>> Anna Wintour walked out to David Letterman's couch last night, Madonna's "Vogue" playing in the background, wearing Carolina Herrera and her trademark sunglasses — she subsequently took them off to give Dave a hard time about his socks, referring him to Thom Browne, since the designer's elevated pant hemlines show off a man's socks.

She definitely brought her witty side out last night — when Letterman asked if it was a fair assessment to say she's bigger than what she does for a living, she referred to Maureen Dowd's recent column:  “I read in the New York Times this week that I'm an ice queen, I'm the Sun King, I'm an alien fleeing from District 9 and I'm a dominatrix. So I reckon that makes me a lukewarm royalty with a whip from outer space.  What do you think?"

Later, Letterman compared fashion models on the runway to "beautiful women who look like the Neptunians have released them. But nobody buys that stuff, do they? Is somebody walking around like they’re from Neptune?”  Wintour laughed: "Lots of people. I'm an alien, remember?"

She suppressed giggles after the clip from The September Issue in which she berates Vogue style director Elissa Santisi was played, and chastises Letterman for calling her last-minute to appear on the show.  When he asked if The Devil Wears Prada was made about her, she was coy: “Well, I seem to remember that actually the movie was a work of fiction and we really like fiction at Vogue.”  When prompted about what percentage of decisions she makes at the magazine, she replies: "100 percent." And when Letterman notes that The September Issue leaves Vogue seeming as if it's run by people his age, she quips: "Vogue is not only run by senior citizens."

Videos: The full interview! »

>> Is Renee Zellweger's Red Carpet Partnership with Carolina Herrera Over? —Last week, sources told WWD that Mario Grauso, president of Puig Fashion Group who oversees Carolina Herrera, Nina Ricci, and Paco Rabanne, has submitted his resignation and will step down after New York Fashion Week.  The exit is said to be amicable, but it is speculated that he was unhappy with Olivier Theyskens's ousting at Ricci.  Now, a source tells Page Six, Grauso, who introduced Renee Zellweger, Amy Adams, and Reese Witherspoon to Carolina Herrera, may be taking his celebrity followers with him: "None of them will wear Carolina Herrera on the red carpet now that he's gone. Mario paved the way for the brand by putting Renée in Herrera for award shows and carpets. He made it youthful." [WWD, Page Six]

>> Like everything else these days, this year's Costume Institute Gala might not be the bang-up event of the year it usually is.  Though Anna Wintour extends the brand invitations to purchase tables at the 700-person benefit dinner, prices run from $75,000 to $250,000 depending on the size of the label and its relationship with Vogue.  They're typically sold out well in advance, but some brands are balking this time around, and more profitable brands are being asked to carry a larger portion of the burden.

Burberry, Roberto Cavalli, Versace, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and Alberta Ferretti have all declined to do full-table sponsorship this year, instead buying individual seats, which range from $5,000 to $10,000 depending on location.  Ralph Lauren was undecided on sponsorship, according to a spokesperson. "We of course will be supporting the event — [we're] still not sure at what level yet." Calvin Klein, Puig Fashion Group (Nina Ricci, Carolina Herrera), and Tod's, on the other hand, have all confirmed that they will be sponsoring tables.

Since the focus is on models this time around, will there be less star power?  The theme might be convenient to brands with slashed budgets — flying in celebrities to accompany a designer can cost plenty after the flight, hotel bills, hair, makeup, and car services are all taken care of.
*image: source

>> The meteoric rise of Jason Wu — he has tripled his sales appointments for his sold out, yet-to-be-unveiled Fall 2009 collection — shows what an influence Michelle Obama can have on a designer.  But Wu doesn't just have Obama to thank — he never actually interacted with the First Lady, but rather with Ikram Goldman, owner of Chicago boutique Ikram, and Obama's gatekeeper to the fashion industry.

In fact, none of the designers who have made clothes for the First Lady have had any direct contact with their White House client — all commissions, measurements, bills, and other directions have been mediated by Ikram, causing something of a controversy; the clothes that Obama has worn recently are predominantly from designers that Cathy Horyn points out, "Ikram sells and ultimately stands to benefit from" — Jason Wu, Isabel Toledo, Narciso Rodriguez, Proenza Schouler, Thakoon, and Mario Cornejo.

Is Obama limiting herself? »

>> INSIDER WIRE —Marc Jacobs might be losing his right-hand man at Louis Vuitton, Peter Copping, who recently met with Mario Grauso, president of Puig.  This could mean Grauso is thinking of replacing Olivier Theyskens with Copping when his Nina Ricci contract runs out in October, or he could be looking at him as a successor to Carolina Herrera. [WWD]

»Elle staffers are concerned that while the magazine's ad sales are dropping, Joe Zee is more focused on TV [Jezebel]

»Marc Jacobs is hanging a print of his Interview cover in his office [Chic Report]

»Naomi Campbell credits Yves Saint Laurent for getting her first Vogue cover [Vogue UK]

»Stefano Pilati is being mysterious about YSL's Resort 2009 collection: it's supposed to be an "innovative, new experience" [Chic Report]

»A first look at APC's Fall 2008 collection [Nylon]

»Du Juan makes her debut in a blurry Giorgio Armani Pre-Fall 2008 ad [TFS]

»Resort 2009 collections for Marc by Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, Michael Kors, and Carolina Herrera [WWD, WWD, WWD, WWD]

>>  Amidst all this hubbub about the upteenth return of the supermodels, Linda Evangelista has turned up on the June 2008 cover of Vogue Italia.  She stars in "The Duchess," styled by Andrew Richardson and photographed by Steven Meisel. 

It's not my favorite — a little too matronly — but how much does she look like Carolina Herrera in the bottom left photo?  Also, how cool is the surrealist Philip Treacy hat she wears on the right?

For the full editorial, walk this way.

*images: source