Spring Ahead

Today is the first day of the current New York Fashion Week, and hence the kickoff for London, Milan & Paris Fashion Weeks to follow. Much as I have trouble wrapping my mind around this, the season that will be showing over the next month is Spring/Summer 2008. Oy. I can barely get this week's to-do list dealt with. And there was all kinds of stuff from the Fall shows I still wanted to talk about. Oh, well. I'll just point out a few designers whose shows I'm really looking forward to this time around, with some pics from their last outings...

Marc Jacobs

I absolutely unreservedly adored every single thing about this show, down to the hats & amazing belts, and it seems every fashion editor in the world felt the same way. This sharp, luxe, tailored 1930's-by-way-of-Studio-54 silhouette is everywhere this fall, and hip-hipless hooray -- it's gorgeous. Marc had an eventful year last year (a little rehab with his runway), so I'm wondering if he wants to continue in this mold or throw down something completely new.

Alexander McQueen

I've got two closets. I've got my "A" closet, which has the stuff I wear on a day-to-day basis, and I've got my "B" closet, which has out-of-season and special occasion clothes. Last season's "Dark Magicks" show from McQueen was pretty strictly "B" closet stuff, but it was stunning as usual. Mr. McQueen seems to swing back & forth between "showpiece" collections and ones you can actually put on & walk down the street, so I've got my fingers crossed that he gives us something to put in our "A" closets this time around.

Nina Ricci

Squirming with anticipation to see what my boy Olivier Theyskens brings us for his second full show at Nina Ricci, especially after this gorgeous, breathless inaugural. Theyskens still has my vote for the designer working right now with the most untapped potential -- I predict he's going to be one of the most influential designers of his generation, if only some clever house can support him properly and give him the time & space to unfold. If you had the means and didn't snap up every piece from this collection you could get your hands on, you're a fool. Not only is it stunning, it's going to be museum-worthy in 20 years. Collectors' items all, especially anything with the spiral seaming and raw edges. (It'll be going on sale in the next couple of months -- keep your eyes peeled.) Betcha this will be a very hot ticket in Paris -- they're going to need extra security, and not just for Ms. Witherspoon, sitting front & center.

Anne Klein

Isabel Toledo ROCKED her first collection for the venerated American sportswear label with a runway full of stuff I want to wear RIGHT NOW. Pulled-together, professional, and fierce, every bit of it -- I can't wait to see if the company allows her to continue in this mode.

Burberry Prorsum

I think Christopher Bailey gets better and better every year. This show full of ferocious mod-warrior gauntlet gloves and gorgeous fitted coats embellished with metallics and quilting might have been enough to make Jeanne d'Arc forget the voices in her head.

Comme des Garçons

Rei Kawakubo does pink & girly????? Good googly-moogly!!! At first I thought it was a sign of the Apocalypse, and then I just went with it. And loved it. All these years later, this woman still surprises and enlightens when she designs. Rock on, Rei.

Prada

Oh, I know a lot of people didn't get it, and I've no idea how well it's selling despite the flood of editorial attention this collection has gotten, but I absolutely adored it. The amazing, creative fabric treatments, the radical re-silhouette-ing, the undiluted Miuccia-ness of it all. I so want to be Miuccia Prada when I grow up.

Oh, there's more, of course, but that'll do for now. I'm just hoping I have enough time to check everything out. Who are you looking forward to seeing? And does anyone have a ticket to the Nina Ricci show they'd like to get rid of?

Photos: Style.com