It’s here! My Fashion Week story in The Weekly Standard is published in the new issue, hot off the press. An excerpt:

No, the recession didn’t scare away Fashion Week, the twice-yearly circus of luxurious clothing and beautiful people. It returned to Manhattan’s Bryant Park in mid-February for the fall collections. But with ever-dwindling sales, and public revulsion toward extravagance, can anything–can anyone–save the fashion industry?

On the surface, Fashion Week seemed to be much the same as it was in September when the recession was just getting underway. But the gleam of the tents in Bryant Park was dimmer, and though at least 100 designers showed their collections, some major designers (Vera Wang, Betsey Johnson) opted out of the $50,000-plus runway shows in favor of intimate presentations in their showrooms. Many showed collections at other venues outside the tents, or only online.

Even Marc Jacobs, one of the most sought-after shows of the season, slashed his guest list in half and canceled his after-party. (THE WEEKLY STANDARD wasn’t invited.) And a number of seats at nearly every show–including coveted front row spots–stayed empty until the final minutes before showtime when PR reps would frantically fill them with guests from the standing section.

Are designers less willing to pay celebrities with cash or clothing to sit down in front? Are fewer publications willing to pay the costs to send reporters to the shows? Maybe the public is less interested altogether in runway fashion?

But the show did go on.

You’ll have to read the rest to learn about my favorite color trends, how Reem Acra dealt with the recession, and much more!