>> Over the weekend, The Imagist had tongues wagging with a rumor involving three designers shifting their current placement (or lack thereof): "Should it come true, would mean two major fashion houses are in line for a serious re-alignment. The three part scoop involves...(A.) one of fashion's most major designer retiring from a venerable house, making room for that complex and talented countryman of his (B....) jumping from his current house to the vacant throne. Which (C) then leaves another of fashion's most legendary brands open for a certain star talent to come out of the wilderness back into the luxury fold."

In response, a Fashin commenter posted: "If the 2nd blind item is the same one that has been floating around (Which I think it is), the keyword for it is 'Italian'..." And the Imagist commenters posited: "Armani retires. Pilati replaces him. Slimane to YSL. ?!?" This is all speculation, but Stefano Pilati's situation at Saint Laurent has been rumored to be tenuous.

>> Francois-Henri Pinault: Gucci Group "Moving Toward Fewer Logos" —The Phoebe Philo effect continues. Friday, when reporting on Gucci Group earnings, PPR chairman and CEO Francois-Henri Pinault noted: “Our groups are moving toward fewer logos, more discreet luxury. It’s a question of adapting our ranges very rapidly to this new perception of luxury, a luxury which is more subtle, more sophisticated — which is what we are doing.” This mode won't be hard to put into practice for a number of the group's brands, which already tend to do without much logoed merch — Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent, and Bottega Veneta, for example — but it is a change of pace for the flagship brand, Gucci. [WWD]

>> It doesn't appear that Sally Singer will be pillaging the ranks of Vogue — or even Conde Nast, for that matter — when it comes to stocking her team at T. She has made her first two hires: Michelle Kessler-Sanders as fashion director and Jacob Brown as features director.

Kessler-Sanders, who replaces Anne Christensen (now executive fashion director at Glamour) and starts in time for New York Fashion Week Sept. 7, was most recently SVP at Donna Karan; before that, she was president of Miu Miu USA, VP and fashion director at Juicy Couture, and accessories director at Vogue, where she and Singer first worked together. Brown, for his part, comes from editing V and VMAN for three and a half years; he succeeds Armand Limnander, who followed Stefano Tonchi to W, and starts in mid-August.

>> Gareth Pugh Denies Move to Thierry Mugler —With Thierry Mugler reportedly looking to relaunch his womenswear brand, Gareth Pugh's name came up in June as a prospective candidate for the job. Now, however, Pugh says of the Mugler rumors: “There is no truth to them at all. Rumors are rumors. It’s not going to happen.” Nicola Formichetti was also rumored to have scored the gig, but there's been no confirmation from his camp either way. [WWD]

Chelsea Clinton was married wearing an ivory strapless Vera Wang gown with a raw edged silk organza ball skirt and train.

UGG Australia has launched women's and men's knitwear collections.

Continuing its retail expansion, Lanvin is set to open a 6,000 square foot boutique on Rodeo Drive.

Mary J. Blige sold over 50,000 bottles of perfume on HSN last Saturday.

Betsey Johnson was chosen to design the Eloise suite at the Plaza Hotel. Prices start at $995 a night.

British designer Gareth Pugh opened his first retail store in Hong Kong over the weekend as part of a deal with I.T. Group, the company that now owns Pugh's Hong Kong retail rights. The 658-square-foot shop is located on Ice House Street near fellow experimental designers Comme des Garçons, Ann Demeulemeester, and Martin Margiela. The interior features jet black rubber paint and glossy black tiles in the main space and ash gray walls and carpet in the fitting rooms.

The all black exterior does not have traditional window display, rather a large glass wall that will show through to an LED screen in the back of the shop. Inspired by his friend Nick Knight, Pugh is hoping one day the screen might connect to a live feed camera in his studio. Pugh has no immediate plans to open additional retail stores. The designer also denied recent rumors that he is heading to Thierry Mugler: “There is no truth to them at all,” he said. “Rumors are rumors. It’s not going to happen.”