I was up at the crack of dawn this morning for my talk at the Bob Ramsay breakfast at restaurant George in Toronto. My speech was about fashion, gender and power. So of course, there was discussion of Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Desiree Rogers and Nancy Pelosi. A wonderful group of about 75 -100 people turned out for the breakfast and to hear me speak. Yikes! Bob prepped me by describing how the last speaker nearly brought the audience to tears. Gulp!

But it was a really warm group of people and they responded so enthusiastically and with terrific questions. I felt right at home. Afterwards, I signed books, which was super cool.

While in town, Bob hosted a dinner at his home. I had the chance to see Suzanne Boyd, the former editor of the far-too-shortlived Suede magazine. She's now the editor-in-chief of Zoomer, which is a sort of seriously cool magazine for baby boomers. Sting was on the cover of the issue that I saw and the magazine has Suzanne's signature smart take on culture. I did an interview for the arts and culture CBC show Q, where I met the Bare Naked Ladies. The band was performing live in the studio and sounding spectacular. I was gifted with a copy of the new CD: "All in Good Time." What I heard, I loved.

I also met a retailing legend here in Canada -- and frankly, beyond. Harry Rosen. What a dapper gentleman.

I'm now off to lunch with Susie Sheffman of the fabulous Fashion magazine, who has promised to show me what's what in Toronto. I'm hoping to do a little fashion reconnaisance and get to Holt Renfew and perhaps, Harry Rosen -- the store, not the man.

Toronto weather has also cooperated and while it's chilly, the sun has come out.

One last note. I'm so impressed by how engaged the folks I've met have been with what's going on in DC. I, of course, am the ugly American asking the most basic questions about prime minister Harper and his wife.

Back to DC tonight!

I have finally returned from fashion shows in Milan and Paris and am now preparing to catch up on all the features that I have been unable to pursue. At the moment, however, I'm in a hotel room in Toronto where I'll be speaking to a group called the Bob Ramsay breakfast. He invites in speakers to talk on a variety of subjects and I'm going to be discussing fashion, power and Michelle Obama. What a mouthful!

I never think of myself as a good speaker. I much prefer the Q&A portion of any event so I'm hoping to rush through the formal part of the program and get to what I consider the fun part.

I haven't been to Toronto in ages and sadly, it's gray and rainy and a bit chilly. But the city looks amazing and once I finish up my column -- about the fabricated fashion competition between Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy -- I hope to absorb a little of the Toronto vibe.

I was watching the health care debate over the weekend and today's signing of the bill and couldn't help but marvel at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with her pearls and her elegant suit and that big ole gavel. I noted to a colleague that I never thought I'd describe pearls as "kick-ass" but she wore them during the vote and she wore them when she first became Speaker and they've taken on this signature quality. Do not underestimate the lady in the pearls. I love that something that was once thought of as so genteel and demure now have this ring of power and toughness to them. Talk about transforming the symbolism of fashion....

I arrived in Milan on Saturday for the fall collections, but only barely. I was going through security when all heck broke loose on my BlackBerry because White House social secretary Desiree Rogers had resigned. I spent the next couple of hours e-mailing my fingers to the nubs and sucking the battery life out of my phone.

Her departure wasn't a surprise but it's timing was. I tend to like to tidy things up with a bow and so leaving in February is a curious choice in my estimation. Perhaps she didn't want to wait until April in order to avoid headlines that read, "April is the cruelest month."

Anyway, she's back in Chicago with her longtime friends. I'm now in Paris surrounded by the fashion editors who went ga-ga for her and who are now heartbroken by her departure. See my story about that. A link is above. Her replacement, Julianna Smoot, does not seem to be stirring up any enthusiasm or hope that perhaps lurking in the back of her closet is a little Junya Watanabe just waiting to be hauled out for the first gala she oversees.

I arrived in Paris with about 5 pounds of parmagiana and prosciutto that I bought at the fabulous Milan deli Peck. In my brief couple days in Italy, that was pretty much the best I could do shopping wise. Oh, I also bought this incredible truffle infused taglioni that smells divine. i wish they could make truffle oil into a perfume.

I interviewed Gildo Zegna, the president of Ermenegildo Zegna, which makes fancy menswear. He had some interesting things to say about the menswear business, which will be in an upcoming story, but in the meantime, I'll just mention the commemorative watch he showed me that marks the firms 100th anniversary. Rose gold. $20,000. Good Lord.

After only a couple shows in Paris it seems that the look on the runway is the same as it was in New York and Milan -- more grown-up frocks. My man Dries Van Noten showed this afternoon and he mostly drained away his usual cacophony of ethnic prints and instead turned the emphasis on silhouette. Plenty reasons to heat up my American Express card.

Curiously though, I'm less excited about actually purchasing fashion and more intrigued with possibily buying art. Of course, I'll have to find out where the student artists sell their work....then maybe, just maybe I could afford something.

Tomorrow morning: Balenciaga. I expect to be bowled over.