Fashion

Of all of photography's commercial milieus, fashion is by far the most competitive. The artists at the top of the heap possess an eye for innovation, a boatload of artistic vision and serious technical chops (or, at the very least, the best photo assistants money can buy.) Here's a brief rundown of some of today's most sought-after style shooters. Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott are perhaps the hottest names in fashion photography right now, thanks to their hyper-glossy, digitally bolstered images that often portray women as über-powerful figures.

Designers have been revving up their collections this season with studded handbags, strappy boots, leather jackets and other items of "biker chic" -- fashionable, motorcyclist-derived clothing that allows women to look tough without actually throwing a leg over. As a longtime biker, I've seen this trend come and go over the years, and it always gets my hopes up. Maybe this time someone will design clothing that's functional and more fashionable than the pinked and fringed schlock that's normally offered up to female motorcyclists in the name of protective gear.

Georges Marciano, a co-founder of the Guess clothing empire, is the latest person seeking to become governor of California. The one-time fashion magnate's paperwork was recorded on Monday with the secretary of state's office, allowing him to run as an independent in 2010, when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is termed out. The 62-year-old Beverly Hills resident plans to campaign on a platform that focuses on exposing and eliminating political corruption...

Fashion blogger's name: Freelance writer and blogger Erin Magner's last name was misspelled as Manger in an article about fashion websites in Sunday's Image section.

The floundering French fashion house Christian Lacroix, which has launched insolvency proceedings, has received three takeover offers -- the most serious being the Italian Borletti group, a judicial administrator said Monday. The offers, which also include a French management consultancy, will be examined before Paris' commercial court in September. Monday was the last day to file offers for the company, noted for the elaborate designs and bright colors of the famed designer's native Arles.

The gowns are cut low in the front, slashing down to the navel, or low in the back, swooping below the waist, inset with delicate see-through fabric. They couldn't be further from the modest dress generally worn by women in the Muslim Arab world. Yet these fashions come from Lebanon, a tiny Arab country of 4 million on the Mediterranean. This nation better known for military conflicts than the arts has produced an impressive crop of designers, such as Reem Acra and Elie Saab, whose work is showcased at the Oscars and the Golden Globes.

1980s fashion influence: In an article in Sunday's Image section about 1980s looks showing up in styles for fall, the name of the trend-forecasting firm the Doneger Group was misspelled as the Donegar Group.

Vegan fashion: An article on vegan fashion in the Aug. 23 Image section misspelled the URL of the EcoStiletto website as ecostilleto.com. The correct Web address is ecostiletto.com.

Vegan fashion: An article on vegan fashion in the Aug. 23 Image section misspelled the URL of the EcoStiletto website as ecostilleto.com. The correct Web address is ecostiletto.com.