In our society, we value creativity and strive to be so unique that sometimes design and fashion are taken to extreme levels. Take for example the late Alexander McQueen‘s so-called “armadillo shoes” or Lady Gaga‘s wardrobe. There is nothing wrong with being outrageous, but a little goes a long way. That’s why I’m appreciating designer Lois (pronounced “Loy”) Samuels’ label “The Vessel” even more, especially the fall 2010 collection, which I had the chance to view up close and personal during New York Fashion Week.

Last week at an event introducing Tory Burch’s eyewear line, Annika and I had a chance to talk to the designer herself. While it was interesting to hear about the clothes and accessories from the woman who created them (and pick out a pair of glasses to take home), we were most excited to learn that part of the reason Tory wanted to start a company was so she could eventually have a foundation to help other women. Now, she’s made that dream a reality with the recently launched Tory Burch Foundation.

Fashion designer David Meister is known for his amazing dresses—the Hollywood elite like Diane Lane, Sharon Stone, Viola Davis, Jennifer Hudson, and Tina Fey can’t stop wearing his gowns on the red carpet— and last night, at an event hosted by All the Looks, David spoke about what it’s like to make clothes for women of all shapes and sizes.

You might expect a clothing designer to say, “If you want to look good, wear my clothes!” but in an interview with T magazine, punk rock design icon Vivienne Westwood shared a practical tip for how we can all feel fabulous, no matter who designed our outfit:

“My fashion advice is to have a flattering mirror at home and then forget about it.”

That might be the best fashion advice we’ve ever heard! [T, The New York Times Style Magazine]

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.

March is National Women’s History Month, and we’re celebrating by sharing a lady we admire each weekday.

VALENTINA (1904-1989)

Today, tabloids (and websites like us!) report on what designers’ clothes celebrities wear to movie premieres and trips to the grocery store. If we had been following star style from the 1920s through the 1950s, we would have written about designer Valentina. Back then, everyone was on a first-name basis with Valentina, who designed clothing and costumes for great actresses like Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn, and Norma Shearer, along with socialites such as the Vanderbilts and the Whitneys. She even introduced a perfume, My Own, in 1950. Valentina once said, “Simplicity survives the changes of fashion,’’ and the five little black dresses hanging in our closet couldn’t agree more.

Future Reading:

[Photo: Life]

I love award shows, so this means something coming from me—The Emmy’s sucked. And I’m not just bitter because Jon Hamm didn’t win Best Actor in a Drama Series for playing Don Draper on “Mad Men”. The best moment, by far, of the whole night was Tina Fey’s acceptance speech, but outside of that, the only thing I could muster up any enthusiasm about was the clothes. After the jump, ten looks that stood out, to go along with our poll below.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2009 will kick off in New York on September 5. Although Fall isn’t even here yet, we’re having a difficult time waiting to see the Spring collections, so we scoped our Style.com’s little teaser of who and what will be hot for Spring. Check the list, after the jump… [Style.com]

The CFDA Awards are one of those events where only cool, connected people get invited to celebrate designers who make clothes those of us who aren’t invited can’t afford. Sounds like fun! Last night’s party brought out the big guns—Maggie Gyllenhaal, the two Evas, and the ever present Posh Spice. Tons of pics, after the jump…