The future of fashion

• John Galliano’s fashion show started an hour late, forcing guests, who were already snippy about having to trek to the inconvenient location, to wait in the pouring rain. A particularly pissed Carine Roitfeld chewed up a PR rep, who couldn’t find the French Vogue editor a glass of water. Once inside, the roof began to leak and water dripped on spectators. Not surprisingly, the collection was met with tepid feedback. [Telegraph]

• Just about every fashion critic on Earth trashed Lindsay Lohan’s first collection (hot pink, skin-tight silhouettes and heart-shaped nipple pasties) as Emanuel Ungaro’s “artistic advisor.” But the Washington Post put it best: “It lacked finesse, sophistication, technical skill and any evidence of good taste.” At least there weren’t any leggings. [Washington Post]

• The dim financial future of Christian Lacroix looks a little brighter after the announcement that Sheikh Hassan Ben Ali al-Naimi lI of the United Arab Emirates has offered to take over the house, which filed for bankruptcy four months ago. We’ll find out on October 20 whether or not the bid is successful. Fingers crossed. [AFP]

• The legendary Irving Penn died in his New York home on Wednesday at the age of 92. His stark photographs have appeared in Vogue for years (he held the record for the longest tenure as a Condé Nast photographer). Penn is survived by his son, Tom, and stepdaughter, Mia Fonssagrives Solow. [New York Times]

• Apparently fashion design is a skill that runs through the Lohan family. Lindsay’s mom, Dina, has launched a shoe line titled Shoe-han. The collection will be sold on lovemyshoes.com, which also carries Jessica Simpson footwear. [Newsday]

• Phoebe Philo returns from a fashion hiatus with her first ready-to-wear collection for the French fashion house Celine. Critic extraordinaire Cathy Horyn applauds the show’s modern sportswear aesthetic, a category she says has been “virtually ignored” in recent years. [On the Runway]

• Fashion magazine takes a clever look at what 1930s designers thought fashion would be in the aughts. Some of the predictions—such as shoes with cantilevered heels—are eerily accurate. [Fashion]

• Trends in top models are always changing. One minute it’s all about Russians, the next Brazilians are the rage. The newest wave comes courtesy of United Bamboo, who’s 2010 calendar features cats outfitted in its clothes. We’ve always had a thing for the feline look. [Refinery 29]