"I love symbols, but I'm not a mystic," says Parisian jeweler Lydia Courteille, whose dragonfly pins, butterfly necklaces, and ebony skull rings look as though they were stolen from the fairies. Courteille has a shop just around the corner from the Place Vendôme, where Boucheron, Chaumet, and Van Cleef & Arpels hold court. But her work is decidedly on the wilder side, mixing vintage pieces like nineteenth-century cameos with exceptional stones; carved jade, coral, and turquoise flowers; and enamel animals and insects in oxidized-gold settings. One of the forerunners of the current botanical trend in fine jewelry, Courteille is inspired by the opulent and eccentric style of legendary jewelers such as Jean Schlumberger and René Boivin. "I like mixing expensive materials with inexpensive ones," she says. "But the result has to be exceptional."

Tereza Santos is one of Brazil's most established, fashion-forward designers. A steadfast modernist, she came to fame in the 1980's via her brand Patachou, which was known for experimental knitwear with a sexy edge (this is Brazil, after all—even a sweater's got to have sex appeal). A native of Minas Gerais, Santos has spent almost her entire adult life in the metropolis of Belo Horizonte. She sat down with Style.com to shed some light on her home state's appeal.

You've had one of the most successful careers in Brazilian fashion. Can you describe your career arc?

I started to work with fashion in 1978, with one of the first boutiques in Belo Horizonte. After that I started Patachou in 1981. The Tereza Santos brand started in 2002, and in 2007 I sold Patachou. After I left Patachou, I also started TS Studio, with a focus on fashion consulting, corporate identity, private labels, and visual marketing.

What is the history of Minas Gerais in relation to the fashion industry?

Minas reflects all of the different regions of Brazil, bringing together many different influences. They have a signature of handmade, embroidered products, along with many technological developments. That's one of the reasons for the Minas Trend Preview.

What do you think Minas stands for?

Contemporary, creativity, and the value of the handmade influence.

Do you think it can become a center of fashion to rival São Paulo or Rio?

I think it will be more of a business center, while the big shows will still be in São Paulo and Rio.

Why have you remained loyal to Belo Horizonte all these years?

I think that the city is absolutely comfortable—it has great light and energy. I have many friends here and it's well-placed between Brazil's big cities, so it's convenient for my work. It's a very special place.

As anyone who's been to Copenhagen fashion week knows, getting into a Mads Nørgaard show is almost as difficult as gaining entrée to Marc Jacobs. And the Danish designer's cool mix of basics with a street influence attracts a similarly interesting and devoted crowd. Last week, Nørgaard won a Dansk Fashion Award for his recent ad campaign—a trilogy of short moody, urban films for which he snagged as stars Denmark's leading models Freja Beha Erichsen and Eddie Klint, titled "The Copenhagen Experience." "I think the films are great," said Erichsen, who won a Dansk award for top female model (Klint was nominated on the men's side). "It's an interesting way to do a campaign, instead of stills." (Nørgaard was also recently tapped to design a theme for new artists' project iGoogle, an honor shared by Dolce & Gabbana and Philippe Starck.) Here, a peek at the model duo off of the runway. See the entire video at www.thecopenhagenexperience.dk.< p>

Emerging markets are hotbeds of undiscovered design potential, and Brazil is no exception. The country has already given the world its fair share of fashion moments (Alexandre Herchcovitch, Gisele Bündchen), but a new name to note just popped up on the radar. Rogério Lima: the designer of a line of handbags called A Fábrica. Lima recently renovated his studio and decided to recycle the empty cement bags that were left behind by the construction workers. The results ride the green trend, while adding of-the-moment bold brass hardware, crystal, and leather to the mix. Lima doesn't sell his own collection outside of Brazil yet (is a Barneys buyer reading this?), but we're predicting it's only a matter of time before his creations pop up at a retailer near you.

A designer and a consultant working for separate mass-market brands head to Hong Kong on a production trip. In a hotel lobby one morning, they randomly pass one another, and love at first sight ensues. Coincidental fact number one: Both are based in Holland. Coincidental fact number two: Though both are bound by exclusivity contracts stating they cannot work for other brands, each secretly harbors a desire to fuse fashion and art into a business venture they can call their own. Seven years later, not only is the relationship on track, but the pair have realized their dream and are creating luxury knits with an arty twist under the label KIND—in fact, they identify themselves only as Mr. and Mrs. KIND and won't reveal their names. Their Fall '08 collection of sweaters, skirts, and dresses was inspired by iconography, circuses, and the golden age of Hollywood. Think fancy argyles, eccentric embroidery, and pompoms. There are also plans afoot for an upcoming men's collection and a boutique in Antwerp. Which just goes to show—you never know where a chance encounter in a hotel lobby will lead.

Brooklyn-based designer Lily Raskind can now claim two entries in the universal Murphy's Law archive. The first, datelined "recently" and subcategorized "mixed blessings," came as Raskind took stock of the fact that her line, Sunshine & Shadow, had grown so successful so quickly that the time she was spending on the business end of the brand had eaten into the time she figured ought to be devoted to designing it. Thus, in a decision she describes as the toughest of her young life, Raskind called a temporary halt to Sunshine & Shadow, electing not to produce a Fall '08 collection and instead holding buyers at bay with two relatively easy and enjoyable-to-make accessories: bright, hand-dyed scarves in four colors, and a sherpa-style knit hat. "I figured that way, I could keep myself present at a few stores at the same time that I took a break to write a business plan, etc.," Raskind explains. Entry number two, subcategorized "best-laid plans": Sunshine & Shadow's scarves and hats have proved so popular, the line has actually picked up stores for fall, and, in strict dollar amounts, equaled the success of her breakthrough collection of a year ago. "It's gratifying, obviously, and I'd never in a million years complain about people liking my stuff. But the fact that everyone's so into the accessories means I'm not exactly taking a season off." Fans of Sunshine & Shadow's wearably left-of-center separates can also take comfort in the fact that Raskind will, in fact, be designing a few pieces for the coming season, a capsule collection exclusive to Steven Alan. And in the meantime, if anyone knows an intern-type person who'd like to help out dying a couple of thousand scarves, Raskind is taking applications now.

Eco-fashion isn't a solely an American phenomenon. Last season in Brazil, edgy, mass-market label Cavalera showed a consciousness-raising collection along the toxic banks of São Paulo's most polluted river. This season, at a cocktail to celebrate the Minas Trend Preview, which ended yesterday, 39 of the country's biggest designers, including Coven, Juliana Jabour, and Graça Ottoni, created carryalls that riff on Anya Hindmarch's infamous "I Am Not a Plastic Bag" tote. Minas' most famous designer, Ronaldo Fraga, had the standout: a cotton bag embroidered with the message, "AND YOU THINK THAT MY HEART IS MADE OF PAPER." Lilian Pacci, one of the country's most respected fashion editors, who organized the show called "I Am Not Made From Plastic," said, "[I want] to show that we can do things that are really stylish without destroying nature." Judging by the chic results, the Brazilian fashion industry has sustainability in the bag.

It's been two years since Christian Louboutin made a personal appearance at Barneys—and judging by the scene in the store's fourth-floor shoe department, people had been itching for that Loubie fix ever since. The line to meet the legendary footwear master was never less than a couple dozen deep, and a well-placed source told us that he had already moved six figures' worth of sales in the first half of his four-hour appearance. The fact that he was signing the trademark red soles, it seems, proved to be too enticing an option not to leave with a new pair. Or two or three. (Although we did spot a few Nordstrom bags and styles that weren't offered by Barneys. Sneaky foot fetishists!) Patti LaBelle, however, took the prize for extravagance. The diva showed up with a Louis Vuitton trunk jammed with her personal collection and made the designer sign as many as his Sharpie could bear. Byrdie Bell, on the other hand, was more demure. The actress' nude leather peep-toe platforms were the last ones to be personalized by the designer—with a signature and little hearts all over her left sole. "I'm having flashbacks to when I had Kate Spade sign my first Kate Spade bag at a Saks in Greenwich," Bell said. "But who doesn't love a Loubie?" And unlike some of the other shoppers who planned on using their autographed heels as art, Bell wears hers and even did so on her way out of the store.

Brazil is an enormous country--27 states, 180 million people (we're unscientifically calculating that at least ten million of them must be supermodels), and now, three official fashion weeks. The Minas Trend Preview, under way this week in the city of Belo Horizonte, is an initiative by the Dupla Assessoria and FIEMG to promote the design vision and heritage of the region. What? Never heard of Minas? A little history: The state actually has an impressive legacy of intellectual and artistic output, and in the 1980's was home to some of the country's most important designers. Today, many accomplished designers still hail from Minas (Ronaldo Fraga and Tereza Santos are just two), but the region has lately been surpassed as a fashion capital by São Paulo and Rio. Enter the Minas Trend Preview: a showcase of 115 designers, with both runway shows and a trade fair that aims to re-establish its fashion cred. Opening night was celebrated by the Oi Fashion Tour, an event packed with Brazilian fashion folk that echoes the breathless excitement of VH1 and Vogue's Fashion Rocks show. Ten labels, including Brazilian powerhouses Patachou, Walter Rodrigues, and Victor Dzenk, staged runway shows in the famous Palácio das Artes theater, each accompanied by performances from some of the country's biggest musical stars—the legendary Alcione, crooner Thalma de Freitas. The tabloid highlight of the night? The audience tittering as Aécio Neves, celebrity guest and the governor of the state of Minas Gerais, squirmed in his seat as his bombshell of an ex-girlfriend, Miss Brazil 2007, Natália Guimarães, modeled on stage. Wherever you are in the world, a little taste of scandal is always in style.

West Coast milliner Laura Kranitz has a sense of humor about her one-of-a-kind hats and headpieces. "Some have ended up on best-dressed lists. Others have found their way onto worst-dressed lists," she says. "Either way, they're turning heads." Bad puns aside, Kranitz's toppers, which are inspired by everything from folk costume design to Victorian pageantry and over-the-top rococo opulence, have been spotted on assorted L.A. stylists, models, actresses, musicians, and writers. The California native has a handy resource for her ruffled ribbons, feathers, and retro fabrics: Her day job is at Golyester, the vintage emporium. For more information, see www.laurakranitz.com.

One can only imagine the stampede that would ensue were a pair of black rats to scuttle down the runway at a packed-to-the-rafters New York fashion week show. But the ones that emerged on the Sass & Bide catwalk in February induced a frenzy more hungry than horrified: Nicky Hilton was among the attendees who barely waited for the bow from designers Sarah-Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton before she texted their publicist asking for a pair of the brand's new "black rats," shirred leggings with a metallic shimmer and a Sex Pistols sneer. "I love leggings, and Sass & Bide's are my absolute favorite this season," noted Hilton of the so-called "rats," the punkish sexiness of which have also earned a wearing or two by the likes of Zooey Deschanel, the Kills' Alison Mosshart, and model Lily Donaldson. But actress fan Michelle Monaghan may have summed up the black rats' appeal best: "They make me feel like a vixen!" Here's to a plague of those.

At their first-ever trunk show yesterday at Barneys, Rag & Bone designers David Neville and Marcus Wainwright took heart in the fact that they'd already bested the record of a certain beloved Mr. Elbaz. "Alber was at the Parsons dinner the other night," reported Wainwright, "and apparently, the first time he had a trunk show at Barneys for Lanvin, he didn't sell a single piece. I'm not sure if that made us more nervous or less." Not that he and Neville were having much trouble convincing shoppers to write preorders for Rag & Bone's "Blade Runner"-inspired Fall 2008 collection. Leather items like the duo's shrunken bomber were proving particularly popular. Also loving the leather: Neville's one-year-old son, Dash, kitted out in a pint-size bomber made for him by Wainwright. "He looks pretty hard," Wainwright noted appreciatively. "You should see him with my son—David made him a denim jacket, and when they hang out, they look like two babies you definitely wouldn't want to mess with."

Walking into Exit Art last night was like entering a time warp. Photographers were in the pit; happily chattering editors clutching runs of show and sipping Champagne lined the runway…could it be September already? Phew, not yet. The occasion was the showing of Banana Republic's Fall 2008 Holiday line, and the label, celebrating its 30th anniversary, went all out. The collection combined form-fitting sheaths with tomboyish separates in a palette of grey, white, and black with a few jolts of fuchsia. Also in the mix: so-called "heritage" pieces (read: classics like a trench-style cape) and looks from Banana's new, more luxe Monogram line. The result? A signature event.

One of the best parts of my job is meeting creative people—and the fact that I can't sew or draw or paint just adds to my appreciation of their talents. On the Parsons jury with me a couple of weeks ago (I was one of a group of industry professionals asked to review the work of graduating students) was Yoon Chang, the designer of the 1-year-old label Whistle & Flute (Cockney rhyming slang for suit). She just sent sent over her lookbook, which is as pleasing to the eye as it is going to be hard on my wallet. My prediction? That the side-cascade topper is destined for my closet. For more information, see www.whistleflute.com

"Frankly, I never really liked New York that much," Paris-based designer Rick Owens told Style.com on a recent tour of his first-ever Manhattan boutique, scheduled to open on the northern fringes of Tribeca this summer. "I was really messy in New York years ago, and I think I have bad memories of my personal experiences here." But, Owens said, his attitude changed during a recent visit, his first in five years. "New York was so graphic, so kind of precise, sharp, compared to living in Europe, where everything is more cracked and curly and charming. I was thinking, 'God, I could kind of live here now.' I'm really enjoying myself here." For more on Owens and his new store—which comes complete with its own fog machine—see our exclusive video tour.

Even in this age of global warming-induced wackadoo weather, the old refrain about April showers still rings true. As we impatiently await May flowers (so soon!), we are likewise impatiently awaiting the launch of Loeffler Randall's city-sleek wellie. Arriving in stores for Fall '08 in four colors of puddle-proof rubber, the $195 wellie is based on Loeffler Randall's classic flat Matilde boot—and thus proves a genuine style-saver for downpour days. "I wear my Matilde boots pretty much every day," explains designer Jessie Randall, "and it was always a bummer to have to put on giant rubber boots every time it rained." One day, as she was wrestling off her slicker, it struck Randall that there was no reason she couldn't rescue women from the rainbow-printed, prepubescent-set rain boots and duck-hunting clodhoppers that currently flood the marketplace. "Why not a slim, chic rain boot that you'd be just as excited to wear as a leather pair?" she mused. "I could design that.…" Next on the agenda, we hope: a fashion-friendly bonnet to keep the wet off our hair.

There are two good reasons why Jenni Kayne's Beverly Hills boutique is called, simply, Jenni Kayne. The first and most obvious reason is that the line Kayne designs and sells at the store is called—duh—Jenni Kayne. The second reason, obvious the instant you enter the shop, is that Kayne has made the place into something like a retail window into her soul. There are the sunglasses based on Kayne's own vintage specs. There's fine jewelry crafted by her mother-in-law and by Kayne's buddy Tom Binns. One can peruse a table of art books and DVDs handpicked by Kayne, or choose from a small selection of housewares and baby goods that likewise owe their presence in the store to the designer's keen curatorial eye. "I like to think of it as one-stop shopping," she says of the store. "Like, you might be swinging by for a dress to wear to a party that night, and pick up a hostess gift as well. And I wanted to sell some stuff I just personally loved." According to Kayne, what she loves most—maybe more than anything—is shoes. "That's what I spend my money on. It was pretty much inevitable that I'd wind up with my own collection." After working with manufacturer Report to produce shoes for her shows, Kayne partnered with the brand to launch a small collection of footwear for Fall '07; Spring '08 is the first season she's offered the shoes outside her boutique. "A friend of mine just told me that they're already sold out of the high-heeled purple gladiator at Curve in New York," she says. "Which just goes to show that the demand for great shoes at an OK price point is absolutely huge. I love the fact that Report can bring a simple sandal in for $150 retail, and something more detailed and substantial tops out at $495. Our orders for next Fall are out of control." True to form, Kayne is looking forward to making her expanding shoe business an even more personal endeavor: As soon as she can figure out cost and quality-conscious production for herself, she¹s bringing the shoe collection fully under the umbrella of her own brand and adding bags. "I'm a Virgo," Kayne explains. "A total perfectionist. I like to keep things close."

Girls who like guys' clothes might not have to borrow from their boyfriend's wardrobes anymore if the designers behind the new high-end unisex brand Ingar Husband have anything to do with it. Founders Sarah Aaronson and Tennessee Hamilton launched the Los Angeles-based label (which takes its moniker from a made-up guy's name the pair dreamt up) late last year. The designers, who met on a blind date, share a desire to dress modern-day J.D. Salinger characters, which explains Aaronson's take on the Spring '09 collection (they're only planning on producing every second season, hence the advance notice). "It's Afghan desert wanderer-meets-Winston Churchill with a touch of Patti Smith," she muses. Translated into clothing, that includes such comfy finds as striped shirts, scarf coats, pajama pants, cardigans, and tuxedo vests. Throw in the ode to Coco Chanel ("the Coco Dig Sport Coat is exactly what we imagine she would wear on an archeological dig"), and these West Coasters may just prove that there's more to cross-dressing than meets the eye.

A Balenciaga-clad Julie Gilhart presented the Parsons 2008 BFA Fashion Show—which will have an encore performance at the school's 60th annual benefit tonight—at the Grand Hyatt this afternoon. Featured was the work of the cream of the class, as decided by juries made up of fashion industry members. (I, for one, was proud as a parent that three of the women in the panel I judged made it into the show.) The winners for children's wear, menswear, and womenswear designers of the year are Nayeon Lee, Aiden Yoo, and Stephanie Suberville (above), respectively. "It's important to pay attention to young designers, especially now," Gilhart said, as the soon-to-be graduates posed for photos after the show. "Fashion designers can become quite successful at a very young age, so we have to watch these students just as we watch everything else."

A career in denim was pretty much inevitable for Chloe Lonsdale. Her father, Tony Lonsdale, founded the Jean Machine, a line of boutiques that introduced fashionable dungarees to the British public; her godfather, Tony O'Gorman, started Made in Heaven, a leading U.K. denim label in the 1970's; and her mother, Chekkie Maskell, was a Made in Heaven model (in fact, that's how she met her husband). "Growing up, my parents were always in jeans," Lonsdale recalls. "I thought everyone dressed that way." Three and a half years ago, she decided the time was right to get back into the family business and revive Made in Heaven. Now known as MiH, the line concentrates on vintage styles like the Marrakesh, a slightly high-waisted, kick-flare cut that's based on a pair Lonsdale's mother favored in the seventies. For fall, Lonsdale's gone one step further with an homage to her mother's signature look called the Marrakesh Patchwork, a limited-edition iteration that re-creates an actual pair of her mother's denims, "right down to the stars she had appliquéd on them." "I don't want the line to be a total reproduction of seventies styles," Lonsdale continues. "Even when we take things from our archives, we update the cuts and make sure that the details aren't too dated. It's got to be about what girls want today."

As a former model and main squeeze of Matthew Mellon for four years running, Noelle Reno knows a thing or two about the importance of looking good fresh off the plane. That's why she and Mellon created Degrees of Freedom, a luxe line of cashmere coats and separates that blends the drama of high fashion (puff sleeves and asymmetrical collars) with the comfort of your favorite velour tracksuit. "The pieces are chic, but cozy enough that you don't need that nasty blanket on the airplane," says Reno. Last year, the duo launched a capsule collection of eight looks, including the cocoon-shaped Noelle coat and a biker jacket—both are made with 12-gauge cashmere, have sterling silver components, and are lined with silk cashmere—with Harvey Nichols in the U.K. and Intermix in the U.S. But soon Degrees of Freedom's first full line of separates and outerwear will be available in stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Henri Bendel, and Fred Segal (prices range from $150 to $1,600). Think of the pieces the way your mom thought of her favorite St. John's jacket, only updated—knitwear cool enough to wear in public but cozy enough to take a nap in.

Staging a fashion show within the Forbidden City in Beijing has many risks—not least that the setting will upstage the clothing. The grandeur of the backdrop didn't deter Yohji Yamamoto, however; on Thursday he unveiled a Y's collection of 60 unique pieces that are to be auctioned tomorrow for the Yohji Yamamoto Fund for Peace. The fund aims to bring a promising upcoming Chinese designer to the West for a two-year scholarship and training. "This project is very close and personal to me," the designer explained. "It's something I want to do." Bridging the gap between Japan and China was always going to be a complex endeavor, but Yamamoto's conviction transcended the hyped backdrop. As for the clothes, the juxtaposition of soft, billowing fabrics and sharply tailored cuts merged seamlessly, reflecting that while this reconciliation might not seem immediately plausible, it has the potential to be beautiful.

Diego Dolcini, the shoe and accessories designer who's been weaving his way through the fashion business for the last 20 years (he's consulted for everyone from Gucci to Dr. Scholl's) opened his first boutique last week in Milan. The designer, whose fans vary from Charlize Theron to Matthew Barney—he used a pair of Dolcinis in one of his Cremaster Cycle films—chose a minute location on Via Gerolamo Morone, a few streets away from the city's luxury shopping area, for his first retail venture. "I didn't even have storeroom space for the extra sizes, so I designed the shop around my shoe box. Now the boxes blend into the overall decor, and make up the display along with my shoes!" he told us. Location is all-important in Milan, so Dolcini is running a bit of a risk by not being at the center of things, but he's feeling positive. "Look at Manolo," he pointed out. "His first store in London was on a tiny side street off the Kings Road, and its nearest retail neighbor is still a Red Cross charity shop!"

"Modern cities and groundbreaking architecture. That's what the Spring/Summer collections are all about," reckons Kevin Carrigan, creative director of ck Calvin Klein and Calvin Klein Jeans. Where better, then, to host a cocktail party showcase than in Dubai, where a new madcap monolith springs from the sand with each passing week? There are few buildings more striking than the city's Four Seasons golf clubhouse, overlooking the Sheikh Zayed skyline and designed to capture the motion of a golfer's swing, which played host to Carrigan and an army of Natalia Vodianova-clone models on Thursday night. The girls, along with obligatory topless boys, were encased in giant shafts of Perspex for the duration of the party, which attracted an influential crowd, including the editors of Harper's Bazaar Dubai and Grazia Middle East. But in a city where women think nothing of buying "one in every color," it's as important to woo individual clients as it is the opinion-formers: "This is predominantly a consumer event," said Carrigan. "I've met with several Dubai women since I arrived here, and they're extremely cosmopolitan." Surveying the room, he noted, "There isn't a bad face-lift in sight. The cliché of this place as flamboyant, brash, and opulent isn't the whole story. There's room for laid-back, effortless chic as well. This is the right time for us to be here."

When Nuj Novakhett's parents sent her to New York City for a year of study abroad, it was with the understanding that she'd return to Thailand to finish a family-approved degree in political science. Instead, the poli-sci rebel promptly enrolled at Parsons, and as the shoppers currently snatching up her dresses at Satine can attest, she never looked back. Now entering its fourth season, Novakhett's eponymous line syncs up nicely with its designer's nutshell bio: Gamine frocks and sprightly, menswear-inspired separates seem tailor-made for brainy girls with a fashion gene and some wanderlust. "I see the Nuj Novakhett girl as a New Yorker who travels all over the world," says Novakhett. "She's unassuming, but you can sense a strong presence." Though she keeps an apartment in Manhattan and travels to the city regularly, Novakhett is based in Thailand, and she also notes the influence of her native country on her clothes. "It's so hot [in Thailand]," she says, by way of explaining why she thinks her Spring collection has proved such a blockbuster in L.A. "I work really hard to pick out fabrics that can stand the heat."

Jamaican-born designer Jessica Ogden and A.P.C. founder Jean Touitou have a lot in common. "We share a passion for check prints and a desire for riding motorbikes and driving speedboats" says Ogden. "It sounds very bling, but it's really about the high-energy rush of it all." Such energy levels are sure to be matched over the coming weeks when die-hard fashion fans hear that A.P.C.'s mini-line, Madras, which Ogden and Touitou have collaborated on since 2002, is about to expand into its own full-fledged 30-piece collection. The Madras range initially developed after Toutitou saw a documentary on French television about a businessman living in India. "Three weeks later, we were visiting local factories in Chennai, the place formerly known as Madras," explains Ogden. "So I guess you could say the voyage was about our search for Madras in Madras, which is a perfect example of Jean's sense of humor." Ogden's favorite piece in the new collection? A roll-up-sleeved blouse in red, white, and blue madras check. "The cut of it reminds me of preppy America," she says, adding, "I feel like I know these garments better than anyone—so much so that I even have dreams about the kind of people who will wear them."

Call it an occupational hazard, but I always have a notebook in my bag. A further occupational hazard is that I much prefer it to be a good-looking one. My need for function meets my desire for form in Orla Kiely's new range of writing pads and sketchbooks, all of which are decorated with her signature stylized prints. They work, they pass the cover test, and they're cool without trying too hard. If they're good enough for MoMa, they're good enough for my bag.

Karen Erickson and Vicki Beamon of Erickson Beamon have joined forces with Linda Farrow and launched their first sunglasses collection. Subtle etching details and cute little jewel bows give every pair a little something special. Priced at $325, they're available at Herni Bendel, NY, (212) 247-1100, www.henribendel.com.

New York bridal week wound down yesterday, leaving most editors seemingly fatigued. "If I see another white dress…," one moaned to another, while boarding the elevators up to Vera Wang's show. But to be fair, aren't the editors themselves partly responsible for expecting the parade of ivory frocks that comprises bridal week? As someone who is getting married soon and was attending the presentations merely to get ideas for my own upcoming ceremony, I was charmed by Wang's 32 looks. After attending her ready-to-wear shows, where color is such a strong statement, its absence made me focus on other things, like draping, as seen on the front of one dress, where the fabric was sculpted into a shape that merely hinted at a bow; in a sheath crafted from tulle that delicately fell about the body in sunburst pleats; and in a Greek-inspired column that was my favorite for its elegant simplicity. But Wang had something for those editors who remained exhausted, too. She followed her presentation with the unveiling of her fine wedding linens, which will debut next month on her new site, Verawangonweddings.com.

Jury duty on Wall Street: not so much fun. Jury Duty at Parsons, well, that's another story. Today I sat on a panel with designers, buyers, and industry professionals to review the work of 14 articulate and highly creative graduating seniors who looked for inspiration for their collections in everything from shipwrecks to glam rock to architecture to, yes, superheroes. The standout collections in this morning's session came from Grace Shin, whose black dresses almost every woman on the panel would have ordered if she could; Heezu Hwang, a one-time Daryl K intern who played ingeniously with patterns; and Angela Gao, who showed not only a sophisticated clothing collection but accessorized it as well. Spring 2009, at least at Parsons, is already looking good.

If you're spring shopping in Paris this weekend, make it a point to stop by Robert Normand's two-day-old boutique at 149-150 Galerie de Valois in the Galerie du Palais Royal (between Pierre Hardy and Acne). Normand's bright, artful print pieces (he's a Pucci alum) are showcased against undulating walls covered with op art-like black and white stripes and an ocher carpet. Overhead is a metallic star that lends a dazzling energy to the shop, designed by Anne Pezzoni and Louis Benzoni.

"It's the most important dress a woman can wear," declared Carolina Herrera. The garment in question? The wedding gown, an item unrivaled in its ability to elicit the kinds of oohs, ahhs, and tiny gasps heard at last night's preview of Herrera's new bridal collection at her Madison Avenue boutique. Former Vogue fashion assistant and current star of TLC's "What Not to Wear" Stacy London, who co-hosted the By Invitation Only event for American Express Platinum Card members, was as enraptured as her audience. "Doesn't it make you want to get married again…or soon?" she laughed. Both Herrera and London agreed that in addition to a fabulous wedding gown (fingers crossed), every woman should also have a few key pieces in her wardrobe: white shirt, black pencil skirt, and a suit, either skirt or pant. That last item got us thinking. What would the two like to see the pantsuit-loving presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton wearing? "Something else," London quipped. "No matching necklaces and earrings. And red is not her color." Herrera conceded that Clinton ought to indulge her feminine side a bit more: "She's a handsome woman. You don't have to dress like a man. You can certainly be glamorous AND powerful." Indeed.

Yesterday's luncheon at Saks Fifth Avenue for the designer Graeme Black offered guests like Alexandra Lind Rose and Vogue's Meredith Melling Burke an up-close-and-personal look at Black's detail-driven Fall 2008 collection, but for co-host Olivia Chantecaille, the event boasted a sub-rosa sneak preview, too. The designer had just returned from Tokyo, where Chantecaille would be heading the next day, and he was eager to give his friend, fan, and muse a few tips on the town. Foremost among these: Expect the unexpected. "We were holding trunk show presentations at the British Embassy," Black recalled, as his partner, Jonathan Reed, drily nodded along, "and one woman asked me to autograph her skirt. Apparently, she was planning to have the signature embroidered, so it would be permanent." Perhaps Black was planning on co-opting the concept and upping the exclusivity factor of his ultra-luxe label by signing the waistbands of all his wares from now on? "Not a bit of it," rejoined Black. "I spend half my life kneeling down, tailoring everything. The thought of sitting on a factory floor," he continued, "signing a couple thousand garments before they ship, well, that's where I draw the line. This business is already going to my knees."