Fashion frenzy

Why travel to New York? Top 10 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week shows you can watchonline

Michael Kors always floods the runways with lots of models wearing Americansportswear
Tory Burch waved to the crowd at the end of her first full-scale runway showlast September.
Photo by Fernanda Calfat/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week
At Marc Jacobs, fashion critics play the game of guessing which trends from thecollection other designers will copy
Last season, Donna Karan took a bow from the streets of New York at the end ofher DKNY show
Photo by Peter Michael Dills/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week
At Oscar de la Renta, it's always fun to guess which gowns will show up at theMuseum of Fine Arts, Houston Ball
Photo by Dan and Corina Lecca

I'm a lucky guy. I'm off to New York to report on all the fall 2012 collections that will be unveiled at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, which kicks off Thursday for an eight-day run. But thanks to the wonders of technology, you can get a close-up view of all the runway styles without leaving Houston.

Every season, an increasing number of top designers are live streaming their shows, which means you get a front row seat in front of your computer (it's probably better than mine in the the venue).

Fashion week organizers plan to live stream 30 shows from Lincoln Center on YouTube. (Go to www.youtube.com/live runway.) In addition, a number of other top designers, including Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger plan to live stream their shows from venues around New York.

Here are the 10 live-stream shows I'm most looking forward to (in order of upcoming date). Watch them online (all times are Central Standard Time, corresponding to Houston, but note that shows usually begin 30-40 minutes after the scheduled start time) and, afterwards, let's discuss.

10. BCBG Max Azria, Thursday 9 a.m. Go to: www.youtube.com/liverunway

What to watch for: It's the first big show of fashion week and often sets the tone for what's ahead.

9. DKNY, Sunday noon. Go to:www.facebook.com/dkny

What to watch for: Donna Karan's New York state-of-mind. Last season, in a really nifty trick, she sent models from the street onto the runway inside, with a yellow cab in the background.

8. Tommy Hilfiger, Sunday 7 p.m. Go to: https://www.facebook.com/tommyhilfiger?v=app_287008051352233

What to watch for: Hilfiger is showing his All-American collection at an upper East side location (the Park Avenue Armory).

7. Betsey Johnson, Monday 5 p.m. Go to: www.youtube.com/liverunway

What to watch for: At 69, Johnson still does a cartwheel at the end of her show.

6. Marc Jacobs, Monday 7 p.m. Go to:www.marcjacobslive.com

What to watch for: Jacobs sets the trends that just about everyone else will copy.

5. Tory Burch, Tuesday 8 a.m. Go to: www.toryburch.com

What to watch for: It's only Burch's second full-scale runway show as she swiftly creates a worldwide brand.

4. Oscar de la Renta, Tuesday 5:30 p.m. Go to: https://theboard.oscardelarenta.com/

What to watch for: The gowns that will likely show up at next year's Museum of Fine Arts gala.

3. Michael Kors, Wednesday 9 a.m. Go to:www.youtube.com/liverunway or www.facebook.com/michaelkors

What to watch for: No one does classic American sportswear better — or send as many models down the runway at one time.

2. J. Mendel, Wednesday 1 p.m. Go to:www.youtube.com/liverunway

What to watch for: Get a sneak peek at the collection, which will be showcased at the Houston Chronicle Best Dressed Luncheon and at Neiman Marcus next month.

1.Calvin Klein, Thursday 1 p.m. Go to: calvinklein.tv

What to watch for: It's minimalist heaven with Francisco Costa's sharp styles showcased in a white-cubed box.

It was awfully hard to whittle down the list to only 10 shows, so these are some more great choices:

Jason Wu, Friday 1 p.m.; https://h.zeitbyte.com/o1/zb3.1/jason-wu/fw_021012/html/jasonwu_02102012_fb.html
Monique Lhuillier, Saturday 6 p.m.; www.youtube.com/liverunway
Diane von Furstenberg, Sunday 3 p.m.; www.youtube.com/liverunway
Carolina Herrera, Monday 9 a.m.; www.youtube.com/liverunway
Vera Wang, Tuesday 10 a.m.; www.youtube.com/liverunway
Marc by Marc Jacobs, Tuesday 3 p.m; www.marcjacobs.com/live
Narciso Rodriguez, Tuesday 7 p.m.; www.youtube.com/liverunway
Anna Sui, Wednesday 5 p.m.; https://www.youtube.com/liverunway

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Concert News

Austin icon Gary Clark Jr. to play free show launching wife's maternity pop-up

Photo courtesy of Bumpsuit

Bumpsuit is now open at the Domain Northside.

Austin icon Gary Clark Jr. is playing a free hometown show on Friday, December 13, to celebrate the opening of his wife, Nicole Trunfio's trendy maternity store, Bumpsuit. It's open now, and will be in Austin for six months.

Clark will be playing with his band: King Zapata and Elijah Ford on guitar, JJ Johnson on drums, and Dayne Reliford on backup vocals and keyboard.

They're fresh off the announcement that Clark will receive a Texas Medal of Arts, one of the highest honors a Texas artist can receive. He's known for modernizing the blues — not overwriting past traditions, but bringing the established sound into popular music people love whether they're conscious of the genre or not.

The new store's neighbor Grimaldi's Pizzeria is bringing a pop-up bar to the event, and there will also be yard games, photo opportunities, and more, according to a release.

Bumpsuit is filling an auspicious space for minimalist fashion at Domain Northside. It'll spend its tenure at 11700 Domain Blvd. Suite 120, the former site of Austin's first Skims Workshop, which has since moved on to a permanent location in the same shopping center.

The two stores are very similar in aesthetic, with Trunfio's focusing on maternity and postpartum wear. Styles are generally made in neutrals or jewel tones, and cut in extremely simple shapes.

“After spending our summer on tour as a family with Gary and his band, we are excited to end the year at Domain Northside to coincide with the opening of our Bumpsuit store,” said Trunfio in the release.

"Doors" for the (presumably outdoor) concert next to Bumpsuit neighbor Vuori (11701 Domain Blvd. Suite 154) are at 7 pm; the show starts at 8:30 pm.

celebrities concerts free live music domain northside openings