The Shophound

TOGETHER AGAIN FOR THE SECOND TIME: Jil Sander Officially Returns To Jil Sander

There will no longer have to be any distinctions between the designer Jil Sander and the fashion company called Jil Sander, because the designer and the label have been reunited. Again.

After rumors ran rampant yesterday that Sander would be replacing the departing Raf Simons as the designer of the label she founded in 1968, the company has confirmed today that the newest Sander designed Jil Sander collection would be the Men's Spring 2013 line to be shown this June in Milan. The designer has stated, "I am very happy and excited to be back. It feels like coming home after a brief journey. The fashion world needs original voices and genuine signatures. I will do my best to, once again, join the choir."

Jil Sander Confirms Return of Founder (WWD)

WAREHOUSE UPDATE: Barneys Adds A Week To The Warehouse Sale

In case you were planning on hitting the Barneys Warehouse Sale early this Sunday to grab those last-day-price-slash bargains, you may want to cool your heels a bit since our friends at RACKED have announced that the sale has been extended for another week until March 4th.

We have to chuckle a bit at this, because when Barneys decided last Fall to shorten the sale by a week, they wound up extending it for several days anyway since they lost the precious last weekend to Hurricane Irene. Now, they have basically returned the sale to its original two week schedule, as if the sale itself has taken on its own persona and resisted any attempts to be downsized by more recent arrivals to Barney's management.

Anyway... the extension is probably why, when we stopped by the sale yesterday for our periodic price check, expecting an additional round of markdowns, we saw that the discount list (pictured above —click for a larger view) had remained unchanged since Monday. right now, there is about 25% off women's shoes and sportswear, and men's sportswear, trousers and outerwear. Also, the men's same has been reconfigured to make better use of space and get some (but not all) of those sweaters off the hangers. As always, beware of people using the racks as an impromptu changing room.

We agree with Racked that the racks seemed surprisingly robust for a sale supposedly extending into its final days, so we wouldn't be surprised if some of the leftovers from the West Coast sale are being added to the stock for one more week of blowout.

As always, we will keep you apprised of further reductions, so stay tuned...

Barneys Warehouse Sale Extended To Sunday, March 4th (Racked)

ERIC WILSON GOES SHOPPING: Underappreciated In Milan Edition

There's no Critical Shopper today in the Thursday Styles, but instead, the Times has sent Eric Wilson to moonlight as the "Global Shopper" while he covers the Fall 2012 collections in Milan. He finds himself at Excelsior, an ambitious, new multi-brand store in Milan that seems to have rubbed Italian traditionalists the wrong way.

It's not surprising that a flashy $40 million 40,000 square foot store would cause a stir in any city, but while New Yorkers, for example would typically be waiting for a new retail extravaganza with bated breath, the Milanese, even cab drivers, apparently don't take too kindly to such ostentation.

“We don’t need it,” the driver said. In fact, he sounded a little offended that a store like Excelsior, with its facade of flashy video displays and nightclub lighting, exists in a city where shopping is supposed to be sacrosanct.

No fun.
As Wilson lists the labels carried in the store, we wonder if the abundance of American-based sportswear labels may be part of the local resistance. Helmut Lang, Theory, Rag & Bone, Alice & Olivia, Gryphon, Altuzarra, Wrangler, Levi’s, Lee, RRL Ralph Lauren and Proenza Schouler are all mentioned as being featured prominently. Maybe its a local pride thing.

The most exciting feature, to us, sounds to be the extensive food department, but if the Milanese aren't able to appreciate Excelsior, the by all means pack the place up and sent it over here. New Yorkers would be all over that place.

Global Shopper: Fiddling With a Milanese Recipe By Eric Wilson (NYTimes)
Excelsior Milano Galleria del Corso, 4, Milan, Italy

DIOR WATCH: Raf Simons Exits Jil Sander Is Dior His Next Stop?

The Cut and WWD have confirmed that Raf Simons will show his last collection for Jil Sander on Monday amid rumours that Jil Sander herself may once again rekindle the on-off relationship she has had with the label that bears her own name. His official successor is to be announced in a few days.

Naturally, the mind jumps to the possibility that Simons will take over the creative responsibilities for Christian Dior since he was breathlessly rumored to have been tapped for that position a few months ago, though he also turned out to be one in a long line of names that were supposedly all but confirmed for the job. At the time he was thought to be unavailable anyway, but now, Simons is pretty much the only person rumored for the job that is not tied to some other company (besides his own, of course). If that is the case then, yes, our long international nightmare of a designerless Dior will finally be over and we will all be able to sleep at night again. It also raises the question of whether Simons will also take over Dior Homme, a job for which he would be eminently qualified even more than for the women's side. This would push out Kris Van Assche, who has been well liked as the designer there, but has lacked the frisson that his founding predecessor Hedi Slimane was able to conjure, and Simons may be able to re-create.

Of course, Simons could be leaving Sander to focus all of his energies on his own label, and possibly launch his own women's line, which would not be an unreasonable possibility. We expect definitive answers soon.

Confirmed: Raf Simons to Leave Jil Sander (The Cut)
Raf Simons to Exit Jil Sander (WWD)

MULTIPLE COLLABORATION ANTICIPATION: GQ's Best New Menswear Designers For 2012 Will Collaborate With The Gap

Now we have something to anticipate at Gap's Fifth Avenue Concept Store later this year when GQ's Best New Menswear Designers for 2012 will each launch capsule collections with the mega-chain. The group of six burgeoning labels were just announced, and what a great group it is, proving that American menswear is experiencing something of an unprecedented talent explosion right now. Last year's group designed a few (sort of expensive!) pieces for Dockers that were sold at Bloomingdales, but this time around the six designers chosen by the magazine will get broader exposure. GQ will pick a winner as the collections come closer to launching, but let's start with The Shophound's favorites —and we do have some in this group:

IAN VELARDI just showed his third collection for his own label, and The Shophound has been smitten since we discovered his debut line of sophisticated but modern and sleek a year ago at Capsule. Barneys loved it too and carries his line exclusively along with Park & Bond online. This unassuming and hardworking young designer put in time at Hickey and Hart, Shaffner & Marx, and essentially operates as a one-man show. That's dedication! He has impeccable taste and also loves cars, which is awesome. We'll wear anything he makes, and we don't care what he turns out for the Gap because we know we are already buying every piece.

MARK MCNAIRY is another designer who could easily lead us around by our nose like the fashion cult leader he has become. He is most well known at the moment for his English made shoe line which established his irreverent sensibility with classic styles. You can thank him for the profusion of suede bucks with neon-colored rubber soles you have been seeing everywhere. He has just launched his full ready-to-wear collection along with showing his third season as the designer for the exclusive Woolrich Woolen Mills label and overseeing collaborations with Bass, Spiewak and Pro-Keds, so this is a very busy man. Don't get mad if he doesn't have time for an extended conversation. Expect to see classic pieces in unexpected materials and patterns like camo, floral, smiley faces or who knows what?

The identical twin brothers Shimon & Ariel Ovadia behind OVADIA & SONS have been dazzling editors and retailers since they debuted their eye-popping soup-to-nuts collection of sportswear, tailored clothing, shoes, furnishings and accessories last year. The Brooklyn based pair come from a family steeped in the garment industry, and their meticulously made collection of classic clothing is infused with a very contemporary no-holds-barred sense of luxury. How will they translate their rarefied point of view for the more democratic Gap?

TODD SNYDER is another editor and retailer's favorite who has taken what he learned at Polo and J.Crew and wrapped it up in a more luxurious and modern package to sell at stores like Bergdorf Goodman and Odin. He has succeeded in separating his own style from those of his previous employers, though this upcoming collaboration presents the interesting circumstance of a former J.Crew designer creating a capsule line for the Gap.

SATURDAYS NYC has also benefitted from exposure at J.Crew, and of all the designers chosen, their own casual style is closest to the Gap's stock in trade. Expect designers Colin Tunstall, Josh Rosen and Morgan Collett to turn out something that goes well with a surfboard.

And finally, BLK DNM founder Johan Lindeberg is not really much of a newcomer having founded the J.Lindeberg label and consulted on a host of other labels, but his new label shows a more refined attitude towards denim and wardrobe basics. His SoHo store just got the Critical Shoppper treatment in the Times, and he has made fans out of musicians and fashion editors. How will he translate his luxury basics back to the masses who shop at the Gap?

Announcing GQ's Best New Designers in America 2012 (GQ.com)
NOTE: All images from GQ.com.

AND WE'RE DONE: Say Goodbye To ESPRIT

About 5 years ago, Esprit tried to stage its own little '80s revival by opening a suite of prominent stores in Manhattan in efforts to revive its fortunes in its original home country of the U.S. Unfortunately, despite the brand's continuing success in overseas, it didn't do too well at enticing American shoppers of what had once been an exciting, groundbreaking brand a quarter of a decade earlier. A few months ago, Esprit announced that it would be closing its remaining New York stores with the exception of its Rockefeller Center flagship. Though the units at Columbus Circle and on 34th street would be gone, the one store would remain in hopes of eventually igniting interest. The New York Post is reporting, however, that the Fifth Avenue store will be shuttered as well, as soon as this week. So, goodbye Esprit. You... well, you probably won't be missed that much, but it was a good try. This leaves a sizable 14,000 square feet for the taking on a prime stretch of Fifth Avenue, so keep an eye on that spot for what will hopefully be a terrific store, but will definitely be one with deep pockets.

Rock Center Esprit no more (NYPost)
Previously:
The '80s are Back: Esprit Coming to Rockefeller Center (4.27.2007)

YOGA POWER: Lululemon Adds A Second West Side Store

Yoga Mecca Lululemon Athletica is making a stand for the souls of all the yogis and yoginis of the Upper West Side as it plans to open a second store on Broadway at 75th Street only 11 blocks up the street from its original West Side store at 64th Street. In what feels like a case of "quick, grab it before anyone else gets it" the chain revealed its plans by posting a job listing for the upcoming location's store manager position on its website. The store will take over a recently vacated Chase bank location right down the block from Barneys Co-op, and breaks up the well trod food store trail that runs from Fairway to Citarella to Westside Market to Zabar's. The folks at My Upper West have confirmed all this intrigue as they note that between EMS, JackRabbit Sports, a pair of Modell's and Athleta, the West Side has gotten a rapid infusion of athletic stores of nearly every kind over the past couple of years. With that kind of aggressive expansion plan, Lululemon should take a look at 86th & Broadway, where the Gap has left another high-profile corner property empty for the taking. It's only another 11 blocks away. Why break the pattern?

New UWS Lululemon Athletica At Broadway & 75th (2139 Broadway) Officially Confirmed (MyUpperWest)

COMING SOON: The Only Time When More Acne Is A Good Thing

It is a triumph of product over branding that the fashion company known as ACNE has been so successful over the past decade or so. Perhaps nobody at the Stockholm-based collective knew at its inception that they chose a name which also refers to a common skin condition that makes teenagers miserable and keeps dermatologists in business —or maybe they did. Perhaps they chose the name Acne over alternatives like Psoriasis or Eczema. Who knows? People love their jeans so much that it really doesn't matter what they called themselves.

Anyway, the point of all this is to say that Acne, which has been represented for the past few years with a charming but modest and somewhat out-of-the-way store at 10 Greene Street between Canal and Grand Streets is doing so well that they need more space. They will be opening a new, larger location at the corner of Greene and Grand, right across the street form the current epicenter of fashion cool, Alexander Wang. The new space, formerly the De La Espada design showroom, has 3,000 square feet on the street level which should be more than enough room for Acne to show off every style of jeans they make as well as their sportswear and accessory collections. The new store is slated to open its doors in April. Leave your Clearasil at home.

LIMITED TIME ONLY: You Have Until This Weekend To Check Out Jeremy Scott's Pop-Up In Hell's Kitchen

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If you had asked us ten years ago what the likelihood of Jeremy Scott's fashion line being around in a decade, we would have shrugged our shoulders and said, "Who knows?" After all, the prospects for a designer whose signature style can safely be described as "cartoon character" can be limited, and for every Vivienne Westwood or Jean-Paul Gaultier who survives, the Highway of Fashion is littered with the discarded labels of designers who thought they were more amusing than their potential customers did. Scott, however, is not only still around, but flourishing thanks to, among other things, a canny business sense, a combination of celebrities who need things to wear in music videos and smartly arranged collaborations, particularly with Adidas Originals. The Adidas line has been particularly successful, and so the sneaker giant's yearlong Hell's Kitchen shop has been hosting a two-week pop-up for Scott which will close up after this weekend. Ths Shophound stopped by over the weekend to check it out, because, as far as we know, this two week experiment is the only Jeremy Scott store that exists anywhere. Inside we found lots of bright, colorful clothes in the designer's typical, outlandish style, so if you always wanted a dress printed to look exactly like an actual potato sack, or have had a long-standing hankering to dress just like Fred Flintstone on some day other than Halloween, this is the store for you. We aren't judging anymore.

There are also plenty of Scott's Adidas sneakers in store including the newest versions of his justifiably popular Hermes-styled winged hi-tops (That's Hermes, the messenger of the Greek Gods, not the French leathergoods company). Prices run from affordable t-shirts to the thousands for more elaborate pieces. The winged sneakers run around $300, but even if you aren't ready for the flamboyance of a full Jeremy Scott outfit, it's still worth a trip for the sheer entertainment value of the store. Presumably, after this weekend, the shop will be converted back to its original stock of Adidas Originals, SLVR and Y-3 brands, and close down permanently sometime in May. It remains to be seen whether this store has raised the shopping profile of a neighborhood that despite its popularity among young New Yorkers remains pretty bereft of fashion, though it doesn't appear to have had an effect quite yet. Still, the unassuming location is part of the store's charm —which is what everyone says before some catalyst turns a pleasant little neighborhood into the next Bleecker Street.

Jeremy Scott through February 26th at Adidas Hell's Kitchen 715 Ninth Avenue between 48th & 49th Streets, Hell's Kitchen

COLLABORATION ANTICIPATION: Uniqlo's Orla Kiely Collection Hits Stores This Week

At this point, there are so many designer collaboration collections out there, that we could spend all our time writing a blog just about them. This team-up between popular Irish-born designer Orla Kiely and Japanese chain UNIQLO flew a bit under our radar until the store announced it in the window last week, as is its wont. Part of Uniqlo's ever expanding UT t-shirt line, the collection features t-shirts, tanks, tunics, button-front shirts and dresses in a total of 22 of the designer's unmistakable retro-tinged prints and multiple colorways in an easy price range from $19.90 to $39.90. The line launched yesterday, and will presumably be available at UNIQLO's three New York flagships until supplies last. UT is also featuring t-shirts with desins from The Museum of Modern Art, Charles Schulz's Peanuts characters, Beatles lyrics, the characters from the One Piece manga stories as well as more Disney characters, but this is the only UT group featuring an actual, single live designer that we know about so far.

Obviously, we were distracted by the upcoming UU Uniqlo Undercover line which hits the store in the middle of next month, but for those who follow such things, the next few weeks are a bonanza of collaboration launches including Marni's highly anticipated collection for H&M coming on March 8th (see images of every piece at The Cut HERE) and one we hadn't paid much attention to, Diane Von Furstenberg for GapKids (available March 15). Save your pennies, high/low shoppers. It's going to be a busy month.

Previously:
UU uniqlo undercover To Hit Stores On March 16

THIS WEEK ONLINE:J.Mendel, Carolina Herrera, Yigal Azrouël, Acne, SPURR, Bonobos, Paul Smith, Roberto Cavalli, John Varvatos, Stella McCartney, Malo

Here is your weekly sampling of some of the brands you can expect to find on the bigger online Flash Sale Sites this week. You should click over to the sites themselves for a full schedule of events, and be sure to check for the correct start time for each sale. Happy clicking!

GILT GROUPE

Magaschoni, J.Mendel, Helen Kaminski, Australia Luxe, Carolina Herrera, Delman, Swarovski, Isabel Lu, Inhabit, Yigal Azrouël, James Perse, Vanessa Bruno, By Terry, Kathryn Amberleigh, Karen Walker Sunglasses, See by Chloé, Gold Hawk, Carlos Falchi, Ippolita, Eileen Fisher, Blush Lingerie —join HERE

GILT MAN

ACNE Jeans & Filippa K, SPURR, Ben Sherman, Eastland Shoes Co., Ben Sherman, Desanto Italia Leather Goods, Generic Surplus, Earnest Sewn, Bonobos, Patrik Ervell/Florsheim by Duckie Brown, New Balance Underwear, James Perse, Gold Rivet, Stetson, Trovata, Defy Bags, GANT by Michael Bastian, Antonio Maurizi, Luigi Bianchi Mantova, Paul Smith Clothing & Accessories, C/89, Fine Finishes Accessories —join HERE

GILT HOME & CHILDREN

Central Station, Star Home/Kim Seybert, Design Craft Lighting, nuLOOM, Jayson Home & Lazy Susan, Jen Lee Art, W Hotel Bed, Judy Ross, Michael Aram, Bodum, Honeywell, Leather Event, Mehraban Rugs, Baby Bjorn? UPPAbaby, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Finn + Emma, Bonobos, Jacadi, Morgan & Milo, Uncle Goose Classic Wooden Blocks, Tiny Love, Adorable Baby Clothes for Minihaha, The Toy Shop —join HERE

RUE LA LA

MyPublisher, Furla, Michael Stars, Yummie Tummie, Roberto Cavalli Sunglasses, Court of Versailles, PUMA, Vinrtage Arte, Juicy Couture, Hanky Panky, Heys USA, John Varvatos, Project Alabama, CompanyKids, Stuart Weitzman, Betsey Johnson, Keds, Surya Home, Stella McCartney, Vince, Ella Moss, Madame Alexander, Kassatex, Bellino, Cuisinart, Nourison —join HERE

BELLE & CLIVE

Lafayette 148, Ballantyne, Line, Shirt by Shirt, Charriol, Prada, Gypsy 05, Chloé, Monrow, Vilebrequin, Ash, Edun, Vintage Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Hermès Accessories, Halston Heritage, Sky, Eight Penny Nails, Moncler, Ralph Lauren —join HERE

IDEELI

Body Language, Carmen Marc Valvo, Chloé, Cuisinart, David Khan, Diesel, Dolce Vita, Judith Jack, Vera Bradley, Akribos, Jenni Chan, Laura Ashley, Meghan Fabulous, A'reve, Beverly Feldman, Cubavera, Ike Behar, Koolaburra, Lisa Jenks, Michael Stars, Reebok, Saachi, Suzi Chin, Swiss Legend, Tahari ASL —join HERE

ONE KINGS LANE

President's Day Blowout Sales, Barclay Butera, Allem Studio Pilows, L'Objet, APF Munn, Colonial Mills, Archipelago, Dransfield & Ross, Hartmann, Blooming Table, Alicia Adams Alpaca, Emissary, Safavieh, Stone Road Vintage, Portero Luxury, Evergreen, Chic Canvas, The Rug Market, Trade Winds —join HERE

HAUTE LOOK

Winter Kate, BCBGeneration, genetic Denim, Boutique 9, Original Penguin, Hilary Radley, Joie, Tommy Hilfiger, NYLA, TruDerma —join HERE

MY HABIT

St. John, Bally Boudicca, Dolce & Gabbana, Just Cavalli, Florsheim by Duckie Brown, Descendant of Thieves, Jack Rogers, Kenneth Jay Lane, Donna Morgan, Rogaska, Peacock Alley, JD Fisk, Plomo, Calvin Klein Collection, Malo, Giorgio Armani, Bass, Jones New York Collection, nOir Jewelry, Qi Cashmere, RB Casa, Culinary Institute of America —join HERE

VENTE PRIVEE

Petit Bateau, Vitamin A —join HERE

HUCKBERRY

Bellroy, Moshi Moshi —join HERE

FAB.com

Hido, MiiR, AND Watch, Simon & Schuster, OGGI, Max Steiner Designs, Scout Books, Jimmyjane, Culinarium, Gorjana, Shanna Quilts, Faktura, Jane Hruska, Royal Elastics, Areaware, Urban Cricket, Zip Zip, Elemental Living —join HERE

SHOE LUST: Leffot + Nick Wooster Present Some Shoes To Save Up For

Get a load of these!

We first caught a glimpse of the boots on Park & Bond's Tumblr a few days ago, and were hoping that they would be selling them on line, (so maybe we could rack up enough Gilt invitation credits to buy them) but our most admired men's shoe store Leffot announced to day on its website, that these shoes and boots from famed English cobbler Alfred Sargent will be made exclusively for themselves in collaboration with menswear idol Nick Wooster (seen reflected in the mirror above). The shop is now taking reserve orders for these camouflage patterned suede shortwing brogues and cap-toe boots with triple soles which will be available this Fall priced at $695 for the shoes and $750 for the boots —so... low to mid price range for Leffot typical offerings, and high to totally out of the question for most of the rest of us. Sigh...
The shoes and boots were created by Wooster for his special Project Wooster section of the recent Project trade show in Las Vegas which features camouflage as a theme. We can never get enough of that, so consider us fully obsessed. We are guessing that if you want a pair of these for your own feet, you had better order ASAP.

Nick Wooster + Leffot: Project Wooster (Leffot Official Site)
Here’s your first look at Nick Wooster’s upcoming collaboration with Leffot and Alfred Sargent (Park & Bond Tumblr)

WAREHOUSE REPORT: It's Time To Adjust Our Expectations Regarding The Barneys Warehouse Sale

What you are looking at above is a big rack of cargo pants currently in the Men's section of the Barneys New York Warehouse Sale. Normally, one would find a huge table full of sweaters that customers would be tossing all over the place sitting in front of this rack, but instead, there is an empty expanse of floor. The sweaters are on the other side of the room —on hangers (!!!)— which any decent shopkeeper knows is an excellent way to ruin knitwear. On the plus side, there is much more room for the throngs of shoppers to move around, but we easily slipped in and out of the sale on its opening day, yesterday, so there actually were no afternoon crowds. What we had come to expect would be a bonanza overflowing with discounted designer clothes has become a much sparser, shorter clearance event for the season, and, it seems clear, a few preceding seasons as well, along with more than a little bit of off-price goods added in to fill the racks. This sale seems sparser and less well organized than ever before.
Folks, the sale's glory days are long gone. Get used to it.

In going through the men's section, the lack of merchandise was glaring, and though there are one or two Pairs of pants from Mason's, Woolrich and Gant by Michael Bastian in the rack pictured, most of the rest appear to be off-price or outlet goods that Barneys is trying to move. Here's a fun hint: If there is a strange abundance of a particular item, you can bet that it has been brought in just for the sale as opposed to coming from Barneys full line stores. Sometimes that's good. We saw a ton of Thom Browne shirts among the racks that we never saw hanging in Barneys regular in-store sale, which is great, and maybe some of them will be left when prices really get slashed on the final days. Unfortunately, they were also shoved into the racks with no regard to size, so buying one at 70% off will be your reward for finding the right size somewhere in the packed racks of shirts. There was also an abundance of previous season Gant Rugger shirts, including many form the last Warehouse Sale, so, again theses will be totally worth it when the get reduced again.

Of course, we also saw a ridiculous amount of merchandise with ripped tags showing no price, or intact ones that had never been properly marked down with red pen to begin with. This is just sloppy, and, frankly, in this day and age, Barney's hand-marked sale ticket system is generally, embarrassingly archaic.

The Men's accessory and scarf bins were similarly diminished along with shoes which are inexplicably crammed in a corner leaving another huge expanse of space that could be better used to make shopping easier. We don't even know what to tell you about the sad collection of neckties hanging on their usual holders by the abundant-as-usual of off-price private label dress shirts. Most of them should just be packed up and sold by the pound to jobbers to get them out of circulation.

As for the women's sections, our friends at Racked have a detailed report, and basically found the offerings similarly disappointing. So overall, this Warehouse Sale is nothing to get excited about. Of course, if you need some suits or dress shirts for work, it can still be a great resource, and if you posses an inveterate hunter-gatherer instinct when it comes to shopping (and The Shophound might know a little something about that) there are bound to be prizes to be found. We will try to keep up with next week's inevitable, reductions, and maybe more merchandise might be brought from whatever is left after the Los Angeles Warehouse sale ends on Monday (which doesn't even sound like a promising prospect), but we warn you to keep your expectations in check

Barneys New York Warehouse Sale runs through Sunday, February 26th at 255 West 17th Street between Seventh & Eighth Avenues, Chelsea
The Barneys Womenswear Sale Is a Bit Of A Let-Down (Racked)

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK FALL 2012: Finally, Glitter On The Runway With Naeem Khan, Monique Lhuillier, Christian Siriano & J. Mendel

This Fashion Week was the first one since The Shophound has been covering it that we saw more shows outside and away from the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week tents than inside them. Despite their obvious upgrade and expansion from Bryant Park, more and more important designers simply don't want to be there anymore. Possibly this is because of the increasing rental costs of the tents or because some are turned off by the sponsor-heavy atmosphere, but for whatever reason, the tents are now failing in their original mission to centralize New York's most important runway shows. In fact, despite the bloated overall schedule of 280 or so shows, MBFW had not a single show booked for yesterday, the final day of Fashion Week, so they closed down early. What that means for IMG which now owns the enterprise remains to be seen, but these days, exclusive niche eveningwear designers remain among the few highlights that the tents can still reliably offer. The kind of high-glam drama they require for their runways is still well served by the big tents as opposed to low-ceilinged rooms and raw spaces elsewhere, and their clientele appreciates the ease and efficiency with which they can get in and out of the shows. Unfortunately, the overbooked, larger Fashion Week schedule (a MESS) sadly made The Shophound miss Reem Acra, who is having a hot red carpet moment right now, so our apologies go to her, but we still saw enough gowns to keep our eyes dazzled until next season. As we have said before, sometimes it nice to just sit back and watch at all the pretty dresses going by.

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Chief among the dazzlers is NAEEM KHAN (above) whose profile continues to rise after experiencing the Midas-like patronage of the First Lady, and while his front row featured some of the weeks usual suspects like Padma Lakshmi and Kristin Chenoweth he managed to produce one of the week's actual major stars for his show. Freakin' Matt Damon caused a photographer frenzy when he and his wife unexpectedly appeared in their seats just before the show began. It was especially surprising, since last season, Damon's purported appearance at a show was the subject of a hoax that caused chaos in the tents, and here he was, unassumingly live and in person. Naturally, he was right across the runway from The Shophound, and we can report that he behaved himself beautifully while watching what is reported to be his first fashion show. Next time, he'll know to dress better. As for the clothes, they were as glittery and alluring as ever, with Khan showing a virtuoso touch with stunningly complicated embroideries and beading. Click the thumbnails for some highlights.

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MONIQUE LHUILLIER managed to score "Vampire Diaries" star Nina Dobrev for her front row, along with supermodel spawn and newly enthusiastic showgoer Peter Brant II. With Academy Awards on the horizon, there's always the feeling that some of these gowns might wind up on the red carpet sooner rather than later, and Lhuillier played up a graphic black, red and white theme that seemed tailor made for TV. Thee were no nominees in attendance that we knew of, but you can be sure that their stylists we watching closely.

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As the subject of a recent New York Times profile, CHRISTIAN SIRIANO was suddenly a hotter ticket this week. He also joined the ranks of designers who have abandoned the tents opting instead for Chelsea's Eyebeam Studios. As a result we endured, most of his audience had to wait outside on a cold sidewalk to be seated, but once inside, The Shophound managed to slip into a second row seat not far from Dobrev once again along with Gabourey Sidibe, making a rare Fashion Week appearance, Mena Suvari, and returning front-row champ, Leigh Lezark who lent her own peculiar sort of credibility to the proceedings. Siriano's new stylist Danielle Nachmani has tempered the reality star's penchant for over-the-top glamor, and his collection looked more modern and wearable than the last time we had been to one of his shows, but his best pieces were still the most extravagant ones, so we don't expect to see him go totally minimalist on us. Click below for a look at the newly cleaned-up Siriano

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Yesterday at J.MENDEL, we repeated the feat of finding an excellent seat after a tedious wait, when none had actually been assigned to us, and found ourselves across the runway from a dewy Kelly Osbourne a few seats away from the sunshaded Olsen twins. We realized, while watching the show, that having gone to fewer show this season, this was one of the few to feature full-on production with a custom set and a top flight cast of models like Arizona Muse, Lindsey Wixson, Ginta Lapina, Alana Zimmer, Tanya Dziahileva and the week's breakout star Kati Nescher opening and closing. High production does make a difference (innovative furs and flashes of gold lamé don't hurt either), and this was one of our most satisfying shows of the week. Click below for a closer look.

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NEW YORK FASHION WEEK FALL 2012: A Pack Of Presentations With GANT by Michael Bastian, Rachel Roy, Fotini & Alice + Olivia's Ice Cream Treat

At the corner of Tenth Avenue and 36th Street, Exit Art is convenient to exactly nothing, and yet every Fashion Week, someone lures The Shophound over there for one thing or another. This time, Michael Bastian used it for both of his shows. A few days ago, we gushed about his main runway presentation, and yesterday, we were back again to see his increasingly popular collection for GANT shown in a static presentation (pictured above). For him, we are happy to go out of our way.

The designer made good use of the snow machine that added atmosphere to the set of his runway show, repurposing it in the center of the reconfigured space, creating a snowglobe effect and sprinkling his models with fake flakes. This collection, called "The Lucky Ones", was a nostalgic look back at his college years in Boston during the '80s, and his friends who were all lucky to find each other. It's a charming backstory that happens to mesh perfectly with Gant's preppy, Northeastern heritage. Rather than making his models stand at attention like sentries, Bastian lets them move and mug for the cameras if they feel like it, and there's always one who can't help dancing on his platform to the music. The designer himself greeted guests and gave interviews looking, after two Fashion Week events under his name, like he just finished his last final exam. It's always a fun show, and there's a tons of stuff to want for next Fall especially if, like us, you can never get enough tweed jackets, striped shirts and slim cargo pants. Plus he serves cocktails, so there's no losing there. Click below to see the whole collection.

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It's true that not every designer should be putting on a runway show, particularly smaller, up and coming ones, but even some well established players prefer a more informal presentation. RACHEL ROY could easily fill a Lincoln Center tent at this point, but, apparently, prefers a low key event. Still, she had showgoers waiting on the sidewalk to get into her presentation at Alice Tully Hall, and letting people take a lingering look at the models does allow a better appreciation of her architectural, color blocked collection. It was among her most refined, and, as a plus, the venue allowed passersby to peer inside and get a little taste of Fashion Week for themselves.

For all the exodus from the Lincoln Center tents, showing there still has its advantages as designer FOTINI discovered when guests spilled out of the Naeem Khan show and passed by her modest presentation suddenly filling up the Box tent. Although we wouldn't want to be an eveningwear designer showing immediately after Khan's glittery tour de force (more on that later), Fotini had something Khan didn't, and that was a table piled with tasty macarons! There's no underestimating the power of a surprise afternoon snack, and we only ate, like, a dozen or so...

The last time we went to an ALICE + OLIVIA presentation, it was across the street from Bryant Park in designer Stacey Bendet's own shop, so it was a cramped but festive affair. In the years since, her label has grown, and so has her presentation style which took us to Chelsea late on Monday afternoon. She proved that she knows how to throw a party, and while guests had to wait outside on West 22nd street while an industrial elevator ferried them up to the show, once inside there were two full bars, tons of food and free Magnum ice cream bars for all. Clothes? Oh yeah, they were they were cute and lively, on models smartly lined up along the walls to make room for the party. There was even a special "red carpet" section where celebrity after celebrity was trotted out for photographers. Johnny Weir, ex-Real Housewife Kelly Bensimon and Kristin Chenoweth anong others all made their appearances while the models (below) patiently vamped yards away, hoping for a little attention to come their way. It's tough to compete with free ice cream.