Photo Credit: Tommy Ton, via operachic.typepad.com

Well, not yet, but that’s what it feels like. There are too many events to remember, let alone all of the tools, apps and websites invented to help you navigate around town to find the best parties, see the most fabulous faces, and get the sweetest deals from pop-up shops and flash sales. And I’m not just talking about New York. LA, Paris, Houston and other cities are joining Fashion’s Night Out, what’s become the industry’s biggest cheerleader.

The official events kicked off last night at the courtyard in Lincoln Center (NYFW’s new home), which was broadcast live on CBS’ website. The runway show was produced by Anna Wintour and styled by Vogue, and you can still view the 67-minute encore presentation here. The opening with Andre Leon Talley and Hannelista Mustaparta is truly painful and awkward, but the interviews with designers are kind of priceless, and the view of the runway and fountain really does make me nostalgic for last year, when I actually went to the first ever FNO.

And if you want to find out how FNO has evolved in just 12 short months, visit Fashionista’s blog for a recap of Paris’ event. Free champagne and macaroons, and invites slipped into copies of Vogue, anyone?

Simon Fashion Now, presented by Cadillac, is touring the country to promote shopping in a way that’s more in line with the American consumer. With fashion shows highlighting the best of the fall collections from retailers like Betsey Johnson, French Connection, The Limited and the Gap, you can see how fab the clothes look on the models, and then head to the stores immediately afterward to shop the same pieces: no months of waiting for designer items to blast into your inbox from Bergdorf’s and Shopbop.

The Houston events kick off tonight at the Galleria with a blogger preview of what’s in for fall. Then, next Thursday and Friday, September 9-10, we’ll join New York to celebrate Fashion’s Night Out. Thursday’s fashion show is at 8p.m. It’s invite-only and will feature designer looks from Neiman’s, but Friday’s event is more democratic. Called Trends & Friends Night, it’s free, open to the public, and comes with music, hors-d’oeuvres, and first come, first serve seating at Polar Ice. Three fashion shows flow throughout the evening: at 5:30pm, 6:30pm, and 7:30pm, each featuring a different group of retailers found at the Galleria.

Paris, which is usually the capital of all things fashion forward, likes to sit on its September issue until American covers are out. It’s probably a nice way of staying out of the competition, since French Vogue is basically the best magazine on the planet.

But with this year’s fall fashion cover, it’s also making a historic move. Unlike American Vogue, the French bible usually reserves covers for models only, and Marion’s the first actress on this issue in years, reports Lainey Gossip. Devoted to all things Parisian according to Carine, the French Vogue September issue couldn’t have a better ambassador.

The designer with a Vintage Collection clutch

Nobody — ain’t nobody — does a modern twist on vintage like Elaine Turner. At a preview party held at the accessories designer’s newly redecorated home in Hunters Creek Village, Houston, last Thursday, I fell for the total attention to detail in three separate collections: vintage (an homage to Turner’s 10-year anniversary), fall, and the brand’s first-ever resort. In recreating some of Jackie Kennedy’s best leather goods, Turner manipulates leopard print, gold and croc-skin prints and textures into modern finishes that pair perfectly with a pencil skirt or a leather jacket. After all, a legacy as impenetrable as Jackie’s appeals to all kinds of women, just as gold detailing, solid clutches with dipped, delicately gilded tops, gentle studding, and solidly but fantastically designed heels prove that Elaine Turner isn’t just a brand for your pink-loving best friend: she mixes California girl with Caribbean gypsy with Upper East Side gossip girl.

Not to say that Turner doesn’t like pink: her famous love affair with the color and animal prints is evident all throughout her house, but more in a “Palm Beach may be my HQ, but I travel the world –” not Legally Blonde — sort of way.

Shop online or visit the store: fall’s already in, and those soft cross-body bags from resort will be ready to retail November 20.

Fall 2010

Vintage 2010

Resort 2010-2011

Turner's own shoe closet

The shoe wall at the Elaine Turner Rice Village store

I’m always nervous when I meet a new designer, but after a little banter, this guy had calmed me down and even found a quieter spot to chat. Godfrey — who’s only had his own line for just over 3 years — produces 9-10 collections per year, but his current collection is especially unique. He pointed to his use of feathers and leather — inspired by naughty but elegant fashion photographer Ellen von Unwerth — as an exciting method for enhancing and celebrating the female form, and this fall’s dresses delicately allude to corsets and bondage, but with a swingy, youthful appeal and fit.

The Parsons grad first went to business school and worked for Citigroup in New York, then switched to fashion and has quickly risen to red carpet status, dressing celebrities like Eva Mendes (his first big one). But Godfrey says that what’s most exciting for him is “to see an average woman in my dress, someone who went out and spent her own money.” His dresses retail reasonably, too, proving Godfrey’s claim that he’s “designer in feeling, contemporary in price point.”

When I asked Godfrey about his dream clients, though, he first responded with Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly, but quickly moved to more modern, quietly powerful figures like Angelina Jolie, Queen Rania, Carla Bruni Sarkozy, and Samantha Cameron, Great Britain’s new first lady, and a real inventress.

But Godfrey’s also got new plans for evolving his brand: a new line of tops is set to launch for Spring 2011, selling between $125-195. They’ll be “sexy, not cheesy,” Godfrey promises for his “novel” collection retailing in a sea of dresses.

After hearing about his Hollywood clients and New York inspirations, I asked Godfrey what he thought about Houston’s fashion aesthetic. I told him to be honest (he said he’s always honest), and he reflected that the women here are “very ladylike, they enjoy color, and they’re sexy but elegant, not trashy.” But we all know this city could use a little more Jay Godfrey.

Check here for Shopstyle results for Jay Godfrey

There’s almost too much going on during Fashion’s Night Out this season (my, how it’s grown in one year!), but FabSugar’s team-up with Elizabeth & James would be my #1 stop if I was returning to NYFW in just a couple of weeks.

The twins agreed to work with PopSugar and FabSugar to open a pop-up shop during the month of September in the city’s West Village, giving customers the first ever chance to shop their entire collection in person. That means women’s wear and men’s wear, shoes, jewelry, TEXTILE Elizabeth & James denim, and sunglasses from resort 2010, available for pre-sale.

On September 10, the night of FNO, the girls will stop by the shop on their way to their karaoke and ping pong party at Barneys, which they’re hosting with the Proenza boys, Daphne Guinness, and of course, Simon and Julie.

If you’re going to be in NYC that night, make sure you check out the FNO website, which lets you search for events and store your plans for the night.

Oh, and that black feathered cocktail dress looks sick in person, by the way. I almost tried it on last week, but knew I wouldn’t be able to take it off.

Macy’s is dropping an exclusive Glee-inspired fashion line for fall, so that you can now dress as your favorite characters. There are track suits, Glee logo tees, faded baseball and vintage-washed shirts, and a WMHS jersey t-shirt, and at $20-35 a piece, you might at least be able to get a Halloween costume out of it.

I’ve never seen an entire episode of the show, but I get why it’s popular. But is this marginally cooler than wearing a Twilight or High School Musical or Disney princesses top? I’m not sure I get this partnership.

Look for it in the juniors section (duh).

Photo Source: Collegefashion.net

Texas needs H&M. H&M needs e-commerce.

If H&M was in economically stable Texas, or had e-commerce, it may not have even needed to take this drastic step, but generally speaking, this is excellent news: H&M is lowering prices like whoa.

The already budget retailer will drop prices starting this fall, selling everything from $20 trench coats to dresses under $5, reported CollegeFashion.net. And unlike other stores like J.Crew, which have been consistently raising prices over the past few years (while stepping up quality and PR), it’s great news to hear that a store that carries both basics and trendier items is realizing that its worldwide customer-base means it’s already ahead of the pack, and can afford to reach out to even more shoppers. We’ll have to see how the quality of the cheaper items differs from regularly priced clothes and accessories, but a $5 dress that isn’t in the sale bin should hold up for at least a party or two.

I work from home, which means I don’t need work clothes, and for the past couple of years, I’ve rarely needed professional-looking separates: I can usually get buy with skinny jeans and boots or a nice dress for 99% of my cool-weather, dressier occasions.

But now that I’m inching into my later 20s (my birthday is next Monday!) I’m starting to welcome a few more tailored pieces into my wardrobe. Back-to-school time is my favorite season for shopping and reinvention, and Theory’s mix-and-match separates have me drooling. The brand seems to have stepped up its creativity in styling and its youthfulness in marketing and design: just check their blog for constant inspiration this season.

Most pieces are still in the investment category for me, but last week I snagged a great pair of silk cocktail pants at a Neiman’s sale and am vowing to  one day stock up on their suiting separates, like the ones below.

Theory’s taken on a playful, buoyant tone that’s needed even in the professional sphere, without compromising its very serious commitment to quality. I’m a Theory girl.

NYLON has the Miller girls’ short film for their fall Twenty8Twelve collection starring a goofy then sultry Sienna, who, along with another model, poses and runs around Isabella Blow’s house in bohemian layers and eclectic accessories. Even with that famous ragged ponytail, Sienna manages to redeem her embarrassing cameo in The September Issue, and proves her street style isn’t the only reason the industry loves her.

Watch the video here.