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♦ At yesterday's Fashion Group International panel on fashion retail, Simon Doonan chatted with Sally Singer, Bloomingdale's fashion director Stephanie Solomon, and InStyle's beauty director Amy Synnott about the pervasive doom and gloom in the retail industry. Doonan's take: "It's really terrifying. But I think my job is to sustain the idea that fashion is exciting and glamorous. We really need to do our best even if sales are plunging." [WWD]
♦ When deciding who should front its next campaign, did Louis Vuitton go for someone fresh, edgy, and exciting? Nope, it's supposedly Madonna. [stylefile]
♦ Because now every article on Michelle Obama's person must be identified, priced, and judged: She wore Maria Pinto to the White House, and those dangly earrings she wore on election night? White gold with diamonds, priced at $11,000, and designed by Loree Rodkin. [WSJ, The Cut]

♦ Despite Italian Vogue's rep for pushing boundaries, it lost its nerve over a fashion story inspired by the delightful British practice of dogging (which means—sensitive readers should look away now—having sex in cars for the titillation of a crowd). V magazine had no such qualms, though, and has published the spread in its new issue. [Fashionologie]
♦ Would you like to be a fly on a the wall at a V fashion shoot? Look no further than Nick Knight's livestreaming of his shoot with Lily Donaldson. [Let There Be Light via BoingBoing]
♦ A class action lawsuit is being brought against Victoria's Secret: Women are claiming that the company's bras caused welts and rashes, and tests have reportedly found traces of formaldehyde on the fabric. [Daily Mail]
♦ Have you decided which Comme des Garçons for H&M pieces you're going to elbow other shoppers to the ground for on Thursday? This video starring Missy Rayder will help. [Grazia]