In just a few days, the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week will bring top designers together to show their 2012 collections and awe us all over again. While it’s hard to keep up with every designer featured, there are a few that really stand out. There are the classic designers, the trendsetters and the newcomers, each with their own beautiful styles that affect the fashion world around us. There are so many designers coming to Fashion Week…

…here are the ones whose collections I’m most looking forward to seeing:

initiating the gallery...

For us fashionistas, New York Fashion Week (which kicks off today!) is the highlight of the year (or at least the highlight of this dreary February we’re having). Our CollegeCandy hearts always skip a beat when we see those white tents going up in Bryant Park.  The clothes, the shoes, the celebrities, the glamour… Sigh. It’s almost too much to bear.

Until the day we’re rich, famous, and, oh yeah, invited to this exclusive event, we’ll have to live vicariously through TV and internet coverage.

Still, even if we don’t have Heidi Klum’s front row seat, we can’t wait! We’ve got our DVF wrap dress on (courtesy of some serious Ebay-ing), we’re sporting the Anna Wintour helmet bob, and we’re counting down the minutes for the fash-insanity to begin.

Below, the five things we’re looking forward to most about NYFW Fall 2010.

1. The Project Runway Finale

OK, so we don’t know quite yet which three (or four) designers will be walking their designs down the runway in Bryant Park, but who cares? This season is kinda boring, anyway. We just want to see what those little guys and girls are made of… and all the celebs/Project Runway all-stars from season’s past that show up to see it all go down.

2. The Designs! (Duh)

The excitement of just looking at the beautiful designs I’ll never be able to afford makes me weak in the knees. BCBG? La Perla? Badgley Mischka? Yes, yes, yes! But even though I will never own a Chanel LBD, I flip through every last runway photo to see what the new trends will be so I can load up on their more affordable knock-offs.  Will my leggings and skinny jeans still be OK? What about gladiator heels? And for God’s sake, please tell me I don’t need to invest in shoulder pads!

3. The Celebrities

While the focus of Fashion Week should be on the runway, I like to focus on the seats. As in, who is in them. Where are they sitting? What show are they at? What are they wearing? I mean, what would Fashion Week be without Rachel Zoe, Anne Hathaway, Chloe Sevigny, Nicole Richie, and…wait for it….

4. The Jersey Shore Cast???

It is rumored that our favorite Guidos will be rubbing elbows with Anna Wintour at Fashion Week, blowouts and spray tans intact. Although J-Woww’s breast-baring tops and ripped jeans don’t exactly scream “couture,” I love these guys and can’t wait to see them hob nobbing with this elite, high-fashion crowd.

5. Fashion Road Kill

Picture a beautiful model decked out in the most expensive designer clothes strutting her stuff down the runway.  It’s so easy to hate her….that is, until she eats it in front of thousands of people! It happened last year in New York, the year before in Milan, in 2006 in Paris, and with any luck (and Alexander McQueen’s Alien shoes) it will happen next week.

Project Runway Season 7 kicks off tonight!

Along with our usual faves – Heidi, Tim, Michael and Nina – we’re getting a whole new batch of designers to cut, stitch and bitch their way to the top. But while the 16 designers are all fresh faces, I know that many of them will fill the typical roles of contestants in season’s past. (Except Christian – there will never be another Christian.) From the fabulously fierce gay guy, to the token wet blanket, the types of designers to grace the (Project) runway are alway the same.

So who’s who in season 7? I don’t know much about these fashionistas, but I do like judging people based on how they look so I decided to check out the latest batch of designers and try to figure them out based on their pictures and pictures alone.

The Bitch

Amy Sarabi

Maybe it’s that “I just ate a sour pickle” face she’s sporting, or the hand-on-hip-sideways-bitch-stance, but this girl has Workroom Bitch written all over her.

The Fabulous Gay Guy

Ben Chmura

Sure, the quasi-military haircut is throwing off my Gaydar a bit, but there’s just something fierce about a man in a sleeveless, vibrant, red, and collared tank. I’m loving this guy already.

The Weirdo

Mila Hermanovski

She may not be weird herself, but something about that severe haircut, the red lips and the way she’s penetrating deep into my soul with those dark set eyes that just makes me see some strange, avante garde designs in her future.

The Token Straight Guy

Seth Aaron Henderson

Would any gay man take a picture for Project Runway with hair looking that greasy? We think not. This guy is straight and he’s going to make sure everyone knows it. In every interview. As long as he may last.

The Overly Dramatic Cryer

Jesus Estrada

Did the cameraman already catch Jesus mid-meltdown? He looks about a nano-second away from the waterworks, and I have a feeling we’ll catch this little man leaving his trail of tears up and down the runway.

“Who Let This Guy On?”

Ben Chmura

Honestly, who gets on a high-end fashion reality TV show wearing a sleeveless polo? I doubt Ralph Lauren would even rock this look.

The Most Entertaining

Anthony Williams

One look at this man and I am convinced he is a barrel of LOLs.  Look at that smile, those creased brows; it looks like he is laughing at his own joke.  And it’s probably really funny.

The Boring One

Janeane Marie Ceccanti

Sigh. Even her name is boring. She’s probably a very good designer, but I have a feeling we won’t be seeing much of her generic face on the camera this season.

The First One Auf’d

Pamela Ptak

I dunno what it is about Pamela, but she just looks too suburban-yoga-mom-next-door to make it very far in this competition. Enjoy her now, because she’s gonna be out tomorrow.

The Winner

Maya Luz

Besides looking edgy and hip, Maya totally has that designer name I can see sewn into the back of some killer couture dresses. First celebrity client: Cristina Ricci. Mostly because they look like twins.

We’ll be live-blogging the season premier tonight at 10 PM EST. Grab a snack, watch with us and see if you can indeed judge a fashion designer by their reality TV headshot.

Hello, Wednesday. I have quite the love/hate relationship with you. Obviously, I love that you’re in the middle of the week and that many dub you “Hump Day.” But you’re still just the middle of the week – there are still two more long days to go – and no matter what people call you, I haven’t found anyone to celebrate Hump Day with.

There’s only one thing that can make this any better (without costing you a bundle of money or a days worth of calories)  and that’s a great big game of “Would You Rather?” Because there is no better way to pass time in that ridonkulous 2-hour class than by pondering life’s most preposterous situations.

So think long and hard, choose your answer and give us the deets in the comments section below, K? K.

Would you rather choose 20 items from your favorite fashion icon’s wardrobe to have for free OR have your favorite designer make five pieces just for you?

So much couture, so little time. Hmmmm.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, but this is an issue that should be brought to light at all times. In an effort to spread the word, designers have been coming out with some simple and flattering t-shirt designs that can be worn way past the month of October to remind all of us of this worthy cause. Many of the t-shirt designs still show the recognizable pink ribbon and use the bubble-gum pink color that we’ve all come to associate with Breast Cancer Awareness, but in an effort to reach a larger audience, designers are also introducing looks that include more versatile colors, trendy details and cute graphics that still sound as a voice for the Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation, allowing you to wear these tees for numerous occasions.

Not only would the message for awareness be seen more often, but a large percentage (50% to 100%) of the proceeds are donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, helping spread the word for prevention and funding the search for a cure. Even celebrities like Nicky Hilton, Sophia Bush and others are jumping on the Breast Cancer awareness bandwagon and have designed shirts to help spread the word.

Check out the cuteness (slide show!) over at StyleHive to shop the tees and help raise awareness in the process.

September is one of my favorite months for many reasons: Back-to-school, Labor Day, Lil’ Wayne’s Birthday, Starbucks’s Pumpkin Spice Lattes and, of course, Fashion Week. Fashion Week is actually a misnomer; instead of a week, it is a month-long event full of runway shows, presentations and parties that starts in good ol’ NYC, and then travels to London, Milan and Paris.

Don’t know your Marc Jacobs from your Calvin Klein? If the only designers you know hail from Project Runway or Go! International lines at Target, listen up. Here are five hot designers whose work has them poised to become the next Oscars de la Renta and Diane von Furstenbergs.

Grab a bib and get ready to drool.

ALEXANDER WANG

Hailing from Northern California, this 25-year-old designer has been making fashion-lovers swoon for his tough-girl chic designs since 2007 when he launched his first full women’s collection. Since then, he’s been making the grungy, sexy, I-don’t-give-a-f**k look cool again. Basically, anything Wang puts down the runway instantly becomes the latest it-item. Even Topshop, Britain’s better version of Forever 21, has ripped off his designs. This fashion newcomer isn’t going anywhere and is sure to have a long and successful career ahead of him.

RODARTE

One day, sisters Laura and Kate Mulleavy are in California packing the few dresses they’d designed into suitcases to show to editors in New York. A week later, they’re on the cover of Woman’s Wear Daily (think the New York Times for fashion types) and their collection is championed by the likes of Anna Wintour. Rodarte, named after their mother’s maiden name, is a design house focused on extremely beautiful, detailed, whimsical pieces that drop jaws. These creations are literally wearable art. Can’t afford to spend $2,000 on one dress? Don’t even worry; the duo is planning a Target collaboration that will be available for sale this December. Expect gorgeous party dresses with offbeat touches on a college-friendly budget.

3.1 PHILLIP LIM

Have you ever wanted a piece of clothing that’s comfortable and cool but doesn’t make you look like you’re trying too hard? Phillip Lim is your man. Everyone from Scarlett Johansson to Camilla Belle to Kate Hudson has worn items from his collections, full of cute dresses in laid-back patterns adorned with feminine details. Earlier this year, he started Go Green Go by Phillip Lim, a 10-piece eco-friendly collection full of tunics, biker jackets and harem pants. As Nicole Phelps from Vogue said, “Lim knows how fashionable women want to dress.” And to me, it’s head-to-toe Lim.

MATTHEW WILLIAMSON

Are you an international jet setter that spends one week in Ibiza, the next in St. Barth and ‘relaxes’ in St. Tropez? Neither am I, but if I was one, I would only wear Matthew Williamson. His crazy prints in relaxed fabrics have me imagining myself on a yacht in the Caribbean with a piña colada in hand. This British designer, who’s heading back to London Fashion Week this season to celebrate the British Fashion Council’s 25 anniversary, has been designing his own label since 1997. Earlier this year, he released a collection with H&M that had fans waiting in line for 12 hours before the store opened. With fans like Katy Perry, Kelis, Sienna Miller and Keira Knightly, this man is my second-favorite UK import… After Prince Harry, of course.

PROENZA SCHOULER

So, you’re an aspiring fashion designer on a plane to New York and notice that Anna Wintour, possibly the most powerful woman in fashion, is on your flight. What do you do? Instead of cowering in sweatpants, as most of us would have done, Lazaro Hernandez, half of design duo Proenza Schouler (pronounced Skool-er) slips a note to the notorious ice-queen. One thing leads to another and in 2002, during their final year at Parsons The New School For Design, Barneys New York buys Proenza Schouler’s entire senior collection. Since then, the buzz around Hernandez and partner Jack McCollough hasn’t stopped. Their line, full of strong, timeless statement pieces that can be styled in a myriad of ways, is always one of New York Fashion Week’s most-watched show. Expect at least one Spring 2010 trend to revolve around this collection. Oh, and Lazaro, no more getting head butted by celebs, OK?

Are there any other designers you think we should know about?

All photos via style.com showcase Fall 2009 runway looks

But more on that later.

First let’s discuss Tim Gunn in flip flops and Wayfarers. If that’s not the best moment in Project Runway history, I’m not sure what is. I just wanted to pinch those little cheeks. But there was no time for that, what with the surfwear team challenge!

Oooooh.
Aaaaah.

Everyone knows that team challenges are a disaster and a half, so I had a feeling this episode was going to be pretty delicious. I immediately began placing bets (with myself) as to who would work together best, who would go up in flames like a Sambucca shot, and who would just sorta coast through the challenge and get zero camera time.

It didn’t take me long to figure out that Ra’mon and Milk Dud the dud that is Mitchell would be a whole lot of hot mess. Especially after Mr. Mitch declared that he chose Ra’mon so he could “carry him.” I normally love me an adorable gay man, but this guy is just too much.

And how does he welcome his partner to the team? By criticizing Ra’mon for picking out “some pretty ugly things.” You know what, Mitchell? Ra’mon might have an eclectic taste in fabrics, but at least his clothes look good. Yours, on the other hand… well, we’ve all seen your crap coming down the runway (and the nipples exposed beneath it). And so did the judges, which is why you haven’t made it out of the bottom two yet!

Ooooh, SNAP!

Moving on to other drama, because there was other drama. Mostly involving a – SURPRISE!! – second look that each team needed to make. Somehow, all the teams pulled a second look together (some more successfully/less sluttily than others) and everyone sent something down the runway. Even Ra’Mon, who pulled his look together with only 25 minutes to go.

He did so well in fact, that he indeed carried Mitchell into the top two, along with Team Johnny/Irena. I am not sure why either team took that coveted spot (I personally think Althea and Louise totally rocked that runway), but it did make for quite an interesting discussion with the judges.

Mitchell, not the brightest fabric in the store, revealed to the Max Azria and Rachel Bilson (adorbs) that Ra’mon did most of the work even though he was the team leader. He made sure they knew he did the bathing suit – that no one saw – but told them quite boastfully that Ra’Mon did “everything else.”

Insert sound of crickets chirping.

What? You came on this SHOW and didn’t do one thing? You, Mitchell, are like that kid in the class that sits back during a group project and lets everyone else do all the work… and then you get the same A as the rest of us (because my groups always get an A). I hate people like you.

But it’s OK, because in the end everyone got what they deserved. Ra’Mon took home the trophy and, finally, Mitchell got some Heidi stiletto in his ass. Later, Mitchell. We’ll miss you.

Pause.

Not.

Project Runway is finally coming back tomorrow night. They’ve kept us waiting for-freaking-ever and now it’s all coming back in a MAJOR way.

…with a few slight changes.

The show will still have supermodel Heidi Klum, fashion designer Michael Kors, and Elle fashion director Nina Garcia returning as judges, as well as the additional guest judge each episode. But after five seasons in pedestrian-friendly New York, the hit reality competition for aspiring fashion designers has moved to both a new city, car-jammed Los Angeles at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, and a new network, Lifetime. And now that the lawsuits between the Weinstein Company, NBC Universal (owner of Bravo), and Lifetime are thankfully over, we can enjoy our fashion porn in peace once again.

Like most, I was a little peeved when PR left Bravo, but the new star-studded L.A. setting has provided some amazing new opportunities: major guest judges such as Christina Aguilera, Eva Longoria Parker, Rebecca Romijn, and Lindsay Lohan and some fresh inspirations for new challenges. As Michael Kors has hinted, ”L.A. can be the most laid-back and the most glamorous. It’s the land of bikinis and gowns.” As such, this season the designers will take on challenges centered on the beach and the red carpet, and also create garments as a tribute to movies and Hollywood.

I am still not quite over the fact that I have to watch Lifetime (the same network my mom boasts as her fav), but I gotta say: I’m really excited to see what this new season has to offer.

Like the brand-new spin-off called “Models of the Runway,” which will air after the show. Unlike seasons past – when the model competition was complete BS – we’ll be getting a behind-the-scenes look at the fashion competition from the models’ perspective. The show will follow 16 models competing to be paired with the winning designer of “Project Runway” for a $25,000 cash prize from L’Oreal Skin Genesis and a fashion spread in Marie Claire magazine.

But wait, there’s more! In honor of the big return, there will even be a 2 hour all-star challenge, featuring previous Project Runway contestants competing for a big-ass prize, airing before the season premiere! Do you miss Jeffrey Sebelia? Santino Rice? Uli? (God, I miss Uli!) You can get them all in one place for a delicious 120 minutes of goodness.

Yeah, that’s like 5 full hours of Project Runway heaven. In one night. After a full year with nothing but reruns. Talk about making a comeback. Let’s just hope this binge goes better than my first kegstand after 3 months without drinking… Seriously, as I grabbed onto the sides of that barrel of Keystone, a little Tim Gunn appeared over my shoulder and said “I’m concerned.”

God, I missed him.

Join Brithny every Friday morning as she breaks down all Project Runway drama. Auf Wiedersehen!

Top designers are creating lines for discount retailers, and we, the people, are reaping the benefits. Cutting edge, current fashion lines at affordable prices were once a rarity, but in recent months, they are more popular and fabulous than ever. Thank God. We’ve got tuition to worry about, and now we can look awesome doing it. Here are some of the most Fabu-Less lines on the market today!

Isaac Mizrahi partnered with Target to create a line of the great, ladylike pieces (sheath dresses, killer blazers, etc.) his couture line was known for, and it was such a hit that Mizrahi’s line has lasted for years as a fixture at Target stores nationwide.

Target, home of geniuses, apparently, is also the home of GO! International, my FAVE of all discount designer lines. Its motto? “Design for all”! Its gimmick? Each season, a new designer steps in to design a line for Target, adding fresh color and perspective to the clothing department. Currently on the racks? Thakoon, an incredible young Thai designer, with a line full of fun colors, inventive cuts, and flattering silhouettes. Totally worth throwing some elbows for – and these lines are so popular that you just might have to.

Discount Swedish clothier H&M has had a similar guest-designer philosophy, beginning with Karl Lagerfeld, in 2002, which caused a rush on stores that the line sold out within days. Next up was fashion It Girl, Stella McCartney, followed by lines from Comme des Garcons, Viktor & Rolf, and Roberto Cavalli. These are not fashion lightweights we’re dealing with here, people. These are the Gods of couture, descended from Olympus to give you and I the likes of these fashion gems.

Vera Wang, who branched out from her most-successful-wedding-designer-of-all-time niche to create her fantastic “Simply Vera” line, sold at Kohl’s. She designs everything – accessories, bags, clothes, you name it – and everything has her hallmark class and elegance. This plaid, shirred dress for $39?! Yes, please.

A list of discount stores certainly wouldn’t be complete without Wal Mart, and the retail giant certainly wasn’t going to miss out on this fashion trend. Enter Norma Kamali, designer of awesome casual, comfortable chic that is beyond affordable. Jersey dresses are my personal fave, along with these super cute zodiac t-shirts!

I have to throw in Michael Kors, him of designer resort wear and Project Runway fame, for his discount line at Macy’s. It’s really cute, but I can’t give it a whole-hearted endorsement because really, it’s not THAT cheap. If it’s still pricier than say, Club Monaco, I’m not really interested. $120 for an oversized cardigan? Sorry, Michael.

And there you have it! The best of the best of the cheapest designer clothes. If you love fashion of the moment as much as I do, but don’t have thousands to drop on the newest looks each season, these lines are worth their weight in silk-jersey knit. Vigilance is key, since these lines, especially the one-time guest designers, often sell out in a snap. Keep your ears open, and your eyes on the fashion blogs (like us!) and you’ll score some killer high-fashion duds in no time.

Or how magazines will spend an entire season convincing you to get rid of your wide-legs because “Skinny is here to stay!” and then four months later, all you see in the same magazine are super-duper-I could fit 5 kegs in here-wide legs that are a “Must Have” for the upcoming season… “Wide legs are here to stay!” Riiiight.

And I even love what is perhaps, the most ridiculous concept about fashion: nothing is really ever all that original. Sure Marc Jacobs (whom I adore and would date if he wasn’t on another team) makes Flannel look effortlessly chic- but at the same time, my brothers wore plaid flannels in high school along with Doc Martens and their Walkman clipped inside their Z. Cavaricci’s (ah the 90′s….).

I’m usually all for fashion comebacks. Since I’m a vintage junkie, I will jump at the chance to wear something that was once the IT style. Partly because I’m a sappy nostalgic- I love the idea of wearing bell bottoms and imagining what my life would have been like had I grown up in the 70′s. I like to give fashion the benefit of the doubt. I enjoy playing dressup. I do believe that a flannel top could be cute. And aside from the recent seasons of awful Maternity wear, I usually look forward to the “New” (recycled) trends coming out each season- wondering what era will be in this year.

That is until I saw these. And I wasn’t sure if I wanted to cry. Or vomit. Or both.

Not only are they high-tops. But they look like my two year old nephew finger painted all over them in the most heinous combination of colors (having a flashback to my 10th grade cheerleading uniform: brown and yellow. Poop and pee. Okay- that might have been worse). What’s next? Scrunchie socks and puff painted sweatshirts? Slap bracelets and stirrup pants with body suits tucked in?

What makes me even more nervous is that my eye will get used to these horrible-terrible-awful shoes that I will (gasp!) eventually want to wear them! And this got me thinking back to all of the trends I felt the same way about… and ultimately ended up wearing:

Uggs

Moccasins

Chinese Slippers

Designer Fanny Packs

Leggings

Butterfly clips

Bra straps as headbands

Maternity style dresses

Super low rise jeans with the band at the top cut off so they frayed

Platform gym shoes

Animal print pants (I distinctly remember feeling SO cool meeting Christina Aguilera in tiger printed pants. Oh. Lord.)

Skinny Jeans

High-Waisted pants with a shirt tucked in (I mean did we not spend the last 10 years trying to get rid of the “Mom-Butt?”)

So lets hear it ladies, I know we are all guilty of this. What trends did you swear you would NEVER be caught dead in… only to be wearing them 2 months later? Would you rock the Reebok’s?

I’ll keep you posted if I end up wearing these bad boys. But I’m thinking if I do, I’ll just buy them in White and actually have my nephew paint them himself.

Then at least they will be unique.