>> It looks more like a December cover than a September cover to me, but hey, it's a great cover, so I'll take it.  I'll especially take the patent leather Alaia boots Kate's wearing. 

Photographed by Mert & Marcus, Kate's editorial inside is supposed to be Marlene Dietrich-inspired -- which means at least one androgynous look (yessss).  Even if that doesn't satisfy, the issue also features a best-dressed list, which of course Kate tops, but I'm looking forward to the features on Ozwald Boateng, Hedi Slimane, Mario Testino, Stella Tennant, Isabella Blow, Anna Piaggi, and Sofia Coppola, all of whom also made the list.

Get ready for another influx of Kate covers -- she's already grabbed this one and the September Vogue UK cover -- so who knows what else. 

>>  I am sorry to inform you all that the beautiful Heather Bratton passed away in a car accident last Saturday en route to Newark Airport (supposedly after a photo shoot). 

How horrible -- she was one of my favorite burgeoning young models.  My condolences go out to her family and friends.

>> Which of the most powerful fashion editors were the ones fighting for Chanel give-aways after the runway show? 

>>  Some interesting themes I've been picking up on...

W and Vogue Italia seem to be fixated on girls with short red hair and hats for their covers (Natalia Vodianova for August 2006 and Anna-Mariya Urajevskaya for July 2006, respectively)...

...Whereas Vogue Paris seems fixated on the dark hair and heavy eyebrow combination for their covers (Jennifer Connelly for June/July 2006 and Hilary Rhoda for August 2006).

Does this mean we should all go out and either dye our hair dark and use false mustaches for eyebrows, or crop our hair, dye it red, and wear a big hat?  No... these are just merely weird coincidences... or least the first set is.  I could see the heavy eyebrows coming back with the nineties grunge look -- Hilary Rhoda does seem to be awfully in demand lately. 

>>  The thoughts of the Wintour on the fate of our cher Olivier:

It seems Proctor & Gamble was not the right company to capitalise on Theyskens’ design strengths and was not willing to go the extra distance to support him. If he’d been with LVMH or Gucci, it would have been a different story.

I am sure he will re-surface very soon.  He is in the enviable position of having many suitors.

And re-surface he shall, the newly orphaned Olivier.  But where?  And with whom?  Those are the questions.   De la Renta, perhaps?  Or Chloe?

>>  Ach, you know its been a while when all your typical news networks run a story because there's gasp, a model on the cover of US Vogue.  And not just any model at that, it's Linda Evangelista.  Ignoring the de rigueur airbrushing, horrible background, and text vomit all over the cover, Linda does look fantasticly curvy.   

Those old-school supermodels, they sure have been in the news lately -- Kate Moss with her five jillion fall ad campaigns, Christy Turlington with her fall Versace ad campaign, Christie Brinkley with her failing marriage, and well, Naomi Campbell has her own little set of problems.

>>  I am flabbergasted.  WWD is reporting that the Rochas fashion label is expected to close.  After all the fantastic collections Olivier Theyskens has been producing, what a disappointment.  But back to the real world, eh, where a financial loss is a financial loss, regardless of quality of product.

>>  This is why I love Sasha.  She takes a fur coat, hunches herself over, and comes out looking like some kind of urban werewolf.  Perfect with Miuccia's vision for the collection.  I was so-so about the new ad campaign until I saw this shot.  No wonder Prada keeps using Sasha.

>>  Only two years after Sex and the City's last episode (may it rest in peace), HBO is reportedly exhuming the idea -- for a reality-based show, which "will follow the lives of a group of glamorous and dynamic girlfriends in their 20s, living in Manhattan."  A few "fashion it-girls" have already been contacted to participate.  I'm going to cross my fingers and hope hope hope that this show turns out well -- I miss having my SATC fix. 

>>  Satine Boutique is having a massive sale.  We're talking seventy percent off.  We talking potential for serious credit card damage.  We're talking my favorite Loeffler Randall platforms and my favorite Pierre Hardys are both on sale.  This is serious.