In a very important article about the future of brands, fashion and the retail business, the Wall Street Journal focuses on the Spring 2010 D&G runway show in Milan last week, in which key execs from Bergdorf’s, Saks and Neiman Marcus were in the second and third rows, upstaged by young bloggers and Internet retailers.

Garance Dore blog is a new kind of communication — an original voice of a ‘normal’ woman who loves fashion and style. Her blog doesn’t sound as if it’s written by a pr agency. Instead, she writes: “Yeah okay, t-shirts are all good and well. But what if you started wondering what you’ll be wearing come winter? After I got back to Paris and had a night of about 72 hours of sleep, I stuck my nose outside and I definitely felt it. There’s a cool breeze out there. Yep yep, early in the morning, in the shade, it’s chilly. So now it’s high time for me to get out my little notebook, my wish-list for autumn, which, I am convinced, will bedazzle you as much for its originality as for its realism. Aaaah Garance, your originality bedazzles us just as much your realism.”Federico Marchetti, chief executive of online retailer Yoox occupied a front row seat at D&G, along with four bloggersfrom Bryanboy.com; jakandjil.com; garancedore.fr and The Sartorialist.

These epic changes are rocking not only the world of brick and mortar retailers but also magazine media like Vogue — who resisted putting free content on Style.com, until they risked losing their audience to other websites.

Yoox’s Marchetti has launched designer websites, in addition to his own.

The WSJ reports that D&G has 30 employees working on new media. Their website Swide is brilliantly executed by Marchetti. While largely self-promotional, Swide succeeds in selling a lifestyle, brand concept to devotees of the Dolce & Gabbana lifestyle.

Modern life presents dwellers of Britain’s “stately homes” with a variety of new options for paying the bills. From garden parties to weddings and funerals (I must check out this option), clever, entrepreneurial minds willing to embrace a few strangers running around embrace new and sometimes wildly exciting guest options.

The best strategies involve tapping into the young, marcissists, art lovers and even sex addicts. Turn the stately family birthright into a lucrative porn shoot location. Just be careful that enchanted guests don’t wander down the wrong staircase.

Curious? The London Times takes us on a tour of fresh thinking about renting out the grandest of mansions.

Susan Boyle for US Harper’s Bazaar “Unsung Hero”Harper’s Bazaar photographed Susan Boyle at Cliveden this summer.

Readers daydreamed in more ways than one. If Susan Boyle can indulge in the good life at Cliveden, what not us?

I think Susan’s stay at Cliveden was on the “up and up”, being surrounded by a pack of fashionistas, stylist, celeb photographer — hardly the kind of people we expect to find at an orgy.

The only lying around Susan might have done was getting a good night’s rest and perhaps enjoying her first hot stone massage.

Now that’s living the good life.