What would the fashion industry look like if it shrugged off the exclusivity that has characterized it for, well, centuries, and cut out the middleman? It seems like the process is already well underway. This year’s Fashion Weeks had everyone wondering the same thing, and the buzz is best summed up thusly:

“The shows during September and October were a first glimpse of what the elitist fashion world could soon become: a business where designers take their collections directly to customers, no longer filtered through fashion editors at glossy magazines and buyers at top stores.”

But does that really mean the end of old-school power players like, say, Anna Wintour and Joe Zee? [New York Times]

I don’t know what this model and child are doing on the runway at the Tsai Meiyue show for China Fashion Week, but they look darn cute doing it. [11/3/09, Beijing]

A model balances a tricky load at Nida Mahmood’s runway show during India Fashion Week. [10/27/09, New Delhi]

Apparently, “Vogue”-era Madonna is still very in. [Cabaret Aki and Jackal Kuzu for Gut’s Dynamite Cabarets, Tokyo, 10/23/09]

This Portugal Fashion Week runway creation by Portuguese designer Vitor is perfect for the model who is not very, very hungry, but very, very thirsty. [10/10/09, Portugal]

Giles Deacon is now officially one of those “ones to watch.” Fashion insiders swoon over him, and the designer gained quite a bit of recognition last year at London Fashion Week with his Pac-Man themed collection, and when he presented in Paris yesterday, the successful reception of his line sealed him in as an international designer on the rise. 

Before I started ninth grade, I carefully selected a few new pieces of clothing that I thought would help me make the transition from awkward junior high student to stylish high schooler. Among these items were a pair of Gap jeans, a brown silk-blend knit Banana Republic top, and suede J.Crew clogs. Man, I loved those shoes. They made me feel so chic—and tall!—as I clomped around my high school’s hallways.

A model floats down the catwalk on a cloud of saffron yellow at John Galliano‘s runway show for his spring/summer 2010 collection. [10/7/09, Paris]

When off duty, models usually still display a great sense of style (it is kind of part of their job description, after all), but Sean Lennon‘s gf, Kemp, looks like she might be taking the bondage trend a wee bit too literally, no? Either that or Sean dressed her for this Fendi party. He does look like he’s just been caught doing something bad. [Paris, 10/7/09]

Alexander McQueen was all set to revolutionize insider-y Fashion Week by broadcasting his spring/summer 2010 runway show live on the web. The fashion blogs were psyched, and so were we. Unfortunately, fashion history was not made, and who should be at fault but Lady Gaga. When the pop star posted to Twitter that her new single, “Bad Romance,” would be debuting at the McQueen show, the streaming website was inundated by thousands of visitors, causing it to crash.

No fashion for the masses this time, kiddies. Maybe next season designers who want to stream their shows live will think about increasing their bandwidth (and no, that doesn’t refer to dress size). [Elle UK]

Even professional runway walkers have off-days. Yes, sometimes models wobble, and sometimes they fall down. Inspired by the this season’s models who hit the skids on the catwalk—thanks to all those crazy high heels—we’ve created a new dance: The Falling Model. There are three basic moves. Pick which one works for you, then try it out on the dance floor. You’ll impress all your fashionista friends!

The Oh-Hell-No: Pinwheel both arms, sending the right arm up and the left arm down as you dip towards the ground. Freeze. Smile like you know what you’re doing. Push out your chest as if you’re on the verge of a nip-slip. On tiptoe, spread your legs slightly, but do not flash your panties. Stand up. Do it again.

One of the many insanely sky-high shoes—supposedly, the heel is 10 inches—at Alexander McQueen‘s aqua-themed runway show. [10/6/09, Paris]

Kate Moss clearly missed the memo regarding pasties and Nippies being so hot right now. Always the trendsetter, she opted for a more “natural” look for her front row appearance at Yves Saint Laurent’s Spring 2010 show. And it looks like it was cold in there, too. [Paris, 10/6/09]

In fashion, it’s all about the details—from the choice of buttons to the hemline—and designer Karl Lagerfeld is a master of the little things. While much of the talk about the Chanel spring 2010 show has been about the barnyard setting and Lily Allen‘s live performance, we noticed an interesting-yet-subtle element: Some of the models sported Chanel bracelet and garter temporary tattoos. Layered on their wrists and upper thighs, the fake tattoos resembled chic chains, rather than tacky tribal bands. Wanna try out a similar look for a few bucks? Pick up a few temporary inks from a 25-cent vending machine at the grocery store. Keep reading for closeups and online purveyors that sell similar faux ink.

Rihanna showed off one of her most recent tattoos while attending the farm-themed Chanel spring 2010 fashion show. She had two guns inked on both of her sides shortly after Chris Brown assaulted her. [Paris, 10/6/09]

Do you look like Barbie? Have you been graced with her odd proportions and doll-like looks? Or maybe you have a lingering obsession from childhood that has yet to go away?

Well, Dubai Fashion Week wants you. While the blond bombshell took over New York Fashion Week in February, she’s making her way across the globe, and the next stop is the UAE. 7Days, a newspaper from the United Arab Emirates, is even holding a contest, calling for any real-life Barbie dolls. Simply email them with a description of your Barbie-ness and the winning entry will not only receive tickets to the Barbie fashion show but a feature in the newspaper. Maybe the woman who went through 100 plastic surgeries to look like Barbie should enter.