Seats at Marc Jacobs’ fashion shows have always been the hardest to wrangle—but now, just like the fashion elite, everyone can get in on the fun: Jacobs will livestream his show on February 15 at 8 p.m. at Create The Group. Alexander McQueen earned rave reviews when he livestreamed his show on Nick Knight’s SHOWstudio.com this fall, and on Tuesday, it was announced that the site’s roster will expand during New York Fashion Week: Alexander Wang and Rodarte will join the lineup of designers livestreaming their shows. Also going live during New York Fashion Week is Calvin Klein, who will stream his show on CalvinKleinCollection.com and Facebook. “I see the future of fashion weeks around the world as not only a physical schedule of shows, but also as a digital calendar of fashion experiences online, which bridge the industry and consumer experience,” Knight said. “When the industry talks about the ‘future of fashion weeks’ this is ultimately where they will arrive.”
Jennifer Graylock / AP Photo
Leave it to Naomi Campbell to pull together a last-minute, major fashion event during the busiest week of the year. She’s throwing a massive fashion show for Haiti relief on February 12—and everyone’s in! Rachel Zoe will style the show, Marc Jacobs has designed a bag for the event, and Charlotte Ronson even moved her fashion show so it wouldn’t conflict with the fete. Campbell, who hosted a fashion event in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, told Business Week: “Everyone else is trying to help Haiti, and we wanted to do our part on the fashion side of things.” And according to Campbell, “The response has been overwhelming. No one has said ‘no’—which means a lot because it’s such a busy time with designers preparing their fall collections.”
Charles Sykes / AP Photo
In the fall, Kim Kardashian haunted Bryant Park. She appeared where you least expected her: sandwiched between Badgley Mischka designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka; cuddling up to Russell Simmons in the front row of Baby Phat. Ashley Dupre wedged herself in the front row of Yigal Azrouel’s Fall/Winter show in 2009. So who will be the next pop culture trainwreck at Fashion Week? All signs point to Snooki, who has been rumored to be looking for front row seats with her Jersey Shore castmates. The cast has reportedly even been approached for some modeling gigs (have we missed the memo on the wet t-shirt contest at Milk Studios this year?) Fashion PR guru Paul Wilmot told The New York Post: “If they’re going to a designer’s show, the nicest thing they can do is wear the designer’s clothes. No wife-beaters, no baggy jeans. Dress up and act like ladies and gentlemen. And invest in a good haircut.”
Bryan Bedder / Getty Images; Frank Micelotta / Getty Images
New York will be frigid and filled with yellow slush by the time Fashion Week officially kicks off Thursday, but there is a light at the end of the Meatpacking District: Surf Lodge, the cozy Montauk hotel, will be opening a pop-up restaurant on the eighth floor of Milk Studios on West 15th Street. They’ll be serving up Bloody Marys, vapor waters and teas—and Top Chef Season 2’s Sam Talbot will be “debuting new delicacies” Sunday through Thursday. MAC & Milk—which is at capacity with 32 shows scheduled throughout the week—will have the hungry models and fashion editors running up between shows for some much-needed relaxation time.
Courtesy of Surf Lodge
Rodarte’s Kate and Laura Mulleavy, it turns out, are focused on more than just their runway show this week. They’re also the brains behind Quicktake: Rodarte, an exhibition opening at Cooper Hewitt on Thursday. The show, which will show 18 looks, will showcase the sisters’ many inspirations—from the architecture of Southern California to horror films. An opening party for the show will be hosted by Natalie Portman on February 18th.
Courtesy of Cooper- Hewitt
Fashion Week’s about the shows, sure, but it wouldn’t be complete without a full nighttime schedule, too—and this season’s parties are no exception. Opening Ceremony will fete its second New York location at the new Ace Hotel on Saturday—and will feature DJ Solange Knowles on the turntables. Richard Chai will spend Valentine’s Day partying with friends at White Slab Palace on the Lower East Side with Philip Lim and Thakoon, GQ will honor the “Best New Menswear Designers,” and Calvin Klein designers Italo Zucchelli and Francisco Costa will host a party in honor of both their men’s and women’s collections, where 300 people (including new Calvin Klein underwear model Kellan Lutz) will crowd a studio on Little West 12th Street. Around the corner, Diane von Furstenberg will host a Valentine’s Day blowout in her studio.
Getty Images (2); Billy Farrell / PatrickMcMullan.com
During Fashion Week this fall, the Boom Boom Room at the Standard Hotel opened with a bang. But this week, it’s all about Good Units, a basketball court-turned-club inside the Hudson Hotel that includes enough vintage bleachers, woods and cargo nets to bring back nightmares of Phys. Ed. But instead of gym-class bullies, it’s the fashion set. They turned out in droves at Interview Magazine’s 40th Anniversary Party there Tuesday night. And—you may not see Anna Wintour or Ralph Lauren there—but Good Units will house one of the week’s hottest parties, hosted by Patricia Field, the Keith Haring Foundation and Susanne Bartsch, in honor of their fashion collaboration. Also at Good Units will be a photo exhibition of rare images of Madonna photographed by Richard Corman next week. Whether Madge will make a cameo is still unclear—but limited edition prints of Madonna in the early 1980s will be on sale, and proceeds will go to Haiti relief.
Retna; Courtesy of Hudson Hotel; AP Photo (2); Getty Images
Collections from fashion’s old guard —from Carolina Herrera to Oscar de la Renta—are undoubtedly big events, but at every fashion week, it’s just as much about the freshman class. Buzzed-about new designers this year include Marcella Lindeberg of Paris 68, who is debuting a line of womenswear inspired by the 1968 rebellion in Paris. “I think that for a date, a location and an historical event it’s very interesting,” the designer has said. Then there’s Sartel, a collection inspired by durability and architecture designed by Lily Atherton’s sister, Hope, and Matthew Earnest. RISD graduate and Karl Lagerfeld mentee Caroline Seikaly presented a well-received Spring 2010 RTW line of feminine, flowing dresses in the fall (she employed seamstresses from Lagerfeld to work during their lunch hours on her line), and will present her collection at the Bryant Park Hotel on Sunday. The last pair to watch are Andy Kim and Debbie Yoon, the Korean husband-and-wife team behind Andy & Debb, who presented romantic pieces inspired by Old Hollywood in their Spring collection—and who will debut their line on Saturday.
Getty Images (2); PatrickMcMullan.com (2)
It’s hard to know which pretty young things are booked for shows until the first model walks, but fashion insiders are placing bets on three wide-eyed newcomers: Gwen Loos, Frida Gustavsson, and Jacquelyn Jablonski. When 17-year-old Loos debuted in Fall 2009, Balenciaga’s Nicholas Ghesquiere was so taken by her that he booked her exclusively—allowing Loos only to walk for Olivier Theyskens’ collection for Nina Ricci. Since then, she’s walked for Chanel, Valentino, Givenchy —and even Christian Lacroix’s final couture show. Gustavvson, a 5’11’’ Swedish stunner, was the toast of Paris this fall at Elie Saab—and walked for Valentino Couture and Marc Jacobs, and in New York swanned at Rodarte and Calvin Klein. Jablonski, a dark-haired Jersey girl, walked in 3.1 Phillip Lim, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, last season—and was a finalist in the 2008 Ford Supermodel of the World contest. May the best girl win!
Thomas Concordia, WireImage / Getty Images; Catwalking / Getty Images (2)
When the last runway has been walked, the last photo snapped and the front rows vacated, the tents at Bryant Park will be slowly disassembled—chairs folded, runways collapsed, hinges unscrewed. But this time, they won’t be packed up and stored till next season—fashion week won’t return to Bryant Park, and will instead move uptown to Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center. The biannual New York Fashion Week represents a $787.6 million industry for local businesses, which under the new roof could grow. Damrosch Park represents a 17,000-square foot space increase, and will allow for more than the three runways allowed at Bryant Park.
AP Photo
