>> Did Tom Ford open up a serious crossbreeding frenzy between fashion and film? Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce make their second film appearance — if only a cameo — as priests in the upcoming Nine, but Gabbana doesn't want his film career to end there, he tells WWD:

Many people ask us to do little parts in movies, and it depends on the time. Domenico is not so comfortable because he’s really shy, but I love it. My dream when I was young was to become a movie actor. I never studied acting, but I did a TV program five years ago. I was a guest many times on TV, and I have my program on the radio [for the popular Radio DJ Italia]. And I do many advertisements on TV: for cars, for ice cream [Cornetto Algida]. The last three years, I’ve made three commercials for [car company] Lancia.

But he doesn't delude himself: "My career is fashion designer. If you want to make something really well, you need to spend a lot of time. I don’t have a lot of time to make movies or act. I would love [to], but it depends. Maybe a famous movie director [will] offer me a really big part. You never know."

Blake Mycoskie, founder of feel-good accessory label Toms shoes, has co-designed a limited edition men's and women's collection with Charlize Theron. The two styles were created to celebrate Mycoskie's donation of over 10,000 pairs of Toms shoes to children in Theron's native South Africa.

Inspired by the South African baobab tree, the shoes, which have been made from vegan materials, feature the tree pattern embroidered over dyed canvas in blue and orange and are lined with Theron's own charity logo—that of the Charlize Theron African Outreach Project.

A portion of all proceeds will go directly to the African Outreach Project. If you need help remembering why (or how) to give Toms this holiday season, watch this video.

Happy socially-concious shopping!

>> During the Spring 2010 season, Loic Prigent, director of documentaries Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton, Signe Chanel, and The Day Before, and French TV personality Mademoiselle Agnes teamed up to film Habillees, chronicling the search for the next French design talent. The Sundance Channel uploaded the six Habillees webisodes this week, and the hour's worth of content features everyone from John Galliano taking his runway bow to Karl Lagerfeld waltzing to Nicholas Ghesquiere saying of his work: "Wearing Balenciaga is a choice. These clothes aren't easy to wear. They're not meant to be easy to wear."

When Pierre Berge, former partner of Yves Saint Laurent and president of ANDAM, which annually bestows 160,000 euros to designers under 40 seeking to expand their businesses in France — most recently awarded were Giles Deacon for 2009 and Gareth Pugh for 2008 — was asked by Mademoiselle Agnes who the next big French talent is, he replied: "No one."

But perhaps best of all are the scenes with Anna Wintour, who is shown exiting the Rochas show flanked by two bodyguards, one who brusquely nudges a woman out of the way.  Just after, as Anna descends a set of stairs, the other bodyguard turns a flashlight on her feet so she can walk without fear of tripping in her heels.  Later, Agnes catches up with Anna before the Balmain show to ask her how important she thinks it is to support young designers. Notice the subtle dig at Carine Roitfeld in Anna's response:

I think it's totally important for all of us in the American fashion industry to support the young designers, and I think that's why New York's become such a vibrant fashion center, because people go there not only to see the Donna Karans of the world but a whole new generation. I'm just so sorry that there isn't something like that in Paris that's similar. I think that they should look for the younger generation here [in Paris] as well. Not only New York but London really supports their young talent; Franca Sozzani at Italian Vogue supports the young Italian designers, and I think when France is so known for its fashion industry — for them not to be reaching out to help younger people today is really a shame. [Agnes: "And there's space in your pages for them."] There's space in everybody's pages.

The videos! (The Anna Wintour bit is in Part 5) »

>> As previously suggested, relative newcomer Jeffrey Monteiro, an alum of Jane Mayle and Derek Lam with a year-old collection of his own under his belt, is the newest design director at Bill Blass. He was chosen from among 100 applicants and starts in January with the intention of bringing a high-end Bill Blass collection back to stores next Winter.

New brand owners Bill Blass Group let the label lay fallow since purchasing it last year, allowing half of the 20 licensees to expire.  According to Group president Scott Patti, “There was not a lot of business left out there, so it kind of cleaned itself up.”

Patti noted that Monteiro, the fifth designer to take over the label since Bill Blass retired in 1999, was chosen because “he’s very low-key and realistic. Bill Blass designed real clothes, and that’s what Jeffrey does as well.” Monteiro, for his part, was mum on what he has in mind for the brand, only telling the New York Times that his idea customer is a young professional woman and that he was thinking about colors based on the paintings of Clyfford Still. “The challenge is to take something that has such weight and nostalgia and make it modern and fresh."

Sasha Pivovarova poses alongside Mika, MGMT, Vampire Weekend, and the Horrors in the January issue of Vogue.

Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi of Aquilano.Rimondi (formerly 6267) have signed their first licensing deal with Gilmar for the production and distribution of knitwear.

Magazines that defy the downturn—032c, Fantastic Man, and Purple—with advertisers responding to highbrow editorial.

Young men are still obsessed with dressing like Don Draper and Roger Sterling.

Jeffrey Monteiro finds inspiration in Clyfford Still paintings while working on his first collection as creative director of Bill Blass.

Vanity Fair's Michael Roberts has a photo session with Jesus Luz on the beach in Rio.

We took inspiration [from Fellini] for two fashion shows. One [fall 1996] was from “Le Notti di Cabiria.” It was the printed chiffon dresses with the cherries. And another [fall 1997], we took inspiration from “Satyricon” [and “Roma”]. We make a collection like a priest, all the girls in priest dress.—Stefano Gabbana on how Fellini films have inspired past Dolce & Gabbana collections.

Donna Karan—with the help of Kelly Cutrone and creative agency, All Day Everyday—is launching a short film to promote the designer's Eldridge bag, which can be worn in multiple ways. In the film, actress Christina Ricci is directed by Jake Sumner, son of Sting and Trudie Styler, in the Soho Grand Hotel and filmed "primping, dancing, spying and lounging in various stages of dress and undress."

A second short is also currently in production for DKNY's Cozy sweater, presumably to go along with the recently released iPhone application. Kai Rogan directed the DKNY film, which features 14 models wearing the multifunctional knitwear in a variety of ways while marching through New York city to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Heads Will Roll".