Michael Kors is moving overseas by opening 25 collection stores in Europe, starting with one in Milan. To which we say, whaa, Michael Kors, lover of jetsetting advertisements and perpetual tans, doesn't have any collection stores in Europe? Are we the only one's who just assumed he did? Anyway, this first space in Milan is taking over the Viktor and Rolf store (Viktor & Rolf just sold stake to Deisel) and opens on September 23rd. Another twist in the story is that Kors is opening a Palm Beach boutique shortly thereafter and Kors himself acknowledged that the venture is a head-scratcher to most people, "A lot of people look at me and say, ‘You don’t have a store in Palm Beach?’ So much of our clientele spends a good part of the winter season there. It’s really our first resort store. I have always loved designing resort and things that have a resort mentality, and Palm Beach is one of the few places left on earth where a jeweled $800 bikini is a basic.”. We don't watch Project Runway but we've always loved Kor's articulate and humorous sound bites. Of his Chicago store opening he said, “I am a camel hair and gray flannel kind of guy and Chicago is a camel and gray flannel kind of town.". Which basically makes us love him. Below, some spring and fall offerings from the designer.


Click here to see the Michael Kors Fall 08 collection

Aesthetes, Bohemians & Craftsmen opens at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles.

Chicago may have had a few embarrassing moments with a ersatz fashion week that never was, but that isn't stopping the city's ambitions. The School of The Art Institute of Chicago is beefing up its fashion program. It has announced a new master's degree in fashion design and simultaneously unveiled newly renovated studio space housing facilities for fabric development and manipulation as well as a shoe, millinery and accessories laboratory.

V is for profit. Both Versace and Valentino Group reported sales growth in the first quarter.

Pain at the pump isn't that funny of a joke when it means higher shoe prices. Guess its getting just as expensive to hoof it as to drive.

Vera Wang isn't afraid of a little economic downturn. She wants to open more stores.

Despite Marc Jacob's best efforts somehow the world has not gotten past Warhol yet. Interview Magazine isn't so big on reinventing itself it would seem.

Apparently women are no longer allowed to dress to impress. The dress is now officially over much to the chagrin of trend forecasters and mid-market contemporary trade shows. Everyone's favorite Elle editor Anne Slowey has declared “The dress has been done to death." She was however careful to add “not to sound really cliché.” Yes we imagine the dress has been done to death because like pants, shirts, and skirts it is a staple. So the cycle continues.

You might also want to avoid mentioning the dress is dead to junior retailers. Mod dresses and jumpers are going to be all the rage!

Wal-Mart still doesn't how how it feels about being a discount retailer despite George and Metro 7 flopping with their high priced $30 Mark Eisen creations. Its jumping back on the fashion band wagon with partnerships with Jones Apparel Group's l.e.i brand and Iconic Brand Group's Op. Somehow this involves advertising in magazines like Lucky and Cosmo using people we don't really know (apparently Kristin Cavallari and Pete Wentz). People so removed from our worldview we aren't even sure if this violates our no celebrity policy by mentioning them or not.

Chicago is having fashion week troubles. Apparently the city was supposed to fashion week style events last Wednesday, called Chicago Fashion Week, that were canceled at the last minute. These are not to be confused with Mayor Daly officially sanctioned fashion week called Fashion Focus Chicago which happens in September. Seems hiring a fashion czar Melissa Gamble hasn't done much for the second city. Which is too bad because we think models walking underneath Anish Kapoor's Egg in Millennium Park would be awesome.