pieces of fine and costume jewelry, accessories, and decorative objects will be available for perusal and possible purchase – from Chanel, Christian Dior, and Cartier jewels; to handbags and shoes from Christian Louboutin, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, and Prada. Though of course that’s just the tip of the diamond-encrusted iceberg.

The full collection goes on view November 18, but a preview is available through Christies and e-tailer Moda Operandi. Then come Decmber 3, interested parties can begin to register for the auction itself.

So this holiday season, show that you really care with a gift from the vaults of Hollywood royalty. And instead of wrapping said gift and placing it under the tree —  storm into the room Christmas morning, rip off a pair of diamond earrings, plunk them in front of the giftee and breathlessly say, “These have always brought me luck.” Then clutch your figurative pearls and disappear as mysteriously as you came. It’s what Liz would have wanted. [Hint Mag]

The caveat that broke the camel’s back was Jacobs’ insistence on taking his Louis Vuitton team with him to Dior, leaving Vuitton — LVMH’s cash cow — without a heel to stand on. To make matters worse, Arnault had wanted Céline‘s Phoebe Philo to replace Marc at Vuitton should he move to Dior, but Philo is happy where she is — outfitting Kanye West in billowy blouses.

So with Jacobs more or less off the table, LVMH has reportedly approached Alexander Wang, Jason Wu and Jil Sander‘s Raf Simons; though out of the three Simons would seem the most likely choice, that is unless Dior plans on eschewing breathtaking gowns and impeccably-crafted ladysuits for sweatpants and cocktail dresses.

Then there is Givenchy‘s Riccardo Tisci, whose name has been bandied about since Gallianogate got into full swing. But he — along with Lanvin‘s Alber Elbaz, Alexander McQueen‘s Sarah Burton and Balenciaga‘s Nicolas Ghesquière – has turned down the Dior deal, citing brand loyalty.

So the question still remains — and frankly, the question is getting really tiresome — who will take the reins at Christian Dior? However, by the time someone is announced, the question might be, who the hell cares? [WWD]

Cover girl Lucas plays the fair-haired, fair-skinned outsider, finding sophistication in the wilderness with looks from Bottega Veneta, Marni, Tommy Hilfiger, Miu Miu, Chanel and Louis Vuitton. Meanwhile Fogarty is immersed in tribal prints and the occasional headwrap from the runways of Burberry, Balenciaga, Pucci, Diane von Furstenberg, Giorgio Armani and Maison Martin Margiela.

Photos: Image Amplified and Fashion Gone Rogue

Brazilian bomb shell Ana Beatriz Barroz graces the cover of the November issue of Harper’s Bazaar Turkey. Ana is wearing the designs of Stella McCartney, Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton and others. Classically chic in the perfect minimalist looks, black and white, button-ups, and just the right amount of fur twists, and those irresistible polka dot tights are perfection.

Link Love: Vogue.com

If you have questions about the relaunch of LouisVuitton.com, ask me on Twitter @CrystlMeatballs.

Photo: StyleBistro

A third generation nose, Cavallier-Belletrud has lent his award-winning nostrils to Issey Miyake‘s L’Eau d’Issey, Dior‘s Addict, Stella McCartney‘s Stella, Lancôme‘s Poeme and YSL‘s Cinema. Work on the new LV scent is slated to being in January 2012 so enjoy your rare, nearly extinct, flowers while you can. [Telegraph]

There’s an André Leon Talley-esque character, clad in a Louis Vuitton cloak and a fairy godmother bearing a striking resemblance to Isaac Mizrahi in Swarovski crystal wings. I would assume Anna Wintour would be cast in the role of some sort of wicked witch, but Florio Kasouf’s memories of her are actually rather fond. The author recalls having her first lunch with the editrix at age 10:

“She asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I said, ‘I’m going to take your job.’ Apparently she had said the same thing early on in her life, so she thought it was cute.”

Yeah, Wintour thought it was real cute. Next thing Kelly knew she was being sent off to live with seven queens who looked for diamonds all day and ended up fighting for her young life after Anna, disguised in Yohji Yamamoto, fed her a poisoned stick of gum.

Anyhoo, The Adventures of Sophie will be sold exclusively at Barneys — naturally — but it being the future and all, there will also be an app for it. And they all lived fiercely ever after. [WWD]

Editorial styled by Julia von Boehm. All photos from Fashion Gone Rogue.

Mark Cramer and Coy Barton; “I’m in Steve Madden, he’s in Chinese Laundry,” said Mr. Barton of their shoes.

“I wish society was more acceptable of men wearing heels,” laments Jeff Paice, one of the queens interviewed by the Times, while in a black button down, black trousers and a pair of wedged sandals. Once upon a time, however, men could wear heels without stigma.

In 18th century France, Louis XIV often wore five-inch heels depicting miniature battle scenes. The Sun King decreed that only nobility were allowed to wear heels in red — how’s that for trademark infringement Christian Louboutin — and that no one could have heels higher than his own. Diva. Then in 1791, following the French Revolution, noted lilliputian Napoleon Bonaparte banned high heels to show equality.

Louis XIV in a sensible heel

For Paice, though, the options for a pump-lovin’ man leaves much to be desired. His cohorts, Coy Barton and Mark Cramer, allegedly 24 and 25, couldn’t agree more. ”I literally look at girls and think, you have so many options. You have jumpers, you have skirts, you have dresses, you have pants, you have shorts. Boys have pants and shorts. Or suits and a shirt,” Barton says, both he and Cramer dressed similarly in grey slacks, white dress shirt and tranny heel. But Barton, in his $115 Steve Maddens and Cramer in his $170 Chinese Laundry booties, don’t consider this a form of drag.

To them and to Sean Wagner, the heels are not about creating an illusion, they’re about having fun. “As far as we’re concerned, this is just bringing a look to a club — which is what you are supposed to do,” explains a bearded and bespectacled Wagner, in an eight-inch neon green pair of lace-up ankle boots — or as he refers to them, “my usual hiking shoes.” The 6’2″ Wagner is also a fan of the height the shoes give him. “I’ve bought Louis Vuitton. I’ve bought Gucci. But a lot of designers don’t go high enough for me. I found a company in Arizona that will do 15-inch heels for $3,000.” Let’s see 6’2″ plus 15″ equals…a towering tranny inferno.

Also taking the designer high-heeled road is Gregory Alexander, whose six-inch Balenciaga wooden wedges retail for $2000. That, however, is not the only price he’s paid for his shoe fetish. Last summer, while trying to jump a fence to get into a party, Alexander broke his ankle and was in a cast for four months. ”They told me I should never wear heels again, obviously,” he recounts.

But a broken ankle never keeps a lady down and by the time the NYT caught up with him, Alexander was in his Yves Saint Laurent Imperiale platform stiletto ankle boot — these L.A. gals do love an ankle boot —  skinny black jeans, a shirt and skinny tie and, of course, a motorcycle jacket, Because you gotta keep it butch. [NYT, Random History]

Having mastered the art of social media — they’re #1 on Facebook with nearly 9 million “Likes” and #2 on Twitter — Burberry continues to find innovative ways to engage consumers such as a live-streaming Tweetwalk, where looks from London Fashion Week were Tweeted before they hit the runway. They also scored well in e-commerce and mobile commerce thanks to its global site relaunch, landing the over 150-year-old British label the top spot on the L2 index and the official label of “Genius.”

Kate Spade was a newcomer to the index but their blend of smart e-commerce and a strong mobile and social presence skyrocketed the brand to the #2 spot. Storied houses Chanel and Christian Dior, on the other hand, seem to be resting on their luxury laurels earning only “Average” L2 IQs.

Prada and Hermès started running with the bad girls in school, smoking in the bathroom and dating college boys instead of working on their social media and as a result their IQs plummeted from “Gifted” in 2009 to “Challenged” in 2011. And to make matters worse, Prada was cited as the “biggest digital disappointment in luxury.” Yikes, wait til your father hears about this….

But in their defense, Europe might just have a harder learning curve. Ten of the top fifteen brands in the L2 index were American and on average American brands have a higher digital IQ than their Euro counterparts. Finally, somewhere the U.S. excels in something besides obesity and sluttiness.

The top 10 list is as follows:

1. Burberry: Digital births an icon: Proof that digital investments translate to shareholder value.

2. Kate Spade: Top social media score; Index newcomer did not get memo that heritage is necessary to be iconic digitally.

3. Coach: New York native continues to woo the blogosphere and registers top scores for site experience.

3. Gucci: Gucci Connects dots and delivers with shoppable video and recent Tumblr launch

5. Dolce & Gabbana: Global site relaunch threads needle of edgy and effective.

5. Tory Burch: Facebook store leads fashion F-commerce (r)evolution.

7. Ralph Lauren: New York Times iPad app takeover transforms brand into rich media publisher.

8. Hugo Boss: Top mobile scores and interactive YouTube channel venture differentiate the brand online.

9. Louis Vuitton: Embracing the spirit of travel with Amble app; Leads on Foursquare.

10. Michael Kors: Destination: Kors. Evolving brand into an online lifestyle.

[Luxury Lab, Telegraph]

1. “The Butcher” - Mario Testino, The Face, 1996

"The Butcher" - Mario Testino, The Face, 1996

“Shot during the meat crisis in Britain, this much-copied story was a turning point in my career. And I don’t even like meat!”

Photo: Style.com's Photo Wall

“I could never do this anywhere else, do you know what I mean? Not just the Paris thing, but Vuitton, allows me,” Jacobs enthusiastically told the Daily Telegraph after the show. The Telegraph also reports that the negotiations between Jacobs and Dior may have hit the proverbial wall — again —  thanks to the designer’s insistence that his entire LV team come with him.

Meanwhile, the Financial Times‘ Vanessa Friedman seems to think that Christian Dior’s collaboration with German contemporary artist Anselm Reyle — the luxury house’s first — on a line of accessories is a sign that Jacobs is indeed on his way to Dior. “As it happens, the driving force behind the Dior/Reyle partnership was Delphine Arnault…deputy general manager of Dior Couture [who] is also reportedly one of the most vocal proponents of moving Mr Jacobs to Dior, an eventuality that is looking more and more likely.”

The Dior announcement is weeks away, according to Sidney Toledano and he wants us all to just hold our horses and show a little patience. But dammit it’s 2011, no one has an attention span longer than a gnat and patience is so last millennium. Just rehire John Galliano and stop boring me. [Daily Telegraph, Financial Times]

M. Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton was born a thousand years ago in 1821 and established his company in 1854 after coming to Paris with only a few francs in his pocket at the age of 14. Typical rags to riches story. After Vuitton died, his son Georges expanded the company and started the world’s first designer label, introducing the now iconic LV mongram in the process.

To commemorate 150 years of luxury, author Stephanie Bonvicini began her research on Louis Vuitton: A French Saga. Initially she had the full cooperation of LVMH, but when the question arose of Vuitton’s activities from 1930 to 1945, they used the old “the files were destroyed in a fire” excuse.

Which always means Nazi-sympathizing. Anyone with undocumented activities between those years is usually a Nazi. Or dead.

Undeterred, Bonvicini dug through some historical archives and found that Louis Vuitton was the only store allowed to stay open in Vichy, where fantastically-mustachioed French general Philippe Pétain had established his puppet government backed by the Nazi government, the Vichy regime. Other shops, including Van Cleef & Arpels, had been shut down.

Interviewing surviving members of the Vuitton family, Bonvicini discovered that Gaston, Louis’ grandson and then-head of the company, had instructed his son Henry to forge an alliance with Pétain to keep the business alive. Compromise was a general practice among fashion houses during WWII — both Dior and Chanel whored themselves out to preserve French couture — but Vuitton ended up, rather humiliatingly, producing some 2500 busts of Pétain and other artifacts glorifying his grand mustache, as part of that compromise.

According to Bonvicini, ”Part of the collaboration was due to the family’s obsession with the survival of the company, and part down to the fact that there was a certain sympathy with the regime’s rightwing views.” Henry, for his part, was among the first Frenchmen to be decorated by the Vichy regime for his patriotic (?) efforts.

After these facts came to light, LVMH, who had previously promised to throw their full support behind Bonvicini’s book, turned a blind eye to it, claiming the author “exaggerated the Vichy episode”: ”This is ancient history. The book covers a period when it was family-run and long before it became part of LVMH. We are diverse, tolerant and all the things a modern company should be.”

Well, of all the Nazi-loving going on in fashion history, this is perhaps the most tame. After all, it’s not like Hitler came to any of the Vuitton family weddings. I mean, seriously, the Guinness family took that shit to a whole other level.  [Guardian]

- The always pragmatic Rachel Zoe came to Paris Fashion Week with 11 suitcases. Because those caftans and block wedges aren’t going to fly transatlantic by themselves. [Fashionista]

- Tom Ford, in a position to which he has grown suspiciously accustomed, for Russian GQ. [Image Amplified]

- An Irish farmer kicked a scantily-clad Rihanna off his land, hoping RiRi and her friends “acquaint themselves with a greater God,” i.e. Beyoncé. [BBC]

- Crystal Renn was accused of being too skinny by a plus-sized designer; there have been worse insults. [Fashionista]

- Natasha Poly, 52 years after entering the game (in model time) , is the hardest working model of Milan Fashion Week. [The Cut]

Photo: Models.com

Karlie Kloss – The supermodel of the moment, Karlie’s stardom was cemented with her special cover of Life magazine and her transition to grown-ass woman cemented by her nude spread shot by Mario Testino.

- Ben & Jerry’s took a trip back to the nineties when Saturday Night Live was even less relevant than it is now for their newest flavor, Schweddy Balls. [Ben & Jerry's]

- And speaking of the nineties, this week marks the 20th anniversary of Nirvana‘s groundbreaking Nevermind album, the cover of which was actually a fluke, according to photog Kirk Weddle. But to celebrate the iconic image of a chubby little baby floating naked underwater, Rock Paper Photo is giving away an 11X14 print through their Facebook page.

- Franca Sozzani struck a match then proceeded to blow Marc Jacobs‘ spot up at a celebration for Louis Vuitton re: his dealings with Dior. [NYT]

- Ricky’s bowed to the outcry against its “Anna Rexia” costume by pulling it from its shelves because apparently a skeleton over an LBD with a tape measure as a belt is NOT hilarious. It’s always a sad day when a cheap eating disorder joke goes down the drain. Along with my lunch. [Jezebel]

- Don’t worry, kids, Wal-Mart isn’t going to ruin New York. That happened about 10 years ago when New York banned smoking in bars. [Racked]

- Marlon Texeira takes his clothes off for breast cancer. Problem solved. [Image Amplified]

The exhibit was curated by LOVE magazine editrix/Marc’s stylist for both his eponymous line and Vuitton since 2003, Katie Grand, who insists that it is not a retrospective; rather, she “put clothes together as I would for a shoot.” Hence a mixing and matching of looks from different collections helmed by Jacobs since 1998.

These 30 looks are modeled on mannequins, some bearing the iconic Vuitton Speedy bag as heads, while others — painted orange and pink and covered in Louis Vuitton graffiti designed by frequent Jacobs collaborator Stephen Sprouse — are frozen in editorial-ready poses.

The Art of Fashion coincides with the opening of Milan Fashion Week and the brand’s new store in Via Montenapoleone 2. It does not, however, have anything to do with those pesky rumors that Marc is moving to Dior, since, according to Grand, they started working on The Art of Fashion in January.

It’s nice to know Grand and Jacobs took some time out from plotting the downfall of London Fashion Week to put together this lovely exhibit. If you’re in Milan, you can catch Louis Vuitton: The Art of Fashion‘s very limited engagement through October 9th. [WWD]

The exhibit will launch Milan Fashion Week next month and will run from Sept. 22 to Oct. 9. A retrospective like this flames the rumours that he will more from Vuitton to Dior.

So are you excited for this?

Dior has been without a creative director since that little incident with John Galliano — you know, the anti-Semitism and the firing and the rehab and the court case — since March.

Arnault, chairman of LVMH — which also owns Marc Jacobs International — had initially planned on hiring Jacobs for Dior back in the 90s, but that idea was vetoed by Dior’s then president Francois Baufume. Instead, Galliano was hired from Givenchy to Dior and Jacobs signed on as Vuitton’s artistic director in 1997.

“Had I hired Marc Jacobs for Dior and John Galliano for Louis Vuitton, it would not have worked as well for both brands, even though both designers are geniuses of their own,” Arnault told WWD in 2003.

Meetings are scheduled for this week in Paris between Dior and Marc Jacobs’ legal representatives while the designer prepares for New York Fashion Week. Robert Duffy, Jacobs’ longtime business partner, is also reported to be integral to the deal, despite currently having legal troubles of his own.

Should Jacobs move to Dior, Phoebe Philo is said to be on tap to replace him at Louis Vuitton, while maintaining her current role at Céline.

Since March, Dior has approached a number of designers to replace Galliano including Lanvin‘s Alber Elbaz, Balenciaga‘s Nicolas Ghesquière, Alexander McQueen‘s Sarah Burton, Haider Ackermann and Hedi Slimane. Elbaz, Ghesquière and Burton have allegedly withdrawn themselves from the running due to their strong personal commitments to their respective brands, while talks with Ackermann and Slimane proved fruitless.

Then, of course, there is Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci whose name has been bandied about as frontrunner for months now and who is a favorite of Delphine Arnault, deputy managing director at Dior. Where Tisci stands in all this is uncertain, but do you think Marc Jacobs is what Christian Dior needs right now? [WWD]

“The popular image of this jail is linked to the silk suits of godfathers and we need to cancel that image,” says Governor Barbera. But Barbera is an equal opportunity killjoy; in addition to the finer threads in life, she has banned Nike and Adidas. ”We need to cancel class differences and the showing off of status, power and wealth,” she emphasized.

The mob wives, for their part, are taking it as calmly as can be expected. “My husband will be left naked,” remarked one wife. ”He only has designer clothes, and that’s not because he’s flashy but because they last much longer and are better quality. Why humiliate him? Why force us to buy clothes at street markets?” She then tipped over a table, threw her drink in someone’s (anyone’s) face and lunged after the governor’s neck screaming about said naked husband.

The Ucciardone prison, known to inmates as “The Grand Hotel,” has been witness to mobsters holding lobster and champagne birthday banquets as well as a formal wedding in the prison chapel.

Why deny the sacred — and stunning — tradition of mobsters openly flaunting the law and looking great while doing it? I wouldn’t be surprised if Governor Rita Barbera wakes up next to  Raquel Zimmermann‘s head one day. [Guardian]

An interesting take on the idea of a “luxury home”

- Off-Off-Opera head! Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O will “assault…the tragic joys of youth” when she bring her “psycho-opera” to St. Ann’s Warehouse in DUMBO, Brooklyn from Oct. 13-16. [Paper]

- The Kanye West clothing line is a go! After Central Saint Martins prof Louise Wilson confirmed that the Louis Vuitton don was indeed working on a collection, turns out Harper’s Bazaar Australia‘s Christine Centenera and knitwear designer Louise Goldin are lending him their helping hands. [Styleite]

- Mulberry is killing it and not taking prisoners. Valued at over a billion pounds, the British label has left all other fashion roadkill in their wake to become the world’s best-performing fashion house, thanks in large part to Alexa Chung and her eponymous bag. [Telegraph]

- And speaking of roadkill, how do you feel about wearing some run-over possum on your head? [Guardian]

- Rihanna: “I don’t think I could walk down the street wearing bubbles or a dress made of ham, [but] what Lady Gaga has done has been kind of amazing. I am the opposite. I wear clothes I would wear on the street. I’m all about a real look.” The fact that RiRi looks like she’s working the street in said clothes is another matter. [Digital Spy]

- Paris Hilton walked out of an interview only to return after consulting her coach/agent when a reporter asked what we were all thinking: Has your moment passed? Some questions, however, answer themselves. [Digital Spy]

Photo: DatPiff

Since being released Friday, over 14,000  people have downloaded the mixtape while it’s been streamed over 47,000 times. People love them some free shit, I guess.

Featuring tracks such as “Fire Blunts,” “Came With That Choppa” and “20Min Freeestyle” — which is exactly what it sounds like —  it’s doubtful that Arnault himself would give his stamp of approval…especially since Soulja Boy refers to him as “Robert Arnault” at least twice over the course of the EP.

However, you can’t buy publicity like the lolling “Louis Vuitton,” on which the rapper references the brand some 63 times including this little gem: “LV Bags, LV pants with that LV sag/ It don’t make no sense why these n****s hate/ It don’t make no sense why they LV fake/ But mine’s real.”

There’s Louis V’s campaign against counterfeits right there.

If you hate yourself but love shitty songs about luxury (“Money Can Buy You Class”!) you can download the Bernard Arnault EP at Dat Piff. [WWD]

]]> http://fashionindie.com/the-bernard-arnault-ep/feed/ 0 http://fashionindie.com/living-on-the-wedge/ http://fashionindie.com/living-on-the-wedge/#comments Wed, 06 Jul 2011 17:45:18 +0000 Samantha Lim http://fashionindie.com/?p=200456 One of the things we love about summer are the extra shoe options to keep our legs long and lean. Today in the FashionIndie loft, we spotted 7 pairs of wedges on editor stems, and it inspired this roundup of 15 fierce pairs that will top off your mid summer looks.

Take a walk on the wild side with these animal inspired Jeffrey Campbell wedges – $190