»PETA isn't a fan of Gwyneth Paltrow's Tod's ads [The Cut]

»The winner of Stylista starts as Anne Slowey's new assistant editor at Elle tomorrow [FWD]

»Karl Lagerfeld: Now in pink gingham [Jezebel]

»Could Kate Moss make an appearance at Interview's fashion week party? [FWD]

»Emily Weiss, former Teen Vogue intern of The Hills fame, is now working for stylist Katie Mossman [Fashionista]

»Jourdan Dunn closes Cape Town Fashion Week [FabSugar UK]

»Rankin designed a limited-edition Coke bottle [Vogue UK]

»Shipley & Halmos launched a new website boasting the "Cursor is God." [Racked]

>> Officially, Vogue and IMG's 14-part reality series Model.Live launches tomorrow on Vogue.TV, but we've got the first episode right here, right now.  You're introduced to the three stars — new face Austria Alcantara, much buzzed-about Cato van Ee, and Agyness Deyn look-alike Madeline Kragh — and learn what they're up against: Austria speaks English as a second language, Madeline has never done a major show season, and Cato has never done a full show season, since she was exclusive to Miu Miu and Prada for Fall 2008. 

Every Friday beginning on Aug. 22, a new eight-minute episode will launch following Cato, Madeline, and Austria through the four fashion weeks, and in the in-betweens, each girl will be posting videos, text messages, blogs, and photos to their Bebo pages daily.

>> THE MODELIZER —Show season is upon us in just two short weeks, and show packages are starting to surface.  Marilyn commissioned Glynis Selina Arban to photograph its stable of girls — including Liu Wen, Caroline Trentini (left), Arlenis Pena, and Eniko Mihalik — in a Spring-worthy ethereal way. [Of the Minute]

>> We've all heard the drama surrounding Nina Garcia's abrupt exit from Elle in April, but Nina herself says that she saw it coming as far back as 2006.  This week's New York Magazine takes an in-depth look at the former Elle editor who has built herself into a brand and compares her with current Elle editor Anne Slowey, pitting the old guard Elle reality star against the new guard Elle reality star hopeful.

Ninotchka "Nina" Garcia learned how to deal with adversity at a very young age.

The summer after she turned 16, Ninotchka “Nina” Garcia found herself in the crossfire of a mafia shoot-out. She was eating a late dinner with her friends at a trendy restaurant in Barranquilla, Colombia . . . The bullets started and stopped so quickly she didn’t realize what was happening until she was crouched beneath the table.

“It was the Wild West back then,” she says. “Some mafioso upset at having to sit in traffic—you know, like road rage, but with guns. Or quarreling mafia families. No one dared ask.” Her voice is resigned. “You just learned to be low-key and not flashy.”

Anne Slowey, meanwhile, deals with the adversity of those ten pounds that just won't go away.

She has tried steroids, supplements, pills, a sort of detoxifying electroshock therapy she calls “Frankenbutt treatments,” and an on-again, off-again commitment to juice fasts. To motivate herself, Slowey buys her fashion-show ensembles, tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of Lanvin and Prada and Balenciaga, several sizes too small. Once, she decided to read Ulysses and practically locked herself in the house for a week, reading it in the bathtub. “I lost eight pounds,” she recalls wistfully.

On fame, fortune, and getting frozen out »

One of the two milliners whose designs we pulled for our Put A Lid On It photo shoot was Molly Yestadt of Yestadt Millinery. The New York designer, whom this editor met during her NYU days, walks to the beat of her own drummer. From our late teen years to now we've always admired Yestadt's inherent sense of style and disregard for the monotonous in fashion. Now with her own full-fledged millinery company Yestadt is taking her sense of fashion, which is undeniably unique, and applying it to a genre that so deserves a young, creative voice. Below, our quick interview with the designer.

Can you tell us a little bit about how you got into millinery?
My Grandfather and great Grandfather were furriers in Chicago, while the other side of my family had a tailors shop on the west side of Manhattan so I’ve always been around old world craftsmanship. Ive been doing Millinery since 2004 and Its been a real drive for me to create hand made pieces with the same skill and quality.

The history of hats/headpieces/scarves/coverings is rich with cultural information. How do these complexities inform your designs?
Millinery is an old trade, so there’s a ton of technique and craft involved in each design. In the community where I grew up, wearing a hat has connections to modesty, marriage, and status. It’s an accessory that bridges fashion and art with traditions.

Why do you think American women stopped wearing hats as fashion accessories? Do you think this will change?
Hats may have slipped from the wardrobe as American women became more informal and casual. Woman today have been spoiled in to thinking that everything needs to be comfortable. I think Men and Women are beginning to wear more hats already. Everyone wants to wear something special and different, it’s almost like a reaction to the big disposable fashion people are used to.

What other milliner do you admire and why?
Stephen Jones is quite inspirational in his manipulation of lines and materials. I also look to Cha Cha’s House of Ill Repute for their amazingly textured product and constant reinvention of the fedora.

What don't people know about this particular type of design?
To dress a head is really to frame the face and neck. Each hat’s contour has the ability to highlight a different feature. Like any other kind of handmade product, there is a lot in the details.

In terms of your own company, what projects or accomplishments are on the horizon?
Haha filling orders! I do a lot of bridal in addition to the fashion pieces I make so its always pretty hectic in the workshop. Also, Im working on a lot of exciting pieces for winter that are going to be totally outrageous with lots of furs and leathers.

With news that fashion brand, Mayle, is closing down after Resort/Holiday 09, we think a spread is due. Perhaps you've only loved the Mayle aesthetic from afar, perhaps you've indulged in every smart frock and pair of trousers from previous seasons, or perhaps the brand hasn't meant much to you until now. Either way, we have a feeling these last deliveries will mean much more to many of us. To think, just last week we wrote up an immaterial about a shearling caplet that is part of the Fall 08 collection. Little did we know it would be one of Mayle's last quirky offers. If anything, this should stand as an example of how difficult is is to run a fashion business in general, and how the contemporary companies in particular, often get thrown the wolves if they don't peddle their clothing properly and act as total slaves to the buyers (who have peddle on their own accord). It's not easy, especially in our current economic climate, to endure the season-less demands of the contemporary shopper. Jane Mayle, in her conversation with WWD, referenced perfumery and home goods as being her next endeavor so we're sure we haven't seen the last of that magpie/indie girl aesthetic. That said, it's still the end of a clothing line beloved by many young burgeoning chicsters. Below, our spread of Mayle from Spring 08 (all on sale) and Fall 08 (just delivered). If you shop only for the sake of archiving, we won't blame you.

>> THE MODELIZER —Erin Wasson has graced plenty of magazine covers, but now she can add album cover to her list. Terry Richardson photographed her for Whirlwind Heat's newest alt rock album, Self Titled Or Scoop Du Jour, smudged with ice cream and a few stategically-placed drips. [Whirlwind Heat]

>> Mayle may be closing, but another contemporary brand with a similar folky-feminine aesthetic is pushing its way into new categories as we speak. 

Vena Cava is debuting a capsule footwear collection for Via Spiga during New York Fashion Week. The four shoe styles — the first ever for the label — go with Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai's Spring 2009 "Egyptomania" theme, involving a palette of muted colors, mixed materials like monkfish and salmon skin, and pyramid-shaped silver hardware. 

The deal, which extends three seasons, involves Via Spiga sposoring Vena Cava's shows during that time, and marks the first designer collaboration for the footwear brand. The shoes are expected to retail between $300 and $850, and mark Vena Cava's continued extension into the accessories market.  Up next, the designers foresee eyewear, more handbags, and umbrellas in the line's signature prints. 
*image: source

Our model for Put A Lid On It, Erin Welsh, is one smart cookie when it comes to skincare. Her skin is flawless because she’s paid careful attention to the amount of sun her skin has been exposed to. To give her a sun kissed glow without the damaging rays, we turned to our secret bronzing weapon: Jane’s Oil Free Bronzing Powder in 07 Sunkissed Bronze. The best part about our secret weapon is that you can find it at your local drugstore for under $4. Last time we checked, the only thing you could get for under four dollars that qualified as a beauty product was a cucumber from the grocery store or some olive oil for a DIY mask.

A few quick swipes of this bronzer and suddenly you’ve got that “just back from the beach” glow without a hint of orange. Bronzing powders, in general, are great for balancing out an uneven complexion. If your face and neck are lighter than the rest of your body (this happens to many of us), a light dusting will help even things out. Just remember: a little bit goes a long way. The goal when using a bronzing product is to create a healthy glow, not completely fake a tan. Besides, if everyone knows you’ve been trapped in your office all Summer, who is really going to believe your skin is truly “just back from St. Tropez” brown?