Truthfully, I didn’t even know Eric Daman, Gossip Girl’s stylist/costume designer, was writing a book until I showed up at its party last night.

It’s called You Know You Want It and it’s a charming, realistic guide to style with fantastic illustrations, quotes and photographs.

Leighton Meester, who popped up in one of Marios Schwab’s 3D dresses, wrote the intro and since you probably aren’t familiar with her writing, here you go:

“Eric is more than a stylist…He’s also a psychologist, a scientist, and an artist. Simply put, he’s a genius.

“Imagine this: you’re on set, in the middle of a frenzy of activity that would make the Energizer Bunny beg for a nap. You’ve had weeks of fittings and been in and out of different looks all day, done a month’s worth of changes in an afternoon. You are getting sleeeepy…the biggest cup of coffee in the world could not rouse you. But then Eric holds up a piece of clothing, a slip of silk dangling on a hanger, and whispers, “You know you want it.” His tone hovers between sly and delighted, as if he knows he’s about to make some kind of magic. And instead of exhaustion, you feel a glimmer of excitement. Because it’s so true. You want it. You need it.”

The best part about holiday shopping, aside from apple cider, is the overflow of shopping events (especially in the wake of such financial disarray).

Next week, Elle and Armani Exchange are teaming up to make you shop. And by Elle we mean Style Director Kate Lanphear.

The party’s next week, Tuesday, November 10 from 6pm-8pm at Armani Exchange’s Fifth Avenue store at 20th Street. You’ll get to preview Armani’s holiday collection, drink champagne and snack your way through the store.

And if you spend over $100, you get to customize your own A/X t-shirt with Kate on hand to dish bedazzling advice.

If a tee designed by Kate isn’t the perfect pre-holiday treat, then we’re not sure what is.

Okay, Rachel must be dying, literally, right now.

Her loyal, often sullen, but always, always hard-working styling associate Taylor Jacobson is finally leaving Rachel Zoe Inc. We’ve kind of seen this coming for a while, but the season ender showed Taylor getting a new role (well, sort of) handling aspects of RZ’s growing merchandise business.

But we guess things didn’t get any better. In an email to contacts today, Taylor said: “After four amazing years at Rachel Zoe Corporation, I’m saddened and exhilarated at the same time to announce my departure. After much thought and consideration, I have decided to take the challenging leap to go off and style on my own.”

Who will make Brad and Rach stay focused now? Who will keep Rodg up to speed on Rachel’s vertigo issues? Who will handle all those returns? We hope there’s a season 3 so we can find out.

Whatever happens, we wish Taylor lots of luck in her solo styling career!

“I am a complete alcoholic. It used to be so easy to say to someone, ‘Get me a bottle of vodka,’ and they’d run and get it. Going to rehab was the best decision I ever made. The last six months have been the best of my life.” —Lara Stone to Vogue UK (via Fashionologie) We’re happy she’s so happy.

We realized when looking through our newest issue of Russh that in all the talk over these many months about the widespread trend of pantslessness, and even the emerging “jock” fashions of S/S10, that one inspiration had been overlooked. Until now. Thank you Russh editors for remembering.

And who might this trendsetter be? Jamie Lee Curtis in the awesome 1985 “drama”, Perfect. The film is a hip-thrusting romp following the relationship of aerobics instructor Jessie and John Travolta’s reporter Adam. If you haven’t had the pleasure, we highly recommend it for its ridiculous workout scenes and brilliant use of leotards and headbands. (Be forewarned that Travolta wears loose-fitting short shorts that are more revealing than one might like.)

We feel terrible for overlooking Jamie Lee when watching collections like Charlotte Ronson’s come down the runway. We were consumed by visions of Olivia Newton-John and “Let’s Get Physical”, but we’re trying to make amends by giving props now. Because really, no one’s ever looked hotter sans pants.

Please forgive us, Mrs. Christopher Guest. We won’t forget you again.

Still Going Strong: Indochine celebrated its new book earlier in the week after twenty-five years in business. Give us vintage Kate and Christy any day. {TheMoment}

Oh, Louie Louie: Lara may be fronting the actual spring/summer campaign for Louis Vuitton, but Daisy Lowe’s secured a spot in their “beach-wear lookbook,” whatever that means. She shoots in Miami this weekend. {Grazia}

Get Your Cavalli On: Isabeli Fontana just shot Roberto Cavalli’s spring/summer campaign with Carolyn Murphy. The first makes perfect sense, the second’s still confusing. {Fashionologie}

Catch This Wave: After spending last week in Costa Rica, I still refuse to wear a coat in New York. Thankfully, Vogue’s avoiding reality with me. This week’s Most Wanted appeals to your inner surfer girl. {Vogue}

Things have gotten so glum over at 4 Times Square that S.I. has hired Michael Sheehan, a crisis manager to try to turn around not only the press on the beleaguered publishing house, but also the spirits of those who still work there, according to the NY Post’s Keith Kelly.

Just to put this in context, Sheehan was the guy AIG went to during its troubled times, and he’s even coached presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

The idea apparently came from Lucky publisher Gina Sanders, who also happens to be married to a Newhouse (Steven) after she noticed that morale was at an all-time low. Well, obviously. I mean they’ve laid off almost 500 people and closed six magazines. Everyone knows the glory days are gone and there’s nothing fun about that.

We’re just wondering what Sheehan will bring to the table to make the media, advertisers and employees change their doomsday mentalities. We hope it’s more akin to the re-positioning of Barack or Bill, because we still don’t have many warm and fuzzy feelings for AIG.

Back in June, we started hearing rumors that makeup artist Tom Pecheux would be getting his very own makeup line at a major cosmetics company.

According to this morning’s WWD, that company is Estée Lauder. Pecheux will not be designing an eponymous line, but instead has been given the newly created title of creative makeup director.

The last superstar makeup artist to work with the Estée Lauder brand was the still dearly missed Paul Starr. His role as leader of the national makeup team, however, was not one with much product input. Pecheux will have his hands in everything going on at the flagship brand. We think this is a very good thing.

There’s a strict division these days between Gossip Girl loyalists and those who’ve passionately abandoned all things Blair and Chuck.

If you’re still of the former, you’ll catch an appearance from the Plasticines on Monday. The French girl group pops up to play two songs at a very important, um, debut for Jenny Humphrey.

As for fashion, no word on which black number Jenny will wear under her raccoon eyes, but the Plasticines will don custom Alice & Olivia outfits. Looks like the partnership the band formed with designer Stacey Bendet at her SS10 presentation has led to even bigger things.

Will their set be silenced by the looming threesome? That, we can’t tell you.

We’ve anticipated the launch of two websites this week - one came crashing in and the other’s quietly arrived.

Interior designer Ryan Korban celebrated the debut of RyanKorban.com at the Soho Grand last night with a crush of familiar faces including hosts Alexander Wang, Natasha Poly and Victoria Traina. Korban’s best known for designing Alex’s studio, Tribeca’s Edon Manor and after last night, for gathering more models in one place - Iris, Daiane, Stam, Rose Cordero, Vanessa Traina (semi-model?), Angela Lindvall, Erin Wasson, Natasha - than we’ve seen since fashion week. You can’t actually buy anything on his site, except maybe his services, but just glancing at his portfolio will certainly make you rip your apartment apart in disgust and buy lots of other things. Consider yourself warned.

You can, however, buy plenty from AllSaints.com. The British brand’s been quietly creeping stateside this fall. Their Bloomingdale’s concession launched in August and they have tentative plans to inhabit part of the empty Virgin space in Union Square. But they’ve finally launched an online site for the US full of perfectly rock n’ roll leather, slouchy sweaters and studded accessories. As for their dresses, one of their head designers came from Vivienne Westwood. So again, consider yourself warned.