On a faded stretch of West 37th Street, designer Tom Scott held his fall winter presentation yesterday in an old garment district storefront. Just a hop from the glitz of the Bryant Park tents, but worlds away, Scott’s conceptual attitude towards fashion strangely but perfectly fit in with the seedy street which is home to zipper shops, delis and knockoff handbag stores. The collection was appropriately titled, “things I don’t like,” and is meant to be a playful stab at his working through the aspects of design which he is normally uncomfortable. Scott who works with knits primarily attacked his fears of cable-knits, popcorn ball stitches, and “Golden Girls” type sweaters. All pieces were given Scott’s unique treatment - the enlarged cable knit became a caricature of its once humble beginnings and found its way onto a voluminous and vibrantly hued vest. A loud thrift-store striped pattern was reinterpreted into an oversized dropped sleeve sweater with an exaggerated neckline. However funny these pieces may have seemed, the irony was not lost in the intricate details along with the plush yarns that Scott is known for.

While the back room of the space resembled a dry cleaners with metal racks floating hundreds of plastic garment bags and pieces displayed on “We love our customers” hangers, the front room resembled a scene out of the Twilight Zone’s The After Hours episode, where mannequins come alive in a department store and take turns leaving for a month. Here the “girls” seemed content to hang out - “Priscilla” relaxed in the front wearing a colorblock mohair sweater and large alpaca earmuffs, listening to her record player. “Tom,” the only male mannequin hid in the back and wore a “polka dot” sweater - the “dots” being the negative space in the knit. “Shirley” in a strapless alpaca dress which resembled the tufted bottom half of an ostrich pressed her hands up against the storefront and gazed outside - possibly ready for her month leave.

–Joyce Tota

When some designers want to use humor, they usually end up with M.I.A.’s Grammy performance outfit. Designer Tom Scott, takes his wit and talent to a less overt level where it becomes more of an inside joke. This season for fall ‘09, Scott stayed true to his completely wearable, modern, and just plain cool knitwear, by being open to the upside down and unconventional manipulations of the average sweater.

Scott takes his reluctantly intellectual approach to fashion and has fun with it. With hairy cuffs on alpaca sweaters, drapey cashmere tube skirts, a fishnet mohair dress, and quirky sweaters with colorblocks or just plain holes, Scott creates key pieces that quietly evolve knitwear for the modern age. He effortlessly pulls off beautifully draped knits, like a heavy zip-front cardigan with an enveloping back, or the knit blanket with sleeves, that doubles as quite the warm coat.

–Hillary Rocker

All images c. The Totam

Tags: Bryant Park, conceptual, dry cleaners, Fall 2009, Fashion Week, garment district, knits, knitwear, New York, Tom Scott, Twilight Zone.

If you happen to be in New York this week, you’re in luck. Not only can you claw your way through the Barneys Warehouse Sale but get ready to party 1990’s Grind-style, or head over to Craigslist for fashion week tickets and you just might score a free ride to Jersey.

Join the frenzy. Indeed.

1/ The bi-annual Barneys New York Warehouse Sale starts today just in time for fashion week. Now is the time to find your Dries Van Noten, Lanvin, and Marc Jacobs at 50-75% off. Our tip: Wear a dress or skirt for easy try-ons as there are no dressing rooms. We would love to hear what treasures you find as well!

*255 West 17th Street, between 7th & 8th Avenues. 212-450-8400

Hours: Thursday, Feb. 12th - Friday, the 13th: 8am - 9pm / Weekdays: 10am - 9pm, Weekends: 10am - 7pm

2/ Party like it’s 1992 again at photographer Clifton Parker’s fashion week bash with host Eric Nies. Yes that Eric Nies, the early ’90s host of MTV’s dance show The Grind. Our tip: Don’t forget your baja jacket.

*Friday, Feb. 13th / Hudson Terrace, 641 West 46th Street, between 11th & 12th Avenues / Doors at 9pm /  RSVP necessary to info@cliftonparker.com

3/ British designer Matthew Williamson will be opening his first U.S. store in New York’s Meatpacking District, with an opening party on Sunday night. Fans of Williamson’s Indian-inspired togs include Sienna Miller and Jade Jagger. This one will be a tight list. Our tip: Ogle from across the street.

*Sunday, Feb. 15th, 6:30 - 9:30pm / 415 W. 14th Street, near Washington Street

Hopefully Bryant Park is a little more organized.

4/ Who says there are no free rides? Maybelline and Marie Claire are teaming up to offer complimentary taxi rides to fashion week attendees as they leave the Bryant Park tents on Thursday, Feb. 19th. The stunt is to promote the Style Network’s new reality series Running in Heels, starring Marie Claire fashion editor Nina Garcia. No word yet on how far one can go once inside the cab. Our tip: Hoboken, please! (Fashion Week Daily)

Surprise, honey! We're not on the list!

5/ Can’t get into the shows? Need a Valentine’s Day date idea? Try Craigslist. For anywhere from $80 - $500, you too can stand with the best of them. Since the last time we checked, Charlotte Ronson show scalpers seem to be pretty popular. Our tip: Don’t waste your money. Instead, stay tuned to The Totam for fashion week updates from the Rachel Comey, Karen Walker, Tom Scott and Matthew Ames’ shows. (The Cut)

Tags: 1992, Barneys, Bryant Park, Clifton Parker, Craigslist, Dries Van Noten, Eric Nies, Fashion Week, Hoboken, Jade Jagger, Karen Walker, Lanvin, Marc Jacobs, Matthew Ames, Matthew Williamson, New York, Nina Garcia, Parties, Rachel Comey, Running in Heels, Sienna Miller, store opening, Style Network, The Totam, Tom Scott, valentine's day.

The site of Cushnie et Ochs' Fall 2009 show on Friday: The Celeste Bartos Forum at the New York Public Library / Cushnie et Ochs' Spring 2009 show via NY Post

New York’s Fashion Week officially commences tomorrow on the hallowed grounds of Bryant Park and beyond. Designers who either can’t afford to show in the tents or feel it is too commercial of a venue are adopting other various staging grounds. With a Parsons Designer of the Year Award to their name, Cushnie et Ochs are using the breathtaking Celeste Bartos Forum at the New York Public Library to show their sophomore collection. In a similar literary vein, menswear label Loden Dager has rented out The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen, (a library and school which was originally founded to educate families of skilled craftsmen) for their Saturday night show.

Eco-friendly line Bodkin and their air plant invite (image via Teen Vogue)

In perfect harmony, designer Eviana Hartman of eco-friendly line Bodkin is appropriately utilizing the Horticultural Society to show her third collection. Clever invites were literally alive - paper pyramids housed small air plants (which will grow just about anywhere and without soil) - and went perfectly with the sustainable line’s ethos.

The Robert Miller Gallery, where Zero + Maria Cornejo will show.

Numerous other designers are showing in art galleries and museums which are always the perfect blank canvases. Rachel Comey whose pieces are works of art on their own will be showing at the Taxter & Spengemann gallery Friday night, while Zero + Maria Cornejo’s sculptural designs will hold perfectly in the Robert Miller Gallery’s austere space. Rounding out the artistic venues are red carpet favorite Marchesa at the Chelsea Art Museum and Vittadini at the International Center of Photography.

Tags: alternate venues, Bodkin, Bryant Park, Chelsea Art Museum, Cushnie et Ochs, Eviana Hartman, Fall 2009, Fashion Week, galleries, International Center of Photography, Loden Dager, Marchesa, New York Public Library, NY designers, Parsons Designer of the Year, Rachel Comey, Robert Miller Gallery, Taxter & Spengemann, the tents, Vittadini, Zero + Maria Cornejo.