>> The 2009 Vogue Paris calendar — which comes as a supplement to the December/January issue — arrived a little early.  Fourteen different girls are featured, photographed by Terry Richardson and styled by Carine Roitfeld as pinups in Louis Vuitton lingerie and shoes.  Jourdan Dunn is a sexy nurse, Ali Michael a sexy cheerleader, Eniko Mihalik graces the cover as sexy kitten — Carine even included a spread for the solar months, with patrons saints Alber (Elbaz), Gareth (Pugh), Lara (Stone), and their ilk celebrated.

Gallery is NSFW.
*image: source

>> When Natalie Portman comes to the show, Keira Knightley hits up the after party, and Anna Wintour brings Bee — who usually only goes to Marc Jacobs and Proenza Schouler — along, you know Rodarte is really starting to make it big. Even Vogue Italia's editor-in-chief, Franca Sozzani, had a little trouble getting in — apparently, she tried to follow Anna and Bee through the velvet rope, but the PR staff wouldn't allow it.

Onto the clothes: They followed the same thought process as the Fall 2008 collection, but with a few key changes — the colors, the shoes (those treacherous shoes, made by Nicholas Kirkwood instead of Christian Louboutin this season), and the leggings, which were leather instead of knit, and although they looked laser cut, were entirely handmade.  Some think the look veered into Balenciaga territory, but me?  I'm just enjoying the view.  
*image: source

>> For the second season in a row, Marc Jacobs started his show promptly, just ten minutes after its scheduled start — only this time, half the attendees weren't locked out — everyone had learned their lesson. "Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. The show is about to begin."

Through swinging mirror doors, the models walked the mirror-lined runway from every direction, funhouse illusions abounding. But show tactics aside, with Marc, it always comes down to the clothes — the mashed-up, layered, bangled clothes, sparkling, plaided, and sheened. As Gershwin played in the background, Marc took us in a whole new direction — and he did it while wearing a skirt.

To get the full experience, check out the runway video at Elle.com.
*image: source

>> It's hard to imagine being pregnant and designing hot little minidresses for other women to wear, but when you're Thea Bregazzi, one half of design duo Preen, and those hot little minidresses happen to be what your label is known for, that's just what you do.

The heavily expectant Thea stayed across the pond in London while her partner in design and life, Justin Thornton, carried on with the label's show today. He carried it well — everything went smoothly, save a slight wardrobe malfunction for Anja Rubik and the confusion that ensued at the end of the show, when Justin didn't appear at the end of the runway and no one knew when to start the final applause.

As for the clothes, the dresses with intricate paneled cutouts and peekaboo zipper slats, the piquante shots of tomato red, and the sexily laced up pleated skinny pants came together for a more refined collection than we have seen from Preen in the last couple of seasons. Maybe Thea should be pregnant more often . . .
*image: source

>> Jourdan Dunn's passport just got one more stamp: The up-and-comer is in South Africa for the first time to headline Cape Town Fashion Week.  She just had a photocall for the event today, but she'll be closing out the week tomorrow as part of the Virgin Mobile Finale in a special-made dress by local designer David Tlale.
*image: source

>> Although Gap is having a little trouble these days —the brand just cut their entire European design team and were overtaken by Zara as the world's biggest retailer — all bets are still on executive VP of design Patrick Robinson, whose first full Gap collection debuts this Fall. It is he who chose the likes of Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, Georgina Chapman, Cecilia Dean, and Scott Schuman to front Gap's Fall 2008 campaign, proving he really is trying to bring fashion back to the company. 

Can Mikael Jansson's shots of those four, Ryan McGinley, Karlie Kloss, Sean Avery, Jourdan Dunn, and more, plus Patrick's new designs, make the difference for Gap?  Only time will tell, but until then, enjoy the rest of the Fall campaign.

>> Those July 2008 Vogue Italia shockwaves keep on resonating: Black models are covering POP Fall 2008, Harper's Bazaar September 2008, and now Jourdan Dunn shows up on i-D September 2008, photographed by Emma Summerton.  Even V 55 is rumored to be a Naomi Campbell extravaganza.  Speaking of Naomi, how much does Jourdan call to mind the supermodel on this cover and in the accompanying "Welcome to the witching hour" editorial?
*image: source