>> After weeks of speculation, we got our answers.  As rumored, Izabel Goulart is no longer a Victoria's Secret Angel — there is speculation that she broke her contract to work for Emporio Armani and Armani Exchange — but she, along with the Angels and 26 other non-Angel models, taped the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Miami on Saturday.  There were a few casting surprises — no Asian models?; some disappointments — no Natasha Poly or Jessica Stam; and lots of newcomers — Arlenis Sosa Pena, Sarah Stephens, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Sessilee Lopez, Clara Alonso, Edita Vilkeviciute, Erin Heatherton, and even Lara Stone made it after all.  Broken glass catwalk aside, Maryna Linchuk had a stellar outing — many have their bets on a Angel contract for her in the future — and Doutzen Kroes cozied up to boyfriend DJ Ruckus at the after-party.  All in all, enough party to hold us over until the show airs Dec. 3.        
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>> Jean Paul Gaultier was high energy yesterday at his Fall 2008 Couture show, exuberantly explaining his choice of outfit to Hilary Alexander pre-show, and running through the fluorescent green laser beams that panned the runway post-show, poking Coco Rocha on the way. 

For all of JPG's exuberance, I am less than excited about this sci-fi, cage-inspired outing.  Underneath all the decoration were a few solid pieces, namely a coral lace-like cage dress worn by Patricia Schmid and a tux suit worn by Sasha Pivovarova, but for the most part, a lot of it ended up looking less than luxe, especially if croc was involved. 
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>> Usually Christian Lacroix's designs are a little too overwrought to speak to me, but something about this set sits just right. 

Maybe the scarlet backdrop is to blame, setting off all the intricate detailing with its vivid hue: the peekaboo lace sleeves, the bell-shaped cocktail dresses, the gossamer tufts; or maybe I've just gone buggy for Lacroix's insect-inspired fantasy world. If so, I'm not the only one: the attendees showered the designer with carnations at the end of the show.

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>> Transparency is still the word, in John Galliano's mind.  The beanie-sporting designer had Lisa Fonssagrives, wife to Irving Penn and oft-credited as the first supermodel, in mind when producing his typical voluminous dresses, but with layers of light chiffon, rather than the heavier, stiffer fabrics Christian Dior couture has boasted in recent seasons. 

Frequent collaborator Stephen Jones, meanwhile, looked to Eduardo Garcia Benito, famous for his '20s Vogue cover illustrations of women in cloches, when creating the accompanying skull cap-cum-cloches.

Peplums were aplenty and Galliano couldn't help himself, sneaking a little leopard print into the bunch.  But the unifying thought with this collection seems to be: What will we see on newfound Dior client Carla Bruni-Sarkozy first?
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