Emma Willis is London's first lady of men's shirts. Make that the only lady of men's shirts.

Though he's been dating designer L'Wren Scott for just a few years, Mick Jagger is certainly no newbie to the fashion world. As a Rolling Stone, he worked with "loads of stylists, millions of them," he told me at the dinner he threw during New York Fashion Week for his girlfriend. But lately he's become particularly interested in the production side of things. Here's a snippet of our conversation about style -- men's, women's and his great-grandfather's.

Actresses have lots of options when it comes to red carpet dressing--sequins à la Balmain, vampy satins, minidresses, gowns, even leather pants like Angelina Jolie. Their male counterparts, not so much. It's usually just a suit, though "Year One" star Michael Cera didn't even bother with that, instead opting for worn jeans, sneakers, a plaid shirt and a green sweater at his premiere.


So thank god for Johnny Depp, who literally stopped traffic in his sharply tailored Ralph Lauren Purple Label three-piece suit at last night's Chicago premiere of "Public Enemies." The actor paid homage to his onscreen alter-ego, Thirties bank robber John Dillinger, with wide pinstripes and a Neil Lane watch chain. He added a bit of movie star glam with mirrored aviators and a few undone buttons.

 
The only quibble fans might have with the look is that Depp's Mickey Rourke-esque 'do covered his famous face.

PHOTO: Johnny Depp in Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Neil Lane and his own Cartier watch. CREDIT: Getty Images

It is not every day WWD has occasion to interview an astronaut. Buzz Aldrin, who, with Neil Armstrong, was one of the first men to walk on the moon 40 years ago come July 20, wasn't expecting to speak to us either.

"Women's where what?" he asked as we sat down at the Omega flagship on Fifth Avenue, where the watch brand had asked Aldrin to attend the launch of its special edition Speedmaster Professional. The timepiece has the distinction of being the watch Aldrin and Armstrong wore while floating around the moon.

The watch brand is turning that association into a new marketing campaign to break next month. And it is not alone -- Louis Vuitton tapped Aldrin and two other American astronauts to feature in a print ad shot by Annie Leibovitz, also hitting magazines next month. In the meantime, expect plenty of moon-inspired fashion spreads, editorials supporting (or decrying) the space program, and wistful profiles of the Apollo era. It's moon madness time.

Despite the grim prospects for 2009, retailers and vendors cite one positive aspect of their current situation: now, at least, they know what they're dealing with.

Unlike the last Vegas market, the industry is prepared for soft selling. They've trimmed assortments and open to buys; manufacturers have tailored their collections and adjusted pricing. In the immortal words of Tim Gunn, the retail community is trying to "make it work."

When George Clooney arrived at a Versace women's wear show a few years back, there was a roar from the blasé fashion pack, and women and men surged in with the photographers to get a closer look.

Last week, when David Beckham strolled into the Emporio Armani show at the outset of Milan men's fashion week, the reception was incredibly subdued: a flashbulb here, a gasp there.

"We're civilized," a veteran men's editor said by way of explanation.

The first fashion week of 2009 was bound to be low-key, given the economic downturn.