Does Vogue Editor Hold Sway Over Kate Middleton?

According to the latest version of the Kate Middleton/Alexander McQueen wedding dress rumors, the princess-to-be consulted with British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman before Saying Yes To A Dress. Shulman told her to pick McQueen. The Telegraph reports that “a Vogue spokesman refused to comment, but sources admitted that private conversations with Buckingham Palace had taken place.” This news has already “prompted bookmakers to cut the odds on a McQueen wedding dress from 14-1 to 1-20.” [Telegraph]
Meanwhile, Middleton wore another British label — a $1,000 Burberry trench coat — to an event in Northern Ireland. [WWD]

There are more renewed, vigorous rumors that Riccardo Tisci is set to be announced as the new creative director of Christian Dior. [Fashion Editor At Large, @DerekBlasberg]
Before John Galliano came out of the closet as a Hitler-loving drunk, back when it was still okay to hail him as a total genius, Shirley Manson interviewed Gwen Stefani for British Elle magazine. The interview is published in the brand-new April issue. “What have you worn over the years that you’ve thought, ‘Fuck, I looked good!’” asked Manson. “My wedding dress,” replied Stefani. “That wedding dress was insane! [John Galliano] is one of the greatest living designers,” exclaimed Manson. “Oh, for sure,” agreed Stefani. “When I got engaged and someone told me that John said he would make my dress, I was like really? I said I wanted it to be over the top, but not traditional — I wanted it to be everything. But how do you tell this genius over the phone? He was, like, OK, and sent me these drawings of this unbelievable, perfect dress. It’s going into the V&A now. I didn’t wanna send it because I was scared it would get ruined. But it’s a work of art, it needed to be seen.” [Telegraph]
Headline of the day: “Worries Grow Industry Breeds Substance Abuse.” We wouldn’t say “Breeds” so much as “Thoroughly Enjoys.” [WWD]
Christina Aguilera‘s new fragrance will be called “Secret Potion.” If it bestows the power to live peaceably under one roof with one’s ex-spouse and one’s totally hot 25-year-old boyfriend, without increasing the risk of forgetting words to common songs and DUI, we might actually be interested in just such a potion. [Daily Express]
Cathy Horyn liked this season’s more “masculine” Chanel collection: “you sensed Mr. Lagerfeld wanting to give Chanel a younger, street attitude. Not so sure about the spree of black, semi-transparent jumpsuits for evening.” She was not so positive about Giles Deacon‘s collection for Ungaro, his second: “The problem for Giles Deacon at Ungaro is painfully obvious. He doesn’t have a female body or personality in mind when he’s designing. Instead, he has abstract notions of Parisian mistresses and decadence…Mr. Deacon creates a cardboard provocativeness, not much better than a London sex shop.” [On The Runway, NYTimes]
Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss walked in the Louis Vuitton show, which had a sort of sexy-chambermaid aesthetic (crystal handcuffs!). The models arrived via antique lift, and Moss smoked on the catwalk during her finale. [Telegraph]
Erin Wasson says she was scared as a new model. “Of course! You don’t know who these people are, you don’t how to act. You’re supposed to treat somebody differently than the other and I was taught to treat everyone the same. So there’s this hierarchy that you’re just supposed to know about and that freaks you out because you’re like, ‘Oh my god am i fucking this up?’ Was I not cool with somebody that I was supposed to be cool with?’ It’s all such a weird learning curve in the beginning” [Fashionista]
Danish model Rie Rasmussen: “I feel for women, it’s important, especially in this environment of extremely anorexic-looking 13- to 17-year-old girls who are retouched…There are these already gorgeous models who instead of training and working out and having a healthy diet and rocking their bodies as a piece of art, they just don’t eat and they look honestly sick.” [WWD]
On Friday, Sophie Dahl gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Lyra with husband Jamie Cullum. [Vogue UK]
Georgia May Jagger “designed” five styles of skinny jeans for Hudson, the brand she’s fronted for three seasons now. [WWD]
Bonnie Wright, who plays Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter movies, walked in Katie Eary‘s show during London Fashion Week. And apparently nobody noticed ’til now. [Refinery29]
Abercrombie & Fitch is suing some outfit called Surf Style Retail Management for allegedly infringing one of its protected trademarks, the seagull that adorns Hollister clothing. [WWD]
Here’s a new (bonus: slightly more sexist!) way of referring to people who shop beyond their means or even real acquisitive desire and return much of what they buy: “Shopping Bulimics”! In-patient treatment available at Barneys. [NYPost]
Topshop is coming to Canada, via a partnership with department store chain The Bay. Expect Topshop and Topman stores inside The Bay locations starting this fall. [WWD]
That nattily dressed little doorman who stands guard outside the horrible New York night club/semi-frequent fashion party venue Avenue may have just gotten himself into a whole heap of trouble: A well-known makeup artist/reality TV star in the Aubrey O’Day galaxy says that the door guy, Mark Wasserman, repeatedly called him a “faggot” when turning him away from a party (to which the makeup artist had been invited). In 2009, Wasserman was charged with assault for beating a 24-year-old about the head with the metal end of a velvet rope. [NYDN]