>> INSIDER WIRE —Come February, the eternal who's-got-the-best-fashion-show-invites competition will hit full swing, but for now, it's all about the holiday card.  Chanel sent a paper mobile with tiers reading "Chanel wishes you a Happy New Year" in a ten different languages, Manolo Blahnik created a holly shoe drawing just for the occasion, and Giles Deacon mastered the Swarovski-encrusted, Santa-hatted eyeball. [Grazia, Fashionista]

>> 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 . . .
*image: source

>> A LITTLE TURN ON THE CATWALK —Sure, we've already seen our fair share of model trips, stumbles, and falls this season, but can you blame them? Heidi Mount had to walk on an entirely broken heel at Doo.ri (left) yesterday, and this afternoon, Atuai Deng hobbled along on a Manolo Blahnik at Juan Carlos Obando with a stiletto heel that had warped into a 45 degree angle . . . [ONTD_FF]

»Since Kate started her line with Topshop, luxury brands haven't altogether dropped her, but they have started to cast her in their diffusion lines rather than their main lines [The Cut]

»Behind the scenes with Jessica Stam, Lily Donaldson, and Doutzen Kroes at a recent V Magazine shoot — Lily likes to make use of her tongue [jdivision]

»Daisy Lowe is rumored to be working on an album with boyf Mark Ronson [W Editor's Blog]

»Lisa Mayock of Vena Cava likes her deodorant, while her design partner Sophie Buhai just likes "looking after number one" [The Fashion Informer]

»Anna Wintour's an Obama girl [Page Six]

»Fabien Baron and Karl Templer shot an editorial for New York Times's T Magazine on May 30 that will come out in September [FWD]

»Manolo Blahnik will be the 12th Rodeo Drive Walk of Style honoree [WWD]

»Just in case you don't have enough Agyness Deyn in your life: Watch her attempt to juggle a soccer ball [YouTube]

»Sneak peeks of the Vera Wang, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Just Cavalli, and Jean Paul Gaultier Resort 2009 collections [Style.com, Style.com, WWD, WWD]