A thoroughly modern building is the last place you should find a relic of the past. But that is exactly what you will find at the 8th floor of MILK Studios in New York City – a turn of century saloon (make that “turn of 2 centuries”). Half saloon, half hunting lounge, the space is also Blind Barber for Gillette, a pop-up barber shop cater to industry insiders during New York Fashion Week. Whether it be a short breather between back to back runway shows, or just a last minute trim for next week’s Valentine’s Day, the folks from Blind Barber are ready. To celebrate its opening, hip hop rhapsodist and actor Common to congratulate Blind Barber co-founders Adam Kirsch and Jeff Laub last evening. Designer Richard Chai also took a break from all the fashion week mayhem and swung by as show of support. All the while, invited guests took the opportunity to enjoy drinks, hors d’oeuvre, each other’s company, and last but not least, a quick hair cut. Part of festivities organized by MADE, a collaborative fashion initiative by MILK Studios and like-minded partners, the Blind Barber for Gillette Pop-Up Barber Shop will be onsite till next Wednesday, February 15th.

Blind Barber for Gillette Pop-Up Barber Shop
MILK Studios
450 West 15th Street | Map
Floor 8
New York, NY

Opening Dates: Now – February 15th, 2012 (Wednesday)

Photos: Poe for Freshness

VERSUS TOKYO was set up by Yuichi Yoshii to show case the leaders from the Tokyo menswear industry at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week TOKYO. The reception to the event was overwhelmingly positive, so the team has brought the whole event to key fairs in Italy. Starting the tour was their first destination in Florence, where they set up a special exhibition space at Pitti Immagine Uomo. Brands represented had become broader and included 20 well known brands from Japan, including mastermind JAPAN, PHENOMENON, WHIZ Limited, SWAGGER, AMBUSH, MR. GENTLEMAN, Terrem and many more. Take a look at their display in detail after the jump. via: Fashionsnap.com

The Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2012 Show at Fashion Week in Paris earlier this month was as much a triumph of lighting and set design as it was of luxe springtime fashion. Marc Jacobs succeeded in wowing the audience when the curtains lifted to reveal a gleaming white carousel with his models perched atop the horses. The crowd broke into spontaneous applause, the carousel began to slowly spin, and fashion journalists had a great story to write about. The flipside to that story is the daunting construction of the carousel, and the space around it. Louis Vuitton has released a fascinating time-lapse behind-the-scenes video chronicling the mammoth undertaking, which you can view following the jump.

After months of curiosity, rumor and anticipation, Kanye West debuted his first ever fashion collection, Dw by Kanye West, at Paris Fashion Week. The event drew a star-studded crowd from the world of fashion and entertainment, including Lindsay Lohan, Ciara, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Jared Leto, Terry Richardson, Sky Ferreira, and designers Azzedine Alaia and Jeremy Scott. Though it drew mixed reviews, Kanye ultimately expressed satisfaction with his ready-to-wear women’s collection: “I had a lot of ideas about colors and shapes I wanted to express,” he said. “I’m really happy where I ended up.” Click through to see more runway looks.

The wait will finally be over tomorrow. In what could be the most anticipated, if not the highlight, of Paris Fashion Week, Kanye West will unveil his fashion line for women.  Simply named “DW”, as in Donda West, West’s late mother who was so crucial in his success. It is also said to be a collaborative effort, with assistance from designers Louise Goldin and Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy.  Kanye’s closest friends are all in Paris sending updates, so keep your eyes on pyrex vision (Virgil Abloh) and Just Don It (Don C) for more updates.

Designer Kevin “SAER” Leong had his debut fashion show this past Wednesday, September 7th, during New York’s Fashion Week. Origami, his private label collection inspired by Chinese culture and the label’s namesake art of paper folding, was shown on the runway at the Samsung Experience in the Time Warner Center. The Origami Spring/Summer 2012 line centered around innovation and sustainability, as the some of the unisex pieces were built with DuPont Tyvek recyclable fabrication and insulated with shredded U.S. currency. One standout, the Origami Money Vest, was filled with approximately $1,000. Models walked on a runway made from DuPont synthetic grass, while Bravo Media provided projection mapping that made the show an interactive affair. Check out images from the unique event after the jump.

With little progress on the NBA Lockout, Orlando Magic‘s Dwight Howard found time for other pursuits, like a quick visit to the ongoing Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week. Of course, one of Superman‘s first visit was to Y-3 Spring/Summer 2012 Collection Preview, courtesy of Howard’s sponsor adidas.  But with so many fashion events going on at one time, even Howard wonders about how to fit all within his schedule here in the Big Apple.

Photography: Poe for Freshness

First as a crooner and beat maker, Theophilus London is making his move into the fashion world this week. Not only the Brooklynite is now the newest spokesperson for Cole Haan, but as honorary guest on a number of fashion runway, including the DJ for Carlos Campos‘ Spring/Summer 2012 Collection Preview.

Photography: Poe for Freshness

Former Creative Director at Neiman Marcus department store, Nick Wooster is by far the most photographed industry insider within the men’s fashion circle. Now a consultant for both PROJECT trade show and GILT, the polymath gent was spotted as his usual dapper self at Y-3 yesterday, right before the collaborative label was to show its Spring/Summer 2012 Collection.

Photography: Poe for Freshness

Despite the “doom and gloom” expression, Kanye West is enjoying the happenings of Paris Fashion Week quite immensely. Seated next to REM front man Michael Stipe and UK songstress Lily Allen, it was a t-shirt and leather pants fare for West on the front row of Louis Vuitton Men’s Spring/Summer 2012 Show. Though there some speculated about him appearing in the anticipated Nike Air Yeezy 2, West instead showed his allegiance to the French luxury fashion house by wearing Louis Vuitton Jasper High Sneaker of his own design from the 2009 collaboration.

As Milan Fashion Week gets underway this week, the new addition for the ever popular collaborative projection between Italian fashion house MISSONI and classic sneaker label CONVERSE was spotted on the runway. As part of the MISSONI Men’s Collection for Spring/Summer 2012, the CONVERSE Auckland Racer will be the cornerstone for the ongoing collaboration. A lesser known silhouette, CONVERSE first created the Auckland Racer during the 1970s as a running sneaker. Soon, it became a popular footwear for those with an active lifestyle and looking for an in-between choice between style and function. For the MISSONI collaboration, the design teams on both sides re-constituted the Auckland Racer in the famous MISSONI knit pattern as a complement to a set of vintage-style track suit, designed by Ottavio Missoni himself back in 1948. And like the Chuck Taylor All Star that came before it, the MISSONI x CONVERSE Auckland Racer will introduce another set of possibilities for both labels.

Buried beneath all the happenings during New York Fashion Week this February was actually the official launch of adidas Originals by Original Jeremy Scott in NYC. Rather than the piecemeal efforts dotted across multiple retail locations in previous launch, the Spring/Summer 2011 Collection saw a concerted effort to have everything under one roof, albeit a very limited one. Once fashionable New Yorkers caught wind of the official release, they begin to lined up along the snow piles on Wooster Street. A quick count before the door officially opened, nearly 200 people braved the sub-zero temperature just for the opportunity to get their hands on a pair of JS Teddy Bear, JS Wings, and the first ever Women’s Collection from adidas Originals and Jeremy Scott. Once the clock hit 8 o’clock, the crowd filled into the adidas Originals SoHo location to the tunes of DJ Crazy Legs. And in the midst of ecstatic shoppers racked up all the new merchandises, the guitar/songstress duo of Craig Wilson and Kerri Leigh entertained the gathered audience to the chorus of southern/county pop. All told, it was a very good night indeed.  However, for those who missed the initial collection launch, portions of the adidas Originals by Originals Jeremy Scott are still available at adidas Originals online store.

Photography: Poe for Freshness