Kenya Hunt sits down with Giles Deacon to talk about his new jewelry line and learn about his big plans for his spring 2010 collection.

Sophie Theallet is having a moment. Not only is she a finalist for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award, but the former right-hand woman to Azzedine Alaïa has also gained entry into the hallowed group of Michelle Obama's favourite designers. The First Lady has worn Sophie's timelessly romantic, brightly coloured dresses three times in the past six months (most recently on a trip to Martha's Vineyard this week). I visited Sophie's work studio/home in Brooklyn last month to chat about her upcoming spring 2010 collection and the influence of MObama.

—videography by Andrew Beck

That's where Sang A Im-Propp comes in. The former pop star (the South Korean native was the Gwen Stefani of her home country) turned much-buzzed-about accessories designer has earned a strong cult following for her eponymous handbag line, which is timeless, yet modern and edgy. She's become a hit on the red carpet with celebrities such as Blake Lively, Rihanna, Kerry Washington and Freida Pinto who love her quirky take on the evening clutch. But it's her unexpected spin on everyday, functional bags — such as a python tote that doubles as a laptop carrier — that appeal to working girls.

How would you describe your collection?
It’s about the stand-out piece.  The collection expresses my aesthetic, which I describe as modern classic with a dose of whimsy. But this season, I chose truly original materials and colours that would give my customer a wonderful statement piece.  

Who or what is your primary influence as a designer?
I observe everyone around me, and I am inspired by these observations of individuals' lives. 

Is that where the functional aspect of your work comes in?
Living in Manhattan, I see the mix of fashion and function here. Women are ready to take trends from the runway but there is always a wearability to their style. Fashion has to be a functional part of our lives. And in this day and age, you want to be able to get your money’s worth out of an item if you’re going to spend on it.

You were a famous pop star in South Korea before leaving it all to move to New York and study fashion. Was fashion your first passion?
It has always been a vehicle for me to express myself. My style of dressing from a young age in Korea gave me an individuality that people recognized.

How would you describe your own personal style?
My style is all about contrast, mixing designer pieces like a pair of Converse with a Martin Margiela black dress.  I am a very dramatic person and I dress to match my mood for the day.

Check out Sang A’s bags at sanga.com.

REN Mayblossom and Blue Cypress Balancing Facial Cleanser
$29, renskincare.com
Why it’s good: The all-natural cleanser eliminates pore-clogging oil without stripping the skin of all moisture. It leaves your face feeling soft, not overly tight. Added bonus: REN donates 2.5 per cent of its profits to organizations devoted to protecting the environment.
Use it to replace: Any harsh cleansers containing parabens, which studies show are possibly carcinogenic.

Korres Pomegranate Balancing Moisturizer
$36, korres.com, for sale at sephora.com
Why it’s good: The lightweight vegan cream/gel boosts hydration and minimizes pores, which makes it a great moisturizing option for the summer months.
Use it to replace: Heavy moisturizers that will only make your face feel oily come summer, and any products containing potentially physically harmful sulfates, synthetic dyes and GMOs.

Caudalíe Vinoperfect Radiance Revealing Mask
$51, caudalie.com
Why it’s good: The exfoliator works as a great post-winter refresher, sloughing off dead skin cells and minimizing pores.
Use it to replace: Any masks containing parabens, sulfates or animal-tested ingredients.

Have fun with colour
“Try to find colours that reflect your personality,” says the 20-year-old, who proudly doesn’t work with a stylist. “I wear a lot of red and yellow because they’re mood lifters. They can convey all sorts of feelings from happiness to sadness. Right now, my colours say, ‘I’m happy. I’m child-like.’ You can create a look that literally livens up your life,” he adds.

When all else fails, put on a bow tie
“I love bow ties because they’re smart in a certain way, but they also add humour. So I always wear them because it taps into both sides of my personality, the nerdy and the funny.”

Change it up
If five years from now, Sliimy shaves his head and dumps the glasses, don’t be shocked. “I’m all about change. Five years ago, I looked completely different. And years from now, I could switch to all black. For me, it’s important to grow and change as a person. So I like my clothes to reflect this,” he says. “But I’m also really paradoxical. I have two conflicting sides: the really sober and serious and the really silly and funny. So I’m always trying to balance the two by changing my look up.”

The brand: Balmain
Why: Christophe Decarnin’s military-inspired jackets, peaked blazers and punk rock chic trousers from his spring '09 collection became the official uniform for the streets of Paris (and for women in Paris and New York, in general.)  His fall collection, which featured lots of harem pants and pointed shoulders, will take the look to an even more mainstream level as the chain stores of the world knockoff the silhouette.

The brand: Yves Saint Laurent
Why: You can thank Stefano Pilati for the whole harem pant trend being so popular in the first place. And come next season, you can credit him for all of the black leather you’ll see in your favourite mid-priced retail shops. While leather has slowly been making a comeback, YSL’s fall '09 collection will take it to its tipping point.

The brand: Stella McCartney
Why: She’s got the green factor going, which more women are looking for these days (see her PETA-friendly thigh-high boots). Not to mention her cool, boxy blazers and easy, office-appropriate dresses and trousers are some of the city’s best wearable options for fall.

The brand: Louis Vuitton
Why: Marc Jacobs' fall collection for the house features the best execution of several key trends for fall: draping and strong, exaggerated shoulders. Plus, chances are high that you'll see his sexy, yet playful mini dresses all over the red carpet. On the accessories front, the more forgiving shape of his thigh-high boot will appeal to women who don't have model-size gams.

The brand: Miu Miu
Why: Besides the fact that Miuccia Prada has a longstanding reputation for being one of the industry's most influential designers, her fall collection features ideas that are universally appealing to women. You'd be hard-pressed to find a girl who doesn't have a weakness for glittery things such as her maroon skirt featuring giant crystals and sequin flower embellished heels. Expect to see more modified knockoffs of the idea in stores next season.

Anne Valerié Hash
Often, there's a huge gap between the clothes you see on the runway and what women buy in real-life. Hash closes that gap with wearable pieces such as sleek pantsuits, jumpsuits, and dresses, many of which can go from the office to the nighttime after-work events. Design details such as a deep V on the back of a dress and undulating ruffles sprouting out of the side seams of another frock kept the looks chic, not boring. —Kenya Hunt

Balenciaga
Nicolas Ghesquière played with proportion and light through shiny, draped skirts and trousers paired with matte metallic sweaters or glossy, belted jackets. It was romantic, and yet had a hard edge to it. Other highlights included diaphanous knee-length dresses featuring cool digitally altered prints.  —Kenya Hunt

Azzaro
"I wanted something timeless and yet of the moment. We're in an age of cutbacks so I wanted to create something that would take your breath away. I wanted to create an experience that you cannot cut back on," creative director Vanessa Seward said of her pretty fall collection. She scores points for follow through. Her black, gray, red and maroon dresses were indeed seasonless. Elements such as a string of sparkly buttons running down the back of a dress from a deep plunging v to the hemline, added a hint of subverted sex factor. —Kenya Hunt

Rochas
The prettiest moments of this solid collection were the transparent ones: A delicate long-sleeve dress with a raw edged hem, the v-neck top to a gold sequined dress or the barely there panel at the hem of a shiny black and blue, cinched waist frock, for example. It's like the fashion equivalent of the phrase, "lighten up." —Kenya Hunt

Vivienne Westwood
Westwood's ad campaign poster girl, Pamela Anderson, walked the runway in a show that featured lots of layering and plays on volume such as massive cloaks and capes. While some of the layered looks appeared too heavy, a few ensembles such as a gold metallic knit sweater worn under a gold sequined v-neck dress struck the right balance. —Kenya Hunt

Yohji Yamamoto
"Sometimes we need colour. Colour has to be beautiful when it's used. It has so many sensitivities and meaning. It's very difficult to use colour," said Yohji Yamamoto in an interview I did with him several weeks ago after his Y-3 show during New York Fashion Week. I couldn't help but think about that quote on Friday night as it seemed to apply much more to the fall show for his signature collection, which used red in really optimistic ways. He showed a string of precisely constructed coats (a major item to invest in for fall) and strategically inserted the colour in dip dyed patches on the shoulder, tails and gathered folds of the outerwear. The grande finale, five models walking hand-in-hand wearing crimson coats with pink panels on the back, ended it all on a hopeful note. —Kenya Hunt

Lanvin
There's a drawing of a dressed-to-the-nines woman on a graffiti-covered wall on the Parisian street rue du Turenne with the words "Fight the recession. Please dress up." That bit of street art pretty much sums up a lot of what we've seen on the runways, in New York, London, Milan and Paris, so far. If one had the budget to fight the recession with one seriously major purchase at a time, though, she might want to start with Alber Elbaz's very cool collection, which was a mix of Parisian chic and career girl power dressing (think office-appropriate shift dresses with feminine folds and gathers on the front or a seriously smart leg-flashing coat dress cinched at the waist with a leather belt.) —Kenya Hunt

A.F. Vandevorst
This collection was a complete departure from last season's draped and gathered dresses in white, black, and seafoam. Urban militaristic button shirts, jodphurs and oversized duffle bags in olive green, navy and gray captured the severity of turbulent times. —Kenya Hunt

Karl Lagerfeld
With Peaches Geldof and The Gossip's Beth Ditto sitting front row, Karl Lagerfeld's show for his Tommy Hilfiger owned younger line was all luxury with a punk rock edge. How cool would the city streets looked if all girls wore his oversized fur helmets? His silhouettes, meanwhile, were all about the letter V with broad-shouldered jackets with flaps and skinny skirts and trousers. —Kenya Hunt

Celeb stuff

He's baaaaack
Kanye West just can't stay away from a fashion week. After sitting out Milan, the rapper is making the runway rounds again, with new girlfriend Amber Rose in tow. Yesterday, he showed up front row at Jeremy Scott. Meanwhile, his constant crew of colourfully dressed hangers-on were spotted shopping around the Champs-Elysees area.

Seen on the scene
Bianca and Jade Jagger shopping on rue Saint-Honore.

DSquared2
Dean and Dan Caten showed a series of everyday looks with a grunge twist for women on the go. In order to make sure you all get the point, they had the models carry cups of Starbucks coffee, newspapers, and shopping bags. Their series of boyfriend blazers, cuffed trousers, denim skirts and multi-layered T-shirts had a certain just-threw-it-on quality that sometimes looked kind of messy. But all-in-all, the collection had great basic wardrobe additions for a Saturday of errand running. —Kenya Hunt

Max Mara
The Italian house continued the glamour theme of the week. Only its definition of the idea for fall is more understated and less bling, which made a nice change. Standouts included a brown voluminous buttonless coat with cuffed sleeves worn over a chocolate sweater and black pencil skirt layered over a metallic slip. On the accessories front, their studded platform heels and chic leather gloves gave their sophisticated looks a youthful edge. —Kenya Hunt

Marni
Last season’s mix of contrasting colours and geometric patterns evolved into autumnal jewel tone colour-blocking and florals in rich fabrics.

Prada
Red has emerged as a popular colour during this show season. But now that Miuccia Prada has used so many variations of crimson and burgundy for her new collection, it’s safe to assume that the colour will pretty much be a major trend for fall. Prada is one of the most influential women in fashion, after all. Unlike her work for spring '09, which was rooted in the bedroom, this series was all about the office, and centered around tailored suits with strong, clean lines. But she didn’t stay in the workplace. A maroon fur dress with a deep V-neck and a burgundy cocktail frock made of strips of crystal embellished leather resembling an old Roman “cat-of-nine-tails” whip make cool, eccentric choices for night. Prada also showed some of the more modern looking versions of the thigh high boot that has been popping up all over the international fashion week circuit. —Kenya Hunt

Aquilano.Rimondi
Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi followed up their impressive Gianfranco Ferre collection with equally strong work for their signature line. Their razor sharp shoulders were a great update to tuxedo dressing for women. The tuxedo coat that opened the show and a crisp white jacket that came down the runway later were great examples of this. Other highlights included a swinging white dress with a black belted waist. Some of the evening looks though, such as a chocolate brown dress with feathers sprouting off the shoulders seemed to be for magazine editorials only, looking a little too over the top for real-life. —Kenya Hunt

Where’s the A-list?
With the exception of Scarlett Johansson at Dolce & Gabbana's “The Make Up,” Milan Fashion Week has been surprisingly light on celebrities. There have been no Jennifer Lopez, Cate Blanchett or Christian Aguilera sightings front row (all of whom have attended the fashion shows here in the past). Perhaps this is the biggest sign of the recession in fashion land? A-list celebrities are, after all, an expensive addition to a show. Many of them require first-class flights, hotel accommodations, hair and make-up and an outfit for the appearance, on top of a fee for coming in the first place. If you ask many editors, though, the absence of celebrities is not such a bad thing. At least it makes it easier to get to your seat without having to navigate a throng of snap-happy paparrazi. —Kenya Hunt

Blumarine
With Andy Warhol's portraits of Anna Molinari serving as a backdrop, the designer showed micro-minidresses and long flowing gowns in prints that popped. Her sexed-up collection, complete with neon colours and graffiti style graphics, seemed an ode to the debaucherous '80s. —Kenya Hunt

Sportmax
The brand gave a somewhat retro interpretation of fall's glamour trend with tailored dresses and suits that looked straight out of an Alfred Hitchcock film. Other moments had more of a '70s disco feeling to it, such as a crystal-studded hoodie and a rhinestone-embellished bodysuit. —Kenya Hunt

Other highlights:

Gucci's up-to-there thigh-high boots

Brioni's grown-up take on glamour

D&G
D&G was fun and decadent fashion as escapism. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana transformed the runway into an opera hall, with signs that read "La Traviata 1853" sitting on either side. At certain moments the title of the classic Verdi opera, which means "The Woman Who Strayed" in English, appeared across the bodice on gowns and cocktail dresses. The collection was melodramatic in a cheeky way, clothes to channel your inner courtesan in. —Kenya Hunt

Burberry Prorsum
Burberry Prorsum, on the other hand, felt decadent in a completely different way. Christopher Bailey centered the collection around the ideas of “modern nostalgia” and “great British icons,” using lots of tweed, tartan and floral prints in the process. The collection was chic, but had a low-maintenance sense of comfort to it. His full, pleated tweed skirts and oversized sweaters are the kind of items that are easy to wear and look great on just about everyone. Bailey also wins the Best Fur That Doesn't Look Like It Was Stolen From Your Grandmother's Closet prize. Meanwhile, his rubber sole biker boots are sure to be hits. —Kenya Hunt

Jil Sander
It may have been the last show of the evening in my schedule for the day, but I found it to be the most energizing, giving me a third wind. Raf Simons opened the show with a series of dresses and coats in nude, white, navy and grey — with a burst of red — that featured his trademark purity of line. The piano score was calming. This was his tribute to the brand's founder. But the unexpected came with a lighting change and techno music score that ushered in a series of equally beautifully constructed dresses in architectural shapes, which were inspired by the French ceramist Pol Chambost. The best part was how he used a series of electric colours seductively such as the brightest yellow lining peeking out from underneath a flared black skirt or neon orange inside black undulating folds on the back of a dress. —Kenya Hunt

Alberta Ferretti
From metallic fringed flapper-style dresses, to velvet multi-tiered frocks in jewel tones, Ferretti showed a wide array of looks for evening. Whatever your nighttime needs (an Edwardian coat dress? Sheer wide-leg pants?) she created something for it. But the freshest look was the opening suit which featured a wool skirt paired with a chiffon colour-blocked blouse and tailored jacket. —Kenya Hunt

Gianfranco Ferré
The brand might lose its funding due to its backer declaring bankruptcy, but the dark economic future did not dampen a beautiful collection featuring voluminous sweaters, fluid trousers, Victorian collared blouses and evening gowns with razor sharp folds. —Kenya Hunt

Roberto Cavalli
Motorcycle jackets with fur lapels, miniskirts with grommetted asymetrical hemlines and studded sweaters gave a cool, rockstar edge to this nearly entirely black collection. It was a departure for Cavalli who did not show a single, flowing animal print gown. —Kenya Hunt

Blugirl
"I wanted to send a message of happiness," Anna Molinari explained of her fall collection for, Blugirl, the younger sister to her luxury label Blumarine. That meant pretty minidresses embellished with sequins, feathers and crystals paired with tailored coats and blazers, which gave the younger line a more grownup edge. Dyed furs, which should be huge for fall, came in bold pinks, blues and grey. Call it clothing for the eternal optimist who wants to be noticed when she walks into a room. —Kenya Hunt

Emporio Armani
The press notes accurately described the collection as "Supremely Armani." Indeed, loyalists to the brand will love the clean lines that dominated Armani's short skirt and jacket pairings and dresses. Sheer knee socks and brogue-style heels gave it all a sexy secretary edge. Highlights included his cool takes on leather such as a fitted jacket with rosettes. —Kenya Hunt

Missoni
Angela Missoni’s vibrant prints and supple fabrics make smart choices for the woman looking to invest her money in a timeless garment that will survive ever-changing trends and the recession. It was Italian luxury with a capital L, and yet still felt in step with the times (read: not showy). Layering was the key idea here, with knits piled on top of each other in a haphazardly chic way. Her collection offered great wardrobe additions for the consumer who values quality but doesn’t want to necessarily flaunt her wealth. —Kenya Hunt

Vivienne Westwood Red Label
Westwood transformed London’s National Hall into a private school with her subversive interpretation of tartan skirts and cloaks and blazers with crests. If only school uniforms were as cool as these. Headmistresses, meanwhile, would do well to rock the designer’s sexy suits with trademark draping. Jo Wood, the ex-wife of The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie, gave the show an extra dose of rock ‘n’ roll cred, while Kanye West, sitting front row with new girlfriend Amber Rose, kept the paparrazi bulbs flashing. —Kenya Hunt

Aquascutum
The 155-year-old classic British brand continued fall’s obsession with fur, using it as shoulder accents on sophisticated coats and dresses. The colour red, another big idea for the season, surfaced later in the show with a houndstooth suit, dresses and separates that will probably appeal more to twenty- and thirtysomethings. —Kenya Hunt

Luella Bartley
Bob Geldof and daughter Peaches sat front row while her sister Pixie walked the runway in a flirty, punky strapless number worn over a textured long-sleeve tee. The celebrity cameo aside, the real standouts came in a series of more tailored looks in chocolate brown, metallic gold and black such as an easy, A-line skirt paired with a navy cardigan featuring Luella’s trademark polka dots. —Kenya Hunt

Osman Yousefzada
The designer sought inspiration from Blade Runner, which surfaced in the collection's futurist undertones. Standouts were his clean, minimalist dresses such as a beige long-sleeve dress with a pleated skirt. His trousers, which usually came high-waisted, cropped with wide-legs, were a bit of a harder sell. —Kenya Hunt

Armand Basi One
Plays on volume in a monotone palette of black and gray were the dominant ideas here from billowing button-down shirts with dolman sleeves and the lowest drop-crotch harem pants. Mix in high waist lines, architectural shapes and broad shoulders and you've got a challenging collection to say the least. But one doesn't come to London for the "sellable."  —Kenya Hunt

Topshop Unique
The British mega-high street chain left spring’s obsession with the ’80s behind in favour of a more futuristic sci-fi approach for its in-house label. Led by head designer Karen Bonser, the Unique team's vision of the future looks more Blade Runner meets Mad Max than Tron. That meant a lot of volume (oversized shaggy coats, massive knit sweaters and ginormous scarves) and even more layering (a draped dress worn over a long sleeve tee with above-the-elbow gloves, over baggy sequined pants, for instance.) On the one hand, the Blade Runner brand of eccentricity seemed fresh (the idea of looking forward is a nice one in this climate) and British to the core. But on the other, it seemed heavy and unflattering for such a mainstream, high street brand (I can't see many girls pulling off those shaggy coats and dresses). I'm curious to see how it performs Stateside when Topshop finally crosses the Atlantic in April. —Kenya Hunt

Graeme Black's bold use of red

Hits

Tilda Swinton
It’s honestly hard to go wrong with Lanvin. Tilda Swinton looks elegant and cool in a not-trying-too-hard way.

Taraji Henson
Ivory fabric against dark skin always looks great. Henson’s glamorous, yet simple Roberto Cavalli gown compliments her perfectly.

Marisa Tomei
The supporting actress nominee strikes the perfect hair, makeup, dress combo in Atelier Versace. She’s also one of a small handful who managed to make the idea of full-on glamour look edgy.

Evan Rachel Wood
The pale Elie Saab Haute Couture gown against Wood’s even paler skin sounds counterintuitive on paper, but looks stunning in reality, making the perfect contrast to her red hair and lips.

Jennifer Aniston
She wins the red carpet wars that you know we all mentally set up between her and Angelina Jolie in this embellished Valentino Couture number.

Misses

Penelope Cruz
Southern debutante meets wedding gown with a bit of Nana’s living room curtains mixed in. We loved her winning performance in Vicky Christina Barcelona, but wish she chosen an equally stellar look.

Amy Adams
This Carolina Herrera dress would have totally worked if she lost the necklace and shoes, which are distracting.

Beyoncé Knowles
Sadly, this House of Deréon gown is a lot of things and none of them good. It would have been more fun to see the Texas diva take an edgier risk than this. What happened to Sasha Fierce?

Amanda Seyfried
The bow on this Valentino Couture shouldn’t be wearing her.

Vanessa Hudgens
Like Seyfried, Hudgens’ Marchesa dress seems to dwarf the woman wearing it. The floral action on the bodice doesn’t help.

The German's warm and fuzzy feelings have translated to his fall collection, which shows today. “It looks beautiful. It gets to the core of what my design is about,” Kühne, a former member of Threeasfour, adds walking me past clothing racks filled with beautifully constructed jackets, trousers and dresses with the cleanest lines.  He describes the work as an evolution from last season.

An inspiration sketch of Kühne's fall collection.

“It’s for that strong city woman who is chic, but cool,” he explains. He sought inspiration from the period during World War I that gave birth to the Dada movement. “I saw this documentary covering all of the cool people at the time — Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp, and so on,” he adds. It prompted him to explore what he describes as “the clash between black and white and how it creates gray.” Meanwhile, his attention to form and line was inspired by the 1970s architectural collective, Superstudio.

It sounds really heady and dense, but translates into seriously elegant and wearable work. “I’m the happiest man in the world and that colours my collection,” he says.

What was your primary inspiration for this collection?

I wanted to make sportswear elegant. You know, sportswear is not only for athletes. It’s everyday wear for all people. It’s street fashion.

But the collection seemed to have a sense of optimism as well through these moments of bright colour.

Sometimes we need colour. Colour has to be beautiful when it’s used. It has so many sensitivities and meaning. It’s very difficult to use colour. Yeah, think about everyone who is in this room. So many people are wearing black. In this city, most people wear black. It has become a uniform.

Meanwhile, your spring/summer 09 collection for your primary collection was entirely black and white and showed the week that the market crashed. Do you use your work to comment on what’s happening socially and politically?

There is no connection at all between my creations and the situations that we’re in. My role is very simple: to shout and sing the same song forever.

You’ve been designing for 27 years. What is the biggest change you’ve seen in your years in the business?

Fashion is becoming dirtier and dirtier, cheaper and cheaper, down and more down, sexier and sexier. That is enough. Enough. We have to come back to real clothes.

It’s 10am on inauguration day and Maria Cornejo has been receiving calls from every corner of the globe to her New York studio as she works on an upcoming collection for New York Fashion Week. She's one of a small handful of designers who has been fortunate enough to be touched by the glittery, lightning-fast PR magic that is Michelle Obama's wardrobe.

Ever since the new first lady began wearing Cornejo, Isabel Toledo, Maria Pinto, Jason Wu, Thakoon and Narciso Rodriguez (who are all, coincidentally, either Latin- or Asian-American) on the campaign trail, the world's interest in them has jumped in major ways. In the hours leading up to the swearing-in ceremony, Cornejo fills us in on how Obama came about wearing her clothing for the inaugural whistle stop train tour.
 

 
Maria Cornejo, pictured above, will show her autumn/winter '09 collection ­during New York Fashion Week on February 16. 

It sounds like you've had a really busy start to 2009. How did Michelle Obama end up wearing so much Zero + Maria Cornejo during the campaign?
To be honest, we sell our clothes to a boutique in Chicago called Ikram. It's one of the most well-known stores in the area and Michelle is a client there and had been buying our clothes off the rack. So then the store owner, Ikram (Goldman), asked us to make a few extra pieces for her.

Did he go into specifics about what she was looking for?
He just said to me, 'She loves your jacket; she loves the sleeves. Just do your bright colors. Make what you think she'd like.' So we did several versions of jackets, coats and dresses that we have in the collection and sent them over to her in November. But the thing is, we don't know specifically when she's going to wear any of it, if at all. We would just be watching the news and spot it.

When did you create her outfit for the Whistle Stop Tour?
That was a part of the selection of items we sent to her before Thanksgiving.

Her wardrobe choices are definitely a stark contrast to what first ladies have traditionally worn in years past.
For me it's great because I can relate to her life and what she's wearing. She's the same age as me, and she's a working woman with two children. We try to make clothes for real women. And apparently Michelle really likes the fact that our clothes are made in America. The price point is also really accessible and the clothing is very free and easy. We use a lot of stretch fabrics that are easy to just throw on. We dress real, intelligent women who aren’t fashion victims. They have lives.

She's been credited with giving a shot in the arm of fashion by supporting such a wide array of American designers. Do you think she has the potential to revive the industry on a longer term?
I think she will definitely help the fashion business. Just the fact that she's one day wearing Narciso (Rodriguez), and then J. Crew the next. It's not about being a fashion plate or feeling the pressure to look like a picture in a fashion magazine. It's very freeing because she's not dressing according to a fashion hierarchy. She picks and chooses what she wants. And she pays for them. But the fashion is so (secondary.) The main thing is that big changes are on the horizon overall as a result of having this young couple in the White House. It’s new blood, new energy.

Many designers have had to cancel their shows for New York Fashion Week. How are your preparations coming along?
We’re very excited about it. The show will be on the 16th (of February). We have less than a month to go. And we're also opening a new store.

So it sounds like business is booming for you despite the bad economy.
Yeah, to be honest we have been growing steadily from season to season. But the Michelle thing of course doesn’t hurt.

The Cornejo look.
 

The look was all over the runways for spring. It’s a familiar idea that dips in and out of popularity. After seasons centered on the dress, it’s suddenly cool to wear jackets and trousers again. That’s good news for those of you who are already bored with your winter wardrobe because this idea is the easiest spring trend to start wearing now. Even better, you don’t necessarily have to spend a ton of money to experiment with it. Just go digging around in your boyfriend, brother or father’s closet — again.

Here are six items worth wearing now:

Current/Elliott Boyfriend jeans
$287
currentelliott.com

Topshop trousers
$68
topshop.com

Nooka watch
$354
nooka.com

TX watch
$635
txwatches.com

Stella McCartney blazer
$2,512
stellamccartney.com

Topshop blazer
$184
topshop.com

Givenchy
$34
parfumsgivenchy.com
Givenchy’s Phenomen’Eyes ­mascara, designed to grab the lash at the root, looks like a troll and sounds kind of weird but works incredibly well.

Lancôme
$42
lancome.ca
Lancôme’s vibrating, but not-gimmicky-at-all ­Oscillation mascara gives ­volume without clumps.

Dior
$30
dior.com
Dior’s incredibly efficient, award-winning Diorshow mascara is like a little tube of black magic.

One day lost, one show gained
Sienna and Savannah Miller will put on their first catwalk show for their line Twenty8Twelve by s. miller during London Fashion Week (that’s a good thing for British fashion, which suffered a blow when its fashion week was trimmed to four measly days.)­ ­Expect their usual brand of effortlessly cool, yet very English-looking dresses, separates and coats.

The first well-dressed pop bottle
We’d trade places with the ­Coca-Cola bottle’s ward­robe in a minute. ­Sonia Rykiel’s daughter Nathalie is the latest high fashion designer to design a limited edition bottle (Roberto Cavalli swathed it in leopard and zebra print two seasons ago).  The Parisian’s version features stripes in a very Rykiel-like color palette of crimson, saffron, pink and gold. It hits stores worldwide this month.

Katie’s “deeper” side
Photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot mana­ged to free Katie Holmes from all Stepford Wife comparisons for Miu Miu’s spring-summer 2009 campaign. The ad “speaks to the ­deeper complexity of the Miu Miu woman,” according to the brand.

Those cold and flu-induced dry nose patches

It’s one thing to have a constant runny nose in elementary school, another as a working adult. Those crusty flakes of skin around your nose won’t exactly impress on a job interview. “The problem is that when you constantly blow your nose, the friction irritates the skin. The trick is to coat your nose with a thin layer of Vaseline to form a protective shield from the tissue,” says Dr. Colbert who helps loyal clients including Cate Blanchett, Naomi Campbell and Rachel Weisz look spot-free. "I would also use an eye cream on the nose at night before bed," adds Shobrook whose clients include Kate Bosworth, Sarah Jessica Parker and Mischa Barton.

Eye dandruff

The idea of dry flaky skin around the eyes and eyebrows sounds weird (and gross), but it’s a more common occurrence than you think. Example: you have acne-prone skin and the cold weather and nightly Retin-A applications have caused flakes in sensitive areas. “The cure for ‘eye dandruff’ is a really good eye cream or gel. A cream is good for people who generally have dry skin around the eye area.  Eyecon by Benefit cosmetics will smooth the delicate skin around the eye,” says Shobrook.

Scaly face

“People don’t realize that sugar is really bad for maintaining moisture in the skin,” says Dr. Colbert, before explaining that the body uses more water to metabolize a pack of M&M’s than an apple. So basically, a diet loaded with refined sugars = accelerated aging. “You are what you eat,” adds Dr. Colbert. The solution? A Metamucil tablet a day. (Seriously.) “I tell my patients to take a tablet a day because it helps get the digestive tract moving the way it needs to and helps the body hold water. When your digestive tract is working properly, your skin retains more moisture. And when that happens, the aging process slows down.”

Three products for the cold

Body
Dr. Colbert swears by the chemical-free Rodin Olio ­Lusso body oil for dry skin. “It's a little ­bottle of ­magic,” he says.
nydg.com

Face
Kiehl’s lightweight ­Ultra Facial Cream won our office winter skin product road test.
kiehls.com

Eyes
Talia Shobrook recommends ­Benefit Eyecon for “eye dandruff.”
benefitcos­metics.com

Add Peter Som to the growing list of designers, including Betsey Johnson and Carmen Marc Valvo, who won’t be staging runway shows during New York’s upcoming fashion week.  Som revealed to Women’s Wear Daily that he would cancel his February show after ending his relationship with financial partner Creative Design Studios.

Sprouse mania

Between Louis Vuitton’s tribute series of handbags featuring his prints and an upcoming art exhibit at the New York gallery Deitch Projects, Stephen Sprouse — the late designer who earned cool cred in the '80s for his Day-Glo graffiti-print women’s wear — is having a major pop culture moment. Rock On Mars, an art show created in collaboration with Louis Vuitton opened at Deitch last week and runs through Feb. 28. For those who can’t make the exhibit, get your Sprouse fix at welovesprouse.com which features a virtual tour of his life and work complete with a preview of the handbags that hit stores this week. Added bonus: a video interview with Marc Jacobs.

Maggie Gyllenhaal in Lanvin

Cameron Diaz in Chanel Haute Couture

Eva Mendes in Christian Dior

YSL Gloss Pur Black
$33
www.sephora.com
Never mind that you could end up looking like a goth girl gone wrong of bad Halloween costume proportions, this lacquer is the It bag of lip glosses.

Dior Diorshow Iconic mascara
$32
www.dior.com
It impressively boosts volumes without leaving clumps or smudges.

Chanel Glossimer in Myriade
$31
www.chanel.com
This shimmery gloss is the perfect counterpart to those sequins and paillettes that are so of the moment.