- The Olympics really takes the lighting of the Olympic torch super serial. So serial in fact, there were men wearing pleated skirts. [Styleite]

- This is Tom Cruise — and his Photoshopped abs — posing with models Abbey Lee Kershaw and Edita Vilkeviciute on the June cover of W Magazine. Aside from making everyone uncomfortable, Suri‘s dad is promoting his new film, Rock of Ages. [Fashion Gone Rogue]

- Rihanna has unfollowed Chris Brown on Twitter — so you know it’s serious this time — after he allegedly dissed her on the remix to Kanye West‘s “TheraFlu” “Way Too Cold.” I guess claiming that “every industry n*gga done had her” was the straw that broke the camel’s jaw. Again. [TMZ]

- Take a gander at Francisco Costa‘s Calvin Klein capsule collection for Macy’s. [ELLE]

- Justin Bieber is a high school graduate! But don’t expect any collegiate keg stands from this guy, since he’s not really a fan of  ”writing and reading” and all “that stuff.” [People]

- “Tan Mom” Patricia Krentcil has been banned from eight New Jersey tanning salons, though that’s not how Pat tells it. “I haven’t tanned since all this happened. I’m not banned from anything. I didn’t go. I don’t need to go.” So you can take your tanning salons and shove it where the sun don’t shine — which will be nowhere near Pat Krentcil. [NYDN]

- Anna Wintour visited Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report to promote the “Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations” exhibit, and along the way made a date with Colbert to dip her bob into some battered shrimp at Long John Silver’s. [The Cut]

- Since I know you’ve been wanting more of The Real Housewives of Disney – because you’re a human being with emotions — here are some “deleted” scenes. [Buzzfeed]

- The future Mr. Timberlake, Jessica Biel, covers the April issue of W and guess what, y’all? She’s  ”Bringing Sexy Back.”  Meanwhile, at this point in the game, I’d appreciate it if Sexy would just stay the fuck home. [Fashiontography]

- Stella McCartney and PETA are teaming up to rain all over Toronto Fashion Week‘s parade with a graphic anti-leather video to be played on loop as patrons arrive. Those Canadians sure know how to party. [Huff Po]

- If anyone is qualified to tell someone how to deal with their name being dragged through the mud, it’s Madonna. She offered some advice to Adele in the wake of “a-little-too-fat”-gate. [Styleite]

- Jon Hamm perhaps got distracted by his resemblance to Don Draper in the mirror and knocked a few back before 10 am, or he had an extra helping of Truth-ios because Hamm went h.a.m. on Kim Kardashian, calling her and fellow sex tape starlet Paris Hilton “fucking idiots.” [WSJ]

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

Photos: Fashiontography

Cate’s natural beauty glowed thanks to her religious use of SK-II products including Facial Treatment Essence and Facial Treatment Masks. Even skin tone is essential when wearing a red lip like Cate. To create a crystal clear complexion, include SK-II Cellumination Essence in your regimen.

Evan Rachel Wood dazzled in head-to-toe Gucci and finished her look with a spritz of the newest Gucci fragrance, Gucci Guilty Intense - a provocatively warm oriental floral scent with passion at its core.

Chris Evans was handsome as ever outfitted in Gucci and completed his look with the newest Gucci fragrance, Gucci Guilty Intense - a contemporary scent that provokes as it seduces.

The fresh-faced actress embraced her understated glamour, pairing a cream Dolce & Gabbana dress with a subdued smoky eye. Felicity’s look was created with some of Dolce & Gabanna The Make Up’s cult products including Perfect Finish Creamy Foundation in Bisque, Secret Eyes Mascara in Black, Luminous Cheek Colour in Rosebud, Ultra-Shine Lipgloss in Innocence and the new Intense Khol Eye Crayon in True Black.

The new face for Dolce & Gabbana, Adam Senn wore The One Sport fragrance for men to compliment his Dolce & Gabbana suit. The new fragrance will be launching soon, exclusively at Macy's.

Photos: Fucking Young!

A little masculine décolletage at Antonio Azzuolo

David Agbodji, here on the Azzuolo runway, helped sex up W's Sølve Sundsbo's "The Ever Changing Face of Beauty" installation -- of course, Lara Stone did help a little.

Tussled hair and "Blue Steel" on the Lacoste runway

The perpetually pouty Simon Nessman backstage at Michael Kors.

Also backstage at Michael Kors, this guy just happened to wander through.

It took a lot of smolder to be hot on Moncler Grenoble's ice rink cum runway, but Jonathan Marquez pulled it off anyway.

Even a headband at Siki Im's can't detract from Clément Chabernaud's refined hotness.

Michael Bastian decided a six pack was statement enough for this look. Aaaaand....agreed.

River Viiperi's boy next door charm was given a dose of sexy at The Blonds

While Sebastian Sauvé strolled effortlessly on the border of sexy and sleazy. Just the way The Blonds like it.

Photos: W Mag

Photo: Style.com

Color Palette: Burgundy, midnight navy, caramel.

Mood: And then there’s Mod. 60s military chic meets fox hunting with the hounds on Park Ave.

Statement Pieces: The coats were everything with two double-breasted numbers standing out in particular — one in plaid mohair and leather (above) and the other in burgundy patent leather.

Front Row:  Model turned actress and professional Bill-killer, Uma Thurman as well as editors in chic, Elle‘s Joe Zee and W‘s Stefano Tonchi and Edward Enninful.

Runway Music: Despite hearing about her nonstop for the past few weeks, this was my first time actually hearing Lana del Rey. Her ”National Anthem” kicked off the show and I wasn’t completely offended by what I heard. Who knew?

- Andrej Pejic perfected his tuck to model a bikini on a rooftop in New York. All in a gay’s work. [Telegraph]

- Wet Hot American Summer 2. Happening. Get into it. [Huff Po]

- Is Barneys broke? The luxury retailer is having some fairly public money woes. Hey, the recession has hit us all in considerable ways. [WWD]

- Seems like I wasn’t the only one who had a rough night. But in all fairness, I didn’t get stuck in an elevator. But then again, I didn’t get to see Chaka Khan. You take the good with the bad, kids. [Racked]

- A history of the front row at fashion shows proves that celebrities have and will always take precedence. See Babs Streisand resigning Richard Avedon to the second row at Chanel in 1960. [The Cut]

- Calvin Klein, class of 1963 donated $2 million to FIT, the biggest donation from an alumnus in the school’s history. [WWD]

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

1. Vogue — 442.74 pages, up 3.7%

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

3. Elle — 319 pages, up 2% (6 psges)

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

5. W — 204 pages, up 25% (41 pages)

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

The hair is laid and shellacked to one side, decolletage is out and ready for a party and Theron is serving movie star realness for Mario Sorrenti, who shot the cinematic stunner for the mag with styling by the always amazing Edward Enninful.

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.

Do you know who invented Rihanna’s iconic haircut, “The Firefly”? Patrick Melville, renowned specialist in high fashion chic and red carpet glamour, did. This really comes as no surprise if one considers his track record. Patrick got his training in London while working for British Vogue and, from there, he went on to have his work immortalized by the lenses of Patrick Demarchelier, Gilles Bensimon, and Kurt Marcus (among others) for the pages of W, Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, and many more. Success is a stressful thing, but instead of taking a spa-cation, in 2007 Patrick opened The Patrick Melville Salon and Spa at The Sports Club/LA, the internationally reputed sports and fitness complex at Rockefeller Center. His sleek venue quickly became a top beauty destination, as it features all the amenities of a world-class spa—from luxury manicure and pedicures, to acupuncture as well as organic body and hair treatments—along with superb hair cutting and a full-service color bar. So if you were looking for a place to get your do done for those upcoming festivities, this would be it. Should you be unable to make the trip to Rockefeller Center, however, then check out these five practical holiday hairstyles from Patrick.

1. Asymmetrical chignon Blow-dry hair out with large round brush to create a soft and loose texture. Use a ponytail holder and pull hair back into a low ponytail on the side of the nape of the neck. Take a tail comb and tease the ponytail lightly from root to end to create a messy, loose texture. Using a Mason Pearson brush, brush the top of the pony to smooth out the hair, twist it into a chignon, and secure with bobby pins. This is a quick and easy way to go from the office to a holiday party.

2. Very slick high ponytail Blow hair out smooth and straight. Take a ponytail holder and a Mason Pearson brush and flip hair upside down. Holding your head upside down, brush the hair straight into a high ponytail. Secure with the ponytail holder. Spray any loose ends with a light hairspray to get rid of the fly-aways. To hide the ponytail holder, take a piece of hair from underneath of the ponytail and wrap it around the elastic. Secure with a bobby pin underneath. This will complete the look. It's very easy to accomplish and looks great with any outfit.

3. Disheveled French twist Blow hair out straight. Spray the roots with a lightweight hairspray. Take a tail comb and divide hair into one-inch sections. Tease at the root throughout to create lift. Using your fingers, break up the hair to create a disheveled look. Pull the hair back and twist it into a French twist. Secure with long, straight pins. This look is supposed to be worn loose, and not too structured. Works great with any hair type or any length of hair.

4. The Brigitte Bardot This is a very sexy look. Spray hair with lightweight hairspray. Take 1-inch sections throughout the whole head and wrap around a 1-inch curling iron from root to end to create spiraling curls. Once that is complete, take a tail comb and tease at root. Break up the hair with your fingers. Take some straight pins and pull hair back at the front and secure at the crown. This will give a little lift at the crown. Then pull soft wispy pieces around the face to create the sexy soft look. Smooth the top area of the hair lightly to hide any teasing that might be visible and then spray with light hairspray. Brigitte is a timeless sex symbol and this is a very flattering style for any woman.

5. Short hair If you have short hair, and if you're looking to pump up the look for the evening, there are two things you will need. One is craft clay or pomade and the other is dry shampoo. To create the texturized, soft, sexy look, spray at the root with dry shampoo. In the palm of your hand, take a dab of pomade and rub your hands together to break down the product. Apply the product evenly throughout the hair to create a loose texture. You can wear the hair completely swept back off the face or bring pieces in to create chunky texture. Jewelry can be used in the hair to give it more of a holiday glam look. I think you'll see a lot of bling in the hair over the holiday season.

Patrick Melville

Remember that time the UK banned Julia Roberts’ Lancôme ad for tryng and failing to convince us that the Oscar winning actress hadn’t been Photoshopped into oblivion? The Brits, it seems, don’t care to turn a Botoxed cheek to computer-generated enhancement; nor do the French and the Norwegians. Feminist legislators from those European superpowers — and Norway — want all digitally-altered images to be labeled to avoid giving girls the wrong impression.

It was exactly this impression that the American Medical Association wanted to protect when it passed a policy in June to “discourage the altering of photographs in a manner that could promote unrealistic expectations of appropriate body image.” But was this enough? Would that stomp the scourge of rampant Photoshop mutilation?

Enter the dashing Dr. Hany Faid, riding up on his microscope of justice, his pristine lab coat effortlessly billowing in the wind. Along with PhD student Erica Kee, Faid enlisted hundreds of people to compare before and after photos (see below) and then determine the level of digital alteration on a scale from 1-5. They then used this research to train the software to mimic human perception.

Faid hopes this tool will be used to regulate and reduce retouching. He suggests, “Models, for example, might well say, ‘I don’t want to be a 5. I want to be a 1.’” Perhaps this new breakthrough will prevent anymore unfortunate airbrush mishaps and won’t result in the complete devastation of the women’s magazine industry. [NYT]

Photos: W

[MTV Style]

Beyonce

Lady Gaga

Justin Bieber

Selena Gomez

Eminem

Katy Perry

Madonna also opens up to HB‘s Naomi Wolf about motherhood, womanhood, growing up and growing older:

“The other day, I was out on the street with Lourdes. She wasn’t feeling well and had a fever. She was wearing her tracksuit bottoms and her T-shirt, and she turned around and was like, ‘Ugh, there’s a paparazzi, and I look like shit!’ I felt for her because, you know, I thought, this is an extra layer. It’s already a challenge to have a teenager, then to have a teenager in New York City, and on top of that, she’s the daughter of someone famous. It’s a lot. I’m aware of it, and I constantly find myself apologizing for it. But it also provokes many discussions with us about what’s real and what isn’t real.”

“I think that the world is not comfortable with female sexuality. It’s always coming from a male point of view, and a woman is being objectified by a man — and even women are comfortable with that. But when a woman does it, ironically, women are uncomfortable with it. I think a lot of that has to do with conditioning…When women are perceived as powerful and doing something they aren’t supposed to be doing, they are often portrayed as sexual predators.”

“For some reason, I feel like I never left high school, because I still feel that if you don’t fit in, you’re going to get your ass kicked,” she says. “That hasn’t really changed for me. I’ve always been acutely aware of differences and the way you are supposed to act if you want to be popular.”

“I find whenever someone writes anything about me, my age is right after my name[," says Madonna, 252]. “It’s almost like they’re saying, ‘Here she is, but remember she’s this age, so she’s not that relevant anymore.’ Or ‘Let’s punish her by reminding her and everyone else.’ When you put someone’s age down, you’re limiting them.”

A wise poetess once told me age ain’t nothin’ but a number. Madonna could be 800 years old — and there’s no proof that she isn’t — but that train’s gonna keep on chugging whether you’re at the station or not. [Harper's Bazaar]

Karachi Fashion Week

One must also consider the undeniable impact of the internet and blogs, bringing the latest and greatest in fashion to anyone with a decent internet connection. Now a teenager in Ohio can gasp at the fantastical creations from Beijing Fashion Week as a blogger in Thailand livestreams the latest Marc Jacobs runway show. But with this democratization of the fashion industry comes its inevitable oversaturation. “Every other city is doing a fashion week. I think there can be only one market in the U.S., and that’s New York,” Kolb opines. So fashion weeks in Moscow, Karachi, Berlin, Zurich, Huston, Dubai, Portland, Rochester, Islamabad and Tel Aviv won’t garner the kind of respect or attention paid to London and Paris; clothes from its runways won’t land in Elle or W – nor might they ever be worn outside of their respective countries. However, Glenda Bailey’s or Anna Wintour‘s is not the only eye foreign designers hope to capture.

For participants in Islamabad Fashion Week, fashion is a new form of expression that further immerses them in the global culture of the 21st century. When filming Fashion Week Internationale for Vice.com, hostess Charlet Duboc was surprised at the presence of women in full Burkas volunteering backstage:  “I couldn’t quite believe it. How does that work? How can you look at that and admire it and yet know you can’t wear it? But they were there, they were appreciating it and it didn’t feel like there was a divide. Like, ‘You do your thing, I do my thing’ and everyone got along.” Fashion transcends more than just clothing to become a force for cultural change. And a force for economic change. Speaking with the Wall Street Journal, Zurain Imam observed,  ”Fashion in Pakistan for a long time has been an entertainment sport; at [Karachi Fashion Week], we are trying to really make it about the business of fashion.”

While Kolb concedes that smaller fashion weeks can be good training ground for prospective designers, some bigger names are flocking abroad to show their collections. There probably is no hotter designer in America than Singapore-born, Nepalese-raised Prabal Gurung, whose last two presentations at New York Fashion Week met with near universal acclaim. Even he is considering showing his wares abroad in Moscow, Turkey, London and his native Singapore, saying, “There are so many emerging markets that we want to in some way be a part of, and I would love to showcase my collection in a more global way.” With a crowded and contentious calendar, Glenda Bailey won’t likely end up in Richmond, VA, but who’s to say that she won’t be stomping through a Singaporean jungle for the latest in spring ready-to-wear?

Karachi Fashion Week

Christie Brinkley (Feb. 2, 1954) Billy Joel's Uptown Girl was the reigning supermodel of the early 80s thanks to her three consecutive Sports Illustrated covers (1979-1981). After signing a record 20-year contract with Cover Girl, Brinkley came to embody the perpetually perky All-American girl of the decade. Recently, though, she went through a very public and very messy divorce and proved in a 2006 editorial in W magazine there was some grit beneath all that goddamn cheer.

Gia Carangi (1960-1986) Tragic beauty Gia Carangi skyrocketed to superstardom after scoring her first Vogue cover in 1978. All that success perhaps came to early as she  became heavily involved in drugs and her modelling career was all but over by 1982 when she shot her last cover for Cosmopolitan. She died four years later from complications of AIDS. Gia's legacy was enhanced a decade later when Angelina Jolie starred in an HBO biopic, garnering a Golden Globe for her performance.

Kathy Ireland (March 20, 1963) Like Christie Brinkley, Kathy Ireland was a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit regular -- her first cover, the 25th anniversary issue in 1989, is still the best selling in the mag's history. She hung up her bikini in the mid-90s and started hocking goods for Kmart and she parlayed her supermodel career into a super successful business that pulls in some $1.5 billion a year

Paulina Porizkova (April 9, 1965) Equally adept on the cover of Sports Illustrated -- landing consecutive covers in 1984 and 85 -- as on a high fashion runway, Porizkova was a Czech phenomenon. In 1988 she scored the biggest modelling contract at the time when Estée Lauder signed her for $6 million. Another America's Next Top Model alum, Porizkova is most fondly remembered by trannies everywhere as the idol of Octavia St. Laurent in Paris Is Burning.

Linda Evangelista (May 10, 1965) If you watch Isaac Mizrahi's seminal fashion documentary Unzipped (1995), you won't be able to help but think Linda Evangelista is a whiny bitch. She complains about everything the entire movie. You wonder why Mizrahi and everyone else puts up with it. Then, moments before she goes on the runway for his Fall 1994 collection, she stares directly into the camera, seduces you in a second then turns it out all the way down the catwalk. The super among supers who once notoriously purred, "We don't wake up for less than $10,000 a day," was worth every penny. She's fashion's reigning chameleon, able to go from high fashion to commercial with the raise of an eyebrow.

Cindy Crawford (Feb. 20, 1966) The mole that launched a thousand magazine covers, Cindy Crawford was perhaps the most iconic of the supemodels to emerge in the 1980s. She was the approachable bombshell, the girl next door who just happened to be walking a Chanel runway in Paris. Cindy is rarely seen on a runway or in an editorial these days, but whenever she crops up it's a pretty big deal, like mama bird coming home to the roost.

Christy Turlington (Jan. 2, 1969) Quietly stunning, Christy Turlington can nonetheless pose anyone off the page. Perhaps it's all those years of yoga, but her inner serenity and ferocity when it comes to her body language go hand in hand. She can be dynamic, she can be avant garde, she can be powerful, but she's always amazing.

Naomi Campbell (May 22, 1970) What can be said about Naomi Campbell that hasn't already been said that won't land me in jail? The preeminent black supermodel of the past 50 years, Naomi recently celebrated her 25th year in the modeling industry, though her personal life remains front page material. Famous for her temper, the super has managed to stay in the spotlight because she's got more to offer than just a cell phone to the head. A versatile editorial model, she also possesses the best walk ever seen on a runway.

To read an exclusive interview with photographer Sarah Silver about the shoot, head on over to Lookbooks.com!

Gareth Pugh

Prada

Numêro / Models.com

W's "Transformers" by Steven Meisel

Pop Magazine Fall/Winter 2011 by Gillian Wearing / Models.com

Versace x H&M

Versace spring 2011

cK One spring 2011

Balenciaga spring 2011 runway

Barney

Harper's Bazaar Australia November 2011 / Models.com

Models.com

Vogue September 2011 / Fashion Gone Rogue

Photos: W

Karen Elson for Tantrum Intimates.

Linda Evangelista for Lavez-Les Bien

Rupaul's Drag Race's Carmen Carrera for La Femme eau du toilette

Joel Schumacher's Made to Measure

Anna Dello Russo et al for Visage

Joan Rivers and Dennis Basso for Bruce Hockschmidt Furs

Toddlers & Tiaras' Eden Wood for Pizzazz clothing

Karen Elson, Guinevere van Seenus, and Coco Rocha for Vainglorious fragrance

Petra Ecclestone for Petra perfume

She may not always be plus size, but Crystal Renn's weight fluctuates often enough to still be part of this category. We love her huge hair, pin-up lips and busty cleavage under that stunning collarbone. We all agree, Crystal looks better with some meat on her bones.

Beautiful both with and without makeup, Candice Huffine isn't afraid to show a little boob or attitude. Her stunning face is blessed with high cheekbones and a sharply arched brow. Gorgeous.

With a super chic 70s vibe, Robyn Lawley's voluptuous curves and sexy red hair are enough to bring traffic to a screeching halt. Reminiscent of Jessica Rabbit in the spread Belle Curve, Lawley looks flawless.

With that beautiful girl-next-door look, Marquita Pring has taken the ad world by storm with two big campaigns for Levi's. If that doesn't impress you, she also made an appearance in the spread Sogno Di Donna for Vogue Italia.

Ford model Tara Lynn caused a positive stir when she landed the March 2010 cover of Elle France. Her latest cover and spread for Vogue Italia shows off the elegance of sensuality of her curves through the lens of Steven Meisel.

[W]

As Françoise Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, marquise of Montespan

As Jeanne Bécu, comtesse du Barry

As Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour

Portrait by François Boucher

As Madame Barbe de Rimsky-Korsakov

Portrait by Franz Xaver Winterhalter

W’s EIC Stefano Tonchi and senior editor Diane Solway approached Ai about doing the cover shortly after he was released and the artist seemed game. ““He really, really liked the idea,” said Solway. “We left it open to him to create an original work and then we didn’t hear from him for a little bit, so we thought it wasn’t happening.”

Then suddenly, Ai re-emerged with the idea of referencing photos he took of the 1980s riots in Tompkins Square for a five-photo spread. With photographer Max Vadukul, Ai art directed the shoot via Skype, remotely observing as Sui He was detained and hooded — while giving face the entire time — in an Alexander Wang dress before being confined in Rikers Island.

“For me, the excitement has been, firstly, to have the chance to collaborate with an artist of his stature,” said Vadukul of the shoot, “then to hear him actually give a very strong direction. If anybody ever asks me what’s the most incredible thing you’ve ever done in editorial, I will say this assignment.”

The cover is certainly a departure from W‘s last “Art Issue,” featuring a nude and painted Kim Kardashian and one can bet that Ai Weiwei won’t be crying into his sister’s mannish arms about being able to see a little nip. [NYT]

Ai Weiwei via webcam

Max Vadukul giving Ai a little tour

Setting up a shot

I don’t know who keeps trying to make Kristen Stewart happen, but whoever they are, they are relentless. If I had to place my bets, though, it’s the same person who’s trying to make Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Katy Perry happen, i.e. Satan…if Satan were a 13-year old girl with dubious taste and a very impressive Rolodex. [Photos: Socialite Life]

Vogue Italia‘s “Day and Night,” left; W‘s “Transformers,” right

The two shoots are not completely alike; after all W used 10 models including Linda Evangelista, Karen Elson and Jessica Stam, while Vogue Italia only used Zimmermann. And Karl Templer styled for Vogue Italia while Edward Enninful styled for W.

Still, the theme, and even some of the poses, of the two spreads are remarkably similar and they’re both in black and white, thus making the similarities even more apparent.

Sure this doesn’t seem like that big of a deal — fashion continually recycles itself, even if after only a month — but WWD, at least, thinks there might be repercussions:

“The fallout will be worth watching. If it damages W’s relationship with Meisel, [Stefano] Tonchi will lose out on a big-name photographer he’s craved for the magazine. If Tonchi doesn’t act, it will demonstrate the lengths a fashion magazine editor will go to appease a photographer who holds considerable influence in the industry.”

What’s Tonchi going to do, go to Condé Nast and issue a recall of all August Italian Vogues? Mesiel’s a brilliant photog — he just got a little lazy. It happens to the best of us. I got lazy when it came to the conclusion of this post…The End. [WWD]

Hands down my favorite spread so far in this, the September issue season, Klein, Valletta and Edward Enninful envision an eternal heroine and her struggles over the course of a century, featuring looks by Chanel, John Galliano, Miu Miu, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Tom Ford, Givenchy and Alexander McQueen.

“September 29, 1929: A month before the stock market’s Black Tuesday, our heroine’s opium-tinged 29th-birthday party in the Blue Room rolls on.”

There are faces and there’s Linda Fucking Evangelista.

 Who’s fault is it? Salma, I’m looking at you.

Pinault, chairman and CEO of PPR — the conglomerate behind Gucci, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and a slew of other brands — is one of the richest men in the world…and Evangelista is getting hers.

If the super gets her way — and when doesn’t she? — that 46K “would probably be the largest support order in the history of the Family Court,” says some professional legal dude.

While Pinault is busy making it rain for Valentina, his 3-year-old daughter with Hayek, there’s a draught when it comes to Evangelista’s 4-year-old son, Augustin James — meanwhile, you do the math — with Linda’s lawyer claiming, ”He’s just been sitting back, paying zero.”

Among the costs Evangelista is looking to gouge Pinault on are an $80,000/year nanny and private, gun-toting drivers at $175,000/yr. While the judge seemed sympathetic to those costs — after all, we’re talking about a star here — he immediately dismissed the $7500/month vacation expenses. Scrooge.

Evangelista, who’s worth some $8 million — “and she earned, last year, $1.8 million” — is still a working mother and boy was she working that day in court. When the judge asked her just how many hours she worked in a given week, Linda calmly responded:

“On days when I do not work, I am working on my image. I have to hit the gym. I have beauty appointments. I have to work toward my next job and maintaining my image, just like an athlete.”

And she’s running circles all over this case. In stilettos, too. Good luck, mama! [NY Post]

“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

First, a giant congratulations to Steven Kolb on becoming the newly minted CEO of the CFDA after five years of executive directing. As President Diane Von Furstenberg told WWD,  “Steven is a CEO. This title is long deserved. Steven is the best.…He is smart, sensitive to talent and works very, very hard. We started together at CFDA, and I cannot imagine CFDA without him.” I was lucky enough to speak with him briefly last night, and as promised, sent him my recap of the movie. Which I’ll certainly have to re-watch…

Lindsey Wixson  and Daphne Groeneveld  star in the outpouring New York City infatuation that is this spread in W Magazine. The editorial, entitled “Scene on the Street,” was photographed by Alasdair McLellan and styled by Edward Enninful.

The shoot has a little of everything, with styles inspired by the 20′s right up to the 2000′s. Check them out for yourself below:

Tilda givin’ a little twist in Another by Craig McDean.

1. Tilda Swinton

One of the most striking women in film, on the red carpet and in fashion spreads, look no further for Swinton’s editorial excellence than this month’s W.

Masculin/feminin by Tim Walker.

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]

Miss Taylor showing that elegance truly is learned.

According to Roitfeld, the Dame “had the kind of elegance that went far beyond clothes.”

This elegance will be captured by Mario Testino in a 72-page “fashion extravaganza” — my favorite kind of extravaganza behind the eleganza variety, of course — for the issue themed “heroes.”

Vogue Paris be damned — though it kind of already is — but I love that Carine is doing her own thing. Sister do it for yourself.

Are you as excited as I am for this September issue? [WWD]

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]

Spotted Friday at the Givenchy mens show, Carine will once again be sitting front row at the July haute couture shows in Paris where she’ll be impersonating a client for W. Paolo Roversi is rumored to be shooting the story.

Meanwhile, this sounds even better than that Carine Roitfeld-inspired editorial a few months back, though one can only hope that they dig up “Cardboard Tom Ford” again.  [WWD]

This M.I.A. and Donatella Tandem Courtesy of: W

Following in the high-low footsteps of Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Matthew Williamson, Sonia Rykiel and most recently Lanvin‘s Alber Elbaz, Donatella will design a collection of both mens and womens clothing, in addition to home items — which I never even knew H&M had to begin with.

Described as a celebration of the Italian brand’s “vibrant heritage,” the collection will debut in 300 H&M stores on November 17th — and will be sold out later that day.

Bonus! Donatella — pulled, tucked and shellacked within inches of her life — discusses the collection with H&M’s Creative Advisor, Margareta van den Bosch.

[WWD]

Speaking with the Huffington Post, Enninful notes that while there are “still very few black people,” the American fashion industry has reassessed its approach to fashion. And who else do we have to thank but that certified brick house of a Fierce Lady, Michelle Obama:

“You know, for one of the most influential women in the country to be black. I know that meant a great deal to a lot of black people in the fashion industry. And also now we have Twitter, we have the internet, and I’ve seen so many young black people who are involved in fashion. They’re making their own clothes, they’re styling, they’re taking photographs, and I guess the future generation to come, they’re all racing to become one global fashion industry. That’s what I hope, anyway.”

Enninful goes on to describe working with Franca Sozzani on the now legendary “Black Issue” of Vogue Italia, claiming the editix “put her money where her mouth is”:

“She continued to feature black models, she continued to feature different body types or body shapes. She continued to challenge the norm, which is the question that we’ve been talking about, and I feel that’s what we want to take from W as well. We want to make everybody a part of the after-party.”

It’s kind of ridiculous that it’s 2011 and we’re still discussing racism at all, let alone racism in an industry as forward-thinking and revolutionary as fashion. Andrej Pejic just did double duty in mens and womenswear during São Paulo Fashion Week, after all.

Luckily there are people like Ed Enninful leading the way towards a new ethnically rich and diverse fashion frontier. [HuffPo]

Editor-in-Chief Stefano Tonchi explains the reasoning behind the campaign:

“Other publications have these parties that are sometimes very formal, sometimes very brief, sometimes very boring, sometimes very glamorous, but somehow it is always a place where you don’t necessarily have a lot of fun. And we were talking about how you have fun after the party.”

The ads feature photos that have appeared in W and will be seen on taxi rooftops and phone kiosks as well as in Condé Nast magazines and on their Web sites. In addition, W will get the after party started a little early by sending out bottles of Dom Perignon to celebrities, designers and a few restaurants and nightclubs around the city and the Hamptons.

If this is really the after party, I hope those bottles also come with an eightball of cocaine and a dead hooker. Because if Charlie Sheen taught me anything, the after party’s when shit gets real. [WWD]

Congratulations to makeup artist and winner of our Oribe hair contest Michelle Cameau! We love her high hair that she sports daily:

You can follow her on Twitter @MichelleCameau and check out her website here. Thank you to everyone who entered the contest, we wish all of you could be winners. Don’t miss our next contest, WIN: Hugo Naturals Vanilla Sweet Orange Travel Kit.

- Prada‘s IPO was initially valued at $9.5 billion but that number’s looking more along the lines of $15 billion. [WWD]

- Besides starring in early 90s sitcoms, Ashley Olsen and I have something in common. According to one half of The Row: “I don’t like being around a lot of people, I don’t like being in crowds….” Join the club, Ash. Except I disbanded the club because there were too many people in it. [Style.com]

- Models without make-up, airbrushing or retouching are still very much…models. [Models.com]

- Zoeheads can go bananas for Rachel Zoe‘s clothing line in July when it hits the shelves and racks of Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks, Intermix and Selfridges. [The Cut]

- Lady Gaga‘s “Glam This Way” project with MAC Viva Glam will allow her little monsters to upload photos of themselves which in turn will be used in a gown created by Nicola Formichetti to be worn by the Lady this fall. [Us Mag]

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]

- With the Met Gala, the Fashion World’s Oscars only a few hours away, what better way to celebrate (especially if your invitation was lost in the mail like mine, I’m assuming, was), then to take a stroll down memory lane of the Costume Institute‘s patron saint, Anna Wintour‘s ball looks over the years. Time had the unmitigated gaul to name Vogue‘s editrix the worst-dressed of the year for her Chanel Couture from 2008′s Superheroes exhibit, but hopefully whoever had the cheek to write that is hanging by his/her nipples in a dungeon in France somewhere. Where they belong. [Fashionologie]

- J. Crew‘s new catalog features employees modeling their clothes, including openly gay designer “Somsack” and his boyfriend “Micah,” that for some reason is deemed “explicit.” Dear “Straight” World, the gays date and wear clothes. That is when we’re not secretly plotting against the moral fiber of America and recruiting your children to our degenerate way of life. Actually, you know what, we can do both since our people are natural multi-taskers. — Love, The Gays [Refinery29]

- New W Fashion and Style Director, Edward Enninful describes his vision for the mag as thus: “I want editorial to be filled with ideas. It’s very important to capture the mood of the collections and bring narrative onto the pages. It’s also very important to be forward-thinking but remain wearable. We should project what’s going to come, take from the past and bring something new, and document what’s around now.” That means practically nothing to me, but I’m hoping it will translate into tons of black models and couture out the wazoo. [Style File]

- Professional jailbird Lindsay Lohan still somehow manages to find work, this time giving face on the cover of Blank, photographed by Steven Gomillion and Dennis Leupold. I’m holding out hope for a jailhouse photoshoot during the four months she’ll be locked up. [DesignScene]

- Cool-kids-about-town and adorable design duo, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler are starting their own costume jewelry line, set to launch during the pre-collection season. I’m assuming this won’t be Claire’s-level bobbles but I wouldn’t mind a PS tribal beaded necklace bunch. [WWD]

- What with the massive earthquake, massive aftershocks and subsequent tsunami, Japan Fashion Week had to take a bit of a backseat. But the Japanese fashion industry won’t let Mother Nature torrentially rain on their parade. Designers have joined forces to form Voltron a website featuring all of their collections for the Fall 2011 season. [The Cut]

- Beloved royal ginger (seriously, who’s his dad?) Prince Harry is not slacking off on his best man duties. As the self-appointed “wedmin,” Harry has had three state rooms in Buckingham Palace converted into a nightclub with a DJ playing well into the morning hours. For those still standing, there will be a 6 a.m. “survivor’s breakfast.” Oh, and this is also happening:

A chest full of booze, namely rum and champagne. Meanwhile, Kate Middleton might have found her soulmate in Prince William, but I just fell head over tranny heels for Harry. [Daily Mail]

Lynn Hirschberg interviews Jones and discusses the similarities between Mad Men‘s Betty Draper and X-Men: First Class‘s Emma Frost, namely that they’re both ice-cold bitches.

Draper, it turns out, was not even in the original Mad Men pilot, but series creator Matthew Weiner wrote the part for Jones — who had auditioned for the role of scrappy plain Jane gal Friday, Peggy Olson — thus ensuring four seasons of great clothes and questionable acting.

Photos: W

1. Anna Dello Russo, Editor-at-Large, Vogue Nippon

Style: “Balls to the Couture Wall”

2. Shala Monroque, Editor-at-Large, Pop

Style: “Hip Gal About Town”

3. Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief, Vogue

Style: “Baddest Bitch in the Game”

4. André Leon Talley, Contributing Editor, Vogue

Style: “Great-cape Expectations”

5. Carine Roitfeld, former Editor-in-Chief, Vogue Paris

Style: “Parisian Perfection”

6. Giovanna Battaglia, Fashion Editor, L’Uomo Vogue

Style: “City Sleeker”

7. Hamish Bowles, Editor-at-Large, Vogue

Style: “Dandy Does It”

8. Lauren Santo Domingo, Contributing Editor, Vogue

Style: “New Yorker State of Mind”

9. Glenda Bailey, Editor-in-Chief, Harper’s Bazaar

Style: “Tea Time with the Tudors”

10. Stefano Tonchi, Editor-in-Chief, W

Style: “Gentleman’s Agreement”