Seeing as how these photos were taken from Vogue IT’s January 2007 issue, one would come to expect a photospread in the risque’ vein. One would also expect that somewhere Ms. Roitfield is gritting her teeth because the tits being shown wasn’t in her version of the industry bible.

But let’s take a look at Steven Meisel’s magic. First and foremost, AvantGarde is right on in saying only half jokingly (I think) that fashion photographers kinda, sorta, somehow, somewhere wanted to be pornographers but made a left turn at haute couture and now reside in the mundane world of only slightly imitating their sleazy brethren. The spread is a parody of the youtube, click here and get your results in five seconds generation, but there’s also art in the quasi pornography that separates what it is and what it might be. Simply meaning, I couldn’t see Coco Rocha, J Stam, Hilary Rhoda, Sasha Pivovarova, Missy Rayder wearing Agent Provacateur and Calvin Klein in any other way. It’s beautiful, it’s risque’, and it is exactly what I want from my fashion spread. To push the envelope way off the table. And while Calvin Klein may never blush while seeing these photos, thus making my post title hyperbole at best, I’ll still take simulated just brushing-17 porn with my fashion for $200 Alex.

Embarrasing beach photos aside, Segolene Royal may actually become the first female President of France. What does she wear? Paule Ka. Far be it from me to interject my opinion on another country’s electoral process, but any candidate that can wear designer items, while ambitious enough to attempt to manage a country in fiscal stagnation, deserves to be elected president.

Just stay away from the beach.

Here’s a listing of what our go to, must read, gotta know right-this-moment blogs are saying this week:

Bag Snob
Bag Snob has lunch with the Prince who woke Valextra, Massimo Suppancig.

Coquette
What’s behind a fashion logo? Coquette shows you the design process behind the new Saks brand and Kate Moss for
Topshop.

Kristopher Dukes
Kristopher digs Cut-Out Wedge Jil Sander Shoes , ’cause a freshspring double-oh-seven is all about lightening up.

Ebelle5

eBelle5 Celebrity Auction Alert: Scarlett Johansson’s and Sheryl Crow’s Designer handbags are up for grabs.

FASHIONTRIBES
I want candy! Fashiontribes finds some sweet bags, accessories & other fashion treats.

Girlawhirl
White shirts from top designers hit the Gap today! Girlawhirl can’t wait to check out the new designs from Doo.Ri,Rodarte and Thakoon

LAStory
LA Story says that prom dreams –like fairytales– can come true.–courtesy of Bronx Community College students and NYPIRG/Bronx!

MyFashion Life
My Fashion Life interviews the design duo behind label Daydream Nation

Second City Style
Easy does it. Second City Style says hello to relaxed, lightweight pieces with a laid-back attitude for spring/summer.

SheFinds
Short Shorts: Hot or Not?

StyleBakery.com
Are you on the best dressed list? Find out which of this season’s hottest dresses flatter your figure.

Styleaholics
Celebrity Styleaholic Najwa Moses gives us a sneak peek at Mao Magazine’s Freak Chic party with Debbie Harry!

Stylebites
Love color jeans but not sure how to wear them? Stylebites decodes the trend!

Stylehive
Throw out your granny-panties and check out Stylehive’s interview with Jasmine Imani, co-owner of the cheeky online lingerie site, Graffiti Pink.

The Jewelry Weblog
The Jewelry Weblog wonders if yellow gold will ever be as popular for wedding bands as it was back in her day.

excerpt from this month’s edition of Essentials on Papierdoll:

There is no private. People are always looking at you. It’s not paranoia; it’s true.
They look when you trip on the subway, when you sweat your face off at the gym, and when you should be meditating in yoga. And so, you can go through life working out in stained sweatpants or four-year-old JUICY booty shorts, but why would you?

[read the complete article here]

I’m not going to drag this out as I am unbelievable busy today. I saw this post on Flypaper which led me to the New York Observer which reminded me of something our business director said when talking to another fashion editor.

Still with me? Ok.

There’s been a dearth of designer shoes for women with larger feet. Pierre Hardy, Louboutin, Blahnik, Choo and the rest of the shoe design deities definitely must think that outside of the occasional model, women don’t come in any size larger than 10. To be perfectly honest, the closer you get to 10 and beyond, the harder it is to find exactly that perfect pair for which one draws an emotional attachment. So when Simon Doonan of the Observer wrote an article talking about Payless’ designer devotion to women with larger sized feet and Wendy at Flypaper seconded, I thought Payless?

Then I realized, at this stage, Payless is to shoes what H&M is to clothes. Noonan posits in the article whether Manhattan publicist/socialite, Nadine Johnson wears Blahnik, Prada, Pierre Hardy, when looking at her strappy heels to which Johnson replies,

“Payless.com! Nineteen dollars—six pairs for under $120. Plastic! Gasolina! And very sturdy.They go up to a 13 wide…And they are chic! If you sprayed the soles hot pink, people would think you were wearing Louboutins.”

Our business director let me in on a little secret as well from a conversation he had with a fashion editor. He did so as if he was telling some sort of CIA secret. He looked around, pulled me in and whispered: “there is very little difference in quality between Payless and the major designers, some of the products might actually be made in the same factory.”

Ok, I’m letting out a secret, but the moral of this long winded story is that:

a. Payless has designer-like shoes for women with larger feet (and smaller) with similar quality and lower prices that socialites wear and feel fabulous about.
b. Sometimes it takes me a long time to make a point.