BlackBook

"I think we’re at the beginning of something."

As if we were going to sit back idly this Fashion Week while all the other fashion houses and mags had all the fun. No f*cking way. Last night, we got in on the action with a blowout at Juliet, that sceney scenster restaurant and club thingy on the outer limits of Chelsea. And what would a party in honor of fashion be without the opportunity to give props to someone who actually does the damn thing. BlackBook New Regimer Siki Im -- whose Fall/Winter 2011 presentation went off smashingly the other day -- was our chosen honoree for the evening, as he and his nearest and dearest were treated to a feast before the guests arrived.

Anna Sui’s Fall 2011 runway show at Lincoln Center Wednesday evening took its cues from colorful cultures and daring eras, making for a lively and feminine vibe. Last month, during a panel held in her honor at The Metropolitan Museum, Sui said she was inspired by “an amazing exhibition in London about Diaghilev and the Ballet Russes.” She also spoke about her mood board: “There [are] lots of pictures of Ballet Russes costumes, lots of Léon Bakst drawings. There’s a mixture of Mod too. I’m trying to overlap it. Hopefully the collection will capture that.” For her presentation, Sui also referenced dandyism and romantic dress, feathers and velvet.

Street style photographers have been out in full force this week, bothering and validating the beautiful and well-heeled in equal measure. Personally, I find it incredulous that people would be anything but flattered if one of these rogue paparazzi stopped them for a quick pic -- I know people who spend their Saturday afternoons stomping around Soho in couture in the hopes of bumping into the Sartorialist.

Ankles aching from those Acnes? Mind reeling from all the small talk? Eyes bleeding from all those looks? Instead of waiting for nightfall to indulge in free, mind-erasing booze, find peace and diversion from all of your self-inflicted (and trendy) agony at some of these temporary pop-ups, meant to cure the neuroses of the fashionable masses during New York Fashion Week.

Next Wednesday night, BlackBook will take over Juliet for a Fashion Week afterparty guaranteed to melt your slushie. In the meantime, though, why not enjoy the restaurant's special prix fixe menus commemorating both Fashion Week ($35) and Valentine's Day ($75). Warning: contains both calamari and red velvet cake. Check out the menus after the jump.

Like internet cat videos, male models are adorable. This video Justin Wu made for Jak&Jil captures the boys of Paris and Milan fashion week having a grand old time, minus all the Zoolander angst we so often associate them with ("I'm sorry that good-looking people like us made you throw up and feel bad about yourself"). More fun than a kitten tangled up in yarn, the boys sing, in classic lipdub form, the Dandy Warhol's song "Bohemian Like You," showing us that there's more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking.

Maybe it’s just that we’re so busy here at the BlackBook office, but New York Fashion Week always seems to creep up out of nowhere. Yes, it’s here again and starts tomorrow actually.

Just back from London and while I’m feeling the jetlag, I had to get this post up about my last night out on the town. On Monday evening, Pringle owned the night staging a blow out fashion show that left me with just the right dose of fashion inspiration. Held at the Serpentine Gallery, this venerable Scottish clothing line brought out the big guns to celebrate their 195-year anniversary. Janet Jackson, Tilda Swinton and Courtney Love all sat courtside as designer Claire Waight Keller sent out an army of cashmere clad and kilted beauties. These were not your mother’s knits-- sweaters came in the form of mesh cashmere and there were leather kilts with shearling linings bursting from the belt lines. The pants were another highlight—big, slouchy ones with deep pockets that jutted out and created a new silhouette.

After just seeing Christopher Kane's F/W 2010 show I had to race straight back to my hotel room to blog about it. It's been the best collection I've seen since the shows started in New York over a week ago. There was plenty of leather and lace on Kane's runway today, a trend that's dominated the runways thus far. What's different is that these clothes are thoroughly modern—no '90s goth and grunge or Stevie Nicks references in sight. These were sharply tailored clothes in black leather and wool with lace panels dotted throughout the looks. Color came in the form of floral embroidery (usually on the leather pieces). A leather embroidered motorcycle jacket with a shearling collar will surely be on the most wanted list of every it girl in town come August.