>> There's been a lot of talk recently about how boring red carpet fashion has gotten, but in the mind of Cathy Horyn, fashion in general is experiencing a lull in creativity. "For now, fashion has nothing significant to say," she writes. And Pascal Dangin, who retouches images for Patrick Demarchelier, Steven Meisel, Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, as well as the pages of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, agrees: “We live in a rather dull moment in fashion.”

It seems that in the time of "timid magazine editors" and "mediocre" content, as Horyn puts it, many — designers, stylists, photographers, editors — are turning to sex to make up the difference. Dangin points out: “We still have some big taboos about sex.” And Horyn writes: "It is easy to see why sexuality is such a hot button. Things are a bit frozen. Many of the designers who could truly communicate ideas — Martin Margiela, Helmut Lang, Alexander McQueen — are gone from the scene."

Thus, Horyn writes, we have the likes of Riccardo Tisci casting transgender model Lea T in his Givenchy campaigns. But even "the focus on sexuality reflects the fairly narrow thinking of designers and photographers (or, possibly, of editors and advertising agency art directors)" currently going on, she notes. Case in point: photographer Daniel Sannwald was told by a British magazine editor that his futuristic-like images were too extreme. "He quickly countered by producing some very old issues of Vogue," Horyn reports, "But those pictures were deemed too risky to use today." "It was unbelievable," Sannwald said. "Everybody is concerned about pleasing the advertisers, and it’s not just the big magazines.”

>> Lucky may have a new editor sweeping in with big changes afoot, but don't expect lots of glossy fashion editorials all of a sudden: the aforementioned new editor, Brandon Holley, plans to keep her distance from runway fashion. “I’ve developed a healthy sidelong glance at the fashion industry,” she told the New York Times. “I love fashion and I love clothes and I love the way people dress, but I don’t cry at a Marc Jacobs show.” The view is one thing she has in common with former (and founding) Lucky editor Kim France, who she succeeded in September. “[Kim] isn’t and wasn’t a fashion person, and really, neither are the readers of most fashion magazines,” noted Jean Godfrey-June, Lucky’s beauty director since day one.

But that isn't to say that Holley won't be going after that luxury advertising; she foresees the magazine branching out from midrange fashion items: “I think we should show the full scope of what’s out there and allow the reader to decide whether she buys a $4,000 Prada bag.” She later corrected her statement, saying she couldn't imagine actually putting a $4,000 bag in Lucky. “Maybe $2,000.” And the style will be different: “My style is very casual, put-together. I’m not really a boho kind of looking gal, so we’ll move away from that."

Plus, the Times reports:

"There will be 'more words,' as Ms. Holley put it, as well as more color and 'prettier,' more mainstream models. And she is focusing hard on the web site. Ms. Holley wants to transform Luckymag.com into a 'social shopping experience,' akin to eBay and etsy.com, where readers can create their own digital boutiques, perhaps giving a page in the print edition every month to the woman whose boutique sells the most."

"She is also announcing the Lucky Style Collective, a blog network that will share content and ads with the magazine, and occasionally appear in the print edition. The first Lucky Fashion and Beauty Blog Conference, which Ms. Holley hopes will be a semiannual summit for bloggers looking to learn from Lucky, will occur in New York next month."

>> Erin Kaplan, Elle's PR director who played foil to Olivia Palermo on the now-cancelled The City, sent an email out to contacts earlier today that she is leaving the magazine for Teen Vogue. Kaplan spent over five years at Elle and has been named Teen Vogue's Senior Director of PR. Since editor Amy Astley hinted last year that Teen Vogue is developing a new TV show, many are drawing the conclusion that Kaplan's jump — given her TV experience — may be related. [Fashionista, The Cut]

>> Eddie Borgo loves his photogenic editors: last season, Elle's Kate Lanphear featured in his lookbook, and for Spring 2011, it's all about Giovanna Battaglia, who Borgo met at an appointment two years ago. “Giovanna was very much in my head when I was designing the spring collection,” explains Borgo. “She loves jewelry and is not afraid to pile it on. She also, in her own way, is an example of high-end meets street.” Borgo's boyfriend, Keegan Singh, styled the shoot. [Vogue]

>> Vogue is known for drawing most of its cover choices from a select group of actresses — think Anne Hathaway, Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Blake Lively as of late — but it sounds like they're aiming to switch things up in the upcoming months. Lady Gaga is heavily rumored to be on the magazine's March 2011 cover, there's a rumor that Kristen Stewart is fronting the February 2011 cover, and last night, Rihanna Tweeted (the Tweet has since been taken down): "Just wrapped my first American Vogue cover shoot with Annie Leibovitz...Rah! #SEXY." [@rihanna, @sara_mail]

>> Flats will soon enjoy the footwear spotlight thanks to designers like Chloe, Giambattista Valli, Derek, and Michael Kors, who accompanied their Spring looks with low-heeled creations. After all, what's better — and comfier — than letting your feet relax in a pair of ballet flats or oxfords? Check out our picks below for pairs from Marc by Marc Jacobs, Chloe, Marni, and Lanvin to pack for your sunny Winter escape, and there may even be some you can wear now, weather permitting, of course.