To learn more about Elise Aucouturier and to shop online, visit the brand website.

CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg, Vogue‘s Anna Wintour, Vanity Fair‘s Graydon Carter and a host of industry professionals including Calvin Klein‘s Francisco Costa, Tory Burch, Zac Posen, Theory’s Andrew Rosen, Nanette Lepore, Derek Lam and Joseph Altuzarra joined Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) at a breakfast yesterday to outline the initiative.

“This is such an opportunity for all of us — as an industry, as New Yorkers, as people who do an extraordinary job in creating economic growth — to join with the NRDC to take on this mission, which I think is unprecedented, and really herald a new era of what social change can be done by industry,” Gillibrand said.

One of Clean by Design’s goals is to get designers, retailers and brands to better understand their chain of supply and promote factory improvements. Those in attendance were shown a video depicting a Chinese river polluted by dyes with the statement that next season’s colors will be dictated by the colors of China’s rivers.

“We have found opportunities to reduce impact, using means that actually save the factories money, with process efficiency improvements that win-win, so to speak,” said Linda Greer, director of NRDC’s health and environment program. “The era of operating without knowledge of your factories abroad is ending, and the curtain is rising above the sorts of problems and aspirations that we have abroad.”

Anna Carter, a trustee of the NRDC, added, “It takes as much as 200 tons of water to produce 1 ton of fabric. Since less than 1 percent of the world’s water is drinkable, and our demand for it is on track to double over the next 40 years, this is an issue we need to address. We would be much more effective if we address it together.”

To that end, the NRDC developed its 10 Best Practices, low-cost solutions to reduce water, electricity and energy usage; from leak detection and maintenance in factories to recovering heat from smoke stacks. For every ton of fabric produced, these 10 practices can cut water usage by up to 23% and fuel usage by up to 32%.

PPR and one of its holdings Stella McCartney have already signed on to Clean by Design, though McCartney totally phoned it in; literally.  While she couldn’t make the breakfast, she sent along a video acknowledging her support. [WWD, sub req'd]

- And in other cinema news, Dumb & Dumber 2 is happening and both Ace Ventura and that other guy have signed on. [Highsnobiety]

- Talk of the tube, The Good Wife‘s Julianna Marguiles, My So-Called Life‘s Homeland‘s Claire Danes, Modern Family‘s Sofia Vergara and Downton Abbey‘s Michelle Dockery cover Vanity Fair‘s May issue. [TFS]

- The first ever “shoppable” music video has premiered, thus kicking off the first of many signs of the cultural Apocalypse. [Fashionista]

- A study finds that alcohol can make you feel prettier. The study was funded primarily by everyone who’s ever gotten drunk. [Huff Po]

- Simon Spurr is apparently lying about contacting Simon Spurr, but Simon Spurr is determined to go on without Simon Spurr. [Styleite]

- Beatsmith Mark Ronson has written the score for the new ballet Carbon Life to premiere this Thursday at the London Royal Opera House. [Paper]

While in Tokyo for their Fashion Week, a journalist asked Herr Lagerfeld what he thought of the article and without missing a beat, the ponytailed one let loose the wrath of a thousand backhands:

“First of all, Tina Brown’s magazine is not doing well at all…She is dying. I’m sorry for Tina Brown, who was such a success at Vanity Fair, to go down with a shitty little paper like this. I’m sorry.”

This is not the first time Lagerfeld’s expressed his regret over Brown and Newsweek. During his much-ballyhooed guest editor stint at Metro, Uncle Karl also stated:

“I feel sorry for Tina Brown that her paper is really going down. It’s so skinny, it’s really what we call a ‘diet issue’ because it has no advertising and she certainly will not get advertising with this kind of article. I’ve never heard of this journalist [Robin Givhan] before, except for what she had written about Mrs. Obama, which made me already not like her — the journalist, not Mrs. Obama.”

And that is what we call shade. It’s highly unlikely that Karl Lagerfeld — always with his finger on the pulse of popular culture — has “never heard of” Robin Givhan, the first and only fashion journalist to win a Pulitzer Prize. In 2006, she was awarded the prestigious honor “for her witty, closely observed essays that transform fashion criticism into cultural criticism.”

One would think that after a thousand years or so, Lagerfeld would be used to criticism — even Pultizer Prize-winning criticism — though I guess once one gets to a certain point, one feels above reproach. But also after a certain point, and after a certain degree of success, everyone’s overrated. It’s what, to quote Blackglama, becomes a legend most.

Balenciaga Spanish Master Exhibit

Banana Republic

W Magazine

Calvin Klein

Chanel

Dolce & Gabbana

Fendi

Marc Jacobs Spring 2010

Nicki Minaj in W

Prada

Marc Jacobs Spring 2008

Marc Jacobs Fall 2007

Joaquín Sorolla and the Glory of Spanish Dress

T Magazine

Vogue Italia

Marc Jacobs Spring 2007

Marc Jacobs Spring 2009

DSquared

- Karl Lagerfeld, because he has a few spare seconds on his hands, will draw political cartoons for French Elle. [WWD]

- Who wants to see drunk celebrities making out in Vanity Fair‘s Oscars Photo Booth? Note that Diddy chose to go it alone since he and his ego have been in a committed relationship for the better part of a decade. [Vanity Fair]

- A recent study proposed that putting laws into effect that would ban images of super thin women might be worthwhile, i.e. monetarily sound. [Styleite]

- Feds in New Jersey uncovered one of the largest counterfeit rings ever to fake its way through America, to the tune of over $300 million. [HuffPo]

- Topshop Unique‘s “Cleopatra” collection, despite being critically-maligned, is the biggest and fastest selling Unique collection ever thanks in large parts to celebrities like Rihanna wearing it out and about town. [Telegraph]

- Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez apparently mistook Vanity Fair‘s photo booth for the room they shoulda gotten for this inappropriate heavy petting.  Paul Rudd and Jason Bateman, however, can take that lovin’ to the streets. [Buzzfeed]

- Joining Nicki Minaj in the pages of Vogue is fellow raptress-cum-fashionista Kanye West. Ye rips off his shirt and reassuringly cups Florence Welch‘s ass to pose with Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci, thus squashing any rumors of a feud between West and Anna Wintour. Rumors that I unsuccessfully tried to start. [Fashionista]

- Antonio Darden, New Mexico governor Susana Martinez’s hairstylist, is refusing to do her hair until she changes her staunch opposition to gay marriage. Martinez has reportedly been looking like a hot mess ever since. [Styleite]

- Glee‘s Chris Colfer will make her big film debut in a movie she both wrote and is starring in. Go. Head. Girl. Friend. [Homorazzi]

- Supermodel Kathy Ireland makes Martha Stewart look like a poor slob. Ireland’s home goods business brings in $2 billion a year while Stewart can’t even crack 9 figures. How’s that for a good thing, Mar? [Stylelist]

Hayden will be rated on the below categories, five being the highest and 1 being the lowest.

What grade did Hayden receive? Check out page two to find out.

- Speaking of Mara, the girl without the dragon tattoo eschewed her usual black for a white frock at the Japan premiere of her hit film. Foreshadowing, anyone? [UPI]

- Kmart is ready, willing and more or less able to help with any #fashionweekproblems you might have. Thanks, Big K, but unless you know a drug dealer that delivers outer borough, my #fashionweekproblems are a bit out of your #areaofexpertise. [Racked]

- Kristen Stewart continues to weasel her way into the assumed hearts of the fashion industry with this little candid of her flipping the bird to/around/beside Karl Lagerfeld. Better people have died for less. [Styleite]

- Well this happened. Pied piper to the gays and the Guidos alike, David Guetta has a new video with newfound muse Nicki Minaj for “Turn Me On.” And it’s weird as fuck. [Towleroad]

- Adele will make her first post-vocal-cord-surgery appearance at the Grammys on February 12. After the ceremony, she’s expected to require shoulder surgery from lugging all those damn trophies around. [Paper]

- Hopefully you all tuned in last night to the season premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race — i.e. the greatest show of all time. If you did, you might have noticed the thirteen dragtacular contestants brilliantly recreating the finale to Alexander McQueen‘s spring 1999 fashion show in which Shalom Harlow was assaulted by two paint-spewing mechanical arms. And if you didn’t, I don’t know what the hell you’re waiting for. [NY Mag]

[Daily Mail and Zahia Dehar]

Link Love: WWD

Winner: Sarah Jessica Parker Her January Elle, August Vogue, and September Marie Claire covers are the 2nd or 3rd bestsellers of each mag this year.

Loser: Justin Bieber His Vanity Fair cover is the lowest selling issue since Graydon Carter took over in 1992. Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue and People similarly bombed.

Winner: Lady Gaga Mother Monster's Vogue cover was Anna Wintour's second best-selling issue, while her March Harper's Bazaar is Glenda Bailey's third top performer.

Loser: Lady Gaga However, no one wants to see a pared-down, bare-faced Gaga and the October issue of Bazaar is its third worst performer.

Winner: Mila Kunis A breakout year for the actress delivered GQ's biggest-selling issue from August and a 15% increase for a struggling W with her March cover. A turn on Cosmopolitan and a shared cover with Justin Timberlake on Elle in August also proved to be hits.

Loser: Justin Timberlake JT's cover with Mila might have been a hit for Elle, but his W cover with Amanda Seyfried was the mag's 2nd worst seller, while his solo cover for Esquire in October was its worst seller of the year.

Winner: Jennifer Aniston Alleged sexiest woman of all time, Aniston was also Marie Claire's top seller of the year and her November Elle is on track to be one of its biggest hits.

Loser: Michelle Williams The My Week with Marilyn star's Vogue cover and her Marie Claire cover were each mag's second and third worst-performing covers, respectively.

Winner: Kim Kardashian Kim delivered Glamour's bestseller of the year with her February cover, but a lot happened between then and now...

Loser: The Kardashians While Kim's Harper's Bazaar, Self and Lucky covers were mild hits, the January 2012 issue of Glamour featuring sisters Khloe and Kourtney is on track to bomb Bieber-style.

- And speaking of former reality stars I didn’t know/care were still around, Paris Hilton on the cover of Vanity Fair Spain, ladies and gentlemen. [Huffington Post]

- Derek Lam has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Ivanka Trump claiming she “blatantly and intentionally copied” his Ayami wedge sandal. Well she’s a Trump, did you think she’d copy it with any degree of subtlety? [WWD]

- The Kardashians are suing Star Magazine for libel after the tabloid broke news that they were using child labor and sweatshops in China to manufacture their products. Turns out the head of the Institute for Global Labor and Human Rights was operating on hearsay and assumption. Did no one ever tell him that when you assume you make an ass out of Kim, Kourtney and Khloe — and they can do that fine all by themselves, thank you. [TMZ]

- For some over-privileged boys and girls, Christmas will come a few days late this year.  Due to technical issues of some sort, Barneys has had to cancel several online holiday orders. No, Virginia, there isn’t a Santa Claus because Santa’s IT elves are slacking this season. [Racked]

- Carine Roitfeld‘s had one hell of a year and she wants everyone at Vogue Paris to know it, especially that Emmanuelle Alt. Regarding the loss of Alt’s friendship after 10 years, Roitfeld had this to say: “Maybe this was not supposed to be a friendship. If I look at the balance, maybe I lost some people I thought were my friends, but I made so many new friends. I am very happy, in the end, because I am the winner.” Well, it’s nice to know she’s not bitter. [NYT]

"His look is an extremely conscious metaphor for his philosophy of fashion and life: Here, watch as I bring together the old, in my tall eighteenth-century collar and bizarre powdered hair, with the new, as seen in my ponytail and $2,500 Agatha leather pants, 'the most expensive leather pants in the world,' he declares, with a laugh exactly like Count Chocula's in its length and ridiculousness."

—on Karl Lagerfeld and how to craft a professional image from Karl Lagerfeld, Boy Prince of Fashion, Vanessa Grigoriadis

"There [at Vogue] Talley will sometimes perform a kind of boss-man theatre—throw papers about, slam telephones down, noisily expel the incompetent. 'This is too much. What story do we need to be working on, children? What story? Let's get cracking, darlings, on fur. Fuh, fuh, fuh. One must set the mood around the fuhand the heels, the hair, the skin, the nipples under the fuh, the hair around the nipples, the fuh clinging to the nipples, sweat, oysters, champagne, régence!' "

—on André Leon Talley and the importance of a strong work ethic from “The Only One,” The New Yorker, Hilton Als

"There's a stir at the entrance of the terminal as a silver Mercedes-Benz pulls up, followed by a minivan. Valentino emerges from the car in a Prince of Wales–plaid suit under a shearling coat, with a flowered scarf around his neck, and enters the terminal, walking slightly ahead of his retinue. His tan is rich and close in color to his chestnut-brown hair, which is blown out to immobile perfection. He has a warm smile and bright, heavy-lidded eyes, which are partially hidden behind rose-colored aviators. After he and Giammetti greet each other with a kiss on each cheek, we proceed to the airplane. Three buses are needed, one to move Valentino, Giammetti, and staff, another for luggage, and a third to transport five of Valentino's six pugs—Milton, Maude, Monty, Margot, and Molly."

—on Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti’s love of economic travel from “So Very Valentino,” Vanity Fair, Matt Tyrnauer

"The morning of this summer's haute-couture show, Galliano put on a pair of carefully distressed bluejeans with perfectly frayed cuffs—which covered his sandals but not the toenails he had recently painted a glossy shade that he calls 'cosmic blue.' Galliano's personal hair-and-makeup team had been briefed in advance on the look he wanted to achieve, which was inspired by the evolution of dance. "I am feeling very Spanish tango dirty creepy with oily black hair," he said. His stylist got the message: he glued a stringy goatee onto Galliano's chin and trimmed it to a neat triangle; after that, he spent half an hour curling Galliano's hair and then applied a thick coat of mascara to the lashes beneath his dark-brown eyes."

—on John Galliano’s morning beauty regimen from "The Fantasist," The New Yorker, Michael Specter

"Balenciaga possibly thought that Dior got too much sheer pleasure out of high fashion, which in his own view was an art on a par with painting, sculpture, and architecture, to be taken with the utmost seriousness. It was not something in which you could faire le ponchinelle, 'do a Picasso' (in those days Picasso often called himself the 'clown of art'). But Balenciaga certainly did not regret the success of the new look. He was a businessman, and a very astute one, and he recognized that it had done wonders for the Parisian fashion industry and that everyone involved in it, himself perhaps most of all, had benefited from the publicity. He certainly did not see Dior as a rival, and he had no fear that his own claims to excellence would be overlooked. Dior dressed the rich, Balenciaga the very rich."

—on the fundamental difference between Cristóbal Balenciaga and Christian Dior from "Cut Against the Bias," This Recording, Paul Johnson

Go head, queens!

Link Love: Slate

Gaga said of her experience, “I walked in and said, ‘Well Tony, here we are’ and I dropped my robe and I got into position. I felt shy and thought, ‘It’s Tony Bennett, why am I naked?’”.  The two know one another from recording The Lady is a Tramp together for Bennett’s Duets II album, and have developed a strong kinship.  Bennett remarked that “there is something special about her” as Gaga praised him saying “he’s so handsome…so charming and such a gentleman”.

First appearing as part of Vanity Fair‘s March 1997 “Swinging London” feature, the portrait was acquired with the help of Daphne Guinness, a close friend of both McQueen and Blow. La Chapelle and Guinness were in London last week for the induction ceremony. [DLC.com]

Courtney Love stumbled over her heels and ended Spanx up somewhere in Wonderland, courtesy of photographer of Jason Bell and stylist Lauren Blane. [Photos: Image Amplified]

Testino has long been a close friend of the royal family and was considered Princess Diana‘s favorite photographer. He shot the late princess with the wee princes William and Harry for their 1994 Christmas portraits and was the last person to photograph her, for Vanity Fair in 1997.

Of course, Testino also shot William and Kate’s official engagement photos, a by-product of which appeared on the July issue of Vanity Fair. Anna is seeking to exploit this relationship to convince the Duchess to sit for Vogue, but she’ll have to go through the Queen first. A source speaking to the New York Post says that “the Palace must approve it, and they are very protective of Kate.”

Vogue UK‘s Alexandra Shulman tried to snag Kate for her cover before the royal wedding, but Middleton declined. Diana herself appeared on the cover of British Vogue three times — in 1981, 1991 and 1994 with a posthumous cover in 1997 — so if Kate does decide to be a cover girl, she might do the nationalistic thing and follow in those iconic footsteps. [Telegraph]

*UPDATE: Fashion Copious has amended the statement: “What I meant was that Testino is a lazy photographer that lacks a point of view at this stage of his life. And hence am surprised that he’s being hired and paid handsomely for his [currently] shitty work.”

That said, behold the stunning Karlie Kloss.

- Sweetie darling! Now that Absolutely Fabulous is coming back, what will Patsy and Edie wear? Luckily, someone’s already on that. [Racked]

- Rumor has it Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty may be headed over the pond. [Hint Magazine]

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge Catherine Middleton wearing Zara in Berkshire

Mario Testino captures Lopez in all her Glow by JLo glory and Lisa Robinson gets the exclusive scoop on her life with Marc Anthony, her relationship with Diddy,her broken engagement to Ben Affleck as well as “the example she hopes to set for her children.”

Keep reading to see our fashion faves who made the list.

Justin Timberlake

Catherine Middleton

Casey Mulligan

Carla Bruni

Collin Firth

Stavros Niarchos

“His look is an extremely conscious metaphor for his philosophy of fashion and life: Here, watch as I bring together the old, in my tall eighteenth-century collar and bizarre powdered hair, with the new, as seen in my ponytail and $2,500 Agatha leather pants, ‘the most expensive leather pants in the world,’ he declares, with a laugh exactly like Count Chocula’s in its length and ridiculousness.”

—on Karl Lagerfeld and how to craft a professional image
from Karl Lagerfeld, Boy Prince of Fashion, Vanessa Grigoriadis

“I thought [W] could be a very strong general-interest publication for our generation [ages 30 to 50], in the way that Vanity Fair is for a different generation.”

– Stefano Tonchi [Editor in Chief, W] on his vision for W, LA Times

David Armstrong

David Armstrong grew up outside Boston and traveled between his hometown and New York City when he studied at Cooper Union. After receiving his BFA at Tufts University in 1988, he moved to NYC permanently where he began work as a photographer. Starting out with black and white portraits, Armstrong began to experiment with landscapes and cityscapes in the nineties. Luckily, he also has a distinct and introspective eye for fashion – his editorials are moving and emotionally-charged.

Above photo: Zac Posen and Tao Okamoto for Purple Magazine Spring/Summer 2010

Drew is only the second celeb to front a Neiman Marcus campaign — the first inexplicably being Jennifer Jason Leigh whose star status was debatable even in 1994 when the retailer launched its “Art of Fashion” series.

Barrymore — of the legendary acting and boozing Barrymores — reportedly had a strong hand in the direction of the shoot, which “tells the story of a star’s transformation.” I hope that story involves a Reese’s Pieces-loving alien, a childhood stint in rehab and an award-winning turn in Grey Gardens.

The ads break in the September issues of Vogue, Vanity Fair and W as well as on the iPad in collabo with VF. [WWD]

Remember that time Gwyn-Gwyn was spotted leaving the Coach HQ with Reed Krakoff about 300 years back? Turns out it was for this ad campaign shot by Peter Lindbergh.

The shoot took place inside the 2^nd Street tunnel in Los Angeles, shielding LiLo from the harsh glare of the real world the L.A. summer sun.

Shields, who previously shot the actress in April and November of last year before her stint in jail, explained on his website, “A little romance never hurt anyone until it ended,” adding, “In matters of love sometimes you have to be willing to get your hands dirty.” Apparently, Shields is also under the impression that a little boob-grab never hurt anyone.

Lindsay Lohan couldn’t have been anything but gung-ho about this, as we assume her hands are just as dirty as the rest of her.

Click through below to see the shoot!

Link Love: [Styleite]

Photo: The Fashion Spot

Remember that time Lindsay allegedly stole a formula for her “Sevin Nyne by Lindsay Lohan” tanning spray. Rather, do you remember “Sevin Nyne by Lindsay Lohan” tanning spray?

Well, White Wave International Labs Inc. did. And they tried to sue a ho, alleging the “actress” and her business partner — which I’m assuming is not code for scissor sister — copied their formula after obtaining samples of White Wave’s tanner.

Last Thursday, however, a federal judge threw out the case due to lack of personal jurisdiction and citing Lindsay’s indirect ownership of the brand thus freeing her from any breach of contract.

Whew! I’m glad that’s finally over. Now we can get back to what really matters, i.e. this photo from the Lohan VF shoot. Is it just me or does it seem that in 30 (read:10) years, Lindsay will look more or less like Donatella Versace?

Here’s hoping! [WWD]

Woman relaxing by pool with feet in water, holding book, low section

His Tiger Beat-esque Vanity Fair cover is the worst(-selling) issue of VF in 12 years and his  covers for People and Teen Vogue performed well below their averages. Has a cure finally been found for the dreaded Bieber Fever? [WWD]

- Coco Rocha blogged about her move to Wilhelmina. [Modelina]

- Chloë Sevigny is so cool she’s uncool. And being so uncool, she’s the coolest person ever. [Refinery29]

- Seems like I’m not the only one who was less than enthused about Dior’s Fall 2011 Haute Couture show. [Styleite]

- Despite knowing and liking John Galliano “a lot,” Tom Ford is adamant about not being a racist. [Fashionista]

- And despite styling last January’s V Magazine‘s “Size Issue,” Mugler‘s creative director and Lady Gaga‘s stylist, Nicola Formichetti does not care to work with the fats. Speaking to W:  “I was only used to dressing models and skinny kids. And I turned up and it was, like, three fat guys. I just left. That was the last time I tried to work with fat people.” I once had the same reaction at a Dairy Queen. [Jezebel]

The sometime actress and aspiring singer poses in nothing but Louis Vuitton jewelry and a pair of fishnets — also known as my around the house look — for Vanity Fair‘s jewelry supplement.

I wouldn’t have minded a couture gown. [Daily Mail]

Gwyneth Paltrow as she appears in Louis Vuitton jewellery for Vanity Fair on Jewellery, a special issue that comes out with the August issue of Vanity Fair. Vanity Fair on Jewellery hits newsstands with the August issue of Vanity Fair on Friday, July 1st.

“I’ve been a huge fan of The Roots for years,” says Varvatos, “They are one of the most innovative musical forces on the planet.”

True story. Also, Black Thought, most underrated MC. There, I said it.

Danny Clinch shot The Roots at Republic Airport in New York right as they were getting off the plane — an homage to how rock stars traveled in the 70s. Creative director Stephen Niedzwiecki explains:

“The way The Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and The Beatles traveled had a huge impact on the direction for this season’s campaign…Led Zeppelin’s plane had fireplaces built in. So that’s what inspired us to shoot them in that way.”

And that’s why Led Zeppelin is fucking awesome. Anyhoo, in addition to the airport scenario there are other “image-based” shots that will debut in the September issues of GQ, Esquire, Vanity Fair, Details and other fash mags.

And as a special treat, The Roots threw together a little impromptu number on the tarmac:

[WWD]

- Hussein Chalayan was “devastated” when Tom Ford passed him over in 2001 for being “too avant-garde.” I guess birthing eggs weren’t what Gucci was looking for back then. [Vogue UK]

- Vogue‘s coveted September cover will go to Kate Moss and her wedding, shot by go-to Wintour lensman, Mario Testino. And Vanity Fair is going decidedly classy by shooting Lindsay Lohan while under house arrest for their September issue. [Page Six]

- Apparently, Princess Beatrice has been listening to the haters and has hired full-blown fashionista Emma Watson‘s stylist for $2400/day. Meanwhile, throw that glorified basketball hoop of a Philip Treacy hat back on and stop boring me. [Styleite]

- Ice queen Johnny Weir will be the face of MAC Cosmetics‘ holiday collection, “Glitter and Ice.” [Page Six]

- And if that isn’t gay enough for you, check out the windows of Michael Kors Bleecker Street  location in celebration of the recently passed same-sex marriage bill. Those brides are actually drag queens, FYI. [Racked]

- Testino might as well open up a bridal portrait studio as he will also be Kate Moss‘s official wedding photographer. [Fashion Collections]

- Tranny supermodel Lea T. shot her first swimwear campaign for Brazilian label Blue Man. Terry Richardson captures Lea romping on the beach with hottie Marlon Texeira and a bevy of Brazilian boy beauties. Some aspirational girls get all the luck. [Fashionista]

- Lea’s partner in the andro-super game, Andrej Pejic was voted the 98th sexiest woman in the world by FHM (take that Gaga!), which subsequently buried the accompanying (and kinda cunty) article about him. Leave the snark to the pros, FHM. [Stylecaster]

- Unofficial American diplomat, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi crashed into a police car in Italy yesterday and as a result lost her driver’s license. A day later, she’s wearing a neck brace only to toss it into the air à la Mary Richards. Love is all around, Snickers! — and she will smoosh all of it. [Socialite Life]

- “Move over Naomi,” warns Cadbury‘s new ad, “There’s a new diva in town.” Well, Ms. Campbell has a team of lawyers, a cell phone cocked and ready as well as a stash of blood diamonds that begs to differ. Naomi is threatening to sue Cadbury over its ad because its “racist,” though methinks she just wants them to know that no one outs Naomi in the corner. No one! [Gawker]

The story goes something like this:

InStyle – up 4.7 % to 1,156 pages

Vogue – up 11% to 1,094 pages

Elle – up 15% to 1,082 pages

Harper’s Bazaar – down 5.4% to 712 pages

W – up 5% to 44o pages

For  men’s titles:

GQ – down 3% to 485 pages

Esquire – up 12.5% to 410 pages

Men’s Health – up 4% to 377 pages

Men’s Journal – up 5% to 353 pages

Details - down 2.8% to 311 pages

And on the lifestyle front:

Real Simple, down 6.6% to 688 pages

O: The Oprah Magazine, up 3.8% to 671 pages

Vanity Fair – up 6.5% to 650 pages

Redbook – down 1.6% to 635 pages

Martha Stewart Living – up 2% t0 507 pages

More – down 3.3% to 401 pages

[WWD]

- André Leon Talley ranks Beyoncé in Emilio Pucci as his best dressed from the Met Gala last night, though he modestly put himself at the lowly position at #12 when in reality he was the only lady to really turn it out on that carpet. [Vogue]

- Livia Firth, wife of this year’s Best Actor Oscar winner Colin Firth, had a meeting in the ladies room at the Met Ball with Stella McCartney, Lauren Hutton, Yoko Ono, Salma Hayek, Rihanna and Hilary Alexander and was gracious enough to tweet pics of it. [Refinery29]

- Mert & Marcus by Mert & Marcus. [Fashion Gone Rogue]

- John Galliano fired his lawyer, Stephane Zerbib over “apparent irregularities in respect of his firms administration of Galliano’s financial affairs over a number of years.” Sounds like someone had their hand in the couture cookie jar. [Vogue UK]

- Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge, also known to commoners as Kate Middleton, wore White Gardenia Petals by Illuminum on her special day, thus ensuring that White Gardenia Petals by Illumnum will sell-out in a matter of minutes. [Grazia]

Elizabeth Taylor’s style can probably be summed up with a trio of B’s: Big, Bold and Bling. From her bodacious figure to the epic Taylor-Burton Diamond (a little trinket from husband #5/6, Richard Burton — a pear-shaped 69.42 carat diamond bought for a paltry $1,050,000 in 1969), Liz Taylor was what a movie star should be: glamorous and larger than life.

Best known as a child star from films such as National Velvet (1944) and Lassie Come Home (1943), Liz forever shed that image in the 1951 classic, A Place in the Sun co-starring soon-to-be best friend and confidante, Montgomery Clift. Monty pines away for the unattainable Liz only to have his dream life and love sidetracked by insistent plain Jane, Shelly Winters. The story ends tragically, but not before Liz emerges as a beautiful young thing in an elegant white ball gown that takes not only Monty’s breath away, but the audience’s.

In Giant (1956), Liz shared the screen with two other closet cases, thus ensuring her claim as the world’s foremost fag hag, Rock Hudson and James Dean. She formed lifelong friendships with both men, though they reportedly hated each other. Rock’s old Hollywood studio professionalism clashed with Dean’s reckless Method actor rebelliousness and Liz was often called on to act as mediator. Dean died in a car crash during the production in 1955, but one can see that in their short time together they formed a bond.

In 1956, Taylor would experience another tragedywith one of her friends when Monty Clift crashed his car in the middle of filming Raintree Country. Clift would have died had Liz not dislodged his two front teeth from his throat. Production was halted while Clift underwent surgery and though he continued to act, Clift was visibly and mentally altered, and died in 1966 after a long battle with drug and alcohol addiction.

With 1958′s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Liz set pulses racing as Maggie the Cat, the sexually-frustrated wife of bitter and repressed Paul Newman, who’s too busy mourning his recently deceased friend to pay any heed to Maggie or his ailing family. Though Tennessee Williams‘ play was toned down for film audiences, the most memorable image is that of Liz writhing around in nothing but a white silk slip.

Taylor earned Best Actress Oscar nominations for Raintree and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, but she won her first statuette for 1960′s BUtterfield 8. She wore a stunning Christian Dior gown to accept the prize, though she felt she only won out of sympathy — she had recently lost husband Mike Todd and had nearly died from an illness during filming.

In 1963, Elizabeth Taylor became the first actress to earn $1 million for a movie for Cleopatra and during filming she fell in love with her co-star, the dashing Richard Burton. The costumes in Cleopatra were some of the most opulent ever put to film, but what else would one expect of the most famous woman in the world playing the most famous woman in history. Taylor had 65 costumes in total, including a dress made from 24-carat gold thread and cost a total $194,800 — the most expensive wardrobe for any individual screen actor ever.

Liz would win her second Best Actress Oscar for 1966′s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, as the volatile and alcoholic Martha alongside then-husband Dick Burton’s George. Undeniably her greatest performance, Taylor eschewed her glamorous image to play the aging, plump and slovenly Martha.

The dynamic on screen was similar to real life and the Battling Burtons divorced in 1974, only to give it one more shot a year later. They were divorced for the second and final time in 1976, though their turbulent relationship led Vanity Fair to label theirs the Romance of the Century.

Though film roles dried up later in life, Elizabeth Taylor still dressed every inch the part and her impact on film, fashion, pop culture, as well as her tireless humanitarian efforts will keep her legend shining brighter than any white diamond ever could.

These Have Always Brought Me Luck:

National Velvet (1944)

Father of the Bride (1950)

A Place in the Sun (1951)

Giant (1956)

Raintree Country (1957)

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)

Cleopatra (1963)

The V.I.P.s (1963)

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

The Taming of the Shrew (1967)

Cameron will be rated on the below categories, five being the highest and 1 being the lowest. Good luck girl, you’re going to need it.

Fit: 2

Trendiness: 2

Appropriateness: 1

Styling: 3

Hair: 2

Makeup: 4

Shoes: 3

Pose: 3

Confidence: 3

It’s a good thing you have a pretty face of makeup on Cam, or else your grade would have been a letter lower.

Anne looked stunning and statuesque in a purple Armani Privé Spring 2011 Couture gown. I love the glamorous air she radiates in this dress that literally shines.

Fit: 5

Trendiness: 5

Appropriateness: 5

Styling: 5

Hair: 3

Makeup: 4

Pose: 4

Confidence: 5

Credit: Tom & Lorenzo

Anne wore her final look of the show to the Vanity Fair Oscar Party and brought all of the glamour with her. She looked stunning in a dazzling red Atelier Versace gown.

Fit: 5

Trendiness: 4

Appropriateness: 5

Styling: 5

Hair: 5

Makeup: 5

Pose: 3

Confidence: 4

For her absolutely smashing singing performance that should put her immediately on Broadway, Anne wore a custom Lanvin tuxedo with custom Swarovski crystal-encrusted Brian Atwood satin pumps. She looks like a classic beauty performing in an old Hollywood movie. Can’t get enough!

Fit: 5

Trendiness: 4

Appropriateness: 5

Styling: 4

Shoes: 5

Hair: 5

Makeup: 5

Pose: 5

Confidence: 5

Anne is truly a modern day movie star. She obviously stole the show even though I love James Franco and thought he looked smashing as well. Sigh.

Credit: Tom & Lorenzo

Credit: Tom & Lorenzo

Joining the other kids are, from left to right: Oscar nominee, Jennifer Lawrence looking like a wintry bone in her thigh-high-slit gown; Anthony Mackie has a nice seat between Lawrence and the scantily-clad Olivia Wilde in what looks like one of J. Lo‘s cast-offs from 10 years ago; other Oscar nominee Jesse Eisenberg cozies up to the bar to act as Mila’s arm rest while my future ex-husband Joseph Gordon-Levitt channels the ghosts of the Rat Pack; Eisenberg’s Social Network co-star and newly minted Spider-Man (luckily not the one in that Broadway disaster) Andrew Garfield straddles the bar next to his other Facebook friend, Rashida Jones, who, gorgeous in a leopard-print gown, is feeding, of all things, a baby leopard; rounding out the stellar line-up are hunky Tron-vict, Garrett Hedlund and dragon-tattooed girl, Noomi Rapace.

Norman Jean Roy captured the 15 actors over a two-day shoot in New York and Los Angeles. Video of the scene behind the shoot follows.

Photo: Vanity Fair

“A special team is working on this important and ambitious project, which we plan to launch in 2012,” declared Xavier Romatet.

When asked who is going to be the editor, Xavier Romatet replied only with a grin, but the rumor in the editorial offices point to Madame Carine Roitfeld. Is it true?

I suppose only time will tell on this one.

LINK LOVE: Humor Chic

I’m just saying, when you deliver a fresh-faced tween pop sensation into the grubby hands of one Mr. Terry Richardson, you expect a bit of trash, some inappropriate behavior, a heaping helping of sleaze and, if we’re lucky, a lawsuit.

Even Vanity Fair slutted it up  more than this.

But wait, just when you thought it was safe to bring LOVE into your household,among your children, they slap on this subtitle: “The Beautiful One.”

Those three words are profoundly unsettling. Not because they’re applied to a 16-year-old boy, but because that 16-year-old-boy reminds me of a Muppet more than a paragon of beauty.

I guess that shouldn’t come as a surprise, though. The Muppets are slowly taking over the fashion world.

Photo: Fashionista

“Is this the adorable, inescapable face of 2011?”

Sure, why not? It seems tweenaged girls are dictating the shape of this year, four days in, meaning that 2011 has already nosedived straight into hell.

While we’re at it, let’s just oust Obama and elect Bieber as President, Taylor Swift can be his VP, Katy Perry as Secretary of State and the cast of the Jersey Shore can make up the rest of the Cabinet.

One nation under Bieber, indivisible, with jeggings and Twitter for all.

Photo: Vanity Fair

Link Love: Nicola Formichetti’s Blog!!

January - "V" Magazine Size Issue

January - Uniqlo Ad

January - Grammy Red Carpet

February - Alexander McQueen Tribute

February - Brit Awards Red Carpet

March - "Vogue Hommes Japan" Cover

March - "Telephone" Video

April - "V Man"

May - "American Idol"

June - "Rolling Stone" Cover

June - "Alejandro" Video

July - "Vanity Fair" Cover

July - Y-3 Ad

August - "Vogue Hommes Japan" Digital

September - "Vogue Hommes Japan" Cover w/ "Jo Calderone"

September - Lady Gaga VMAs Red Carpet

September - Lady Gaga Accepts Video of the Year VMA

October - "Hercules" Magazine

November - Charlize Theron for Uniqlo Ad

December - Lady Gaga for MAC Cosmetics

Three words: Best. Idea. Ever.

LINK LOVE: Perez Hilton

Depp told Patti Smith “Poor thing, dogged by paparazzi, her and her husband, Brad…all their kids” when speaking of Angelina. He also talks about how they became closer during the filming of their new movie, The Tourist.  In the interview he also talks about the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie, the Monkees, and the music career Johnny almost had. Everything can be found in the latest issue of the magazine.

LINK LOVE: Vanity Fair

Helena Bonham Carter, whose famously quirky style is criticized more often than not, was surprised at her own nomination. “’It made me laugh because I thought it was a joke when I found out,” she told the NY Daily News.

But, as Vanity Fair explains, “the list about individual taste, not fashion trends.” Carter certainly marches to the beat of her own drum, citing Marie Antoinette as a fashion inspiration and even referring to herself as the “Antichrist of fashion.”

As much as we adore the woman and her bold style, it is technically called the International Best-Dressed List, not the International List of Women With No Fashion Inhibitions.

ENJOY!