>> The CFDA Fashion Incubator, announced last October in partnership with New York City's Mayor Bloomberg, has its first twelve tenants. Among those named as part of the inaugural group of designers: Alice Ritter, Bibhu Mohapatra, Prabal Gurung, Sophie Theallet, Gemma Redux's Rachel Dooley, Grey Ant's Grant Krajecki, House of Waris's Waris Ahluwalia, Jolibe's Joel Diaz, Lewis's Alison Lewis, Public School's Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, Ruby Kobo's Yuvi Alpert and Danna Kobo, and Subversive Jewelry's Justin Giunta.
The designers each received two-year leases on design studio spaces ranging from 800 to 1,000 square feet at 209 West 38th Street in Manhattan, with subsidized, below-market rental rates of between $1,500 and $2,000 per month. To earn a spot, the designers had to submit a business plan, show they had "substantive editorial coverage" and orders from high-level retailers, have been in business for over a year and a half, and be supporting a staff.
Lewis Fall 2009 Video Look Book
Way back in the good old days (aka the beginning of Fashion Week) we brought you some snapshots and look book images from the Lewis Fall 2009 presentation. Turns out, there's also a video look book for the collection and we think it perfectly captures the spirit of the brand. The message: these printed silk separates and vintage-inspired frocks--save for friends and maybe a bottle of wine--are all a gal really needs.
New York Fashion Week: Lewis Fall 2009 Presentation & Look Book
02/12/09 New York. Presentation photos by Coutorture.com/Look book photos by Alexandra Gershman.
>> THE ZEITGEIST —It's not even officially Day 1 of New York Fashion Week yet, and already three collections have debuted on video. Joining Halston in doing the video lookbook are Melissa Coker of Wren, who collaborated with filmmaker friend Alia Raza last season and repeated the partnership again this season with "Discreet Nightmare," and Alison Lewis of Lewis, who worked with Bradley Gutierrez to produce a gauzy, romantic look at her collection. [Interview, The Pipeline]

Fall 2009 Fashion Week: Still with New Blood
>> Even established designers are editing, editing, editing for Fashion Week — the number of models, the number of looks, the amount of fabric used — but the tight times aren't keeping a crop of new blood away. Joining former Bill Blass design director Prabal Gurung and Swaim and Christina Hutson, who are starting over with a new label, in the mix — alums of Central Saint Martins, FIT, and Parsons; apprentices of Marc Jacobs, J.Mendel, and Ralph Lauren; but most importantly, New York Fashion Week virgins — show us what you've got.
*image: source, source, source
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. "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.

