Next week, Opening Ceremony will put American designers aside in favor of featuring young Japanese designers whom owners Humerto Leon and Carol Lim discovered on their travels through Tokyo. [WWD]

Naomi Campbell's billionaire Russian boyfriend, Vladimir Doronin, bought her a $18.5 million penthouse in Brazil. [P6]

Tom Ford is co-hosting a fundraiser for Barack Obama at the Beverly Hills home of the Creative Artists Agency’s Bryan Lourd, and Michelle Obama is slated to attend. [WWD]  read more »

Suddenly last spring, that all changed.  read more »

There I was, skipping along the beach in Florida when I suddenly noticed that my right big toenail looked radically different. It bore a blotch the color of scrambled egg.]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/style/you-try-cruising-velvet-mafia-toe-fungus#comments Style PedEgg Tom Ford Valentino Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:19:44 -0400 Simon Doonan 72491 at http://www.observer.com http://www.observer.com/2008/morning-memo-6-05-08

Carla Bruni says she was seduced by Nicolas Sarkozy's "physique and intelligence" in a new book, Carla and Nicolas, The True Story. [P6]

Ethan Hawke can't get out of jury duty. [P6]  read more »

Lindsay Lohan doesn't want her "girlfriend," Sam Ronson, talking to people, gets upset when she ignores her. [P6]

Lydia Hearst will reportedly make an appearance on Gossip Girl! Lydia Hearst on Gossip Girl! [P6]  read more »

In the wonderful world of fashion, 2007 was the year designers sent up a collective chorus, begging, “Look at me!”—or, so says today’s Styles section in the Times. Revisiting disastrous runway trends that add up to a mere style-free cesspool, the piece points specifically to the hard-to-ignore lack of non-white models, Dolce & Gabbana’s atrocious “fantasy-rape” ad and a gaggle of designers who had cameos on lowbrow T.V. shows.

Perhaps Vera Wang’s bizarre appearance on Ugly Betty rings a few bells? Marc Jacobs on The Hills?

What’s more, 2007 was also the year when Tom Ford demanded that his spread for Out magazine’s November issue be re-shot because—why else?—he thought it seemed odd to appear fully-clothed while showering with two naked dudes.  read more »

Our fellow blog, The Culture Czar, reported earlier today that the storied Gucci dynasty will be the subject of a new film by blood-and-guts director Ridley Scott. (Yes, the same guy who made Gladiator and G.I. Jane.) What’s more, as Fashionista reminded us this afternoon, Mr. Scott is not altogether ill-prepared to take on such a stylish subject, however much blood gets spilled. He shot a short for Prada last winter, in which Canadian model Daria Werbowy dons several archived outfits made by the Italian clothier. Apparently, the theme of the mini-film came from a poem the director’s daughter, Jordan, stumbled across. We’re on pins and needles to see if Mr. Ford will be played by Blow Out’s Jonathan Antin or Entourage’s Jeremy Piven.  read more »

Last night, there was a party for artist and photographer Marilyn Minter’s eponymous new coffee-table book at the vault-like Tom Ford boutique on the corner of 70th and Madison Avenue (forgot that Tom Ford, former designer for Gucci, has a boutique? We forgive you).

Think low suede chairs, snakeskin-covered coffee tables, and a disproportionately high number of handsome young men wearing slicked-back hair and very tight pants navigating their way through a cloud of Mr. Ford’s Black Orchid cologne. Champagne, white wine and vodka only—no stains allowed in this joint!  read more »