We here at Couture often give our viewpoints on fashion and trends as part of our ongoing reporting duties, but this time around we want you dear reader, to tell us what you think about certain fashion and trends. Share with us your favorite shoe style and tell us why?

First Mooka Kinney, then Jovovich-Hawk, and stop teasing us Richie rich and Travor Rains…Heatherette has been on a hiatus for far too long.

And now two more designers are quitting. Jane Mayle, who designs all sorts of covetable dresses for the Mayle collection, will no longer make said dresses. Her New York store will close in February and her last line will drop in November, holiday and resortwear.

Another heartbreaker? Hard Candy will only sell gift sets as of next season. Everything else will be liquidated. Yes, the pastel polishes with the gummy rings, the items that made Hard Candy the “It” brand of the ‘90s (thank you, '+Clueless+'). Gone.

But, good news: they’re liquidating their inventory, so everyone can at least get tons of makeup for under $5.

Apparently, Chicago’s fourth annual fashion week, Fashion Focus Chicago, is set up for Oct. 1 through 8.

Key words: fourth. Annual. Fashion week.

I lived in Chicago for two of the three fashion weeks and…well, I guess I missed them. Granted that Fashion Focus Chicago’s main focus is to show local designers’ collections, but a few headline names would make it a bit more exciting. Just a bit.

Hopefully with each passing year, they’ll step it up a bit. This year, Pete Wentz and his Clandestine line will help launch the city’s fashion week.

I mean, star power can help. I definitely didn’t miss the Gay Pride Parade when RuPaul was the guest of honor.

We here at Couture love fashion, as you already know, but we especially love great fashion presentation. Another of our fashion favorites, due to her consistent ability to effortlessly pull off a 'rocker chic' aesthetic, is Janelle G. She rocks empire waist frocks, a plethora of skinny jeans, drapey strapless tops and enviable leather cut out sky high heels. Ms. Janelle, we love the way you rock it!

Don't worry, she's not giving back in her usual manner of foul language, back slaps and other undesirable ways. She's forming a charity catwalk extravaganza featuring several 'It’ designer collections, including Alexander McQueen, Jaeger, Dolce and Gabbana and Vivienne Westwood.

This London Fashion Week event, called Fashion For Relief, will raise money for the White Ribbon Alliance for safe Motherhood, an international coalition to prevent pregnancy-related deaths. Starting price for a ticket to the show is 75 pounds, about 150 dollars. But remember, it's for a good cause.

It was the Age of Aquarius – kind of – on last night’s episode of PR. Here’s the rundown:

The challenge: Team up ghosts from this season’s past – Jennifer, Emily, Stella, Keith, Daniel, Jerry, Wesley and Kelli – to create something avant-garde. Inspiration must come from an astrological sign. Yep, that’s heading for trouble…and in a twist, two contestants were eliminated instead of one.

The winner:

SS: Surprisingly, Jennifer and Jerell brought out the best in each other. Hey, whatever works for the win, right? I was particularly taken with Joe and Daniel’s design, but J Squared’s design wasn’t too literal and didn’t look costumey, unlike, um, some of the others.

JF: Jerell and Jennifer, wow, finally a win for you. When I saw the pieces over her hips and you said they represented armour, that¹s when I knew you had something. Making the look match up to the challenge is hard.
Especially trying not to make it to literal. In this case having an archer as the inspiration and translating that without making it a costume came off flawlessly.

The losers:

SS: There was no excuse for Blayne and Stella’s piece. Really. When do bright colorful clown puffs go with a flesh-colored aerobics suit with random leather straps around it? Never!

Terri and Keith were quite possibly the worst team ever, getting along-wise. Keith was trying to play up the ‘feel sorry for me, I got kicked off’ bit, and Terri just wasn’t having it. If they had designed a decent dress, at least Terri’s rudeness to Keith could have been justified. Not that it was the worst outfit on the runway (I mean, the sleeves were hideous, yes, and it probably didn’t need matching colored cape-like tails, either), but there were a few that I wouldn’t have been surprised to see sent home (Korto, cough, cough, Kenley). It was kind of painful to watch the two of them…Keith just wanted to help you, Terri.

JF: Blayne and Stella, what was that mess? I’ve always seen your pieces as hit or miss and this one missed big time. OMG, did you miss! Terri and Keith, I know where you are coming from. I love working on my own but you have to know how to work a team. Teamwork is essential, it just is. And as a last word, take responsibility as a leader. In the end it’s nobody’s fault but your own. Bye-bye guys.

With two eliminations this challenge, we’re almost down to the wire. Tell us, who do you think will get auf’d next week?

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and Stuart Weitzman is actively raising awareness and proceeds to support developments to detect ovarian cancer early through its eighth annual celebrity shoe auction. Bid on shoes designed by Ashlee Simpson, Jessica Simpson, Christie Brinkley, Leighton Meester, Gwen Stefani, and countless others…even Kiefer Sutherland, who designed his high heel with his hit show 24 in mind. Check out all the celeb designs here.

Finally, some real fashion expertise on the show (no offense Michael Kors, Brooke Shields). The great Diane Von Furstenberg was a guest judge, and she did not hold back last night.

The challenge: Design an outfit fit for DVF. The winner’s design would be exclusively sold to AMEX card holders, a company Von Furstenberg has a long-standing relationship with.

The winner:
SS: I have to admit, I definitely did not peg Leanne as someone who would go far – she just doesn’t look like she has the drive. I obviously thought wrong. Two wins in a row and her gown for this win was gorgeous. I think that she should have left off the jacket in the end – the fabric looked a bit too heavy for dress – but I think the judges collectively edited out the jacket in the decision-making process.

JF: Leanne won again? Hmmm. Who wants it more? I wasn't crazy about her piece but then again I'm not the one they have to impress. Way to go Leanne. Kenley, Kenley, Kenley. Love the piece but if you just took it a little further you would have won. Playing it safe keeps you safe. If you want to win you got to push it. Actually, I really liked Blayne's piece. His skills and tastes are begging to show, and they're not bad.

The loser:
SS: I’m guilty of talking to the TV (I’ve told off so many guests on Ricki Lake, Jenny Jones and Maury) and I had to yell “Steeeeeelllllaaaa!” when she was axed. PR cut its only Jeffrey/Sweet P. hardcore-esque designer. And where was any of that personal style of hers last night? She could have blended it into something DVF would like. The judges were disappointed, I was disappointed, and I reenacted Streetcar Named Desire in my living room. Joe got lucky. The end.

JF: OMG, Joe! What was that mess? You win one and it goes to your head. That thing was tragic and you were so proud of it. Were you sewing in the dark? Click on a light, rethink, regroup and sew. Stella my dear, this is the big leagues and there has to be attention to detail. I think the judges were disappointed that it didn't reflect your personal style. Again, be true to yourself in spite of others opinions. Rock on baby, bye-bye.

We went from making an outfit from the interior of a car to creating a look fit for Diane Von Furstenberg. Wonder what the next challenge will have in store for us; drama, intrigue, (gasp) great designs?

Challenges that deal with innovation and thought are the best, aren't they? They really show who can cut it and who can't. Did you see what they had to work with? And how most outfits turned out? These contestants are insanely talented, I'm telling you.

The challenge: Get creative with car interiors to create an outfit.

The winners:
SS: I love challenges that really deal with innovation and thought. And Leanne really impressed everyone, I think. The minidress was sculptural, artful, well-made and, above all, really, really cute. Korto's use of seat belts was impressive, but I would have liked to see another material to break it up a bit.

JF: Leanne! Wow, that little number snapped me to attention, if you know what I mean. At first I wasn't sure about the forms on her hips but the judges seemed to eat it up. Korto, I love the construction but I would have liked to have seen another material worked in there.

The losers:
SS: Keith, I'm sorry, I'm not really surprised. You were just trying to please the judges...but they just can't be pleased, can they? Your outfit was over the top boring.

JF: Keith, you cry baby! Proof you are a one trick pony! You compromised your style and vision to please someone else. Never compromise your style, your vision, your soul. Stella, same thing goes for you. Leather and studs your thing? Then do it! Don't compromise your style.

Maverick designer Rei Kawakubo, of Comme des Garcons, that sought-after label of coolness, has signed on to design a line of evening bags for the luxury label Louis Vuitton. As we all know, Marc Jacobs, the designer for Louis Vuitton, has a wonderful eye for picking the right guest designer and/or artist to design handbags for the company. Just think of the Murikami handbags and pop-up concept shops, or the Stephen Sprouse grafitti logo handbags from a few years ago.

But getting Rei was a true coo, after all, the designer herself eschews labeled bags and only carries a plain black tote for a night out on the town. Known for her avant garde style, one can only anticipate the cutting edge designs that she will produce for Vuitton. My style bets are on lots of LBBs (little black bags), some futuristic materials and interesting shapes. Um, note to all, get on the waiting list. If these bags sell like the previous guest collections, they will be sold out before they ever hit a store.

If you caught last night's show, I hope you were thinking, It’s about time there were some drag queens on Runway! Too bad this challenge wasn’t around last season for costume-loving Chris. But he did get to make the rounds and check out each contestant’s outfit before it hit the runway.

The challenge: Design an outfit for a fabulous drag queen. Naturally, RuPaul was the guest judge.

The winner:
SS: I can’t believe an outfit that had had pants as part of it won – even if they were skintight. But it made it stand out all the more. And this from a straight guy? Amazing. Joe, I’m impressed. It could have been a Pepto Bismol mess, but the judges loved it.

JF: Hide the "candy," win the challenge! Good job Joe! For a second there, I thought Korto was going to get another win. Don't get me wrong, she is very talented. RuPaul really loved her piece and I for sure thought the votes were going to swing her way. But it's nice to see Joe win as it boosted his confidence. Hopefully we see more from him. Who knew a straight guy could sew?

The loser:
SS: Even though Keith’s feathered atrocious design was, well, more atrocious looking, Daniel just doesn’t listen or push the boundaries! No drag queen wants just a cocktail dress! She’d be the most boring queen up there. At least Keith tried to make his garment something to look at, something that stood out. Well, it stood out in a bad way, but he wasn’t the one auf’d, at least.

JF: Just because you won the last challenge Keith doesn't mean you can keep turning out that one trick pony. Come on, swatches again? Please. And to quote Mr. Kors, "She looks like a sad chicken." A pathetic chicken more like it. What it really comes down to is that little sniveling whiner, Daniel. Thank heaven he's gone, I couldn't stand one more minute of his excuses. Let's have a challenge, but it doesn't matter what the criteria is, he’s going to make a cocktail dress anyway. Way to go Daniel. Bye-bye.

From what we saw in the previews from the next episode, it looks like a majority of the designers struggle. We wonder who will get auf'd next...

Diane Von Furstenberg is indeed a wonder woman when it comes to fashion – who else could have created such fabulous dresses and shoes for so long? – and she was obviously very inspired. She is creating a line of dresses, shoes and leather accessories based on the superhero Wonder Woman. DVF is even collaborating with Warner Bros. on the project.

With that in mind, maybe Von Furstenberg would appreciate these superhero-like items Couture.Zappos.com has in stock. DSquared's Flash open-toed pump has some lightning in its heel, or, to pack more power, these Emilio Pucci boots look pretty super. Wear either with this form fitting Moschino dress, and you’re set to take on the world.

The economy seems to be hurting just about everybody. In a recent article in Elle magazine’s August issue, even well-to-do fashion designers are making necessary cutbacks due to economic issues – Cynthia Rowley will gladly start bartending if her designs stop selling, and Betsey Johnson told the magazine that she was trying to design more “special and unique items, working harder and carefully observing.”

And those are the designers that have already made it in the fashion world. How will the economy affect those young designers that are getting lots of praise, lots of thumbs ups, but not selling lots of their stuff?

Even though they’re hyped, it seems that consumers are programmed to go for the big guns – Balenciaga, Prada, Louboutin, Lanvin – when they’ve got the necessary means to spend. According to Alexander Wang and Phillip Lim, among others, get the shaft! Sad, really, when the young designers are our fresh and fashionable future. But what they should do is use this downtime to refine their clothes and build an image – no one can become Marc Jacobs overnight!

Who knew Michael Stipe and Rogan Gregory were great friends?

That’s right, their beautiful friendship started when Stipe bought a T-shirt in Gregory’s store, thought it was so great he might lose his religion and went back to the store to talk to Gregory about where his shirts were manufactured. And from there, a bromance blossomed, and most recently, collaborated on an art show.

What that means is Stipe unveiled sculptures and Gregory unveiled paintings in his new Rogan boutique on Bowery in New York. Gregory also created a two-piece collection, including a $380 button down shirt inspired by prison issued uniforms and a limited edition T-shirt for $220.

I’m sure several “shiny happy people” attended the event.

There was another episode of Runway last night, which means we’ve got the rundown for you here. We are again priviledged to have our commentary guest, John Fanok, Brand Designer here at Zappos, with us to give his point of view.

The challenge: Design outfits for the USA Olympic athletes.

The winner:
SS: Korto’s white pantsuit with its matching jacket with dark blue and red trim won. It was the best bet, especially if they were designing something similar for male athletes to wear. My personal favorite was Terri’s chic white pants and ruffles under the blazer, which reminded me of a Ralph Lauren ad. Sadly, it was chic but just not athletic enough.

JF: Korto won, no surprise as she deserved it. Her piece was modern and stylish. Terri gave her a run for her money with her piece. While Joe technically got the challenge, his piece didn't have that spark.

The loser:
SS: Just like last week, it’s not that these outfits were poorly made at all, they were just wrong for the challenge. Daniel’s dress was a bit too Jackie O. at a cocktail party for Olympic athletes, and while Jennifer’s was a great, demure, preppy look, again, how proud and intimidating of a look is it when it is just a dress and a black cardigan? Since Daniel’s outfit showed creativity and skill, Jennifer was the one to go, and rightly so.

JF: Jennifer, where was your head? Applying your own style to the challenge is the name of the game. Doing your own thing is great, but you have to make it to the top before you can do that. Bye-bye Jen. As for Daniel, I thought the baby was going to cry from all the critiques. He missed it completely, but he brings drama, and that's why he's still here.

Clearly, this is a very talented bunch of designers as nothing has been poorly executed for the past two challenges. Or will we have spoken too soon by the time next week’s challenge rolls around? What do you think?