HIDDEN ASSETS: Victoria’s Secret is hoping its sexy gifts at the Academy Awards on Sunday will be worn by the six best actress nominees. The swag includes a Very Sexy Diamond Collection Lip Gloss adorned with diamonds and pink sapphires, and an Angels Secret Embrace Strapless bra, a smooth, seam-free bra adorned with a white gold chain with 14 diamonds, weighing approximately four carats. A pavé diamond circular pendant is positioned at the center of the cleavage-enhancing bra. This is the sixth year Victoria’s Secret has honored the best actress nominees. The nominees this year are Penélope Cruz, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet. No word on how the stars will deal with the bras and having to declare such gifts on their income tax forms.


REALITY SHOW: It was a love fest in Milan’s Palazzo Reale Monday night as Italy’s Camera della Moda honored Saks Fifth Avenue’s Steve Sadove and Ron Frasch with awards for their enduring support of Italian fashion. Robert Polet, Mark Lee, Santo Versace, Giancarlo Di Risio and Michele Norsa, among other executives, came out to watch Sadove, chief executive officer, and Frasch, president and chief merchant, accept the awards during an informal presentation under the ornamental ceilings of the 18th-century building. “We are honored to be in this beautiful venue and be recognized for our support of Italian fashion,” said Sadove, who brought his wife, Karin, and two daughters, Stacey, 21, and Laurie, 15, along on the trip. “They’re so excited to go to a few fashion shows and eat some great food,” he added. The Wall Street Journal, which recently launched its weekend edition in Europe and is courting fashion advertisers, co-hosted the cocktail party and brought in its biggest editorial gun, managing editor Paul Steiger, to work the crowd.


OTTO PILOT: She wants to be a part of it. Twenty-five years after setting up her namesake public relations firm in Milan, Karla Otto is opening a branch in New York this spring, having secured office space in Chelsea. On the sidelines of the Alberta Ferretti show on Tuesday, Otto said she planned to represent her European clients Marni, Emilio Pucci, Viktor & Rolf and Hussein Chalayan, for starters. She also has offices in Paris and London.


COATTAILS: Have outerwear will travel. MaxMara’s “Coats” exhibition, which winds up in Berlin March 4, is next headed to Tokyo, opening in October at the Mori Art Museum for a five-week stay. The fashion display, showcasing 55 years of fashions through its iconic garment, was a hit in Germany, destined to welcome a total of 14,000 visitors, nearly matching the attendance of an earlier Rembrandt showcase.


ALL TIED UP: Margherita Missoni always has plenty to celebrate during Milan Fashion Week, since her birthday falls smack in the middle of it. Word has it she’s celebrating her 24th birthday at her family’s apartment with a close group of friends, who have been told to observe a special dress code: bows.


WHIRLWIND TOUR: Elle editor in chief Robbie Myers will rack up major frequent-flier miles as she squeezes in the Independent Spirit Awards, where Elle is the major media sponsor, with the Milan and Paris fashion weeks. Her two-week journey began at the end of last week and will end in March after the Paris shows, with a stop in Santa Monica on Saturday to attend the awards ceremony. Despite all that time logged at the airport, Myers isn’t concerned about flight delays or airport security ruffling through her personal effects. “My problem is that years ago I promised my daughter a present for each night I’m away,” said Myers via e-mail. “Now I’ve got two children with increasingly sophisticated tastes and I’m facing 15 days of travel — 30 gifts!” Moreover, Myers said her kids know when she cuts corners. “I once tried passing off a bikini for my daughter as two gifts. She wasn’t buying it.”



For complete coverage see WWD.com.