Nobody else can quite compare building houses to writing songs like the ever-so-inspiring frontman Andrew McMahon. Jack’s Mannequin releases their third album October 4th entitled People and Things and kicks off their headlining fall tour this week with The Hartford Symphony Orchestra. Check out more about the band’s journey, and take a look inside the artist’s head with us.

Good morning Stardoll!

Elle.Stardoll and I just adore the passion for fashion you've shown in the comments on her outfit post!

I'm meeting some friends for lunch today and am in a sunny mood-- just like the weather. Can you tell? :)

What do you think of my look this week? Tell me in the comments!

Outfit details:
Sunglasses: Bonjour Bizou
Earrings: Miss Stardoll World
Necklace: Bonjour Bizou
Dress: Bonjour Bizou
Belt: Bonjour Bizou
Bag: Young Hollywood
Shoes: Young Hollywood

From left to right, LeeLee Sobieski, Alexa Chung, Anna Dello Russo & Keira Knightley. Photos: Getty Images

For a young designer, with just a handful of seasons under her belt, Mary Katrantzou sure is getting a lot of play. Her influence—vibrant, digital prints mixed past messy and into a world of bohemian luxury—has been felt on dozens of spring runways. Outside the fashion industry, she’s earned a diverse group of Hollywood fans, too. This month alone she’s earned four major moments. Leelee Sobieski wore a halter look to the Met this week, while Alexa Chung donned a t-shirt like silhouette in New York. Anna Dello Russo wore a sleeveless version during New York Fashion Week and Keira Knightly wins most ladylike in the mid-calf length dress she wore at the Venice Film Festival.  Which one’s your favorite?

From the new Kenzo video. When Kenzo started following us on Twitter yesterday we noticed a spiffy new ‘K’ and now, in anticipation of this weekend’s spring runway show, the brand’s released a quirky video. It’s the first peek into the brand reinvention being staged by Opening Ceremony’s Humberto Leon and Carol Lim and it’s as colorful and funky as one would expect. The video features an animated figure ferociously stomping down an invisible catwalk against the brand’s logo. The font hasn’t changed, but the colors and patterns are bright and young, a very new direction for Kenzo. Leon and Lim will stage their show in Paris on Sunday.

The invite to Kanye West's show. So, this is what the invite to Kanye West’s first fashion show looks like. It also answers the one big question—what will his line be called?  Kanye West! The Twitter-sphere suggests that Parisians aren’t quite as excited for the show as the American blogosphere, but like when Lindsay Lohan designed for Ungaro, the front row will be full even if only out of curiosity. Are you psyched?

A still from the Proenza Schouler video. There are few high fashion houses who’d dare make a commercial. Some, like Alexander Wang, won’t even engage in print advertising—instead, Wang calls his posters “image pieces”—but good luck finding one who won’t spend thousands on a fashion film.

Left, Balmain fall 2011. Right, Balmain spring 2012. Photos: Imaxtree

When Christophe Decarnin was appointed creative director of Balmain in 2005 the house wasn’t known for rock and roll silhouettes. Pierre Balmain, the house’s founder and French couturier, was known for his elegant lines, strict sheath dresses and tailored suits, but Decarnin carved a new niche for himself—and the brand—as the master of all things cool. Within one season fashion’s most influential women were wearing shoulder pads and ripped jeans, accessorized with spiky stilettos and safety pinned t-shirts.  Jackets suddenly cost five figures and ripped cotton tees were three—Balmain fever was making people crazy. Eventually, trends turned toward ladylike and Balmain lost some of its it-factor, but Decarnin didn’t stray from his aesthetic. Finally, last season, the designer either suffered from exhaustion or had a mental breakdown (depending on whom you ask) and the house was handed to Olivier Rousteing, a handsome young Parisian who’d been working with Decarnin since 2009. But after seeing Rousteing’s debut collection in Paris yesterday, “working with” might not cover it. Not much has changed between Decarnin’s last collection and Rousteing’s first. The colors—black, white, gold—and the skinny silhouettes are strikingly similar. But the consistency should keep customers happy; Bergdorf Goodman’s Linda Fargo told the WSJ, ““I think he did great!”

The Beckhams rocking hats at the royal wedding. Photo: Getty Images

The Headwear Association of America has announced their 2012 winners and, well, it’s quite a diverse group. You may not think you have what it takes to rock a top hat to work or a fascinator to your local bar, but chances are you have something in common with at least one of these people: LL Cool J, Lady Gaga, Victoria Beckham and Kid Rock. The Headwear Association says their mission is “to promote the headwear industry” and they’ve recruited quite a crew to speak up on behalf of hats. LL has the Kangol look down (and the release actually says, “Ladies love cool James in a hat”) while Kid Rock, who’s often seen without a shirt, is rarely seen without a cowboy hat. We don’t often think of Victoria Beckham wearing something on her head, unless it’s a royal occasion, but we do always expect a topper on Gaga. Even without such dedicated hat-wearers, it was quite a year for hats given the attention paid to the royal family. And that brings us to the most glaring omission: If Fred Astaire and Marlene Dietrich can be inducted post-humously for their sartorial choices, surely Princess Beatrice can at least get an honorable mention for wearing the most talked about hat of the year?

Dior’s President, Sidney Toledano, finally speaks! He doesn’t say much, but just a few more weeks of mystery!