>> Lady Gaga may be getting the full spread of Mugler's debut women's collection, but magazines won't be. Nicola Formichetti is wary of overexposure and the shortness of the public's attention span that follows, so he's keeping press samples exclusive: “I’m not giving them to every magazine.” But he sees himself as democratic in most other ways, drawing a contrast between his approach and Tom Ford's. “I’m not an elitist,” Formichetti says of his decision to livestream the show and air live video of the backstage kerfuffle. “I want to share what I’m doing with everyone . . . In a way, I wanted to have the people in front of a screen to have a better seat than the people in the front row. I remember straight after the show, me and [Lady] Gaga just ran backstage and went onto our computers and went on Twitter to see what the fans were saying.” [WWD]

>> Stefano Tonchi's take on W has received its share of mixed reactions, but the magazine's March 2011 issue had newsstand sales of 28,000 copies, up 5.4 percent from last March (the same month Tonchi was named W editor), and it received more nominations than any other fashion magazine this morning for the 2011 National Magazine Awards, announced by the American Society of Magazine Editors. Tonchi's first three issues —  September, October, and November 2010 — are up for the Photography prize (notably the three issues Jody Quon worked on as creative director before she left the magazine); Tim Walker's fashion portfolio “The East Enders,” which ran in the September 2010 W relaunch, is up in the Feature Photography category; and W is also nominated alongside Vogue (that magazine's sole nod) in the Fashion, Service and Lifestyle “women’s interest” category. [WWD]

>> Puig, the parent company of Carolina Herrera, Nina Ricci, and Paco Rabanne, may soon be adding Jean Paul Gaultier to its portfolio. It has reportedly entered into exclusive negotiations for Hermes International's 45 percent stake in Gaultier and is also said to be purchasing some shares from Gaultier himself, which would give it majority ownership of the French brand. Last year, after a seven year design partnership, Gaultier departed Hermes to focus on his own line, a move reportedly expedited by the 2010 death of former Hermes CEO Jean-Louis Dumas, who had championed the designer. [WWD]

>> According to Ted Southern, who makes angel wings for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, Gisele Bundchen wasn't the easiest to work with: "She's really tough. She's always screaming, 'What the f*ck is this?'" Heidi Klum, meanwhile, was "by far the best and easiest model to work with." Southern has also helped Klum with her famously over-the-top Halloween costumes. "She's so animated and fun to be around," Southern says of Klum. "She's friendly to everyone." [NY Post]

>> Carine Roitfeld isn't totally letting go of her French roots, despite teaming up with Barneys stateside for a multifaceted Fall 2010 initiative; she also styled Chanel's Fall 2011 campaign, which Karl Lagerfeld just shot in Paris. Featured is perennial Chanel face Freja Beha Erichsen — Fall 2011 marks her fifth consecutive campaign for the house but her first solo. “The mix with Freja was genius,” Lagerfeld promises.

Lagerfeld is also repeating a face at Fendi— he's shooting Anja Rubik for her fourth straight campaign next week (“I like to work with the same girls and boys all the time,” he quips.). As is Michael Kors, who tapped Karmen Pedaru for the second time in a row, posting a picture from the Fall 2011 campaign shoot yesterday on his official Facebook. Over at Yves Saint Laurent, meanwhile, the supporting team is the same — Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin behind the lens and Joe McKenna styling — but Raquel Zimmerman is reportedly the Fall 2011 subject, replacing Spring 2011's Arizona Muse.

But back to Lagerfeld: in preparation of the upcoming Chanel Cruise 2012 fashion show in Antibes on May 9, he's gathering Erichsen, Lady Amanda Harlech, Anna Mouglalis, and Kristen McMenamy to star in his annual Chanel Cruise short film. This one, he's shooting in Monaco and the South of France.