invitation only

>> Victoria's Secret models are all over fashion editorials and campaigns these days — Models.com suspects Candice Swanepoel might be next to cross over — and no wonder, with 10 and Harper's Bazaar editor Sophia Neophitou as show stylist. As Neophitou told Style.com of casting the show: “It’s such an editorial level . . . We looked at girls we love to shoot editorially; that’s what great. I think there’s a perception before you get here of what will work. But the reality is, it’s about the girl, it’s about the woman, what she brings as a human being to it, rather than has she got a size 34C cup. No, it’s not about that at all. That’s what they’ve got the miracle bras for.”

Brazilians were heavily favored as usual this year, with Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Isabeli Fontana, Izabel Goulart, Flavia Oliveira, Lais Ribeiro, Fabiana Semprebom, Emanuela de Paula, Gracie Carvalho, and Martha Streck all representing; 10 Brazilians out of the 33 total models. Check them out, plus Jessica Stam, Lily Donaldson, and more — at the show's after-party at Lavo last night.

>> The Chateau Marmont hosted the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund West Coast runway show and tea yesterday afternoon — part of the competition for fund finalists (Joseph Altuzarra, Pamela Love, Prabal Gurung, Christian Cota, Moss Lipow, Gregory Parkinson, and Eddie Borgo among them); each finalist showed five Spring 2011 looks to an audience that included Rachel Zoe, Erin Wasson, Noot Seear, and Jenna Lyons.

Nerves were high for the designers, with a winner to be announced next month. “I have to tell myself to stop and enjoy the moment,” said Gurung. “But it was hard for us all not to tear up.” And Laura Love, Vogue West Coast editor Lisa Love's daughter, who was reportedly convinced to check out modeling by Anna Wintour and has since signed with Ford Models, walked the runway for Altuzarra.

>> Carine Roitfeld's masquerade ball last night, celebrating 90 years of Vogue Paris and loosely Eyes Wide Shut-themed, meant lots of sheer gowns, and lots of show attendees preoccupied with finding a mask yesterday. Anna Dello Russo, inspired by Lady Gaga, paired a Gareth Pugh headpiece with her custom Emilio Pucci gown. Jean Paul Gaultier designed a metal mask for himself adorned with long feathers: "Yes, they're giant eyelashes, acting like hair -- since I'm missing some as you can see — so instead I've gone for this black plume."

Tyra Banks made do with cut up fishnets, Sasha Pivovarova got her mask "from a sex shop," and Lily Donaldson wore a red tulle veil to match her Christian Dior gown: “I made it myself. I went all the way up to the fabric district in Montmartre today.” Stephen Jones made Karlie Kloss's star spangled mask to go with her Christian Dior gown, and Riccardo Tisci did Mariacarla Boscono's over the top feathered hat, while he looked to Philip Treacy to custom make his mask.

While there was plenty of mask ogling, Carine Roitfeld was more preoccupied with other thoughts. “Oh my goodness, even the models are eating, it’s amazing!” she laughed, as Lily Donaldson took a leaf from a chocolate cabbage.

>> Roberto Cavalli reportedly spent about $2 million on his 40th anniversary bash held last night at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris — and that doesn't include the budget allotted to bringing Natalia Vodianova (and perhaps some of the other 1,200 attendees) to the party. As the New York Times's Eric Wilson wrote: "It was one of those fashion parties that felt like another era, when it was possible to enjoy such extravagance without wondering how a designer could possibly be selling enough animal-printed evening gowns and exuberantly distressed denim to afford it all."

Kylie Minogue performed, the walls were lined with Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott's images of models in Cavalli, and Heidi Klum introduced the designer as a four-tier, 10-foot birthday cake covered in sparklers was wheeled onto the stage. But even through all that, Cavalli, almost 70, admitted he's not the party animal he used to be: “Don’t say it, don’t say it, please, because the people should still dream with me,” he said. “The young should think that, instead of sparkling water, I drink Krug, or that I still smoke 10 Cuban cigars every day.”

>> There was no shortage of attendees last Thursday at the Spotted Pig in Manhattan, gathered in honor of Sally Singer's recent appointment as editor of T magazine. Singer was reportedly bashful about being the guest of honor as designers, friends, and Vogue cohorts all gathered to say their congratulations — among them Anna Wintour, who was one of the first to arrive — and Marco Zanini, creative director of Rochas, who flew in just for the event. Singer, who will debut her first issue for T on Dec. 5 (her first fashion issue doesn't come until February), is apparently done with hiring — she stated at the party that her staff of 40 at the magazine is set.

>> Baptiste Giabiconi was rumored to make his singing debut at the Chanel Soho store party in New York last night — Karl Lagerfeld is reportedly pushing him to be a pop star — but apparently he got cold feet. Instead, guests were treated to the redone store, cordoned off from the public by a LED display wall playing Chanel videos and brimming with editors (Sally Singer, Robbie Myers, Cecilia Dean, Amy Astley); models (Heidi Mount, Jessica Stam, Magdalena Frackowiak, Anja Rubik, Freja Beha Erichsen, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Erin Wasson, Shalom Harlow, Crystal Renn); and Chanel favorites like Poppy Delevigne, Caroline Sieber, Diane Kruger, Liv Tyler, Courtney Love, and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Alexa Chung, who was DJing the party, asked last night if she could buy the new Chanel Les Khakis nail polish (which came out today), but she was told she had to wait until this morning to pick it up. And before Lagerfeld arrived, publicists scraped graffiti stickers, posters, and fliers off the scaffolding by the red carpet. They even had box cutters to scrape off tape and remnants. But that wasn't the only prep done in anticipation of Lagerfeld's arrival: The Daily reports from sources working in the building that houses the Soho boutique that Lagerfeld also demanded his own private bathroom to use during the party, and thus, one was built.

Waiters stood by holding trays of Chanel-logoed spray paint cans which could be used to tag a LED wall near the store's entrance, and the gift bag held a silk scarf printed with a polar bear among camellias. Lagerfeld also took the opportunity to show off his new discovery, 19-year-old French singer Izia, who took the stage at the party (thus intimidating Giabiconi).

>> This evening at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, fashion's finest gathered for the 2010 CFDA Awards. Jak & Jil's Tommy Ton snapped photos of the arrivals, J.Crew's Jenna Lyons introduced herself to Isabel Toledo, and the ever-punctual Anna Wintour was later than usual, appearing after the pre-awards cocktails were in full swing.

Wintour put on her signature shades for the ceremony itself, but off they came when International Award winner Christopher Bailey thanked her (along with Tom Ford and Donna Karan) — in fact, she was beaming. Later, she got on stage to present Michael Kors with his Lifetime Achievement Award — he received a standing ovation — and told a story about how she went on a trip to Jamaica with Kors; when Ralph Lauren arrived, Kors got in the ocean and stayed there for hours because he didn't want Lauren to see him in his swimsuit.

Speaking of Lauren, he received the Popular Vote for the second year running — although he wasn't in attendance this evening. Sarah Jessica Parker, dressed in a custom gown by new Alexander McQueen creative director Sarah Burton, presented Lee Alexander McQueen posthumously with the Special Tribute Award, noting that the designer had "the most beautiful hands I've ever seen," before models took the stage in the designer's last works.

Accepting her Fashion Icon Award, Iman thanked her parents for the longest neck on any model at any go-see in the world and joked to husband David Bowie: "Move over. You're not the only icon in the house." And finally, Marc Jacobs scored the Womenwear Award — he thanked bloggers for his win and said to Robert Duffy: "i want to thank [Duffy], without you this dream would never have come true."

And the winners are . . . (nominees here):

• Accessory Designer of the Year: Alexis Bittar
• Popular Vote Award: Ralph Lauren
• Menswear Designer of the Year: Marcus Wainwright and David Neville for Rag & Bone
• Swarovski Award for Menswear: Richard Chai
• Swarovski Award for Womenswear: Jason Wu
• Swarovski Award for Accessories: Alexander Wang
• Womenswear Designer of the Year: Marc Jacobs

>> Marc Jacobs has taken the stage for many a reason in the past — usually it involves accepting an award — but last night, it was to sing backup to Donna Summer at the opening of Louis Vuitton's new store on Bond Street in London. “It was fun — but I think I’ll stick to my day job,” he quipped.

Jacobs celebrated with the likes of Stella Tennant, Bernard Arnault, Carine Roitfeld, and Natalia Vodianova, and opened up about his recent hair transplant, which had him avoiding press and cameras at the Costume Institute Gala earlier this month. "I was starting to thin on top. I can’t dye it for a while, so this is my natural colour.”

He also hinted that the Louis Vuitton logo that he has helped make so ubiquitous almost got squelched way back when he first started at the brand: "When I arrived at Louis Vuitton 12 years ago, and I was figuring out how to create a new tier of Vuitton for a different customer, I thought it would be clever to hide that monogram, which was very stupid of me. That logo is part of what makes the Vuitton so desirable. It allows people to become members of an aspirational club."

Logos are to be expected, but not Louis Vuitton couture — Jacobs says he has no desire to launch such a collection. “Some of what we already do at ready-to-wear is pretty much at couture level, anyway."

>> Naomi Campbell may be having issues due to an alleged diamond gift from Liberia's former president Charles Taylor, but she had no problem accepting gifts on Saturday for her 40th birthday — there were reportedly so many, they had to be be ferried back on multiple boat trips to her boyfriend Vladimir Doronin's yacht.

Doronin planned a rumored $1 million black panther-themed bash for the model (after her favorite animal) at the Hotel du Cap near Cannes, which included a 45-minute set by The Black Eyed Peas. P. Diddy and Tyson Beckford gave tributes during dinner, which saw Campbell seated at a revolving center table. Later, guests like John Galliano, Georgina Chapman, Lorenzo Martone, Edward Eninnful, Bethann Hardison, Shala Monroque, Hamish Bowles, Christy Turlington, Eva Herzigova, Grace Jones, Domenico Dolce, Stefano Gabbana, and Giovanna Battaglia hit the dance floor — where Marc Jacobs supposedly challenged Jennifer Lopez to a walk off.

At midnight, the music stopped so guests could sing "Happy Birthday," and a three tier cake was brought out; Doronin gave a speech, calling Naomi his "wild woman" and his "great love." Speaking of which, the model has been wearing a large emerald ring — sparking rumors — but her reps deny an engagement and Doronin remains married to his estranged wife.
*image: Bauer-Griffin Online