Smashing darling, that fabulous indie fashion marketplace, has a lovely feature on the founder of PR Couture, Crosby Noricks (right), and her BFF Marie Rounsavell/Marimello sharing their fashion style during a recent weekend in Los Angeles.

From the article:

Okay, we did see that NY Mag was featuring BFF’s, but the timing was truly random that Crosby and her BFF wanted to share their beautiful indie love with us! They were in downtown Los Angeles, CA together at a Silent Auction at Poketo to raise money for Faythe Levine’s indie craft documentary, Handmade Nation and then later at the Edison, a neato steampunk-ish Charlie Chaplin-ish bar where the stirrers are light bulbs. Enjoy the interview with these two most stylish BBF’s. I know I did. Get involved and leave them a comment.

Fashion hopefuls take note! The Art Institutes has announced its 2009 Passion for Fashion Competition. Open to high school seniors throughout the U.S. and Canada, it gives North American high school students an opportunity to earn a full tuition scholarship to study in a fashion program at one of The Art Institutes schools.

The competition consists of two categories, Fashion Design, and Fashion Marketing & Merchandising and Retail Management. The grand prize in each category includes a full tuition scholarship The Art Institutes school.

In addition to a full tuition scholarship, the grand prize winning student in each category will receive an all-expense-paid trip to New York City for Fashion Week in February 2009, a “meet and greet” at Seventeen Magazine’s offices and lunch with a Seventeen Magazine Style Pro.

The deadline isn’t until November 21, 2008 so there is plenty of time to prepare! Download the Passion for Fashion Competition brochure to get started.

Coutorture has begun Fashion Week preparations and are currently seeking 2 interns for the Fall season.

In case you have been living in a place where Crocs are considered chic, Coutorture is an online publication and community of over 250 editorially-selected fashion, beauty, perfume, accessory and streetwear blogs. During fashion week, the Coutorure team is hard at work to provide relevant, quick and generally awesome ccontent (think images, video) to their global network of bloggers who then use/share said greatness to keep the Fashion Week crazy wheel a’spinnin’.

What does being a Coutorture intern mean? There’s the unglamorous stuff like assisting, sample running and photo uploading.  However, for the right interns, there is the opportunity to assist with Fashion Week coverage and content for the site. Plus, fashion stylists, photographers, make-up artists, and publicists may get to assist on original Coutorture editorial photo shoots.

There is no monetary compensation, but documentation for college credit and the occasional freebie is available.  If you (or a friend) is interested, please send a resume, cover letter and 2 writing samples to intern@coutorture.com.

Since this opportunity involves a lot of hands on work, NYC based applicants only, please.

We’re looking forward to another great Fashion Week season.  Are you getting excited yet?

(image: An original photo editorial by Coutorture.com. Photographer Robert Malmberg, Hair & Makeup Timothy Fischetti, Model Coleen Burst from Red Model Management, Styling Maleeha Khan and Megan Zanke, Fashion Editors Julie Fredrickson and Megan Zanke, Clothing Dolce & Gabbana and Marc by Marc Jacobs (courtesy of eLuxury), Jets by Jessica Allen swimwear, Salt Swimwear, Old Navy swimwear, Rebecca Minkoff and Andrea Brueckner handbags. )