>> There are plenty of Coco Chanel biopics in the works, and Karl Lagerfeld is now involved in at least two of them.

It was announced last month that he is working with the costumer for Chanel et Stravinsky, and yesterday came the announcement that Coco Avant Chanel, which stars Audrey Tautou as the designer, will feature Chanel dresses (I assume archival) and Karl will be supervising the re-creation of costumes and accessories for the production.

It seems like Coco Avant Chanel has been in pre-production for forever — Audrey's attachment was announced last May — but the 12-week production is finally starting Sept. 15 in Paris. The movie is slated to be released in 2009, and since Warner Bros. is behind the project, expect a full-out, hopefully gratifying, film.
*image: source

>> INSIDER WIRE —Valentino Garavani to the Venice Film Festival: The big premiere of the Matt Tyrnauer's documentary on the designer, Valentino: The Last Emperor, debuts tomorrow night, and Valentino wouldn't miss the screening or the Vogue Italia-sponsored party afterwards. [Chic Report]

The best reviews are those that come from personal experiences. This is the benefit our Network Partners have over traditional media. Don't take our word for it, take theirs in today's Must Read posts from: Couture In The City offers an up close look at her experiences with Elizabeth Arden's Color Intrigue Eyeshadows. We love when our Network Partners have the courage to post photos of themselves. What would your next jewelry purchase be? We're not talking about buying something from a street vendor on your way home, we're discussing real pieces. Jewel History weighs in on what exactly investment jewelry is, and what it should mean to you. Some people are feeling gothic for fall, some people are feeling frills and bows. Boutique Flair is feeling the latter, and shares her inspiration with all of her readers. So many ladies look to Ebay to find vintage and rare items. Glowing Doll finds a great selection and opts to share it with her readers. The Shoe Goddess is so keen, she noticed an emerging trend in footwear. The wooden heel is making a comeback, and she has found the shoes to prove it.

>> Yesterday, the New York Daily News published a list of fashion's 50 most powerful New Yorkers. All the usual suspects are there — Anna Wintour (#1, of course), Marc Jacobs (#3), Diane von Furstenberg (#8), Gisele Bundchen (#4) — but there are also some lesser-known additions, most of whom have interesting anecdotes. 

Among them is Betsy Pearce (#20), the lawyer who brokered Phoebe Philo going to Chloe and Nicholas Ghesquiere moving to Balenciaga; Michael Oliver (#30), the store manager at 'Wichcraft in Bryant Park, who claims to have served 10,000 shots of espresso during Fall 2008 fashion week; and "Mean Christine" Chin (#34), the whose facials simultaneously induces fear and cull the best out of models's skin.
*image: source

>> INSIDER WIRE —Talks of a replacement for Matthew Williamson at Pucci are under way, and the name which seems to be coming up is Peter Dundas. Dundas is currently "very happy" working at furrier Revillon after leaving Emanuel Ungaro last summer and would give no further comment to the rumors than that. [WWD]

*image: source

Hair is a touchy subject for a lot of women, the accepted wisdom is that the naturally curly wish for straight hair and the naturally straight wish for curls. Blessedly the hair you are born with can now be manipulated into just about any style you might wish. IDidTheHair stylist and Redken man Gregory Alan showed us just how possible it is to play with your locks in our Top Five Fall Trends photo editorial.

As a straight haired woman, this editor was duly impressed with Gregory's variety of luscious curled styles. From brunette and short to blond and long, Gregory did it all. And thanks to Gregory's Redken knowledge we learned that Redken Fresh Curls line is a great option to help prep and maintain curls no matter what your natural hair type. Our favorite is Redken's Fresh Curls Boost; shooting during the summer meant we were fighting frizz but the battle was easily won with this handy anti-frizz spray.

But we didn't just stick to the curls. We had some seriously stick stick straight action happening on set on both models. Gregory used the PHI KWOF Hair straightener to achieve these almost improbably straight styles. Unlike traditional flat irons, the heating plate has an angle of 30 making it ergonomic and versatile. The angling also makes it just as effective for creating curls. In fact, every single style on set was created with the help of this super iron. It costs $200 but given its efficacy and flexibility if you are serious about styling its worth it.

And of course with shooting so many looks we had a lot of hair changes that needed to happen fast. Solution? Redken Quick Dry Finishing Spray.

>> BLOWING THE COVER —With the exception of the July 2008 issue, Vogue Italia's cover stories have been very staid and buttoned up in the past few months — Linda Evangelista's turn as a duchess in June, the funereal tribute to Yves Saint Laurent in August — and so far, Viktoriya Sasonkina's September 2008 cover is no exception. Miuccia Prada's prim Fall 2008 collection must have really set Steven Meisel's mood for the past few months . . . [Women Management]