Fashion week? It’s on like Malan Breton! We just got back from this morning’s Project Runway show at Bryant Park, and as Vincent would say, it got us off. The season’s final four designers showed off their collections — Jeffrey, Uli, Laura, and front-runner Michael Knight, a.k.a. Captain Save-a-Ho. The seats were packed with Runway stars: fan fave and rock hipster Alison (“I’ve been listening to a lot of Blonde Redhead,” she told us. “And Antony and the Johnsons, Dead Meadow—lots of metal and punk stuff”), Kayne (taking a camera-phone shot of his boyfriend snuggling with Naomi Campbell), Malan (that hair), Catherine Malandrino (ze jet sett-hair). Let’s break it down:

(more…)

Our special correspondents brave the trenches at It-boy fashion designer Zac Posen’s show to answer the question: Does fashion, in fact, rock? Posen is a favorite of rock folk like Liv Tyler and Eve, so we were hopeful about prospective rockingness of the event. We didn’t see Tyler, but Eve was there as was Sean Lennon and some friends, trying to stay out of the way of the swarms of half-naked, pouty models skulking around. We couldn’t stop to accost Lennon because we had to head out to the runway to hang with our Fashion Week guide, Dita Von Teese (Watch the video here — RealPlayer required)

We were trying to discuss the merits of fashion-related reality TV with Ms. Von Teese when we kept getting jostled by some rude guy in a Yankees cap, who turned to be Diddy, who was trying to figure out if he should wear his sweatshirt, swing it around his shoulders, or tie it around his waist. All very distracting. (more…)

All this week we’ve been delving into the heart of Fashion Week in New York City, trying to answer the existential question posed by a recent awards show: does fashion, in fact, rock? Is there anything raw and transgressive about a cocktail dress, or leg warmers? From now on, all of our reports from Fashion Week will include our patented Fashion Rock-o-Meter ™ to help you decide.

Tonight, we decided we needed to go a little further afield, away from the shows that a member of Interpol might attend, so we hit designer Catherine Malandrino’s show. You philistines may recognize Malandrino from Project Runway. She’s like a caricature of the perfect female fashion designer; she’s beautiful, impeccably put together, and so totally French she says “Preeence” when talking about His Purpleness (Watch the video here — RealPlayer required) We love her and want to be or marry her pretty much immediately. We spoke with her backstage before the showing of her Spring collection at Roseland Ballroom, and she explained how the music for this show needed to put her audience “in an urban mode.” (more…)

Oh Fashion Week, we are starting to get the hang of you. Yesterday evening began with a post-work taking in of the new collection by super-hyped designers Rodarte. The event – held in an airy gallery – rocked more than any of the actual fashion shows we’ve seen so far, with Television and Joy Division included on the soundtrack. The only downer: Other people had glasses of wine and it was impossible to find the bar.

At least we’ve learned to recognize the signs of an important event, like the presence of Zooey Deschanel and Anna Wintour. Also in attendance: the Fiery Furnaces Eleanor Friedberger chatting with Karen Elson (the truly gorgeous if almost translucent wife of Jack White) and Interpol’s Carlos D.

As all the models started scampering out to their next shows, we split to meet up with our special Fashion Week guide, Dita Von Teese, at the Tag Heuer event where she was set to give the debut performance of her birdcage burlesque routine. Watch our video here. (RealPlayer required). Also in the crowd (more…)

Um, we’re feeling a little winded from our first true foray into the big bad fashion world. The night (one of the biggest in New York’s Fashion Week) began as Kanye West and Lil’ Kim arrived to a swarm of crazed photogs. Meanwhile, we hooked up with our intrepid guide Dita Von Teese outside the Armory on Lexington where Marc Jacobs’ fashion show takes place every year.

We got special treatment, walking the red carpet inside with Dita, jostled and blinded by flashbulbs and somewhat disoriented by the time Dita (who was calm and relaxed and perfect, as usual) went to an upfront seat with the other celebrities. You know what’s funny? Sofia Coppola, Vincent Gallo, Kim Gordon, Mischa Barton and Zooey Deschanel sitting on metal risers while throbbing versions of Prince and Michael Jackson tunes echo throughout the cavernous venue. What’s even funnier is 50 Cent and his 600 burly bodyguards trying to find room for themselves in the aisle that separates 50 from Anna Wintour, who was chatting away with US Open three time champion Roger Federer. (more…)