Sheer, nude, leopard, and with pops of orange, mint ice and yellow, Giambattista Valli Spring 2011 collection certainly rubbed me the right way the minute it hit the runway. I especially appreciate Valli’s interpretation of the 60s mod dress.

Simple, beautiful, clean, practical, smart. Chloé brought a whole lotta what I’m already loving for this fall (longer layers, simpler dressing) into next spring, but gave it a more polished edge. And the hair? Slicked back buns? Yay! That’s my go-to look.

Stella McCartney always gets it right, does she not? Her Spring 2011 collection is yet another clean one I’m dying to don. The third look above–the vest dress–has a completely open back that would make my boyfriend purrrr.

Another understated, elegant collection came from Akris, who also added a bit more color to the runway, as well as more lax, draped silhouettes. Not gonna lie, I’m sort of dying for all the looks shown above.

And speaking of the images here, all are courtesy of Style.com

“During the fashion week I have my rules to follow and I’m going to tell my top ten list”

1. black outfits make a omologate effects.

2. be carefull with black:
don’t put together different tone of black (clothes, stocking, shoes, …)
materials reflect the black in different way.

3. sunshine is a big spot on you:
it shows all the mistakes.
(Cheap fabrics, ruined accessories, dirty shoes).

4. you must feel the weather every morning.
Clothes live in the best context like actresses loving the amazing theater.

5. don’t match clothes and its own function:
Like rain and trenchcoat,
like snow and moonboot,
forget it the umbrella at home!

6. wear just night-clothes in daytime.
It is unexpected!

7. don’t carry big bags.
On the front row they hinder the passage.

8. between shoes and bag?
absolutely, amazing shoes matching
a perfect pedicure.
They make a right attitude!

9. don’t wearing so much make up.
In the morning it does not look fresh.

10. shape up!
you must choose outfits fierce and fully shaped.

Shown from the comfort of their own showroom at 700 Fifth Ave, Reem Acra‘s collection for next spring was gorgeous. Loved that that dresses were cinched with brown leather belts (love belts with dresses).

Shot during the finale at the Max Azria show where I wanted to wear everything. This is the kind of collection that your boyfriend will love. Super sexy, non-fussy, summer dresses with open backs.

Another finale, this time for Cynthia Steffe, where the leather-trimmed pieces were my favorite. Had a delightful talk with the designer Shaun, backstage prior to the show starting. He was inspired by travel and the flight-attendants of yesteryear.

A look at Monique Lhuillier and the darling Brad Goreski (from The Rachel Zoe Project), sitting front and center. Hmm, I wonder if any of those dresses were right for Demi?

The week’s most happy collection came courtesy of Chris Benz. Everyone stopped into this presentation including hollywood sex-bombs Carmen Electra and Denise Richards. But what was hotter than the guests?

The shoes. Alejandro Inglemo for Chris Benz. And every fashion editor that passed through died.

Another fun show? Definitely Betsey Johnson. Completely inspired by New York City, Betsey took us all on a wild ride, which was an excellent conclusion to one of the days.

Towards the end of the week in the relatively early morning, I walked through the Andy & Debb presentation. I wanted it all and was especially interested in the pocket detailing and the rainbow ink blot pieces.

The collection at Odd Molly certainly wasn’t my cup of tea, but lucky for me, my ultimate girl-crush Kemp Muhl was preforming alongside boyfriend Sean Lennon in their band, The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger. She was absolutely spellbinding. I don’t think anyone really watched the show.

One of my favorite models, Karlie Kloss, led the finale at Donna Karan. Beautiful and beige for days. I especially loved the hair at this show, which was a nice break from the messy bun we saw everywhere else.

At LNA, where the clothing was easy and exactly what you’d expect. Not for my day to day wear, but excellent for those long flights and late nights at a coffee house.

Taken at Exit Art during Elise Overland‘s show. Another favorite of mine, Elise attracts a cool crowd and does leather so, so well. Her black leather sheath is going on my wishlist.

And finally, a look at the Mulberry presentation, where I wanted everything. The dresses, the shoes, the bags… even the dog.

See below for more of my pictures from the week. And be sure to visit StyledOn for great slideshows, as well as this interview I did with Lincoln Center’s Director of Fashion, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff…

Christian Siriano may be all about the fierceness (and yes, he showed some questionable outfits on the runway), but his gowns were absolute romance.

Fashion Week isn’t just about the clothing. At the Alice + Olivia presentation, Amanda Blank and The Pierces played as we drank, danced, and previewed the new collection of killer party wear by Stacey Bendet.

I love, love, LOVE Temperley London and always fall exceptionally hard for their accessories – the collection created for Spring 2011 is no exception. Adore that little pouch bag above.

And if you love Temperley London, you must check out Alice by Alice Temperley. This friendlier priced line is looking mighty good this time around.

Finally, two views of the I-want-it-all Spring 2011 Collection from Tibi. Be sure to read my interview with designer, Amy Smilovic on StyledOn as well. A chic working mother after my own heart, Amy and I bonded over our love for simple, effortless design and heels that often times kill our feet.

But the week isn’t over yet… Be sure to follow me on Twitter @casey_kettleson for my minute-to-minute musings on #nyfw.

Yes. Anna, Grace, Meredith… the entire Vogue crew sitting front row at Rag & Bone.

The Rag & Bone show started off with many nude pieces, bondage details and lots of red pops, but quickly flowed into a cooler mood for the second half of the show. Liquid silver pieces hung over minty ice sheer pants, while prints derived from photographs and seriously sick crocheted pieces all made their way down the runway. Did I want it all? Yeah, absolutely.

During the final walk at Costello Tagliapietra Spring 2011 Show at Milk Studios. Costello is a favorite of mine. The draping is just the best and the color combinations are so subtle and sophisticated. Love love LOVE everything shown in ‘new leaf’ – a lovely new green for them.

Everything at Mandy Coon seemed familiar and yet so new. This might very well be the collection that helps push her to the next level.

Nicole Miller‘s final walk through. Lots of neutral, sheer, long layers, men’s underpinnings, bondage straps. I’d wear almost everything shown for her Spring 2011 Collection. Ciara was in attendance and all I have to say is that that girl is gorgeous.

Now here is a look at Telfar’s Spring 2011 Collection – which only included men’s wear. This season, the designer (who is always showing something completely different from one season to the next) focused on easy summer pieces and his underwear collection. More wearable than anything I’ve seen him turn out to date, these pieces were well finished and kinda make me want to be a boy.

A soft palate and (surprise!) more sheer pieces were found at the Lorick presentation in the Meatpacking District. Soft and pretty, I know quite a few girls who would love to wear these pieces everyday…

More soon, darlings.

For the first official day of New York Fashion Week (or the second day of seeing Spring 2011 shows and presentations for me), I wore my favorite Prada booties with a stormy-blue Zimmerman dress. Such a good buy, I bought these shoes 2 years ago and still love them – never fail with simple, classic shapes. This photo was taken at Christian Siriano.

Today, on the unofficial first day of New York Fashion Week, I began my day at Kimberly Taylor’s presentation at the Plaza Hotel’s Oak Room wearing my favorite pair of Roger Vivier patterned pumps. For more on my adventures during fashion week, be sure to follow me on Twitter @casey_kettleson and at @StyledOn (where I tweet professionally) – and of course, check back here often.

PS Those Extra 4 Inches is in the middle of a facelift, so it’ll look as good as my shoe collection soon. Why the facelift? Well, I miss blogging and am ready to get back into the game.

Yesterday I stopped by a presentation for A La Disposition (I now want a coat with a bustle), I ducked into 2 events at store in SoHo, had dinner with my girlfriend and happened to see Dina, Yael and Tamar – otherwise known as the Magnes Sisters – towards the end of our meal.

Today I started off the day at a medioche presentation, met Kelly (a new favorite publicist of mine) at the Society of Illustrators to preview the new science fiction installation and have a quick bite in the cafe before heading out to meet LaQuan Smith and Telfar. Let me tell you guys – LaQuan Smith is awesome. He might have a lot to learn, but he’ll get there (and soon). I die for his neon dresses and sooo much more. (I’m also going to do a feature on him in the coming weeks for StyledOn, so you better start reading that as well!)

I watched Chanel Iman walk the runway for Rosa Cha (which was rather good, actually). I saw a few other things not worth mentioning. Unfortunately I missed the Cuz Love Killz show (a grafitti-inspired collection), which I really wanted to check out.

And then there was Fashion’s Night Out… and for me, it was all about Nicole Romano and the Plaza. Very successful event and I wore the sexiest little tuxedo shorts and one of her amazing tassel necklaces.

Tomorrow I have a crazy schedule: Alejandro Ingelmo (SHOES!!) | Yigal Azrouel | Copperwheat | Ideeen | Luca Luca | Nicole Miller | Costello Tagliapietra | Indashio | Persona Party with Amber Rose, Russel Simmons & Kanye West

I had better get a good night’s sleep because my toes are still numb and I can barely type. ‘night!!

So Fashion Week is upon us – time to start scoring some swag…

Get your YSL Manifesto this Saturday beginning at 12pm noon. Look for the YSL ambassadors passing out copies at the following locations in Manhattan:
Prince + Mott | Prince + Mercer | Bleeker + Charles | 15th + 10th |
Bryant Park | 57th + 5th | Madison + 71st

Prada is out!
Marni is out!!
Bottega is out!!!
Jil Sander is out!!!!
Miu Miu and more, still to come…

Stay tuned to ThoseExtra4Inches.com as I’ll be listing my top looks of the season, just as I did for Spring ’09, as well as a trend report or some sort of condensed version of one. Have any of you been watching the shows? Have a favorite already??

This season, designer Laura Poretzky was inspired by Les Incroyables, a fashion subculture of post-revolutionary French society in the 1790s, which translated into a darker, more sultry collection than we’ve seen in a while from her. The mood on the runway was further enhanced by a haunting soundtrack provided by a string trio. There was no logo on the back wall, no props, no fancy lights - just gorgeous girls sauntering slowly down the runway.

Poretzky’s LBD never disappoint and neither do her tightly tailored jackets or her tulip skirts complete with their perfect layering petals. Each piece looked beautiful, and this time the models walked at such a slow pace that you could actually appreciate the work that went into it all.

When I hugged Laura backstage, my eyes welled up with tears because I was truly proud of her and Abaeté in general. Even though this is going to continue to be a hard year for most of us, I can really see things going well for Abaeté’s Fall ’09 collection. See the full collection at Style.com and shop her latest collection for Payless here.

First of all – New York Fashion Week begun last week Thursday. First show for me? Rebecca Minkoff on Thursday evening.

Rebecca Minkoff’s Fall 2009 Collection presentation took place in an intimate space at MILK studios and featured both her RTW and popular handbag line. I stayed for about 30 minutes chatted with the girls from InStyle and left right as the adorable Agyness Deyn walked in (sporting a bright purple tutu no less).

The thing is, Minkoff just has an eye for design and simply knows what cool girls want. Her collection on Thursday had a definite LES/Williamsburg feel to it, but the finish and fit were much more refined and sophisticated.

I suppose that it should come as no great surprise that the talented handbag designer’s leather pieces were show presentation stealers. Gorgeous lines, great details and just the perfect fit made me want practically every piece - especially the snug shearling jacket and the leather leggings.

Another style I could use in my closet? The stunning purple dress with zipper edging running along the plunging back and pleated fan detail. Gorgeous, fun, and now a new obsession of mine. Click below for more images from the presentation and be sure to grab yourself one of Rebecca’s fabulous neon-piped ‘morning after bags’ this season.

Just a brief note: I love LOVE Giambattista Valli’s Spring ’09 Collection so much, but I want to live in Jil Sander every moment of every single day. Marni’s show was amazing… so much fashion, so little time. Upcoming Spring Trends? Sheer layers, fringe detailing, asymmetrical lines and hems, one-strap tops, mid-drift baring silhouettes, and so much more…

Lanvin | That color combination! The volume!

Narciso Rodriguez | Black and white and perfect

Balmain | Ridiculously cool, love this look

Stella McCartney | A little sparkle, a lot of sex appeal

Donna Karan | Sexy, strong, and slinky

Bottega Veneta | Smooth as butter

Calvin Klein | Sculptural, metallic, and stunning

Jil Sander | Fringe benefits aplenty

Giambattista Valli | Big skirts, perfect pleats, little waists – oh my!

Peter Som | Gorgeous color. love love LOVE

Miu Miu | Sharp dressed and stunning

Marni | So cute. I die! I DIE.

Alexander McQueen | Somewhere over the rainbow

John Galliano | Show-stopping drama

Oscar de le Renta | Pure elegance

(All images courtesy of Style.com)

Miele describes the collection as a dance between nature and the female body. His love for architecture, art, music as well as his core influences such as Brazilian landscape artist Roberto Burle Marx, led him to design his island hideaway in Florianopolis, a simple shaped house that blends into the landscape – which coincidentally served as inspiration for his spring 2009 collection.

Unfortunately you can’t really see any of the dresses in my photographs (perhaps I should invest in a real camera instead of just relying on my iPhone), so you either have to trust me when I tell you that they were stunning, or you’ll have to go to style.com and look at the collection yourself. Anyway, click below for my not-so-hot images and more info on this show…

P.S. I finally saw Karlie Kloss walk in a show – haunting yet stunning. Also fell in love with models Sheila Marquez, Eniko Mihalik, Kamila Filipcikova. OH – and the big sparkly cuffs by Juliana Scarpa were simply fabulous and definitely worth looking into.

Carlos Miele Spring 2009 Collection
Location: The Promenade at Bryant Park
Music: Seu Jorge
Jewelry: Juliana Scarpa
Hair: John Barlett
Make-up: Romy Soleimani for MAC
For the full collection, visit style.com

After a looong day at work on Tuesday, I managed to make it to Tony Cohen’s Spring 2009 Collection Show at the Salon in Bryant Park.

New York fashion fixtures Patrick McDonald (who pens the Highbrow column in Paper Magazine) and Leigh Lezark of the Misshapes were seated front row opposite me (which sort of tells you a lot about the attendance of the show).

The collection featured lots of draped, tucked, and gathered chiffon which floated down the runway. All-in-all, it was a pretty collection that I can imagine many of my friends (as well as bi-coastal It girls) wearing.

And as pretty as the clothing was, the hair was crazy. Big and sort of scraggly, it only accentuated the wobbliness of the girls as they struggled to walk down the runway in heels that seemed unstable (although I would love to try a pair). Actually, I wasn’t a fan of the casting for this show in general, but that may simply be due to the overall styled effect or just sitting front row where I worried about being crushed by a falling model.

On a related note: The spring shows, in case you haven’t noticed already, are quite devoid of jewelry compared to the fall. Tony Cohen’s show did include some jewelry, and although it was Erickson Beamon, which is usually all kinds of wonderful-gaudy bling, but it was stripped down to just simple rope chain necklaces. Click below for images for the show (and a close-up shot of the shoes) below…

Tony Cohen Spring 2009 Collection Show
Location: The Salon at Bryant Park
Styling: Patti Wilson
Jewelry: Erickson Beamon
Shoes: Larare Paris for Tony Cohen
Hair: Ward for Bumble and bumble.
Make-up: Kabuki for MAC
Music: Misshapes

I’ve been to several shows in the tents so far and have yet to see the CFDA Health Booth - you know, the booth set up so that young women with eating disorders would have a place to go for help..in front of everyone in the industry?

Maybe it really is there and I’ve just walked by, but if that is indeed the case, then again, what the hell is the point of it?

However, after working in the industry for a while now, I have not only come to accept the inclusion of contemporary collections, but truly appreciate their presence at fashion week. After all, the contemporary collections are the ones we’ll actually be wearing.

I barely made it to the tents in time for Abaeté’s Spring 09 Collection on Saturday, but did thanks to one slightly crazy driver who nearly ran over a film crew. My first ‘real job’ was at Abaeté (I was there for over 3 years handling the pr and marketing) and so this line, designer Laura Poretzky, and all of the amazing people there will always be very, very dear to me.

For Spring 09, Poretzky was inspired by the dichotomy of the two sides of a woman: the good and the bad. She also looked at clothing from the inside out and paid close attention to underpinnings (lingerie, girdles, netting, etc). The bad girl, according to Poretzky, is celebrated with bondage-tight black jersey pieces, corseted details, and peek-a-boo netting. The girl girl, with ultra feminine, flirty bows and a pretty pastel palate (which was inspired by summers spent in France).

Because I’ve been through so many seasons with Abaeté, I probably view the shows a little bit differently than other people do, paying special attention to all of the people in the audience (like Neiman Marcus’ Ken Downing and ELLE’s Kate Lanphear), the new collection of footwear for Payless (which is always good) – and then of course to the clothing! All of the pieces in yellow and a sheer blue striped silk were super pretty and the I loved the more dramatic make-up and swept back hair this season. Her blouses and top were also quite strong, but the bike shorts, layering of tops, and use of tights in a few of the looks were a bit much. An overtly sporty departure for Poretzky, but still a collection true to her signature feminine aesthetic.

My top picks from Abaeté’s Spring 09 Collection? The trench in look 14 was ridiculously chic, look 21 was perfect amounts of sweet and sexy, both the bowed white/blue swim suit and the yellow one with corseted details were gorgeous, and the yellow one strap dress would look fantastic in an episode of Gossip Girl (and I mean this in a good way).

Right after the lights went back up at Abaeté, I ran out of the tents and straight into a cab to rush over to the ADAM by Adam Lippes Spring 2009 Collection Show. The show was set to take place in the garden of the New York Theological Seminary, but was moved inside a gorgeous Gothic church due to the looming rain storm.

For his spring 09 collection, Lippes was inspired by color, ease, and MoMA’s Color Chart exhibition months earlier. The first few looks were sent out with loose knit hats embellished with big studs that looked hideous in person, but once the hats were gone, things started looking better. There was bright pink, vibrant yellow, electric blue, lots of white and black too. My favorite look was the last one (especially the amber silk georgette floor-length shirt dress) and it was great seeing Siri walk.

After the show I walked in the pouring rain for blocks, practically ruining a pair of satin Celine peep-toe pumps. Needless to say that by the time I got home I was hating on fashion week and swore off going to any parties I had RSVP’d to for the evening. Of course I ended up going out later that evening (and had a great time), but it took watching Margaret Cho and eating couple slices of pizza to get me back in the mood.

Click below to see more images from Abaeté and ADAM by Adam Lippes including links to their full runway collctions.

Abaeté Spring 2009 Collection
Location: The Salon, The Tents at Bryant Park
Styling: Isabel Dupre
Hair: David Cruz for REDKEN
Make-up: Stila
Shoes: Abaeté for Payless
Jewelry: Vintage
See the full collection at Style.com

ADAM by Adam Lippes Spring 2009 Collection
Location: Seminary
Hair: Odile
Make-up: Petros for MAC
Shoes: ADAM
Jewelry:Aurelie Bidermann for ADAM
See the full collection at Style.com

Even if it was a fairly long walk down one of Manhattan’s trashiest streets, it was worth it: the show took place on the roof of the relatively new Atelier building against striking blue skies and a breathtaking cityscape.

After spotting Miss J. Alexander (yes, Miss J. Alexander from America’s Next Top Model), we grabbed lemony drinks before heading to our seats to soak in a little sun. Seats were arranged over the entire roof and it was a good thing we had sunglasses as we were seated facing downtown.

It was actually incredibly relaxing and the show ended up providing a calm in my otherwise fairly crazy day. And there were none of the crazy theatrics I was expecting since Tara Subkoff was involved.

But on to the clothing – Georgette, chiffon, twills, and various knit pieces were created by designer Jerry Tam in warm dessert shades of ochre, sand, grey, khaki and soft sky blue. The collection featured everything from short spring trench coats to bright white swimsuits layered with encircling clouds of delicate gauze. I feel like this is another collection equally suited to the spring as it is to the fall, but this could be due to my own personal mindset or simply because a lot of the looks were shown with boots.

The pieces all have a deconstructed romantic rocker-chic element to them and while I’d love to own many of the looks shown, I do feel the collection could have been edited down. The torso-chain jewelry was also a bit overused and sort of odd…Click below for more images from the FORM Spring 2009 Collection and scene below.

This contemporary collection is extremely wearable with flattering flounces here and there in colors consumers will actually wear (black, sand, red, blue). Although more ‘fall’ than ‘spring’, the line consists of smart pieces that are as romantic as they are versatile. One piece in particular caught my eye – a sort of one strapped black dress with gentle draping simply named ‘classic black crepe dress’.

Novakhett’s innovative tailoring and feminine silhouettes make her not only one to watch in the future, but one to wear now.

Another thing I want to mention is the fact that Novakhett showed her collection as a presentation, not on the runway, and yes, there is a big difference between the two and there are certainly good and bad things about both.

During presentations, refreshments might be served (wine at Novakhett’s show) and the atmosphere is much more social and less structured; there are no seat assignments and people generally walk around and mingle. The down side to this is that many people tend to walk in, glance at the collection and then search for familiar faces to gossip with.

Presentations also held over a span of time (Novakhett’s was from 2-3pm), versus runway shows which happen only once and can be slightly dependent upon the most important attendee’s schedule (i.e. “Hold the show! Anna will be here in only 10 more minutes!”). During runway shows, a look is sent out once and may or may not end up in the finale depending upon where it falls in the line-up, giving editors only a few seconds to really judge an entire look – presentations allow for a much more leisurely review of each piece, providing ample time for details and construction to be studied (at most presentations, you are allowed to get rather close to the models if you want).

Now, one of the great things about runway shows is seeing all of the runway models in action (I remember seeing Sasha walk for the first time…*sigh*). Because presentations end up taking so much of a model’s time (they are just sitting or standing for hours), they tend to feature newer, less-experienced girls who are working the presentation for trade or very little in return.

Both presentations and runway shows allow for infinite possibilities as far as lighting, music, set design, hair, make-up, and whatever else go, but runway shows are always more hectic and always more dramatic.

Tomorrow I’ll report on what goes on at Form, which should be a little crazy as buzz-worthy Tara Subkoff (the pint-sized, overly difficult and dramatic “designer” of Imitation of Christ) is art directing. The FORM collection is inspired by the Rococo movement, and Tara’s overly-theatrical shows in the past have garnished such reviews as: “a bleak political statement – involving a slideshow of images from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a George W Bush impersonator in the front row and miserable male models who opened the show on a catwalk adorned with political flags” by Vogue UK, so this should at least be interesting…

Anyway, click below to see images and more information from the Nuj Novakhett Spring 2009 Collection Presentation
Designer: Nuj Novakhett
Season: Spring 2009
Stylist: Keegan Singh
Make-up: Luc Bouchard for MAC
Hair: Katiejo Kardel for Sexy Hair (each girl’s hair was different – loved)
Shoes: Marcello Toshi (cool)

The Places:
Stanton Social
Catch 22
The Box
Brother Jimmy
French Embassy

• The Tastemaker by Lynn Hirschberg for The New York Times – a piece on designer Stefano Pilati of Yves saint Laurent
• Enchanted; The transformation of Marc Jacobs by Ariel Levy – a profile for The New Yorker

I’ll also be writing more about what goes on behind the scenes during fashion week (hair, makeup, castings, the different venues, styling), and how it really all works, but if you need a fashion fix right now, read the article below which I originally wrote for Iconique.com back in 2005. I found it the other day and thought it would be fun to share with you. It’s a little silly, but I hope you enjoy it!

Behind New York Fashion Week
(and the rules for making it stylishly into the tents)

There is never a better time to observe the style efforts of others than during fashion week. The city and every fashionista in it morph into 16 year old girls shopping on 5th avenue for the first time…excited, nervous, and filled with such high expectations that are bound to be slightly let down in some way or another by the reality of it all.

For people working in the industry, fashion week is hell week; a week of many long nights, followed by mornings of grainy coffee in stained mugs. The design teams frantically make last minute alterations and sometimes even add pieces to their collections the day before the show as they continue to edit and re-edit everything. PR people work on their press/socialite/celebrity invitees, making sure that their seating assignments won’t offend too many people and that their front rows will look at least as good as the presented collections. Sales teams call, email, call, mail, call, stalk, and call buyers and store owners in hopes of setting up buying appointments for the next few weeks while purses are still full and money is waiting to be burned.

The modeling agents seem to be on two calls at every given moment, talking to both the client, negotiating terms, payment and scheduling, and to the models, tracking them down and changing their schedules from one minute to the next. The models (who may very well be only fourteen and speak little or no English) run frantically from one casting to the next while squeezing in fittings and trying to navigate around New York City.

But while the week is hell for the design houses and event firms, it can also be a huge headache for those attending the shows. Fashion editors, writers, stylists, and all of their assistants spend the week prioritizing, scheduling, checking and rechecking seating assignments for every show. Reviewing writers run from one show to another, scribbling notes about key items, fabric, overall collection feel and quality before heading back to the office late in the evening to writing everything up for possibly 10 shows each day.

So why, if it truly is such a headache, does fashion week happen twice a year, in so many places, and with such incredible buzz? Perhaps simply because it is fashion and we truly are slaves to it, but I have a feeling it also has to do with the incredible high we get off of all of it. We all love every exciting, anxious, annoying, uncertain, frightening, and joyous minute of it. It is truly a week eagerly looked forward to and equally dreaded by everyone in the industry.

For those not working in the industry, fashion week is a glittering, glamorous event that brings beautiful people from all over the world to the city. It’s something most can see, but can’t really touch.

There are of course the people who are front-row staples at every show, who do not work in the industry in a traditional sense. Celebrities, who are becoming increasingly important and influential in fashion, take front row near the photography pit, which (unfortunately) seems to be the measure of how good a designer is to the public.

Socialites are also a select group of people who enjoy a privileged status during fashion week. These are people who have made careers out of attending benefits, fashionable functions, and celebrity-sprinkled events, all the while looking stylish and perfectly polished head-to-toe. They are big players in the fashion game and once you know who they are, you’ll notice them drenched in designers on the pages of W, Vogue and the like along side the more recognizable celebrities.

While a designer shows his/her style through the clothing, show presentation, venue, music, inspiration, and complete collection looks, a socialite shows his/her style through dress and by the events they choose to attend. While they seem very privileged and comfortable sitting front-row, they have only gained that status by following certain rules. The unspoken rules that, when followed, may ultimately lead to front-row status during fashion week include, but are certainly not limited to the following:

1. Always rsvp. You don’t ever want to hear, “you’re not on the list…”

2. If possible, be dressed by the designer of the show you’re attending

3. If you are not being dressed then wear greater or equal designer digs, but make sure you style with rare vintage finds. Remember, don’t be head-to-toe by one designer or you’ll look like an unoriginal asshole to everyone else

4. Have your hair and makeup look perfectly natural and easy

5. Always go to the shows where you will be seated. When attending shows where you are not seated, sit where a person you know is to be seated until they arrive – and if they don’t, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show

6. Mingle, mingle, mingle, smile, smile, smile, and while doing so get photographed, photographed, photographed

7. Refer to the Marc Jacobs show as the Marc show only if you’ve personally met the designer, if you haven’t be respectful and call the brand by its true full name (this is actually a big pet-peeve of mine)

8. Introduce yourself to as many people as possible, be polite and honestly try to remember each face with the correct name

9. Always be gracious and polite to all people working the venue…you never who they are or who they may be the next time fashion week rolls around

So this fashion week, when you attend the various shows (or look at the tents from afar and sigh) remember these rules and all of the effort that went into the glamorous, beautiful, and spectacular fiasco – and maybe I’ll see you inside next time.