Cityfile: New York's Most Notable and Influential

• After another wild day in court, Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook settled their latest round of legal issues yesterday. But not before Brinkley called her ex an "extreme narcissist," and Cook returned the favor by telling reporters she was an "angry, bitter, vindictive woman." At least it's nice to know they still have feelings for each other, though! [NYP, NYDN]
• As easy as it is to picture Courtney Love sitting in front of her computer punching numbers into an Excel spreadsheet, it turns out she may not be the best financial planner in the world. Love owes $300K in back taxes, according to the government. [TMZ]
• Michael Lohan says he knows who Lindsay's drug dealer is and he plans to reveal all in an effort to "save" his daughter. So who is he? "He has no job. He does nothing. All he does is supply everyone in LA." Call us crazy, but supplying "everyone" in LA sounds like a pretty good job to us. [Radar, NYDN]
• Get ready to see a lot more of Megan Fox dressed in, well, not much: Giorgio Armani has tapped her to star in his new underwear ad campaign. [WWD] More

• Some luxury fashion companies think (or are hoping, at least) that the recession has "bottomed out," and the tide is "slowly turning." Let's hope so! [WWD]
• Related: Saks is hoping to now "wean wealthy customers from discounts" and "re-educate" them to pay full-price again. Good luck! [NYP]
• How are fashion mags hoping to remain relevant during the turbulent times? By hitching their titles to TV shows, naturally. Not that the strategy always pays off as editors might have hoped, as Elle (Stylista) and Marie Claire (Running in Heels) have discovered. [AdWeek]
• Homelessness is now "having a fashion moment." Make a note of it. [Cut]More

Happy Birthday | Adrian Grenier turns 33 today. Jessica Simpson is turning 29. City comptroller (and mayoral wannabe) William Thompson is turning 56. Former mayor David Dinkins is turning 82. Times film critic A.O. Scott is 43. Showtime chief Matt Blank is turning 59. Author and marketing guru Seth Godin is 49. Writer Alice Munro is 78. Actress Sofia Vergara is 37. Eunice Kennedy Shriver is turning 88. The Office's Phyllis Smith is 58. Socialite Lisa Anastos is 41. Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan is turning 52. And Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys is 55. Weekend birthdays below! More

Giorgio Takes Ill | If Giorgio Armani hasn't been returning your calls lately, he has a perfectly valid excuse. It seems the designer is recovering from a bout with hepatitis. But he's "on the road to recovery," you'll be happy to hear, so he should get back to you shortly. [My Fashion Life]

• Macao Trading Company is "silly" but "fun," says Frank Bruni, who translates that combo into a one-star review in the New York Times today. [NYT]
• A roundup of restaurants that have closed their doors in recent days. [Eater]
• Terrance Brennan of Picholine and Artisanal fame is planning to take over Trigo in Tribeca and turn it into Bar Artisinal. [GS, NYT]
• Ignazio's may give Grimaldi's a run for its money in Dumbo. [TONY]
• Ryan Sutton is not a fan of Giorgio Armani's restaurant inside his new store: "I doubt he's paid much attention at all to New York's culinary scene; otherwise he wouldn't have created such a laughably behind-the-times joint." [BN]
• Meet John and Kevin McCormick, the guys responsible for the peeling paint and rusting fixtures that typically accompany $34 entrees these days. [NYO]

• And you were thinking Naomi Campbell was devoid of sympathy and compassion. The supermodel has been all over Mumbai's Lakmé Fashion Week, where she's raising money for victims of last year's terrorist attacks. [SF]
• Vera Wang's Lavender label may be in trouble now that Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue appear to be dropping the line for spring. [NYM]
• Sketches of Gwyneth Paltrow's collection with French label ZOEtee—"a mélange of Seventies glamour, rock inspiration and men's casual suiting"—are now available for your viewing pleasure. [WWD]
• Anna Wintour was in Miami to see Roger Federer this past weekend. [FWD]More

• One of the biggest sources of inspiration for designers in 2009 thus far: mid-20th century space-traveling superheroes. Naturally. [NYT]
• Thom Browne is denying media reports that his line is on the verge of going bust. [NYM]
• Speaking of financial trouble, Marc Ecko seems to be knee-deep in it: He may be forced to turn over his company to creditors if he doesn't fix things fast. [NYP]
• As expected, Fabrizio Freda is taking over for William Lauder as Estée Lauder's CEO. [BN]
• Jason Wu is not doing a reality show, sorry. [Fashionologie]
• Project Runway contestant Kenley Collins says she never assaulted her boyfriend with their cat. She just "plopped him" on the bed. Righto. [NYDN]
• Matthew Williamson's H&M line debuts in less than a month. [Vogue UK]
• Just in time for Easter, Giorgio Armani-branded chocolate eggs! [FWD]
• Interested in a $30 million diamond-encrusted dress? Perhaps not. [NYM]

• The 2009 CFDA Award nominees were announced this evening. [WWD]
• Following months of speculation, it's official: Olivier Theyskens (left) has parted ways with the house of Nina Ricci. [WWD]
• Depressed? "In times of trouble, pink is the shopper's comfort color." [NYT]
• Katie Holmes is starting up a kids clothing line, it seems. [Racked]
• Is Marc Jacobs getting married later this year? Possibly! [FWD]
• The times they are a-changin': Beyoncé appears on the new cover of Vogue, which means the mag has featured black women two issues in a row. [NYM]
• Karen Elson stars in Agent Provocateur's new spring campaign. [Pipeline]
• LiLo's spray-on tanner actually works, you may be surprised to hear. [NYDN]
• A look inside the new Armani flagship on Fifth Ave. [Racked]
• Claudia Schiffer has such a huge clothing collection, she converted a climate-controlled helicopter hanger into a giant closet. Naturally. [Daily Mail]

• A peek inside Keith McNally's revamped Minetta Tavern, which will be opening its Macdougal Street doors in a few weeks. [GS, Eater]
• The slick restaurant inside the new Armani flagship is now open. [Eater]
• Co. gets a mixed review (and two stars) from the News today. [NYDN]
• Gotham Bar & Grill has lowered the price of its three-course lunch. [Zagat]
• Trouble seems to be brewing at Tribeca's Mai House. [Eater]
• A roundup of dining options on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. [AMNY]
• Anita Lo on recessionary dining habits: "All they want is burgers." [NYP]
• Wondering what Bobby Flay looked like circa 1991? You're in luck. [Zagat]
• Did you know today was Fat Tuesday? Here are a few spots to go to stuff yourself. It also happens to be National Pancake Day, too, so you know. [GS]

Breaking: Giorgio Armani Is Not a One-Man Operation | You may want to take a seat for this one. You know those blog entries that Giorgio Armani has been writing for the New York Times website? Well, it seems the 74-year-old billionaire designer has not been going home to his Central Park West penthouse every night this week, turning on his laptop, and churning out flawless copy—in English, no less—all by himself. He's had a bit of help, which the Times's Eric Wilson casually pointed out today when he mentioned the pieces are "as told to J.J. Martin, a freelance journalist," but which nonetheless sent the absurdly literal gals over at Jezebel into a tizzy: More

Click through for a recap of the shows, parties, and gossip you've missed at Fashion Week thus far.More

Giorgio Armani celebrated the opening of his new Fifth Avenue flagship last night with a party at the store. The designer was accompanied by his niece Roberta Armani; guests on hand included Leonardo DiCaprio (left), Carine Roitfeld, Victoria Beckham, Martin Scorsese, Michael Bloomberg, Caroline Kennedy, Joel Klein, Cindi Leive, Fern Mallis, Andre Leon Talley, Ricky Martin, Rachel Zoe, Nina Garcia, John Mayer, Mario Testino,  Josh Hartnett, Liam Neeson, Richard Meier, Alicia Keys, Chace Crawford, Milla Jovovich, Thom Browne, Kevin Liles, Molly Sims, Mira Sorvino and Christopher Backus, Sally Singer, David Hershkovits, Jim Moore, Hal Rubenstein, Patrick McCarthy, Emile Hirsch, Natalia Vodianova, Zani Gugelmann, Kate Lanphear, Horacio Silva, January Jones, Elsa Pataky, Zoe Saldana, Solange Knowles, Marcus Schenkenberg, and Olivia Palermo. [PMc, Wireimage, Vogue UK, FWD, NYM]More

A recap of the shows, parties, and gossip you've missed at Fashion Week thus far after the jump.More

Our favorite new blogger, Giorgio Armani, reports that he traveled all the way up to 166th Street—the Bronx!—today. Okay, so it was to meet Caroline Kennedy because he gave a miniscule piece of his $5 billion fortune to the Fund for Public Schools. But still! And it gets better! After the event was over, he says he decided to ditch his hopeless chauffeur and took the subway home with Kennedy instead: "Caroline and I decided to hop on the subway on our way back down to the city center, which turned out to be a much faster way of getting back. It was really crowded when we got on at 161st Street, but later I sat down next to a nice lady in a North Face puffer jacket and ski hat. She told me she assisted elderly people, and I asked to see her card. I told her, 'Who knows when I might need your help?; Just kidding, of course. When I got up, I left her my own scarf as a parting gift." We can't imagine what he's planning to do tomorrow, although we're pretty sure that if he stops off for a bite at Gray's Papaya, our head is going to explode. [NYT]

• Giorgio Armani is opening a restaurant inside his new Fifth Avenue flagship later this week. Guess it's time for a little payback, Scott Conant. [Eater]
• The Cedar Tavern on University Place is gone for good. [GS]
• A peak at the new speakeasy-themed bar Raines Law Room. [Eater]
• Anita Lo is closing Bar Q in the West Village. [Eater]
• Dinner at L'Artusi "grinds slowly off a cliff," says Adam Platt, who gives the bar-centric spot on Bleecker a single star in this week's New York. [NYM]
• Inexplicably, the cupcake craze endures. [TFB]
• Daily News food critic Danyelle Freeman has landed a book deal. [GS]
• A hot dog vendor in Times Square is retiring after 41 years. [NYP]
• Starbucks is introducing instant coffee because Americans are "focusing more on seeking satisfying experiences that enhance their lives." Uh, okay. [HP]