Wikipedia user Wasted Time R

The fashion industry is nothing if not intense. Thousands of designers churn out new collections each season, while a host of glossy-magazine editors and industrious bloggers traipse from show to show, awarding their seals of approval to the worthy.

A lot of cutthroat stuff goes down in the process. Have you seen The Devil Wears Prada? It's not an industry for the faint of heart.

But sometimes, we have to wonder if it's really that life-and-death. It seems like fashionistas have a tendency to exaggerate -- after all, if two people wear yellow shoes in New York this week, is it really the Next Big Trend? Must we rush out to buy yellow shoes, only to quit wearing them next weekend when someone declares that our new shoes are "so last January"?

Yes, says the Times. You must do this very seriously, as you must do all things, because fashion is serious stuff and PEOPLE MIGHT DIE. There is a flu going around, guys!

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Flickr user The Heart Truth

We're so confused about Betsey Johnson, you guys. Aren't you? What is she doing? Although we'll always love her for helping us fulfill our dreams of looking like a punk rock, glitter-infused cupcake at prom, its been a bumpy road for fans of the nutty 70-year-old designer.

First, in April 2012, she was all, I'm bankrupt and going out of business! And we were like, OH NO (but also a little bit oh yes because everything in her stores went on crazy sale, right down to the mannequins). Then, less than six months after her stores liquidated their stock, she was all, I'm making a comeback! She showed a retrospective of her previous designs at Fashion Week last fall and, since then, has started tweeting pictures of her new designs. Turns out, bankruptcy is a good look for her. So we all rallied and decided our confectionary-inspired fashion didn't have to stay lost in the early 2000s forever.

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Maggie Gyllenhaal

They provided a Mister Softee truck. They handed out ice-cold Peroni and Perrier. But, alas, that still did not remedy the fact that the warehouse space at Moynihan Station, where Rag & Bone's show was held, felt more hot and humid than it actually was outside. Many in the audience used their invitations and programs to fan themselves. But the heat did not deter the celebrities, which included front-row guests Christy Turlington, actress Hailee Steinfeld, and Maggie Gyllenhaal (Ms. Gyllenhaal, we salute you for wearing a black jacket, black shirt, and black pants).

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Angela Ashman

Bill Cunningham

It's time to dust off our Converse and put away the heels: Fashion Week is officially over (tear). After roughly 26 fashion shows between two reporters, including the Oliver Twist-themed Marc Jacobs show, the Gisele-spectacle at Alexander Wang, and the fiery S&M show at Monique Lhuillier, we somehow managed to make it out alive.

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Angela Ashman

Anna Sui

Has Anna Sui been hanging out at Paris Review parties? This was the thought that immediately crossed our minds when out walked the model with the big glasses, blue cardigan, plaid skirt, and perfectly geeked-out cuckoo-clock print blouse. And then, just to make sure we got the point, Sui showed a georgette dress with tiny books printed all over it. The only thing missing was a Bolaño novel under the model's arm.

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Nikki Reed and Tracy Reese

We couldn't help but feel as if we were intruding while walking around backstage at Tracy Reese. It's as if we invaded her personal (ginormous) studio. The backdrop of the runway was a mix of photographs of people and places, colors and patterns, all inspirations of Reese. Friends and family gathered to wish her well, models prepped in hair and make-up, dressers closely guarded each article of clothing.

Reese swiftly looked at the models, doing last-minute modifications, rallied the troops and thanked them for all of their hard work. Then as soon as actresses Nikki Reed, Shenae Grimes, and Beverly Johnson took their seats, the show began.

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Angela Ashman

Marc Jacobs

Well before Marc Jacobs's show even got started, it was hard not to be impressed. To design his set, he'd hired artist Rachel Feinstein, who created what appeared to be a crumbling castle in the woods and an elevated winding path leading out into the audience. It immediately called to mind something you might see on Broadway. Which turned out not to be that far off.

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Araceli Cruz

Christian Cota

Imagine being lost in Mexico City. Perhaps an uneasiness notion to some, but for designer Christian Cota it's a kaleidoscope world full of alluring mystic, and romance. So naturally we went along for the ride.

The 30-year-old designer took us on quite an adventure on a bitter cold Saturday morning through his autumnal presentation at the Standard Hotel, full of rich textures, embroidered prints, and indigenous graphics that the Mexican designer knows all too well.

Little did we know we'd soon be encountering our most tempting vices later in the day. More »

Sam Levin

Council of Fashion Designers of America President Diane von Furstenberg and Mayor Mike Bloomberg

With the clock ticking on his time in office, Mayor Mike Bloomberg is making sure he earns some cool points during his final term.

He kissed Lady Gaga. He chilled with the cast of Gossip Girl.

Now, he's talking fashion.

Similar to his love of the teeny bopper television hit, Bloomberg's love of fashion today was not lacking in a good economic-development-related backstory!

Alongside fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Bloomberg spoke at the fashion incubator of the Council of Fashion Designers of America this morning in Midtown to announces new initiatives to support the city's fashion industry. SIX new initiatives, to be exact.

But not before some obligatory fashion jokes.

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Boris Kuslitskiy

Award-winning Broadway costume designer and "Project Runway" finalist Emilio Sosa has no preference over costume or womenswear design -- to him, the processes are virtually the same.

Perhaps that's why his Fall 2012 ESOSA collection, which premiered Wednesday night at Alvin Ailey Studios in Midtown, was somehow subtly thespian -- with just a hint of Sosa's Broadway touch, it transported onlookers to another place.

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