Samantha Pleet

It's about time that femininity regains its rightful place in fashion, and Samantha Pleet is here to make sure of that. Saturday afternoon at the Highline Loft, Samantha began her presentation with a number of beautiful dresses with cut outs at the waist in varying shades of apricot, cream and mustard. Structure wasnt abandoned in lieu of delicacy, as a gorgeous model stepped out in a cropped trench coat and another wore a short pantsuit. But the conversation starter was a pleated cocktail dress with an asymmetrical hem. Some guests compared the print to watercolors, while others argued it bore a resemblance to feathers, but all agreed that the piece, and the collection itself were breathtaking. (Backstage photos by Mireya Acierto, lookbook by Andrew De Francesco)

Siki Im

A common misconception about fashion is that the industry takes itself too seriously. As a result, we end up with clashing prints and overproduced garments that scream fashion school dropout. Luckily, we have designers like Siki Im to pick up the slack. For Spring 2012, the former Helmut Lang designer gives us the gift of 17 gorgeous models wrapped in pure utilitarianism. The guests were allowed a five minute grace period where they could take advantage of the drinks and/or drool, but each of the looks commanded attention. Siki stuck to clean, streamlined silouhettes with military inspired details such as oversized pockets and collarless shirts. The New York fashion crowd is generally a touch crowd to please, but for his first US show, Siki certainly didn't disappoint. (Photos by Dan McMahon)

Katya Leonovich

Forget anything you learned from John Hughes—the artsy kids and the jocks are finally getting along. Sunday morning at Lincoln Center, men and women adorned in slim cut jackets, draped gowns and cut out dresses stood in harmony with gorgeous paintings of football players mid tackle, run and fumble (forgive the incorrect terminology, this is a fashion article) and it was glorious. The majority of the paintings are all in primary colors, and Leonovich uses this palette as well as the art work on many of the garments. But she isn't the first to use football as a reference for a collection—chances are you remember Alexander Wang's Spring 2010—the pieces here aren't about the uniforms. What we're seeing is the actual movement of the game: the curves of a body, mid dive are apparent in the drapes and ruching of a one shoulder gown. In contrast, the sharper body movements such as a pointed elbow or a bent knee come forth in the form of patchwork denim jeans and dresses. Leonovich is proving to be a true talent, taking Americana and athleticism to a new level, and while I don't have the urge to throw a superbowl party any time soon, I may start to take Monday Night Football more seriously. (Photos by Mireya Acierto)

Williamsburg Fashion Weekend
Williamsburg Fashion Weekend included seventeen local designers showcasing at 285 Kent (Windmill Studios) September 16th and 17th. Sydney Brownstone was there to shoot the kickoff to the weekend with designers King Gurvy, Hayden Dunham and Minnie Chae.

Coco and Breezy

Minnesota based twins Coco and Breezy first broke into the accessories scene in 2009 when celebrities such as Nicki Minaj and Kelly Osbourne were spotted wearing their shades. Two years later, they've come a long way extending their talents to jewelry (which they refer to as "wearable art") and for this collection, umbrellas. "Rainy Days", their S/S '12 collection features glasses with frames inspired by umbrellas. Before you start conjuring up images of sunglasses with mini umbrellas attached to them, don't worry. This collection is certainly more accessible than some of the twins' past ventures but in this case, accessible doesn't mean predictable or boring - it translates to brilliance. (Photos by Crystal Gwyn)

Cushnie et Ochs

There are times when the credibility of the fashion industry is questionable, at best. For example, remember those commercials about this the bedazzler? There was also a time when it was socially acceptable to wear leggings with slashes along the side. Once we even considered Brittany Spears' attire acceptable to wear in public. This was a dark period in fashion, but when you look at the beauty of Cushine et Ochs S/S '12 show, you'll instantly forget our past transgressions.

Designers Carly Cushine and Michelle Ochs make us forget that once upon a time, fashion designers gave into this urge to try every idea they've ever had in one garment. Yesterday at Milk Studios, they brought us a collection that is sexy yet subtle, and interesting but not "interesting" as in "dear god what was she thinking? I don't know but let me take a picture!" A few highlights of the collection include a full pleated leather skirt that stops mid knee - a nice break from the maxi and midi lengths that we'll be wearing all winter long—and a stunning knee length white cocktail dress with a slit in the front. Cushine et Ochs take on spring with a fresh palette that includes white, pale pink and yellow. The usual spring/summer suspects —floral and tribal—are absent. Despite what you may have heard, minimalism ain't dead. (Photos by Elisa Hyman)

Native Son

Apparently if you're gonna go down, you'd better go down in style. Inspired by the great depression the designers of Native Son produced perfectly tailored suits, button downs and jackets and shared them with a bunch of cool kids Tuesday morning at Pier 59 studios. The models were of course, ridiculously good looking, but they didn't have to work too hard to make the clothes look good. Part of what makes the collection great is the fact that the inspiration translates so well. The color palette was strictly neutral - not a single item strayed from black, white, beige or grey. While such limitations run the risk of becoming monotonous, interesting details such as a black pocket on a beige suit and collarlless jackets proved that even the bare minimum can be stunning.

Rodnik Band
As per tradition of the London based designer Philip Colbert's Rodnik Band, the U.S. debut of the Spring/Summer collection took on a music performance-based presentation. Watch the designer himself perform his own version of London Calling at Mister H. as the models dance in his clever 'Save the Sea' collection. (Shot by Ashley Minette.)

Love Brigade
Fashion week saw some Brooklyn based love Thursday night. Designers Alyssa Key and Devan Markiewicz presented Love Brigade's S/S '12 collection Thursday night at Windmill Studios. The collection is the first of ten in the "Soulmates Never Die" series, a contemplation of different stages in a relationship. Stage 1: The Union features fuss free pieces for both men and women; sensual details such as ruffles and floral print are balanced with cut outs and neutral colors, while graphic T-shirts and classic sweaters dominate the men's side. For the fashion-phobic, you've got a few good reasons to fall in love. (Photos by Crystal Gwyn)