Photo: Imaxtree

What do fashion month and the primaries have in common? Other than seeming never-ending, more than you think. Over the last couple of weeks, there’s been a battle brewing in the fashion world over the international show dates for the spring 2013 season (which takes place in the fall of 2012). Just over two years ago, the leading fashion councils from each of the four fashion capitols—London, New York, Paris and Milan—met to draft a set calendar for the coming years. The first three agree that the calendar was meant to be in place for years to come while Milan claims it was for three years only, and is vowing to move up its show dates to overlap with New York and London’s. If that happens, photographers, editors, models, and buyers would have to choose who they need to see—and who they are willing to miss. As the fashion world’s major players play a serious game of “me first,” a group of power players in a very different world are playing the same game. If you remember, the 2008 presidential campaign was one of the longest in history. We painstakingly watched the horse race for nearly two years: Obama’s in New Hampshire; Hillary’s in Iowa; Those other guys who didn’t have a chance are in South Carolina. Then, as well as now, the forgotten states complained that New Hampshire and Iowa got all the glory simply because their primaries were before them. No fair! Why do they get all the influence and attention that goes with going first? Why do a bunch of people in a room in Iowa get to set the standards? This year, as other states threaten to move up their primaries, New Hampshire’s threatening to move its primaries up to December—December!—so as to keep its coveted leader-of-the-pack status. And so we find ourselves in the midst of another excruciatingly drawn-out presidential politics season (do we really need a Republican debate every week?)—and we can’t even escape into the party-filled fashion world anymore.

Photo: Getty Images

In the past ten years, in no particular order, Karl Lagerfeld’s designed collections for Chanel, Fendi, Hogan and Lagerfeld, capsule collections for Macy’s and H&M, worked campaigns for Volvo, Magnum Ice Cream and Diet Coke, directed short films for Chanel, designed crystal for Orrefors and a $1500 teddy bear for Steiff, provided voice overs for Grand Theft Auto, sketched wine labels and launched K by Karl Lagerfeld, a short lived collection of men’s and women’s contemporary clothing. But now, he’s getting serious. The prolific designer announced his newest project—which sounds more like a comprehensive empire—called Karl, this morning.

Photo: Miu Miu

Fashion loves a controversy, but the recent trend of major brands using kids to front their luxury products morphed into a more international topic of conversation. Newspapers devoted a surprising number of words to research and opinion wondering what it all means, my parents asked why fashion was obsessed with children and a few influential women publicly wondered, “Why would I buy a $2500 dress from a twelve-year-old?” But, like trends on a runway, it took just a season for the tide to turn. Miu Miu, which probably caused more excitement than uproar for hiring fourteen-year-old Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld to front their fall campaign, just released their resort ads. This time, thirty-four-year old Guinevere Van Seenus is in front of the camera. Van Seenus, though by no means old in real life, is at the very far end of the modeling age spectrum (at least for those still modeling and not mogul-ing). Though it may be tempting—especially for anyone who’s anti-Fanning/Moretz/Steinfeld—to grant the move added significance, chances are that Miu Miu, like any brand, is anxious to appeal to all its customers while projecting a fresh image each season. They’re doing so by mixing models with actresses, young and, well, a little less young, and Bruce Weber’s Americana with Mert & Marcus’ high fashion shots.  After all, if the ads looked the same every season, who would care?

Swarovski, Hulanicki, & Sui, via Getty

WGSN is arguably one of the world’s largest trend forecasting agency with satellite offices worldwide, and its Global Fashion Awards, held last night, represented the company’s monstrous size with a sprawling ceremony held at the baroque Gotham Hall. “It’s an establishment that truly stands on its own,” said Lincoln Center’s Fashion Director, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff. In agreement was one of the evening’s sponsors, Nadja Swarovski who added that the company “is such an important commercial platform.” Post-dinner, guests watched as awards were granted to some of the fashion community’s most important trailblazers, like cult Swedish label Acne. The duo who accepted the award on behalf of the brand’s creative director, Jonny Johansson, said of the brand’s evolution, “We’ve definitely become more chic and more grown-up, but we’re not losing our base.” Backstage, global style icon award presenter Brad Goreski (clad in an adorable over-sized bowtie) told us that his personal fashion icons range, “from Danny Zucco to Peewee Herman, Tom Ford to Thom Browne.” It’s a good thing that he has a wad of inspiration to pull from, because the stylist-cum-reality-star is on the verge of launching his own book and television series. Though he’s been thrown a handful a negative comments by his old boss, Rachel Zoe, Goreski only has lovely things to say her: “My three years with Rachel were incredible—she’s a great boss and a great teacher.” Anna Sui presented the evening’s final award—given to Biba’s Barbara Hulanicki for her outstanding contribution to fashion. Perhaps one of the coolest industry vets around (she’s 75 and still rocking matte black nail polish), the swinging 60’s designer explained that her fashion days pre-dated trend agencies, “it was very raw, I got my inspiration from the movies. There was no one to copy except Greta Garbo.” In an all-black ensemble (sunglasses to boot) it seems that was exactly what Hulanicki was going for—though not without that undone Biba-girl glamour.

Imagine writing a script and having your favorite TV and film actors perform your work. Then, imagine doing this before leaving elementary school! The Young Storytellers Foundation (YSF) mentors students in schools with no funding for Arts Education. Every year, the organization puts on a star-studded event called “The Biggest Show” and thus, shows off the students’ talents. This year’s show raised the bar. Stars like Raven Symoné from That’s So Raven, Glee’s Cory Monteith, and Diary of A Wimpy Kid’s Devon Bostick all turned out to give a rare live performance—in an elementary school gymnasium—acting out screenplays written by YSF students. For the lucky YSF mentees, the show was a big encouragement to keep their creativity flowing. Bostick—who’s kinder than his character Rodrick Heffley—told one YSF mentee, Dominique Cojuangco, “If you need a guy to do your movie, I’m your guy.” We chatted with Bostick about curing acting jitters and how he got started in Hollywood.

Photo: Doo.Ri

Doo.Ri Chung’s had quite a week. The designer made headlines this weekend when the First Lady, Michelle Obama, wore a purple gown from her spring collection to the White House’s state dinner for South Korea and today, Macy’s announced she’d be the next designer to design a collection for Impulse. Chung is the latest of five designers that Macy’s has asked to collaborate with their Impulse department, hoping to attract a younger, design-hungry customer. First was Kinder Aggugini, then Matthew Williamson and Karl Lagerfeld. Giambattista Valli’s cocktail dresses hit stores next week and in February, Chung’s designs will take center stage. The collection includes plenty of jersey and draping—Chung’s specialties—as well as leggings, trench coats and blouses and it’ll range in price from $39 to $159. Chung told WWD, “The customer is very different from whom we’ve catered to before, but I really didn’t have to adapt. Macy’s wanted to keep the design level high. I didn’t feel the challenge was very different.”

A few of the black dresses in Vera Wang's bridal collection. Photos: WWD

Sarah Jessica Parker‘s offered a few different reasons for wearing a black dress to her 1997 wedding to Matthew Broderick—to fool the press, because she was embarrassed to be a bride—but the one thing that never changes? That she regrets doing so. She’s repeatedly mentioned that she wishes she’d worn white, and that were she and Broderick to ever renew their vows, she’d, “White it up.” But Vera Wang’s counting on someone to wear black. The designer, whose name is synonymous with ‘bride,’ sent out half a dozen black wedding dresses at her bridal show this weekend. While her colleagues—Oscar de la Renta, Monique Lhuillier, Reem Acra—stuck to white, she offered the opposite.  Whether she drew inspiration from Parker (a bit late) or the upcoming Twilight nuptials, Wang was obviously thinking about the darker side of marriage. The dresses are, of course, gorgeous, but would you actually wear black on your big day?

Photo: Raquel Allegra

Ever wonder what a designer does all day? We asked Raquel Allegra what it’s like coming back to the office—and back to reality—after her recent trip to Paris.

Photo: Costello Tagliapietra (via the Cut)

Congrats to Jeffrey Costello and Robert Tagliapietra who tied the knot in NYC yesterday.  The two met at Parsons in 1994 and have been together ever since—both personally and professionally. They debuted their line, Costello Tagliapietra, at New York Fashion Week in 2005. Last month, Michael Kors wed his longtime love Lance LePere, also at Manhattan’s City Hall. So, who’s next?!