>> Matthew Williamson launched a trippy online-only campaign video with H&M earlier this week, but his is not the only brand that has recently become fascinated with online video.  Chanel just posted the first teaser for their Cruise 2010 show, taking place next Thursday, May 14 at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Lido Resort in Venice.

Karl Lagerfeld, according to press release, chose Venice as the newest Chanel runway hosting ground because Coco Chanel visited the city in the summer of 1920 to promote her beach pyjamas and soak up inspiration.  A symbol that may play into the upcoming collection?  The lion — Chanel collected many lion figurines while visiting, as she was a Leo. Two more cruise teaser videos will be posted under Chanel News on May 11 and May 13.

The brand has also recently launched a video highlighting their pink and jade Fall 2009 accessories, with guest appearances by a number of models, including Chanel favorites like Coco Rocha, Eniko Mihalik, Lily Donaldson, Anja Rubik, and Jessica Stam.  But the best video added to their library is "Fitting Room Follies," a short film done by Karl Lagerfeld with Lara Stone trying on the Fall 2009 collection (NSFW) — you can hear him directing Lara in the background over the music.

Video: Fitting Room Follies with Lara Stone! »

>> INSIDER WIRE— She flew under the radar, skipping the red carpet at both the Costume Institute Gala and the Time 100 Dinner (left) earlier this week, but in the new Spring 2009 issue of Acne Paper focused on eroticism, which features an interview with Carine Roitfeld, she's quite candid: “So I would love to get an award for making people have more sex through my images. It would be a great award. Imagine the design of that award!” [Models.com]

*image: source

>> Natalia Vodianova took us around Moscow yesterday, and now Jacquetta Wheeler chronicles her recent three-month trek through Southeast Asia — highlights below.  Although she's back at work now, walking in Singapore earlier this week (left) and shooting the upcoming Gucci campaign, she spent February through the middle of last month wandering through the backcountry of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam, because like a number of other models recently — Daria Werbowy, Coco Rocha, Caroline Trentini — she needed a break:

Often I’d wake up in a hotel room and it would take a few seconds before I’d figure out which country I was in. My life had become a whirlwind of catwalk shows, hotels, airports and studios.  There was another reason why I needed a change. I had come out of a six-year relationship [Ed. note: presumedly with photographer Alexi Lubomirski], and up until three weeks ago was feeling utterly lost. I was dealing with both the pain of the break-up and the muddle that my life had become.

The decision to travel cost her.

So, here I am, sitting at a cafe in Nong Khai, about to cross the border into Laos. I have just cut off all communication with my agent after I received an email from her offering me a job for thousands of dollars. It would be so easy to be seduced by the money and abandon this trip, but I know that if I don’t commit to this journey now, I never will, and I would hate myself for that.

Eating beetles, $20 dresses . . . »

Public Personae dreamed of tanning in Herve Leger swimwear. 

Senora Cartera found the color of a Stella McCartney clutch to be matronly. 

Fashion Copius reviewed all of the drama from this week's Met Gala. 

M.I.S.S. Crew relaunched their site in honor of their third anniversary! 

>> INSIDER WIRE —Brooke Shields was silent on the red carpet last night (at the behest of her lawyers) about the Kiefer Sutherland-Jack McCollough incident, but apparently she told friends she was "jostled" by McCollough just before the headbutting, but it was "no big deal."  After he made contact with her, she fell, but not all the way to the ground, and she doesn't feel it was intentional — instead, she blames the fall on her 6" high heels.  Meanwhile, Jack was spotted earlier today, sporting more bandages than in the initial aftermath two days ago, reportedly from surgery last night. [WWD Twitter, TMZ]

*image: INF daily

>> Azzedine Alaia is not letting up on his anger over the omission of his work from this year's Costume Insitute exhibit "The Model as Muse," and he continues to blame Anna Wintour.

Yesterday, he told WWD over the phone that she has snubbed his work for 15 years: “She behaves like a dictator and everyone is terrified of her . . . but I’m not scared of her or anyone.” Putting his money where his mouth is, he aims to continue his campaign against her.  The seven dresses he created for Monday night's gala — Linda Evangelista's, Stephanie Seymour's, and Naomi Campbell's among them — that went unworn at his request, he plans to loan them out for editorials.

So why wasn't he included in the first place? »

Looking for a Mother's Day gift to ship off to Mom asap? Look no further, the e-commerce Gods have been quietly curating the occasion. Net-a-Porter never misses the opportunity to merchandise, they've rounded up a series of lunch-appropriate fashion items for Mom. Henri Bendel did a fine job editorializing their Mother's Day must haves--so fine, in fact, you'll likely be tempted to pick a few things up for yourself. Nordstrom's Mother's Day section isn't quite as handsome as the others but it does include gift cards and home items and Bergdorf never misses a chance to make you feel like a cheapskate, their Mother's Day section includes Gucci handbags in addition to Kiehl's gift sets. If Mom loves a good beauty routine the only place to hit up is Sephora, they've put together some great deals too. Just don't forget to factor in shipping, with only two days to go the charges could run deep. Happy Mother's Day! 

>> THE MODELIZER —Gisele Bundchen's second wedding in Costa Rica last month — which she "tried very hard to keep it private. Oh my God, you have no idea how hard that was" — was marred by an alleged shooting between her security guards and a couple of paparazzi, but she says she was unaware at the time: "We were all there and nobody heard anything!  The next day people were calling, and I'm like, 'I don't know what you're talking about.' I didn't even know it was happening. Later on, I was like, 'What? What happened on my day?'" [People]
*image: source