ELLE's Kate Davidson Hudson Prepares for Fashion Week

To kick start New York Fashion Week, ELLE magazine has created a 5-part documentary-style video series showing how 5 different industry insiders (a model, an editor, a publicist, a designer, and the CDFA's Director of Programs) prepare for the chaos that is Fashion Week. Starting with Kate Davidson Hudson, the magazine's Executive Accessories Editor, they'll be posting one video a day. Check it out: ELLE's Kate Davidson Hudson Prepares for Fashion Week

New York Fashion Week is almost here!

I can't contain my excitement! Here is the schedule (a.k.a ballot) for Friday the 13th, the first day of shows. Let me know who your favorite designer of the day is! Then, at the end of the day on Friday, I'll vote on the best collection and those of who you chose your designer wisely can bask in the glory of your awesome trend spotting abilities. It's sort of like Fantasy Football...without the gross, sweaty, athleticism of it all.

FRIDAY February 13th

Time	Events
9 a.m.	Anthony Manfredonia Blue Fin, 1567 Broadway, at 47th St.
9 a.m.–6 p.m.	Alexandra Vidal 120 E. 87th St., nr. Lexington Ave., Ste. R22E
10 a.m.	Heart Truth Bryant Park, the Tent
10 a.m.–Noon	Barbara Tfank The Carlyle, 35 E. 76th St., at Madison Ave.
11 a.m.	Yigal Azrouël Bryant Park, the Promenade
11 a.m.	Telfar St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, 131 E. 10th St., at Second Ave.
11 a.m.–6 p.m.	Slow and Steady Wins the Race Kiosk, 95 Spring St., nr. Broadway, second fl.
Noon	Abaeté Altman Building, 135 W. 18th St., nr. Seventh Ave.
Noon–2 p.m.	Chadwick Bell Hosfelt Gallery, 531 W. 36th St., nr. Eleventh Ave.
1 p.m.	Jason Wu Exit Art, 475 Tenth Ave., at 36th St.
1 p.m.	Duckie Brown Bryant Park, the Salon
1:30 p.m.–3 p.m.	Bensoni Skyline Gallery, 500 W. 36th St., at Tenth Ave.
2 p.m.	Charlotte Ronson Bryant Park, the Promenade
3 p.m.	BCBG Max Azria Bryant Park, the Tent
3:30 p.m.–7 p.m.	Zang Toi 30 W. 57th St., nr. Sixth Ave., seventh fl.
4 p.m.	Davidelfin Eyebeam Atelier, 541 W. 21st St., nr. Eleventh Ave.
4 p.m.	Cushnie et Ochs Celest Bartos Forum, New York Public Library, 476 Fifth Ave., at 41st St.
4 p.m. –5 p.m.	Shipley & Halmos 511 W. 25th St., nr. Tenth Ave.
5 p.m.	rag & bone Cedar Lake, 547 W. 26th St., nr. Eleventh Ave.
6 p.m.	Nicole Miller Bryant Park, the Tent
6 p.m.	Robert Geller Focus Studio, 599 Eleventh Ave., at 45th St.
6 p.m.	Dany Atrache Haute Couture The Waldorf–Astoria, 301 Park Ave., nr. 49th St.
6 p.m.–8 p.m.	Christian Cota Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 W. 18th St., nr. Sixth Ave.
6 p.m.–9 p.m.	Haute Hippie Showroom 10Eleven, 80 W. 40th St., nr. Sixth Ave., penthouse
7 p.m.	Staerk & Victor Glemaud Milk Studio, 450 W. 15th St., nr. Tenth Ave., penthouse
7 p.m.	Costello Tagliapietra Altman Building, 135 W. 18th St., nr. Seventh Ave.
7 p.m.	Rachel Comey Taxter & Spengemann, 123 E. 12th St., nr. Third Ave.
8 p.m.	Academy of Art Bryant Park, the Tent
8 p.m.	Form Tribeca Grand, 2 Sixth Ave., at White St.
8 p.m.	Lorick New York Focus Studio, 599 Eleventh Ave., at 45th St.
8:30 p.m.	Catalin Botezatu Couture The Waldorf–Astoria, 301 Park Ave., nr. 49th St.
9 p.m.	Kati Stern/Venexiana Bryant Park, the Salon
9 p.m.	Bland Prsentation/Installation Opening Asia Song Society, 45 Canal St., nr. Ludlow St.

Au Revoir Bryant Park, Bonjour Damrosch Park?

After 15 years of calling Bryant Park home (even that name is synonymous with the bi-annual event), New York Fashion Week will packing up and heading to Damrosch Park at the Lincoln Center. Providing a 25% increase in square footage, many show goers, including Anna Wintour, are in favor of the move. “Lincoln Center may actually prove to be easier to traverse between shows, as Chelsea and the West Side are on the same axis,” says Linda Fargo, Vice President of Bergdorf Goodman. The proximity of this new space to other areas of the city means fashionistas will no longer have to chase after cabs in 4-inch heels, sprinting from show to show. The move won't be happening until September 2010 (or the S/S 2011 collections), so enjoy the 4x4 box-like atmosphere of Bryant Park while you still can, my friends.

Alexander Wang to do menswear!

Lately, it seems as though designers with a niche in either womenswear or menswear are now expanding their business and designing for both sexes. With the economy being so bleak and fashion companies being so hard up for cash these days, do you really blame them? CDFA nominated menswear designer Tim Hamilton recently announced that he would try his hand at designing for women. Rick Owens and wonderboy Gareth Pugh just showed their first menswear collections to rave reviews at Fashion Week in Paris last week. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen plan to add menswear to their high-end label, The Row. And, just today, Style.com is reporting that Alexander Wang (who just came into some extra cash as a CDFA/Vogue Fashion Fund award recipient) is planning to show a men's collection this Fall. Wang even says that he will be wearing the men's pieces himself, so keep your eyes peeled for a little preview. While I'm not usually a tee shirt kind of guy, best believe that I'll be breaking my neck to get my hands on one of his new pieces!

Telling it like it is

If you're interested in reading a very honest and truthful review of those bland, boring menswear looks that just showed at Milan Fashion Week then click here. Guy Trebay of the New York Times sums it all up quite well.

Will the real Thom Browne please stand up

Amazing. Here a some shots from New York designer Thom Browne's latest menswear collection in Milan. In lieu of a runway show (seems to be all the rage these days), Browne opted for a presentation and it did not disappoint. 40 male models acted out some sort of ritualistic office scene which was set, apparently, in the 1950s. "The models all wore the same outfit: a shrunken gray suit, cardigan, wing tips, and camel overcoat. After they walked into the room, a 'boss' rang a bell at which point they took off their short coats and slim-fitting suit jackets, sat down, and started typing. They sat at identical desks and even ate identical lunches." Pretty cool, eh? Now, please excuse me while I go watch Mad Men for more inspiration.

Milan Fashion Week: Roundup #1

So far, Costume National, Jil Sander, Dolce & Gabbana, Marni, Missoni and Burberry Prorsum have shown their F/W 09 men's collections and I don't quite know what to think. While much of the construction is very sharp, tailoring is strong, and fabrics tend to be heavy yet soft, the colors are dark and muted. While lack of color tends to be characteristic of most fall/winter collections, one can't help but notice the sartorial reflection of our economic plight. However, as Raf Simons said yesterday of his collection for Jil Sander, "I wanted to present something powerful." And maybe that's the reason Marni's collection, however meager it may have been (their few pieces could only warrant a showroom presention in place of a runway show), appealed to me the most: it inspired. The colors and patterns at Missoni also made my eyes perk up amid a slideshow of blacks and greys, but what else does one expect? If looking at a Missoni collection doesn't feel like one is looking into a kaleidoscope then something's wrong.

Marni

Burberry Prorsum

Missoni

Burberry Prorsum

Men's Fashion Week!

I don't feel as though men's fashion week gets as much attention as it deserves. There are 5 full days of menswear shows at Milan Fashion Week (1/17-1/21) and another 4 days at Paris Fashion Week (1/18-1/21). I will be bringing you some of my favorite looks every day so keep checking back.

SUPER EXCITING NEWS!!!!!!!!

Hey guys! This been in the works for some time now, but I didn't want to write about it until I was 100%, absolutely sure that it was truly happening...and it is! So, are you ready for my huge announcement (drumroll please....)? I'M GOING TO NEW YORK FASHION WEEK THIS FALL!!! Yes, I will be in NYC from September 4-7th and will DEFINATELY be working at the Patrik Ervell (whose menswear designs are pictured above) and Tim Hamilton shows on Saturday 9/6! They're TBA, but I might also be working some other shows too (in between camping out in front of the tents at Bryant Park all day looooong to maybe get a glimpse of Blake Lively at the Miss Sixty show, Kanye at Rock & Republic, or L.C and Whitney at Sass & Bide again??? Who knows!) All I can say is that I'm super excited and I'm really hoping to take all of you along with me for the ride! Here are some photos from these the two designers' previous shows:

PATRICK ERVELL

TIM HAMILTON

...more Fashion Week updates to come...

S/S 2009 Fashion Week is Approaching

Yes, folks, it's that time again. Before the Fall/Winter 2008 collections have even hit stores, designers are preparing to show for Spring/Summer 2009. The Mercedes Benz Fashion Week schedule has already been leaked online, and while many of the shows are guaranteed to be great (Marc Jacobs, BCBG, Chris Benz, Phillip Lim, and Peter Som), my favorite day so far looks to be Saturday, September 6 with showings by: Band of Outsiders, Alexander Wang, Obedient Sons, and more!