We think that Missoni might be onto something both culturally and emotionally empowering with their very green Spring 2009 collection. The monochromatic, easy, beaded looks were just the perfect offering for what will be challenging season. After all, if there's anything Missoni understands--it's how not to mess with a good thing.

In business they say "always be closing" but in fashion it is "always be delivering" and Maison Martin Margiela is taking that to heart with a collection they are calling Avant Premiere that will be unveiled to the trade late next month and delivered to stores in May. A Margiela spokeswoman told WWD the collection would consist of about 60 styles for women and 60 for men, plus a small selection of shoes and accessories: less expansive than many pre-collections.

With a little help from stylist Ilaria Urbinati handbag designer Rebecca Minkoff is relaunching her contemporary clothing collection. Minkoff said they were inspired by Elizabeth Taylor in the Fifties and the darkness of the 1982 film “Blade Runner.” We have never before associated the two and are having a hard time making the leap looking at the garments.

Garmentos can feel evern better about their support for Barack Obama. While campaigning in North Carolina he made the most definitive statement yet about his positions on trade as it relates to textiles. He pledged to support five key textile industry policy positions, including a monitoring program for Chinese apparel and textile imports.

Speaking at London College of Fashion, Stefano Pilati reiterated his position that he prefers seduction over sex.

The Anand Jon sexual assault trial heard its closing arguements yesterday.

Swahili Fashion Week is set to start from November 5 in Dar es Salaam.

The International Quilt Festival is apparently quite fashionable. We would just settle for cute.

Purple is the new black. Except that black is in fact still the new black.

There is a new 12-piece Damien Hirst X Levi’s Collection

At New York Fashion Week, one of the world's most commercial, you would be hard pressed to get a designer to say anything about the "dirty" business of selling clothing. At New York Bridal Market there is no such problem. In fact, we were overjoyed to discover that designers actively relished delving into their sales track record, discussing which gowns had been best sellers in the past, and waxing poetic about whether classic designs sell better or worse then contemporary updates. One of the most articulate designers we encountered was Romona Keveza who before an informal showing on Saturday (which was filled with buyers, we were the only press at that particular showing) discussed with attendees how the financial crisis would impact the bridal gown market.

Her assessment concluded that Romona Keveza would continue to prosper even the in down market. Weddings may get smaller as bride and groom decide that maybe the 500 guest wedding is a bit showy but an intimate affair with friends and family and a classic gown is tasteful no matter what the situation. Romona said "Just because they are cutting back in other areas doesn't mean a bride with taste is suddently going to go shop at David's Bridal."

We were disappointed to learn that a certain friends and family sale is going to be open to public forcing us greedy hording editors to contend with hoi polloi. Yes we are selfish and prefer to scramble at sales with a smaller crowd. Can you really blame us for living for this singular perk of the job? As more and more of the secrets of the industry get out to the public finding a quiet shopping haven of discounted designer goods has become nearly impossible. Yes, yes please feel bad for us, its horrible we know!

This crowding issue is why we love Gabay's. The still relatively unknown East Village designer surplus shop is know for its impressive collection of unsold shoe inventory from a well known luxury department store. The place is a jumble of hidden treasures for those with the patience to root around looking for a gem. If you prefer a curated easy shopping experience though guess what you still get what you pay for so head to your nearest full price personal shopper. Otherwise, if you are in New York head to Gabay's for a little recession era fun. We know we are craving a little retail therapy.

225 1st Ave Apt 1 (between 13th St & 14th St) New York, NY 10003 (212) 254-3180

It seems an appropriate time for Christian Dior to be going east with its Christian Dior and Chinese Artists Exhibit as Western economies scramble and China's impressive mastery of capitalism growing stronger each quarter. After all China owns most of America's debt so why not focus a grand new exhibit on the inspirations of China to help encourage a new generation of aspirational Chinese consumers. The Christian Dior and Chinese Artists Exhibit exhibit will focus on the greater inspirations of the Far East on the house of Dior.

According to WWD, The show will feature more than 20 specially commissioned works — many of them large scale — alongside some of the Dior originals that inspired them, from archival dresses by the founding couturier and John Galliano to fine jewelry by Victoire de Castellane, men’s wear by Kris Van Assche, perfumes and accessories. It will include video works, photography, paintings, sculptures and a garden like installation, interspersed with dresses, sketches and photos from the Dior archive, with an accent on dresses by Christian Dior himself and Galliano, couturier since 1997.

Works include a 23-foot-high Lady Dior bag made of a lattice of fluorescent tubes by Li Song Song, a giant portrait of Galliano by Zhang Dali composed of Dali’s pseudonym AK-47 and a re-creation of the couture atelier in white porcelain by Liu Jianhua

The exhibit will begin on November 15th at Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art in Beijing. Galliano told WWD "I love travel, I love to mix cultures and influences. I find that such a potent source of inspiration and I find the exotic grace and appeal of Asia endless. I was thrilled that we were able to not only take influence, but inspire influences, and I love the collaborations and synergy between the two."

We say clever clever Bernard Arnault for stoking the interests of consumers in easy to churn out Lady Dior handbags. This will sure keep those share prices from being dragged down by the market. Luxury shouldn't have to suffer with the rest of the plebians we say. Just move on to a new market!

Harley Davidson is a grand American tradition full of style inspiration as it goes about its Americana dreams of vim, vigor, and virility but the Hog's stock has been taking a turn for the worse in the past few years.

All of this makes us wonder if Marissa Miller's new Harley Davidson advertisements are designed to help get "it" back up. Though all of it does make us wonder if this helps or hinders Harley's new promotions to help encourage "more women to take life by the handlebars" with We Ride - The Harley-Davidson Guide for Women.

All we are saying is give peace, erm, fashion a chance says bridal fashion show Bridal Asia in New Delhi India which featured Pakistani models in an effort to promote cross cultural understanding through every little girl's dream. Literally we are imagning, arranged marriages are still huge.

The country lifestyle has gone far beyond Barbour jackets and duck boots when it comes to strange inspirations for fashion. It turns out shooting is the next big fashion inspiration. Beretta, the firearms manufacturer, has a clothing line called 1526. The line focuses on the shooting lifestyle that countryside sports represents. Made in Italy from luxury materials we are willing to bet this is going to show up at Freeman's in a month or so. Other gun manufacturers seeing a boom in clothing demand include James Purdey & Sons and Holland and Holland. Who knew?

Fashion critic and illustrator Michael Roberts has a new book called "Fashion Victims" features 26 poems with accompanying illustrations based on the letters of the alphabet, ranging from Auctions to Zips.

The solution the Wall Street collapse? Brazil, Russia, India and China - the BRIC economies, have a growing middle class that is developing an appetite for luxury.

Boucheron has launched an ecommerce site proving once again that Gucci Group is consistently the most innovative of the luxury conglomerates when it comes to online retailing and luxury technology use.

"Fashion shouldn't be about absoluteness, otherwise it would be a church," says Lang, whose first art exhibition, Alles Gleich Schwer, at the  Kestnergesellschaft in Hanover, Germany, is currently attracting him plenty of renewed attention.

L'Oreal is sponsoring Dubai Fashion Week which runs October 5th through the 9th. Way to hop on that trend guys!