ALEXANDER WANG!! Wang was chosen as the fifth CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund recipient on Monday night’s dinner gala, landing him $200,000 and a year’s worth of mentoring (which is really priceless). Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai of Vena Cava (YAY!!!) and Albertus Q. Swanepoel of Albertus Quartus were this year’s runners-up, and will each receive $50,000 and a business mentor.

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!!

If you don’t receive their emails, do sign up already: theirs are one of the few I actually open.

I love ZOOZOOM and wish I had been able to make it to the Fashion Wars Live Party they threw with 3rd Ward this past weekend, but I’ve been sick and was just too lazy to haul my fashionable butt out to Brooklyn.

But just because I (and maybe you too) didn’t participate in the actual battle, it doesn’t mean I/we don’t get to spend the rest of today judging those who did! Visit the war zone to vote for (and be inspired by) your favorite looks. I mean, if you’re stuck inside on such a beautiful (albeit chilly) day you might as well have something entertaining to do…

The new Lutz & Patmos online boutique is open, so now you can buy those soft chunky knits directly from the source! Click below for just a few of my eco-friendly favorites…

Although I’m a little obsessed with my iPhone and am constantly trying to pressure others into getting one as well, I was amused by Jeff Zeleny’s recent piece in the NY Times Lose the BlackBerry? Yes He Can, Maybe. If you haven’t already read it, you should do so because it is something worth thinking about.

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Today I ordered pizza, played with my new bangs, and munched on Doritos while watching MTV’s TRL Total Final Live! - a special presentation celebrating 10 fabulous years of TRL.

Carson Daly was back to host the final episode with Damien Fahey and the whole show quickly became one big happy reunion.

Britney Spears was dubbed the ‘Queen of TRL’ and Baby One More Time was chosen as the most important video in TRL history. Beyonce gave an amazingly bootylicious performance in a leather jacket that was totally bananas. Kid Rock stopped by while smoking and drinking. Miley Cyrus was there and was so annoying that they kept her in the photo booth. Puffy/Puff Daddy/P.Diddy/Diddy/Etc added one more appearance to his list on the show, this time he even pretended to cry. Ludacris performed with Nelly and Snoop. 50 cent brought the house down in a bedazzled red leather jacket. And OMG - do you remember the ‘I wanna be a VJ’ contest and the winner Jesse Camp?! Yep, he was there too, although he didn’t look quite as weird as he first did years ago. Even Backstreet was back (and now I’m sitting here happily singing “I want it that way!”).

Hmm…I guess MTV really is finished with music…no wonder they recently launched MTVMusic.com. Maybe they needed to make room for Whitney Port’s new ‘reality’ show The City. Anyway, in honor of the last episode ever of TRL, let’s take a look at what a few past and current MTV TRL VJs are up to now:

• Carson Daly - now hosts Last Call with Carson Daly on NBC
• Damien Fahey - is also a drummer and possibly my future husband
• Vanessa Minnillo - the former Miss Teen USA wore a starry-eyed surprise to the finale, is currently dating Nick Lachey, hosting the new reality competition called True Beauty, and also working on various acting projects
• Susie Castillo - this former Miss USA is now the spokesperson for Neutrogena, is the host of ABC Family’s America’s Prom Queen, and is starting to pop up on shows and in movies
• Dave Holmes - the guys who came in second on MTV’s first I Wanna Be a VJ contest is now an actor and even made it on a show I find ridiculously funny, Reno 911
• Hilarie Burton - she won a chance to report live from the VMA carpet in 2000 which led to hosting duties on TRL and can now be seen on the WB’s One Tree Hill as Peyton
• La La Vasquez -former DJ turned VJ, La La is now married to Carmelo Anthony and has an adorable son - she was also recently photographed for Sports Illustrated
• Quddus - this cutie is (surprise, surprise!) busy working on an acting career

Even though I haven’t watched TRL in years, I’m going to miss it. For a look at the night’s fashion hits & misses, see what the ever-so-kind ladies at Jezebel have to say…

I’ve been a fan of 20×200 | A Jen Bekman Project for a while now and there is something about Clifton Burk’s recently featured piece think-make-think that really speaks to me.

Proceeds from this limited-edition print benefit The Center for Vernacular Typography, which seeks to document typographic artifacts in their natural environments (think random signs seen from the road). Once documented (i.e. photographed), the center’s mission is then to catalog, research, and exhibit the findings. It’s an interesting project - definitely worth checking out sometime this weekend while you’re stuck indoors due to the rain.

I admit that I have some seriously geeky tendencies - I adore science fiction, proudly own all of the extended versions of LOTR, find the world wide web sexy on various intellectual levels, etc. But even though I thoroughly enjoyed Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash and find his metaverse incredibly intriguing and fascinating, I’ve never really wanted to join a virtual world such as Second Life.

And while the idea of re-inventing myself as some slutty avatar that moves jerkily across the screen has never appealed to me, it has to millions of others. A lot of people are highly addicted to Second Life and, according to a fairly amusing article I read today in the NY Post, it has brought people together ending in real marriages and then torn them apart again due to virtual affairs. Read below:

SPLIT ‘SECOND’: GEEKS DIVORCE OVER VIRTUAL AFFAIR
By JEREMY OLSHAN, NYPOST

This is one couple that’s clearly divorced from reality.

Amy Taylor, 28, split up with her husband, David Pollard, 40, after catching him digitally cheating on her in the popular online game “Second Life.”

The British couple had a passion for “Second Life,” in which people lead alternative existences over the Web, with personas - or avatars - that are typically far more svelte and suave than their real selves.

Pollard and Taylor spent countless hours living in the game as their attractive alter egos, Dave Barmy and Laura Skye, after getting married both in real life and in the game in 2005.

In real life, Taylor and Pollard are both overweight, and he is balding.

Desperate time call for desperate measures. Don’t believe me? Check your Inbox.

• Barneys lures (effectively, in my case) with ‘PRIVATE SALE STARTS TODAY! + Complimentary Shipping’
• The Discover Store tries to put immediate pressure to buy with time-sensitive subjects like: ‘20% Off Site-wide Secret Sale Ends Soon!’
• BCBG begs customers with ‘50% Off Winter Sale Continues - Plus Free Shipping Offer!

And the list goes on and on and on and on…and will continue to (so make a mental note in case you haven’t already - DO NOT buy anything at full price right now because in a day it will be discounted). But what really takes the cake are the messages sent out to anyone a marketing team can get an email for that are meant to be tender, heartfelt personal letters directly from big company CEOs, founders, whatevers, to us (the little people) that practically beg for our business but mask it with unending inspiration (Don’t know what I’m talking about? Click the link below for a recent example). Needless to say, I find these incredibly annoying and insulting - I mean, even the design on these emails is usually very poor. Like I’m seriously going to shop more at some store because some poor copywriter was made to stay an extra 3 hours one night drafting this bullshit that some poor graphic designer clearly didn’t care about either. No, not at all.

If these business really want my business then they should offer better product selection, control their marketing people so we are sent a reasonable amount of communicative messages, check their own egos, and think about what consumers what - honestly the “75% off New Styles Hand Delivered Right to Your Door!” emails are a million times more inspirational than the ones that try too hard to be ‘real’ and personal.

I’m more than slightly obsessed with my email and check it constantly from the moment I wake up around 7:45 am until I fall asleep somewhere around 2 am. All I can say is that I’ve been opting out of a lot of email programs lately.

On a lazy Friday afternoon back in August, I met a positively glowing Jennifer Yen at Doma in the West Village for a cup of coffee and to talk about her absolutely amazing skincare line, pur~lisse.

Jennifer showed up looking drop dead gorgeous and wearing gold heels even though she prefers crocs and flip-flops - “You’re a fashion blogger and obsessed with shoes so how could I possibly show up in sneakers?!” she told me while laughing over coffee.

We talked purses (she’s obsessed with Chanel - owns 5 of their handbags and keeps them well preserved in their original boxes); Jennifer explained the difference between serums and moisturizers (serums are 70% more potent than average moisturizers); she dished on her favorite make-up (Armani star lash mascara and luminous silk foundation); and even shared her secrets to flawless exfoliation (once every week and a half at the most, or 48 hours before any big event followed by Astara Golden Flame Hydration Mask). She was a pleasure to meet and I’d love to latte with her anytime.

But let’s get back to pur~lisse and how it came to be: While working as an actress, Jennifer spent hours and hours on camera, under hot lights, in pounds of make-up and it took a toll on her skin. Like many of us, she couldn’t find anything that really worked for her skin, but unlike most of us, she took matters into her own hands. Jennifer enrolled in FIDM, sought information and advice on ‘Chinese beauty secrets’ from her own grandmother, began working with chemists, thinking about packaging…and voila! pur~lisse was born.

Obviously I’m obsessed with the line and highly recommend any of the pur~lisse products - pur~delicate (the facial cleanser) is quickly becoming something I really can’t live without (I practically cried when airport security in Birmingham made me throw my brand new bottle away). See below for Jennifer’s questions to my 21 questions.

The designs of Christopher Kane (the new master of the micro-mini) might one day occupy more space in our homes than just that of our closets.

Yesterday, Vogue.co.uk mentioned that the award-winning graduate from Central Saint Martin (not the mention the reigning New British Designer of the Year) would love to design interiors and particularly admires the work of Zaha Hadid (although, right now, who doesn’t?).

As a true fan of his work, I find this news rather thrilling. Just imagine it…big fluorescent pailletted pillows, bandaged covered mademoiselle chairs, ruffled chiffon duvet covers, sleek leather desks, plush velvet love seats, snakeskin flooring, lace inlays...who knows! Well, no matter what Kane designs it’s bound to be bold, sexy, sophisticated, fresh and absolutely feminine.

But until that all happens, we can at least look forward to another capsule collection Kane has in the pipeline for Topshop. Not familiar with his work? Click below for some of my favorite looks from his first collection to his last.