This week, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week announced the preliminary lineup for the fall 2012 collections! Taking place Feb. 9 – 16, 2012, at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park, fall fashion week should be another amazing time of year. Here’s the lineup of designers as of Jan. 10:

Nicholas K, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Kaelen, Richard Chai, Honor, Tadashi Shoji, Candela, Chadwick Bell, PARKCHOONMOO, Concept Korea, General Idea, Rebecca Taylor, Brandon Sun, Rebecca Minkoff, Nicole Miller, Katya Leonovich, Charlotte Ronson, Academy of Art University, Ruffian, Lacoste, Porter Grey, Jill Stuart, Son Jung Wan, Mara Hoffman, Hervé Léger by Max Azria, Vantan Tokyo, Vivienne Tam, Monique Lhuillier, L.A.M.B., Venexiana, Lorena Sarbu, Lela Rose, DKNY, Tracy Reese, Joy Cioci, Custo Barcelona, Diane von Furstenberg, Y-3, Carmen Marc Valvo, Mathieu Mirano, Timo Weiland, Jenny Packham, Carolina Herrera, Carlos Miele, Zang Toi, Emilio Cavallini, Donna Karan New York, Reem Acra, Norman Ambrose, Betsey Johnson, Leather Japan 2012, J.Crew, Badgley Mischka, Vera Wang, Bibhu Mohapatra, Fotini, Naeem Khan, Dennis Basso, Pamella Roland, Tibi, Haus Alkire, Narciso Rodriguez, EMERSON, Whitney Eve, Michael Kors, Rochambeau, Nanette Lepore, Joanna Mastroianni, J. Mendel, Suzanne Rae, Milly by Michelle Smith, Farah Angsana, Anna Sui, Ralph Lauren, and Calvin Klein Collection.

Now, the countdown begins! Which designers are you excited to see this season?

Watch Tory speak at the WWD CEO Summit on her company’s use of social media. Her talk is about the impact of social media on telling the Tory Burch brand story and connecting with and creating an engaged community. Enjoy!

So, are you a fan of this trend? Check out my picks below and tell me what you think!

Photo Credit: Fashionology

Recently, I wrote an article for PR Couture on, what I like to call, “instablogging.” Check out the intro below:

In the beginning, when we had to walk uphill both ways to get to the mall, the elite fashion publishing houses provided monthly print magazines to be devoured on the couch, in the bath, under the hair dryer and on the elliptical. Then fashion bloggers established a new way of experiencing and connecting to like-minded readers through style, outfit photos and DIY, carving out places online that made fashion personal and discoverable through weekly posts.

And the industry took note, eventually moving to partner with bloggers and supplement traditional media coverage by becoming publishers themselves. Then with Twitter and Facebook, access to content became greater and the act of sharing this content became a measurement of business success.

Instablogging, the term we use to describe sites like Tumblr, Instagram and Pinterest are the latest publishing platforms to satiate the industry and fashion public’s growing demand for quick-fix content creation and dissemination. Instablogging enables brands to build and strengthen communities at a rapid pace with a snap of a camera, a pin or a click… 

To read the complete article, check it out on PR Couture.

And, for more on Pinterest, check out my mention in this MediaPost piece:

Check out my @PR_Couture mention on @MediaPost – Why Pinning is Winning: bit.ly/pCg0ZM by @dberkowitz—
Sarah Essary (@ConsumingPR) August 10, 2011

I’m all for using branded video content to promote new products, and Kohl’s did just this with a few teasers on YouTube for Jennifer Lopez’s new project. They even changed the skin of their YouTube channel to match her fall collection.

Question: Do you think they should brand across Facebook and Twitter too? In my opinion, they should stay consistent and, if anything, feature photos of JLo across the top Facebook Page filmstrip and change the background of their Twitter Page. Building a cohesive brand campaign is the key to driving home the key messages.

Check out these cheeky videos below teasing Jennifer Lopez’s new collection launching in September. What are your thoughts on this video campaign?

(Flickr: See-ming Lee)

Recently, you may have seen all the social chatter about the efforts of Change.org members behind the Clean Clothes Campaign. I started to recognize these efforts last month when I caught wind of the same story on Vogue.com regarding Versace’s commitment to banning the practice of sandblasting jeans, a technique used to give jeans a used look which is highly dangerous to workers, after Change.org members posted to their Facebook Wall.

Just last week, the Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana’s Facebook Wall was also bombarded by Change.org members’ messages demanding that the company ban sandblasting. According to Change.com, this move comes after more than 25,000 European and American activists joined a campaign on Change.org demanding that the company ban sandblasting.

“The technique, already banned in Europe, is reportedly still carried out in key garment-producing countries like Bangladesh and Turkey and can result in workers developing the irreversible lung disease silicosis,” reports Vogue.com.

Although this group used the written word to protest, Dolce & Gabbana deleted posts on its Facebook Wall after Change.org members posted messages demanding the company ban sandblasting.

A number of major brands, such as Levi’s, H&M, C&A, Gucci, and most recently Versace, have already abolished sandblasted jeans in their collections. Much like the recent Dolce & Gabbana efforts, the Clean Clothes Campaign forced Versace to lock it to the public after accusing them of using the procedure. The Italian fashion house eventually agreed to the group’s demands, going so far as to say that any supplier found to be employing sandblasting as a production technique would be in breach of contract with Versace.

“The Clean Clothes Campaign has now launched an impressive social media campaign and recruited tens of thousands of supporters from all over the world to demand that Dolce & Gabbana follow in the footsteps of their competitors and ban sandblasting,” said Change.org Organizer Meredith Slater. “Change.org is about empowering anyone, anywhere to demand action on the issues that matter to them, and it has been an honor to provide a platform for the Clean Clothes Campaign’s inspiring campaigns.”

In my opinion, expressing ones opinions through the written word is the best way to create change. However, Facebook Walls and other forums are now very similar to physical venues. Fashion labels and brands use Facebook to create the same feel as if the user were a customer in their physical store.

If people were to barge through the doors and begin protesting or squatting, do you think this might be considered disturbing the peace? Could this translate as similar activity on a Facebook Wall? What are your thoughts on moderating conversations online?

What She’s Wearing

Photographed by Matthias Vriens-McGrath in West Hollywood and New York City, Heidi Klum appears on Glamour’s August cover wearing a sparkling Stella McCartney tank, MiH jeans, Banana Republic belt, Wildlife by Heidi Klum bracelet and ring, Hermès watch, and bracelets by Giles & Brother and Luis Morais.

On the inside bonus cover, Heidi sports J Brand jeans, Patricia Underwood hat, and Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses. And from her inside spread, Heidi wears a Isabel Marant jacket, BL33N.com T-shirt, pink Maison Martin Margiela jeans,a black Dsquared2 hat, and Giles & Brother leather and hematite bracelet.

Inside This Issue

No one thought Project Runway would last, let alone change the face of fashion, but with it’s ninth season launching this summer Heidi Klum’s career is staying strong. In Glamour’s August issue, available on newsstands and digitally (iPad and Barnes & Noble Nook Color) nationwide on July 5, Heidi shares thoughts on her career, personal life and style.

Check out a sneak peek at what Heidi shared with Glamour:

On the longevity of Project Runway… “I’m going to be 80, walking with a stick down the runway.”

On being the aggressor in a relationship… “I’m not someone who plays hard to get. This whole thing about ‘Oh, let’s exchange numbers’ and then people wait four or five days before they call you? I don’t see the point. If you feel something, why would you let that pass? You only live once.”

On keeping things alive in the bedroom… “There’s nothing wrong with a nice garter belt. I’m not saying you have to put up a pole in your bedroom and start swinging off the rafters. But I love that sometimes!”

On when she finds hubby Seal the hottest… “Always. He’s even hot when he’s sleeping. He’s a beautiful man. He’s kind, he’s a gentleman, and I watched him last night onstage, and he still rocks it. I’m like, “Yeah, that’s my man!”

On whether Tim Gunn ever gives her style advice… “He hasn’t. He’s so polite—he would never say, ‘Why are you wearing that?’ Michael [Kors] is a little bit more…well, he always jokes with me. He says that my skirts are really short. He calls it fallopian length. He teases me.”

To read the full cover story on glamour.com click here.

I have to be honest; I’ve lost a bit of my drive to check-in places after I’ve already  taken advantage of the many first time deals around San Francisco. However, Foursquare is starting to intrigue me again with their plan for the future.

At the last Girls in Tech Fireside Chat, I had the pleasure to listen to Foursquare Co-Founder Dennis Crowley. He explained that Foursquare could soon be your personal tour guide, or Clippy for your pocket. This personal tour guide would be so in tune with your everyday behaviors, that it would recommend places to check out as you walked around the city you’re in. Check out the video of Dennis Crowley describing the future of Foursquare on Socialcam here.

What if Foursquare knew your personal shopping behaviors? Think about all the boutiques and stores you’d discover according to your interests. And, think about how this would change tourism. No need for those guidebooks because Foursquare would help you make the trip your own.

After leaving this fireside chat, I couldn’t help but wonder how all this would change advertising, PR and sales. Do you think these changes would help or hurt these industries?

If you’re an intern or looking to start your summer internship soon, then check out the newest blog just for you! Intern Chic provides fashion interns with advice and news to increase their knowledge of the fashion industry specifically tailored to those just starting out. Unlike websites that only provide fashion internship listings, Intern Chic uniquely offers much more.

Intern Chic is divide into a few sections. Tip Dujour features weekly fashion internship advice from site creator Ashli Townsend. The List is a compilation of mini-profiles on fashion industry elite, complete with name pronunciations and Chic Facts. The Chic Calendar keeps interns in the know with the hottest fashion events of the year and Chic Listings showcases the latest fashion internship job opportunities.

Then, there’s Chic Speak, which is a dictionary filled with stylish terms necessary to speak the language of fashion. Intern Chat allows interns to connect and discuss past, current and future internships. The Trends section keeps interns up to date on the latest from the runways. Finally, Style Daily serves as the site’s fashion news blog.

About the Founder

Intern Chic was created and founded by “professional intern” and Los Angeles native, Ashli Townsend (@fashionablyL8). Ashli has completed a variety of internships, including Mattel’s Barbie Design Department, Baby Phat’s Design Department, as well as at a host of notable fashion PR firms. She ultimately decided to share the knowledge she gained while interning with the masses via Intern Chic.

Ashli says Intern Chic was created with fashion interns in mind, but benefits anyone striving to stay in the know with the fashion industry.

Photo: Refinery29 SF Launch Party

Last Thursday, I attended the Refinery29 SF launch party and mingled with San Francisco’s fashionistas and ‘os. A few days before the event, I had my usual mini panic attack (like most girls do before an event) and remembered coming across the cutest dress from a recent email sent over by A|X Armani Exchange about their event at Coachella.

Only a few days before the Refinery29 SF launch party, I raced over to the store and bought the Flutter Sleeve Mini Dress by A|X Armani Exchange that caught my eye while going through my inbox. Saved!  All in all, it was an awesome night and the dress was perfect for the party.

Wondering if there are any other fun ways to wear the dress? Check out Vanessa Hudgens below as she belted the dress and slouched it down below her shoulders for a more casual look.

Find even more casual “music festival style” below on celebs like Penn Badgley, Kellan Lutz, Ian Somerhalder, Jamie Chung, Nina Dobrev, Shiloh Fernandez, Heather Hemmens, Jessica Stroup, Matt Barr, Taryn Manning, Evan Ross and Marielle Jaffe.

They all showed off their best festival fashion in Armani Exchange last month in Indio, CA, throughout Coachella’s countless shows and soirees.

And on Saturday, April 16, A|X Armani Exchange and 944 Magazine hosted the second annual NEON CARNIVAL in Indio, CA. When they weren’t hitting the dance floor, guests enjoyed carnival games and rides like bumper cars, kite runners and slides, and noshed on old-school carnival snacks. Also featured at the festivities: Case–Mate provided a photo booth for guests to snap shots and capture the memories as they were displayed on the hangar wall.  5Gum dished out treats for guests to enjoy while Jose Cuervo Platino and Ciroc Vodka kept the soiree alive well into the morning hours with each of their signature cocktails.

Sounds like a fun time and a great way to bring fashion and music together through timely events! Check out all the style below and tell me what do you think of this trend! How would you “rock” it?

Armani Exchange Music Festival Style

All items above are available at Armani Exchage Stores and online at www.armaniexchange.com.

GET THE LOOKS: Vanessa Hudgens: Flutter Sleeve Mini Dress; Heather Hemmens: Jungle Burnout Shirt; Jamie Chung: Sheer Rouched Jacket; Nina Dobrev: Bahama Print Maxi Dress; Marielle Jaffe: Pieced Bikini; Heather Hemmens: Quilted Cross Body Bag; Jamie Chung: 20th Beaded Shift Dress; Jessica Stroup: Metallic Bandeau Mini; Shiloh Fernandez: Hooded Linen Shirt; Kellan Lutz: Dark Wash T-Shirt; Penn Badgley: Space Stripe Henley; Penn Badgley: Yarn Stripe Henley; Kellan Lutz: Straw Fedora; Penn Badgley: Linen Utility Shirt; Solar Remix Sunglasses.

**Photo Credit: StarTraks Photo

**Kellan Kutz Photo Credit: Zimbio **Penn Badgley Photo Credit: WENN Photos