In this edition of Around the World, EJ takes on the mainstream fashion media for their backlash against bloggers. Does fashion’s youth obsession fuel the Tavi worship? She also bursts holes in the “Project Runway” myth and muses on why snooty-types don’t take fashion seriously as an art form. All this at the FashionStake Blog.

Highlights on the DDG news wire include Britney Spears’ feminist stance on shoes & cellulite, and the (corporate) art world’s lack of interest in Kate Moss.

Next, hop over the the Pinkertons Shoppe blog and check out Nicole Richie’s style evolution, a wrap on Spring 2010 shoe trends, and read up on a great movie playlist for fashion cult followers.

From the forthcoming Shopparel shopping platform, EJ examines the Spring 2010 military trend and gives tips on what to wear on those rainy spring days.

Finally, stop by NKOTB GlamChix to get educated on the 2010 CFDA nominees. Stick around the brand new site to discovery luxury brands that you probably don’t know, but should!

CLICK THE BOXES ABOVE TO READ…

Loyal followers may have noticed a dearth of posts on the Cult lately, and for that we apologize. Eighty Jane, your resident mistress of ceremonies is in high demand these days, lending her expertise to those in need. But don’t fret! The Fashion Cult team is growing and we’re bringing some exciting new features your way soon. In the mean, enjoy this dose of EJ’s fashion news and discussion from around the world (wide web).

Barbie is getting a Betty Draper makeover	Gap is going down under	Women’s History Month: Celebrate Female Designers
Get the Look: Rachel Bilson	The Top Ten Fashion Websites	Blogs Move Fashion from Dictatorship to Democracy
Slingbacks! + more SS10 Men’s Shoe Trends	Menswear Red Trend: SS10	Augmented Reality – Rock Paper Scissor with T-post Magazine

The latest news in the suicide death of Lee Alexander McQueen is that the designer’s namesake label will continue despite his death. Additionally, the McQueen Fall/Winter 2010-11 collection will be shown in Paris next month.

From The Baltimore Sun:

Alexander McQueen’s namesake label will continue despite the death of the designer, the parent company PPR SA said Thursday.

Robert Polet, chief of the Gucci Group subsidiary, said the collection McQueen was working on before his death will be shown at Paris fashion week next month…

[Polet] said he spoke with McQueen a few weeks ago when the two men decided that “we have transitioned from being the name of a designer to putting in place the building blocks of a brand.”

“That means that will be my legacy,” McQueen had said, according to Polet. “That’s something I will always leave behind.”

Other sources also confirm that a note was found at the scene of McQueen’s death. The contents of that note have not been released.

To every Cult there is a dark side, and the Fashion Cult is no different. I remember stories in the 90s of kids getting shot on the street for their high-priced sneakers. Are a pair of Jordans really worth your soul? Crazy. Now it’s denim that inspiring folks to a life of crime. The boom of premium denim has sparked an epidemic in the Atlanta area – of thieves ganking blue jeans like they were diamonds and pearls. Sure, we drool over Loewe handbags and Proenza Schouler boots, but followers the bottom line is that style comes from within. So if you think you have to steal or buy stolen merchandise to be fashionable, think again. You can’t shine with that sort of blood on your hands.

From WWD:

Thieves drove a stolen van into a Nordstrom store at Perimeter Mall near Atlanta early Monday and fled with armloads of premium denim valued at $13,000, police said.

It was the second time in recent months that the mall — owned by General Growth Properties Inc. and located in Dunwoody, Ga., about 20 miles north of Atlanta — has been victimized by denim thieves. In October, robbers took an estimated $17,000 in premium denim from Bloomingdale’s.

The Dodge Caravan crashed into one of the store’s exterior entrances about 6 a.m., and three men grabbed 87 pairs of jeans. They left the van behind and escaped on foot.

It was unclear whether the latest robbery could be linked to the Blue Jean Bandits, a gang that has stolen more than $1.5 million in premium denim from some 70 Atlanta-area stores since 2007, said Detective Robert Bentivegna of the Dunwoody Police Department. The heists began as after-hours smash-and-grabs and escalated to brazen armed robberies during the day.

photos: theoffside.com, webblogseize.com

Last Wednesday shots of an H&M spring 2010 Garden collection hit the netwaves. The line is being billed as the store’s Organic and Sustainable line, and in a case of unbelievably bad timing, a story caught fire the same day that a Manhattan H&M store has been mutiliating unworn, unsold merchandise and dumping them in the garbage. Hmm…

What a perfect illustration of how companies are using the “green” trend as just another marketing ploy. Certainly, any company whose values are authentically in line with sustainability would never allow this to happen. I do understand why they did (do) it: can’t have every Tom, Dick, and Harry Homeless sporting the same gear you want some enthusiastic fashionista to pay 100 bucks for come next season. They have to protect their Brand Integrity. However, the NYT story that began the firestorm also reported that Wal-Mart in Manhattan was doing the same thing. That bit was less suprising to hear, but more ridiculous. What integrity was Wal-Mart have to protect ?!?

Via Ecouterre
Photos: the Pipeline

20-year old Korean model Daul Kim was found dead in Paris today, reports NY Mag fashion blog, the Cut. As the news spreads a few sources are report suicide theories, but the cause of death has not yet been confirmed by authorities.

Daul broke onto the scene in 2007 and her star was still rising fast. She was also a photographer and painter and maintained a blog called I Like to Fork Myself. Her final post was titled “say hi to forever” and was published yesterday. This track by Jim Rivers has gained some new infamy thanks to the untimely death of a young model.

She had an authentic sense of style:

She was very popular for SS 2010:

Here she is in a fashion film for Richard Nicoll SS ’10: