Need an Obama tee-shirt refesh? Vogue editor Anna Wintour came up with the clever plan to raise money for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign by asking her designer pals to come up with a lower-than-normally-priced tee-shirt (or tote bag, or scarf) to be sold on a sub-section of Obama’s campaign site, called Runway To Win. And they all come in a full range of sizes….imagine that, a Marc Jacobs tee in XXXL!

Featured designers include Marc Jacobs, Joseph Altuzurra, Tory Burch, Diane Von Furstenberg, Prabal Gurung, Joseph Altuzarra, Prabal Grunung, Tracy Reese (above), and others, with Alexander Wang’s ”coming soon.” 

See designs on the next page.

Have a look at DVF’s Manhattan penthouse, courtesy of AD. Always find it fascinating how these celebrity homes often feature walls hung with portraits and photos of the owner. Diane is no exception with the interior images showing two portraits. Would you hang multiple portraits of yourself in your home? Would it matter if it were done an admired artist? Via Curbed.

See the interior on the next page.

Christian Louboutin, getting an assist from the fabulous Diane Von Furstenberg, was back in court yesterday, trying to convince the three judges overseeing the case now that the last judge who ruled against him was wrong. (In case you’re totally behind, Louboutin sued YSL for making red-bottom shoes, arguing that it infringes on what has become his brand’s trademark. He lost the first go round.)

No shocker but we’re totally team Louboutin over here. Not anything against YSL, but  let the man have his red bottoms. He earned them for goodness sake. And from a purely aesthetic perspective, you take the red soles away and you have everyone and Payless churning out red-bottom shoes, a totally wretch of a situation that no one wants to see.  

CL & DVF via Nydailynews doing the court walk on the next page.

The CFDA in partnership with Vogue awarded Joseph Altuzurra, the winner of its fund prize last week and lots of fashion folks turned out for the event.  Above in a study of contrasts is actress Rooney Mara and CFDA presidente, Diane Von Furstenberg.

After the flip see additional images of  Vera Wang, Tory Burch, Zac Posen, Rachel Roy, Francisco Costa, Olivier Theyskens, Alexander Wang, Billy Reid, Jason Wu, Kate & Laura Mulleavy, Brooklyn Decker, Liya Kebede, Zoe Kravitz, Anna Wintour and tons more.

Below via Papermag is an open letter Diane Von Furstenberg, head of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, wrote to ”The Fashion Community” in response to the decision by the folks in charge of Milan Fashion Week to schedule the event during a period that conflicts with NYC and London Fashion Weeks for Autumn 2012.

From: DVF
Date: October 10, 2011 10:12:03 AM EDT
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: An Open Letter to the Fashion Community from Diane von Furstenberg

Fashion shows are meant to allow designers to show their collections and vision for the following season.

Everyone goes through huge efforts at a large expense to make it easy and pleasant for the editors and retailers. The market has expanded greatly in the last years with Asia, Middle East, Russia and Brazil growing so fast. It requires a lot of coordination and planning.
 
Editors, retailers and designers like the consistency of every designer always showing on the same day of the week season after season. It makes it so much easier for everyone to plan and attend shows. Clearly, year after year, the calendar changes. There are 7 days in the week and every new year the calendar advances 1 day. Some years it will be better for some cities, some years not.
 
That is what is happening in September 2012. I believe our friends in Milan did not understand that. We did not change from the decision when we agreed to start Fashion Season in New York on the same day every year, which is on the second Thursday of February and September. It is the nature of the calendar.
 
I also believe this conflict is a misunderstanding. I am convinced it will be resolved and that the agreement that was made 3 years ago at great cost and effort is valid and will be kept.
 
As the President of the CFDA, I represent my fellow designers. We share the same goals as Milan, Paris, and London. Everyone at the CFDA has great respect and admiration for the designers working in those cities  Our shared goal is that we want the editors and retailers to see our work and to do theirs.
 
At a time of great uncertainty in the world, we are lucky to be part of an industry that is flourishing and that provides an enormous amount of jobs. We should not jeopardize that by being apart. It is most important that we show unity, fairness, and that we work together to ensure everyone is given equal benefit from our work.
 
As we say in fashion, the show must go on!

–Diane von Furstenberg

Mario Boselli, who’s the voice for Milan’s side of the story is quoted in WWD as stating “Italian designers unanimously agreed on the schedule. They showed great solidarity and Italian pride. Let the best [city] win.”

I can’t see this turning out well for Milan. I remember not very long in the past when the WSA, a shoe trade show, decided to attack a competing show, FFANY, by scheduling its dates so there would be a direct conflict, and it was the beginning of the end of a long down fall in the WSA’s attendance numbers. These shows are about business and if there is a sense that Milan is putting “pride” ahead of what’s best for the clientele its serving then they will lose.  Besides, there are few people in the fashion community more charming than Furstenberg and it’s hard not to see her winning the public sentiment debate.

The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund awards took place last night with menswear designer Billy Reid the winner. The red carpet was the most interesting part and as always we’ve highlighted our faves. On this page we have a ying and yang situation with the Olsen twins on one side, decked as they often are as of late in lots of fur and Chanel Iman on the other side, looking summery and still working her super tight, post Victoria’s Secret runway bod. On the next page Kim Kardashian, Keri Hilson, Christina Ricci, Blake Lively, Carey Mulligan, Diane Von Furstenberg and Tory Burch who came with her sweetie, Lyor Cohen (which I have a hard time wrapping my head around but okay).

WWD threw a 100th anniversary party attended by fashion heavy hitters including Ana Wintour, Diane Von Furstenberg, Michael Kors, Iman and the fur-clad Olsen twins. –Justjared

Club Monaco is furthering its online presence with a Tumblr-esque blog, whose latest entry is an interview with Pamela Love. –Popbee

Hermes is already sick of LVMH’s pushy ways, specifically according to the CEO, “There is nothing friendly about this move. It was neither desired nor solicited. It is very probable that he will increase his stake, I don’t know his intentions.” –WWD

Barry M “Black Magic” nail polish is its answer to OPI’s Black “Shatter” and it is indeed bananas! –Laquerista

American Apparel’s flirtation with bankruptcy gets hot and heavy.–Thecut

The Rodarte show yesterday pulled some of the hippest females in the game, including Vogue’s Carine Roitfeld (the boots!!!) and Grace Coddington, who hung with Diane Von Furstenberg.

Arrivals at CFDA were looking phenomenal. Across the board it was hard to find anyone who looked overly predictable or just flat-out wrong. Surely this is in large part because it’s a fashion event and many of the attendess are experts (designers, models, stylists), but perhaps we’re seeing signs of the design focal point moving away from shoes and shifting to dresses and accessories (specifically necklaces), making for a visually more compelling red carpet image. One can hope anyway. Dress length ranged from very short to trains, but white played against black and flowerful prints were two big color trends. Sheen was also a theme, as was relaxed fabrics. HighSnobette favorites included Allison Pill, Hana Soukupova, DVF and Lara Stone (but only because she is currently in the can-do-no-wrong category).

Many more looks after the flip.

The CFDA Fashion Award nominees were announced last night. The event took place at CFDA President Diane Von Furstenberg’s studio in the Meat Packing District. Already we know there’s going to be a Special Tribute Award for Alexander McQueen and Chris Bailey of Burberry will receive the International Award, plus Iman wins the Fashion Icon Award and Michael Kors is the recipient of the Jeffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award (can he get a little something extra for also being the break-out comic of Project Runway??). 

I’ll let you go to the link to see details, but the hottest and heaviest competition will be between Marc and Alex for the Womenswear Designer of the Year Award. Marc has won the award twice but not since 1997. Still, my money is on Alex, everyone’s current darling. Which leads one to wonder which collection will be the first one that causes his adoring masses to turn on him. Remember Marc and his grunge collection back in the ’90s? That shit was crazy! Alex can only pray to have such a divine fall from grace.