Maybe Vanderbilt had to sell WRVU because they had a pile of outstanding bow-tie invoices.

The Dayton Daily News is reporting former Vandy chancellor Gordon Gee has expensed $7.7 million since returning to Ohio State as president in October 2007.

There's lots of damning numbers in the piece, but this sentence is the best:

The university spends tens of thousands of dollars alone branding Gee around his signature bow ties. Since 2007, Ohio State has spent more than $64,000 on bow ties, bow tie cookies and O-H and bow tie pins for Gee and others to distribute, the newspaper found.

As an expert on the subject, let me assure everyone that $64,000 is a truly absurd amount to spend on bow ties, unless it's the kind of bow tie that comes on the front of a 2013 Corvette.

The handmade bow ties at Nashville's Otis James come in at $110. The most expensive one of the dozens I own cost me maybe $70. Burlington Coat Factory — which offers more than coats, friends — will sell you a perfectly acceptable bow tie for less than a Jackson.

To put this in perspective, for $64,000, Gee could have purchased a new, $36 (a completely reasonable price) bow tie every day between Oct. 1, 2007 and June 30, 2012. And he still would have had $1,576 to spend on tasty bow-tie cookies, which have the dual advantage of being kosher for Passover as well as a delicious munchie.

All of this on the expense account for a man who is the highest-paid university administrator in the country and is more than able to buy his own neckwear without billing Ohio State's endowment.

At least Gee isn't bilking the taxpayers of the Buckeye State to satiate his bow-tie fetish, but he should at least talk to his boss before pulling out the university AmEx.

Just over a year ago, The Scene wrote a cover story about cult denim store Imogene + Willie, and proprietors Matt and Carrie Eddmenson are fond of saying that the piece introduced the label to Nashville. It seems like the rest of the world is catching on (for starters, see the article in today's New York Times), and I+W is using the opportunity to introduce Nashville to everybody else.

Starting today, Park & Bond — a national men’s fashion website — is spotlighting I+W for the month of December, giving Matt and Carrie reign to “curate” the section with tons of Nashville-centric information. On the site you'll find an itinerary for M+C’s perfect day in Nashville (the Nashville Flea Market, Crema, The Belcourt and The Basement are among the spots mentioned), a recipe from City House chef Tandy Wilson, how-to guides for breaking and washing raw denim, and an interview with The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach.

Look for more features from I+W on the Park & Bond site in the coming weeks, including pop cultural bits and art from artist Casey Pierce.

An excerpt from Kelly Cutrone's hilariously candid talk before a full house Friday at Nashville Fashion Week. Taped at The Belcourt by Elizabeth Jones.

Kelly Cutrone, speaking before a full house at today's Nashville Fashion Week address at The Belcourt.

Who needs Milan when you've got Music City? The inaugural official Nashville Fashion Week reaches its climax tonight and tomorrow night with runway shows combining some of the city's hottest young designers (and some of its most accomplished fashion emigrés) with international stars.

Laura Hutson offers a sneak peek of what to expect at tonight's War Memorial Auditorium runway show at 7:30 p.m., featuring Katharine Kidd and Gustavo Cadile:

Designer Anna Redmon named her line Norma Clare after her grandmother, and a current of vintage inspiration flows through all her pieces. The timeless, ladylike designs mix flowing drapes with tailored precision.

Coquette's vintage-inspired swimwear collection is a must-see. ... Also featured are national labels that have Tennessee roots, such as the New York-based, Tennessee-born designer Julianna Bass. Her collection has strong silhouettes, and a 1980s-style over-the-top glamour, but with a touch of quirkiness to ground it in 2011.

Laura also peeks behind the curtains of tomorrow night's 7:30 p.m. show, anchored by the witty Anglophilic designs of Robert Graham and set against a dramatic view of the cityscape high atop The Pinnacle building downtown:

The brand-new extravaganza called Lexus Nashville Fashion Week has now announced all the designers that will participate in the city's first official week of runway shows, couture, cocktail parties, knowledge-sharing and networking. The event also celebrates Nashville by setting its glamorous events in diverse sites around town, from the Pinnacle to the Arcade, from an East Nashville church to the grand old War Memorial Auditorium downtown.

The kickoff is less than two weeks away — The five-day event runs Tuesday, March 29, to Saturday, April 2 — and organizers have crafted an impressive tapestry of fashion talent, both local and international players.

The full lineup was revealed earlier this week:

Final group of designers for Nashville Fashion Week announced, including six local Nashville designers and headliner Christian Siriano

Lexus Nashville Fashion Week announces the final group of designers who will show collections in runway shows, March 29—April 2, 2011. Throughout the week, shows will feature a total of 25 different designers (five each night), including Christian Siriano, winner of Project Runway’s fourth season, who has shown six collections at New York Fashion Week.

The newly announced group includes six Nashville-based designers, as well as T. Raines (formerly of Heatherette) and Aman Stovall. Nashville-based designers include Coquette, Jamie and the Jones, Melissa Tabor, Olia Zavozina, Valentine Valentine and White Rabbit.

This group rounds out the full list of Lexus Nashville Fashion Week designers:

Aman Stovall — Southern natives Brent Johnson and Mary Catherine Moody’s luxury brand, Aman Stovall, is defined by Italian fabrications, couture sewing techniques and modern influences. Johnson’s skills in modern tailoring mixed with Moody’s embellishment techniques began the partnership of Aman Stovall.

Coquette by Brooke Shipley — Coquette swimwear is a combination of vintage elegance and modern design that come together to create one of a kind garments, reflecting the uniqueness of the women who wear them.

Jamie and the Jones — Jamie and the Jones is a collaboration of classic forms and raw artistic beauty. Wearable colors and shapes, infused with intricate hand embroidery, knit, crochet and fabric painting, create an understated elegance that is uniquely Jamie and the Jones.

Melissa Tabor — Melissa Tabor is a Nashville-based women’s wear designer. She studied clothing design/marketing at AIU in Atlanta. She started her line in 2006 in Atlanta and debuted her first Nashville line this past fall.

Olia Zavozina — Olia Zavozina is a designer and manufacturer of high-fashion bridal gowns and bespoke menswear. Zavozina has been designing custom bridal gowns for the last five years and is now launching the Royal Elegance collection for retailers.

Valentine Valentine by Amanda Valentine — Raised on thrifting and quilting in Nebraska, Amanda Valentine's mother taught her to sew at age 8. After a degree in design and a stint in Los Angeles, Valentine landed in Nashville, where she is a wardrobe stylist and designer.

White Rabbit by Shea Steele — Shea Steele is a Nashville-based designer with a keen eye for bold elements. White Rabbit garments and accessories reflect a background in fine art and employ striking combinations of volume, proportion, color and shape to achieve maximum impact through minimal means. Steele also owns Local Honey, a Nashville boutique known for its support of local designers.

T. Rains — Traver Rains (formerly of Heatherette), who recently took some time off to work on his photography, is debuting his new line, T. Rains. His cool collection of silk-screened tees, tanks and hoodies is in keeping with his cowboy style, and the collection has a retro-Western feel, employing '60s pop art and images from Rains’ own photography.

When most people think of Nashville fashion, they might imagine Carrie Underwood, prairie skirts and Wranglers. And, let’s be honest: They aren’t totally wrong. The enormity of the commercial country industry and all its trappings have a way of overshadowing the rest of Nashville, leaving much of our music, politics — and yes, fashion — in the proverbial dust.

Most people don't just automatically know how to be stylish — they have to know where to look. Refinery 29 is one of those places, a style blog aimed at editors, stylists, and fashion-forward individuals who love smart, progressive design. They recently picked up on Heidi Jewell’s blog Under the Guise, and posted a slideshow of her Nashville street fashion photos, proving what we’ve known all along — that Nashvillians can be just as stylish as our big-city counterparts. Nashville is a Southern oasis of culture, buying vintage is actually affordable here, and some of the most uniquely stylish people I’ve ever met call Nashville home. Jewell tells Pith that she's also been tapped as a Nashville correspondent for Elle, and will have a spread on Nashville fashion launching on elle.com in the next week or so.

Jewell’s shots show that Nashville not only can contend with New York and L.A., but surpass them. After all, who wears plaid button-ups, breaks in cowboy boots, or gets old-fashioned glamour better than we do? These girls look cool without trying too hard, layering vintage dresses with boyish accessories, Pendleton patterns with glamorous coats, and skirts and red lipstick with combat boots. New Yorkers, take note.

We told you about Nashville's first official Fashion Week, which puts on the ritz-glitz March 29 through April 2 and is shaping up to look like a fashionable Next Big Nashville. There will be daytime shindigs at boutiques, educational panels around town and runway shows at night — capping off, we hear, with a big finish against a backdrop of a stunning view. So far, formidable fashion femme Kelly Cutrone has confirmed a speaking engagement, and we'll report more confirmed appearances as we get them.

Noteworthy:

+Get your tickets now, offered at tiered rates that will satisfy the fiendish and fickle alike. For a lowly $20, you can catch Kelly Cutrone waxing wise about the industry (April 1, 3:30 p.m.). For a whopping $350, you can have your gift bag and eat it too. That means you get all the good seats, all the good freebies and a private reception with Cutrone herself.

+Local modeling agency AMAX has announced a model search for gals and guys who want to walk in the upcoming Fashion Week shows (guidelines here). No experience is necessary, and a grand prize package includes a modeling contract with AMAX, headliner spots in the runway shows, photo shoot, makeover and a fashion spread in Her magazine.

The contest runs through March 12. So practice your best poses, and don't go read this hilarious roundup of the Top 10 All-Time Model/Runway Mishaps.

Earlier:
Breaking News: Fashion Force Kelly Cutrone Confirms Appearance at Nashville Fashion Week
Nashville Announces First Official Fashion Week March 29 - April 2