>> Blake Lively has a fan in Anna Wintour, who has put her on three covers now — including, most recently, the special edition Vogue Best Dressed issue — after initially directing Tonne Goodman to "Vogue her," but Lively still says that she works without a stylist. Her appearance at Christian Louboutin's invite-only sample sale in New York last week could support that — Lively apparently spent over four hours looking at the stock and then trying on pumps and studded red patent boots while surrounded by towers of shoe boxes. She ended up leaving with more than 40 pairs of shoes after the whole ordeal. "I have sisters, so I'm getting gifts for them and for friends," she explained. "Of course, I got quite a few for myself, too." [Footwear News]

>> Editors — including Katie Grand — were regularly spotted exiting the Lanvin for H&M preshopping event on Thursday with three or four bags, and Meredith Melling Burke wore the collection's red tulle dress to Vogue writer Stephanie LaCava's black tie wedding over the weekend, so it's no surprise that when made available to the masses on Saturday, consumers reacted similarly, often spending, as The Cut points out, as much as they might on a piece from the Lanvin runway collection.

WWD tracked shoppers in New York and LA shelling out $1,700 or $1,800 in one fell swoop — the former shopper noting it was "the most I've ever spent in my life" — and one man who spent $3,000 buying up basically everything in the women's collection for his wife, who "is pregnant and can't be here, so I am doing a run."

Alber Elbaz, originally said he planned to head home from New York on Saturday — "You could have a baby in the time it took us to work on this. I'm going to be in bed, watching TV, and ordering Chinese food." But it seems he had a change of heart. He arrived a bit before 8 a.m. in a black Town Car across from the Manhattan H&M flagship to marvel at the line. "We stayed in New York one more night so we could see this," Elbaz told WWD. "I don’t dare go in. I can't believe it. I was sure there would be no one. I was a bit panicked. This is a once in a lifetime experience." But he must have gotten the courage to exit the vehicle, because he was snapped outside taking it all in.

>> Founding Vogue Russia editor Aliona Doletskaya resigned from her position at the end of July — with her final issue of the magazine hitting stands for September 2010 — without delineating any future plans other than notifying Condé Nast International president Jonathan Newhouse that, in his words, she would like to "start a new life, probably to write a book or try her hand in a new field." Not much has been heard from Doletskaya since — save for a recent byline in the New York Times on luxury in Russia — but late last week, Derek Blasberg Tweeted, "In today's completely unsubstantiated rumors: Aliona Doletskaya, former editor-in-chief of Russian Vogue, is vying for the top gig at POP." Dasha Zhukova resigned from the POP position earlier this month. [@derekblasberg]

>> Is the current rise of Asian models a moment or a movement? The latter, Kwok Chan, director of international scouting at Marilyn Agency (which represents Liu Wen), tells Vogue in its December 2010 issue. Curiously, of all the most in-demand Asian models currently, none of them are Asian-American. "The only way I can explain why there are no big Asian-American names is, why are photo shoots done in some exotic locale and it looks like you've shot in someone's backyard?" Chan says. "Fashion is fantasy; it's about perception."

Dick Page, creative director of Shiseido, chalks up Asian models' increased visibility to "most economics. Everybody in the fashion/beauty industry recognizes the importance of global markets, and currently, China, Taiwan, and South Korea are at the forefront. The upshot is that customers want to see some version of themselves represented." And Anita Bitton, a casting director who has worked on Alexander Wang's shows and Gap campaigns, says that an ease in travel restrictions could also be a contributor: "Some of these girls had trouble obtaining work visas."

Liu Wen herself has noted a change within the last two seasons: "The challenge for me, and for Asian models in general, has been convincing editors, stylists, and photographers that we can have mass appeal. "But Asian, especially Chinese, models have become a stronger presence. Just a season or two ago, there weren't many models for me to talk with backstage in my native Mandarin. Now I usually have no trouble finding someone at any show." Du Juan adds: "There still are brands or clients that would not consider using an Asian model, but things are changing dramatically and quickly. I am not so sure if being Asian was or is a hindrance. In fact, I think it is a plus."

Because of the shift, Angelica Cheung, editor in chief of Vogue China, has noticed a shift in the Chinese ideal of beauty: "Traditionally the Chinese favored a classic kind of beauty — big, round eyes, cute small mouth, a high nose, and very fair skin. The Chinese models who have made it internationally are not beauties in the traditional sense, so they are modernizing the concept of beauty in China. When I was growing up in the seventies, everyone wore a blue, gray, or green Mao suit — there was no chance for women to be glamorous or different. Now you see young Chinese trying to be radical by dyeing their hair blonde or blue, sporting tattoos. It is a combination of copying what they see is popular in the Western world and trying to stand out in a nation where almost all of the 1.3 billion population have straight black hair and brown eyes. I like to joke that in less than a decade, China has gone from Karl Marx to Karl Lagerfeld!”

>> Karl Lagerfeld shot the 2011 Pirelli calendar way back in April at his Paris studio, and although it won't be unveiled until Nov. 30 in Moscow, until now, no imagery has leaked. The calendar is inspired by gods of Greek and Roman mythology this year, and the first outtake has popped up, showing Isabeli Fontana, Garrett Neff, and Bianca Balti as "Bacchus with Two Bacchantes." Also included in the 2011 cast are Heidi Mount, Natasha Poly, Magdalena Frackowiak, two to three more male models, plus Elisa Sednaoui, who recently said she will be joining Lagerfeld for the Moscow unveiling. [Fashionising, TFS]