According to Bloomberg.com, Topshop (which opens in soho today) says it sells 40,000 pairs of shoes a week, and has more than 300 stores in the U.K. and 125 outlets in regions ranging from Scandinavia to the Middle East.

Excuse me? 40,000 pairs of shoes a week? 40,000? No wonder they’re setting up shop here! Paging all NY-based Carrie Bradshaws! Come on girls, we can certainly out do 40,000 pairs of shoes a week – even in a recession!

The store is also said to have 32 dressing rooms, which doesn’t sound like very many to me, but I suppose well just have to see how they hold up during today’s stampede.

Planning to visit the store today? Let me know what you think! Xx
Photo from AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

Other finalists this year include Richard Chai, Jason Wu, Irene Neuwirth, Alejandro Ingelmo, Juan Carlos Obando, Obedient Sons & Daughters and Organic.

Past CFDA/Fashion Fund winners include Rogan (2007), Doo-Ri Chung (2006), Trovata (2005) and Proenza Schouler (2004). Past runners-up include 3.1 Phillip Lim, Philip Crangi Jewelry, Rodarte, Thakoon, Derek Lam, Thom Browne, Cloak and Habitual.

Who chooses the winners? This year’s selection committee consisted of CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg; CFDA executive director Steven Kolb and associate director Lisa Smilor; Vogue’s Anna Wintour and Sally Singer; Theory’s Andrew Rosen; Coach’s Reed Krakoff; Jeffrey Kalinsky of Jeffrey New York and Nordstrom; Gap’s Patrick Robinson, and Barneys New York’s Julie Gilhart.

Congratulations to all the winners and finalists!!

Now I’m predicting styles inspired by the super feirce Alaia and Givenchy ones the twins seem to love so much…I’m also predicting that I’ll want at least one pair. Expect to find them in Barneys, Saks and Intermix boutiques next year.

In other celebrities-make-clothing news: Bloomingdales is saying that Lauren Conrad has the hottest selling celeb line to ever hit the store. I bet ‘the Hills’ are alive with music tonight!

And now, the bad/annoying/what-is-the-point news: We’ve all heard of pop-up boutiques before, but a pop-up health clinic? In an effort to promote ‘healthy’ model weight, WWD reports that the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) is setting up a health booth inside the tents. Set up specifically as an eating disorder treatment facility, the booth is there to provide answers, referrals and overall outreach to any person interested in treatment or worried about someone they are working with, which sounds good, but seriously – who is going to sit down in the tents and discuss body image, weight, food, etc??! Aren’t people with eating disorders supposed to be very embarassed/ashamed about their bodies, have low self-esteem, be disallusioned about their issues, and so forth and so on? Does the CFDA really think any of these girls will call attention to their very private issues in the middle of Bryant Park where the most judgemental people in the entire world will all be gathered to watch their rivals walk down the runways? I just feel like this is being done to put on a good face, and is merely a weak pr attempt if anything. If the CFDA really wanted to help these girls it needs to be done in a different way; This kind of stuff just proves that the industry doesn’t really want things to change at all – and it is sort of infuriating. Anyway, I hope this stupid booth provides help to those who need it, but wish the CDFA would do something more impactful.

On July 30th, Diane von Furstenberg and Liz Claiborne will be inducted into the Fashion Walk of Fame, which the Fashion Group International says is the only permanent monument to American Fashion – other than hundreds of closets across the nation.

Its no wonder that Ports 1961 has struck a deal with NBC Universal to dress four female commentators for NBC, MSNBC, CNBC and USA Network during the Olympic Games in Beijing – The company itself was conceived in China, is now based in New York, and with a spring collection celebrating an eastern African renaissance and a fall collection capturing the spell of Scottish winters, Ports 1961 represents the ‘One World, One Dream’ Olympic motto far better than any of it’s competitors.

EBay says, “If counterfeits appear on our sites we take them down swiftly, but today’s ruling is not about our fight against counterfeit; today’s ruling is about an attempt by LVMH to protect uncompetitive commercial practices at the expense of consumer choice and the livelihood of law-abiding sellers that eBay empowers everyday.”

LVMH says, “eBay is not a host, but a broker.”

Are you an eBay shopper or seller? What do you think? (FYI: This story was brought to my attention by Annie, and the information above has been exerpted from MarketWatch.)