Ombré Hair: Yay or Nay?

I noticed a rise in bi-hued hair at the spring collections, both among showgoers and on the runways. Some girls simply look like they just don't give a crap if their roots grow out. Others are dyeing the bottom half of their hair a darker shade — reverse roots, if you will. It's not my favorite look, but we prefer it to shaving a third to a half of one's head.

At Rag & Bone’s Soho Opening: Sienna Miller And…Walkable Shoes?

There was plenty to take in at last night’s opening party for Rag & Bone’s new store on Mercer Street. For starters, the petite blond in tiny gray flannel shorts chatting with designers Marcus Wainwright and David Neville proved to be Sienna Miller. And no, readers of The New York Times, she’s not dating either. Actually, Neville’s wife, Gucci Westman, was in on the chitchat as she bounced their young son Dashel. Hung on the walls were blow-ups of Joseph Holmes’ photographs, which depict Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe-esque workspaces, inviting some self-congratulation on the clutter of one’s own workspace. (The store will in fact have a rotating selection of photography. Next up: Mark Borthwick.) In contrast, the record collection stacked behind the bar invited reflection on the relative suckiness of one’s own vinyl cache.

Eventually, however, the eye alighted on a current fashion rarity—comfortable shoes. Sneakers! Pancake-flat lace-up boots! Something best described as the love child of Dr. Martens and mukluks! Has the reign of the skyscraper platform come to an end? “We’ve been doing really well with the shoes,” said Wainwright, picking up a pair of cone-heel ankle boots that are reportedly blowing out. “This is about three inches,” he said. “Which isn’t so bad. Walkable.” Not that Rag & Bone has shied away from introducing a few nosebleed high pairs to its expanded collection of shoes for Spring 2010. “We’ve got a few four-inchers,” he admitted. The heel is dead, long live the heel.

I LOVE ROBERT!

Last week at the fifteenth-anniversary celebration of Martha Stewart Weddings, I asked my friend, stylist Robert Verdi what he thought of Ralph Lauren allegedly firing model Filippa Hamilton for being too fat. "I love fat people because they're jolly," Verdi offered, seemingly dodging the question. But he was quick to agree with Robin Givhan that it shouldn't be a big deal if the fashion industry doesn't like non-stick figures. "I think people of all sizes should be wearing clothes. I don't know if they necessarily need to be photographed in clothes," he continued. "A lot of women say 'I should've been alive when Ruben was because I'm Rubenesque.' So times have changed. There are different cultural norms and values and beauty identities, and the fact that thin is in — who cares? It's why I stopped eating. I think food is for fat people and poor people. Rich people don't eat. They get dressed up and go shopping."

FINALLY FORD IS ON THE WAY

Tom Ford finally confirmed he will launch Tom Ford womenswear "very soon." He could not specify a date, but sources have told WWD that fall 2010 could be a possibility. Domenico De Sole, Ford's longtime business partner, is hunting for financing for the ladies' line. “Financing is extremely expensive right now, so if we find financing in the right situation we’ll be able to start [a women’s collection] soon. If we don’t, we may have to wait a while,” Ford said. De Sole would not say how much they're seeking, but it's said to be around $50 million. Ford added that once he gets the money, he'll need eighteen months to get the line off the ground so he can find factories and get the stores ready.

It's a good time for Ford to branch out, because his menswear is doing pretty well, bad economy considered. Ford explained, “Our customer has been a little bit insulated, meaning of course they’ve lost money like everyone else, but they’re still in a much better position than other people. They may not be buying a new apartment or a new painting, but they’re still buying clothes.” It's unclear if Ford's new womenswear line will come with stores of its very own. But if they do, they ought to be the antithesis of Tom Ford's men's stores, the bastion of all things fine and manly, from Scotch (or the liquor of your choice) to walking sticks to $9,240 fur boots to $990 jeans with real gold buttons. We're not quite sure what the ladies' version of that is, but we're imagining red velvet on the walls, embellished long cigarette holders, possibly hookahs, a walk-in vodka freezer, and denim shorts that show juuuuuust the right amount of ass cheek.