Pretty pop star Rihanna popped into the 51st Street H&M today to launch the HIV-driven "Fashion Against AIDS" campaign. The experience brought out quite a range of emotions for the young singer - and the pictures prove one thing: this girl was born to be a star!

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This fall, Swedish bargain retailer H&M will be selling the only thing better and more real than Madonna herself: an exclusive Madonna-approved nylon tracksuit! The Queen of Pop is now the Queen of (Discount) Fashion, and she will be featured in ads that start running around the same time as the tracksuits enter the stores.

Our pal at Made In Brazil got his greedy hands on these preliminary ad photos, and of course we wanted to share them with you. If Madge were any more airbrushed, she would be a drawing.

The Cheap Side Of Madonna [Made In Brazil]

"Girl, that faux-Balenciaga purse is against the law!" And it actually could be, if the fashion industry gets its way. The Council of Fashion Designers of America is petitioning Congress to get copyright protection for the physical appearance of their designs, something they have not had since the 1930s because until now clothes have been considered "utilitarian," and thus exempt from intellectual property laws.

The CFDA wants that to change so they can have legal recourse if a copycat design is not "original" or is "substantially similar in appearance to a protected design."

These are very murky waters, because as we all know, probably 50% of the collections shown during any given fashion week look strangely similar. We call it "trend," but maybe, just maybe, it is the result of decades of indiscreet borrowing of ideas.

But the target of the proposed statute would most likely not be designers' high-end colleagues, but rather discount stores like H&M and Zara, which follow the trends so closely that only those in the know can tell that the trend didn't start right there for $19.95. Not only are high fashion designs showing up in those stores through mimickry, but designers are now taking their business directly to the cheaper chains with exclusive partnerships (hello Karl, Stella, and Isaac).

Slate ponders whether creativity in the fashion industry would thrive or stagnate if the CFDA succeeds in its effort. It'd be nice if designers on the high and low end paid more attention to originality of ideas, and were more comfortable setting trends than following them. And aside from that, a good courtroom drama is fun. It comes as a surprise to us that all the bitchy queens in the fashion industry haven't been suing each other right along.

Copycat fight [Slate]

There are few things gayer than velvet. Spandex and lace come to mind. But get all your preconceived notions about velvet out of your head. It is not just for prom dresses anymore.

A velvet blazer is a great closet staple and has surprising versatility. It can be dressed up and dressed down. It is appropriate with a shirt and tie equally as it is when paired with a turtleneck and jeans. Every designer has shown velvet jackets recently. Whether Michael Kors or H&M, the velvet blazer is a trend that looks like it's staying.

Choosing the right color is the most important decision. Choose black, chocolate, or red if you make the holiday party circuit. These colors appear a little more sophisticated. If you want less flash and something more casual we say go for camel, browns, greens, or mustard yellow. These earth tones don't appear too dressy and look great with a new pair of boots and classic Levi's.

The Gap has a great velvet cord jacket, in black or brown, for only $88. If you can drop a few more bucks then check out Neiman Marcus. They have a large selection of designer velvet jackets, from Etro and Juicy Couture, in bold colors. And as always thrift shops and eBay are perfect places to find vintage pieces.

You could also opt for velvet trousers, but that might be too gay. Even for us.