>> Christian Louboutin Would Never Work with H&M, Design Clothes —Christian Louboutin likes sticking to what he knows. Last week, he revealed that H&M had asked him to do a diffusion line: "I declined . . . it's a lot of work really, so it's just difficult for me to do it." When prodded, Louboutin said he didn't plan on ever doing a diffusion line in the future. He also doesn't foresee foraying into clothing: "Never! Never, that's my idea of hell. I was asked to do a line. I was like, 'Are you crazy?'" [The Cut, FWD]

>> Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's book, Influence, doesn't come out until Thursday, but The Cut got an advanced copy — an advanced look at all the interviews the Olsens conducted for the book — among their subjects are favorite designers Francisco Costa, Diane von Furstenberg, John Galliano, Christian Louboutin, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, Giambattista Valli, favorite photographers Peter Lindbergh and Terry Richardson, plus pictures by Rankin of the interviewees and their work. 

Needless to say the Olsens didn't leave out their favorite Karl Lagerfeld — The Cut excerpted parts of his interview, including his views on models:

KL: [N]owadays you start to model because you're young. Now the girls are sixteen, seventeen, fifteen, and Russian. They are like from another planet.
AO: They can look very bizarre!
KL: I hate all these tall women. They are all giants!
MKO: If only I were a little taller — that would make me happy!
KL: You are one meter fifty-one. You are taller than that?
AO: We're five feet and one inch.
KL: Oh, I thought my office told me that you were four-foot eight or something. Not that it matters. What you need is a face. If you have a face you don't need height or a voice. Models know this; that's why the good ones don't need to talk much.
KL: I like to work with models for a long time. Sometimes the girls change, but some girls I work with for years and years.

Enlightening, perhaps, since some think the Chanel Spring 2009 campaign will host not long-time Chanel girl Claudia Schiffer but either Heidi Mount or Russian model Sasha Pivovarova . . .
*image: source

>> Despite all those shoe-induced falls on the Prada runway, the fashion industry's obsession with super-high heels is causing designers to go higher.

Manolo Blahnik, who for over 20 years has gone no higher than five-inch heels — and doesn't do platforms — is increasing his maximum height to six inches this year.  He says it's paying off — the six-inch heels already account for 30 percent of his business.  And Christian Louboutin, who has popularized extreme heels, is seeing his new six- and seven-inch heels sell so well that he has plans to introduce eight-inch platform shoes next Fall: "I hear they can be painful, but women keep asking for them."

Poor economic times mean longer hemlines, but higher heels?  We'll see — a model told reporters after the Prada show: "I was having a panic attack, my hands were shaking. The heels were so high.  Some of the girls were crying backstage they were so scared."  I love my vertiginous heels, but who wants to buy into that . . .
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>> INSIDER WIRE —The tents are already going up at Bryant Park, and fashion week is only a week away — so what is there to look forward to for Spring 2009? Rodarte switching from Christian Louboutin to Nicholas Kirkwood for their runway heels, Alexander Wang flying Alice Dellal in to co-host his after-party, Colette's pop-up store by Gap, a potential Ana Claudia Michels comeback, plus a whole bevy of new designers — including a ten year Alaia alum. [Style.com]

>> INSIDER WIRE —If you enjoyed having a look through Carine Roitfeld's Parisian apartment, just wait until the September 2008 issue of Domino comes out on August 19. 

The magazine's fashion issue features Matthew Williamson's home on the cover, plus Vanessa Bruno's Paris apartment, Yves Saint Laurent's Majorelle Gardens (left, in 1982), Christian Louboutin in his bedroom in Portugal, Francisco Costa in his Bellport garden, and Sonia Rykiel in her Paris living room, all inside. [FWD]
*image: source

>> FASH INSTITUTE —The cover of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's much-anticipated book, Influence, which features interviews with the likes of Christian Louboutin, Lauren Hutton, and Terry Richardson, and exclusive photographs by Rankin, has been revealed. The book is released on October 28, but Amazon has already knocked down the price on pre-order. [Word Up!]