Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou

>> Elie Saab says his Fall 2011 couture collection — red carpet-ready, as always — was inspired by skyscrapers, but stylist Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou, who has worked with Saab for three collections, laid it out in layman's terms: "We wanted to explore the fragility of femininity. These dresses have a diaphanous fairy like feel to them but remain empowering. It's always a challenge to relate Elie's inspirations and themes to his couture customers but he remains mindful of this at all times." The collection, filled entirely with dresses — most of which reached the floor — was presented in a kind of ombre formation, each section exiting by color: first aquamarine, then white, blush, mauve, bronze, and finally, navy, before the couture bride brought it back to white.

>> The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show has come a long way in 15 years — see the very first show, sans any wings, here — and this year, the theme is "A Night of a Thousand Fantasies." The first few costume images have popped up (Lily Aldridge's two looks can be seen here), and we've got a few confirmed names to add to the list: among them, Selita Ebanks, Katsia Damenkova, Anne Vyalitsyna (who's getting her first wings this year), Constance Jablonski, Gracie Carvalho, Lily Donaldson, and Lais Ribeiro.

There's also a new casting video out, and Ed Razek, chief marketing officer of Limited Brands, parent company of Victoria's Secret, admits of the process: "I hate castings, because I’m basically a softy and I hate the broken hearts and I hate saying no . . . What people don’t realize is that [those who fit the parameters of a Victoria's Secret model are] rarer by far than superstar athletes. The numbers of people who can do this are probably under 100 in the world. And in the show, it’s only [33] girls.”

And the castings — which Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou and Dan May of Harper’s Bazaar UK and 10 Magazine have a say in as stylists — are tough. Maryna Linchuk had to audition again this year, despite walking in the show in the past, because bodies change, Monica Mitro, executive producer of the show, said. “You don’t see them for a minute, and . . . ” she added, holding her hands wide to gesture for broad hips. But some faults are more forgivable than others — when Caroline Winberg walked in to casting, with hair described by the New York Times as "frazzled by styling until it was the texture of wood shavings," Mitro stated: “Never mind the hair . . . we can always do something about the hair."

>> It's not often that a designer graces the cover of a magazine, but in celebration of a decade since its launch, 10 magazine wrangled ten "fashion gods" for ten separate covers — each photographed by the lensman of their choice. Helmut Lang sent in a passport photo, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana commissioned Terry Richardson, Vivienne Westwood had Juergen Teller capture her, Ralph Lauren was snapped by Bruce Weber, and Karl Lagerfeld submitted a self-portrait. Alber Elbaz, Azzedine Alaia, Donatella Versace, John Galliano, and Tom Ford round out the rest of the designers featured.

“These are some of the faces that have made our industry and it is an honour to be celebrating them. 10 magazine has a history of celebrating the best creative talent in the world and we are honoured that these icons of fashion agreed to be our cover stars,” said Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou, the magazine's founder and editor-in-chief (who is also creative director and fashion director at Harper's Bazaar UK).