Running from May 8-27 at the Royal Academy of Art, the exhibit is befittingly opulent for the luxury brand founded in 1837 by French saddle and harness-maker, Thierry Hermès.

Among “Leather Forever”‘s highlights is a giant neon Kelly bag sculpture chronicling the many variations of the house’s iconic Kelly and Birkin bags over the years (above) and a room dedicated to some of the house’s bespoke creations such as a wheelbarrow for Wallis Simpson commissioned by her husband the Duke of Windsor.

The exhibit also includes four one-of-a-kind Hermès Passe-Guide handbags that will be auctioned off online to benefit the Royal Academy of Art.

Perhaps one of the most interesting and revelatory facets of “Leather Forever” is a room featuring two skilled artisans from one of Hermès’ 32 workshops creating actual Hermès pieces.

These artisans are not only highly trained in leathercraft but also undergo an additional four years of training to learn the Hermès method, which as Hermès’ UK and Ireland managing director Thierry Outin explains, is why there are such long waiting lists for the Birkin and the Kelly:

“People ask us, is it a strategy? But no, it simply takes so long to train our artisans. Plus, we like to keep our workshops ‘human-sized’. We like to know the names of every artisan, that to us is very important.” [Telegraph]

Feat! -- Daphne Guinness in Alexander McQueen, 2011 Guinness literally made an event out of her getting ready for the ball and it payed off with a fitting and flawless tribute to the designer whose "Savage Beauty" was just beginning its historic run.

Fail! -- Madonna in Louis Vuitton, 2009 Louis Vuitton had a banner year in 2009 for providing the worst looks per celeb capita than any other brand, but Madonna's woefully mistaken, thigh-highed misstep best represents the entire lot.

Feat! -- Kate Moss in Marc Jacobs, 2009 Marc Jacobs did better by his girl Kate Moss, however, and the two were the clear belles of the ball. Crafty, crafty, crafty.

Fail! -- Katie Holmes in Giorgio Armani, 2008 While everything is wrong with this look -- the makeup, the bob, the dress, the shoes, the necklace, the shoulder purse in the shape of Tom Cruise -- Katie tried to pawn off responsibility on the blue pumps to her daughter Suri, whom she claimed picked them out. Based on Suri's exquisite taste, I highly doubt it.

Feat! -- Anna Wintour in Chanel Haute Couture, 2008 A controversial choice, I know, but hear me out. Anna Wintour so often goes the very safe and classically chic route, but for the Met's "Superheroes" exhibit, the editrix showed a whiff of whimsy by way of Wonder Woman. However, never one to not keep it real, note that she's still in Chanel and it's still haute couture.

Fail! -- Serena Williams in Oscar de la Renta, 2011 I'll preface this by saying the Royal Wedding had recently happened at this point, so fascinators were just beginning their ascent into the pop culture atmosphere. Williams opted for the burgeoning trend, thus sending this outfit into costume, not Costume Institute, territory.

Feat! -- Gisele in Versace, 2008 Gisele came to the ball in 2008 for one reason and one reason alone: to serve sex on a platter and have the world take a good long taste. So what better dressing than Versace and its history of jaw-droppers?

Fail! -- Shalom Harlow in Bob Mackie, 2009 Sure it looks like Shalom Harlow just rolled out of the dumpster and into a mutated Hefty bag, but dammit she's committed to it and for that I say, "Respect."

Feat! -- André Leon Talley being escorted by Alber Elbaz, 2007 I'm assuming this cape was by ALT's go-to haberdasher Chado Ralph Rucci, but if I'm mistaken who cares because this scene is all one needs to know about the Met Gala. Or anything.

Fail! -- Christina Hendricks in L'Wrenn Scott, 2010 Christina Hendricks has the best kind of problem because of her, shall we say, ample assets. You know, her giant cans. Therefore it's hard to find a dress that accentuates without advertising and the girls are on a mutli-season campaign in this number. But at least they serve as a distraction from whatever's happening with the hair and makeup.

On May 7, Amazon.com/Fashion, Vogue.com and metmuseum.org/metgala will live stream the red carpet arrivals hosted by model Elettra Wiedemann and Vogue‘s William Norwich from 6:30 to 8:30 (EST).

Expect  interviews with the Gala’s co-chairs Carey Mulligan, Miuccia Prada and Anna Wintour as well as various celebrities as they saunter into the Museum’s newest exhibit, Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations.

You can even get in on the action by tweeting questions to Wiedemann and Norwich using #metquestions and you can even spy on the guests as they get ready for the Gala through Facebook.com/celebs.

Ah, one step closer. Next year hopefully we’ll all be donning our Marchesa gowns and stomping down that red carpet together. [Vogue]

It’s a rare and wonderful thing to feel lost, overwhelmed and inspired. Losing oneself to a vast, sprawling inventory of fragmented history never felt as good as a trip to the Demolition Depot, an architectural salvage company, possibly the largest institution of it’s kind. With a history dating back 41 years and an inventory that proves both intimidating and inspiring, Demolition Depot demands your respect. No one can help but feel inspired by simply wandering around the three stories of stained glass, doors, windows, 18-foot-tall mirrors, furniture from all places and times, carved granite frescos, intricate paving stones made from marble, stone columns, old English telephone booths, door knobs, 8-foot-tall clock faces and mirrored wall panels from some of the most opulent homes imaginable (just to name a small fraction of inventory). All of this can make even the most well-adapted Manhattan apartment dweller long for space to design and meld all of this wonderful old with some new.

I had the chance to chat with Demolition Depot’s owner, Evan Blum about his business and some of the unique aspects of what he does.

Alex: How long have you been working on this? Is it a multigenerational family affair?
Evan: Nope, just me. Forty-one years.

What are your primary sources?
Deconstruction, buildings that have outlived their usefulness, renovation and when new design takes over an old building. Every day we have people stopping in to drop things off. Seven days a week we have a deconstruction team that travels all over the country collecting stuff for us. We even get some stuff from overseas.

Do you have any competition? Or rather what is your biggest source of competition?
There are others who do this but are not legitimate. It’s an easy crease in society to fall into and be able to get away with. Our biggest competitors are arrogance, stupidity and the dumpster.

What sets you apart from other places that do architectural salvage?
I come from a family background of the arts; architects, builders, manufactory and artists, so I am probably the only one who understands it fully. I can look at any piece and tell you how it’s made, where it came from and when it was made. I can also tell how to replicate it if you wanted to. We do a fair amount of replication as well. What really sets us apart is the experience, the expertise and the knowledge. We see cultural aspects to it that other places do not quite understand.

Walking around here it feels like part museum. Is that intentional or just a byproduct of the items you deal with?
Thank you! We try to feature our more unique pieces. Some of our items go to museums like the Brooklyn Museum.

While the collection here is almost incomprehensible, it there a piece or two that have just stolen you, a piece that you are proud to have had?
I had a piece from the Alhambra in Spain, a mosaic ceiling that’s even better than the one they had at the Metropolitan Museum. I had a Sullivan staircase that was pretty incredible.

I know you have another store in Connecticut, so how many stores do you have?
We have five stores in total, most of them are larger than this one. Our newest endeavor is 18 acres in Ivoryton, CT.

I have been nothing if not impressed by the items and people at Demolition Depot. I could personally spend hours upon hours there, browsing the multitude of doors and various examples of styles that span the past few hundred years. From a design standpoint, it stands as a source unlike any other.

See the original post at LOOKBOOKS.com.

Schiaparelli managed to turn fashion into an art form with innovative designs and concepts such as creating a jacket with plastic hands in place of buttons. Schiap’s forward-thinking approach to design caused her rival Gabrielle Chanel to deride her as “that Italian artist who makes clothes.” Sounds like someone was totes jealz.

Throughout the twenties and thirties, Schiap was friends with several Surrealist artists including Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp and Jean Cocteau, but it was Dalí who would have the greatest influence on her.

He would also have an influence on Coco Chanel as the two allegedly had an affair while Dalí  was still married. Yeah, someone was super jealz.

Elsa Schiaparelli’s career in and influence on fashion will be highlighted this summer when Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada: On Fashion debuts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. But until then, here’s how Schiap and Dalí changed the face of fashion.

In 1936, inspired by Dalí's painting Anthropomorphic Cabinet, the two created suits and jackets with bureau-drawers as pockets.

Then in 1937, their "Lobster dress," featuring -- you guessed it -- a giant red lobster painted onto a white silk gown was made famous when Cecil Beaton photographed noted homewrecker Wallis Simpson in it for Vogue.

Inspired by a photo of Dalí balancing his wife's slipper on his head, that same year saw the debut of the infamous "Shoe Hat," a black felt number in the shape of a woman's pump with a heel in Shocking Pink -- another Schiaparelli innovation.

Dalí designed a trompe l'oeil print for an evening gown that simulated torn flesh in 1938. The "Tears Dress" also had actual tears strategically cut out to reveal an illusion of fur on the reverse side.

Utilizing trapunto quilting -- a puffy, decorative form of embroidery -- to create padded ribs, spine and leg bones, Schiap and Dalí struck again with the "Skeleton Dress," a highlight of her 1938 circus-themed collection.

Shoe Hats off to ya!

“Miuccia Prada is honoured and proud to take part in this exhibition which is ‘an impossible’ conversation between Miuccia Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli,” a brand spokesperson said. ”The comments printed are taken out of context and therefore misconstrued. Mrs. Prada confirmed that she admires the total curatorial independence of the museum to the extent that they almost did not take into consideration her vision.”

Yeah, it’s totally plausible that “I told them, but they don’t care” was a funny aside said with a self-deprecating chuckle and a playful roll of the eyes. And it’s totally plausible that after making these “out of context” statements, Miuccia went around slapping every underling that dared to even breathe in her general direction, which — when taken out of context — seems like a violent outburst but is really just a little thing the house of Prada does for kicks. [Vogue UK]

Visit Donna Distefano in her studio/showroom on 37 West 20th street, Suite 1106, NYC. See more than just jewelry; see all the tools it takes to make your beloved sparklies. And learn the true history behind every part of the jewelry.

A panel of experts will choose the Design of the Year as well as the top designs in six categories including Fashion, Architecture, Furniture and Graphics. In the Fashion Design category, Mary Katrantzou and Céline‘s fall 2011 collections will compete against Vivienne Westwood‘s Ethical Fashion Africa collection, and the collaboration between shoe company Melissa with Italian architect Gaetano Pesce. The winners will be announced April 24 at an awards night at the Museum. [Vogue UK]

25. Beyoncé at the VMAs How does an internationally-renowned pop diva announce her alleged pregnancy with as little -- and yet as much -- fanfare as possible? Why in Lanvin and Dolce and Gabbana, of course. Cupping her burgeoning baby bump on the red carpet, Bey let loose the dogs of publicity war when she thew her mic to the ground, ripped open her Dolce jacket, and announced to the world the coming of the Messiah.

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24. Karl Lagerfeld's obsession with Blake Lively Blake Lively is Karl Lagerfeld's kind of girl. And he didn't hesitate to let everyone know, naming the Gossip Girl star Chanel's official purse ambassador, throwing her in print ads, parading her about the French Riviera and most terrifying of all, showing her something bearing resemblance to actual affection.

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23. The rise of the tween style icon -- Hailee Steinfeld, Chloe Moretz and Elle Fanning cover LOVE magazine The kids are more than all right, they're fucking fabulous. Hailee Steinfeld, Elle Fanning and Chloe Moretz showed that style knows no age limits, landing on best-dressed lists while barely in high school. Miu Miu tapped Steinfeld for its fall campaign and Rodarte had Fanning star in a short film, while all three graced the cover of LOVE magazine this summer.

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22. Emma Watson, style icon Emma Watson truly came into her own this year in a series of flawless looks both on and off the red carpet, some stunning editorial work, a capsule collection with Alberta Ferretti and a campaign with Lancôme. Hermione's not a girl, and very nearly a woman.

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21. Christian Dior's disastrous Haute Couture show 2011 had its share of disastrous runway shows, but none as disastrous as Christian Dior's fall 2011 haute couture show. Left to his own devices, poor Bill Gaytten offered up an overwrought and wildly incoherent mess that, despite being maligned by pretty much everyone, still wound up on at least one red carpet thanks to Katy Perry. Let's just say she didn't help matters any.

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20. Christian Louboutin trademark case Christian Louboutin tried, and failed, and is still trying to copyright its "trademark" red sole. By the way, I'm legally obligated to use trademark in quotations.

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19. Versace for H&M One of the most buzzed-about diffusion lines of the year, Donatella Versace's exclusive one-off collection reignited interest in the brand's sumptuous archives and had everyone from Anna Dello Russo to Kanye West clamoring for those Medusa heads and Miami prints.

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18. Karlie Kloss comes of age They grow up so fast! Karlie Kloss turned 19 this year, covered Life Magazine, shed her clothes on several occasions, became a Victoria's Secret Angel and got eye-banged by Leonardo Dicaprio -- in other words, she very publicly became an adult and a supermodel.

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17. Lady Gaga wins over Anna Wintour Anna Wintour embraced Lady Gaga with open arms this year, putting her on the cover of Vogue and presenting her with the CFDA Fashion Icon Award. And Gaga thanked her by calling her a bitch and showing up in a walking wardrobe malfunction to the ceremony. BFFs, y'all!

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16. Elizabeth Taylor's death and subsequent jewelry auction Elizabeth Taylor's death was the passing of a true legend and a style icon but her legacy lives on not only through her films, but also her impressive collection of jewels and haute couture that is being auctioned off by Christies this month.

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15. Michelle Obama's McQueen controversy Michelle Obama had jaws dropping in her Alexander McQueen gown for China's state dinner but it was the fallout from the dress by Oscar de la Renta and other American designers that made the dress truly newsworthy.

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14. Victoria Beckham, fashion designer This year Victoria Beckham lived up to her nom-de-Spice by gaining real credibility as a designer, and not just another celebrity with too much time on their hands, while simultaneously stepping out of her husband's sexy shadow. A win at the British Fashion Awards for Design Brand of the Year capped off a year of living poshly.

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13. The Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum Sneaking in at the end of the year, the virtual Valentino museum is an innovative and ingenious step by one of the world's most iconic designers that makes his formidable legacy available to anyone who wants it. A novel and forward-thinking concept that belies Valentino's 800 years.

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12. The rise and subsequent fall of the fascinator Trends come and go all the time in fashion, but rarely has one particular trend impacted culture so hard and been discarded so fast. The Royal Wedding inspired ladies everywhere to make it a say-something hat day, but it was Princess Beatrice's fascinator that may go down as one of the most infamous pieces of millinery in modern recollection.

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11. Marc Jacobs stolen spring 2012 collection Lifted from a train en route from Paris, the theft of parts of Marc Jacobs' spring 2012 collection was this year's biggest and most intriguing mystery. Besides, of course, whether Marc himself would defect to Christian Dior or stick it out with Louis Vuitton -- who, coincidentally, was also a victim of theft just two weeks later. Yep, big coincidence.

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10. Fashion Week calendar controversy Tensions came to a head between the four fashion capitals, leaving the fate of upcoming fashion weeks up in the air. But if there's one thing we've learned from this is you don't fuck with the Italians.

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9. Kate Moss' fairytale wedding It was only a few years ago that Kate Moss was spiraling down a cocaine-encrusted rabbit hole, but fashion's favorite bad girl has finally settled down. Moss wed longtime beau Jamie Hince in an epic three-day long ceremony known cheekily as Mosstock. BFF Naomi Campbell was one of her bridesmaids, and in a show of solidarity, Moss chose a wedding dress by John Galliano. Kate Moss' wedding was not only front-page news, it garnered the most coveted cover of the year: Vogue's September issue.

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8. Bill Cunningham New York Originating and perfecting the art of streetstyle photography decades before The Sartorialist picked up a camera, Bill Cunningham finally got his time in the spotlight thanks to a heartwarming documentary that reveled a little of the man behind that ubiquitous lens.

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7. Kanye West shows at Paris Fashion Week Kanye West is a man of many talents, though fashion design may or may not be one of them. A true lover of fashion, West did his research and worked with the best people but in the end he let his usual over-zealousness get the best of him and the result? When prompted for her opinion on West's collection, Anna Wintour responded: "Ask someone else."

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6. Missoni for Target Missoni for Target took the high-low collaboration craze to a fever pitch, crashing Target's website and selling out shortly after hitting the shelves. That is, before those items appeared on eBay for several times what they had originally cost, thus negating the entire process.

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5. The rise of Lea T. and Andrej Pejic Transsexual lady Lea T. met Oprah and androgynous male model Andrej Pejic met the Queen of England this year. If that weren't enough of a moment, these two gals also shattered boundaries in fashion and modeling, and in the process became icons and role models to the LGBTQ community.

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4. The reinvention of Carine Roitfeld Quele scandale! Did she get fired? Did she quit? Are she and Emmanuelle Alt no longer friends? The rumors have been buzzing around Carine Roitfeld since she officially exiting Vogue Paris in February -- and in the process creating a future supermodel in Saskia de Brauw --  after 10 landmark, nipple-bearing years. But through it all, Carine has been the picture of calm and chic, hiking up her pencil skirt and reinventing herself as a brilliant and in-demand stylist/the coolest bitch on the planet. Stay tuned for another reinvention when Carine launches a new magazine and starts life as a grandmother next year.

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3. Kate Middleton's Alexander McQueen wedding dress The speculation was unbearable for what was the biggest and most well-kept secret in an age of superfluous information. Though an unsurprising but nevertheless brilliant choice, Sarah Burton's handiwork cemented the Duchess of Cambridge (née Kate Middleton) as not only a bona fide style icon but a phenomenon on both sides of the Atlantic. Meanwhile, Burton proved she was the right person to carry on McQueen's brilliant legacy and take it to the next level.

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2. Alexander McQueen's Savage Beauty The most successful fashion exhibit in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's  history, Alexander McQueen's Savage Beauty set records and inspired fashion lovers and neophytes alike. The exhibit proved so popular, in fact, the Met extended its run twice. Even then, there were still lines of people waiting hours to get into the museum, but for 661,509 people it was well-worth the wait.

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1. John Galliano stars in Gallianogate John Galliano's downfall has loomed large all year, particularly since Christian Dior has yet to announce his replacement, despite a neverending back-and-forth with a stubborn Marc Jacobs. Following a stint in rehab, a guilty conviction in Paris for making anti-Semitic remarks, and the general destruction of his reputation, Galliano at least had one bright spot this year: designing good friend Kate Moss' wedding dress. Galliano's dismissal also raised questions about the stress designers are under to deliver  multiple collections a year -- just ask Balmain's Christophe Decarnin. Everyone's still waiting to see who Dior picks to take the throne and if Galliano can make a comeback after such a devastating fall. As 2011 comes to a close, 2012 has the promise of even more scandals, breakdowns and breakthroughs that we cannot wait to cover obsessively for you. If we missed any epic moments or if you're particularly incensed over Lindsay Lohan's Playboy spread not making the list, leave a comment below.

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Sarah Burton in Vogue UK / Photo: StyleFrizz

Burton told her mum and dad about the commission the night before the ceremony and they saw the dress the same time as everyone else in the world, at an ungodly hour on the morning of April 29th. Only Burton’s core team of designers knew about the now iconic dress in the making. Since it was only days after the royal wedding, Burton cleverly used the Metropolitan Museum of Art‘s Savage Beauty exhibit as a cover to explain away her frequent missed appointments.

Finally, on the big day, Burton accompanied Catherine to Westminster Abbey to put the finishing touches on the dress’ nine-foot train: “I remember standing in Westminster Abbey thinking, ‘This is unreal’. It was like a fairy tale. And all I could think was, ‘I hope I don’t trip over’. I didn’t realise the enormity of it until much nearer the wedding day. It was a magical experience.”

It’s been a banner year for Burton, what with the dress, the Met exhibit and widely-acclaimed collections for the design house. Filling the late Alexander McQueen’s shoes, she more than met the expectations of the role, but Burton admitted she had her doubts: ”I definitely considered not taking this job. I was at such a loss, he was such a huge part of my life, my every day. I could finish his sentences but I didn’t know that I could begin anything, and that terrified me.”

She sees her success as a final “gift” from McQueen and notes that, “Out of such terrible, tragic times and from under this dark cloud came that dress.” [Telegraph]

Sarah Burton in Vogue UK / Photo: StyleFrizz

By juxtaposing Schiaparelli’s and Prada’s viewpoints on these topics, museum curators Andrew Bolton and Harold Koda hope to create a dialogue between the designers:

“If we can play with that idea of what Schiap would say, with her real words, and what Miuccia would say, in her real words, on a variety of issues,” Koda explained, “we could end up with something that was a mind-teaser for the audience, and would allow people to see Schiap with increased relevance and Miuccia with a different kind of understanding than they perhaps already have. We want it to be serious in content but playful in its approach.”

This approach will certainly be playful considering who the Met has in charge of the production and design: no other than that master of the spectacular spectacle, Baz Luhrmann. According to Koda, the exhibit will have “a very high-tech aspect” so as to bring the past to life.

On Fashion will run from May 10th to Aug, 19th and will include some 80 designs by Schiaparelli from the late Twenties through the early Fifties and by Prada from the late Eighties through today. The annual Gala — my ticket to which is clearly already be in the mail — will be chaired by Anna Wintour, Miuccia herself and Carey Mulligan — a Prada and Vogue fave as well as the star of Luhrmann’s upcoming adaptation of The Great Gatsby. Hello, multi-brand tie-in.

Amazon.com, who along with Condé Nast is underwriting the exhibit, will serve as the Gala’s honorary chair. [WWD, sub req'd]

Photos: WWD

Elsa Schiaparelli

Miuccia Prada

A Schiaparalli gown

Prada Fall 2007

A Schiaparelli dress from 1937

Prada Spring 2008

Photo: WWD

Reminiscent of his work for Savage Beauty at The Met, Palau nonetheless thought that “[t]he idea seemed quite extreme, but it’s actually very pretty.” You say pretty, Guido, we say STUNNSIES.

Miuccia Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli are reportedly the focus of the Costume Institute’s next exhibit in the spring. Schiaparelli, who is as important to Italian fashion as Gabrielle Chanel is to French fashion, had a groundbreaking and innovative line between the two world wars but was unable to adapt in the wake of Christian Dior’s New Look.

While Prada is obviously one of the most successful and influential women working in fashion today and is also of Italian descent. No doubt the Institute’s curator, Andrew Bolton, will draw some parallels between the two women’s lives and careers. But for now, the Met is remaining mum on the matter. [WWD]

The Museum of Modern Art
MoMA’s permanent collection boasts incredible modern and contemporary pieces but perhaps none cause as many yelps of glee as Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night. The museum is currently open seven days a week, and late on Thurs – Sat until September 3 so there is no excuse not to get acquainted.

photo credit: www.moma.org

Why You Should Care
Fun Fact: Van Gogh created this painting while at an asylum in the south of France. It’s good to know that even before Charlie and Lindsay, the world always had talented wack-o’s.

Scholarly Snippit: The Starry Night combines real natural elements as well as creations driven by Van Gogh’s emotions and incorporates highly charged brushwork.

Vocab: Post-Impressionism describes changes to the accepted methods of painting landscapes and scenes of everyday life in the late 1800s, incorporating added focus on elements such as light, color, and brushwork.

photo credit: moma.org

photo credit: www.metmuseum.org

photo credit: www.whitney.org

photo credit: www.guggenheim.org

Lisa Immordino Vreeland, Diana’s granddaughter-in-law, directed the film Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel, debuting at the Venice Film Festival September 3rd, as well as wrote the similarly-titled coffee-table book, which hits bookstores October 1st.

Featuring contributions from everyone and their mother, including Calvin Klein, Oscar de la Renta, Hubert de Givenchy, Diane von Furstenberg, Richard Avedon, Anjelica Huston and Ali McGraw*, the film is Immordino Vreeland’s first:”As soon as I started research for the book, I said to myself, ‘I should be working on a documentary.’”

Brazilian-born installation artist Eli Sudbrack of Assume Vivid Astro Focus — working under the direction of Barneys creative director Dennis Freedman – developed the artwork for Gaga’s Workshop, which will be featured throughout the workshop, in display windows, on shopping bags and in packaging.

The workshop — open from mid-November through January 2 — will be a Gaga-inspired shopping environment featuring limited-edition gifts designed by the popstar and her wonder twin, Nicola Formichetti. Barneys.com will also carry these gifts — which include candies, toys, apparel, accessories, candles and cosmetics – through a special microsite with 25% of sales from the workshop being donated to a charity of Lady Gaga’s choosing.

“Holiday is about joy, sharing and inclusiveness, and to me, Gaga really represents all of that,” explains Mark Lee, chief executive officer of Barneys New York. Lee took his inspiration from Gaga’s recent takeover of New York landmarks — “from Carnegie Hall for the Rainforest Benefit to the Metropolitan Museum and the Today show at Rockefeller Center” — and, of course, Babs Streisand‘s first TV special featuring a performance in Bergdorf’s.

While Gaga is expected to show up to the unveiling of the workshop, Lee hopes that she’ll be so “blown away” she puts on a little show of her own right then and there. Ugh, imagine? It would be something of a miracle on Madison Avenue. Oh, I do believe in Lady Gaga! I do! I do! [WWD]

What could be colorful enough to honor Antoni Gaudi’s “Dragon” in Barcelona, Spain?

Photo: Superstock

NEW YORK

- The Wall Street Journal called in an expert to explain why Linda Evangelista‘s son needs $46,000 a month from his father, billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault-Hayek. Turns out young Augustin James is ballin’ out of control. [The Cut]

- A report that Jay-Z bought Billionaire Boys Club – Pharrell‘s clothing line — have been refuted by Jigga himself, who claims he’s only “partnering” with the Neptune. [GQ]

Savage Beauty is on track to supersede Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy, which set the attendance record for a fashion exhibition when it bowed to 576,000 guests back in 2008. Meanwhile, McQueen has been breaking records since it opened in early May, becoming the museum’s second biggest opening in history, behind Vincent Van Gogh’s The Drawings.

Several factors are attributed to Savage Beauty’s triumphant run: the wedding dress designed by Sarah Burton for Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge; the insufferable heat; a booming tourist season. But most important is the exhibit’s mass appeal. Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty manages to transcend fashion while standing alone as a testament to a great artist and his incredible legacy.

As Edward Murguia, a 67-year old sociology professor from Texas A&M University — perhaps the last person you’d expect to find at a retrospective for a British designer who hanged himself over a year ago — observed: “You take a medium like fashion that you don’t think is going to have that much depth, and then you find that it does…I could never imagine how much he got done in such a short life.” [NYT]

Since its record-breaking opening day, over 150,000 people have seen Savage Beauty, resulting in lines, crowds and kilt-tearing. But starting Monday, June 6th, it will be even easier to go on McQueen’s Magical Mystery Tour.

“Met Mondays with McQueen” will allow visitors –  for $50 — access to the exhibit between 9:30 am and 2:30 pm when the rest of the museum is closed. It would kind of be like Night at the Museum but if Ben Stiller was played by Daphne Guinness and instead of dinosaurs, the mannequins came to life and started catwalking.

Meanwhile, I smell a sequel…. [WWD]

1. Booze. Let’s be real, if shit’s going down tomorrow, I’m going out in a vodka-soaked blaze of glory.

2. At least one piece of McQueen’s Savage Beauty. Yes I am breaking into The Met and yes I am wearing this gold duck feather coat out.

3. Egoïste. Because I need to see a Louis Vuitton-attired polar bear taking in an Al Gore lecture on global warming before I die. That happened.

4. These post-Apocalyptic video looks from Beyoncé’s “Run the World (Girls)”:

Photo: NY Mag

And Lady Gaga‘s “Judas”:

Photo: Nicola Formichetti's Blog!!

5. Oprah. I know this is short notice with the world ending tomorrow and all, but I really think Oprah and I should be together since I’ve recently adopted her as my mother. She’s not really aware of it.

6. Violent Lips. Sometimes a girl needs to look fierce and really this isn’t the time to slack off with boring old jungle red or whatever signature color you use. Give me a hot pink leopard lip and call it a day/year/life.

7. Made in Brazil #3.

Boom:

Photo: Models.com

Nuff said.

8. Angelina Jolie’s Atelier Versace gown from Cannes. I love a good statement-making gown when the skies open up; and this gown will say, “Excuse me, stop what you’re doing. I get it…but I’m in the room.”

9. A pair of Louboutins I lifted from FI‘s Editor-in-Chief Sam Lim. Barring the fact that I’m about six shoe sizes bigger than she is, Sam’s long hours in the line at the Christian Louboutin sample sale should be celebrated. Celebrated with a unbearably painful walk-off.

10. Fashion Indie’s Mixtape Vol. 3. If we’re all still here next week you can get a listen for yourself, but I’ve already got my copy and will be dancing till the world ends.

Speaking of Britney, I forgot to include drugs — last minute shopping …literally!

Photo: Nicola Formichetti's Blog!!

The masks, crafted from leather, jewels, burlap, lace, felt, fur and feathers, were meant to compliment the extraordinary pieces without overpowering them — if that’s even at all possible.

Palau wanted to do right by the late designer for whose shows hair was “always an important part.” Finally, a Guido you can be proud of. [NYT]

- And not at all coincidentally, Anna Wintour is now a museum board member.

- Gisele is the most super supermodel in the world and future supers can only pale in their already pale comparisons.

- Isabella Blow‘s posthumous wardrobe will live on thanks to Daphne Guinness and a generous, completely justifiable use of the Guinness fortune.

- Hindu’s were up in arms — all 4 of them! — over a swimsuit bearing the goddess Lakshmi.

- The Schwarzenegger-Shrivers are now sans a hyphen (okay, it was never there) and a  marriage (nor was that).

- A fashion mag so rare you might be dead before it comes out again. Particularly since the world is ending any day now.

- Get your library cards out, Gaga wants to talk about…reading.

- This June John Galliano will be spelling couture : C-O-U-R-T…cause that’s where he’s going…court.

- Like that great poet — what was his name, oh yes, Biggie Smalls — once said, “Mo Money, Mo Problems.” Those problems just involve cutting back on the Birkin allowance.

Wintour has been an honorary trustee of the Met since 1999 and has co-chaired 13 benefits since 1995. In those 16 years, she has raised approximately $85 million for the Costume Institute with last week’s Met Gala pulling in $10.4 million.

In addition, the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibit has proven wildly popular so it was inevitable that the Met would eventually have to sell its soul give credit where credit is due. [WWD]

With 5,100 visitors on May 4th, Savage Beauty is the second biggest opening day in the Metropolitan Museum of Art‘s history. But what’s number one? That earless showboat, Vincent Van Gogh, whose Vincent Van Gogh: The Drawings drew in 5,400 people in 2005.

Nevertheless, the McQueen exhibit proved so popular the Met had to suspend its guided tours. The museum also sold 600 catalogs and at $45 a pop, Vincent Can Gogh suck on that. [NYT]

Photos: Styleite

- But what does this mean for Burton and the McQueen brand? A series of industry insiders, retail experts and just plain know-it-alls agree that landing the royal wedding dress was a large coup for the Alexander McQueen label, particularly with the Met Costume Institute Gala and Savage Beauty exhibit opening this week. McQueen will become a household name — though it was already that in my household — and will now have a “guaranteed legacy” while “taming” the house’s trademark “edginess.” Sales are expected to go through the roof due to a new, heretofore unseen level of awareness for the McQueen brand and as for Burton; rumors are reaching a fever pitch over her possibly serving as a replacement for John Galliano at Dior. But with the spectacular success of the new Duchess’s wedding gown, PPR (McQueen’s parent company) would likely do everything in its power to keep her on…at least if they were smart they would. [WWD]

- Model Agency Wars! After Next Model Management sued Ford Models for allegedly poaching a trio of models — Karmen Pedaru, Anna Aleksandra Cywinska, and Anna J. — DNA has gotten litigious over Maryna Linchuk, whom they claim Ford “solicited and induced” to break contract. DNA’s result? They’re suing Ford for $2 million. Big game hunting in the wilds of the modeling world can get very expensive. [Fashionista]

LONDON - APRIL 29: In this handout photo, issued by Clarence House, the bride and groom Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge pose for an official photo with left to right): Miss Grace van Cutsem, Miss Eliza Lopes, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, HM The Queen, The Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones, Lady Louise Windsor, Master William Lowther-Pinkerton. Back Row (left to right): Master Tom Pettifer, HRH Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, HRH Prince Harry of Wales, Mr Michael Middleton, Mrs Michael Middleton, Mr James Middleton, Miss Philippa Middleton, in the throne room at Buckingham Palace on April 29, 2011in London, England. The marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton was led by the Archbishop of Canterbury and was attended by 1900 guests, including foreign Royal family members and heads of state. Thousands of well-wishers from around the world have also flocked to London to witness the spectacle and pageantry of the Royal Wedding.(Photo by Hugo Burnand/Clarence House - WPA Pool/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Philippa Middleton;James Middleton;Michael Middleton;Prince Harry;Prince Charles, Prince of Wales;Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall;Margarita Armstrong-Jones;Eliza Lopes;Grace van Cutsem;Lady Louise Windsor;Tom Pettifer;William Lowther-Pinkerton;Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge;Prince William, Duke of Cambridge;

LONDON - APRIL 29: In this handout photo, issued by Clarence House, the bride and groom Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge pose for an official photo with (clockwise from bottom right) The Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones, Miss Eliza Lopes, Miss Grace van Cutsem, Lady Louise Windsor, Master Tom Pettifer, Master William Lowther-Pinkerton, in the throne room at Buckingham Palace on April 29, 2011in London, England. The marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton was led by the Archbishop of Canterbury and was attended by 1900 guests, including foreign Royal family members and heads of state. Thousands of well-wishers from around the world have also flocked to London to witness the spectacle and pageantry of the Royal Wedding.(Photo by Hugo Burnand/Clarence House - WPA Pool/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Margarita Armstrong-Jones;Eliza Lopes;Grace van Cutsem;Lady Louise Windsor;Tom Pettifer;William Lowther-Pinkerton;Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge;Prince William, Duke of Cambridge;

LONDON - APRIL 29: In this handout photo, issued by Clarence House, the bride and groom Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge pose for an official photo in the throne room at Buckingham Palace on April 29, 2011in London, England. The marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton was led by the Archbishop of Canterbury and was attended by 1900 guests, including foreign Royal family members and heads of state. Thousands of well-wishers from around the world have also flocked to London to witness the spectacle and pageantry of the Royal Wedding.(Photo by Hugo Burnand/Clarence House - WPA Pool/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge;Prince William, Duke of Cambridge;

- Also on said list is Glee‘s Chris Colfer, who just sold a pilot to the Disney Channel and is also writing and starring in the indie film, Struck By Lightning, directed by the guy who did Saved! – it’s Kurt’s turn! [The Daily Beast]

- You can get even closer to the Met’s Costume Institute Gala thanks to Vogue‘s new iPad app, which has 5 years of behind the scenes footage, a preview of Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty and even a tribute to McQueen by the bobbed one herself, Anna Wintour. [Fashionologie]

- Supermodel icon and MILF extraordinaire, Cindy Crawford says she feels like an outsider now: I just saw the CoverGirl commercial with Taylor Swift and I thought, ‘Wow, it is so hard for models to get a job these days.” Well, I hope you’re happy now, Taylor Swift — you’ve alienated one of the greatest supermodels of all time. Thanks again, Swift. [Fashionologie]

- Crawford went on to say: “And I also think when I was modeling, size 6 was a normal size and now it’s like 2 or 0.” Well, according to a new study from the University of Bologna, Italy, allowing larger models onto the runway will promote obesity since skinny models provide an incentive for weight control. And that incentive is called cocaine. [Daily Mail]

- The Center for Disease Control estimates that by 2020 every state will have a ban on indoor smoking. I personally don’t smoke, unless I’m 5 Long Island Iced Teas into the night, but there’s just something comforting about a seedy, smokey bar — something that just says ‘Welcome home, homo.’ [Gawker]

Link Love: The Cut, The Daily Telegraph

The pieces were photographed for the exhibit catalogue by Sølve Sundsbø using live models who were digitally altered to look like mannequins, thus giving the clothing movement. It looks absolutely incredible and I can’t wait to basically live in the Met for the entire month of May.

Link Love: Vogue UK / NY Mag

Conceived by the Chairman of the Institute’s Board of Directors, Oscar de la Renta and curated by Vogue‘s own Hamish Bowles, Balenciaga: Spanish Master is the the first collection “to consider the impact of Spain’s culture, history and art” on the career and artistry of Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895-1972).

Portrait of the artist as a young fox

Balenciaga forever changed the way women dressed and introduced dramatically different silhouettes into a woman’s sartorial lexicon. Spanish Master showcases some of the designer’s brilliant, beautiful and very often groundbreaking work in millinery, evening gowns, cocktail dresses and daywear, particularly highlighting his expert construction and tailoring.

Photo: GDK is the new black.

Featuring over 70 pieces from the Balenciaga archives, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, The Hispanic Society of America, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Museum of the City of New York, and the Texas Fashion Collection, the collection also benefited from loans from the private collections of Sandy Schreier and Bowles himself.

Photo: Sandi in the City

The exhibit also ”considers the influences on [Balenciaga's] designs of the country’s great artists, from Zurbarán and Goya to Picasso, Sorolla and Miró, and of Spain’s religious dress and ceremony, its royal history, its rich regional costume, its dance traditions, and the power and splendor of the bullfight. “

Photo: GDK is the new black.

I was in raptures pouring over Spanish Master‘s two floors and was especially surprised by Balenciaga’s continued experimentation and ingenuity well into old age and until his retirement in 1968. One could easily see the rich history from which Nicolas Ghesquière regularly culls and reinterprets through the house’s current collections.

Photos: Blend/Koko Royale

Balenciaga: Spanish Master is an experience that any lover of fashion or art or Spanish history should not miss. The exhibition will be on display at the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute through February 19th and is $15 for adults and $10 for students, seniors, and Institute members.

Queen Sofía Spanish Institute  - 684 Park Ave

Like Cristobal Balenciaga, artist Francesco Vezzoli was inspired by religion for his latest exhibition Sacrilegio. He has reimagined 15th- and 16th-century Madonna and Child paintings by Giovanni Bellini, Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli utilizing 80s/90s supermodels including Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Christie Brinkley, Tatjana Patitz, Claudia Schiffer, Stephanie Seymour and Kim Alexis.

Kim Alexis

The exhibit purports to examine “the societal worship of figures from the fashion and celebrity industries” by combining supermodels with historical religious icons.

Cindy Crawford

Vezzoli adorned each painting with “makeup, tattoos and large oblong tears rendered in needlepoint” and the gallery itself has been transformed into a Renaissance chapel. Some of the works also feature an FV with “a needle and thread forming part of the initials.”

Christie Brinkley

The exhibit was interesting and wholly entertaining — I mean, Christie Brinkley crying a giant needlepoint Liza Minnelli tear! I’m surprised I didn’t collapse from the amount of awesome being thrown my way.

Whether you subscribe to the artist’s idea of using these supers to “reflect a reality that has a huge power over our lives” or are just tickled by Naomi Campbell as a holy figure, Sacrilegio is definitely worth seeing. Sacrilegio will be on display at the Gagosian through March 12.

Gagosian Gallery - 522 W 21st St

Portrait of the artist as a young fox

Photo: GDK is the new black.

Photos: Blend/Koko Royale

All right, who else can’t fucking wait for this? I have to start digging through my closet to find the perfect McQueen ensemble to wear to next year’s gala…that I’m not invited to.

Cough.

Eyebrow raise.

…

Okay, subtlety’s not working, who do  have to kill to get ticket to next year’s Costume Institute Gala?

Please say a Kardashian….

Over the past several decades, fashion has certainly evolved, and with it, the trendy model look has morphed. From elegant to youthful and grungy to natural, models are just as much a work of art as the clothes on their bodies. Starting May 6th, the Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art will kick off it’s newest exhibit, Model As Muse: Embodying Fashion. Featuring peak models from 1947-1997, I’m really curious to see this timeline of faces and make my prediction as to which look the fashion industry will harness next. Hey, you never know, following the 80′s fashion revival, maybe models will start looking like this again! 

GALLERY: FIRST LOOK: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Model As Muse Exhibition

Thanks NY Mag!

Sarah Jessica Parker can be referred to as the voice of fashion. Now, she will be the voice for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new audio guide tour on “Costume: The Art of Dress.”

In the first audio guide by the Costume Institute, and available at the museum from Nov. 25, Parker will guide visitors through approximately 20 pieces of art from the permanent collection, including historical garments, as well as costumes depicted in paintings and sculptures. Parker taped the audio tour in a recording studio in the summer.

“Looking beyond our encyclopedic collection of costume to the museum’s other treasures puts clothing into a historical context,” Costume Institute curator-in-charge Harold Koda said. “Walking through the galleries listening to Sarah Jessica Parker’s narration will bring a sense of discovery and delight to the experience.”

Thanks WWD

For the first time, nearly all of the Costume Institute’s large collection of clothing has been translated into an online database. View original works from Ungaro, Schiaparelli, Givenchy,  and many more.

The project was started in 2000, and since then the department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art has worked on formatting and digitizing information on 29,432 objects from the 31,000-piece collection. It is available to view through the museum’s Web site under Collection Database. The move is part of the museum’s initiative to showcase its entire holdings online.