Six thousand applications later, Ford Models and V Magazine’s V A Model Search contest has yielded a winner: one Lea Groesland from Norway. Finally, Siri Tollerød will have someone to speak to in her own tongue! If past winner Amanda Laine’s success is anything to go by (she booked Prada, Marni, and Balenciaga her first season out), Lea will be a household name by October 2009.—Laird Borrelli-Persson

Photo: Courtesy of Ford Models

Halston muse and pioneering black cover model Naomi Sims died Saturday, at 61. [NYT]

With the exodus of designers to London fashion week this fall, we’re not surprised that rumors are already percolating about who will fill their front rows. On tap for Topshop: Blake Lively, Taylor Momsen, Anne Hathaway, and Kate Bosworth, among others. Let’s hope they put in some face time at Bryant Park, too. [Grazia Daily]

Rest easy, Prada fans. The label’s loan has been extended until 2012, at which point they’ll need to pay back €450 million. Or, a whole lot of hip waders. [WWD]

Speaking of fall fashion, this season is shaping up to be sell-or-sink time for small fashion labels that have survived this far. No need to shop for your favorite young designers till you drop—perhaps just until you get slightly fatigued. [WWD]—Alison Baenen

Following—well, and during—yesterday’s Prada show, there was lots of tweet-y chatter about Lady Gaga and the effect of the veritable pandemic of pantslessness that has swept the globe over the past year. It’s easy to see why. Not only were there tiny little bloomerlike shorts printed with painterly palm trees, there was also a see-through chandelier crystal dress worn with little white bottoms and even one look that seemed to consist of a crystal-encrusted top and plain old black briefs.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, kids. Remember, we’re talking about a designer who essentially invents her own drum and then marches to its completely original (and, of course, eventually seminal) beat. At any rate, we thought we should point out that Mrs. Prada was going pants-less in her collection a whole decade ago. Here, are a few of Prada’s greatest leggy hits, left to right, from Spring 2007, Spring 2000, Spring 2003, and Spring 2001.—Meenal Mistry

When you’re sitting at a runway show, even in the front row, the starring role often goes to the clothes. But let’s talk about the all-important action below the ankle with our first installment of The Shoe In.

Prada gave us a literal moment of clarity with clear-heel sandals dripping with fat chandelier crystals, and her see-through pointy-toe Mary Janes. One totally clear pair looked like the footwear version of Wonder Woman’s invisible jet. Their practicality is somewhat arguable, but they do seem to have handy Velcro closures.

Yesterday at Jil Sander, Raf Simons’ arty inspirations made the most sense in shoe form, like this sculptural number crafted from wood, oxidized metal, and chic navy suede. Blow that thing up 1,000 times and you could send it to Storm King.

And lastly there was Versace’s glam-slam journey down a Tim Burton rabbit hole that gave us this nutty futuro-baroque number. What do you think of Milan’s shoe scene so far? Comments welcome below.—Meenal Mistry

Photo: Don Ashby and Olivier Claisse

This season’s runway tracks were a schizophrenic medley, veering from hardcore rap and opera to techno and old-school country—occasionally, all in a single show. Here, a selection of Milan’s music to watch clothes by.

Prada
Breakout Track: Brenda Lee’s All Alone Am I
The Final Note: Lee’s plaintive and sweet fifties-era croonings were mixed up with rap and classical tunes. Well, you wouldn’t expect a single musical message from Prada, would you?

Alberta Ferretti
Breakout Track: Puccini’s Oh Mio Babbino Caro from the 1918 opera Gianni Schicchi
The Final Note:Uplifting and emotional Italian drama that could move you to tears. A moving way to take in the romantic, gauzy parade.

Jil Sander
Breakout Track: Jerry Garcia’s Love Scene Improvisations from Zabriskie Point
The Final Note: Garcia’s twangy, free-form guitar came from the NSFW scene from the 1970’s Antonioni film, shown on screens during the runway proceedings. The result? An aptly arty, earthy, and cultish backdrop to Raf Simons’ rough-hewn intellectualism.

Bottega Veneta
Breakout Track: Pianist Maxence Cyrin’s version of Don’t You Want Me?
The Final Note: Eighties pop merged with classical piano. A high-low mix that’s so appropriate for modern wares made with old-school artisanship.

Dolce & Gabbana
Breakout Track: Grace Jones’ remake of Rita Hayworth classic Amado Mio
The Final Note: Neo-Latin romance with an avant-garde edge. Right on point, boys.

Gucci
Breakout Track:The Gossip’s Heavy Cross
The Final Note: A energetic yet tough pop hit from the band’s latest album. In other words, a soundtrack made for the Gucci girl’s direct, turbo-charged look.—Jasmine Serrurier

Photo: Px18/Wireimage

Christos Garkinos: Hello.
Caller from Denver: Hey Christos, I went through my closet and found 30 Chanel bags. Do you think people in New York will want those?
Garkinos: Um, yes.
Caller: Well, I will just FedEx them over to you in the Big Apple. Oh, should I take the original price tags off?
Garkinos: Um, no.<br/Garkinos: [In his head] I die.

And this is how DecadesTwo owner Christos Garkinos makes it possible for those whacked by economy, both buyers and sellers, to maintain appearances. Starting today, Garkinos and his vast cache of consigned treasures return to New York for a four-day pop-up shop at Kiki de Montparnasse, their second so far. There are some changes from the couture-heavy sale back in May, namely the addition of ready-to-wear and more accessories. I visited yesterday and clocked a giant rack of Chanel dresses and jackets and lots of better-than-sample-sale prices: a Balenciaga L.B.D. for less than $500, a Prada fur coat from Fall 2007 for $300, and this insane pile of Chanel bags pictured above.

Who exactly parts with this luxe merch in the first place? Viewers of The Rachel Zoe Project may remember Garkinos’ cameo from a recent episode, so that’s one. Other consigning culprits include Selma Blair, Julianne Moore, and Courtney Love. If you’re going for one-of-a-kind, there’s the gray tulle Versace gown worn by Christina Ricci at the Oscars. The pop-up pops down on Sunday, but there’s a chance it may be a more permanent fixture. Garkinos says that the last sale grossed more in four days than he did his first year in business on Melrose.—Laurie Trott

DecadesTwo Pop-Up at Kiki de Montparnasse, 79 Greene St., October 1-4.

Just don’t call it a retrospective. That was the message at the Prada store in Soho today, as a new book documenting the world of Prada was unveiled to members of the press. Formally launched at an event earlier this week at the Prada store in Milan, PRADA was conceived and edited by Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli in collaboration with designers Michael Rock and Sung Joong Kim of New York City design firm 2×4. Rock, who was on hand for the event this morning, explained that the book’s 708 pages can be broken up into two separate investigations, Inside and Outside. The Inside sections of the book trace Prada’s history, document the design and production process, and catalog the product Prada has introduced in the years since Miuccia Prada took over the company’s helm. (There are 3,885 thumbnail photos of the “looks” at Prada runway shows since 1987; bring your own magnifying glass.) The Outside section of PRADA, meanwhile, covers Prada’s various engagements with the worlds of commerce and culture, including stills from videos such as Trembled Blossoms, documentation of projects such as the Prada Transformer in South Korea and Double Club in London, photos of Prada on the red carpet and on the street, and even descriptions by eBay sellers of the Prada objets they are putting up for auction. The book also gives much love, naturally, to Rem Koolhaas, revealing the ruminations on the meaning of “luxury” that led to the launch of the Prada “epicenter” stores. Mediating the Inside and Outside sections is a chronology of Prada campaigns—images from every womenswear and menswear campaign from 1987 to the present. Prada COO Sebastian Suhl, offering remarks on the book this morning, said that the book’s focus on Prada’s accomplishments over the past 30 years does not make the book a retrospective, or a summing up; rather, he said, when you look at all that’s been done, “you see how much can be done.” “This book,” Suhl underscored, “is about the future.” At present, PRADA is available at Prada stores worldwide and via www.prada.com.—Maya Singer

Photo: Courtesy of Prada

Want to know what it’s like to walk a mile in Gwyneth Paltrow’s shoes? Head to Selfridges on Sunday, where London trio Yasmin LeBon, Lisa B., and Trinny Woodall will host the “Really, Really Great Garage Sale” (or car boot sale, as they’re lovingly known in the U.K.).

The ladies have taken over the first-floor parking lot of the department store and called upon their A-list friends in support of Mothers4Children, which benefits children’s charities worldwide. So don’t go expecting your usual moth-bitten flea market stuff. Instead, there will be goodies such as Paltrow’s Balenciaga boots, Lily Allen’s signed Reeboks, Liz Hurley’s Helmut Lang suit, Jemima Khan’s Prada dress, and LeBon’s own Tod’s sandals. We caught up with Simon’s better half and the mother of their three teenage girls earlier this week, and she told us that no one in the LeBon household is off-duty on Sunday: “I’ve made sure all my family and friends are involved in some way—it’s really exciting because the sale will offer some incredible pieces with a story to tell.” And no doubt, a bargain to be had.

—Afsun Qureshi

Photo: Courtesy of Selfridges

With the announcement of the Golden Globe nominations this morning, awards season has officially begun. And while many are furiously debating who’ll make it up to the Beverly Hilton hotel stage to collect their statuette, we’re more concerned with the action outside—the red carpet. What are this year’s crop of nominees going to wear?

Nine’s Marion Cotillard is a no-brainer: She’s a Dior girl, fronting the house’s campaign for the Lady Dior bag; here’s hoping Galliano puts together something suitably shocking for her bravura turn as Nine’s neglected wife. (We’d wish for a half-on, half-off Fall ‘09 Couture look—perfectly appropriate for the flick’s many bedroom scenes—but January in L.A. can be chilly.) Her co-star and co-nominee Penélope Cruz tends to favor long, elegant gowns (vintage Balmain to the Oscars in 2009, pictured; Versace a few years before), and there’ll likely be more of the same. Likewise from Meryl (twice nominated for Julie & Julia and It’s Complicated): We can see her in a sensible Alberta Ferretti (again) or maybe Carolina.

Luckily, it’s a great year for young actresses to shake things up. Emily Blunt, nominated for her portrayal of Queen Victoria, would look great in a simple, regal gown—maybe an Alexis Mabille? Carey Mulligan (An Education) has been stepping out in Prada, where she could pick a crystal-studded stunner. (Careful not to outshine Shia.) And Precious‘ Gabourey Sidibe—a first-time nominee—has been opting for jewel tones in her many appearances to promote the movie. She’d look great in a gem-colored Devi Kroell from pre-fall ‘09.

On the TV side, there’s bound to be the requisite dose of Mad Men proper. Betty Draper cut loose this season, ditching Don and heading for Reno—any chance nominee January Jones will, too? We’d love to see a little Vegas gold, especially for an actress who’s played the Grace Kelly card so often. (And, while we’re on the subject, no nomination for Mad Men’s Elisabeth Moss?)

But there are upstarts here, too. If anyone can pull off evening shorts or a jumpsuit to an awards show, it’s gotta be Big Love nominee Chloë Sevigny. Ditto Drew, who’s making the rounds for Grey Gardens with her co-star and co-nominee Jessica Lange one final time. (The pair was nominated for Emmys, too; Lange won.) Call us literalists, but wouldn’t it be great to see Barrymore and Lange—who played Big Edie and Little Edie Beale, the quintessential cat ladies of the twentieth century—in feline frocks from Miu Miu’s kitty collection?—Matthew Schneier

Photo: Steve Granitz / WireImage

For male readers of this blog, or for girls whose boyfriends have been very, very good this year, here’s cause for holiday cheer. Church’s, the historic British footwear brand that is now owned by the very Italian Prada Group, has been digging through its extensive archives and has decided to resurface its Shanghai collection. Originally from 1929—exactly eight decades before Karl celebrated the Chinese city’s allure—these sturdy beauties were created for Englishmen in what were then far-flung colonial outposts: Hong Kong, India, Kenya (though not, despite the branding, Shanghai). The sun does set on the British empire these days, but the style feels fresh again: The weather-beaten charm of these two-tone lace-ups livens up what could be a stuffy number. Of course, Church’s being Church’s, they cost about as much as a ticket to Shanghai.

$1,135, arriving late December at Church’s, 689 Madison Ave., NYC, (800) 221-4540, www.church-footwear.com.—Matthew Schneier

Photo: Courtesy of Church’s