• New York saw hemlines rise, but Milan is watching hemlines fall. On the second day of Fashion Week, the long skirts at Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana didn’t impress Suzy Menkes. [IHT]
• Maybe D&G shouldn’t have looked to Great Britain for inspiration. The line’s tartan plaids and pussy-bows were heavy rather than playful. [Times]
• Ferré has still not announced a designer to replace Lars Nilsson, who unexpectedly left the label earlier this month after less than a year. The label had suggested it would announce a replacement by last night’s show in Milan but instead sent a disjointed collection down the runway. [WSJ]
• Natalia Vodianova dismissed rumors that she’s retiring from modeling at a party in Moscow last week. She’ll “never do a whole catwalk season again,” but can’t say no to designer friends. [WWD]
• Erykah Badu will be the face of Tom Ford’s new fragrance, the name of which hasn’t been announced. [British Vogue]
• Thank God for corporate benefactors. Alexander McQueen has supposedly broken even at last, proving talent alone is not enough to support fashion designers. [Fashion Inc./Portfolio]
• Prada SpA still plans to go public this year despite the slowing economy. The company, which owns the Prada, Miu Miu, Car Shoe, and Church’s brands, is valued at about $6 billion and will be listed on the Italian stock exchange in either June or November. [WWD]
• Less than three weeks after Valentino retired, the company’s chairman, Matteo Marzotto, is also on his way out. The company’s new creative director, Alessandra Facchinetti, makes her debut as head designer in Paris next week. [WWD]
