>>  Huge railroad tie crucifixes hanging at their necks and frizzed pompadours upon their heads, the ghosts of yesteryear walked again on the Dior Couture runway.  John Galliano used one part Catholic priest, one part Marie Antoinette, and one part Marquis de Sade to create a melange of corsets, panniers, shrouds, and blood -- a terrifyingly delightful experience.  I have always loved Galliano for his showmanship -- his ability to make a couture show fun to watch.  And while some say that couture should not be about entertainment, but about the craftmanship itself, I say that here is the product of a brilliant creative mind -- it's not every day that we see that.  The ghastly makeup, the eerie reading of Madonna's Justify My Love, and luxuriously perverse details like plasticized blood on ivory crocodile, pearl necklaces with beads dribbling blood down the neck, and net caps reminiscent of an executioner's hood -- it just doesn't get much better for a Dior libertine than that. 

The runway video can be seen here, and the collection can be seen here.

>>  Vintage. Black.  Patent leather platforms.  Size 7.5.  Annnd a buy it now price of $14.99 + shipping.

I know, I know, all you people with size 9/9.5 feet, I'm working on it.

>>  All you Cinderellas out there really get the good vintage shoes -- jealous I am.  I found some nice black suede 40's platforms for you all to try on for size (6). 

>>  Graciously, Style.com has posted a nice clear picture of one of the blazers debuting next Wednesday for Luella at Target.  It's a bit garish for my taste, but for those of you who like it, it's priced at $39.99.  You'll also be happy to hear that according to Style.com, Target is promising to keep it's stores well-stocked for 90 days (i.e. no Stella at H&M nightmares).

>> You haven't seen them since Clueless, but knee highs are making a serious comeback.  They were bright and above the knee at Jean Paul Gaultier, bright and below the knee at Celine, sheer and below the knee at Marc Jacobs.  That's all good and well, but I saved the best for last -- the knee highs at Prada were slouchy, 20's-inspired perfection (above).   

To transition into the look now, try experimenting with knee-highs over tights, and to achieve the Prada look, I'm thinking that buying tights a size too small and then cutting them off right at the panty area might work (I have yet to try it).  For spring, I'm definitely looking forward to putting together a knee-highs, pumps, and shorts ensemble together.

>>  A lovely interview of Miss Werbowy, courtesy of the February GQ:

Did you know that you and I were orginally supposed to play basketball for this story?
Really? I would've kicked your ass. I scored thirty-six points in a high school game. I played center. I also play rugby for two years. Write that down.

What kind of beer did you drink in high school?
Molson. But sailing was huge for me, and every sailor drinks rum, so I drank Mount Gay rum, which I can't drink anymore because I puked too many times. [laughs]So...Lancome!

All right, we'll talk about your becoming the face of Lancome and its new fragrance, Hypnose. My problem with perfume is that girls always wear too much of it.
I completely agree. You should just spray it in the air and walk through. That's it.

What about guys and cologne?
I actually perfer cologne. That's why Hypnose is really good, because it's not overly feminine. It's got a spiciness to it.

It's perfume with balls.
Exactly! You've got to the see the shape of the bottle.[laughs] It's very phallic.

I suppose one of the downside of being a model is that when you're on a plane, you sit next to some dude and he won't stop talking to you.
It's funny, because every time I get on a plane, I think, Maybe this time there's going to be a really hot guy sitting beside me.

Never happen?
Never. Well, actually, once. I still keep in touch with him.

Really? Mile-high club: member or not?
[laughs] Member.

Private jet or regular?
Regular.

First class?
No, thats was when I was still flying coach. [laughs] The good old days. I think the good, real guys fly coach.

So why is it that all models seem to date 40-year-old bald rich French guys?
You know what it is? It's because we're kind of intimidating. I never get picked up. And if I do, it's by a 40-year-old bald man. I don't know, it's such a weird dynamic. The guy I would want would probably never come up to me,so maybe I'll never meet the perfect guy.

The rest of this interview, along with the accompanying photoshoot, can be found here.

>>  I have a movie for all of you Edie-lovers out there -- Igby Goes Down.  Amanda Peet's wardrobe is basically a modern interpretation of Edie's style, making it a good source of inspiration if you want to try out the 60's look without it being too costumey.  So next time you are renting a movie, check it out -- it has some great lines.   

**source: allmoviephoto.com

>>  After seeing cravats pop up all over the men's runways for next fall, I might have to work one into my wardrobe -- I really like how they look.  Or better yet, I might just have to work a cravat-wearing, high-waisted-pant-sporting Mcqueen man into my life. 

**source: gqstyle

>>  Regardless of what's going on in other parts of her life, the February W shoot proves that Kate still reigns la reine in front of the camera.  Well, let's be honest, it didn't hurt that Inez & Vinoodh were the photographers.  My favorite shot is this one on the left -- the headpiece is exquisite, and I love how her hair is styled -- it reminds me a bit of the horse hair plume of a Roman helmet.

The rest of the feature can be seen here.

>> We've all been wondering what it will look like, this Chloe without the Phoebe.  WWD graciously brings us a sneak peek with the Pre-Fall collection, inspired by Stella Tennant in her early modeling days: ruffled blouses, pleated pants, bubbled skirts, and slouchy knitwear.

It's too early for me to make a decision, but I hope that the fleshed-out collection has a bit more flair thrown into the mix than these pieces are showing.  Yeah, they're classy, but I need a little panache too.