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PHOTOS: Designers marking milestones at Fashion Week – Metro US

PHOTOS: Designers marking milestones at Fashion Week

It isn’t a fashion week if a designer isn’t celebrating a big anniversary. Prepare to hear the sound of champagne corks popping even more so than usual this Fashion Week as a whopping six major brands gear up to celebrate major firsts and big milestones.

Francisco Costa – Calvin Klein

In the early ’90s, when the Brazilian-born Francisco Costa was working at Oscar de la Renta, he visited a psychic who told him he would one day end up at Calvin Klein. Eerily, a decade later Klein passed the reins to Costa when he stepped down from the company.

Now, another decade later Costa is celebrating his 10th anniversary with a huge single show at the as-yet-unopened 120,000-square-foot Spring Studios in TriBeCa on Sept. 12. Alongside unveiling the SS/14 collection, the brand will also celebrate the global launch of their latest fragrance, Downtown Calvin Klein, featuring Rooney Mara in the advertising campaign. Expect a starrier than usual show.

Opening Ceremony

Carol Lim and Humberto Leon don’t do things by half. Not only are they making their debut on the New York Fashion Week schedule with a standalone Opening Ceremony show featuring both womenswear and menswear on Sept. 8, they are also simultaneously hosting a pop-up market.

Dubbed Opening Ceremony BTW (by the water) and housed in old shipping containers on Pier 57 at Hudson River Park, the market will play host to a series of fashion and makeup labels alongside food vendors. Highlights include DKNY Exclusively for Opening Ceremony, Rihanna for River Island, as-well as an Estée Lauder pop-up salon with nail artist Naomi Yasuda. “We’re excited to see our love of food and shopping translated into a new context,” explained the designer duo. “We sought to bring together creative partners to create a fresh destination at the SuperPier with its own distinct personality for New York fashion week.” The event goes from Sept. 5-12.

Elie Tahari

Michael Bloomberg is fashion friendlier than most New York city mayors (this is the guy who greenlit all those Fashion’s Night Out parties, after all) so it’s not that surprising that he’ll help Elie Tahari celebrate his 40th anniversary. The festivities kicked off on Sept. 4, which Bloomberg declared Elie Tahari Day, with a ceremony at Tahari’s design centre with the legendary Joan Rivers on hand to read a proclamation paying tribute to the Israeli-born designer.

Manolo Blahnik

He’s the jovial shoe designer who creates the most desirable works of art for our feet. And now we’ll get to see his latest collection up close and personal when he makes his debut at London Fashion Week. “For many years I have been wanting to participate in London Fashion Week,” the Spanish-born designer told us. “I am very happy to support London fashion, as it is the most exciting city in the world with huge talent.”

Mulberry

This SS/14 will see us bid farewell to Emma Hill as she unveils her final collection for Mulberry. Credited with giving the brand a much-needed injection of cool factor, we (and our arms) are forever grateful for her creation of the oh-so covetable Del Rey, Willow and Alexa bags. And of course for thrilling us with pink champagne, Max the poodle and a stellar front row each season. As for what she’s up to next? Watch this space…

Stella Jean

We’ve been huge fans of the Italian-Haitian designer ever since she came to our attention when she won the 2011 Who’s on Next initiative. And it seems we’re not alone. Giorgio Armani has requested that she show her latest collection during Milan fashion week at his private theater. “The new generation of Italian designers needs our support,” Armani explains. “It is for this reason that I continue to make my theatre on Via Bergognone available to them. Stella Jean will be the next designer to organise a fashion show at the Armani Teatro, and I hope this experience brings her luck.”

Her debut at the theater will also make her the first womenswear name to present there. Born in Rome, she is best known for her graphic prints and voluminous silhouettes that fuse her Creole heritage with Italian craftsmanship. “The support of Giorgio Armani is a strong signal of confidence in emerging creativity,” Jean says. “It’s amazing. I am truly honored and deeply grateful for the opportunity that has been offered to me.”