- Liza Minnelli had to drop out of her Hot in Cleveland guest spot thanks to an injury. And that’s why you don’t challenge Betty White to a bare-knuckle street brawl. [Playbill]

- Milk rules everything around me. New York Fashion Week, y’all!  The Wu-Tang Clan brought a little bit of Shaolin to the fashion set last night at Milk Studios. [Paper]

- Gisele‘s Victoria’s Secret brethren (sisteren?) are rushing-ish to her defense after the fallout over Betrayed-Bro-gate. Quote Adriana Lima: “Leave her alone!”  [Vogue UK]

- Madonna responded to Flipped-Bird-gate, calling M.I.A.’s middle finger gesture a  ”teenager … irrelevant thing to do.” Then 80s Madonna responded to Now Madonna’s statement by flipping herself the bird and  telling her future self to lighten the fuck up. [Huff Po]

- Skin care brand REN decided to get all porny to celebrate their 10th anniversary with this soft-core bit of marketing. The protagonists may feel clean but I know that I could use a shower. [Fashionista]

LA stylist turned it out outside of BCBG, then again when I spotted her in long creme lace at GenArt. It took her 10 minutes to put this together. It's called being a professional -

The bug-eyed glasses may have snapped to my attention first, but settling into the sleeve contrast and pink pops, the look is evermore interesting. The look was inspired by the Japanese anime FLCL (pronounced foolie coolie), thus, somehow, the process was quick to put the look together.

A vision in orange neoprene and Christopher Kane via that fluid filled iPad case, AND the studded shoes, this guy says he wore the bottom layers to the gym this morning (a hoodie? we believe it) and threw the rest on in a matter of minutes.

Holding his girlfriend/co-blogger's Chanel purse in one hand, and his badass style in the other, this Italian and his stallion-like fur looks as chill as he does chic.

What a Joy to behold! It took this fashionably late writer literally 10 minutes to jump into her Jewel by Lisa dress and Mercury sunnies.

The former half of the Dee and Ricky design/blogging duo rolled out of bed and came in what he wore the night before. If it werqs, it works.

This dashing matching couple struck a chord, the veil taking it all a notch above. They allegedly "did not take long getting ready."

In Henry Hollands visor shades, neon strappies over black and a fur so faux it's made of shredded cotton, she deserves her blog-given title

After this trend scouter was styled by BCBG for their show in these shorts and shirt, it only took her 15 minutes to assemble the rest.

Her chain hits her chest while she's waiting for her friend's show. Longtime friend of designer Titania Inglis rocks a chain from back in the day with a crisp Risto jacket. And it took her exactly 1 hour and 6 minutes to get ready, shower and vitamins included.

The sight of his neckware made me gleefully giggle, wave in its general direction whispering YESSS. He smirked and told me that he makes them. So, in addition to the few minutes it took him to get dressed in the A.M., he put his time into the hard work to make the hardware -

In her mom's 90's Comme des Garçons velvet paper bag gauchos, she took 20 minutes in the morning to ready herself. That is after a week and a half of outfit prep. Refreshing honesty from the curating eye of the stunning new online boutique

This born and bred Brooklynite menswear blogger took 5 minutes to get his reds in order.

Spotted last night at the Tim Hamilton show at MILK, the green spotted shoes against the paid, somehow tied together with denim, fur and lace made for a texture extravaganza. And obviously, like all good fashion boys and girls, it took her just a few minutes to coordinate.

Color palette: Burnt orange and browns with deep ocean green-blues and multi-sided lavender and pink.
Mood: Underwater life meets 30′s draping and Beetlejuician intentions. It’s a kind of comfort that can keep uptown chic.
Statement Pieces: Patterned jumpsuit, done.
Front Row Name Drops: Patrick McDonald, the dandiest of the dandy.
Runway Music: The MisShapes

Photos: Josh Wong Photography

Creole for “my home,” LakayPAM was founded in 2006 by Cedrick Roche, his wife Carolina Bittencourt and Mathias Youbi to help provide poor children with food, shelter, medical care, education and other basic needs.  Interacting with the Haitian kids, however, one would scarcely know they face such adversity on a daily basis.

“It was almost as if they didn’t know something happened,” Coco said. “They’ve gone through so much that it gave the entire experience a real hope. Even when we had the cameras. The adults did not want cameras in their faces – I could understand that — in the beginning, when there was so much, they thought ‘We’re going to be saved!’ And nothing happened.  When we came with our cameras, they did not want that. But the kids were like, ‘Yeah! Let’s do it! I’m a model!’ There were at least three or four kids I wanted to take home with me. I’ll be the new Angelina!”

Check out the film below:

For all involved, the time spent in Haiti clearly made a lasting impression — both Coco and James and Cedrick and Carolina plan on visiting later this month, while after the film screening I couldn’t help but notice Behati overcome with tears. Her photos were a testament to the spirit of the trip and displayed that the model is just as proficient behind the camera as she is in front of it. While this was her first exhibit – a major accomplishment she ranks alongside strolling the VS runway – photography is something she will do long after she hangs up her wings.

Letters to Haiti was an incredibly moving event that at least inspired one young super in the audience. Karlie Kloss couldn’t wait to get involved, but Haiti will have to wait till at least the New Year – first she has to head back to St. Louis for the holidays.

James Conran and Coco Rocha

Screening Letter to Haiti

Cedrick Roche and Carolina Biitencourt with their adorable daughter

Me and my new BFF Karlie Kloss

Coco Rocha with her fierce Aunt Rosemary

Screening Letter to Haiti

Carolina Bittencourt

James Conran and Coco Rocha

A bidder cometh

Behati and Coco play hostess

Supermodels unite! Karlie Kloss, Hilary Rhoda,Carolina Bittencourt, Coco ROcha and Behati Prinsloo

Coco and Behati

Hilary Rhoda, Zac Posen and Coco Rocha

Coco and Behati

Cedrick Roche, Carolina Bittencourt, Behati Prinsloo, Coco Rocha and Dancing with the Stars' Tony Davonlani

Behati Prinsloo

Tracee Ellis Ross and Brad Goreski

t christopher's male models

Joseph Altuzarra

Fashion Forward runway

Work by Mike Ruiz

FF 2011

Fashion Forward runway

Work by Mike Ruiz

FF 2011

Men of Buckler

MGU

MGU

MGU

MGU

MGU

Milk Gallery Underground

Sherry Lehmann Wine.  Arizona Iced Tea. Fiber One. No, these aren’t the contents of your grandmother’s kitchen cabinet. These are three of the big-name sponsors for New York’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, the biggest and least important of the four major Fashion Weeks. But is New York’s continued dwindling in importance a direct result of the less than fabulous coterie of sponsors, or is it the other way around? And who’s to blame?

The Hardy Gays are on the case!

The main culprit is Milk Studios, whose latest incarnation as MilkMade has stolen much of the luster from Lincoln Center. But whereas they compete for sponsors, MilkMade usually draws smaller shows…however, the Marc Jacobses and the Ralph Laurens don’t show at the Tents either. Rather, they show offsite, effectively spitting in the faces of IMG Models and CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg, who dutifully shows at Lincoln Center each season.

Why not show a concerted effort to make NYFW a juggernaut of influence and taste rather than a discombobulated hydra sprawling all over Manhattan with each head unaware of what the other is doing?

The Tents at Bryant Park were home to New York Fashion Week for seventeen years and the move to Lincoln Center was a controversial one that left many fashion followers scratching their thinning scalps. Aside from being convenient, Bryant Park’s proximity to the Garment District earned it the distinction as the fashion industry’s backyard. But as Fashion Week grew bigger and more and more sponsors came on board — from Dunkin Donuts to McDonald’s — designers became more and more disenfranchised. And Bryant Park became more and more annoyed. Now, the Tents at Lincoln Center resemble a circus rather than a legitimate gathering of professionals and creatives.

Which brings us to Fern Mallis, the lady behind those seventeen halcyon years. She helped organize the move of NYFW from warehouses and studios all over the city to one central location, but with the Tents’ dissolution everything is scattered once again. Just last year Mallis evacuated her role as Senior Vice President of IMG to reportedly start her own consulting business. Interesting timing…

Perhaps she felt disillusioned over what she hath wrought. Perhaps she struck a deal with Bryant Park to kick fashion week out of its lush lawn. Perhaps she poisoned  major designers against her former lover, one Diane von Furstenberg to gain revenge for breaking her heart when she married Barry Diller, effectively ruining Fashion Week and leaving Fiber One as one of the few legitimate sponsors who would touch MBFW with a ten-foot pole!

Cue lightning flash and dramatic music.

Perhaps this is just speculation and hearsay. Perhaps we don’t really care because as far as Mac and I — and the bottle of vodka we’ve already opened to celebrate — Absence of Mallis: The Case of the Lackluster Tents is closed.

Milk is now represented by Creative Artists Agency and has brought on Lexus and American Express as sponsors in addition to original partner MAC Cosmetics.  This partnership has also gone through some changes and beginning this Fashion Week MAC & Milk shows will be under the name of Made.

Lincoln Center on the other hand has IMG, Mercedes-Benz and Maybelline, as well as AmEx with MAC also providing make-up for many a MBFW show.

While Made focuses on emerging designers and does not charge to rent their space — MAC is the exclusive make-up provider leaving models and music on the bill — Lincoln Center caters to more high-profile designers, who in addition to paying for the venue also have to dig deep for models, hair, music and makeup. And these are just a few of the differences:

Number of Shows:

Made – 35

MBFW – 98 (81 on-site, 17 off)

Sponsors:

Made – MAC, American Express and Lexus

MBFW - DHL, Maybelline New York, American Express, TRESemmé, W Hotels Worldwide, Fiber One Bars, ideeli, Fiji Water, AriZona Beverages

Designers:

Made - Sophie Theallet, Cushnie Et Ochs, Peter Som, Erin by Erin Fetherston, Billy Reid, Simon Spurr, Ohne Titel, Jeremy Scott, Nahm

MBFW - BCBG Max Azria, Tommy Hilfiger, Nicole Miller, Cynthia Rowley, Derek Lam, Tracy Reese, L.A.M.B., Diane von Furstenberg, Betsey Johnson, Tory Burch, Badgley Mischka, Vera Wang, Diesel, Michael Kors, Nanette Lepore, J.Mendel, Milly by Michelle Smith, Anna Sui, Elie Tahari

With Fashion Week just around the corner and all those sponsorship dollars, designer reputations and AmEx black cards floating around, the stage is set for a good ole-fashioned walk-off between Milk Studios and Lincoln Center. [WWD]

Photo: Milk Studios

In addition to his own brand, NICOLA’S will showcase 12 young designers from China, “cool stuff from Japan,” Uniqlo, a performance space as well as creations he’s done for Mugler and go-to muse Lady Gaga. NICOLA’S will be open from September 8-21 at 57 Walker St in Tribeca.

Meanwhile, Formichetti also describes his vision for Mugler:

I want Mugler to become a digital global brand. I want to create a new kind of fashion brand, a new way of looking at fashion and take a step into digital communication. A kind of brand that hasn’t been seen before, something new for our next generation. 

The future of fashion:

For me, the digital approach is very important, it’s the future. But we should not forget about our reality, the physical world. We always need to embrace new things, but never be dependent on them. There will be fashion magazines on paper and on-line. The fashion industry as a whole will shift towards digitalism too. I don’t really know how, but it’ll be great! I love change!

And his trials and tribulations at Starbucks:

 I used to hate my name, I always thought, Nicola sounds a lot like a girl..And Formichetti is just weird.. kind of like Spaghetti! I always wanted to change it to Nick, and my surname to Williams.. or Smith.. Nick Smith. I always got embarrassed at Starbucks, when they asked my name..I said its Nick..didnt want them to make weird faces. I guess I got used to it now.

I used to feel the same about my name, then one day I woke up and thought, Lester Leon Talley Ross is not so bad after all. [Milk Made]

When I walked in, Karen Desouza was clad in itty-bitty rolled over blue piercing gym shorts and torn fishnet… everywhere. And she was getting it on a fitness ball with the smoking hot Ben Bellucci in black swishy pants and nothing else. While Karen and Ben stood, limbs entwining in some tantric sex-fighting charade, the venerable Gilles Bensimon sat low on his stool announcing direction to the sounds of Aerosmith’s Love in an Elevator: “Extend your back leg.” “Strong hands.” “Chin down.” “Chin down.”

In the back end, another model, Allison Meiresonne is in prep. Makeup artist Dana James is responsible for the flawlessly blocked gym ready skin. Since the clothes are super basic, hair and makeup needed to be insane, yet purposefully proactive like the clothing itself. Thus, she shaded the eyes smoky with Smashbox shadow and airbrushed on the line of blinding color.Up top, Damon Alfonso worked the hair, teasing it huge like she’s been windblown on a treadmill for an hour followed by tai chi with a hot instructor.

Blonde beauty Alison arrives from the abyss ready and dressed for a jog in heels. And it’s war. I had just heard her say during the ready process that she wasn’t feeling sexy with the types of songs Gilles was playing. And if she was to look her damn sexiest, it had better change. Whelllll then. I gingerly pass along word to the people in charge, and they recommend I put on some different music. But then I turn to the owner of the iPhone connected to the speaker. It was Gilles’ assistant. When I mentioned a music change, she glared slightly and told me that “Gilles will not shoot to their music.” Okay. Might have just stepped on a toe or three. Time to step away from this situation and let it play out as it may. They switched to Karen’s iPod for approximately three down ass workout worthy rap songs when it was switched back to Gilles more rockin’ repertoire. Lesson learned. If you’re Gilles Bensimon, your needs outweigh that of the models.

Back to the visuals now. Place a plaited rope between two models and watch the battle go down. Sam shows them where to stand.

No, this is where it needs to be. Gilles explains just how much space he needs between them for spatial perfection.

And PULL.

Stylist duty calls. Time for Sam to fix a shoe.

Now here’s where my genius kicks in. I’m looking at this scenario in front of me, and Ben is in a shirt. Now, the shirt has to stay in the shot because it is after all a shoot for Equinox’s new line of clothing. But those abs! We daren’t shield them from vision! The wheels in my brain are cranking and turning, so I nudge Sam and say, “What if the girls were tearing off his shirt…..”

Done and DONE. Sam shows the girls how it’s done.

Yes. PERFECT. Brilliant.

Okay, wardrobe change. This could be a bit tricky. Seeing as Sam used a fishnet sock as Karen’s top for the first take, we may be facing a challenge. Equinox has amazing workout gear, engineered specifically to breathe in certain curves along the body, and look super fly for an actual gym sesh. However, at this photo shoot, the selection is a touch slim. Though actually not slim enough for Karen – the tight stretch tank is actually slightly baggy on her. So we play. Yes, ropes quite rightly work as a top, when strategically censoring.

Next shot: Ben in the middle, ladies – fight over him. Go!

Hmm, no that’s not quite enough. And though it would seem like it in the picture above, this was not the model’s brilliant idea: “Let’s get out that elastic band and tie him up in the middle. The two girls can pull on the band and fight over him that way.” It was not mine either, but not surprisingly it was Creative Director Bianca Kosoy that thought of this dynamite pose. There was only one snag – the elastic band had gone missing! So we searched, and I swear it was no where. Almost the entire crew and I looked up and down, under every jacket, every article of clothing, by the other gym equipment, around Gille’s dog (maybe it had become a chew toy?), maybe the front desk dude saw it just walk out?? NO! I couldn’t find it.

I finally gave up, and walked back into the thick of the shoot and there Sam was… with the elastic band slung around her neck. WHEW! Thank GAGA someone had found it.

Because if they hadn’t, this could never have happened:

Wait. TIME OUT! Dana needs to reapply the sweat. She’s been lathering up the models with this glycerin/acetone potion that reads like beads of sweat on the skin. Best. Job. Ever.

From before – can’t hold out on you. Even Karen can’t help but smirk.

Sam Lim is now on constant style watch for that top she tied herself. Needs a quick fix.

AND WORK IT. This is how Gilles Bensimon does it.

It’s a WRAP!

Photos by Jessica Lapidos

The “unique and fun way” people dressed those 17 years ago when Costello met Tagliapietra was the inspiration for fall. Their palette veered effortlessly from vermilion to saffron, grey to mint and most dramatically to a blue sequined print utilizing the eco-friendly,waterless Airdye technique. This procedure allowed the designers to mix and match colors and paint stripes over the sequins, making for a fun Technicolor dreamcoat effect.

Dresses were draped beautifully, creating a romantic sort of movement through the models’ skirts as they strolled around the runway at Milk Studios. The jersey gowns were perhaps the strongest suggestion of the 1990s; grey, floor-length and long-sleeved, they would have been austere if not for a dramatic bit of cowl neck here or an expert gathering there.

Alpaca fur was used sparingly and perhaps unnecessarily, but the collection as a whole provided a strong testament to dressing in a “unique and fun way,” and could inject a little life into any woman’s wardrobe.

Photo: Style.com

I’m pretty sure I’ve found my Halloween costume inspiration, how fun would it be to paint your face in these amazing colors. ENVY anyone?

Gallery on Envy.

LINK LOVE: Style on HuffPo

Lindsay Lohan by Terry Richardson from Purple Magazine on Vimeo.

Terry Richardson shooting Lindsay Lohan for Best of the Season in the next Purple Fashion magazine at Milk Studios New York. Video Caroline Gaimari.

LINK LOVE: Purple

M.A.C has collaborated with Milk Studios not only to host shows during New York Fashion Week, but to create an array of products. “Radiant skin, smokey eyes and beige lips seem to be a part of the beauty trends every season. The M.A.C & Milk Collection are the iconic products that create these trends. No makeup artist can live without these products during fashion week,” says Gordon Espinet, vice president of global makeup artistry for M.A.C Cosmetics.

Keep reading on BeautySnob

Find more photos like this on CULT

Thanks Frillr!

Temperley London Circus Zoetrope from LEGS on Vimeo.

LINK LOVE

GALLERY: FIRST LOOK: Yoko Ono for ThreeASFOUR Spring 2010

Thanks NY Mag!

Many designers have already signed up to show at Milk Studio’s this year, this includes Gareth Pugh (he usually shows in Paris). He will show a video installation by Steven Klein at the space, which is def not as exciting as a runway, but at least he will be there in person (as rumor has it).

LINK LOVE: NY Mag

Get ready to travel all the way to the west side for fashion week, Milk Studios will be the new Bryant Park this season. Not to say that many will still show at the tents, but designers such as Alexander Wang, Proenza Schouler, Band of Outsiders, Vena Cava, and many more will be showcaseing Spring 2010 at 450 W 15th St.