Wes Gordon

Congratulations are in order for a group of young designers including Joseph Altuzarra, Bibhu Mohapatra, and Wes Gordon, all of whom are in the American finals for the 2014 International Woolmark Prize.

The group of finalists, which includes seven other design houses, will compete for the opportunity to go up against designers from Australia, China, India, and Europe in Milan next year. One American designer will be selected to represent the United States this July, when the 10 finalists present competition collections made with merino wool.

The prize for breaking through the other finalists and into the last round of competition is $100,000 toward that designer's next collection; the international prize is another $100,000, plus the opportunity to sell the winning collection in stores all over the world.

A look at who else is in the running, here in the gallery.

Wes Gordon's Fall 2013 collection was a '70s-fueled offering of clothing cut from lavish fabrics. The designer said he was inspired to create clothing for "the girl who's having an affair with one of the Rolling Stones," and to that end, he paired a suit cut from a yellow brocade with a cream shirt, and topped off a few cocktail dresses with fur stoles in blue, orange, and pink. Our full review will be posted shortly. In the meantime, please enjoy a full look at the collection.

With an inherent love of Autumn, Wes Gordon set about designing his Spring collection with a mission: "to love Spring as much as Fall." So he turned to a "High Priestess" theme, drawing from a darker side to craft a lineup emboldened with deeper hues and ample texture — dresses were washed in brilliant reds, and cocktail confections were finished with either a touch of glitter on inky backgrounds or with black-on-black embellishment. Asymmetrical hemlines and deep necklines too pointed to some sultrier forces at work — we were spellbound by the subtle sexiness that seemed to hypnotize as it drew you in. That's what Gordon did so well here; even while finding inspiration in more subversive subjects, he didn't look to shock with his darker themes. Instead, he pulled you in ever so slowly, enticing and seducing with a contemporary balance, introducing, too, an icy palette and a touch of glitter that's beautiful and bewitching, yes, but more importantly, totally wearable.

• Trends: Leather, crop tops, sheer details, bold print, asymmetrical hemlines, lace, and flared pants.
• Colors: Mint, black, white, red, and olive.
• Key Piece: We were drawn to the subtle sex appeal of both the red and white trouser and top sets with the deep necklines.
• Accessories: Manolo Blahnik for Wes Gordon ankle-strap pointed-toe pumps.
• Who Should Wear It: We hope to see Wes Gordon fan Lena Dunham in the olive and white printed dress; Diane Kruger would look gorgeous in the embellished and textured dramatic LBD.

Its no secret that Wes Gordon has cast quite a spell on the New York fashion scene. Only a few years out of Central Saint Martins, he has not only already won a Rising Star Award, but also, he has been named as one of this year's CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund nominees. It's a trajectory so quick that it wouldn't be surprising if Gordon sometimes found himself wondering what kind of magical forces might be at work helping him along.

Not that he should. His Spring 2013 lineup, with its dark drama and subtly undone elegance, was plenty enchanting in its own right, and it's clear that Gordon has his own innate talent to thank for that.

"At the time, I thought I was in the chicest place in the universe," said Peter Som of his first time at New York Fashion Week as a Parsons student. In honor of that impending chicness, we spoke with him and others — veterans and newcomers alike — to hear the experiences of their first shows, their most memorable moments, and how they plan to recover after the madness of the week is over.

Pamela Love remembers being nervous the first time Anna Wintour attended one of her shows (who wouldn't be?), and Chris Benz told us about his very own House of Style moment at Marc Jacobs's Spring 2002 show. We also heard tales from Rebecca Minkoff, Rachel Comey, Yigal Azrouel, Jenni Kayne, and many others. Read on for a look at their most memorable Fashion Week moments — and find out who was so starstruck by Chloe Sevigny that they offered to let her skip the bathroom line — here, in the gallery.

— Reporting by Christina Pérez