The runway this season showed us that designers are using more than the usual materials for accessories. They are branching out and creating wooden accessories that would complement the most refined of styles. Whether it’s earrings, bracelets, necklaces, clutches, wooden heeled shoes, or even home accents, you will love being stumped this fall.

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© Marion Curtis/StarPix

Public was the hotspot for wine (and celeb spotting) the other night with Sebeka Wines inviting its nearest and dearest for a “Dinner in the Dark.” Among those sipping the South African spirits spotted by Chic Report were Chloe Sevigny in Ben Cho, Brooke Shields, Gina Gershon, Katie Lee Joel in Missoni, and Carol Alt in vintage Ferré along with designers Ben Cho, Julie Haus, and Nicole Romano. But all were surprised to find blindfolds in exotic prints (a play on the brand’s cheetah logo) on their place settings in addition to a slew of stemless wine glasses. Odd S.W.A.G.? No, the company took “dinner in the dark” literally, asking them all to slip them on before tasting each course that was paired with one of numerous wine selections of everything from a Sauvignon Blanc to a Cabernet-Pinotage blend. Most happily obliged…but the first dish proved somewhat difficult due to a set of chopsticks!

© Patrick McMullan

Patrick McMullan’s Glamour Girls book party was full of pretty faces, made even more beautiful by the array of lip glosses offered as gifts by Maybelline. The makeup brand was gifting Swarovksi-encrusted Great Lash mascara to VIPs and Vera Wang missed out,  after refusing to walk the red carpet! When she realized her slip-up, each of her friends offered up their own and the designer took one, mistaking it for lip gloss! Turning to her friend, she exclaimed, “Oh my god, did you see that? I almost put this on my lips!”

Designer Tracy Reese continues to collaborate with Sally Hansen for seasonal nail polish colors inspired by her runway collection. This season marks the fourth time Reese’s palette has been transformed into lacquer. After viewing the North African–inspired prints and exotic vivid colors from Reese’s runway, we expected a vibrant group of polishes to aptly complement the collection. That’s just what we got…a mix of tropical hues straight from paradise. Among the eight shades are Arabian Nights, which is a shiny purple polish, Searing Orange, Sumptuous Petal, Spicy Scarlet, Cherry Glaze, Feverish Rose, Sultry Fuchsia, and Tunisian Sand, a sparkly nude polish. If Reese’s feminine frocks aren’t in the budget, get close to her aesthetic with a $6 bottle of polish sold at drug stores nationwide.

Guess who’s bad…we mean back…in black and white. Michael Jackson is featured on the October 2007 cover of L’Uomo Vogue, photographed by Bruce Weber. Reportedly he struck a deal with Italian designer Roberto Cavalli for the photo shoot. He agreed to pose for the shoot only if Cavalli would create some special clothes and give him a new look for his new album due to be released late this year or early 2008. The King of Pop has returned to Earth. We think…

Elemis introduced a mini retreat to Bergdorf Goodman. The luxury British skincare line has taken the cosmetics floor by storm with the launch of the Elemis SpaBar, SkinLab, and SpaPod. The SpaPod is not a space-age experiment but rather a chic way to rejuvenate your skin. For $45 the skincare specialists at Elemis will analyze your skin and lifestyle to prescribe a fitting beauty regimen. They will then treat you to 30 minutes of bliss in the SpaPod with power booster facials done in an intelligent massage chair, which measures your size and weight to deliver a custom massage. Come in feeling tired and worn out, leave with a healthy radiant glow. It’s the perfect way to spend your lunch break.

Lars Nilsson is the new creative force behind Gianfranco Ferré. How did Milan’s front row react?

Glenda Bailey, Harper’s Bazaar: “It’s great to have Lars back! He has such a love of architecture. It’s very exciting for Ferré. Lars has such a core of simplicity and clean lines but he also matches it with femininity. He understands fabrication and technique.”

Sally Singer, Vogue: “Lars can make very beautifully draped and refined clothes. He also understands the needs of a luxury-oriented client, having worked at Dior, Blass, and Ricci. He’s a smart choice. One of the things he did that was lovely at Ricci was the lightness of the lingerie-like tops. Perfection of a blouse is at the heart of Ferré.”

Stefano Tonchi, T: “It’ll be interesting to see how much is Lars and how much is the company!”

Could nylon sacs be swell again? It seems so. When style veteran and chicette extraordinaire Elizabeth Kiester took the job of chief creative director for LeSportsac a year ago in June, she seized the opportunity with zest. Since then, the creative guru has introduced 17 new styles to the collection, launched a chic boutique line, and orchestrated a partnership with Stella McCartney. As we can’t sign up for waiting lists yet–the brand-new spring offerings won’t hit stores until January 25–Chic Report stole a moment with Kiester, who chatted to us about the rebirth of the line, discovering artists in the squats of Berlin, and going wild in Tokyo.

On Her Sac-Philosophy: “I want them to be like your friend who helps solve your problems! There are too many stressors out there already, like ‘Oh my god, my shoes hurt like hell!’ so we wanted to make bags that are pain and hassle-free. The new Boutique bag has deep pockets on the inside that go all the way around to distribute the weight evenly, and my favorite, the Poppy, comes with gusseted outside pockets for all your essentials.”

On Stella(r) Tactics: “Stella wanted to make her line super amazing for chic moms like herself and her friends like Kate Moss. They’re all about moms who are on the move, complete with changing pads, snap-on cosmetics bags, and insulated bottle pockets–I don’t have a baby, but Stella said that that’s where I can keep my Diet Coke!”

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Francois Henri-Pinault and Salma Hayek just delivered Valentina, arguably Fashion’s First Baby. The baby girl was THE talk of Milan this entire week and Chic Report couldn’t resist asking our favorite front row occupants: What baby gift would you get the couple?

Kate Betts: “Little baby Crocs! They’re just so cute. This summer I was obsessed with Crocs; I’d get the Crocs in croc, but that’d defeat the purpose. But the best gift is still the layette from Best & Co., because, really, you know, I’m a practical gal.”

Virginia Mouzat, Le Figaro: “A good pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers! Because she’s going to be a star. Or, maybe a gift from Valentino for fun.”

Hilary Alexander: “Buy them Mothercare or Baby Gap! A baby like that needs an entire baby retail empire! Pinault already owns Baby Dior. Oh crap, that’s a mistake! I’m a bit label-stressed at the moment.”

Carine Roitfeld: “A little antique dress from my proper daughter [Julia]; a vintage one.”

Booth Moore, L.A. Times: “A baby sling, because they’re all the rage.”

Robert Polet, Gucci Group: “I’ve got something already for her, but it’s a big secret. I shouldn’t even be talking about it right now.”

Call it canine karma! This furry pair, parented by Desiree Gruber of Full Picture and actor Kyle MacLachlan, made their entrance on YouTube less than a year ago, and after garnering a loyal fan base that’s now in the thousands (one of their videos was viewed over 1,400,000 times), they have turned into bonafide stars.

Mookie, 7, a Jack Russell Terrier, and Sam, 4, a Yorkie and Chihuahua mix (though he barks: “If you call me a Chorkie, I’ll beat you up”) have already appeared on The Martha Stewart Show, in People magazine and Men’s Vogue. With this much success, they are no strangers to diva-treatment–their entourage includes a dog walker and a caretaker, their wardrobe is filled with the most stylish dogwear, and, at Gruber’s office, there’s a custom-painted wall-size mural celebrating them. Coaxed with mini carrots, Mookie and Sam woofed to us about their style, acting careers and luxurious lives.
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