In the Lara Stone for Vogue U.K. feature, mani and pedi duties were handled by nail artist Sophy Robson, who on her blog writes about what she used during the shoot:

I had to sculpt some short length overlays on to poor Lara’s damaged nails to make them look nice for this story. (The result of another “session nail tech” but let’s not go there.) On the cover I used Bronze Libertine by Dior and inside it’s gorgeous peachy Tart Deco by Essie.

She also emphatically points out that she doesn’t use gels on fashion shoots. Which makes total sense, gel is great for longevity but would be hell to have to remove day to day. Meanwhile, check out Lara’s rock–not crazy, rather understated and vintage in feel…a family heirloom perhaps?

Kate Moss arrives at Christian Dior show, Paris | Photo: Imran Amed

As self-described snobs and fashion geeks, we love the depth of  analysis that comes not just from taste and  opinion but also from hard cold business facts. Imran Ahmed from Business Of Fashion ( a must read), sums up some of the big  themes of this Spring/ Summer 2011 in a way that  just makes us weak in the knees. Read the feature here.

Wonderkid J. Cole performed on the BET awards last night, looking his usual long, cool, delicious glass of water self, and the live version of his “Who Dat?” totally held up, was very minimalist (just him on the stage) and had the whole crowd nodding and singing along. Should he actually break out beyond big buzz, this will go down as a key marker in his career. Via Globalgrind.

With a flawless assortment of some of our favorite labels and designers, Late Night Chameleon Cafe opened its online store recently. As the name illustrates the LN-CC concept is ever evolving into art, fashion and music. The brick-and-mortar,  6000 sq. ft. store, set to open late this October in London, will also be a blank canvas for visitors to interpret , share and congregate. On the next page enjoy a look at some of the the  women’s styles they have online.

It’s funny how much attention is paid to the clothing on a Louis Vuitton runway, especially given how handbags dominate sales. In reviewing LV’s Spring 2011 runway show, Style critic Nicole Phelps guessed Marc Jacobs was attempting to appeal to the “burgeoning Far East market,” but wondered if that customer would actually want to look like a “China girl.” Probably not, but it won’t matter because she’ll likely be hard pressed to find actual LV clothing where she lives. What she will notice is the smaller-sized LV bags, which absolutely make them more appealing to an Asian customer, who tends not to like as large a handbag as her U.S. and European peers, all part of the cultural translation process for brnds that includes a lot more than language. More bags from Style after the flip.

Dazed got to speak to the amazing Rad Hourani about his latest collection, the accompanying film,  as well as his collaboration with Aldo. Check out the interview, the apparel and the footwear, available this February at Radhourani.

Featured earlier this year, A Peace Treaty’s Pitañia collection of luxurious hand-knitted Alpaca knitwear   made by Aymara and Quechua artisans are now available here. We say invest in the real deal, accept no substitutes!

Designboom recently featured the collected works of artist Kobi Levi, who views shoes as his canvas. The one featured on this page is called “Slingshot,” and it’s one of his more straightforward designs. In general Levi favors whimsy with a dash of fetish. More of his designs from this year on the next page.

The buyers at Pixie Market continue to bring the heat with this inverted pleat jacket, which just landed in stores. Available here.

Nicolas Vaudelet  under the El Caballeo label does things with leather that  make him a favorite of ours. From the over the top fringe bags from a few seasons ago to the smart little leather collars we see on his runways for spring  2011, this label is definitely HighSnobette approved!