You Look Like $4,257: A complete price breakdown of MOTH Patrick Dempsey’s Versace ad wardrobe. [FWD]

Public Affairs: Hilfiger to lead parade of fashion IPOs this year. [WWD]

Man of The Moment: On what is quickly becoming our (second) favorite blog, Adam Kimmel takes over T’s Pitti Uomo coverage. [The Moment]

Billionaire Bling Club: Pharrell teams up with Louis Vuitton for jewelry line. Be afraid/excited. [Now Public]

Name Dropping: “Yeah, aren’t you the guy who’s not getting through my security checkpoint?” [StyleDash]

Slimboy Fat: Clooney rocks the wide look, perhaps hastening the eclipse of the skinny tie. She Knows Best [Magnificent Bastard]

Aussie Love: Heath Ledger squires model Gemma Ward. Not bad for a balding single dad. [Nimoy]

Shine a Light: Keith Richards rolled out of bed, smoked cigarette, snorted his dad, tussled his hair and shot an ad for Louis Vuitton. [WWD]

Spicy Meatball: Geri “Ginger Spice” Halliwell visits the Milan shows, wishes the male models had a “bit more meat” on their lovely bones, thus making her ever more dear in our hearts. [The Daily Goss]

Bantamweight Championship: Another day, another dandy fight. [Dandyism]

Trading Up: The beloved Atelier heads around the corner to bigger digs. [Racked]

Motion Pictures: A slideshow of the GQ/CFDA men’s show gives us waistcoat-envy. [DNR]

Nostalgia File: The Times meditates on slim suits as a metaphor for lost youth. No, we’re not kidding. [NYT]

The Kids Today: Gwen Stefani has much to answer for. [NYMag]

Fitted Shirt: A Suitable Wardrobe details the perils of outgrowing suits, while taking a few well-placed snipes. [A Suitable Wardrobe]

Paint it Black: The new Oak store in NoHo could be a little bit more colorful…[UrbanDaddy]

Shine a Light: The Louis Vuitton logo combines with butane, with confusing results. [Coolest Gadgets]

John Tucker Must Die: When we first saw this picture, we thought it was a Calvin Klein ad. (Scroll down) [Gawker]

Truly Lost: If you want to know how to dress like your favorite Lost character, you probably need more help than a webpage can offer. [StyleDash]

Cash Money: Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy makes $2.7 billion, and celebrates by drinking champagne out of handbags. We give most of the credit to Wes Anderson. [DNR]

I Love the 80s: The new wave revival enters its fifth year at today’s Marc Jacobs show. [NYO]

Don’t Mess with Texas: Randy Quaid gets banned from Actor’s Equity for backhanding a co-star. We’d pay to see that. [Gothamist]

You don’t often hear the “core values” and “Keith Richards” in the same sentence. But we’re always open to new ideas.

Fresh off their Gorbachev campaign, Louis Vuitton has decided to side with another crumbling icon for their “core values” campaign. Other than embodying a kind of boho shabby-chic, we doubt anyone would have chosen Richards as a style icon, but Vuitton sees him more as a lifestyle icon. This pic, photographed by the legendary Annie Liebowitz, captures what seems like a fairly typical moment in Keef’s existence: he is killing time in an anonymous luxury suite, with objects of luxury scattered carelessly around him. And, naturally, the closest object is his Louis Vuitton guitar case, which doubles as an impromptu tea tray.

More on Keef and Louis»

Portland Cares: Mr. T-related art is found to be more valuable than non-Mr. T-related art. [Boing Boing]

LVMHTMMJ: Louis Vuitton’s new print will be a camo-inspired collab with Marc Jacobs and Takashi Murakami. Somewhere in Los Angeles, Kanye cries tears of joy. [Fashion Week Daily]

The O.G.: Rachel Bilson expands her expertise to include designing jeans. [My Fashion Life]

Bubble Pit: Sony fills a Miami street with foam for no apparent reason. [Josh Spear]

Our #2 Export: The possibilities of polluting the world with lameness. [PSFK]

Takashi Murakami has been gaining profile for a while now—he designed the slightly hideous album cover for Kanye’s latest, and is collaborating with Marc Jacobs on a pattern for Louis Vuitton—but his nouveau-Warhol shtick has always left most of America shaking their heads.

Witness, for instance, the kerfuffle surrounding his upcoming exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum. The fashion press went wild over Vuitton-based rumors—would the museum be hawking LV bags? Would they get a peek at the new Marc Jacobs pattern?—without giving thought to the exhibition itself. Naturally, the art world is skeptical.

More on Murakami»

The gala opening of Takashi Murakami’s exhibition was predictably packed last night, with Marc Jacobs among the attendees. Kanye took a break from managing his new travel site to put on a show and keep the crowd on their feet. And, aside from the eminent-domain protests outside, things couldn’t have gone better.

Louis Vuitton was well-represented with an outdoor table of pointedly non-counterfeit goods, but they had more than a few representatives in the crowd as well»

By now, you’d think someone else would have come along to usurp Keith Richards’ as the archetype of sex, drugs and rock & roll style. As a group, the geriatric juggernaut that is the Rolling Stones seems a bit comic with their never-ending world touring, but while the rest of the band looks like they’ve traded hookers and blow for Depends and Metamucil, Keef keeps rocking on.

He’s not carefully-maintained and certainly not well-preserved, but rather perfectly and stylishly weathered.

More Keef»

Marc Jacobs and Takashi Murakami’s long-discussed Louis Vuitton Monogramouflage pattern was unveiled at Thursday’s gala exhibit opening and, as you might have expected from the impish Murakami, it takes the logo to some very new places.

Messrs. Jacobs and Murakami keep LV’s geometric symbols, but switch up the regal purple-and-gold pattern for a squiggly pop-art camo that’s more suited to comic books than oil paintings. It’s more in line with Murakami’s aesthetic than Jacobs’ or Louis Vuitton’s, and it raises more than a few questions about where Jacobs plans to take the brand»

The Princess and The Peacoat: Amanda Brooks has a thing for men in uniform. [Men’s Vogue]

Okay, Who Farted?: Gucci and Louis Vuitton unveiled diamond-encrusted, WMD-proof gas-masks at the Bucharest Luxury fair because, really, who wants to survive a ricin attack in just any old thing? [Complex]

So? New?: R29 introduces us to our new neighbors. [Refinery29]

Spin Cycle: Damien Hirst shows no mercy to Levis Jeans. And you thought that cow had it bad. [Gawker]

Long May it Rain: Barbour employees worldwide will enjoy tea and cake tomorrow at 4pm to celebrate the waxed-cotton giant’s centenary - and nothing could be more just and perfect. [Vogue UK]

Deal Alert: Again, Racked comes through with discounts on Original Penguin. [Racked]

Thanks to our friends at GQ, we managed to get our hands on the five-page profile of Marc Jacobs from the May issue, hitting newsstands next Tuesday.

The piece takes a closer look at Jacobs’ transformation from mop-headed shut-in to flamboyant tabloid fodder, as well as his rise to power as creative director of Louis Vuitton. Apparently his secret is ulcerative colitis, a disease that forced him into a restricted diet and ruthless exercise regimen. The piece’s best line is this bon mot: “If Ralph Lauren is a lifestyle, Marc Jacobs is an ethos.” Does that make Tom Ford a nightclub?

More on Mr. Jacobs»

Apparently Mrs. Bruni’s marriage—and less-than-savory photographic past—hasn’t dimmed her prospects as a model. Apparently the UK supermarket chain ASDA has dumped their current spokesperson in the hopes of landing the French First Lady. Maybe they’re after a break on their export taxes.

More on Ms. Bruni’s future endorsement gigs»

First Gorbachev and Keef, and now the Coppolas. That’s right, LV has netted another one.

The Louis Vuitton Core Values campaign rolls along, this time scooping up the estimably rotund Francis Ford Coppola and his winsome daughter for yet another Annie Liebowitz shot. The core value this time around is travel, contrasted with earlier themes for Andre Agassi (a well-shaved head) and Keith Richards (healthful old age).

More on the father/daughter ad»

Jennifer Livingston for Details

The globe-trotters over at Details just put up a few backstage snaps from the Fall ’08 shows in Milan and Paris, and we were a little surprised at how many up-collar leather jackets and tough fabrics there were. From Calvin Klein’s woven take on the biker jacket to Louis Vuitton’s helmeted models, motorcycle fashion seemed to be the order of the season.

More on the European biker look»

Apparently The Moment has bondage on the brain.

After the recent round of Milan shows, the style blog of the internet’s favorite punching bag decided to declare a microtrend of shoes with rubber straps around them, “as if that’s all that may be holding the two pieces together.” That’s all very well and good, but why, may we ask, does this qualify as bondage-inspired? Do these Louis Vuitton wingtips remind anyone else of quality time in a dungeon with Helga? Pilates-inspired might be a little closer.

We’d guess Mr. Pask is thinking about something other than shoes.

When manga artist Takashi Murakami was first tapped to collaborate with Louis Vuitton, he opened our eyes to the burgeoning cultural renaissance taking place in Japan.

Now the Japanese avant-garde is getting the full treatment in Ian Luna’s Tokyolife: Art & Design, which showcases the work of over 80 creative types pushing the boundaries in those fields as well as architecture, film, photography and of course fashion. While some names like Nigo of A Bathing Ape are already widely familiar and influential, others have yet to make their mark on the West.

Here’s your primer.

We’re glad to see that one of our favorite women of all time, gorgeous Czech model Eva Herzigova is still getting work at the ripe old age of 35.

Last year when Louis Vuitton signed her up for their supermodel extravaganza, we figured it was a one-off for a favored LV face of years past; however the brand just brought her back for its new ad campaign, shot by Mert and Marcus at the Unisphere in Queens. Unfortunately in a few of the shots they’ve decked her out in some rather hideous garments reminiscent of those lamentable Bond girl outfits from the ’80s - think Barbara Carrrera as Fatima Blush in Never Say Never Again.

We of course prefer our Eva unclothed, or nearly so, hence the above shot.

These mid-tops came our way as a Franco-Japanese collab between Springcourt and Resistance.

The idea of mashing together 18th century upholstery and 20th century sneakers is an interesting one, and the Vuitton-esque pattern is a nice touch if you don’t look to close, but the skulls-and-crosses motif is a little more Goth than we’re used to. It’s not the first melodramatic pattern we’ve seen set into casual clothes, but hopefully we’re closer to the end of this trend than the beginning.

The Impostor: A tour of some of the more innovative uses of the Louis Vuitton pattern, not counting Mr. Murakami. [Gawker]

Scarlett Fever: A critical consideration of Scarlett Johansson. With bikini pics. [ThisRecording]

Tartan Love: A user’s guide to the plaid suit. [AskMen]

Kind of Gray: Style tips to see you through the non-summer months. Don’t forget your mittens. [A Suitable Wardrobe]

George Carlin once said that America is good at two things: taking a good idea and running it completely into the ground and taking a bad idea and running it completely into the ground. We’re feeling charitable, so we’ll say this is a case of the former.

We like Takashi Murakami, and Marc Jacobs has been on his game lately, but their Monogramouflage pattern has officially reached the saturation point. This, for instance, is just embarrassing. Designed as a reader giveaway for Numero Tokyo, a Japanese high fashion mag, the mousepad may mark the moment when we got tired of the whole idea of luxury patterns.

That’s right. It’s a mousepad.

It’s no wonder Jacobs is trying to scale back the collaborations. If he isn’t careful, he may end up in the computer business.

Bad Fox: Transformers 2 femme fatal and GQ covergirl Megan Fox has a loose-lipped Mom. Mrs. Fox chatted with her hometown newspaper and confirms your biggest dreams—Megan as a very, very naughty teenager. [Palm Beach Post]

Tight Helmut: We must concur, Marc Jacobs, you’re not the only one in the Fashion District hitting the gym. [Men.Style]

Louis Canvassing Connery?: Great Scot Sean Connery could be the next face in the ongoing Annie Leibowitz-shot Louis Vuitton campaign, joining Francis Ford Coppola and Catherine Deneuve. [Fashionista]

Mocc’ing Luxury: Valet offers a peek at Arrow Moccasin Company’s winter offerings, featuring sheepskin upgrades and even a pair of made-to-measure if you send them an exact trace of your feet. [Valet]

Bruno Strikes Again: Sacha Baron Cohen’s flamboyant TV host character targets Fashion Week again, this time disrupting Stella McCartney’s runway presentation [The Cut]

Drumming Up Cash: Artist Peter Good’s meditation on energy dependence and economic crisis is both stylist and painfully obvious. [Men’s Vogue]

The Manner Born: Kate Middleton weathers the Royal storm while staying in Prince William’s favor. But can she get the ring? [Vanity Fair]

Lost In Merchandising: Sofia Coppola tapped to collaborate on shoes and handbags for Louis Vuitton [WWD]

Bonds will be Bonds: Sean Connery’s Louis Vuitton ad makes us want to buy an island, a white fedora and a Mexican beer. [The Cut]

Critical Mass: A new study shows people flock to cycles in the face of economic uncertainty. Jimmy Carter was right! [PSFK]

Zip It: A guide to the richest zip codes in America. Fisher Island and Newport Beach still top the list, but 90210 barely makes it in at #10. Say it ain’t so, Brenda. [Luxist]

Cash Rules Everything Around Me: A user’s guide to cream-colored trousers. Coffee is discouraged. [A Suitable Wardrobe]

Just when it seemed like things were cooling down for Takashi Murakami, the holidays roll around and everyone in retail goes completely insane.

In the case of Louis Vuitton, that means wrapping an entire store in a vinyl sheet imprinted with your latest pattern. As branding moves go, it’s hard to beat dressing up your store as an enormous handbag, although Marc Jacobs could still top it by tattooing his name across his forehead.

Mostly we’re just surprised they’re still standing by Takashi after so long. After all, the store doesn’t look that different from one of the walls at Murakami’s Brooklyn Museum exhibit when this whole crazy trip started off.

Maybe they’re in it for art after all.

Strong Cheesecake: The famous Pirelli calendar hits newsstands, edited by Kempt favorite Peter Beard. Somehow, we expected more baboon action. [Men.Style]

Louis Louis: Mr. Vuitton feels the pinch. Save us, Yeezy! [Luxist]

The Long Tail: Sameer Reddy peers into the dark economic soul of the fashion industry. [Newsweek]

The Kimono Strikes Back: Traditional dress gets a resurgence in Tokyo. Now if it just crossed the Pacific… [Monocle]

Scenic Route: ACL waxes nostalgic over Connecticut’s own Merritt Parkway. We were always partial to the Pacific Coast Highway ourselves… [A Continuous Lean]

Louis Louie: Does it still count as tagging if you’re doing it yourself? And instead of a 16-year old Bronx kid, you’re a multinational luxury corporation? [High Snobriety]

Hard Times: Like trucking, the sex industry is recession-proof. We wonder what this means for Amsterdam… [PSFK]

Fry Like an Eagle: Stephen Fry doesn’t care if you pronounce it “aks” instead of “ask.” And since he’s English, that’s saying a lot. [BoingBoing]

via LIFE

It’s tough to say what luxury looks like during hard times, but it’s a question fashion houses are going to have to answer one way or another. We’ve got a few ideas ourselves—most notably this one—but we imagine the Louis Vuitton folks have smarter minds than us working on this one as we speak.

The Choosy Beggar just weighed in with an answer we can get behind: sturdier, more durable clothes to last through whatever comes our way. This is what raw denim was reaching for, and it might be the only thing that would get modern consumers to drop serious money on clothing again. But after 15 years of churning out disposable duds, are labels ready to think long term?

Only time will tell.

Girls Gone Somewhat Wild: Terry Richardson redeems himself yet again, providing art for the 18th Gossip Girl-related cover story so far. [Rolling Stone]

Boyish Charm: In case you needed more Band of Outsiders… Sarah Silverman takes over for Kirsten Dunst with Band of Outsiders latest “Boy” shoot. [The Moment]

Westward, Ho: Michael Williams heads to SXSW…and we are jealous yet again. [A Continuous Lean]

Clash of the Titans: Louis Vuitton takes Google to court over copyright infringement. Which side will Kanye choose? [The Cut]

This is a snap from the latest redesign of Louis Vuitton’s Omotesando store in Tokyo, but it should look familiar to anyone who’s caught the traveling Murakami retrospective that’s been making the rounds for the past year.

The wallpaper and central flower-ball are all taken direct from the exhibit where they worked to great effect…but we’re not sure if it’s quite what we want in a retail setting.

We explain further»

God Save the Queen: Vogue UK has run across some very fashion-forward pirates. [Refinery29]

Cave Diving: Nick Cave’s Gladiator sequel looks like the best movie to never, ever be made. [Vulture]

Kind of Blue: Alan Flusser’s wisdom on the all-blue suit. [A Suitable Wardrobe]

The Big Time: Louis Vuitton gets back to basics with bespoke steamer trunks…possibly including televisions. [Luxist]

The new face of Louis Vuitton has most recently cycled from counter-revolutionary heads of state to island-hopping Scottish nationalists, but apparently they’ve now turned their attention to the heavens. The latest Liebowitz-lensed spot brings together original moon-man Buzz Aldrin, Challenger favorite Sally Ride and noted Tom Hanks-lookalike James Lowell for a bit of star-gazing, with the help of their NASA-approved Vuitton-print bags.

We’re guessing Chuck Yeager was too grizzled to be involved.

Takashi Murakami’s ongoing Louis Vuitton collaboration has already yielded some strange fruits, but he shows no signs of letting up. This video is the second instance of his Miyazaki-esque animated side in the service of a strangely tongue-in-cheek style of branding.

The video—on display now in Japanese LV stores-is a fairly straightforward advertising fable—a young girl is transported to 1890s Paris to fall in love with a 14-year-old Gaston Louis Vuitton—but it’s a good deal more psychedelic than is strictly necessary, and Murakami’s mushroom shaped creations and jittery electronic strums are a bit too unsettling for the story to fit nicely in the inviting world of advertising.

We’ve got the sneaking suspicion someone’s trying to pull something, but we’re not sure who it is.

See the video»