Juan Carlos Obando

Calvin Klein

Fall 2009 Fashion Week: Still Necessary, Just with Less of Everything

>> Designers may be pulling their belt tighter this Fashion Week, but hardly any are pulling out of the rat race altogether — the attention is too valuable.

>> Designers may be pulling their belt tighter this Fashion Week, but hardly any are pulling out of the rat race altogether — the attention is too valuable. "You kill a thousand birds with one stone, because you get that many people there in an hour and you're getting one message across to them," says Scott Sternberg of Boy and Band of Outsiders. "They're writers and photographers and culturally indulgent people with loud mouths."

Instead, designers are saving by hosting presentations instead of runway shows (Monique Lhuillier, Temperley London, and Carmen Marc Valvo), inviting fewer guests (Marc Jacobs and DKNY, who's slicing her usual 1,000 down to 400), sending email invites instead of by mail (nearly everyone), or showing fewer looks to save on fabric and sample-making costs.

Two models, 15 looks, and a free space to show it in »

Manolo Blahnik

>> A LITTLE TURN ON THE CATWALK —Sure, we've already seen our fair share of model trips, stumbles, and falls this season, but can you blame them?

>> A LITTLE TURN ON THE CATWALK —Sure, we've already seen our fair share of model trips, stumbles, and falls this season, but can you blame them? Heidi Mount had to walk on an entirely broken heel at Doo.ri (left) yesterday, and this afternoon, Atuai Deng hobbled along on a Manolo Blahnik at Juan Carlos Obando with a stiletto heel that had warped into a 45 degree angle . . . [ONTD_FF]

Gap

Jason Wu, Alexander Wang, Vena Cava Among 2008 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Nominees

>> The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund has determined its ten finalists for 2008.  Last year's winner, Rogan Gregory, was announced in November and received a monetary award of $200,000, with two runners-up reiving $50,000 each.  For the past couple of years, the nominees have worked with Gap as part of a limited Gap Design Edition collaboration to gain more exposure, and many have also gone on to work with Target in limited-edition runs.  This year's nominees are: Richard Chai Jason Wu Alexander Wang Irene Neuwirth Albertus Q.

>> The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund has determined its ten finalists for 2008. 

Last year's winner, Rogan Gregory, was announced in November and received a monetary award of $200,000, with two runners-up reiving $50,000 each.  For the past couple of years, the nominees have worked with Gap as part of a limited Gap Design Edition collaboration to gain more exposure, and many have also gone on to work with Target in limited-edition runs. 

This year's nominees are:

Richard Chai

Jason Wu

Alexander Wang

Irene Neuwirth

Albertus Q. Swanepoel of Albertus Quartus

Alejandro Ingelmo

Juan Carlos Obando

Swaim and Christina Hutson of Obedient Sons & Daughters

John Patrick of Organic

Sophie Mayock and Lisa Buhai of Vena Cava
*image: source