Lust objects

YSL F/W'12, the last of Stefano.

Of a certain world, indeed

A portrait of the rarefied global elite, of which there are quite few.

National treasure

The Telegraph reported this week that Britain's top models will help close the London 2012 Olympic Games in a high-wattage high fashion show led by British fashion superstars Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss and including other Brit models such as Stella Tenant and Georgia May Jagger.  They will be wearing, of course, McQueen, among other English designers.

Chanel Haute Couture 2013

I'm not always the biggest fan of Karl Lagerfeld's Chanel, what with its daily A2 upper lefthand corner ad in the Times hawking some ferociously tacky and overpriced new accessory (anyone in the market for, say, a $1,200 clog?), but Mssr. Lagerfeld's latest Chanel Haute Couture collection was, as it always is, mind blowing.  The shimmery gray-scale and lush rose tones, the tweedy-looking knits that were actually extravagantly embroidered tulle - garments requiring thousands of hours of work each, according to Lagerfeld - and of course, some of the best girls in the game, including Jamie Bochert, Anja Rubik and Julia Nobis above.  See the rest, as always, at Vogue.com.

Match maker

Tennis's most fashionable fan, Ms. Anna Wintour, was turned out in the latest Prada to see her friend Roger Federer win his 7th Wimbledon championship against Brit Andy Murray, accompanied as often by her very dapper partner, Mr. Shelby Bryan.

At Raf's Coming Out

Anderson Cooper wasn't the only one to "come out" this week (more thoughts on that later) - it was also Raf Simons's big debút as Creative Director of Christian Dior and his first haute couture show.  The collection was gorgeous - felt both distinctly Raf and rich with Dior's legacy - but I'll let those who do this for a living opine with what I can only assume is some more informed historical context.  I loved seeing those in the front row, a fashion Who's Whom as collected via Twitter and Instagram by Fashionista.  There was Bazaar editor Glenda Bailey flanked by her friends Alber Elbaz (of Lanvin) and Stephen Gan (of Bazaar and V), both in Nike sneakers - the new chic.  There were Anna and Marc, the Queen and King of American fashion.  There was Peter Marino, the designer of many a designer's store; Harvey Weinstein, evidently fashion VIP now thanks to his patronage of Marchesa; Patrick Demarchelier; Donatella, raccoon-eyed per usual, with her daughter Allegra.  And L'Wren Scott as captured by Cathy Horyn, perhaps helping to explain her absence at her partner's daughter's wedding days before?  Oh, it's a great world.

The Rolling Tenenbaums

Jade Jagger, the daughter of Bianca and Mick Jagger, was married yesterday in the Cotswolds, wearing a dress of her own design and in the company of Kate Moss & Jamie Hince, Christian Louboutin, half-sister Georgia May and stepmother Jerry Hall.  The proud father reportedly performed an acoustic version of his little known ditty, "You Can't Always Get What You Want."

Can you imagine a more fabulous family portrait?  It gets little better than Bianca.  But where was L'Wren?

Nice touch

In a recent Times Thursday Styles piece on tank tops for men, one style was described as being naturally paired with a "chicly battered iPhone."  Having forgone an iPhone case since betraying my beloved BlackBerry 2 months ago, I was pleased to see the Times stylistas validate my nicks and scratches.  Chic, indeed!  I wouldn't mind protecting my phone with this solid 14K gold case from Miansai, though.  It is custom made and only $10,000.

The classicist

Martha Stewart at the Met Ball, as seen from Jamie's Instagram

Renew.

Actress Lindsay Lohan has begun spring with some restorative news- the announcement of a guest role on Glee and the end to her seemingly endless recent legal troubles with a formal termination of her probation.  Lohan looked fresh-faced and chic as she arrived in court, where the judge ended proceedings by telling her, "I don't expect to see you again. Goodbye and good luck."  I do expect to see her again, but only on the big screen or an adjacent table at Locanda Verde or something of the sort.

New man in town

The very dashing Dave Franco in GQ - I couldn't resist.

The Gilded Life

My best fashion moment was in 1996, when Karl took over the entire first-floor Imperial Suite for his couture show, to observe the twenty-fifth anniversary of Mademoiselle Coco's death.  He had two shows that brisk January day, and between them Naomi Campbell, Shalom Harlow, and Kate Moss came to my room--a simple one with two armchairs and the bed in a neoclassical alcove--and took naps.  Karl and I walked in to find them all lined up asleep under layers of fine pique sheets, like fairy princesses, false eyelashes still in place.

-Andre Leon Talley (who else?) in Vogue 

Can't stand the glare

Ray-Ban, Warby Parker - coming soon to a face near you.

Women to the front

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York attends a show with the Vogue team.

Tax return

Acne bag, Balenciaga boot, me for spring/summer 2012

Grenades in bloom

Tilda Lindstam

Kasia Strauss

Julia Nobis

Nadja Bender

Romee Strijd

Kati Nescher

Frida Gustavsson

Nimue Smit

Jac

Sarah Burton's fall 2012 women were like high fashion super heroes, with sci-fi chrome visors, Batman-like belt buckles to be winged at an enemy or clasped to a zip line, protective capes and fortress-like furs.  I could even imagine some of the closing frocks as like a porcupine's, or some deep sea creature's, defense system -- explode your spikes to deliver the final blow.  Still there was something delicate, beautiful.  That seems to be the sort of McQueen ethos that Burton has carried on so masterfully and effortlessly - the juxtaposition, or perhaps marriage, of fierce strength and exquisite fragility.