Runway shows are often high-budget spectacles designed to blow the top off a designer's collection, generate buzz, and create demand. But the clothes that come down the runway are often fleeting samples that never see the light of day. That is, until now: Derek Lam will create a collection exclusively for eBay. This season's collection will feature everything from full-length bohemian dresses to formal gowns. At 10:45 a.m. on Feb. 16, users can visit the site to vote on which dresses they love most—and the five most popular designs will be produced. And then, bypassing the drawn-out process of shipping and merchandising, shoppers will be able to purchase items from the collection directly on eBay in May, at prices from $125 to $295.
FirstView / AP Photo
There's always a new It-girl, and until the first model walks, it's anybody's guess who it will be this season. But five candidates do have a good chance of landing in some of the week's best shows. Carolin Loosen (upper left), a 19-year-old from Cologne, Germany, who made her debut last season at Dior, is one to watch. So is Zhu Lin (center), a 21-year-old from Beijing, who is back after a year-and-a-half hiatus to finish school—and has walked in Philip Lim, Rachel Roy, Malandrino, and Vera Wang. Other fresh faces include Xiao Wen, an 18-year-old from Shanxi, China (right); Wyatt Grossenbach, (bottom left), a 16-year-old from Bountiful, Utah; and, for a punk-rock factor, the pink-haired Charlotte Free, an 18-year-old from Canyon Country, California.
Now here's a theory we can get behind: Olivier Theyskens, the enigmatic former creative director of Nina Ricci, will debut his sophomore collection for Theory this week. Theyskens' Theory consists of finely tailored pieces defined by angular silhouettes. Though Theyskens, 32, is famous for bringing towering, heelless 10-inch platforms to the runway at Nina Ricci, this new collection is, thankfully, a bit more functional. (His debut collection was praised last season.) Theyskens' Theory retails at 20 percent more than Theory's main label, but compared to the price tags at Nina Ricci, this is Theyskens, and all his design genius, at a fraction of the price.
Michel Euler/ AP Photo
Band of Outsiders is always a hot ticket during fashion week. The presentation, which typically takes place in a high-ceilinged warehouse in Chelsea, is usually so full of hipster fans that there's a line down the block. But this season, the beloved brand is coming to the runway for the first time ever. L.A.-based designer Scott Sternberg will show 52 looks from his Boy, Girl, and Band of Outsiders collections. According to Sternberg, this season he has drawn inspiration for Band from photographs of California rock climbers in the 1970s; Boy is inspired by Ally Sheedy's character in The Breakfast Club; and the Girl collection by the Sea Ranch Commune of Northern California. Sternberg and his team have turned an old Fortune Cookie factory in Chinatown into a showroom for the occasion, and he sent us a picture of what he's cooking up. Our prediction? The future looks pretty good.
Dario Cantatore / Getty Images; Courtesy of Band of Outsiders
Last season saw a dramatic rearranging of editors in the front row—Stefano Tonchi, Sally Singer. But this season, there will be a new table of cool kids in the lunchroom: In the past few months, Barneys has seen a massive overhaul of its A-team: Former Gucci honcho Mark Lee took over as CEO; W Magazine's Dennis Freedman became creative director; and Amanda Brooks has recently been appointed fashion director. Street style photographers, stand at the ready!
Thos Robinson / Getty Images; Chance Yeh / PatrickMcMullan.com / Sipa Press via Getty Images; Bela Szandelszky / AP Photo
Martin Margiela has long been a house cloaked in mystery. Its famously elusive namesake departed last year—and its shape-shifting aesthetic has been a constant challenge for consumers. Opening Ceremony, hipster mecca and Chloe Sevigny's brainchild, is, in many ways, just the opposite. But while this may seem to be an unlikely union, Margiela's collaboration with Opening Ceremony will most likely result in the best of both worlds. The two brands will unveil MM6 Maison Martin Margiela x Opening Ceremony, a complete collection of women's clothing and accessories for Fall/Winter 2011. (So far, they've teased us a little, offering only a $50 white Bic pen adorned with a massive ostrich feather.) The line will apparently bring Margiela's avant-garde vision to a lower price point. As Opening Ceremony mastermind Humberto Leon has said, he's "excited to see these two worlds collide" in this collaboration.
Andreas Rentz / Getty Images; Jacques Brinon / AP Photo
Here's a new concept: On Saturday afternoon, Elise Øverland will unveil her Fall/Winter collection—and from the sound of it, she'll be on thin ice. The Norwegian designer will present her collection at the ice rink at the Standard Hotel in a show that's partially open to the public. And where there's ice and fashion, Johnny Weir can never be far off. The Olympic figure skater will give a special performance during the show, presumably in one of Øverland's designs. Now that's cutting-edge.
Charles Sykes / AP Photo; Newscom
One of the most anticipated shows of the week will be Michael Kors' 30th-anniversary collection. The father of American sportswear, who started his namesake label in 1981, surely has a few tricks up his sleeves for the spectacle. For the occasion, Kors announced a massive giveaway for his fans: enter to win a trip to the 30th-anniversary Fall 2011 show, and $1,000 gift card and "luxury accommodations in Manhattan." On Wednesday, Kors will present his collection in Lincoln Center to a "wide range of celebrity guests and clients" while simultaneously live-streaming it around the world. Then he will continue his anniversary celebration in Paris, where he is opening a store in March.
FirstView / AP Photo
After last season's much-hyped debut, Tom Ford is relocating his Fall/Winter 2011 show to London. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who last season showed in Paris because of complications with samples, are showing their collection this season on an appointment-only basis. But Victoria Beckham, several months into her fourth pregnancy, is holding out. Her eponymous label has earned the former Spice Girl critical raves over the past few seasons, and she's due to top it in an intimate presentation this week. This week, the designer denied Internet rumors that she will appear nude and pregnant on an upcoming cover of American Vogue. It's anybody's guess what's up Victoria's (bracelet-length) sleeve this season, but one thing's for certain: Maternity wear won't be part of it.
Dave M. Benett / Getty Images
When the fashion set tires of the front row, there's plenty more popping up around New York this week to keep them busy. Several gallery shows are opening, many of which merge art and fashion. On Thursday, Philip-Lorca diCorcia will open a show of photographs, ELEVEN, at the David Zwirner Gallery. The show, which was curated by Barneys' new creative director, Dennis Freedman, will include photos he created between 1997 and 2008 for W magazine, while Freedman was creative director there. The show will tie into a book of Lorca-diCorcia's work under Freedman's new imprint, Freedman/Damiani. " RETNA will present his first New York solo show, The Hallelujah World Tour, at a vast converted warehouse at 560 Washington Street on Thursday.
Images courtesy of David Zwirner Gallery; Dorian Grey Gallery; RETNA
