Photographed by our fearless lensman, Patrick McMullan.

Kilian Hennessy embodies that old chestnut about life not being fair. The dashing Sorbonne grad is the grandson of the founder of the LVMH Group and the heir to a long line of “luxury pioneers.” You should have seen all the well-bred babes fawning over him at the launch of his new By Kilian fragrance collection, L’Oeuvre Noir, the other night at Bergdorf’s. And unlike us, he will never, ever, run out of cognac.

That a fellow like this should be extremely well-dressed to boot comes as no surprise we suppose »

The waiting list on a wicked new 420 h.p. $130,000+, all wheel drive Audi R8 is running at least six months, but if you’re quick on the draw you can snag one this week at an auction courtesy of Bergdorf Goodman. Of course you’ll pay a premium—the bidding starts at $160,000—but then this is no ordinary Audi, and you have to factor in the inestimable value of getting one up on the Joneses.

For starters, the R8 in question is customizable to the winner’s specifications »

Suspending Judgment: A dissenting opinion on the current popularity of braces forwarded through exemplars like Urkel. [Casanova Peasant]

A Waist of Money: Speaking of keeping your pants aloft, this belt will set you back a cool $18,000. [NYMag]

Classic Cut: 501 jeans, the collector’s edition. [Retro To Go]

Imitation of Life: If you thought Zac Posen was already a little Stepford creepy… [Fashion Visa]

Cut Corners: Small-time hood Wesley Snipes breaks some lesser laws. [Manolo for the Men]

Image Maker: Valentino’s new men’s line will take direct inspiration from the house’s founder. Shocker. [DNRNews]

Cutting Edge: At Hong Kong Fashion week the models are fully trained in the ancient arts of self defense. [Monsters and Critics]

Buyers Beware: It doesn’t matter if you’re a buyer for Bergdorf Goodman with millions of dollars of purchasing power, the ability to save or destroy fashion labels and a lifetime in the industry—if Beyonce needs to sit, they’re making you stand. [The Observer]

A Match Made in Heaven: Rumors are swirling that the bombastic, unpredictable fashion diva Naomi Campbell and bombastic, unpredictable semi-fascist dictator Hugo Chavez are now are getting all Nic and Carla. Lovers of democracy beware. [Fashion Mag Daily]

Photographed by our fearless lensman, Patrick McMullan.

One thing we always look forward to during Fashion Week is the daily appearance of Hamish Bowles, Vogue’s European editor-at-large — not to mention an impeccably-plumed peacock who was one of our original MOTHs.

More on today’s MOTH»

Photographed by our fearless lensman, Patrick McMullan.

Dashing designer Isaac Mizrahi makes a splash but always stays on the safe side of zany—no easy feat when you’re establishing yourself as a too-beaucoup TV personality. Though his women’s clothes and various bringing-style-to-the-masses projects get all the attention, he turned out a damn fine men’s collection for Fall 2008, which was good enough to get the nod from Bergdorf’s.

More on Mr. Mizrahi»

Flipping through our weekly quota of glossy mags, we noticed Michael Bastian’s rules of style in Details. We’ve been fans of Bastian’s since he left his post at Bergdorf Goodman to pursue designing, but we couldn’t resist the chance to give his rules a little polishing.

See how Mr. Bastian’s rules stack up»

Super Villians: Roberto Piqueras dresses the gay Legion of Doom. [Skeleton Legs]

Tom Ford and Thom Browne Square off at Bergdorfs: And somehow Pee Wee Herman is the ref. [NYTimes]

Aqua Man: Meanwhile, down the hall at Thursday Styles, Mike Albo hunts down beachwear. [NYTimes]

Deforestation: Harrison Ford makes the ultimate sacrifice for the environment. [NYDaily News]

A Close Shave: The return of the barbershop (without Ice Cube). [Art of Manliness]

Photographed by our fearless lensman, Patrick McMullan.

Manolo Blahnik’s name is of course familiar to shoe fetishists and Sex & the City slatterns. Quite apart from that however he is also one of the world’s best-dressed men. The dapper designer has both the panache and gravitas to pull off the old school double-breasted suit and bowtie look in a way that few men really can. Note that he does not look remotely silly even when clutching a satin stiletto (he’s about to sign it for some Bergdorf Blondes, not try it on).

Note also the ticket pocket and turned-back cuffs on the jacket which fairly shout “bespoke”; the jacquard bowtie of perfect proportion, disheveled just enough so that there can be no question of its being one of those horrific pre-tied affairs; the natty tortoiseshell specs; and the bodacious boutonniere, a nice Wildean touch. Whether he chose the suit to match the shoe we wouldn’t venture to say.

The New York department stores seem to be taking a page from stockbrokers—the page marked “frenzied panic.”

It was only a few weeks ago that Barneys and Bloomingdale’s announced a simultaneous across the board 40% markdown, but it looks there’s no bottom. Barneys has since raised the number to 60%, with Bergdorf and Saks offering up to 70%. It’s a feeding frenzy, and it has very little to do with Christmas.

Our take on the madness»