DKNY joined Couture for a Cure for its second annual runway show to help the fight against cancer on May 25th.  The designer presented her Spring 2010 collection in Washington, DC to raise funds for the worthy cause.  Their mission this year, to honor cancer survivors and to pay tribute to those lost.  All of the proceeds from the event went to benefit The Leukemia Lymphoma Society.

Donna Karan champions this cause because she has lost both her husband and best friend to the disease.  “Cancer has touched all of our lives in one way or another,” says Karan.  “To fight this dreadful disease, we have to come together as a community of compassion and consciousness.  Couture for Cure uses fashion as a platform to celebrate survivors and honor those we’ve lost.  Together we have the power to make a difference.”  DKNY and Couture for a Cure made our Rollcall list this week because of their service to society and their willingness to lead by example.

Striped tops are all the rage this season, and one of the must have trends for summer.  It’s not a one style fits all proposition, you can go from sexy strapless to sporty, trendy or classic stripes to suit your mood.  They are all very Parisian chic.  Pair them with blue denim shorts, white jeans or a white a-line skirt.  Red  accessories would go perfectly if you want to go the classic route or turquoise to keep up with the color of the year in a great bag, shoe or belt.  The striped trend made our Rollcall list because this nautical look is not just for sailors; civilians are ready to come on-board.  If you’re not heavily into stripes but want to remain trendy, try getting the look with a scarf to accent your outfit.

There are so many new and exciting changes to New York Fashion Week this upcoming Spring 2011 season.  It’s safe to say that Fashion Week is getting an extreme makeover.  The biggest is of course its new home at Lincoln Center. It’s certainly a larger and more magnificent venue than Bryant Park.  There are even smaller more adminstrative changes; what was known as the Tent at Bryant Park will now be the Theater at Lincoln Center.  The Stage replaces the Promenade, and the Studio is the new Salon.  Of course the Theater, like the Tent, remains the largest of the three, followed by the Stage, then the Studio.

Among the larger changes would be the change in leadership.  Stephanie Winston Wolkoff is now at the helm of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.  Fern Mallis was the organizer-in-chief of Fashion Week throughout its tenure at Bryant Park.  Mallis announced yesterday that she is stepping down from her post at IMG, but remains as a consultant.  She is needed in an advisory capacity because she’s pretty much seen it all and done it all over the years.  Stephanie Winston Wolkoff is no stranger to planning important events, she was once Director of Special Events at Vogue. 

Fashion Week is also going high tech with the help of Fashion GPS. Invitations, RSVPs and check-in will be coordinated by this invaluable service, and it will save time usually spent waiting on long lines.  Bar codes may even be placed on invitations if designers opt for it. Welcome to 2010!

From all outward appearances, changing venues may have been the best thing for this event.  The overhaul has thrusted New York Fashion Week into the 21st Century, and it will only encourage everyone involved to raise their own game.  It’s time for this major fashion event that helps to define this great city, and showcases the talent of U.S. designers to take its place at the world famous landmark at Lincoln Center.  September 9th to 16th will be a new beginning for us all.

Fashion Week Unveils New Plans for Lincoln Center [The Cut]

Related Articles:

Fashion’s Night Out 2010 to Host A Runway Show With Over 200 Models

Fashion’s Night Out Designs A T-Shirt Collection

Fashion’s Night Out is coming on September 10th, and there’s cause for celebration.  It was arguably the best part of New York Fashion Week last year, and I’m betting it will be the same this year.  Anna Wintour and Vogue were a major force behind the evening.  The event was created to support retailers worldwide, and besides, a late night of shopping and champagne provides much needed retail therapy.  The only difference this time around is our ability to get our hands on even more FNO merchandise.  Yes, Fashion’s Night Out has a collection of limited-edition T-shirts, tanks and hoodies with the printed logo.  Retailers interested in selling the merchandise should contact the FNO team at fnocollection@fashionsnightout.com, orders must be placed by April 30th.  We’re also looking forward to the CBS special on the making of Fashion’s Night Out on September 15th.  Who doesn’t love a good behind the scenes view on fashion?  So Fashion’s Night Out makes our Rollcall list this week because on this night retail fashion becomes a sorority/fraternity.

Related Articles:  Plans for New York Fashion Week At Lincoln Center

Fashion’s Night Out 2010 to Host A Runway Show With Over 200 Models

Countdown to Fashion’s Night Out: Video

Rachel Roy Showcases Her ‘Rachel Rachel Roy’ Line

Many have wondered what it would be like to walk the famed halls of Vogue magazine.  Well one lucky person will find out.  Anna Wintour is auctioning the opportunity to spend one week at the fashion bible for charity.  Bidding starts at $1,000, but it’s likely to go for much more.  They had us at authorized visits to their offices, and so we have named Vogue and Anna Wintour to our Rollcall list this week.  The best part of this whole experience is the winner gets to meet Anna herself.  That would make it all worth while, but I’m sure the accessories closet would be a very close second.  Now I doubt it would be anything like The Devil Wears Prada, but I would suggest the winner wears stylish, but comfortable shoes because there might be a few coffee runs on this gig. [Charity Buzz] Via [The Cut]

Interview magazine has reasons to feel very smug this week, they have the distinction of being the first fashion magazine to have an iPad version.  The digital issue hits stores on April 3rd, the same day as the iPad.  Talk about a coup.  Vogue and W will soon follow with their own iPad versions, but Interview led this charge.  Admittedly, this is a brilliant move by the fashion magazines.  They have found a new way to deliver their content in a technologically relevant manner.  For this strategic maneuver, we have named Interview to our Rollcall list this week.  iPad owners will have access to the digital format a week before it hits the newsstands on April 12th.  Interview has 330 screen images on this gadget, as well as audio and video.  A Bruce Weber video is also among its contents.  It’s enough to make you want an iPad when the desire was never even there before.  Maybe the obituaries for the fashion magazines’ demise were a bit premature.  The iPad could turn the reading of your favorite glossy into a social event.

Interview Becomes First Fashion Magazine to Debut iPad Version With April 2010 Issue  [Fashionologie]

Heartbreak within the fashion community today as we learned of the untimely death of designer Lee McQueen of Alexander McQueen.  Shock and disbelief were the sentiments of the day.  We lost a creative genius who leaves behind a void.  He was only 40 years old when he took his own life.  His death took us especially hard in New York because today marked the first day of fashion week, and it was also supposed to be the day McQueen’s McQ line debuted in New York for the first time. 

Lee McQueen was a London born designer who showed his line in Paris.  He had the ability to tailor suits to the perfect specifications of the body.  McQueen was also a master at putting on a runway show, you watched for the spectacle as well as the collection.  Each year he would out-do himself, it was theater and we watched with excitement.  His spring 2010 collection gave us a glimpse of the future, and we eagerly anticipated his next show.  Sadly, it will never be, even if the show does go on. We should not focus on his death, but on the wealth of wearable art he has left behind.

Lara Stone heats up Versace’s ad campaign for Versus this spring.  The design house remains true to its nature with this sensual commercial for its fragrance.  Lara has already worked with Givenchy, Calvin Klein, and she recently replaced Madonna at Louis Vuitton.  She is a model in demand, and from the looks of this ad it will stay that way.  So we have selected Lara Stone for our Rollcall list this week.

The Givenchy couture collection will be the choice of a new generation of couture connoissieurs.  There was  no predictability here, only modern and timely pieces.  Its youthful vibrancy was a break from the more expected couture aesthetic.  For these reasons, Givenchy made our Rollcall list during Couture Week.  The collection boasted wonderful shapes, colors and textures.  Black and white, and fleshtones opened the show, then an explosion of color followed; various shades of blues, emerald green and purple lit up the runway.  The next generation does not want to play dress up in there mother’s couture.  They seek to be daring without being gimmicky, and Riccardo Tisci delivered. View the entire collection here.

Alexa Chung is in the process of a fashion takeover.  It appears that the cancelation of her MTV show has not slowed down the former model.  Mulberry has since honored her with a handbag named Alexa.  She has even inked a deal to collaborate with Madewell, a store owned by J. Crew.  Who knew she was also a designer?  It goes to show that great style is always marketable.  So we have named the designer and handbag icon to our Rollcall list.  We want to know what else she has in store for the rest of 2010, and we will be watching. 

Alexa Chung’s second act: Madewell designer [L.A. Times Blog]

Alexa Chung Inspires Mulberry ‘Alexa’  Bag  [Style List]