Fashion Scoops: Stella In Liverpool… Marc At Saint Martins… Summer Stock

He also dished on hiring Tom Ford as a designer for the denim line Perry Ellis America, when Jacobs was appointed vice president of women's wear at Perry Ellis in 1989. "Tom was a different person then," said Jacobs. "Tom was this very, very sort of haughty, tasteful person, very Waspy...or that's what he was affecting at that moment. I thought it would be great to do a jean line with someone who has a very sophisticated mind."

Despite facing a packed hall of design students waiting with bated breath for the designer's creative tips, Jacobs said there was no set formula to his own design process. "It's a daily, weekly, monthly evaluation of whims," said Jacobs. "I don't do it all — there are hundreds of talented people who I trust, and who love what we do."

SUMMER STOCK: Yigal Azrouël is headed out east for the summer. The New York designer opens his second freestanding boutique, which will operate seasonally, April through October, tomorrow in Water Mill, N.Y., where his edgy, downtown designs are taking up residence in an 18th-century carriage house. Azrouël was drawn to the town's quaint, country vibe and lack of luxury retail presence — a far cry from his industrial, urban perch in the Meatpacking District. "I like the fact that's there's nobody there. The store is not in a shopping center," he notes. "It's more of a destination place." Along with his women's, men's and accessories collections, the Water Mill store will carry one of a kind pieces and some of Azrouël's "favorite things," including D&L Candles, DVDs from Criterion, and vintage eyewear and jewelry. "It's super personal," he says.