Fashion Week and the Spring 2013 collections kick off in less than a month and intel is starting to trickle in around designer debuts, store openings and more than a few parties.
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week has revealed its official calendar with the lineup at the Lincoln Center tents. Some new names are on the calendar including menswear designer Todd Snyder and former J.Crew womenswear design director Marissa Webb, who's launching her namesake collection with a presentation. Rachel Zoe, who last season staged a Fashion Week show at the Empire Hotel, is moving to the tents this season, with a full runway show on September 12. Ralph Rucci is the comeback kid of the calendar: Last season the designer didn’t show his ready-to-wear line Chado because of financial woes, but he's returning to the tents this season with a show on September 9.
There will also be some high-profile debuts during New York Fashion Week this season, the most highly anticipated being the first runway show for Katie Holmes' and Jeanne Yang’s line Holmes & Yang which will be held at the Bowery Hotel on September 9. MM6 Maison Martin Margiela is having their first formal Fashion Week presentation at its headquarters in Chelsea on September 8. Marimekko is staging a fashion show on September 10. And Oscar de la Renta is planning a stand-alone runway show for his childrenswear line on September 12.
Some unfortunate news is that Bill Blass won’t be showing this Fashion Week. Designer Jeffrey Monteiro and his team of nine were let go last week leaving the line in limbo. The label's Fashion Week show had been scheduled for September 11 at the Union League Club. Bill Blass has been owned by Peacock International Holdings since 2008.
One of the highest-profile parties during Fashion Week will be the launch of Carine Roitfeld’s new magazine CR. And on September 5 there will be two parties to celebrate two store openings—one for Proenza Schouler and one for Brian Atwood. Target is also hosting a party that night to celebrate the latest installment of its The Shops at Target initiative. Bergdorf Goodman has big plans to celebrate its 111th birthday party and is debuting a special anniversary collection, a film and a book. There will be several events to commemorate the anniversary, including a Fashion’s Night Out event and a screening.
And speaking of Fashion's Night Out, the Vogue shopping initiative in which just about every store in New York City hosts some kind of shopping event open to the public, is slated for September 6.
In other words, put your party hat on.