We're sure many of you are swept up with Fashion Week happenings, but there's a pop-up to consider. Eponymous boutique OAK is hosting the limited edition designs of the hottest names in independent fashion for an event they're calling "Bondage" to celebrate their newest brick and mortar opening on Bond Street. For a few special days you can pick up designs by Vena Cava, Form, LD Tuttle, Complex Geometries, and Unconditional (see left for a complete list) all of which play with the notion of bondage from various conceptual perspectives. What's more, one of your editors has a side project with designer Stephanie Draves we once editorialized called boyfriend, and these designs will be included in the project. OAK is busy photographing the designer offerings this morning so, even if you're not in New York, you can buy them online later in the week. We'll keep you posted, and if you're in New York, be sure to stop by Bond Street for the opening reception. Meanwhile, some just-delivered fall goodies from the store, below. Update: See below for photo leaks of the limited edition items!

Every photo editorial is the sum of its parts. For our most recent Fall's Top Five: Past & Present photo shoot, each member of our team brought something vital to the shoot. Liz Baca, a Coutorture Network Partner from the website M.I.S.S. Crew, also works as a stylist and vintage supplier to some of the hottest boutiques in America. To see which of her stores she pulled clothing from for our photo shoot, just click on the image and you'll find the credits bottom left. Part of the fun of editorializing fall at the end of August, is knowing that every frock, pair of trousers, and accessory, is available for purchase right now. Thanks to Baca, that includes the vintage items--so long as you're the first the ring or stop by these amazing shops. Below, we asked Baca about her profession (which is of endless interest to us) and what it takes to provide The Goods! to so many chicsters, season after season.

How did you break into wholesaling vintage clothing and accessories?
I am a long time collector, dare I say "hoarder" of stuff. The dictionary defines a hoarder as "a person who accumulates things and hides them away for future use". In all my years of hoarding things, I never really thought I was hiding things away for future use...I just liked my things and liked finding them. About 5 years ago it became very clear to me that I was having way more fun hunting and gathering vintage finds then going to my daily job. I had so much stuff as it was but didn't want to stop getting more (I sound like a crazy lady, right?). My friends had (and still have) a high-end vintage shop in San Francisco called Ver Unica, I started out doing trade with them and eventually starting wholesaling to them. I figured there had to be more people that wanted The Goods! and there where. After a year of testing the waters, I quit my job and haven't looked back since.

We know you split your time between SF and NY, can you tell us a little bit about your bicoastal schedule?
My bicoastal schedule is hella crazy son! I hope at least one reader got my East meets West slang. Yeah, sooo, I venture out to NYC every month to bring The Goods! to my accounts. My time spent on the East side is any where from 3.5 days to weeks...I always hope for the later but based on my West Coast schedule as a stylist I sometimes have to fit in where I can get in. It makes for some very exciting and hectic months BUT I figure work hard now so I don't have to later...well, it's a nice thought at least.

How do you incorporate seasonal trends into the vintage stock you bring to stores?
My vintage accounts are trend based for the most part. Each has their own unique style but generally they are seeking the vintage version of what is currently in fashion. They'll just be stocking the real deal vs. looks inspired by an era as you find with modern clothing. Of course there are always the designer gems that are ALWAYS in fashion no matter the season or current trends. So, it's important that I keep up on what's going down the runway every season so I can work with my accounts to bring them the appropriate merchandise.

What draws you to wholesaling vintage rather than, say, becoming a brand rep?
The bottom line is I LOVE vintage clothing. Don't get me wrong, there are modern brands that do it for me but i will always be more interested in the things that inspire clothing of today. I love the idea of vintage being limited and unique. Part of it is the hunting factor too. The process as a whole is very exhilarating. I have worked with modern brands, on the retail and wholesale side and sure I can sell it but it just doesn't give me the same kind of satisfaction that vintage clothing does.

How does M.I.S.S. Crew fit in to the picture?
M.I.S.S. Crew is a labor of love! It provides an outlet that forces me to have to be in the "know", to be searching out the latest and greatest and a stage to showcase some of my skills. Gabriella of Mama Clothing, my partner in M.I.S.S., and I work hard to "bring it" for the ladies. We work around our skills and talents as well as the skills and talents of the many ladies that we have the pleasure of working with. That is the beauty of creating your own environment.

How does styling fit in to the picture?
Well it all goes hand-in-hand. Styling keeps me up on and involved in current fashion happenings, which can provide content and focus for M.I.S.S. and can also keep me in the loop as to what my vintage accounts might be looking for. Being a vintage clothing dealer provides access to unique items for my styling work and knowledge of what inspired current fashion which can provide fun content/education for M.I.S.S. and my own blog. I can also provide press and exposure to my vintage accounts by pulling items from their stores for my styling work, which can't be a bad thing. In the end it all comes full circle, each helping out the other. These are the things I love in life therefore I have chosen to make it work.

Can you tell us a little bit about how you pulled together the looks for our trend shoot?
There are so many trends every season. I loved the idea of showing the past vs. the present, right up my ally! So I picked trends that I felt had strong roots from eras gone by or would just be fun to showcase fabulous vintage pieces...like Luxe Layers, that vintage Whitng & David top is serious or that Saint Laurent Dress from Winter's Summer. That is a rare piece, the pattern is called the "Picasso Print"...so amazing.

What was your favorite piece in the shoot?
That's really a hard one. It was exciting to work with brands like Christian Louboutin...and the Saint Laurent dress...I'd have to go for favorite looks and that would have to be the vintage "Country Living" and "Boy's Club". Country Living came together like a dream for me and the Boy's Club, although so simple, is something I would totally wear and I felt really represented a strong 80's inspired menswear look. I can't just pick a piece!!!

What advice would you give people about shopping for vintage clothing?
Be patient. It is not as easy as running into the department store and grabbing a blouse or little black dress. Vintage items are unique and limited. Try things on but don't force the fit! There currently is and has never been any sort of standardization in sizing. A vintage size 10 can be a modern size 4, yes it's that crazy.

What don't people know about your profession?
That it is hard work...a true hustle. People always say that I have the best job and granted I have to agree BUT it is the best job for me. Might not be for everyone. It is long hours, early morning digs in the dark, piles and miles of modern day cast off's to find that one gem, lot's of driving, sometimes sleeping in your car, mending and repairing...breathing life back into things that have been left for dead. I call it search and rescue. it's a strange love and wonderful life and it is the life for me.

In case you can't tell by the high pitched buzz floating around the blogosphere, Fashion Week is right around the the corner. If you're getting prepared along with the rest of the fashion industry, then you'll be interested in today's Must Read posts from: New York Fashion Week is right around the corner, and this year many of our Network Partners will be providing coverage. The Jet Set Girls offers advice in preparation as to how to dress for Fashion Week. Playing with proportions can be exhausting or exhilarating. Wearing on knee high boots is a fun with to adjust your proportions, but as Wardrobe Oxygen points out, it can also get tricky. Good hair is one of those things that either you're born with or you work hard as heck to achieve. Hair's My Story wonders if you can ever find the best hair care brand to help you achieve perfect locks. Grey hairs are an annoyance that can occur at almost any age. Daily Scoop introduces us to a quick and easy touch up tool by Avon. Debutante Clothing uses her prowess as a vintage expert to give you the 101 on vintage costume jewelry. There are so many great pieces and hidden gems it's important to know what you're looking at.

»Eniko Mihalik, former "chopstick" [TI]

»Yigal Azrouel designed condoms [The Cut]

»Ownership of Jil Sander has changed hands [WSJ]

»Kai Kuhne is being backed by the venture capitalist who co-founded Proenza Schouler [Style File]

»Iris Strubegger loves Bette Midler songs [Supreme Being]

»Style.com is launching e-commerce [Racked]

»Chris Benz is staging his first runway show, inspired by pre-American Revolution period dress [Style File]

»Cushnie et Ochs, the "new Proenza Schouler," guest bloggers [Word Up!]

>> Back in 2006, a Steven Meisel picture of Gemma Ward and Sasha Pivovarova in nuns' veils was published by Vogue Italia, illustrating how similar the two girls appear.  In the Fall 2008 issue of POP, the same idea seems to have happened with Alana Zimmer and Amanda Laine: Semra Russell styled the two to resemble each other in "Twin Peaks" — funnily enough, they are also dressed as nuns.  Coincidence?

*image: source, source

>> INSIDER WIRE —Rumors are circling that Art + Commerce — the agency which represents the likes of Craig McDean, Steven Meisel, and Solve Sundsbo — is making a move to sign Hedi Slimane as a photographer.  Until now, he's worked without representation: Does this mean Hedi has officially traded clothing design for photography as his career of choice? [TI]

>> Vogue India has been around just short of a year, but it's already causing uproar.  A spread that appeared in the August 2008 issue, featuring "real" Indian people carrying $10,000 Birkin bags or $200 Burberry umbrellas, is being called "downright distasteful" and an "example of vulgarity" because nearly half of India's population lives on less than $1.25 a day. 

Vogue India editor-in-chief Priya Tanna's responded by standing her ground:

Lighten up . . . Fashion is no longer a rich man’s privilege. Anyone can carry it off and make it look beautiful. You have to remember with fashion, you can’t take it that seriously. We weren’t trying to make a political statement or save the world.

The depiction was worsened in critics' eyes because the subjects were not identified by name — the brands of the accessories were identified in the captions, which they then say are worn by a lady or a man.

Vogue India is not the first edition of Vogue to stir controversy this year; In fact, it was reported earlier this year that Si Newhouse, Conde Nast's chairman (and therefore Vogue overseer) delights in the controversies his magazines create. So perhaps — Anna Wintour and Priya Tanna — they were just pleasing their boss.
*image: source

The Fall lines are emerging at such a rapid pace, our Network Partners can barely keep up. We've picked the best of the best, so you don't feel left out of the loop. Keeping up is easy as pie with today's Must Read posts from: While having a relaxing weekend kicked back in front of the tv, Clothes Pin discovered a boutique carrying an eponymous handbag line. Sukari, the designer, pulls inspiration from Africa, India, South America and Europe. Every gal needs a spicy accessory to encourage the superwoman strength within to emerge. Molly Cake stumbled upon Talon-style rings, and we think this just might be the encouragement any woman needs. We've noticed that for this coming Fall, unlike seasons past, everyone seems to have a different interpretation of the trends. Stained Couture introduces us to Agent Provacateur's collection titled "Season Of The Witch", which could be interpreted as a spin off of the gothic trend. We don't know about you, but we have many, many different moods, so when Denimology tells us about Shams Denim, a brand that promises to have jeans for our every mood, we become suspicious. After all, aren't there times when you don't want to wear jeans at all? Fashion oops are bound to happen, no matter how much you prepare for them. But, it's good to keep your makeup bag stocked with "just in case" items, and Makeup and Beauty Blog introduces us to her favorite.