Cities of Fashion: New York

New York Magazine has slideshows of the 80-plus New York Fashion Week shows, as well as video for many of them. The Cut Blog is a sassy-send up of New York’s daily goings-on in style and fashion.

While you’re at it, see Style.com’s wrap-up of Fashion Week, complete with insider shots of the shows’ after-parties, for examples of how to look fabulous off the runway.

For the deep-pocketed fashionista, NYC & Company has a list of the stores to hit to get the look from the more than 80 designers showing at New York Fashion Week.

Fifth and Madison Avenues are home to many of the world’s toniest boutiques. Window-shopping at the likes of Jimmy Choo, Missoni and Gucci makes for a veritable tour of the latest trends, and people-watching here is among the city’s finest. For a sampling of the garb you may see gracing the Upper East Side, take a look at The Sartorialist. The site has been named one of the “Top 100 Design Influencers” by Time magazine. For Fifth Avenue action, check out footage shot at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street.

Saks Fifth Avenue is one of many legendary clothiers on its namesake street. Visit the Saks shoe store. It even has its own zip code (10022-SHOE). Those less consumer-minded, or far removed from the bustle of the famous address or New York Fashion Week, can check out Saks’s take on Fall 2008 Fashion Week, complete with video and a trend-by-trend breakdown.

Higher-end department stores are more like a museum for the budget-minded fashionista. How apropropriate, then that Fifth Avenue is also known for its museums as well as its luxury shopping. The Metropolitan Museum of Art houses the Costume Institute, which collects and curates to seven centuries of fashion from around the world. The museum’s trunks are only on display twice a year, but highlights of the collection are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week on the Costume Institute’s Web site. Blog Mode: Addressing Fashion gives a modern take on the Institute’s collections.

The Garment District is the place to go for great deals on designer samples, but it’s best to have an insider come along to navigate the nondescript industrial streets of this West Side neighborhood. Gridskipper has a guide encompassing the basics of the area, from fabric shops and haberdashers to designers’ sample sales.

The Garment District is also home to the Fashion Institute of Technology, a branch of the State University of New York and a top-ranked design and professional school for the industry. The museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology boasts 15,000 accessories, including 4,000 pairs of shoes, and puts Fashion Week standbys like Halston and Calvin Klein into historical perspective. Admission to the museum’s three galleries is free, and has rotating special exhibits.

If you’d like to show off your new duds, Time Out New York is a one-stop directory for what’s going on in the five boroughs. You’ll find out which bar or restaurant to flaunt your Marc Jacobs and which fine arts performance to work the Oscar de la Renta. If you’re still undecided on your sartorial standard, Time Out also has a shopping guide. There’s even a section about fashionable food.

Also, FindingDulcinea’s New York City Survival Guide has a list of neighborhood shopping guides and sites where you can keep up to date with local sample sales.