LA Times blogger Elizabeth Snead has a bone to pick with Maison Martin Margiela’s couturiers. She writes:

“The oceans are dying, children are suffering around the world, the ozone is disappearing, and the polar ice caps are melting, and this is the best idea you can come with up for us to wear in a few months? Is it any wonder no one takes high fashion designers’ suggestions to heart anymore?”

Okay, it’s kind of funny and true (in a sad way), but at the same time, this brings us back around to the age old question: When it comes to fashion, and more specifically, to the meticulously crafted works we see during couture week, should we consider it art or, um, just really unwearable clothes? Let’s discuss!

At the end of last year, fashion designer Anand Jon Alexander, who was featured on “America’s Next Top Model” and has worked with celebs like Paris Hilton and Mary J. Blige, was convicted of raping seven aspiring models between the ages of 14 and 21. Now, the case has gotten even more messed up. Last week, the LA district attorney’s office released a transcript of a phone conversation between a juror who sat on Alexander’s trial and Alexander’s sister Sanjana. In it, the juror flirted with Sanjana, saying he thought she was sexy and wanted to see her after the trial. She had called him after he slipped her his number a couple times during the trial and said she did so against orders from the judge because she didn’t want to anger the juror. In the taped phone conversation, Sanjana didn’t say much beyond “thank you” to the juror’s advances.

Yikes! With less than six months to go, the end of the decade is rapidly approaching. This past decade has seen many fashion improvements since the 90’s. Give yourself a pat on the back. Now it’s time to get to work. We have less than six months to eradicate some of the more embarrassing trends from the past years. Banning dark lipstick, heavy foundation and the anchor woman haircut were impressive achievements, but not nearly enough to forgive all our other fashion sins. Here is a list of styles and trends that must be destroyed as soon as possible. If we stop wearing these items now, history may forget that they ever existed, or may at least look kindly at the fact that we recognized the error of our fashion ways and attempted to repent before it was too late.

You may call fashion your religion, but for some, religion really is fashion. Take the Sikhs, who wear turbans as a sign of commitment to their religion. Yet, more and more, youths are abandoning the headgear as well as facial hair, causing upset community members to react by promoting turbans as a fashion item. Reports the Calcutta Telegraph: “Sikh community leaders…are planning turban-tying contests and fashion shows to convey the message the turbaned look is ‘cool’.” Leaders have also called for fashion rags: “We need a Sikh fashion magazine to promote uncut hair, the beard and the turban as cool and clean. We should use persons like Manmohan Singh as role models,’’ said one representative. But that might prove hard to sway some kids like a Delhi teen named Rocky Singh who believes that, “faith is deeper than a turban.” Increasingly, religious fashion has sparked controversy, especially in France where President Sarkosy recently stated that burqas are “not welcome in France,” and his predecessor, Chirac, outlawed “religious symbols” in school, that targeted Islamic head scarves. [Telegraphindia.com]

Why is it that the one thing you really dislike about your body is always the one thing you can’t do anything about? I have sort of accepted my short legs, or, rather, I have kinda accepted the fact that they are short and sparing a minor miracle, that’s not going to change. Standing somewhat proudly at five feet five inches I fall into the boring average-short category. To my surprise, however, people tend to think I am tall. Maybe it’s the heels, but I think it’s got more to do with attitude and unswerving conviction that I am a tall person trapped in a short persons body. I’ll eventually get over the dark despair in my heart over my inability to try out for America’s Next Top Model, but in the meantime…

Dogs are always in style, so I wasn’t surprised to see a hip pooch chilling at a party I attended last weekend. I was a bit surprised that the dog donned a cape, but I was even more surprised when the owner told me the cape was less about fashion and more for psychological reasons. In the age of Burberry dog coats and Louis Vuitton dog collars, a pooch in fancy threads barely merits recognition. A dog in a cape to ease his canine anxiety? Now that’s a trendsetter.

Turns out there is a whole new booming industry of doggie clothing and accessories to help ease your pup’s state of mind without therapy. Here’s what we found…

Sure, you’ve got a lot floating around inside your head: the boyfriend, the job, the what-the-hell-am-I-going-to-wear-tomorrow. Now, you can stuff everything into your skull—literally. Belgian designer Natalia Brilli, who toiled under Oliver Theyskens making accessories at Rochas, created this unique line of handbags that are in the shape of human noggins. Like Theyskens, Brilli’s taste leans towards the gothic; hence, the accessories’ macabre affect. Although, she’s brought these cranium clutches up to date in silver, purple, and black. Previously, Brilli’s odd works have included a leather-covered skateboard and a leather-covered watch. These, ah, headbags, though, give her collection a more, well, human touch. Do you love ‘em or hate ‘em? [Pipeline]

Yeah, we know Rihanna’s outfit wasn’t the most important detail of her face-to-face with ex Chris Brown in a Los Angeles courtroom yesterday. But since we already told you Chris took a plea deal, we felt no reason to ignore Rihanna’s stylish outfit, which included about $21,500-worth of vintage jewels. We thought her outfit looked a little old on her—even a fierce side-swept bang over her eye couldn’t up the edge factor—so we found three slightly more youthful black dresses for you, after the jump.

Do you ever leave the house in an outfit that looks fine, but by the time you get to work you’ve convinced yourself that you’re the worst dresser ever? You want to run home and change, even though you have 5 minutes to get to your desk. Or you’ve spilled coffee all over yourself as you run for the elevator? Or maybe you’ve been invited last minute to after-work cocktails, only to realize your jeans aren’t swanky enough? We’ve put together the emergency outfit for you to keep in your bottom desk drawer at work for these moments. You won’t be confident unless you feel your best, so skip the bad outfit days.

Angelina Jolie and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are making a joint appearance on Anderson Cooper 360 tomorrow night. The two women are apparently in cahoots on some undoubtedly serious subject. In an age where celebrities waltz into the UN more often than they walk the red carpet, and politicians twitter more than Ashton Kutcher, it’s hardly surprising to see the blurring of the lines between entertainment and politics. Still, Angelina and Hillary? It’s kind of an unlikely match. Something big must be happening (Hillary’s website says something about human rights?), so here are my four best guesses as to what they are really collaborating on.

Is this what 15 looks like these days? The other day, I came across this post on Fashion Copious, one of my favorite fashion blogs. It was titled: “The Lips! & The Sphere Of Her Stomach.” Its subject is Lindsay Wixson, a bee-stung-lipped, baby-faced, up-and-coming model who could be the Next Big Thing. She’s 5’10” (or 5’11”, depending on the site). She has blond hair and blue-green eyes. And she’s 15. I was kind of, well, astonished. To call her precocious would be a bit of an understatement. She looks both very young and very mature at the same time. Which made me wonder: Is this what 15 looks like in 2009? Anyway, is it just me, or do you, too, think 15 is looking very grownup, indeed? [Fashion Copious]

Daniel Rodan, a leather fashion designer to celebrities like Tina Turner and David Hasselhoff, has turned Germany’s painful Cold War past into fashion. He recently unveiled a collection of Berlin Wall art-themed clothing to mark the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the destruction of the Cold War barrier. Rodan features graffiti art from the East Side Gallery, a 4,265-foot expanse of the Wall that was decorated in 1990 by 118 artists from 21 countries, on leather dresses and men’s garments. One mini-dress, according to Reuters, features an East German automobile smashing through the concrete Berlin Wall. The leather collection will be worn by well-known musicians and athletes at events prior to the anniversary celebrations on Nov. 9, and after that, the clothes will be auctioned for charity. “Bringing together these three things: the political event, fashion design, and the art of the East Side Gallery, and then making sure the clothes fit on the celebrities—it was a real challenge,” Rodan said at a news conference. Even though it was challenging, Rodan’s collection is evidence that beauty can come from something painful. Berlin cabaret artist Chin Meyer spoke about the collection: “It’s great that we can now have fun with things which previously were simply a catastrophe.” [Reuters]

Most of us gave up our prima ballerina dreams right around plié. We’re starting to think we should have stuck with things, because apparently the payoff can include dancing your heart out in Chanel’s couture atélier. The lucky ballerina who got to do it was Elena Glurdjidze, a member of the English National Ballet, who wore a Karl Lagerfeld-designed tutu for the dance of “Dying Swan,” which will be performed in London’s Sadler Wells Theatre this month. With over 100 hours of work, the exquisite skirt was comprised of 2,500 feathers. In this video, Lagerfeld films Glurdijdze in the costume, dancing around the Chanel logo in his Paris studio.

Amid rumors that Karl is leaving Chanel, this film seems to only reinforce his connection with the label; Coco Chanel was a dance lover and designed costumes for a number of ballets. If Chanel made some affordable ballet flats, we’d be all up in those now, ready to show the Kaiser our fancy footwork.

Watch the video at Chanel.com.