>> Michelle Obama went with designer's designer Isabel Toledo for her yellow inauguration day look, and she continued promoting designers that aren't household names tonight.  Up-and-coming designer Jason Wu just got a huge boost in visibility by Obama, who chose his one-shouldered, ivory chiffon dress for her historic night of ten inaugural balls.  Just like Toledo this morning, Wu didn't know that his dress had been chosen until he saw Mrs. Obama wearing it on television. 

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>> INSIDER WIRE —Is Gareth Pugh going wearable fashion on us?  Recently, the New York Times Magazine hinted he might be up for it, quoting his friend Nicola Formichetti in support: "There are people all over the world who are dying to be able to wear Gareth's pieces, and I'm sure in time, he will adapt to that and start making more wearable looks."  Pugh himself told V he's "bored of inaccessible" and talks of "making [his ideas] into something tangible that people can actually understand."  But he's never going to lose his showpieces entirely: "I don’t ever want to show just a dress." [NYT Magazine, V Magazine]
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>> Even after the groundbreaking all-black July 2008 Vogue Italia and the newly inaugurated President Obama, models of color are still having trouble taking the runway in Milan.  After three days of menswear, only Giorgio Armani and Donatella Versace cast black models; Jil Sander, Gucci, Missoni, Burberry, Trussardi, Bottega Veneta, Gianfranco Ferre, Roberto Cavalli, and Prada did not.

Frida Giannini, who has cast exactly one black female model since since she took the reins at Gucci in 2005 — Chanel Iman — blamed modeling agencies: "I think it would be great if there was an industry initiative on this issue, because I am always looking for black models, or even Chinese or whatever, for the shows.  I’m after a specific kind of look, and I request the agencies — I asked last season — to send me someone interesting. But they never send me anyone very new."

Finger-pointing seems to be the go-to excuse with this issue, but the owner of New York agency Red says he flew out three promising black models, who ended up with "amazing options, options I’d never seen before on black guys" for Prada or Jil Sander.  Unfortunately, they all fell through before the shows.

Even Franca Sozzani, editor of Vogue Italia, who had such a hand in pinpointing the issue, seems ready to push it aside, blaming the lack of diversity on the fact that designers might see it is "too obvious" to cast black models the week of Obama's inauguration.  “It has nothing to do with a racist attitude."
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>> INSIDER WIRE —Proenza Schouler fans may have buying the new PS1 bag at the top of their lists, but here's a good secondary, not to mention cheaper, option: watching Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez in action.  The designing duo is said to be joining the long list of guest stars on Ugly Betty, featuring a Proenza fashion show.  [Nylon]

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The Shoptometrist found she couldn't sleep in anticipation of today's ceremony... and posted some e-commerce goodies to pass the time. 

Mrs O, our Network Partner who has devoted her entire blog to the wardrobe of Michelle Obama, reports today on the Inauguration. 

Zuburbia finds a vintage red, white, and blue frock that should inspire a few Inauguration night outfits.

The Smashing Blog takes a break from fashion and makes a pledge in honor of our new president. 

>> In what is being alternately called "the most acidic row to hit the fashion world in 15 years," and "Trousergate," Giorgio Armani accused Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana of copying his Fall 2008 quilted pants (left) and putting them on their Fall 2009 runway Sunday (right).

Armani is notoriously bold about defending his designs, and noted that Dolce & Gabbana used a design he claimed as his own no less than 16 times on the runway: "I would understand if they were nobodies. But honestly!"

It's not every day that one high-end designer will accuse another of copying — the most recent similar event occurred in the early '90s, when Yves Saint Laurent successfully sued Ralph Lauren for copying a black tuxedo dress he had created 30 years earlier — and Armani threatened: "Now they are copying. Later, they will learn."

Quick to reply, Dolce & Gabbana fired back Monday in a statement: "Surely we still have much to learn.  But definitely not from him.  Stylistically, the Armani style is not, and has never been, an inspiration source for us and we stopped seeing his fashion shows years ago."  All this over a quilted pair of pants.
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>> IN PRODUCTION —The McQ Alexander McQueen for Target line doesn't launch until March 1, but the lookbook just arrived, full of jumpsuits, leather vests, shiny trenches, and full skirts, all within the $30-$130 range.  [Nylon, Is Mental]