I like a woman who has beautiful feet but unexciting taste in shoes. So I had the great idea to buy her a pair of heels as a gift, and I need your help. Im looking for something hot and sexy ysl shoes to make other men jealous, but of course with her comfort in mind. What do you think?

Manolo says, generally, the Manolo counsels against the man giving shoes to the woman as the surprise gift, mainly because of the problem of sizing.

However, in this case, it is clear that the Manolos friend has closely studied the shapely sexy ysl shoes  feets of his fine, fine lady, and thus is probably well acquainted with their needs.

Sadly, even with that, the Manolos friend is somewhat deluded if he thinks the Manolo, the mere mortal man, can find him the super-sexy-hot comfort ysl boots . Such miraculous holy relics exist only in the medieval fantasy world of valiant Arthurian knights in service to chaste maidens. And, like the Holy Grail, this will-o-the-wisp will always be just beyond the grasp of all but the purest-hearted

Still, as Sir Percival can tell you, sometimes the quest for perfection is everything.

Look, here is the E90341 from Guiseppe Zanotti, the costly but exceedingly beautiful crystal and patent leather sandal. Is it comfortable? Who knows! Is it sexy ? Yes, emphatically!

Five VH1 reality TV stars have signed a deal to become the face of regional footwear retailer Shiekh Shoes' new Reality Starr(TM) Collection. Hugely popular reality TV celebrities Jessica Kinni, Lady, Luscious, Cali and Prancer will appear as the "Reality Starr(TM) Girls" in advertisements, in-store displays and an exclusive online video series to promote two sexy jimmy choo shoes , fun and fashion-forward women's footwear styles designed with them in mind. On Sunday, November 1 from 4-6pm, the five stars will launch the collection at a Meet & Greet at Shiekh Shoes' Burbank Town Center store, 201 East Magnolia Blvd., Burbank 91502.

With its bodacious babes, cool dudes, gossip, sexiness, and even the chance of finding lasting love, reality TV is a guilty pleasure that has consumed America's youth; young women in particular. But one thing has been missing: fashion merchandising to connect fans with their favorite stars.

Enter Jessica Kinni, Lady, Luscious, Cali and Prancer as the Reality Starr Girls, each of whom embodies one or more of the characteristics - from sweet and naïve to catty and nasty -- that make reality shows so much fun to watch. Now, with Shiekh ysl Shoes ' sexy Reality Starr Collection, there is a tangible way for fans to engage in and become part of the reality TV phenomenon.

The brainchild of Shiekh Shoes' Director of Marketing Dae Bogan, the Reality Starr Collection comprises two styles: Reality Starr(TM) I and Reality Starr(TM) II. Reality Starr I is available in Black, Purple and Brown, and Reality Starr II is in Black, Tan and Gray (SRP: $40.00). The jimmy choo designs are almost metaphoric: a sleek metallic heel supports an open, sexy, strappy body adorned with edgy studs or stones. Sounds a bit like the Reality Starr Girls.

A quiz quiz for those who want to be considered sexy. First question: what should you wear? A) A little black dress. B) High heels. C) A low-cut top and a belt-sized mini skirt. D) Something more elegant.

Unfortunately the answer is: who really knows? Sexy manolo shoes is not a word often used with any seriousness in fashion and sometimes it feels as if it's almost irrelevant. Far more important are terms such as cutting-edge, fashion-forward and on-trend.

Human beings use clothing to signal certain unspoken, visual codes in the race to find a sexual partner. Never mind fashion-forward, it's all about the best way to get a pash on New Year's Eve down at Mt Maunganui.

All of which makes you wonder about fashion's true impact on dressing to get lucky - dress shapes and trendy colours change, but you'd assume that a really little, little black dress would stand the test of time.

It's nice to think we could rise above that but it's possible that as a species we will never get over stereotypical sexy.

Movements in popular culture, including fashionable ones, have an impact on what we perceive as sexy manolo blahnik . If you take a look at the history of lingerie, there's plenty of material there to argue for fashion's influence on what we consider sexy. In the 1870s bustles made butts the erogenous zone for some time. The corset and the crinoline emphasised the waist. In the 1920s, a boyish, flattened figure was all the rage. But in the 30s we were back to finding a cinched waist attractive.

Browsing through pin-up girl pictures or even pornographic postcards from last century makes you realise that definitions of sexy have changed along with movements in fashion and popular culture.

Last century's lusty hottie was a size 12 at least, if not a curvaceous 14, and came with all her body hair intact. This century's perfectly defoliated size 10 fulfils fantasies.

Let's talk specifics. That is, do blokes really notice things like designer dresses and whether the woman of their dreams is on-trend tonight?

One recent internet-based discussion about whether men notice if women wear expensive shoes, suggested most of the male respondents did not. They pay attention to whether a manolo blahnik shoes looks pretty, whether it's attractive and clean and whether she looks as if she took care with her outfit.

For those women who just spent over $500 on a pair of shoes, it is sad but true that what the guys won't notice - and probably never will - is which brand of shoes you're wearing and whether you're actually fashionable or not.

Another survey, commissioned by American TV show Today, came up with more evidence that your typical bloke doesn't necessarily notice fashion. Only 30 per cent of the 1000 men surveyed preferred their girls with makeup and half of them preferred no makeup at all. A whopping 69 per cent didn't think breast implants were sexy blahnik shoes. And the younger the guy, the more natural they preferred their ladies to be.

The response has been enthusiastic and international; some clients order pairs in batches of 10. Refreshingly, the shoes are made in England in the firm's London factory, and come in sizes ranging from two to 9 1/2 , although most ranges stop at size eight.

"We don't want people to think they are getting a made-to-measure Christian Louboutin wedding Shoes," stresses Kumar, "and we're not really geared towards problem feet. What you are getting is a custom-made to order shoe, for the same price as buying at a shop."

Many of the Direct designs can be seen at the firm's only shop in Beauchamp Place, Knightsbridge, and visiting is no doubt the best way to gauge which style and size is exactly right for you. The Classic range of wedding shoes is also available by post, though since most of these silk satin shoes can be dyed, one shouldn't think of them exclusively as wedding shoes (as the Countess of Wessex has demonstrated).

Designed with film premieres more than garden parties in mind are the sumptuous couture and limited-edition Christian Louboutin shoes, many of which are targeted at the bridal market but, since they come in silver and champage colours, are actually very versatile.

The limited-edition line has been created by Italian designer Rene Caovilla. Not everyone can carry off these exotic creations, which include a show-stopper sprouting feathers, a Little Mermaid shoe aglitter with sequins and freshwater pearls, and a mule called Aquarius that must surely have slipped straight off Cinderella's foot, with its fringe of twinkling crystals cascading over the toes.

"It takes two weeks to sew the crystals by hand on each pair," says Kumar. They are, quite simply, fabulous, but at pounds 750 a pair, probably beyond most wallets. Who said Posh Spice is short on talent? She actually dances in these heels.

The couture Christian Louboutin Boots are made in Italy. "We have to look abroad sometimes, we just can't find the skills or components here," says Kumar. But the firm always relishes a challenge and almost anything is possible. "One Eastern European gentleman asked for red leather, thigh boots for his wedding," remembers Pramod Kumar with a laugh. He got them, of course.

Despite high prices, uniquely designed casual shoes are attracting young male consumers in Tokyo.

Shoes by Yasuhiro Mihara and Koji Kuga are all designed with oversized soles, patchwork patterns and extra-long laces. The Yasuhiro Mihara brand manolo blahnik shoes are handmade and have attracted many enthusiastic fans among the younger generation in the fashion districts of Tokyo.

Priced at 30,000 yen to 40,000 yen (229-305 dollars) - expensive for casual shoes - both brands are sold at a fashion specialty shopping center in Shibuya, a Tokyo area that caters to youth fashions and lifestyles.

A new Yasuhiro Mihara store is also scheduled to open this month in Aoyama, a Tokyo area that abounds in sophisticated fashion boutiques.

Those who buy the eye-catching manolo shoes  usually wear simple fashions - T-shirts and trousers, or shorts - to make the shoes more conspicuous. Indeed, most shoe fanatics said they often think of how to coordinate their wardrobe so that their shoes become the center of attention.

Custom efforts

Some resourceful young people - those who cannot afford expensive brands - convert their ordinary shoes into original designs by painting them or buying bright-colored shoelaces.

The trend of expressing individuality through footwear, however, has been largely limited to male consumers. In contrast, women are generally not as particular about shoe brands, although many may wear counterfeits of brand-name shoes. As women often show broader interest in all aspects of fashion, from wardrobe to makeup to accessories, the preoccupation with manolo blahnik shoes  seems likely to remain a male trait for the time being.

In the latest issue of WSJ., they explore the changing state of luxury. "The consumer is king and will benefit from the global economic recession as luxury houses rethink their business strategy opines Tina Gaudoin, editor-in-chief of WSJ., The Wall Street Journal's glossy mag. oeLuxury-goods houses will have to rethink the way they appeal to us, the consumers, in order to survive¦which ultimately means greater value, superior products and a better deal." This Fall-centered issue explores so-called Rough Luxe, where the functional-everyday is juxtaposed against something shiny and/or fabulous (think Prada's plush velvet frocks paired with rubber fishing waders) - a new movement in fashion manolo blahnik  and design, born in part out of the economic recession. "Interior designers have been working Rough Luxe in its various forms for at least the last five years, notes Gaudoin, oebut the fact that it crossed over into fashion means its more than a passing trend."

Another interesting trend is the much-heralded (and much-welcome) death of the overblown "it" bag, and what it signifies. Fashion's most ardent devotees are now spending differently and splurging less, forcing the luxury industry's biggest players to rethink everything from their pricing, to product mix, design, and marketing. oeIn the last year or so the manolo shoes  has become the way for many women to accessorize and accentuate a look in the way that bags have been in the past, notes Gucci's Frida Giannini in "Accessories After The Fact", about what is now seen as a more affordable, appropriate way to indulge.

According to the Fashion manolo blahnik shoes  Director of Neiman Marcus, Ken Downing, the store worked with A-list designers on developing more affordable offerings, and will be carrying suede and leather Prada mid-heel booties for under $500, and even more surprising, a new Balenciaga bag at a more Bluefly'esque $700.

IN the middle of all this activity, the

shows went on without missing a beat, and a few new trends emerged. White and pastels are showing up in the new fall clothes. Clothes are less voluminous. But the most important trends were hem length and a new ladylike feeling, two strong signs that Italian designers' creative spirit is flagging this time around.

''I am tired of the androgynous look,'' said Giorgio Armani, its leading practitioner. ''Now clothes must be masculine and feminine, with blazers worn with skirts. And the skirts will now stop at the knee. Shoes can be high or flat. The only rule is no fashion jimmy choo statements. Women are very different from each other, and they have diverse needs.''

AT the Milan collections, fashion

journalists and buyers look at one another's clothes as they pass by. At the Moda Calzatura, passers-by examine one another's shoes. Indeed, there are miles and miles of shoes at the show, with exhibitors presenting their designs in six different buildings. At Building No. 17, which houses high-fashion choo shoes, the designers keep the doors to their booths closed and guarded. ''I am not selling shoes,'' said Roger Clergerie, who designs shoes for Thierry Mugler and is one of the hottest designers in Europe. ''I am selling ideas. That's why we keep the doors closed so people can't steal our ideas by walking by.''

For fall, Mr. Clergerie has experimented with different textures in leather, a new trend in shoes and clothes, and has developed a leather that looks like bark. He uses it in a desert boot. He has also created shoes with low heels, quite thick and fluted, to make the arch of the shoe seem smaller. ''I believe skirts will be long for fall,'' he said. ''What? The Italians are showing short skirts?''

MANY of the visitors to Milan still found time to dance. Some went to the Caff e Roma, the newest nightclub that is much like New York's Club A. Four hundred others went to Gianfranco Ferre's dinner to celebrate his new perfume. At the end of dinner a dance troupe called Tango Argentino came out and, unsurprisingly, tangoed. The show began with two men, George Raft look-alikes, tangoing together. ''Is that fashion jimmy choo shoes?'' asked Ruth Rabb, the wife of the United States Ambassador to Italy, Maxwell M. Rabb. ''I think we are going to have to go back to simpler times, and less glitter in our lives.'' But the dancers kept dancing.

While some NBA players are grumbling about the new NBA dress code, the guidelines actually are in step with the latest fashion jimmy choo trend. In the workplace, dressing down is out and dressing up is in, according to fashion experts.

Beverly Smith, Vibe fashion editor at large, thinks the players will adapt: "I think that once they get over the shock of this being foisted on them, they will find there is a world of opportunity to be individuals more than before and to actually set fashion trends. A lot of them are following the looks of rappers. And now you are seeing more of these guys dressing up."

For years, young people, including NBA stars, have embraced the hip-hop lifestyle, from its music to its way of dress. But now hip-hop stars led by Jay-Z are going for a more dressed-up look. Jay-Z, a part owner of the New Jersey Nets, is even seeking to launch a formal clothing line.

Says Smith, "Kanye West is one of the biggest rappers, and he is always well put together in his own way. He doesn't look like an old man. I know they are thinking these guys are smaller, but there are options for the NBA guys even though they are tall."

With the NBA dress code going into effect with the start of the season Tuesday, USA TODAY's Julie Ward talked with Smith and Nick Sullivan of Esquire and Jim Moore of Gentleman's Quarterly about the new fashion guidelines. For players who average 6-7 and whose minimum salary last season was $385,000, expensive custom tailoring, rather than off the rack, is the only option. However, the good news is there is no shortage of designers and retail stores who do custom and made-to-measure clothing from top to bottom. What the fashion jimmy choo shoes  experts say:

Dress code: My feeling with these dress codes is that it feels so 1950s. I think Allen Iverson said it best. He said his casual attire is who he is. I must say I agree with that. But again, there is nothing wrong with guys in suits, but there has to be a retooling of how these guys are wearing their suits.

Business casual: The slack and dress shirt look can look a little more old mannish. I think it is more difficult to pull off. Casual for me always means a jacket, a tweed jacket or corduroy. I saw Kobe (Bryant) in a corduroy jacket, and it looked really nice. The nucleus would be the sport coat and great khaki slacks from say Abercrombie (& Fitch). And lace-up jimmy shoes and a dress shirt, but it is so much more complicated to put these pieces together.

Though export to the USA has slackened a little in the wake of the September 11th attacks, Brotini says that the future looks bright.

"The love of beauty and a feeling for working with the hands are part of the Tuscan character," he says. "Just look at our art, our landscape, our wine, our olive oil. The mix of high quality and a strong fashion ysl shoes  component is very hard to beat."

Emerging shoe designers -- from Tondoski to Pierre Hardy -- head for the towns of Vigevano and Parabiago, near Milan, Lombardy, when they want to create their own, small-batch productions. Luxury French and Italian brands and established designers, including Manolo Blahnik, also employ the skilled artisans found here to produce their top-class, hand-made shoes.

Though Lombardy's total slice of Italy's footwear exports was just 8.5% in 2000, the high-quality production here is among Italy's best. Located in an industrial area north of Milan, Parabiago is known for its complex network of over 75 shoemakers that hand-produce every detail of a ysl boots , from cutting to stitching to lasting, while the 180 shoemakers in Vigevano offer a similar service. Some of Italy's most prestigious footwear companies are also based in the area, including Andrea Pfister in Vigevano, and Fratelli Rossetti -- worn by Tom Cruise and Lauren Bacall -- in Parabiago.

"All together, there are an estimated 400 companies in Vigevano, Parabiago and other northwestern centers in Lombardy and Piedmont employing between 5,000 and 6,000 people," says Armando Pollini, president of ANCI's newly-formed north-west group of industrialists, and the owner of an eponymous footwear producing company in Vigevano.

Dominated by its renaissance piazza and castle, Vigevano in the province of Pavia, is also Italy's oldest, industrialized miu miu shoes producing district.

The town had a shoemaking tradition from medieval times, but switched to mass, mid-high quality production in 1866 when Luigi and Pietro Bocca opened one of Italy's first footwear factories. During the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, the number of larger companies in Vigevano dramatically decreased, as cheaper competition from emerging economies began to take its toll. Those who survived placed the emphasis on high-quality products, in which most or all of the production steps are performed by hand.Miu Miu black patent leather bow detail flats

As guests moved through the hours-old store, nibbling on spinach puffs and drinking wine, the salesgirls had their hands full.

"One in every colour," said a glamorous white-clad socialite with a laugh as she pulled on a pair of ponyhair boots - the new vogue for this autumn - and checked the look in a mirror.

Monday night's opening of "on pedder", Hong Kong's newest up-market accessories boutique, appropriately enough at 20 Pedder Street, Central, proved that in the territory's rich consumer culture, certain elements are endemic: mobile phones, flashy watches, fast cars.

"You don't even see this in Europe," said Bernard Figueroa, a master ysl shoes designer who dips the toes of his limited edition hand-crafted footwear in 24 -carat gold for "women with legs - like Ivana Trump, Cher and Jane Fonda".

"Hong Kong is very much like New York where there is still this sense of extravagance, big hair and bright jackets and colourful shoes. You don't see it in Europe anymore," he said.

Figueroa was one of a number of top ysl boots -makers in Hong Kong for the opening of "on pedder", a 3,000-square-foot mecca for lovers of fashion footwear, bags, belts, scarves, sunglasses and other sundries from eminent labels including Moschino, Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana and Via Spiga.

Indeed, the accessories market is beginning to emerge as a growth industry: Seibu recorded a more than 30-per-cent increase last year in sales in its accessories department while at Lane Crawford - which is behind the "on pedder" project - that figure was closer to 40 per cent.

"It used to be that people would buy an outfit then have to hunt for the right pair of shoes to match," said Peter Harris, who runs the women's department at Lane Crawford.

"Now, it's the other way around."

It also has to do with a shift in buying habits. As shoppers tighten their designer belts, a new accessory purchase makes much more financial sense than yet another ensemble.

"It's all about updating," said Judy Hong of the Carsac group, which represents Italian miu miu shoes and bags brand Fratelli Rossetti and the German accessories and fashion label Aigner.

"People know that even the nicest outfit won't look right without the right pair of shoes and bags. And if they are shopping less, they would rather spend their money on new accessories to update an existing outfit," she said.

Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Gucci, Dolce and Gabbana, Tommy Hilfiger, Gap, Old Navy, PelePele, Von Dutch, Fendi, manolo blahnik , Movado, Kenneth Cole. A list of high fashion, brand name designers from a magazine? Perhaps, but it are also the list of brand name clothing which 17 year-old Terica Sinclair of Portmore, St. Catherine, has in her closet.

Terica is one of a growing number of young men and women obsessed with the lure of a brand name. They can't be seen out and about, at parties and other slocial functions, in anything but the right gear. They know which brands are hot from one season to the next and spend lots of money satisfying their brand habit.

But is spending this much money on brand name really worth it? Are we being bamboozled bye the brand?

Dino McLarty, a 21 year-old University of Technology (UTech) student believes so. "To spend $ 7,500 plus tax on a Timberland which is only going to mash up just as any other manolo shoes , when I can take $ 3000 and buy a shoes which looks just like Timberland but does not have the logo - that logo is going to cost me $ 4500- is stupid. I can live without the logo," he says.

For premieres and parties, she wears floaty, lacy creations by Jean-Paul Gaultier, John Galliano or manolo blahnik . Her casual look is often denim jackets over frocks.

HER simplistic style is shown in her favourite shoes which are loafers by Tods (from GBP 158, pictured), the Italian label famous for its pebblemarks on the heels, and backless mules (GBP 176). Cate is also fond of boots, such as those by Prada or Gaultier. Her favourite bag is the Tods' red Carre.

I think he could pull off pastels or sandy/caramel colours more successfully than that hospital-blanket green.

He's almost aggressively bandy-legged, and those white trousers and very large shoes don't hide the fact. But maybe we shouldn't expect our clergymen to aspire to fashion. Maybe you should have left him to his bandiness?

But Peter, look at the shoes! I must say, the Catholic Church generally wears much better manolo blahnik shoes than the Church of England. We must try harder. Simon's Cornish pasties are biblically huge.

PY: But what have you achieved? I don't think you've improved the Rev Simon one iota. His waist is in exactly the same state in both cases. You haven't hidden it at all.

The trousers are all right, I suppose, though they look rather creased. He is smarter, but I do think you've signposted his middle with that belt.

 We tried untucked, but it was too self-consciously trendy. All he needed was some Birkenstocks and we'd have been singing "Kumbaya" by teatime. Paul, the Dickins & Jones personal shopper, and I felt he should look like everyman, but everyman in manolo .

Yes, it looks like pounds 125-worth of fancy shirt. It's as if they've planted spinach all the way down it. I think he looks great in his olive-green trousers, modern shoes, and that fantastically expensive shirt. He's a designer vicar, isn't he, for the most fashionable college in the world? Credible. That's the word for him.

Yellow. OK, it's not the easiest or most flattering color to wear. But for spring, Milan and Paris designers are especially fond of a bilious neon yellow that Krizia designer Mariuccia Mandelli aptly dubbed "poison yellow." Mandelli uses it to trim gray sweaters, while American Lawrence Steele covers simple shells and skirts with large yellow paillettes. In his collection for manolo blahnik store , John Galliano offers taxi-yellow skirts with a Chinese flair, while MaxMara takes a risk with army-green dresses lined with a yellow underlayer that shows through side slits. Fortunately, Victor Alfaro provides a softer version, lemon yellow, for his sleek and charming cashmere sweater sets.

Decorative shoes. When clothes are simple in line and neutral in color, as they largely are for spring, accessories command more attention. Now is the time to put some color into your shoe wardrobe. At Miu Miu, Prada offers black-and-white snakeskin pumps with multi-colored toes and heels. At Gucci, Ford pairs his rich-hippie clothes with African-beaded pumps, and Ferretti teams her feminine sundresses with flat mules and sandals trimmed with ethnic embroidery. Even quietly elegant blahnik store get a decorative touch, as in the beach glass trimming the sleek evening sandals at Celine, designed by Kors.

A couture client can wait aeons for an invitation to a royal orangerie. And then two come along in the same week. On Monday night, Dior staged its 60th anniversary beneath the soaring 16th-century vaults of the Orangerie at Versailles. And yesterday Chanel commandeered the terrace of the Orangerie at St Cloud, the chateau and surrounding parklands to the west of Paris that Louis XVI purchased as a retreat for Marie-Antoinette.

Not just any old designers either, but John Galliano, creative director at Dior, and Karl Lagerfeld, creative director of Chanel. Consequently it became the story of which designer has the more impressive budget. Alas for both, the gods decided to make it rain on their parades. At first there were merely light drizzle and chilly breezes that took the edge off the Dior extravaganza, causing the guests, in their gauzy chiffon evening dresses, to shiver as they tripped through the shrubbery. But by yesterday morning's Chanel show, it was bucketing down, causing one and all to note the fine distinction between an orangerie and the terrace of an orangerie. The models at Dior had to contend with life-endangering manolo shoes ; at Chanel they had to steer through sodden gravel -not as easy as it sounds when you're enveloped in ten metres of duchess satin.

In vain the gardeners tried to rake away rivulets that were threatening to become bona fide streams as the models' heels left muddy tracks behind them. At least Chanel's heels weren't as high as Dior's. Still vertiginous, you understand, but compared with most footwear on today's catwalks, they looked modest, based on a 1980s template that was merely teetering as opposed to crippling.

The gold leather court manolo blahnik shoes weren't the only Eighties touch: sheer black tights, Robert Palmeresque sunglasses, bows with no fixity of purpose, stripy sequined bands of silver and black all helped to recreate a decade with which fashion will insist on flirting -presumably to wrong-foot all those of us who think we've got the hang of good taste. Or maybe the Eighties are like climbing Everest: they're there, they were hideous (and not in an ironic way), ergo they need to be conquered. As a designer who lived the Eighties first time round, Lagerfeld could have handled this revival disastrously, but in fact there was a lightness of touch in the bulked-up, rounded shoulders and the funnel-shaped shift dresses.

There is something poetic about hundreds of hours of painstaking workmanship sagging beneath muddy gravel, of gold Eighties court blahnik shoes sinking into ploughed-up lawns. As the models stomped imperiously through the rapidly expanding puddles dragging their trains behind them, one suspended thoughts of dry cleaning bills, and sat back to enjoy the view.

Shoes are tricky. When only a certain brand of black pumps will do, some consumers will accept no alternatives.

But the browser, the searcher and those who have realized that they too must do their time in clogs will be thrilled to stroll down West Eighth Street, where manolo blahnik are sold almost on top of one another for blocks on end. This is where to find the red cowboy boots you have longed for but can ill afford. There is no dearth of Doc Martens for men and women in all sizes. If you look reluctant, the prices may come down.

FRIENDS and supporters of the ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn are scrambling to raise funds to save a unique collection of her personal and professional effects from going under the hammer.

Barely 10 years after her death the unique collection will be auctioned next week amid furious controversy over ownership and the motives behind the sale.

Also included among the 201 lots, whose reserve price of £100,000 is likely to be doubled many times over, is a collection of the dance star's designer dresses by names such as Yves St Laurent and manolo blahnik , including Dior's spectacular creation for her wedding to Tito in 1955. The sale features the most significant pictorial collection ever assembled depicting the whole of the dancer's life.

It includes an irreplaceable collection of thousands of photographs, family albums and personal scrapbooks from her childhood in Shanghai to her lonely death on her Panamanian farm, following the lingering illness of her beloved Tito paralysed in a political shootout while campaigning for the Panamanian presidency.

There are also hundreds of ballet manolo shoes handmade for the country's first dance superstar - the only British dancer accorded the title of ballerina assoluta; her favourite knitted pink leotards which she always wore for rehearsals; and a battered cassette that travelled the world in her dance bag of Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty.

On it she wrote, "very poor quality rehearsal tape - Margot Fonteyn".

There are shopping lists of essentials for her dresser to purchase and a small purse that never left her pocket containing pink elastic, pink ribbons and pink sewing silk to darn her pointed blahnik shoes on the endless airline trips.

But the most historic items, her costumes, are also the most controversial.

Mr Sherrington says: "I suspect it is too late now, but if ever there was a case for intervention by Culture Secretary Chris Smith, this is it. But whatever stance the department takes, I and my colleagues are determined that this priceless heritage stays in the country which benefited from Fonteyn's luminous talent.''

Yes. Most women here look normal, even chic. Costumes shown on the catwalks don't really make it to the shops or the street. Even manolo blahnik shoes , while displaying John Galliano's laughable costumes, doesn't hang those outlandish show outfits on the prestigious shop's racks.

The world is a beautiful place when everything is seen through the lens of celebrity, and that's the world that InStyle magazine has brought to its readers every month for the past 10 years.

When InStyle launched, supermodels ruled the fashion magazines and Martians the supermarket tabloids. But with a current circulation of 1.7 million, the magazine that featured Barbra Streisand on its first cover helped fuel the celebrity craze if not copycat publications.

While InStyle enjoyed steady growth in the first few years, its breakout really came in September 1999, according to Lawhon.

"That's when advertisers saw directly relatable results. It could be a martini glass to manolo shoes to a fabulous gown; we made it easy for readers to buy. We'd tell them how to wear something and how to use it without talking down to them," she says. "We're the original shopping magazine."

-Gapification. Embracing of khakis, T-shirts and jeans as fashion statement.

-Nicole Kidman. Curlicued Australian Oscar winner who has ruled the red carpet since her 1997 Oscars appearance in manolo blahnik Couture.

-Shoes. Human foot covering usually made of leather or rubber, of varying heel size and sole thickness, and capable of eliciting deep passion that's said to be better than sex for many women.

Leading cosmetics and fragrance names will also be making the shopping carnival more exciting by giving away gifts for products purchased.

manolo blahnik shoes is giving a free seven-piece make-up set with a purchase of RM250, while Shisheido is giving a four-piece STS or UVW items with purchase of RM150.

Children will love the Barbie collections, Hello Kitty stuff, Marvel comic figurines, computer games, Bandai action figures, "infant push car", and magic drawing board that are priced very affordably.

Baby buggy, children's knapsack, blahnik shoes and pretty sandals are also among items on discount.

For those into home decorating, Aktif Lifestyle Stores is offering good bargains on bedlinen, embroidered cushion and woven rugs, with discounts of up to 70 per cent

So into her four closets -- one for coats, one for handbags and shoes, one for summer clothes and one for winter -- Mr. Garkinos went. Oscar de la Renta blouses, ysl shoes tops, Nina Ricci coats and Prada suits, many of which had never been worn, were stacked in a pile. But Mr. Garkinos had his eye on a Derek Lam dress he spotted in the far reaches of a hall closet.

A lust for luxury labels is fuelling the growth of a specialist brand, writes Elizabeth Tilley

A selection of handbags, ysl shoes  and other leathergoods from the spring/summer 2008 collection by Italian fashion house, Bottega Veneta is now stocked in Fortitude Valley designer accessories boutique, Jean Brown Gallerie.

He says it's too early to comment on the success of Jean Brown Robe since it opened in December.

"We expect that brands like Chloe, Miu Miu and ysl  will sell well,'' he says.

"Miu Miu has a strong following here and its ready-to-wear collection arrives in store this week.''

Being the only store in Australia to stock YSL since the luxury label's Sydney store closed down in 2003, inquiries have been flooding in from all over the country.

The current collections by Chloe, ysl boots  , Thakoon and Miu Miu hanging on the racks in the new store are bursting with colours such as fuchsia, yellow, red and bold prints -- perfect for Queensland's sunny disposition. Soon, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's fashion label, The Row, will also be in stock.