Fashion Roundup

Avon has signed former Mademoiselle editor Mandi Norwood to write the Michelle Obama Style Guide for next spring. [P6]

There were rumors that Anna Wintour might leave Vogue for a "cultural" position in Barack Obama's administration, but Ms. Wintour's rep says it's totally not true. [MSNBC via Gawker]

Gwyneth Paltrow graciously approached PETA vice president Dan Matthews at the Fontainebleau Hotel opening in Miami and apologized for wearing fur in her ad for Tod's. [Us Weekly]  read more »

Chicago-based Hart Schaffner Marx, the suit retailer favored by Barack Obama, has added this to its homepage:  “Dressing Presidential. Pick Your Power Suit. President-elect Barack Obama Found His at Hart Schaffner Marx.” [WWD] 

Marc Jacobs would like to marry Lorenzo Martone, if the latter will have him. [The Cut]  

Karl Lagerfeld has released a Chanel bag based on the house’s quilted 2.55 classic released in the '90s and celebrities like Katie Holmes, Milla Jovovich and Lily Allen are already wearing it. [WWD]  read more »

Socialite Maggie Betts hoped that there would be a secret photo shoot with a wind machine at the CFDA awards dinner last night and there totally was! [FWD]

Former Project Runway contestant Christian Siriano was asked to make a guest appearance on Gossip Girl, but he's still considering. [E! via The Cut] 

British design couple Mary Eley and Wakako Kishimoto have departed as the design duo behind Cacharel, citing creative differences and brand vision as the reason. [WWD]   read more »

Those rumors that Pamela Anderson would be featured in ads for Vivienne Westwood were correct. Ms. Anderson has reportedly signed a six-figure deal to be the face of the designer's spring 2009 campaign. [Vogue UK] 

Trays of shots replaced birthday cakes at the joint birthday party at Indochine for Julia Restoin Roitfeld and her father Christian Restoin hosted by mother Carine (editor of French Vogue) and brother Vladimir. [WWD] 

Tallulah Harlech, daughter of Karl Lagerfeld's muse Lady Amanda Harlech, has been cast in a short film for Chanel by the designer. Her mother's words of advice? "Don’t pout like Keira Knightley." [WWD]   read more »

Donna Karan will launch an 18-piece maternity line in the spring called The Happy Birth-Day Collection. [WWD]

Sisters Laura and Kate Mulleavy of Rodarte collected a prize of 100,000 euros at the Swiss Textile Awards. [Vogue UK]

Luxury goods makers like Chanel, Versace, Christian Louboutin, and Chloe are cutting their prices in the U.S. by 8 to 10 percent. [WSJ]

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Several sources say that photographer Steven Meisel recently shot Madonna for the spring Louis Vuitton campaign. [WWD] 

As everyone scrambles to find new job, the classic interview suit might be making a comeback. [NY Times]  

Jon Hamm appears very un-Don Draper-like in the new Gap ads, smiling and being hugged by his girlfriend Jennifer Westfeldt. [Racked]  read more »

Diane von Furstenberg is launching a blog tomorrow called Inside DVF on her website DVF.com that will include news, images of new items, horoscopes, and "cultural advice," as well as posts by Ms. Furstenberg herself. [Fashionista]

American Apparel CEO Dov Charney is being sued again, this time by a former employee who says he was pressured to fix the books by Mr. Charney so that the company appeared to be doing better than it was and could attract investors. [NYP] 

Helpful guidelines for the Comme des Garcons sale at H&M tomorrow! [Racked]  read more »

When asked about the kind of dress Michelle Obama should wear at Barack Obama's inauguration on Jan. 20, designer Mario Pinto, who designed the stunning red dress the future first lady wore on her visit to the White House yesterday, said: "I see her sleek but with more froth. It’s right for the moment. I don’t see her in a big, poufy ball skirt.” [WWD] 

The earrings Ms. Obama wore on Election Night with her red and black Narciso Rodriguez dress were designed by Loree Rodkin and cost $11,000. (They were not, however, paid for with campaign funds.) [Vogue UK via The Cut]  

Blake Lively will reportedly appear on the cover of W magazine. [Fashionista]   read more »

Sarah Jessica Parker lent her voice to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the audio guide to Costume: The Art of Dress, which will be available to visitors starting November 25. “Walking through the galleries listening to Sarah Jessica Parker’s narration will bring a sense of discovery and delight to the experience," said museum curator-in-charge Harold Koda. [WWD]

A reminder: Rai Kawakubo's Comme des Garcons collection for H&M arrives in stores Thursday, November 13. Prepare to lose a limb. [Vogue UK] 

Actress Kate Winslet is angry at photographer Steven Meisel for talking her into posing nude on a piece of what she thought was fake fur in Vanity Fair. According to the magazine's spokesperson, the fur was real. [NY Daily News]    read more »

Colin Firth on Tom Ford's directorial debut in A Single Man, in which he's starring: "If he turns his hand to this with the brilliance that he's turned his hand to everything else that he's ever done in his life, it'll be a masterpiece." [Vogue UK]

Anna Wintour would like to get Michelle Obama on the cover of Vogue. [WWD] 

Here's a preview of Thakoon Panichgul's resort-ready line for Target, slated to hit stores on Christmas. [Racked]   read more »

Last night, Michelle Obama wore a Narciso Rodriguez dress from the designer's spring 2009 collection. While many blogs have posted negative reviews of the dress, the Los Angeles Times deemed it a "symbolism of patriotic red bursting out of black like a firecracker out of the night sky." [LA Times] 

Alexander McQueen has confirmed that he will design a line for Target. [Vogue UK] 

Elle MacPherson's lingerie line is doing better in a volatile market than it has...ever. Perhaps Bonnie Fuller knew what she was talking about when she predicted that lingerie sales would rise because people are staying home and having more sex during recession.  read more »

The bipartisan windows of Henri Bendel currently feature a group of five mannequins standing near red and blue polling booths, each representing a political party. Today, each mannequin has a question mark above its head, but tomorrow, these will be removed and all the girls will be placed in front of the winning booth. [WWD] 

Anna Wintour waited in line to vote in Soho today. [NY Mag] 

Several prominent Hindu activists are calling for a public apology from model Heidi Klum for dressing as a crass representation of the Hindu Goddess Kali for Halloween. [Vogue UK] 

Due to the troubled economy, Madison Avenue has been plagued by vacant storefronts.  read more »

Marco Zanini, formerly the designer of the revived Halston (which he left after two seasons of lukewarm reviews), has been named the creative director of Rochas and will show his first collection in Paris in March. [WWD] 

Agent Provocateur has unvelied a new ad campaign featuring Helena Christensen as a pirate. [PopSugar]  

Defying the rules of a recession, Zara has signed a lease on a 15,000-square-foot space at 1963 Broadway between 66th and 67th sts., where the company will open a store in the spring. [WWD]  read more »

Marc Jacobs, along with Kate Moss and Justin Timberlake, are confirmed to co-chair the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute Gala in May with Anna Wintour. [Vogue UK]

The new celebrity trend is not to wear the actual designer handbag, but rather the dust bag in which it is sold, as seen on Keira Knightley and Jake Gyllenhaal. [Vogue UK] 

Zac Posen has made a promotional video urging people to vote on Tuesday which is being screened on fashionthevote.org. He also suggests you wear blue on Tuesday and accent it with red. [WWD]  read more »

Since Michelle Obama told Jay Leno that she was wearing a J. Crew ensemble, web traffic to J. Crew's website has increased by 464 percent. [WWD] 

Donatella Versace admitted that she was insecure about taking over her brother's label in 1997. That is, until Jennifer Lopez wore her jungle-printed, sheer dress to the Grammys in 2000 and Ms. Versace realized she was on the right track. [Vogue UK] 

Sofia Coppola talked to Suzy Menkes about her new collection for Louis Vuitton and had this to say about women's style: "Paris women have certain style - they are not trying to be little girls. In general, people are more chic and put together in Paris. American sportswear hasn't entirely taken over. I like the idea of growing up and being a woman - the end of childhood but keeping part of your nature." [IHT] 

In an effort to cut costs, Gap asked employees at its San Francisco office to take three days of paid vacation this week. [WWD]

Victoria Beckham has been announced as the face of Emporio Armani underwear collection for women; her husband, David Beckham, has been modeling for the men's collection. [Vogue UK]

Ms. Beckham is also reportedly running in the New York City marathon this Sunday. [NBC via Racked] 

Designer Tom Ford will make his much-awaited directorial debut with A Single Man, an adaptation of the Christopher Isherwood novel, starring Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, and Matthew Goode. [THR]   read more »

Christian Louboutin has announced that he will create the first 8-inch high heel that exists outside of the fetish world. [Guardian] 

Heidi Klum's three children get regular coaching lessons in soccer from David Beckham and in tennis from Roger Federer. [Vogue UK]

Designer Peter Som confirmed that he is departing as the creative director of Bill Blass. [WWD]

In April, Bravo filed a lawsuit against the Weinstein Company to prevent Project Runway from going to Lifetime. Now Harvey Weinstein filed suit against Bravo, accusing the network of not promoting season five of the show after the move was announced in order to sabotage the show's ratings. [Reuters] 

Despite his catch phrases, Project Runway winner Christian Siriano is struggling to transform his reality TV fame into sales. [WSJ]

Tom Ford on the rumor that he's difficult to work for: "I don't think I'm a megalomaniac, though you'd have to ask the people who work with me. Either we click or they don't last very long. Do I throw tantrums? Yes. But more with Richard [Buckley, Mr. Ford's partner], at home if he's forgotten to buy milk." [Vogue UK] 

Tory Burch said that despite the current state of the economy, she does not plan on selling her label. But a 30 percent stake might be for sale. [WWD  read more »

Tommy Hilfiger and Dee Ocleppo, who called off their wedding earlier this year, were reportedly "making out" at the Waverly Inn on Wednesday. According to Mr. Hilfiger, Ms. Ocleppo gave him a kiss for his "stellar business performance." [P6]

Lauren Hutton has agreed to become the face of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen's next campaign for their clothing line. [Vogue UK] 

D.C. watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against Sarah Palin, the RNC and several political operatives, accusing them of violating campaign finance laws by spending $150,000 on clothes. [WWD]   read more »

Victoria Beckham has landed the cover of Vogue India's November issue, wearing a pink sari and a fancy headress. [Vogue UK]

Sarah Palin's campaign spokesperson insisted that the entire $150,000 wardrobe the RNC purchased for the vice presidential nominee will be donated to charity after the campaign. [WWD]

Meanwhile, when Ms. Palin appeared on Saturday Night Live, she could not understand why she had to wear the same outfit as Tina Fey rather than one of her own new fancy outfits. [WWD]  read more »

Team Sarah Palin has reportedly spent $150,000 at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Barneys since early September to dress and accessorize the vice-presidential candidate for her public appearances. [Vogue UK]

Kate Moss often ducks into Topshop stores in disguise to see how her line for the store is selling. [Vogue UK] 

P. Diddy is buying Enyce from from Liz Claiborne, Inc. for $20 million. [The Cut via WWD]  read more »

British socialite Peaches Geldolf reportedly plans to divorce her Harvard-grad musician husband Max Drummey, with whom she shacked up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn after a quickie Las Vegas wedding. [FWD]

The fashion and retail industries are funneling double the amount of contributions into Barack Obama's campaign than they are into John McCain's campaign, even though retail execs usually like Republicans, due to their more relaxed stance on taxes. [WWD]

The Brooklyn Industries store in Park Slope has put Barack Obama masks on all its mannequins. [Racked]  read more »

Tommy Hilfiger reported a jump in sales in the six months leading up to September 30. [WWD]

Supermodel Gisele Bundchen and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady are reportedly planning a wedding at Tavern on the Green. [P6] 

Giorgio Armani, who insisted that he does not plan on selling his label, on what it might be like to do just that: "It is painful but you need to have the courage that, once it is done, not to have any claims over it. In the case of reaching a certain age or the market needing a radical change in style, it is extremely difficult for someone who created a company to detach themselves from it." [Vogue UK]

Lit Lounge DJ and downtown party girl Harley Viera Newton has landed a DKNY campaign. [Nylon] 

Katie Holmes already has the Comme des Garcons line for H&M, even though it doesn't get released in stores until Nov. 13. [The Cut]

Burberry's CEO on the economy: "We could turn off everything right now, but we're not going to. This is the sort of time when leaders are born and made, and we will micromanage this business to stay on top. We are absolutely going to stay the course." [Vogue UK]

Former CEO of Macy's East Hal Kahn has come out of retirement to become the new CEO of Steve and Barry's. [WWD]

Designer Adam Lippes was scheduled to speak at Saks Fifth Avenue on Wednesday night as part of the Business of Fashion panel, but never showed.  read more »

Christian Audigier is looking to sell his entire company--10 brands in all, including the tattoo-inspired line Ed Hardy line--for $700 million. [WWD]

Anna Wintour ventured out to Long Island last night to attend the debate at Hofstra University. [Yahoo via The Cut]

High-end New York retailers are struggling to figure out how to maintain their customers. [NY Times]  read more »

Even we didn't notice while staring at photos of Madonna at the her Filth and Wisdom premiere that her Chanel shoes had a heel in the shape of a gun. If only Sarah Palin would throw on a pair of those...[Vogue UK]

At the launch of her Wonder Woman-inspired collection and comic book, Diane von Furstenberg said that if she had a superpower, she would destroy all weapons. [The Cut]  

Thakoon Panichgul's sportswear line for Target will be out on Christmas Day. [WWD]   read more »

Rachel Zoe on being called a "pox" by the Times' Ginia Bellafante: “It was the strangest thing in the world for someone who has never met me to accuse me of making our society superficial. Judging the state of society based on me? A ‘pox’? This show is not an effort to solve world issues. It’s a bit of glamour, a bit of an escape.” [LA Times]

The definition of a tall shoe in fashion has shifted from 3- and 4-inch heels to 5-, 6- and 7-inch heels this season. [WSJ]

Designer Charlotte Ronson has been cast as the new face Trilliant, a product made by Sebastian haircare. [Nylon]  read more »

Kelly Cutrone passed on MTV's New York-based Hills spin-off; instead, she will executive produce her own show and become "the Ryan Seacrest of fashion." [The Cut] 

The Accessories Council's Excellence awards will be held on November 3 at Cipriani on 42nd Street; accepting awards will be Jimmy Choo designer Tamara Mellon, Stella McCartney, Vogue editor Sally Singer, and Emilio Pucci. [WWD]

French holding company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton is pulling in profits and its stock is rising despite the recent economic downturn. [WWD]  read more »

Anya Hindmarch's handbag collection for Target sold out within two minutes when it went on sale at 11 a.m. on the designer's Web site. [Vogue UK]

Balenciaga has signed a deal with Coty Inc.’s Coty Prestige division to create a new line of fragrances under the Balenciaga name. [WWD]

Gossip Girl Taylor Momsen's high fashion spread in Crash magazine is everything we hoped it would be: a little awkward, a little scary, and way too fun to stare at. [FabSugar via The Cut]

Marc Jacobs is still wearing skirts around town. [FashionIndie]

Gilles Bensimon, the longtime international creative director of Elle, is reportedly being wooed by Marie Claire, the new home of his former colleague Nina Garcia. [FWD] 

Narciso Rodriguez and Liz Clairborne Inc. have confirmed that they are ending their 18-month partnership. [Vogue UK] 

Marco Zanini, the designer who most recently helped revive Halston, will reportedly design a new collection for Rochas. [FWD]  

Actress Mischa Barton on Victoria Beckham's style: "Posh doesn't strike me as particularly stylish. I don't think she's a good example of British style at all. I don't dress for anybody else, and I think the reason people like my style is that I do my own thing." [Sun UK via The Cut]    read more »

The sixth season of Project Runway will be delayed until NBC and Lifetime can resolve their differences in court. [LA Times via  The Cut] 

The "appearances" that Sacha Baron Cohen made at Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks as a character named "Bruno" were for footage for his next mockumentary about the fashion world. [WWD]

The economy has caused some retail buyers to cut their spring orders 15 to 20 percent after seeing the runways. [WWD] 

Donatella Versace will co-host the Whitney Gala on October 20. [FWD]   read more »