Are you sweating the fact that tomorrow is April 15? Allow us to help. We may not be able to find you any deductions, but we do have a way to take your mind off your taxes.

That is this: 30 percent extra off whatever’s in your online basket at Last Call, today or Wednesday.

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Did you hear the opening salvos?

Last week a WWD.com story (subscription only, sorry, you’ll only get a peek) with no small amount of slant held forth on the fact that Michelle Obama is championing the cause of little-known American designers and ignoring the big players: Oscar de la Renta, Vera Wang, Carolina Herrera, Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein, to name a bunch.

With the fashion industry in an economic crisis of its own, it’s not a surprise that the bastions of American style are wondering why the First Lady won’t deign to don some of their beautiful clothes. We can feel — and appreciate — their frustration. Still, most of the designers quoted — Wang, Hilfiger, Karan, Herrera – tempered their comments with support for a fashionable First Lady breaking boundaries.

Another story, in the New York Times, took issue with the fact that Mrs. Obama is relying apparently exclusively on the design choices of retailer Ikram Goldman, the owner of Michelle O’s favorite Chicago boutique for years (a picture from the store below).

Arnold Scassi (hmm, we remember that name from somewhere) chided her, (more…)

The Style Insider is over the top, and it’s only Tuesday. Fashion Week makes us a little breathless, you know, what with all the photographers, the harried designers, the backstage frenzies, the browser refreshing. Once again, the day did not disappoint. Sit next to us as we run down our favorite people/places/designs of the day:           

Serious glam at Badgley Mischka: With less than a week to go before the Oscars (gasp), we’re asking ourselves, WWBMD? Answer: Exactly what we expect them to. A collection of gorgeous gowns both long and short, gliding down the runway like so many Best Actress nominees.    

Crystals, lace and chiffon flow over a shimmery strapless gown that fits so beautifully it looks like it was painted on. A boned corset-like detail frames a bodice in teal that catches the eye with extra sparkle around the waist. And cascading tiers of black organza float over their golden underpinnings in a dress that we can almost hear rustling from here. (P.S. Favorite tweet of the day: “Badgley model so tiny that she had to walk w hands at her waist to keep her strapless dress from sliding off. Last-min replacement?”  See what you think.      (more…)