“I Mean…What?!?” – Abe Gurko

“Imagine for a moment that you’re forced to do hard physical labor all day, seven days a week—whether it’s sweltering hot or freezing cold outside,” Lea Michele says. “At the end of the day, instead of relaxing or sleeping in a comfortable bed, you are locked in a tiny closet all night long.”… Read More »

In all my thousand years on Earth, I have not felt such a palpable energy about Paris Fashion Week. With Lanvin so breathtaking, Rick Owens beyond cool and Balenciaga so interesting, I am green with envy at the editors sitting front row at the upcoming Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior shows. Relegated to sitting behind my desk like many sad bloggers, I can at least rejoice at the heralded return to the glory days of Paris fashion. There was a time when New York Fashion Week stole a bit of the thunder, when celebrities were not ruining the front… Read More »

When Carine Roitfeld’s personal assistant contacted David Lerner requesting several styles of his black leather leggings that she had purchased at Intermix, he knew that he had arrived. His eponymous collection of updated sophisticated basics has become the go-to resource for the sophisticated, confident woman. … Read More »

While the Milanese designers have been burning up the runways featuring loud bursts of color and floral prints that make New York’s print war seem as though we have surrendered, Mexico has been hosting their own “Little Mercedes Benz Fashion Week That Could”. By the looks of things, we can safely say that Mexico’s greatest export will remain marijuana for years to come. Well, designer goods surely ain’t it. Several years ago, I met with the IMG when they were first planning to roll out regional fashion weeks across the globe. Now, with a fashion show in every shtetl on… Read More »

In support of Japan Fashion Week, we invite you to check out what the Japanese designers are up to this week. Please visit their website that has been created to keep the world in touch with their current market. Lord knows, when New York City was in the midst of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in 2001 on that fateful morning of September 11, the loss and devastation that impacted this city and the entire fashion industry was heavy and deep. So too, with a heavy heart, are the people in the Japanese fashion industry trying to “act as if” and… Read More »

Why can’t every day be Valentine’s Day? With all the horrible anger and violence going on in Egypt and on the eve of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week here in New York City, why can’t we all just share the love for our fellow man…or woman…or man for man or woman for woman. You get the picture. My friend Tony Kelly, who shot Alexandra Richards for French Playboy, did these vibrant images for American Apparel of all people. Can you just imagine why the soft core porn folks would want to do something so poppy and perky and less soft porny?… Read More »

There is so much hub bub about Anna Wintour‘s planned “world’s largest fashion show” at Lincoln Center during Fashion’s Night Out in September. That bit, coupled with the fact that Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, having been booted from Bryant Park, will also be in the Lincoln Center area is giving me the willies. As a true downtown New Yorker, my heart skips a beat every time I go north of 24th Street. (It used to be 14th Street but I moved to 22nd Street and my friend lives on 24th, hence my new line in the sand.) When you think… Read More »

In today’s Women’s Wear Daily, the discussion is whether New York deserves a Men’s Fashion Week, similar to those in Milan and Paris. Listening to the argument, one has to side with the reality that New York needs one in order for these designers to compete with the international business cycle. Naturally I MEAN WHAT?!? has a different agenda, and are voting in favor of New York Manzie Week. Imagine how much fun we will have, especially with the next series of shows being Spring 11, when light frothy outfits come tra-la-la-ing down the runway on gossamer wings. (Note: Whoever… Read More »

Manzies and pansies and bears…oh my! New York Fashion Week will never be the same…for several reasons. First off, being a total optimist and in a response to the recent CFDA meeting, I am confident that there will be a shift in tone at the tents as well as at the off-site activities. No, we will never be free of annoying fashionistas, whose moment of fame starts and ends around the shows (listen up PR Girls), but I’m feeling that the intention of the industry is to act as if we are moving through this unusually hard time and that… Read More »

I have been producing events for more years than I care to admit, believe me, moss has grown plenty underfoot. In the business of fabulii, there must be pictures the next day on the internet or else you have not done the job well. Rather, you failed miserably. It’s as simple as that. Yes, there are those events that require no media attendance, like the ones I used to do when living in Los Angeles at the homes of certain celebs, and frankly, those are the best attended, celebrity wise. But outside of those exceptions, in order to prove your… Read More »