This week has been a little rough for Coutorture and many of our friends. We aren't quite sure what the heck is going on in the celestial sphere that so many of our sisters are having troubles. Thankfully community member Catwalk Queen helped cheer us up with a little pink floral cheer. A super hot pink dress with some white hot accessories seem like just the thing to brush off all of the mind clutter of the week. Sure its a little Elle Woods but even the edgiest of fashionistas can probably get behind a See by Chloé mini right? We suggest putting on your brightest dress and singing along to this silly music video. Really, it made us feel better!

The pantyhose debate continues to rage in small town America and corporate human resources departments. But frankly the right to bare legs (or arms, or even sometimes, shudder, midriffs) hasn't really been a concern for fashion women. So when we started to weirdly crave shimmer nylons in the dead of summer we knew something was up. Our first inkling came as we read Tom Wolfe's eulogy of Clay Falker in the great man's own New York Magazine. Discussing a style piece on Madison Avenue art girls we found ourselves inspired.

They became known as the “art birds.” As late as 1989 Japanese art collectors liked to have these pretty little American girls by their sides in the front rows for the “important” auctions at Sotheby’s and Christie’s. They loved the pretty things’ lithe young legs with their epidermi of sheerest ravage-me nylon shimmering up to the most tumescent swells of their thighs as they crossed and then re-crossed and then re-re-crossed and then re-re-re-crossed them shimmer shimmer shimmer shimmer beneath the downlighters.

Now the fact that we found ourselves inspired by sheer nylons in midsummer by a man who habitually wears suits, albeit white ones, in even the warmest weather seemed fitting. But then today network partner Catwalk Queen admitted that she was a hosiery hoarder. She begins in the context of pre-fall trends and uses fellow community members Kingdom of Style and Susie Bubble as evidence. But its when she admits to loving "the new breed of truly barely-there nudes" we knew we were not alone. We have a few plans in mind for showcasing just how sexy the "shimmer, shimmer, cross re-cross" can be even in the middle of a heatwave.

The novelty has long since worn off for most designer retail collaborations. Gap's much hyped Design Editions Project with the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund warranted the cover of Vogue last year but now in its second season it has created only a minor buzz despite the fashion heavy hitters. The collection features designers Philip Lim, ThreeAsFour, Band of Outsiders, Michael Bastion, and Phillip Craingi. They created looks that varied from western influenced shirts to easy sun dresses. The collection included not only womenswear but menswear from Michael Bastion and jewelry from Phillip Craingi. Despite the lack of excitement, the wider fashion blogging community weighed in even as the boredom with this marketing gambit has become almost palpable across the world. Our dutiful community nonetheless reported on the launch. Catwalk Queen thinks its a great antidote to the fashions on High Street currently. MISS Crew thinks the collection is quite unique and points us to some of the video assets available on the Gap website. Both Hip Candy and The Fashion Bomb focused on the launch party with pretty photos of celebrities unfamiliar to us. And ShopDiary reminds us just how quickly the collection sold out last year. And Fashion Indie gets excited that this season has menswear so he can get in on the action.

Our network partner, Catwalk Queen, was having an nostalgic moment when she created a modern outfit inspired by Sweet Valley High. The 1980's cult book series is reportedly being revamped by Random House to include new book covers and marketing strategies. Being fellow children of the eighties we thought to take a cue from Catwalk Queen by creating other looks based on the Sweet Valley Covers of our childhood. Below, check out the various stock character looks, the nerd, the jock, and the sorority girl, all fashioned after our favorite covers.

With Topshop on its way to NYC, those of us in little 'ol America can stop pushing the T-word from our minds. Instead, we can focus on how we never have to set foot in another H&M again. We're not exactly Topshop crazy, but will acknowledge that when it comes to the high street, Topshop is one of our top picks. London-based Coutorture partner, Catwalk Queen, made a special visit to Arcadia Group to check in on what's being delivered circa Spring 2008. It's okay, you can look.


Photo by Catwalk Queen.