Kicking off the new year with a bang, L.A.’s trendsetters gathered at the SoHo House last night to celebrate cover girl Nicole Richie and welcome new editor-in-chief Brandon Holley with open arms.

WHAT: Becca Moon Heller Boot in Light Brown Speckle. WHY: Because we love any cowboy bootie that references a 1960’s Sergio Leone western as much as the next girl. These light brown speckled leather kickers feature an exposed side-zip, button-flap, and stacked wooden heel to help you pioneer through the wild frontier (or an urban jungle) without a hitch. As Becca says, “They are not meant to be taken seriously. Wear them out. Drive over them. Leave them out in the sun.”

V pays tribute to Lady Gaga diehards in “The Discovery Issue,” which hits newsstands on Thursday. Over 8000 of the little monsters submitted their picturse to be in the issue. That’s at least 8,000 issues sold, Stephen! The mag couldn’t include everyone, but check out our gallery to view some of our favorites. We’re still in denial that this is a cult, but these developments suggest otherwise.

stevenkolb: The strongest power comes from being powerless to it all…TheLSD (Lauren Santo Domingo): Kim Kardashian is an A-List celeb. Gwyneth Paltrow is a country music star. Dead birds fall from the sky. The end is near, for sure.. #2012…VieLuxe (Marjorie Gubelmann): It’s that time of year to fix my “headaches”!…KateBetts: Congrats to Dennis Freedman on his new post as Barneys creative director. Now move some merch!

Details is throwing another bash in Milan this Sunday night, and insiders are expecting another “rowdy” soiree akin to last year’s bacchanal soiree. Chic has learned that editors will be handing out key cards to invited guests with a suite number, but nobody is saying where. Last year, the bash at Principe Di Savoia was filled to capacity, and Italian security guards were called to monitor the door until the last guests left at 3 a.m.. Can they top that? We guess they can try.

Your Daily Dog: Who is Monkey’s Mommy?

Ruffian designers Brian Wolk and Claude Morais recently headed to Montreal for an adventure and reveal tout.

“I guess 5 o’clock in America is happy hour,” declared Alber Elbaz before the start of his Lanvin pre-fall show at the Bowery Hotel. Yes, there were cocktails, but the presentation was plenty civilized. “This isn’t about Marilyn Monroe moving to India and having an acid trip,” he explained. Demure dresses made from black and navy scuba were accented with ruffled collars and a smattering of gemstone brooches. Knee-grazing bourgeois coats were kept minimal and clean or given rich texture with belted patchwork fur and tweed. (Matching Russian fur ushanka included.) High-waisted skirts and tapered wool pants paired easily with expertly tailored wool flannel suitcoats beckoning business women everywhere. But what anchored the opulence and gave the collection a youthful air were the warm ribbed tights, relaxed thermal long johns (worn with heels, of course), and printed silk scarves wrapped casually around a low ponytail.

Yesterday at Lanvin’s pre-fall show at the Bowery Hotel, The Daily raised an eyebrow upon spotting Simon Doonan sitting pretty in the front row. Although Barneys PR announced his new, less-involved role at the retailer merely hours before, the ever-cheerful media sprite didn’t seem the least bit dismayed. After greeting Alber Elbaz, he chuckled with his neighbors, mingled with the who’s who (like TK and TK), and intensely analyzed the 2011 collection. Now that’s spirit!

Academy Award-winning actress and Lady Dior spokesmodel, Marion Cotillard, has finally confirmed the pregnancy rumors keeping the internet abuzz for the last few weeks. The child will be a first for both her and longtime partner, fellow French actor Guillaume Canet. The couple met on the 2003 set of Love Me If You Dare and have been together for three years. Canet was formerly married to German actress Diane Kruger.

Marion Cotillard was last seen in Christopher Nolan’s action-drama Inception, starring alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. Cotillard is also part of the hotly anticipated cast of Woody Allen’s forthcoming Midnight in Paris.

No word yet on whether her pregnancy will affect plans to take part in David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis alongside English heartthrob Robert Pattinson; the film was slated to start production in Toronto this May.

D’ARCY FLUECK