New York Fashion Week is upping the ante

Tag : caravan shoes

New York Fashion Week gets bigger each season as more organizationsfeed off the intense media spotlight to showcase their style eventsbefore a global audience.
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, the main attraction, will showcasenearly 100 designer collections for spring and summer 2009 foreight days beginning Friday. It kicks off with a 9 a.m. show byAustralian designer Michael Angel at Bryant Park, the hub ofactivity in midtown Manhattan.
Although the IMG fashion-organized event at the Bryant Park tentswill be the focus of attention, numerous unrelated fashion eventselsewhere are expected to attract audiences.
STYLE360, presented by LIVEStyle Entertainment and HFM U.S., willshowcase six designers and two cutting-edge stores -- Dash andCaravan -- representing the East and West coasts at theMetropolitan Pavilion from Sept. 7-10. Nigel Barker, RussellSimmons, Khloe Kardashian and Taryn Manning are among confirmedcelebrity guests.
The 14th annual Gen Art "Fresh Faces in Fashion" show, presented byBlackBerry and T-Mobile, is Thursday at the Manhattan Center. Thelineup features emerging womenswear brands JF & Son, Ideeen,Sariah, Lialia, Richard Ruiz and Chree; menswear designers HydenYoo and Philip Sparks; and accessories designers Antoinette LeeDesigns, Deka Ray, Heutchy and TNC Studio.
Fashion Indie Week Brooklyn is upping the ante of its annualpresentation by incorporating 6,000 feet of "runway" space on theBrooklyn Bridge for its "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" show tomorrow,which kicks off the Sept. 3-10 event.
Nolcha Fashion Week presenters will showcase more than 50 emergingAmerican and international designers Sept. 8-12 at the PrinceGeorge ballroom in Manhattan. Coca Cola and the Manhattan Chamberof Commerce are among sponsors of the event, which includes"Profile NY," a Sept. 11 show featuring new looks by 35 designersfrom the United Kingdom.
While most designers stage painstakingly organized runway shows atthe Bryant Park tents, some opt for showroom appointments or"walk-throughs" that allow leisurely, informal, up-close perusal ofcollections.
Veterans such as Diane Von Furstenberg, Ralph Lauren and Vera Wangwill be showing once again. Alongside them will be presentations bynewcomers from the United States and countries such as Brazil,China, Russia, Spain, Israel and Australia.
Some of the new names premiering this season are Mr. Angel,Charlotte Ronson, Vietnam-born Thuy Diep, Peruvian native SergioDavila and leading Chinese designer Zheng Luo.
The "Project Runway" show, featuring finalists from the popularBravo network reality-show design competition, will be taped themorning of Sept. 12. Alumni Malan Breton and Zulema Griffin willcontinue their streaks of Fashion Week presentations sincecompeting on the show, Breton on Sept. 11 at the tents and Griffinat 9 a.m. Thursday online on YouTube (key words Zulema Spring '09).
Also debuting via the Internet is red-carpet fave Marc Bouwer, wholaunches his "Goddesses by the Pool" spring line at noon Sept. 8and promises a colorful, retro-futuristic collection inspired by'70s supermodel and sex symbol Verushka.
Donna Karan will celebrate the 20th anniversary of her DKNY brandat a Bryant Park show Sunday.
Several other major players are missing from the roster, among themKenneth Cole, Oscar de la Renta and Baby Phat. But it's not unusualfor designers to announce something at the last minute.
The September shows always mean the debut of new swimwear lines.Rosa Cha is showing new looks for next spring and summer, as wellas Gottex, an industry leader in chic and dramatic swimwear andaccessories. Exotic locales such as Ibiza, Saint Tropez, Mykonosand Porto Cervo inspired Gottex designer Gideon Oberson.
"For me, design for the beach is no different than dressing for anight out," he said. "My client is able to go from poolsidestraight to cocktails and dinner by simply adding a breathtakingpareo or skirt to complete her ensemble."
Accessories, in fact, are becoming a bigger part of the fashionweek mix. The Italian Trade Commission and the Italian FootwearManufacturers Association are back for the second consecutiveseason with their "I Love Italian Shoes" exhibit in the tents theentire week.
Also back for a second season is Elaine Turner of Houston, who willhost previews of her handbag and shoe lines at her Manhattanshowroom. She said her aesthetic for spring is lighthearted,destination-focused colors, prints and materials ranging fromGreco-Roman sandals and raffia-covered wedges to bags thatincorporate '70s-inspired prints and patent-trimmed basketweaves.
The accessories sector is booming because of consumer concernsabout the economy and the ease of buying a shoe or purse to updatea look, she said in an interview with the Post-Gazette.
"Women are looking for a reason to buy," she said. "If you showthem something bold, especially if it's priced right and she lovesthe color and print, it's nothing for her. That's really the beautyof accessories and why everybody is getting into them. It's like acandy store for women. There's not that emotional baggage with it.It's not a real deep process for her."
Yigal Azrouel wants one word to come to mind Friday when he debutshis 30-piece collection of womenswear in neutral, muted, washed-outcolors and prints.
"Live."
"I've incorporated new fabrics and new silhouettes," he told thePost-Gazette. "There is more texture and attention to detail, whichmake the garments more special. My new collection is about the ideaof lived-in luxury and aged elegance. These are garments that feelas though they have history and a story."