If you'd been waiting with bated breath to hear what Karl Lagerfeld thinks about Alexander Wang taking over Balenciaga, you may now exhale.

"Considering how hard it is to replace a man such as Nicolas Ghesquière, the best solution is to choose someone completely different," the Chanel designer wrote in an email to Modmods, the fashion arm of the global daily newspaper Metro. "As the impression we have had so far is that Mr. Pinault very much wants to 'expand' this area of the business, I believe that Alexander Wang is the best man for the job. His fashion is easier, his personality is more open to the world and he has very good contacts. People 'adore' Alexander, I too like him very much and I think he is a good choice in light of the fashion house's future projects. Furthermore, his origins will prove to be very helpful in parts of the world where fashion is most important as well as the luxury industry."

As Fashionista noted in its post about the subject, Lagerfeld guest edited Metro earlier this year. His voice joins a chorus of congratulations for Wang that came from all corners of the fashion industry. Wang himself hasn't said much about his new job but is already hard at work on his debut women's Fall 2013 collection.

Those stories and more here, in our daily news roundup.

Alexander Wang hasn't said much about his new job at Balenciaga, but he's already logging hours studying the house's design history.

'"Immediately,' he said, 'I want to see the archives. I want to understand the culture behind the brand,'" said the brand's CEO Isabelle Guichot in an interview with WWD. "He could have slept there almost."

Pulling all-nighters might be necessary for Wang, who's due to present his first collection — a Fall 2013 women's line — in February. Guichot says she and Wang haven't decided how they're going to present the line and that she doesn't want to create any "unnecessary pressure" for her new designer.

Other than saying he felt "deeply honored" by his appointment, Wang hasn't commented on the new position other than to say, "We're still figuring things out."

Guichot has been a little more talkative and said she chose Wang because his understanding of the world — to say nothing of his fluent Mandarin and other ties to China, where the brand has 10 stores — will help bring Balenciaga forward.

"We wanted someone with global thinking, a citizen of the world, and someone who could understand the digital world and the direction of fashion and retail tomorrow," she said. "It will be a new vision; a new understanding of the brand. The heritage of Balenciaga is so big. Just a part of it has been exploited, but obviously not all of it."

Mystery solved. After a week of teasing, Topshop has revealed that Kate Bosworth is the star of its 2012 holiday campaign.

In a film directed by fiancé Michael Polish, Bosworth stands atop a piano and sings a sultry rendition of "Winter Wonderland" whilst wearing a backless sequined dress that she and Topshop designed just for the occasion. The lighting is moody, the atmosphere is hazy, and yes, that is Bosworth's actual singing voice. If this scene looks a little familiar, that's because it was inspired by another vampy blonde's legendary musical performance a few decades back: Michelle Pfeiffer's "Makin' Whoopee" in the 1989 film The Fabulous Baker Boys.

While Bosworth's shoes, dress, and makeup will all be available in some capacity on Topshop.com, those registered on the site are in for an even cooler treat: a personalized holiday message from the actress via the video's interactive capability.

"This project brings together two important aspects of my life: cinema and fashion," Bosworth says. "I hope everyone enjoys watching it as much as we did making it."

Watch the video above, download the song, then visit Topshop for more behind-the-scenes goodies.