>>  The woman lived and died for fashion, literally.  She smoked from the age of 14 and ate lettuce (instead of bread)-bound sandwiches to maintain herself within sample size range.  A few years ago, when she was in her seventies, she broke her hip wearing spiked heels.  In 2005, she passed away from emphysema. 
But for all her effort, fashion loved the original "social x-ray," Nan Kempner, back.  Diana Vreeland once said, "There are no chic women in America.  The one exception is Nan Kempner." -- A weighty statement coming from an editor of American Vogue.  Yves Saint Laurent called her "la plus chic du monde."

Mrs. Kempner had quite the personality -- in the 1960's, she wore a new style  --  a pantsuit  --  to dinner at La Cote Basque restaurant, where the dress code forbade women in pants.  Stopped at the door by hostess Madame Henriette, she yanked off the pants, handed them to her husband and told Madame, "I hope you like this better.'' She wore the tunic top as a dress, placed lots of napkins in her lap and "didn't dare bend over,'' she recalled.

Quotes like "The only plastic I want is plastic surgery!" and "I want to be buried naked, I know there's a store where I'm going."  spilled forth from her mouth.

There's no doubt that between the woman's panache and her vast collection of Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, Oscar de la Renta, John Galliano for Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Karl Lagerfeld for Fendi, Lanvin, and Emanuel Ungaro will make for quite an exhibition at the Constume Institute in the Met, running from December 12 to March 4 of next year.   

>>  For some reason, it seems a bit early for us to already be seeing spring ad campaigns, but who am I to complain?  In the past couple of days, Marc Jacobs has released preview shots from two of his three spring ad campaigns. 
Scarlett Johansson showed up to the Louis Vuitton set with pink-tinted hair, and I'm not one of those "OHMIGOD pink!!!!~~~" girls, but it does look fantastic -- her look all around absolutely suits the milkmaid theme of the collection.  Very "French coquette," as Marc quipped.  Mert and Marcus shot the campaign, and the primary prop was a swing -- I foresee romanticized shots for the rest of the campaign.

Little Miss Dakota Fanning is starting to get some serious attention from fashion designers -- Karl Lagerfeld shot her for the January 2007  issue of Vanity Fair, and Marc Jacobs picked her for his Marc Jacobs campaign, shot by Juergen Teller.  I've never been a fan of her, and neither of these shoots have done anything to change my mind.  My favorite Marc Jacobs campaign still remains the one with Kirsten MacMenamy.  And as far as a marketing strategy, why would I -- or anyone else who usually wears Marc Jacobs --  ever want to buy clothes that are advertised on a 12-year-old?