September 2007 Fashion Week Written by Wendy R. Williams Photographed by the New York Cool Photographers Oppposite photo from the February 2007 Marc Bouwer Show Photo Credit: Jose Vibar

Photo Medley from the February 2007 Shows
Designers: Kati Stern for Venexiana; Kai Milla; Jayson Brundson; and Malan Breton
Photo Credit Krisztina Fazekas

It’s September and fashion is in the air. The tents are up in Bryant Park for the invitation-only IMG Mercedes Benz Fashion Week which starts September 5th and ends at 3PM on September 12th, just before the start of Rosh Hashanah. IMG and their sponsor Mercedes Benz are featuring seventy-eight designers this year at both their “tent” shows and at shows in other imaginative venues such as the the Hammerstein Ballroom (Tommy Hilfiger), New York Public Library (Bill Blass) and way up on 105th Street at the Central Park Conservancy Garden (Ralph Lauren).

But IMG/Mercedes Benz is not the only game in town. They are being given a run for their money by Style 360 which is sponsoring ten designers at the Altman Building at 125 W 18th. This year Style 360 is partnering with Henri Bendel, Max Factor and ELLE Magazine and will be throwing some amazing parties. Nolcha Fashion Week will also be rocking Prince George Ballroom at 15 East 27th Street with multiple designer shows. And of course, there is Gen Art, the place for young cutting-edge designers to make their first mark. But many top designers and talented newcomers are forgoing the fashion week affiliation model and simply hosting their own shows and presentations such as top designer Zang Toi’s Charity Fashion Show for Lance Armstrong’s Race for the Cure.

Fashion Week will begin with the invitation-only Couture Council Award for Artistry in Fashion honoring Alber Elbaz of Lanvin at the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center. The luncheon will be filled with the glitterati of New York including promised appearances by luncheon chairs Chloe Sevigney and Linda Evangelista.

The CBS sponsored Fashion Rocks fashionrocks06.com is advertised as the show that launches fashion week but it is actually scheduled after the “launch” (Thursday at Radio City Music Hall and Friday on CBS). Rocks will be mc’d by Entourage’s fashion slub Jeremy Previn and will feature a highly eclectic group of artists (to say the least) including: Aerosmith; Fergie; Jennifer Hudson; Alicia Keyes; Avril Lavigne; Jennifer Lopez; Ludacris; Maroon 5; Martina McBride; Santana; Carrie Underwood; and Usher. There will definitely be something to satisfy every American’s musical taste in that line up (fun for the entire family?) and Chevrolet and Dillards are fittingly among the sponsors.

The trends that are launched at fashion week are not only affect what we put on our bodies, fashion week also launches trends in hair style, accessories (give me that metallic bag and a pair of Tom Ford sunglasses) and music. The music that propels the models down the runways will quickly be reheard in clubs, fashion-forward stores and Ipods-on-the-treadmill.

One of the fun questions this year is whether or not celebrities will show-for-the-shows? Last year Brittney Spears was sighted at Baby Phat but most celebrities were no where to be found and the front row seats featured New York socialites like Tinsley Mortimer and up-and-coming social strivers like Olivia Palermo (and yes, I just promoted Tinsley).

New York Cool is always looking for the up and coming designers, we want to catch them before they hit the cover of W. The idea is to discover Imitation of Christ before it becomes an imitation of Christ. So while we are sluts for the fashion gods of seventh avenue, we also scour LES and Brooklyn, looking for “what’s next.”

Last February New York Cool covered fifty-four shows and we are planning on covering as many this September; we will be posting something every day so check back often. But since the fashion Gods work in advance of the season, September’s shows will feature the clothes we will be wearing in the spring and summer of 2008. So to whet your appetite for the photos to come, here are some of our favorite looks from the February of 2007 shows – the fall/winter looks we will be wearing (or should be wearing) very soon.

Betsey Johnson Photo Credit Krisztina Fazekas	Betsey Johnson Photo Credit Krisztina Fazekas
Zang Toi Photo Credit Evens Lamour	Kelly Ripa at The Heart Truth Red Dress Photo Credit Evens Lamour
Baby Phat Photo Credit Evens Lamour	Baby Phat Photo Credit Evens Lamour
Temperley Photo Credit Mary Blanco	Badgley Mischka Photo Credit Mary Blanco

Photo Medley from the February 2007 Shows
Designers: Kati Stern for Venexiana; Twinkle by Wenlan; and Betsey Johnson
Photo Credit Krisztina Fazekas