Brandon Stanton is a street photographer who has made a name for himself snapping shots of New York City's inhabitants for a "photographic census" he calls "Humans of New York."
• Here's a sign that people are shopping again (or else Victoria Beckham has gone on another shopping spree): Hermès says it's experiencing such "massive over-demand" for its handbags, it's been forced to set up its own crocodile breeding operation in Australia just to keep up. [Reuters via Cut]
• Esteban Cortazar appears to be parting ways with Emanuel Ungaro. It appears he plans to sue Ungaro, too. [WWD]
• Do you control a major luxury brand? Are you a fan of Chloe Sevigny? If you answered yes to both questions, give her a ring. She's willing to talk. [SF]
• A "couture" tattoo shop has opened in the Flatiron district. [W]
• The DKNY mural at Houston and Broadway is officially gone. [BB]
The years-old, six-story, block-lettered DKNY mural, featuring Lady Liberty, that greeted those headed south down Broadway into Soho has been painted over. Clothing store Hollister (ugh) has moved into the retail space at 600 Broadway, so they want the wall.
• Rihanna seemed to have a lock on an upcoming Vogue cover. But that was before nude pics of her appeared online and now Anna Wintour won't return her phone calls. At least that's the rumor that is now circulating with the tabloids. [The Insider]
• Pics of the fashion set at Saturday's polo match on Governors Island. [WWD, Vogue UK, Marie Claire]
• Karl Lagerfeld headed to Moscow last week. He wasn't impressed by the food or the men, although he did find Naomi Campbell's beau "quite stunning." [Cut]
• Bid farewell to the giant DKNY billboard on Broadway and Houston. [Racked]
The DKNY ad at the corner of Broadway and Houston has been around for years. But it won't be there for much longer. Hollister, which is owned by Abercrombie & Fitch, is taking over the space and is now planning to kill off the image of Lady Liberty and the Twin Towers—with the help of 15,000 square feet of dark gray paint, no less. Dark days indeed! [Curbed]
• Natalia Vodianova is collaborating with Etam on a lingerie and swimwear line. [Racked]
• Following in the footsteps of Marc Jacobs, DKNY has decided to cut down its Fashion Week guest list from 1,000 people to 400. [Fashionista]
• Diane von Furstenberg appears in fishnets on the new cover of the new issue of Purple. [DVF]
• Profits were flat for LVMH in 2008. [WSJ]
• A long list of reasons why women love to hate Gwyneth Paltrow. [NYP]
• Sarah Jessica Parker wears Uggs, items from her Bitten line. [HB]
• Rachel Zoe has trademarked "Bananas" and "I die," believe it or not. [NYM]
What's your kid planning to do this summer? For a mere $5,000-$9,500, an outfit called University of Dreams guarantees it will score your kid an internship at Donna Karan, or you get your money back. Private yoga and Kabbalah sessions with Donna herself not included. [WSJ]
• NYC will be the last stop for Chanel's space-like mobile art pavilion. [WSJ]
• DKNY is the latest brand to bow out of Fashion Week in February. [WWD]
• Narciso Rodriguez's second fragrance debuts this spring. [WWD]
• Rodarte designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy love Pasadena, miss their record collection. [SF]
• Bergdorf Goodman's holiday windows: grotesque or genius? [Racked]
