Color palette: Tropical
Mood: Exotic, cool, lightly trashy
Statement Pieces: Everything was a statement, but this short sleeve yellow fox fur was a knockout
Front Row Name Drops: Patricia Field – Yarmak’s furs have been featured in Sex and the City, The Devil Wears Prada and Ugly Betty
Gossip: No one was speaking English, it was glorious
Runway Music: Sonny J – Can’t Stop Moving

While Harper’s Bazaar tackled the online counterfeit debacle at their recent Anti-Counterfeiting Summit, New York is getting all sorts of serious about the topic of fakes. New York City council member Margaret Chin is championing a bill that would criminalize the purchase of fake trademarked items. In layman’s terms: Buy a fake bag, go to jail.

“The bill targets those people who purchase goods that they know are counterfeit,” says Chin.

Fake bag street vendors line Canal Street and crawl through Soho and Chinatown, making it at once a destination and a trap for tourists, and are a serious nuisance to those who live there. They cost NYC over $1 billion in tax revenue and all for what? To make you look tacky, that’s what.

Counterfeit is Ugly

This past Tuesday, top editors, PR firms, designers, and guests of honor from the Mayors office gathered under one collective roof at the Harper’s Bazaar 7th annual Anti-Counterfeit Summit. While dining on delicacies like truffle risotto balls, a panel of experts spoke about the dangers and harms of counterfeit goods.  Frank Abagnale, one of the world’s most respected authorities on the subject (seeing that he lived the part which was interpreted in the hit book, movie, and now Broadway show Catch Me If You Can), Susan Engel, CE of Portero Luxury, an internet retailer of luxury goods, and Thomas Onda the chief of intellectual property at Levi’s were all on the panel to educate us on how the counterfeit industry funds terrorism, child labor malpractice, and fuels the drug industry.  Judging by the surprised and horrified looks on everyone’s faces, counterfeit goods seem to be a battle that can mostly be won through mere awareness and education.

What can you do? Instead of buying fake, get a bag that no one has ever seen. Find one in a local store, go vintage, go to the biggies like Urban Outfitters or Zara, or save up for the real deal!

This two toned square long strapped brief takes hints, not verbatim notes from Louis Vuitton.

Loving the Marc Jacobs quilted chained crossbody on the right, but not its pricetag? Find a piece like this orange bag with chains and metal detailing. It shouldn’t be exact.

Looking for a specific color leather? There are less ornate bags than your beloved Gucci. Get the simple version, then add your own flare later.

Now you’ve been warned: Do not pass go, do not collect a Gucci bag for 30 dollars. Chances are, you’ll go directly to jail.

Anne Hathaway has played many a lady in her time. Which look would fit Kurt’s gay aunt best?

Should she go choppy haired and troubled á la Rachel Getting Married?

Will she drop in as Kurts Fairy God Lesbian?

Is she going to be a cable knit sweater kinda lesbian, like her pre-Prada Andy Sachs?

Does Kurt’s aunt hail from cowboy country, like the beard she played for Brokeback?

Will Kurt be helping his Aunt find her way to an aesthetician and then become her personal stylist?

Or will she be an ab fab lipstick lesbian?

What do you think??

The biggest news of the century!!!

Anna Wintour is out, Carine Roitfeld of French Vogue is in!!!

It’s as if The Devil Wears Prada was some self-fulfilling prophecy, we just got the second greatest news of the year, aside from Barack Obama’s nomination.

Carine is a complete sweetheart (got to meet with her at the Gucci/Madonna party), a fashion icon, and a better dictator than Anna Wintour. Expect scales and all black Yohji Yamamoto to hit the offices of American Vogue pronto.

This is a bit of speculation, but it’s also some of the best news we’ve heard all year. Joysies.

Now don’t jump the gun and start sending in your applications to replace Anna Wintour (sorry folks, that’s my job!) but the queen bee of Vogue may, in fact, be retiring! With her contract at Condé Nast on the verge of expiration, several failing aspects of the Vogue corporation to remedy, lagging sales and an economic collapse just waiting to happen, this may be the perfect opportunity for the 59 year old fashion goddess to call it quits. Let’s face the music, Fashion Rocks is no longer and Men’s Vogue is down to two issues per year…if Wintour doesn’t know how to fix these problems, maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to give someone else a shot. I love you Anna, don’t get me wrong, but let’s get some fresh, young blood in there. Perhaps try this girl named Kirby…I know how you can get in contact with her. 

Oy Viegh! Such news makes me want to watch The Devil Wears Prada! 

Thanks NY Mag! 

? PETER STIGTER NEW YORK FALL 2008

So someone is really, really into The Devil Wears Prada. The new Stylista show is basically a shittier, faker version of the movie. The boss lady at Elle tries her best to emulate Miranda Priestly, but comes up short cause a) she lacks style, b) Botox doesn’t allow for much emotion, and c) she was nice to the fat girl with ugly glasses (after the jump). This show is in a desperate need of a Patricia Fields make-over. All the style is just so, blah.

Duly noted is the YSL necklace Miranda’s doppleganglers wearing. Very chic.