>>  I don't know if I'm just noticing this or what, but Playboy France is really starting to get fashiony — Karl Lagerfeld shot last October's cover, Lou Doillon was on the March cover (NSFW), and now Anouck Lepere is featured front and center on the June 2008 cover with her new bob, as shot by Rankin.  I wonder if it's a coincidence that her fiance Jefferson Hack is profiled inside . . .

To see more of Anouck (literally), go here and here (NSFW).

*image: source

>>  Although she's not being honored, technically, Raquel Zimmermann is still going to be the woman of the hour at the CFDA Awards next Monday night.  Unlike past years, when each nominees' look was showcased by a different model, Raquel was photographed by Mikael Jansson wearing the designs of all 25 nominees, menswear or not. 

The final shots, which were produced in a four-day shoot under stylist Karl Templer and evoke each individual designer's style, will be handed out in book form to the awards attendees.

Top: L — Dries Van Noten, R — Tom Ford
Bottom: L — Michael Bastian, R — Marc Jacobs

*images: source

>> Time to revisit that time-honored debate: Will it be models or actresses?  Marc Jacobs has swung the other way after using Victoria Beckham for his Spring 2008 ads: "We're using models next season, we're not ready for Kevin & Britney yet."  Wonder who the lucky ladies are?

Also, leave it to Marc to describe the value of teamwork in such a way: "Everybody who says they do everything themselves is just exaggerating. Doing things by yourself is well, it's masturbation. It's not nearly as exciting as doing it with somebody else!"

*image: source

>>  Roberto Cavalli recently said that his two adult children by his first wife are not being groomed to take over the family business, Versace-style:  "I don't think I'll hand it down to my kids because I like them to choose their own way in life." 

So what is his son, Daniele, choosing instead?  It looks like music.   He may have been spotted most recently on Roberto's yacht for a Cavalli party last week in Cannes (left), but his MySpace reveals that he likes Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, and Sly & the Family Stone more than leopard print and zebra stripes. 

He has a band himself (or at least posts pictures that make it appear so) . . . and it appears that he has (or had) a thing for the drummer.

*image: source, source, source

Perhaps your Memorial Day Weekend was totally chilled out and you're ready for some fashion happenings in New York this week. Perhaps you're just hell-bent on cultivating the perfect summer wardrobe. Whatever the case may be, we know of a few things going on that you might not want to miss.

Tuesday: We happen to know that the kids at Ethan James Group are running their sample sale through the week as they are receiving new merchandise daily. That means amazing clothing from the likes of Imitation by Imitation of Christ and Hyden Yoo. We've also been told there is a plethora of size 37 shoes that are driving the not-size 37 clerks crazy. This sample sale is not to miss.

Wednesday: Norma Kamali is sample sale happy with items marked down to between $10-$100 dollars. Picked up clothing marked-down from all of Kamali's collections, including the Everlast and Spiegel lines.

Thursday: The News is having a sample sale today. Set a day-date and bring your urban dandy to score Spring clothing from Cheap Monday's (how cheap can they be?) and Band of Outsiders. It's one of the only ways to see your new gent in his underwear by mid-afternoon.

Friday: Treat yourself to something special today. Check out the Yves Saint Laurent Fall 08 collection with model presentation from 1-4pm. It will get you uptown in time to watch the movie and will keep your fashion sensibilities nice and conservative for the weekend. Long live the smoking jacket, YSL's Fall 08 blew us out of the water.