You could say cut outs are a sibling to lace (another big trend for Fall 08) or that it's a literal take on our economic climate...either way, cut outs are everywhere this season. As simple as the formula is, we like the fact that this trend works to makes even the most classic pair of black boots into a high design statement. Our only concern is the cold winter months, when the sides of our feet, backs of our shoulders, and ribcage starts freezing--which brings us to an greater point; the importance of layering this season.

The quarterlife crisis has become a topic of much cultural ridicule as Gen-Y struggles to define itself in increasingly difficult times and this weekend your editor will confront that milestone herself. Your editor will be celebrating her twenty fifth this weekend (we plan to let Diesel take care of our party as our special day coincides with their XXX birthday) and we admit that we are finally starting to be concerned with aging. We still feeling our wunderkind years and frankly we would like to keep it that way. Thus we have decided on a strict regime of beauty's most tried and true wrinkle creams. RoC is the gold standard and we are sticking with it. After all if we are going to weather this crisis its best to stick with the best.

The great disappointment of the Liz Claiborne and Narciso Rodriguez partnership sits for us at the uncomfortable space between creative vision and production values. As a designer, Narciso is not one for daring geometric interpretations or commercially confused offerings, he gives high end consumers the subtle brilliance of basics done right. In this sense the partnership should have been a great boon to a designer needing production and sourcing help to further his commitment to making the best possible garments. Having a conglomerate on your side gives you the ability to negotiate deals with textile firms and producers that would be impossible as an independent. Whether or not this support manifested we may never know. But we can only hope that there was no stifling of creative effort because in truth we wonder who could possibly argue with his incredibly appealing and easy to sell garments.

Contemporary designer, and NY party girl, Charlotte Ronson has been asked to design a capsule collection for more than half of JC Penney's 1,093 stores. The line will be of the sportswear variety and be called I [Heart] Ronson which is kind of nonsensical but cute if you don't question it. Looking at Ronson's own ready to wear line, which shows properly during New York Fashion Week, we're curious how she will continue to justify her high prices in light of her collections for Urban Outfitters and JC Penney which look just as sharp at half the price. The boundaries are surely blurring with Ronson, but that's not saying that she won't get away with it. Above, the lower end of Ronson's higher priced line; not unlike a capsule for a mass retailer.