Headline Trip

“I wish Fashion Week for the public can be like Christmas, and maybe we'll put up green and pink lights everywhere,” said Betsey Johnson at a grim CFDA meeting concerning the fate of fashion in New York. [Observer]

MAN, the London men's group show, announced its spring '10 line-up: Christopher Shannon (read our Q&A), J.W. Anderson, Katie Eary and the sponsor of course, Topman Design.

Anouck Lepère: "Jefferson is a hero!!! My bicycle got stolen this morning, I saw it on brick lane market, and he stole it back!!!" [Facebook]

It's all but official: Beatrice Inn bites the dust. [Page Six]

The barbs are flying in response to an interview with Scott Schuman, who claims his sex with his Parisian girlfriend is so good that "hotel-room neighbours [get] pretty pissed." [Globe and Mail]

War is no longer a fashion inspiration. [AP]

Lovably nutty model Hanne Gaby Odiele owns a classic Mercedes-Benz and takes paintings from Webster Hall. [Supreme]

Headline Trip

If you get your shiggles from socialite gossip, we hear that Tinsley Mortimer has left the Topster once and for all, shacking up with a penniless Euro prince.

Is that an anaconda he's wrestling in his new Armani underwear ad or is David Beckham happy to see you? [Guardian UK]

The Jane Hotel Ballroom officially launches Monday night with a CFDA Awards after-after-party, where most of the nominees are expected to show.

Speaking of, Laura Mulleavy is very upset about the mass extinction of frogs. [Facebook]

Online magazine SHIFT announces DOTMOV 2009, a digital film festival open to international filmmakers.

Let Your Mouse Say It Loud

The great democratic experiment might never revolutionize fashion, a realm notorious for its feudal hierarchies and iron-willed tyrants, but it might add a bit of suspense to the upcoming CFDA Fashion Awards, which just announced its first Popular Vote Award. Why it's not called People's Choice, we don't know, but pitting designer against designer will let fans and followers have a say in the sacred process. Mind you, this is the same logic that let that other guy beat out Adam and that prematurely ousted a nubile Lil' Kim from dancing glory, but we're confident the fashion crowd will take their civic duties more seriously. Created in collabs with WWD, polls are open from May 27 - June 9, with the winner announced along with the others on June 15 in the big ceremony at Lincoln Center.

Naturally, as we're on the voting panel this year, we promise to do all we can to rig the results.

—Franklin Melendez

Hint Tip: Band of Outsiders

Fresh off his CFDA nom last night, Scott Sternberg released his spring imagery for Band of Outsiders—or rather Boy, the women's line. Always a polaroid, it features Sarah Silverman, who's not just our all-time favorite comic, but might just be our all-time favorite person. Just a few days ago we stumbled upon an episode of her show on Comedy Central we hadn't seen before, unbelievably, and nearly died. But wait, why is she doing the sad clown thing?...

Hint Tip: CFDA Awards

We had the privilege of serving on the 2009 CFDA Awards selection committee—can you tell which nominees below smack of Hint? They were announced tonight in a swanky little party on top of Rockefeller Center. Of course, all anyone could talk about was the tanking economy, it being an industry gig and all. But to them, the ultimate fashion survivor and CFDA prez Diane von Furstenberg had a message: "We will surf out the tsunami in style." So there.

Womenswear Designer of the Year
- Marc Jacobs
- Narciso Rodriguez
- Rodarte

Menswear Designer of the Year
- Italo Zucchelli for Calvin Klein
- Michael Bastian
- Scott Sternberg for Band of Outsiders

Accessory Designer of the Year
- Marc Jacobs
- Vera Wang
- Proenza Schouler

Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent in Womenswear
- Thakoon Panichgul
- Alexander Wang
- Jason Wu

Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent in Menswear
- Patrik Ervell
- Robert Geller
- Tim Hamilton

Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent in Accessories
- Albertus Q. Swanepoel
- Alejandro Ingelmo
- Justin Giunta for Subversive Jewelry

Additional honors go to Michelle Obama (Board of Directors special tribute), Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton (International Award), Anna Sui (Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award), WWD's Edward Nardoza (Eugenia Sheppard Award for Journalism) and GQ creative director Jim Moore (Eleanor Lambert Award).

Men at Work

Hurray! I'm done with Fashion Week! At last night's hot box that was the CFDA/GQ nominations party (the champagne ran out because everyone was so parched!), I caught highlights from most of the men's collections I'm looking forward to and saw every editor/stylist/gad-about-town I'll see over the course of the week.

The first person I got a moment with was nominee Robert Geller, wearing a stunning bronze bow-tie pin. His father, meandering around the collection, was excited to tell me that even he, generations older than the models, could pull off some of the pieces. Well, if Dad approves, you're in like Flynn, right?

Next up was Andre 3000, who I didn't recognize because he was running around sans chapeau. He had nothing but great things to say when asked about his nomination, though he was a little chagrined at having to be stuck in the showroom presenting the line all week instead of gallivanting to the shows. Gotta sell, baby!

Now for a little blind-item fun. Which accessories designer, who had the sleeves of his blazer pushed up à la Miami Vice, did I say “Hi, Don Johnson” to, to which he retorted, “No, it's Westwood!”?

—Cator Sparks


Robert Geller, Andre 3000