From the Agence France-Presse comes news of the latest fashion trend.

The trademark suit sported by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il is now in fashion worldwide thanks to his greatness, Pyongyang’s official website said Wednesday.

Uriminzokkiri, quoting an article in communist party newspaper Rodong Sinmun, said the modest-looking suits have gripped people’s imagination and become a global vogue.

“The reason is that the august image of the Great General, who is always wearing the modest suit while working, leaves a deep impression on people’s mind in the world,” it said.

“To sum it up, that is because his image as a great man is so outstanding.”

The article quoted an unidentified French fashion expert as saying world fashion follows Kim Jong-Il’s style.

“Kim Jong-Il mode which is now spreading expeditiously worldwide is something unprecedented in the world’s history,” the stylist was quoted as saying.

The suits consist of an overall-style zipped-up tunic and matching trousers, usually in khaki or blueish-grey.

To which the Manolo replies, do not be ridiculous, Kim Jong Il, the fashion leader. It is, as they say, to laugh.

“But, Manolo,” you are perhaps saying, “do you not remember that Preen RTW show from last year?”

Ayyyyyyy!

P.S. This is not the first time the Manolo has considered the fashion crimes of Kim Jong Il.

Manolo asks, whose shoes?

Manolo says, finally, the People of Walmart people are at the head of the fashion parade!

Taking casual chic to its extreme, a number of established designers including Michael Kors, Thakoon and Jean Paul Gaultier are touting versions of the slouchy pant usually associated with stay-at-home sick days. Gussied up with expensive materials, some tailoring details and price tags as high as $1,000, this new breed of sweatpant is intended to be worn proudly in public with blazers, dressy tops and high heels.

Designers say their customers are looking for fashion that’s less flashy, more practical. Plus, in shaky economic times, swanky sweatpants are viewed as a safe bet. “Look, whenever you can combine fashion, style and comfort in one item, it’s going to work at retail,” says Mr. Kors, whose cashmere versions will sell for $995. Sally Lohan, a trend expert at fashion-consulting service WGSN, also says the sweatpant trend will have legs. “We really balked at wearing leggings but eventually we all did—they were a good comfortable item to wear,” she says.

Sigh….

Katine Holmes, on her way to Sam’s Club for some bulk chicken wings.

Manolo says, Mr. Henry sends back news from the Land of the Rising Sun.

The trip’s one great discovery, found in the famous Kyoto covered food market street (Nishiki-koji), were dried umeboshi, the tart salt apricot-plum found in a bento box.

Manolo says, it is Tuesday, time to see what the Manolo is…

Watching…

Listening to…

Reading…

Reading…

Manolo says, after reading the news about Danielle Steel’s spectacular shoe collection, the Manolo picked up the copy of Passion’s Promise to see what it was in her writing that was pushing many ladies of the Manolo’s acquaintance into the frenzy of reading.

On the one of the hands, there is the sort of propulsive force that drives one through the Danielle Steel novels, with one soap-opera-ish disaster after the next befalling her high-born characters. On the other of the hands, it is not the best written thing in the world. Indeed, the major problem is that Danielle Steel leaves no potential detail unmentioned, spending paragraphs on descriptions of things that are of minor concern. There is nothing for your mind to do when reading such things, which is perhaps the point.

By thirty pages into the book, the Manolo felt as if he were swimming in molasses.

And when he was 60 pages through, he put the book down and picked up Charles Bukowski, as the palate cleanser.

He has not returned yet to Passions Promise…perhaps someday, he will go back…

Manolo says, it is Monday and you are back doing that thing that you do during the week, but now filled with chocolate and jelly beans, and more honey-baked ham than was perhaps advisable to eat.

But, other than the lingering side effect of the mild marshmallow peep poisoning, it was the very good holiday weekend, although, this morning has been somewhat marred by the knowledge that Danielle Steel owns 6,000 pairs of the Christian Louboutin fancy-lady shoes.

6,000 pairs of the Christian Louboutins!

And here you are with only only two pairs, both of which are hand-me-downs from your crazy insane friend Ericka, and which, because of that, do not fit so well.

But, such is the nature of life, in which the crazy sexy people and the obsessive-compulsive writing people who dress up like the duchesses in the Eloise stories are able to accumulate millions of dollars worth of luxury shoes, while hard working peoples, such as yourself, must go barely shod with only the couple-three dozen pairs of mostly mid-range shoes to your name.

So you go to the website of this Danielle Steel, who, although not to your taste, is one of your mother’s all time favorite writers, to see what is all the fuss, and you discover this remarkable sentence…

My other favorite haunt these days is IKEA

… juxtaposed next to the photograph of the room that looks something like Louis-Napoleon’s boudoir.

Clearly, this woman should be writing the Lord of the Rings style books about elves who have many complicated romantic entanglements, because she obviously has the very rich fantasy life.

And then you imagine what the first chapter of this book would be like…

Galindral Vinewhip sipped his warm mead, his first cup of the morning, and turned to the society pages in the Middle Earth Tattler to see who among his acquaintances was allegedly in love with whom, who was giving a dinner party where, who would attend, and who would presumably not show up because of the latest social feud. He knew only too well that there would be an item or two from their reporter in Marbellathric, that very tony resort on the sunny Aetheic Sea, where only the most beautiful elves wintered. He also knew that his ex-wife, Nostariel Grimjester, would be mentioned….

“Hmm,” you think to yourself, “this has potential.”

And so you resolve in that instant to write the Daniel-Steel-meets-Tolkien novel and get very exceedingly rich (because everyone knows that the quickest and easiest way to spectacular wealth is by writing novels).

But first, you must be inspired by looking at shoes you will soon undoubtedly own…

Such as these unusual and arresting Christian Louboutin Coussinet Platform Slingbacks.

Take that Danielle Steel!

Manolo says, from the Manolo to all of his peeps…

Happy Easter!

Manolo says, here are the few links which may perhaps amuse…

The best of the best.

Look at the criss cross of the leg pose – a staple of every starlet and model worth her salt. [...] If Tyra catches a glimpse of this photo, she will surely crown him America’s Next Top Model.

Gabriel Byrne seemingly cannot be stopped!

Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.

Dear Manolo,

My husband has planned a trip for us to Paris in May. It will be my first time in the city and I, of course, would like to look as smashing as possible (so as not to be outdone by those fashionable French women). The problem is, I am a very short girl and I always wear heels when I’m out. I understand that, given the amount of walking that one is likely to do during their first trip to Paris, heels may not be a practical option. Then again, hemming all of my trousers before the trip is also not practical. What is a short (but stylish!) girl to do?

Stacey

Manolo says, Paris in the Spring Time! The weather will be temperate, the flowers will be in bloom, and if this is your first visit, you will finally encounter, in his native element, human society’s most natural-born aristocrat: the Parisian waiter.

Forget about all of those kings and queens, dukes and counts, the truly superior being is the person who will be bringing you the bouillabaisse.

You may have heard that the waiters in Paris are rude. Nonsense! They are simply displaying the dignified sense of reserve appropriate to their exalted station. They cannot help it that your lack of eating utensils, or the undercooked state of your food, has caused you to become all shouty, it is not their problem.

Likewise, you may think you your meal is brought to you because you are paying for it, as part of the commercial transaction. Ha! Your food and drinks arrive simply because your waiter has the keen sense of noblesse oblige. Serving you is the charity work Parisian waiters perform to help the less fortunate.

Look! Here is the Tiriolo from Bruno Magli. Cork soles for comfort and height, patent leather for sassy styling.

Manolo says, perhaps, if you are the very long term reader of the Manolo, you will know that today is the day we commemorate the times the Evil One, Karl Lagerfeld, hijacked the humble shoe blog of the Manolo.

It was, to say the least, the very trying time for the Manolo.

Manolo asked, whose shoes?

Manolo answers, it is the Natalie Portman!

Congratulations to the Manolo’s internet friend Victor, now the two time winner, for being the first to correctly identify this week’s personage of note.