>> The vivid, saturated colors that mark Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott's photography have long been associated with Louis Vuitton — they've shot every seasonal ad campaign for the brand, with maybe one exception, from as far back as 2002.

Spring 2009 may bring a new look — reports came today that former Versace face Madonna will be the face of the Spring 2009 tribal-Parisian Louis Vuitton collection, with Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott behind the lens, but other sources are saying not so — "they are wrong about the photographer." 

Steven Meisel did Madonna's Vanity Fair cover earlier this year and also collaborated with him on her infamous Sex book, but she's also worked with Steven Klein often, including this year's Dazed & Confused cover and W a couple of years ago, so both photographers could feasibly be front runners over Mert and Marcus.
*image: source

>> BLOWING THE COVER —Desperate times call for desperate measures, and fashion magazines are playing that aphorism out as we speak.  Elle is looking to over-the-top reality show Stylista to bump its numbers, and Vogue has plastered top-selling face Jennifer Aniston on its December 2008 cover, along with the gratuitous "What Angelina did was very uncool" quote.  Any given Vogue issue has its fair share of haters, but this time, instead of being upset with the cover Photoshopping, readers are accusing the magazine of stooping to an Us Weekly level to ensure its sales. [Fashionista]

>> Daisy Lowe was recently hailed as a model who could bring the death of size zero, and designers seem to be falling into place — either that, or they're latching onto her it-girl status, and her curvier-than-the normal-model shape has nothing to do with it.

Not only has Marc Jacobs tapped her to be the face of his Spring 2009 Marc by Marc Jacobs campaign — "I think she looks adorable" — but now word is floating around that she has a DKNY campaign in the pipeline, shot by Scott "The Sartorialist" Schuman.  No word on how this falls into place with another it-girl's DKNY campaign — Daisy could have DKNY and Harley Viera-Newton DKNY Jeans, vice versa, or they could be in one of the campaigns together.

Regardless, Daisy's rise from Agent Provocateur and Doc Martens ads to high fashion diffusion campaigns says something — and in these economic times, her "normal girl" customer appeal could be it.
*image: source

>> IN THE LOOKING GLASS —The too-racy-for-Vogue Italia Steven Meisel spread that got picked up by V Magazine?  It has Anna Selezneva, Daul Kim, Iris Strubegger, and Naty Chabanenko participating in a little crotch-grabbing, a little voyeurism — it's definitely NSFW and is generally more tame than expected, based on the preview — see for yourself. [The Cut]

>> THE MODELIZER —Iris Strubegger, Katrin Thormann, and Ania Trubalska are in New York to stay — the three just signed the papers on their first Manhattan apartment last week, and documented the subsequent trip to Ikea to fill 'er up. [Supreme Management Being]

So many must reads from our Network Partners and sister sites--it's hard to choose which ones to pass along! You can always, don't forget, check out our Network tab to curate your own end of day wind-down. 

This morning marks the launch of Holiday Sugar, a special site designed to give you gift guides and holiday advice for every person and holiday occasion under the sun. Even your pet needs some holiday love!

Here's something really postmodern for you. This morning Chic and Untroubled posted a link round up of her own, and now we're going to link to it!

Today Fashionologie reported on V Magazine helping themselves to a discarded Vogue Italia shoot. Is there a war to be waged or a discreet alliance being formed? 

Fancy an online Kenzo sale? Beautynomics gives up the details with a discreet little wink. 

Catwalk Queen posted the perfect Siman Doonan quote to finish out your day. Go ahead, have a cocktail--Doonan says it's okay!

We're off to a press preview at Pas de Deux--the women's boutique recently opened by Paul Birardi and Eddy Chai of men's fashion destinations Odin and Den. Tomorrow we'll bring you as many photo galleries as one preview can conjure but, while you wait, check out our previous Spring 2009 preview coverage entitled, "In The Showroom". 

We see two marked advantages to this coverage and every collection has either one or the other going for it. For designers like Naeem Khan, Monique Lhuillier, and Aurelio Costarella there comes a chance to see photos of clothing hot off the runway and hear our take on how the collection measures up in person. On the other hand, if the designer didn't show this season, our coverage let's you see Spring 09 from a point of view not yet smattered all over the internet. Our favorites in this category have been Bess, Mary Meyer, and Rodebjer.

Whichever category a collection falls into, we think it's a pretty neat opportunity.

Now you, off to the showroom! 

The first photo of Gareth Pugh's Christmas tree for Topshop has been released and boy, will it make you shiver. If there ever were an emblem for the fashion industry's cold side--this would be it. Between pvc leggings and studded seven-inch heels we're starting to feel saturated with fashion's, well, mean side. And, like all meaningless acts against such things, we responded with the most fluttery of Spring 09 shows, namely, that of Sonia Rykiel. After all, what better way to improve Pugh's tree than to put the dancing, feathered Rykiel girls metaphorically in front of it. We recommend you check out both shows, which were, all joking aside, fantastic. The Spring Sonia Rykiel gallery is here, and the Gareth Pugh gallery here.