>> 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.
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>> Fall 2009 is jewelry's time to shine, judging by all of the collaborations debuting during Fashion Week.  Besides Alexander Wang working with Paris Kain of AbraxasRex on "industrial," "animalistic" pieces, Bensoni commissioned Bing Bang's Anna Sheffield to do candy heart necklaces with pyramid pendants, Jason Wu enlisted Philip Crangi to add a "tough element" to his collection, Gilles Mendel and Subversive's Justin Giunta teamed up for chains and jewels to will appear on and worked into the J.Mendel collection, Eddie Borgo channeled his triangle obsession for Jen Kao, producing a sharp set of baubles — and he also working with Joseph Altuzarra.  Not to mention a variety of other partners in jeweldom: Hervé Van der Straeten and Ruffian, Thakoon and Fenton's Dana Lorenz, DanniJo and Trovata, Roxanne Assouline and Brian Reyes . . .

Needless to say, the bijoux will be aplenty this season — especially because those partnerships are a good way to for jewelry designers get pieces out there without spending money — "You'll see a lot of collaborations going on with designers — like Irene Neuwirth is doing jewelry for Richard Chai — so you can see the talent at the same time," says CFDA executive director Steven Kolb.
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