John Bartlett

Next week, Opening Ceremony will put American designers aside in favor of featuring young Japanese designers whom owners Humerto Leon and Carol Lim discovered on their travels through Tokyo. [WWD]

Naomi Campbell's billionaire Russian boyfriend, Vladimir Doronin, bought her a $18.5 million penthouse in Brazil. [P6]

Tom Ford is co-hosting a fundraiser for Barack Obama at the Beverly Hills home of the Creative Artists Agency’s Bryan Lourd, and Michelle Obama is slated to attend. [WWD]  read more »

Good God, is it Fashion Week again already? However did this happen?

In today's salmon sheet:

• Meredith Bryan meets rising designer Chris Benz, who's somehow making a name for himself without clothing big tacky celebrities (though he does know a few demi-socialites).

• Simon Doonan mourns the closing of The Noose, a kinky sex shop in Chelsea, wondering if it's somehow connected to the mainstreaming of sartorial sadomasochism.

• David Foxley meets Sudanese mannequin Alek Wek near the top of the Empire State building, resulting in an intense case of vertigo.

• Spencer Morgan deconstructs the millinery efforts of socialte Arden Wohl's mother, Denise.

• And let's not forget those beautiful bicycle girls—many of them, after all, are models.

Stay tuned for excited scribbles from the runways.

New York Fashion Week is totally phat. Sorry, make that fat. As in: fat-obsessed.    read more »

John Bartlett sent a crew of emaciated standard-issue trendy-haired models down the runway this morning to kick off fashion week in Bryant Park. No bears! No facial hair! And an incredibly generic collection, as well. Except: TERRORPANTS! What are they? Swim trunks? What length is that? Why? What are they for? It's like Coney Island bathers of the 1940's meets manhood-terror anxiety! Fear the terrorpants!
Worse picture—terrorshorts suit!—after the jump!  read more »

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