Since it's practically impossible to step outside without encountering someone's fancy schmancy luxury denim-clad ass flaunting itself down the street, it can be difficult to not to get a little bummed (no pun intended) about the likelihood of ever obtaining a pair for yourself. Those of us that aren't as well endowed (and thanks to the recession, that's a lot of us) are left to fight over the last pair in our size at a sample sale or wait for luxury department stores to have warehouse sales (where items are still too expensive, even on markdown). But the clouds that are dampening our dreams of denim grandeur are lifting because of one woman's mission to make incredible denim incredibly affordable.

Daniella Siri launched her premium denim label, Recession Denim, in April 2009 as a riposte to the economic crisis and its effect on the apparel industry. "We offer super comfortable jeans that you can wear anywhere, day or night, and won't break the bank," says Siri of her brand's mission. Extant for about a year, Recession Denim has taken the world by storm with remarkable speed. Already a favorite of celebrities and civilians alike, part of Recession Denim's overnight success may be attributed to Siri's instinct for business and ability to capitalize on a huge void in the apparel market - premium quality denim at an affordable price. Starting at just $86, Recession Denim enables everyone to get the amazing fit and comfort of premium denim without overpaying. Moreover, Recession Denim jeans have been built to last. "You're going to be able to wear them forever," says Siri. The designer, a native New Yorker who, since childhood, has been fostering an interest in sewing projects and garment construction, was first inspired by a local seamstress. Although she studied journalism in school and took a job working for a law firm, her flair for fashion persisted, and in a few years' time, Siri launched her very own, and very successful, denim brand.

Engineered to be the most comfortable, best fitting, and most affordable premium denim on the market, Siri says that the fit of Recession Denim jeans is "extremely comfy." The designer is emphatic about the denim's unique versatility and universality, saying that "[Recession Denim] fits every woman and almost every body type. The fit is quite giving, but at the same time, it holds you in, so it forms to a lot of different body types." Indeed, Recession Denim jeans are certain to flatter whether you're seeking a classic and sophisticated look (perhaps with "a white Oxford shirt tucked in with an alligator belt and loafers," Siri's idea of classic style), or just taking refuge in comfortable bottoms after a long night of revelry (a la Kristen Stewart in a leather jacket and Converse sneakers). Speaking with Siri has also revitalized my appreciation for basics. "I tend to think in terms of color," says Siri, "and the colors that I envision for Recession Denim are black, white and wood. Black and white are basic and therefore reflect our dedication to basics, while the color of wood reflects the vintage, worn-in quality of our denim. They're built to last forever.  Our most popular jeans are our basics - basic blue and black jeans.  And that's not very limiting, because any woman who likes basic jeans can wear them, and who doesn't like basic jeans?"

Although the economic situation is starting to turn for the better, don't expect Recession Denim company values to change. As the company continues to grow, Siri plans to continue "offering good cool-looking jeans" at an affordable price regardless of the financial landscape. And in these unstable times, a brand's commitment to consistency and an amazing pair of indestructible denim (that you got for less than $100) are going to take you forward in confidence and style.

Bringing new meaning to the term "monkey business," AZU Brand has arrived on the scene to give fashion a new face - that of a cartoon monkey. Launched less than a year ago by three friends who detected a bit irony in their corporate desk jobs, the AZU team decided to explore some of the ways that monkeys can resemble human beings. By illustrating some of these concepts onto t-shirts, AZU is gaining speed as a fun and accessible t-shirt brand for consumers of all ages. On March 25^th, you can catch their designs at the I Want Now fashion show event at Tenjune alongside some of the fashion industry's most promising new talents. I spoke with Cara Hall, one of the founding members of AZU, about the brand and why they decided to ditch their desk jobs and start monkeying around.

What is AZU Brand's mission or creative goal? And how would you describe your brand?

The goal of AZU Brand is to bring a fun, fresh and affordable edge to fashion and have a lot of fun doing it. AZU doesn't take itself too seriously, so we went into it with a tongue-in-cheek approach. We all have spent a lot of time in very corporate jobs, sitting in front of a keyboard, typing away and thinking, "even a monkey could do this." So this idea got us thinking of what other types of odd situations we could put monkeys into.

What does the name AZU mean?

The name AZU is a different way of spelling "a zoo." Life can be a zoo at times and AZU brings a fun edge to that sensibility.

What does the use of monkeys mean to AZU? What statement are you making by featuring them in your designs?

The point is to have fun with it, to put our own spin on things, and if it makes you laugh or think - that's a bonus. There's a definite humor to our designs and we'd like to think that it's an intelligent humor - although that may be giving us too much credit. 

Do you have a style icon? 

Our style of clothing is a sort of hybrid between skater and hip hop style. It's hipster-y in the sense that you could see someone like Ashton Kutcher wearing it, but it could also appeal to someone like Jay-Z. These people do their own thing and set their own trends.  We admire that attitude and would love to have anybody that likes to do their own thing wearing AZU Brand. 

You're an attorney by day, right? Was a career in law something that you had always wanted to pursue? 

It sort of developed. I originated in the entertainment industry. I went to school for music and was working in the music industry when I met an entertainment lawyer who was pretty influential in determining my career path. I saw how versatile a law degree is and how many doors it opens up. So I decided to pursue the law end of things and marry it to the entertainment world.

How were you inspired to co-found AZU? Can you tell me how the three of you came together?

The idea evolved out of the image of a monkey at the keyboard doing our jobs, doing repetitive tasks, and then it just started snowballing. If monkeys could do our jobs, what else could they do? Steve [Bibby], a close friend of mine from college who works in sales, helped us develop concepts and a strategy. Aaron [Henderson] has experience in launching new companies and products and works on the business side of entertainment. 

And how did you guys decide to split the responsibility between yourselves?

It helps that the three of us have a different set of focus areas. I come from the legal side of things, Steve handles sales, and Aaron handles marketing and business development. We do a lot of brainstorming and we bounce ideas off each other. The goal is to provide the consumer with the best design on a great quality shirt to make something that they will respond to. Right now, we're working off a master concept list that we've created, and we do a group vote on what the best ideas are and what twists we can add to make the design the best it can possibly be.   

How did AZU go from an idea that you tossed around in your mind to a fully fledged and legitimate t-shirt company? 

We all sat down to talk over the idea and develop a business plan. From there, we went to the drawing board with designs and had some samples printed out.  We did some focus groups to feel out what people thought of the shirts, we did a charity event in November, and after getting a lot of positive feedback, we decided to go full steam ahead. We came up with a strategy to come to market, we started working with Chanel [Omari, who is hosting the fashion event for Haiti relief on March 25^th at Tenjune] who has been a delight, we developed a website, and now we're participating in events. March 25^th is really going to be the first launch event that we're spearheading.

Was it difficult for you to mediate your creative impulses and your career ambitions?  Was AZU a tool in helping you bring both worlds together?

AZU is a great hybrid between those two worlds of creative and career. It's creative and exciting and we have a lot of fun doing it, but it is a business, which means there are the day to day operations, contracts, negotiations, etc.

Do you have a recipe for success?

There's not what we'd really call a "recipe." There's nothing the three of us wouldn't do to help the team accomplish our goals. We live by the idea that the best idea should win out, because you never know where the next source of inspiration will come from. Cross marketing and social media marketing alongside targeted promotional tools help us increase brand awareness. The recipe for success to us might be the idea that you just keep plugging, keep an open mind and if you put yourself out there then good things will happen.  

How are you using social media as a marketing tool?

Facebook is so dominant now partly because it's a great way to send out a lot of information to people. People tend to click on a link a lot less reluctantly than they will take a shopping trip to check out a brand that they haven't heard about.  It's an easy and effective tool to reach mass amounts of people. We have several celebrities and people in the industry that are excited about our brand that will help blog and twitter to help us get the word out. We plan to use these resources to help us drive awareness of our events, new product, and promotions.  Social media is a great way to reach people that you might not ordinarily get a chance to sit down and talk to.

What advice would you give to people aspiring to launch their own apparel line? 

Know your market. Know who you're trying to reach. Who do you want to be wearing your apparel? And have something unique - bring something new to the table. You don't need to pander or worry about whether or not people are going to like your product. Make sure, first and foremost, that you are excited about what you are doing. If it's something that you're passionate about and truly believe in, then make it happen. 

Are you planning on expanding the brand? 

We're definitely dreaming big. We feel the AZU brand and concept has broad appeal, so we hope this is just the beginning. We are considering adding different animals into other lines with it all revolving around being one big zoo. We'd like to expand out to hats, boxers, onesies, dresses, sweatshirts, and then see about a personal favorite of mine - shoes.  We don't want AZU to be a short-lived trend or flash in the pan.  But we know we have to walk before we run, so check back with us in a year! 

You guys launched in June 2009. How did the economic crisis factor into your launch?

The economic crisis has obviously impacted a lot of people's lives in our country and it makes it more difficult for small businesses to start up and get capital. We've been fortunate to secure funding so the crisis hasn't slowed us down like it might have. Our idea has always been to start with the most affordable and basic element in the fashion world- the t-shirt. While people have slowed down their spending habits, at the end of the day you always need t-shirts and if you see one that you really like, you're going to buy it. A shirt that puts a smile on your face has value and a place in the market.  We hope people will agree with us on that.

What is your affiliation with PETA? And do you have any thoughts on the near-obsessive use of fur in many of the presentations seen at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week?

AZU donates a portion of our profits to PETA. We believe in their cause, and we're passionate about animal rights, so none of our products will be using fur or anything like that. We respect designers and we respect their visions. However we do not believe that animals need be harmed in the process of articulating our creative visions. 

What's next for AZU Brand? 

We're very excited about this year as there's a lot on the horizon for us. We're kicking off with the fashion show and Haiti relief charity event at Tenjune on the 25^th, which we're really looking forward to. A lot of great people have come together to make this happen and all for a good cause.  After that we'll be offering our designs through a variety of specialty stores, larger chains, and exclusive designs available online. We're really excited about all the opportunities and we'd like to thank Joonbug for helping spread the word about AZU Brand.

Don't miss the star-studded I Want Now fashion event at Tenjune on March 25^th, hosted by Adrienne Bailon and Joonbug.com. AZU Brand, along with Recession Denim, Regine Basha, and many more, will be showcasing their talent for Haiti relief, with all proceeds from the event going to Project Mediashare.

Last night was amazing night in NYC as I marched uptown to Bergdorf Goodman to socialize with Linda Fargo, Leigh Lezark, Daphne Guinness and more.

The event was to celebrate Steven Klein: 30 Seasons With Akris. The label's designer, Albert Kriemler, was also in attendance. Besides the amazing and devastatingly handsome catering and bar staff, the fourth floor was filled with delightful Akris-clad mannequins and images of Akris clothing throughout the years.

T Magazine's Stefano Tonchi, who is in the running for the position of editor-and-chief of W Magazine, was also in attendance, and  though I didn't get a chance to speak with him about the issue, his gleaming smile said so much more.

Linda Fargo, dressed in a magnificent Akris dress with a fur collar stole to complement, was quite welcoming. Her graceful presence helped make the event a memorable and intimate occasion for guests to get acquainted with the collection. 

In tow of Dapne Guinness came a large display of the  campaign ad she completed with the label (recall when she went jet black). In addition, pieces from the Spring 2010 bevy were merchandised to interwine with the guests on their way to snag some hors d'oeuvres.

We recently spoke about Henry Holland's Levi's collection and its guest appearance from Chanel ambassador Leigh Lezark. Despite our envy of her relationship with Chanel, we enjoyed watching her at the deejay stand with The Misshapes.

In all, the event was a special one - as floods of memories came rushing back from our favorite Akris moments.

After the event, I jetted down to catch the ending of a Vainstyle Magazine launch at the Earnest Sewn boutique in the Meatpacking District. Though I didn't catch much due to my late arrival, I did snag a slice of the phenomenal cake and one of the gift bags they were handing out to guests. I quickly chatted with a magazine staff member who promised that the magazine would put a new spin on fashion and music. Sadly, I can't give too much away - the magazines were very scarce in quantity. I will say, however, that the upcoming issue promises an exciting review on music god David Guetta. Look out for more updates, regarding Vainstyle on their website.

Karl Lagerfeld has been quite a buzzing topic this week - and for what? Rumors and being a narcissist.

But, we're certain he loves the attention.

Whether you're a fan of who people have deemed themselves a creative genius or not, Lagerfeld will be expanding his image by way of collaborating with Tod's to design the label's Hogan bevy next spring.

In related news, the future of Lagerfeld's namesake label may be at risk. The label, which has been supported by Tommy Hilfiger since 2005, was not a part of the PVH/Hilfiger changes we posted earlier this week. The Lagerfeld label stayed with Hilfiger's former owner, Apax Partners. When the buzz of selling the Lagerfeld business began, an Apax insider said that the company will work to improve the label commercially, but also noted that every company they deal with is up for sale.

After industry insiders came forth with a what's-the-big-deal? stance towards the predatory allegations towards Terry Richardson from some of his subjects, Jezebel invited more alleged victims to write in anonymously of their encounters with Richardson.

It's said that they received a ton of emails, which made us a bit skeptical at first - until we searched and found a picture of Richardson receiving oral sex from an unidentified subject. Plenty of insiders wrote in anonymously in fear of losing their jobs. Though many of the stories are too graphic to post, we think outlining the problem is sufficient.

One insider noted that it's a difficult situation to disentangle, considering Richardson's approval from some of the industry's foremost leaders (think Anna Wintour, Carine Roitfeld, etc.). The insider continues, saying:

"Those people in power, the women, need to take their responsibility for what happens to the girls because by booking him, they are tacitly giving their approval that whatever he does is OK."

Another insider noted that she quit her job as a stylist after she witnessed Richardson sexually harrass foreign nude girls who didn't speak English.

What makes the situation more disturbing is the approach Richardson takes once girls begin to question his behavior on set; he insists on being called "Uncle Terry" and assures them that in no way is he shooting for porn - for he's shooting stills - then asks the girls to shoot him nude playing with himself. Strangely, Richardson continues to have a support team on set in the form of dedicated assistants, who incessantly advise girls that what he is doing is tasteful and frankly normal, because he works with celebrities all the time.

A credible source noted the break in the relationship between Richardson and W Magazine (although with the publication in such a frenzy, we doubt commenting on Richardson is at the top of their list), observing that Richardson has not shot for the magazine for quite some time. Whether it has to do with his behavior toward subhects or a highly disliked spread he shot for the magazine (a model's head in the oven), no one knows.

Do you think allegations will hinder or advance Richardson's career?

London's hottest (and we do mean hottest) designer, Henry Holland, launched his H! by Henry Holland collection yesterday at Debenhams - where he also signed "Bagazine" clutches for those who came to the 7:30am call time.

But more importantly, how many would agree that Chanel ambassador, Leigh Lezark, alongside model Jacob Coupe, looks completely fabulous in the lookbook for Holland's Spring 2010 Levi's bevy?

The photographs, shot by Mark Irwin, phenomenally capture Lezark in denim and corduroy - though we don't know if it's the clothing itself or envy of Lezark's Chanel ambassador title that we love more.

We stumbled over to no man's land of fabulosity yesterday when Kiki de Montparnasse announced they would be hosting a DecadesTwo pop-up shop through Sunday March 21st.

We were totally unprepared for what we saw - Chanel tweed jackets, purses and shoes, Christian Louboutin, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Marc Jacobs and Goyard bags, fur, fur and more fur, and plenty more (dresses, coats, skirts, etc.) all at discounted prices.

DecadesTwo, co-founded by fashion insiders, Christos Garkinos and Cameron Silver, was founded in 1999 as a Los Angeles boutique of precise editing of consignment items available for savvy fashionistas everywhere. DecadesTwo was produced from Decades - a vintage couture store - by the founders, who traveled worldwide to capture the best garments from stylists and celebrities - marking them at astonishingly low prices of 80% off. When the store isn't a traveling pop-up shop, and consumers are based out of LA, DecadesTwo offers bi-weekly HauteLook sales on the company's website.

Kiki de Montparnasse, who hosted the event, wasn't too shabby, either. Before we were directed upstairs to the event, we noticed the intimate setting, attracting consumers to the high-quality items. The store is known for its memorable methods of packaging, by way of intimacy and beauty.

Be sure to stop by the pop-up shop before March 21st - as the stock is refilled throughout the day. There's enough for everyone. Kiki de Montparnasse, 79 Greene Street ; (Th-Sa, 11-7) (Su 12-5).

Coco Rocha is wasting no time in beating Lara Stone (who wil have Ricardo Tisci of Givenchy design her gown) to the altar. Rocha recently tweeted her engagement to her interior designer, James Conran - and now she's tweeting about how she convinced designer, Zac Posen to create her wedding dress for her June 9th wedding. Her tweet reads:

"Mr. Zac Posen is the best! I met with him to discuss wedding dress designs and immediately sketches were flying... So exciting!!"

As generous as Rocha has been on her Twitter account, let's hope she tweets sneak peeks of what she will walk down the aisle wearing.

Any guesses on who will design James's tux?

Wednesday night was the stellar CFDA nominations - right after Diane Von Furstenberg was re-elected another term for the organization - as some of New York's most popular young designers came out to celebrate at Diane's design studio for a cocktail gathering.

Some in attendance were: Alexander Wang, Prabal Gurung, Michael Kors and more.

The nominations were as follows:

WOMENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR

Marc Jacobs
Alexander Wang
Donna Karan

MENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR 
Tom Ford
Michael Bastian
Rag & Bone's Marcus Wainwright and David Neville

 ACCESSORY DESIGNER OF THE YEAR 

Marc Jacobs
Alexis Bittar
Proenza Schouler's Jack McCullough and Lazaro Hernandez

SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR WOMENSWEAR

Prabal Gurung
Joseph Altuzarra
Jason Wu

SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR MENSWEAR

Patrik Ervell
Simon Spurr
Richard Chai

SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR ACCESSORY DESIGN

Alexander Wang
Fenton/Fallon's Dana Lorenz
Eddie Borgo

INTERNATIONAL AWARD

Christopher Bailey

GEOFFREY BEENE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Michael Kors

ELEANOR LAMBERT AWARD

Tonne Goodman

EUGENIA SHEPPARD AWARD

Kim Hastreiter

CFDA BOARD OF DIRECTOR'S SPECIAL TRIBUTE AWARD

Alexander McQueen

FASHION ICON AWARD

Iman

Voting for the June 7 awards ceremony begins April 1st - as the ceremony at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall will host a very special tribute to the late designer, Alexander McQueen. In related news, famed bloggers, Tavi and Bryanboy, were asked to submit ballots of who they felt should be nominated - proving the notion that bloggers have come so far. Although, the change in fashion and technology is driving towards its peak, not everyone enjoyed the bloggers' opinions. Colin McDowell turned to his blog to discuss his frustrations of bloggers being respected alongside the 'cream of the industry.' He writes:

"Of course nobody at the CFDA respects or cares about the opinions of the likes of Tavi and Bryanboy. The designers who have crammed their front rows with footballers, movie stars and TV stars don't care either. All that fashion cares about now is enthusiasm and that can be as uninformed as you like.

Last night when I saw T editor, Stefano Tonchi, at the Steven Klein 30 Seasons of Akris/Bergdorf Goodman event, the last thought in my mind was waking up to hear rumors of him possibly becoming the editor-in-chief of W Magazine.

That explains his grin.

As we previously posted, W Magazine is in a bit of a crunch, parting ways with WWD, and taking some of its senior staff from the magazine with it.

Tonchi, a former Esquire creative director, quickly turned T magazine into what WWD calls "the ad-rev stratosphere."

W Magazine is scrambling to quickly replace the EIC position, possibly giving Tonchi a run for his money. Some of the frontrunners for the position include: Carine Roitfeld, Katie Grand, Adam Moss (of New York Magazine), Jay Fielden (former Men's Vogue editor).

As much as I'd love to see someone new take the famed spotlight, the thought of Carine Roitfeld, of Vogue Paris, running an American publication gives me the chills.

Tea Time: Now enjoy your favorite designers with a cup of tea. German shop, Donkey Products, has released a small collection of tea bags attached to the bodies of designers, including Karl Lagerfeld, Donatella Versace, Jean-Paul Gaultier and more. We wonder why they didn't fit Alber Elbaz on to one of those things?

The teabags are priced at $10, but we're sure the real excitement will come from shopping on the website attempting to decipher German.

Time To Get Busy: We confess that we are major Twitter fans, so when The Cobra Snake tweeted a photo of condoms he was gifted by Proper Attire, we knew we had to add them to this week's shopping list. Even better, the condoms are designed by Jeremy Scott - who by the way, tweets away too.

The condoms are $5.99 for a three pack and promise premium lubrication, extra sensation and maximum pleasure. We won't say if we're going to test them out, but as of right now, our favorite style seems to be the dots.

Paul Rowland, founder of Women Management and Supreme, has left both modeling agencies - heading over to Ford Models.

Rowland apparently left the company because he didn't get along with management - though it's said he sold the company a few years ago, but stayed as an executive.

So why would he stay so long, you ask?

“He had a huge salary there, but wasn’t really getting along with management. So basically, he just left," says an insider.

But will he get along with the people at Ford?

Another insider said Ford 'cleaned house and canned everyone,' to make room for Rowland and his selected few that he was to bring with him. But, like a game of fashionable musical chairs, the head of the women's division at Ford, Caroline Poznanski, - who lost her job in the midst of the scandal - is rumored to be heading over to Supreme, Rowland's ex-agency.

The insider continues, “There were rumors around that Supreme was just going to close, but instead they hired Poznanski and absorbed some other people who had been let go from Ford.”

Ford Models, Women and Supreme are three of New York's biggest agencies - grooming the careers of a few top supermodels, such as Chanel Iman, Tao Okamoto, Jacquelyn Jablonski and more. Though they're still featured on Ford's roster, a veteran booker told Page Six: "The models at these places are in a tailspin. A lot, including [Ford girls] Chanel Iman and Jacquelyn Jablonski, don't know if they're staying or going. There will likely be a spate of lawsuits because both Paul and Caroline are trying to bring their girls over, but they have noncompetes in their contracts."

Could this possibly be a reason why we didn't get to see too much of Chanel Iman during fashion month? But on second thought, maybe she's just over walking the runways, since she's been given her Victoria Secret's PINK stamp of approval (by way of those annoying PINK advertisements that pop up whenever you visit style.com).

Regardless, Supreme kept mum about the scandal - suggesting press talk to Rowland himself - as Ford spoke with openly about their new arrangements.

"There have been some changes at Ford. We are looking forward to a new chapter."

A change to come!

At least that is what the board was thinking yesterday morning when they changed the bylaws of the CFDA/Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Diane Von Furstenberg, who has served as president for two-two year terms, has been re-elected to serve another term until December 31, 2012.

The two year term rule was enforced after former president, Stan Herman, served as president for 15 years - far too long. However, Diane's term-expansion was highly supported by CFDA board members who believe Diane's leadership has helped expand the organization's membership.

Changes At W Magazine: W Magazine - which doesn't have an editor-in-chief - will soon be searching for one after Conde Nast's plan to cut the magazine's ties to WWD. The two publications were known for sharing staff, Bridget Foley and Patrick McCarthy most notably, with the exception of W's publisher, Gina Sanders. Senior staff of W, including Foley and McCarthy, will now work exclusively for WWD. W Magazine, which was down 45.8% in ad sales for 2009, also was removed from Conde Nast subgroup Fairchild Fashion Group. Conde Nast CEO Chuck Townsend says, "This formally establishes a structure for W consistent with our other consumer magazine titles, and allows FFG the autonomy to focus on their core business-to-business publications and related businesses.”

Terry Richardson Known For His Pervert Ways: Yesterday we enlightened you on stories models came forth with regarding famous photographer, Terry Richardson, and his ways of convincing his subjects to engage in sexual acts with him. But, a lot of industry insiders are wondering why everyone is so surprised - his work, um...ethic, is very well known. The photographer, who has worked with Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Purple and more, is said to be very open about his encounters. But does that make it okay? And, is it right for people to have knowledge of what's going on, but to still accept him with open arms? Richardson hasn't commented on the accusations - but we must admit he's one hell of a photographer. Hmm, we wonder what kind of story J-WOW walked away with, back when Richardson shot the cast of Jersey Shore for Interview Magazine a few weeks ago.

Stella McCartney Back At Gap: Stella McCartney's Kids Gap collection was a hit last fall, so it was expected that she would dabble again in the craze. Stella launched her Spring 2010 Gap bevy today in London - with the totally cute and adorable kids from the ads in tow. The bevy included striped sweaters and onesies, green jackets and patterned dresses. The popularity of last seasons bevy drove Carla Bruni to don one of the military jackets for a TV appearance - so we're eager to see if she'll opt for the striped onesie this time around.

Beyonce's HEAT Fragrance Selling: We're not too keen on the latest Beyonce and Lady Gaga collaboration, but we will say her business savvy is far beyond us. In February, Beyonce launched her HEAT fragrance at a New York City event. Macy's CEO Terry Lundgren recently revealed his chain has sold $3 million worth of the Heat fragrance between February and March - 72,000 of those bottles were sold in one hour when Beyonce made a store appearance. But, we likely still won't be purchasing any. Oop!

We have just returned from a desperately needed editor's re-see of the Twinkle By Wenlan Fall 2010 bevy, for the runway show at Bryant Park didn't nearly do the collection justice.

Though the showroom may have been a tad bit toasty, the heat couldn't stop us from wanting to run and jump into the Twinkle By Wenlan bedding decor and wrap ourselves in the strings of yarn the label offers for ordering.

The staff coordinated a stellar presentation of the Fall and Pre-Fall 2010 looks for editors' and buyers' viewing pleasure. Observing the garments up close and personal, we were amazed by the quirky and admirable details that we didn't catch from our seats at the runway show. For example, a one crew-neck mesh dress (with prints along the mid-drift) came equipped with thumb holes at the end of the sleeves.

Although it was great to get an up-close look at the cutout and lingerie detailing in the bevy, we were especially enticed by the jewelry presentation. Enviable jewelry trends, like layers of chains overloaded with charms, were given new life with a delicate edge.

A label known for its signature knitwear, Twinkle By Wenlan offers needle-savvy fans the chance to DIY. The company has published 4 books featuring sewing or knitting patterns and instructions to make your own garments from Twinkle's prior collections. 

We must say, although we didn't initially anticipate such a pleasant presentation, an up-close look really changed our views on the Fall 2010 bevy.

It's St. Patricks Day; and as much as we are attempting to ignore the mosh pits of green cruising down the Avenue of Americas, we can't.

But we will discuss the buzz on the internet today, starting wtih Suri Cruise's $850 dollar Salvatore Ferragamo handbag.

As a tiny tot for fashion, there are a few differences between Suri and us. Actually, there are several major differences between Suri and us. They are:

Paparazzi: Our intimate days of playing tag, hide-and-seek and obsessing over our favorite pink Hula Hop, did not consist of getting photographed by prying eyes to land on the cover of gossip magazines.

Parents: We didn't have the pleasure to be the offsprings of two of the most famous movie stars in the world. In fact, we didn't have parents who Oprah would dedicate show specials to. Granted, Suri's way more famous than her mother Katie Holmes.

Fashion: Dresses and cute frilly things caught our eyes - just like Suri's - but, we're trying to recall if we wore kitten heels, Christian Louboutin, shopped at Hermes and carried Salvatore Ferragamo bags. We're still trying to recall.

Celeb-Blogger Tommy Ton of Jak & Jil, seemed to spark a whirl of rumors with his tweet that suggested a dramatic change within the fashion industry.

Word spread, and immediately targeted the rumors of Karl Lagerfeld leaving Chanel, only to be one-up'd by Lanvin's Alber Elbaz. Chanel promptly denied any accusations that such rumor was reality.

After such a whirlwind, Tommy continued to fuel the hinting game via Twitter, suggesting his Twitter followers review the Style.com Paris videos the decipher the big secret he was sworn not to tell.

So what is this all about, you ask?

Tommy recently tweeted the entire thing was all a prank from Givenchy's designer, Ricardo Tisci:

"Guessing game is over. My source and I are the victim of a good prank played by Mr. Tisci himself. He got us good :(,"

Last night was a full night of events. Whilst Anna Wintour and Miuccia Prada enjoyed the Metropolitan Opera's Attila, and Todd Selby & Cole Haan celebrated "The Inspired Life" campaign, I jetted over to Clic Gallery for the opening reception of Victor Demarchelier's photo exhibit in Soho.

What started off as a night with a light crowd observing the art of Patrick Demarchelier's (who was also in attendance) son, who confessed his love to girlfriend and Vogue favorite, Caroline Trentini, by way of photographs - soon turned into a buzzing event crowded with great industry influences and followers alike.

When I briefly scored a chance to speak to Victor and Caroline (who both are sweet as blueberry pie, by the way), I eagerly asked Victor about the relationship between each of the photos. He slyly replied that no such relationship existed. The images, shown in black-and-white and ranging from adorable vintage bears to Caroline posing in dance-like sequences, left guests questioning the Demarchelier tradition, background textures and choice of focus.

Also in attendance were supermodel Heidi Mount and Grace Coddington. Grace, who also showed The Catwalk Cats exhibit at Clic, stealthy creeped around the event, not one to make a scene after becoming The September Issue favorite.

The man of the hour remained humble and open to questions about his work, which was also available for sale. Be sure to catch Victor's solo show through April 5th at Clic Galleries (424 Broome St, NY).

One of our stops last week was to Bloomingdale's uptown for a Vanity Fair/Ports 1961 soiree. By the time we arrived, the "special presentation" of Ports 1961's Spring/Summer collection had ended and nearly all the champagne had been downed by the guests -  thank God that chocolate hors d'oeuvres remained to satisfy Joonbug staff latebirds.

The event was hosted to capture the moments of Ports 1961's Spring 2010 bevy. The vibrant bevy spoke through pastel colors, creams and blacks by way of Asian detailing. A classic example of clean romance spoke volumes through organza jackets, obi belts and T-shirt dresses.

In attendance was Ports 1961 designer, Tia Cibani, and fashion expert, Ann Caruso - amongst other fabulous guests.

Complimentary March Vanity Fair magazines were handed out to guests, with a Ports 1961 editorial lookbook in tow. Though, it was a bit odd to re-see a March issue, we gratefully accepted, taking note of the clean yet whimsical cover spread of young starlets, including Carey Mulligan, Kristen Stewart, Abbie Cornish and more!

We won't necessarily label Agyness Deyn's Barneys capsule as good, but we won't necessarily label it as bad either. For some odd reason, we feel as if we seen this all before. Was it at Uniqlo? Or, was it Club Monoco?

Either way, Agyness' I Am By Agyness Deyn for Barney's Green capsule was launched s exclusively for the Kobe, Japan store opening - in addition to the 20th anniversary of its Shinjuku store. Out of the 17 piece bevy, we only liked four of them. Perhaps others will be more receptive to the spring-like tanks, scarves, minis and breeze-through dresses., though we wouldn't think it a very wise choice if you're accustomed to go underwearless. Follow our do's and don'ts, likes and dislikes, of the collection:

• Do as a model does: secretly test your design skills with an alternate market way far over yonder before launching a full collaboration to walk a Bryant Park runway. Erin Wasson, who?
• Don't create t-shirt mini's for yourself - as a runway model - whilst selling to an Asian market. The height difference might be an issue.
  
• Do have qualities of your personal celebrity style when launching a "fan capsule." Thus, we are certain that we'll appreciate the bevy more once we see the items layered in typical Agyness fashion.
• Don't go completely green on your fanbase, as they haven't heard the words "green" and "eco" roll off your lips since your starlet image was launched.

All in all, we love Agyness Deyn, and wish the collection the best. If you are seeking to purchase from the label, a trip to Japan will do if you are too pretentious for Ebay.