All in all, I’m pretty darn proud of them. (There comes a point – about a few episodes before the end of the season – where you’re allowed to say things like “proud” about someone you’ve never met before. Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself.)

All four had standout looks. Christopher’s ethereal oxblood top paired with the distressed, high-slit leather and wool skirt. Fabio’s sweet little shorts, layered with such ease for a shot of insta, I-rolled-out-of-bed cool. Melissa’s statuesque red leather dress (can you believe she made that the day before?).

But, I have to admit, Dmitry truly won me over. I loved it all – from this flouncy little geometric frock to this fitted lime green number (those sleeve details, goodness) to this fringed jacket. His aesthetic is polished and modern – yet still incredibly wearable.  Is he the next Mondo? Who knows. But I seriously can’t wait to see more.

Until All Stars, auf wiedersehen.

By Joanna Berliner, Editor 

What did you think of the finale? Did they choose the right winner? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or tweet us @ruelala. 

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I love a good hometown visit. They’re sentimental little snippets into the designers’ lives, full of awkward family stories and on-par critiques of their collections. But this year, they felt rushed and distant. Nonetheless, the collections themselves had their charm (and wow-factor).  Here are some highs – and lows:

Melissa
Oh, Melissa. How I love your Taylor Momsen-esque vibe. And the fact that you came from a town of 3,000? You go, girl. But your collection felt done before. From that high-collared black dress (didn’t we see the same thing here?) to that big-cuffed white leather jacket (love the treatment, but it’s pretty much this, with a luxe twist), I would have loved to see something just a teeny bit unexpected.

Fabio
This guy is out there, in a Marc Jacobs sort of way.  And it works like a charm. His collection straddles the line between ugly and innovative. Dyed pastel fabrics are cut asymmetrically and draped in ways so odd, they feel fresh. It’s streetwear meets loungewear meets avant-garde, and the judges? They love it – or, at least, the idea of it.

Christopher
Although creating a print from your mother’s X-ray is a touch creepy (or “haunting,” as Chris likes to call it), the unique print itself pretty much made this collection. (The eroded leather was perfection, too.) But I’ve got to say: Turn the volume up! Despite the unusual textiles, these skimpy little pieces were simply boring.

Dmitry
Pure love. This guy has such fabulous attention to detail – and such an eye for what works on a woman’s body. I’d snap up (almost) every last item in a heartbeat. (Except I’d wear a tank under that sheer, embellished top, obvi.) His clothes just look expensive. I think I’ve found my top contestant.

Until the finale, auf wiedersehen.

By Joanna Berliner, Editor

Have your own take on the collections? Share it in the comments below or tweet us @ruelala. 

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Photo Courtesy of Bakerella

Sure, we’d love first-row seats at New York Fashion Week, but let’s be honest, it’s not always in the cards. The next best thing in my book? Cookies. And not just any cookies, I’m talking NYFW-worthy morsels.

Simply take your favorite peanut butter cookie recipe, follow the steps here, and add chocolate. Good taste with conversation-starting design? It’s a guaranteed win-win at every party.

By Melissa Mann, Staff Writer

Have a fashion-forward recipe of your own? Share it in the comments below or Tweet us @ruelala.

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The fashion world may look glamorous from the outside, but as anyone who’s watched Project Runway or All on the Line knows, being a designer is far from easy. In addition to creating the actual collection, you also need the resources to show it, produce it, publicize it, and deliver it to stores – and then do it all over again (and again…and again) every three to six months. Whew.

The fashion cycle is tough enough for big-name designers with major corporate backing – it’s even harder for emerging talents who are working on a shoestring budget with little to no outside help.

Which is where W Hotels’ Fashion Next comes in. Launched three years ago, the Fashion Next program was created to discover and support young designers by sponsoring their New York Fashion Week presentations.

This season, W Hotels announced the program’s new Global Fashion Director, Jenne Lombardo (the pint-sized dynamo behind MAC + Milk and The Terminal Presents). Jenne and the Fashion Next roster of talented newcomers – Bibhu Mohapatra, Electric Feathers, Michael Angel, Nomia, Juan Carlos Obando, and Rochambeau – were introduced at a New York Fashion Week breakfast at the W on Lexington Avenue, followed a few nights later by a group showcase in The Courtyard at Lincoln Center, with the designer’s individual presentations taking place at The Box at Lincoln Center.

But unlike years past, Fashion Next’s relationship with the designers doesn’t end once the shows are over. “It’s a partnership, and they nurture not only from the show perspective but from a business perspective,” Juan Carlos Obando said, citing the global trunk shows the hotel is helping to arrange as an example of their commitment to the cause. “They understand what young designers go through and there are certain elements that young designers do need help with and that goes beyond show sponsorship, because sponsorship is a one-off element. They offer a mentorship, which is a year-long process with the support of the people in their PR team, their business team – there are so many groups in the W Hotels’ network and they are thoroughly willing to give you advice. It’s pretty amazing.”

Jenne, herself a longtime supporter of emerging talent, was equally enthusiastic about the partnership. “I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life,” the chic mother of three said at the breakfast. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to express how excited I am about my relationship with the W because they’re a brand that really puts their money where their mouth is. They’re able to support an industry that has the talent, but maybe not the voice and the platform and the infrastructure. To be able to have a brand like W help really push this talent to the next level – this is what keeps New York thriving, and they’re directly contributing to the overall eco-system, if you will.”

This season, Fashion Next not only provided space for the designers’ Spring 2012 presentations, they also helped to underwrite the cost of the actual production, including hair, makeup, and music. “But the biggest part of what we’re doing is really working with each designer and custom tailoring a program to fit each of the designer’s and the hotels’ needs on a global scale,” added Jenne. “So there may be a designer who’s in New York that has no presence in Asia and we’ll be able to contribute to that. It’s really exciting for me to know that by way of this program we’re impacting the future of these designers.”

Exciting and inspiring – just like the designers themselves.

Lauren David Peden writes for Rue La La as a Contributing Editor.

The Spring 2012 New York Fashion Week shows may be over, but the trend spotting continues. On the beauty front, the looks ranged from the don’t-try-this-at-home to the perfectly poised and polished.

Erickson Beamon heightened the drama of its jewelry by way of false-eyelashed, rainbow-hued glitter lids accompanied by matching multi-hued nails. Bright pink, red, and turquoise eyeshadow turned up at Richard Chai Love, Katie Gallagher, Pink by Douglas Hannant, and Faster by Mark Fast, among others (Fast, Chai, and Gant by Michael Bastian even did blue lips, making it look as though the models were very chilly, indeed). And several shows, including Marchesa, Fast, and Jeremy Scott, featured models with bright pink hair.

Dramatically smokey eyes were the big beauty story at Rodarte, while a more wearable version of the lined eye turned up at Bibhu Mohapatra, Victoria by Victoria Beckham, L.A.M.B., and alice + olivia. Karen Walker gave her girls sweet rosy cheeks paired with rolled, forties-inspired updos, and the Alexander Wang show featured slightly greasy long hair (a just-worked-out complement, perhaps, to his sports-inspired collection).

But the biggest spring hair trends on the New York runways were long hair brushed back off the face (at Victoria Beckham, Prabal Gurung, Cynthia Rowley, Cushnie et Ochs, BCBG) or left to hang naturally (Nicole Miller, Peter Som, DKNY, Lacoste, Kimberly Ovitz, Oscar de la Renta and Betsey Johnson), which is good news for those of us who like to keep it simple.

Another big hair trend: elegant chignons, elaborate buns worn on the top – or side – of the head, and all sorts of braids and ponytails, as shown by Michael Kors, Proenza Schouler, Donna Karan, and Carolina Herrera.

And there were as many natural or lightly glossed lips as there were pink or cherry red puckers. Meaning next season, the beauty trend is pretty much whatever you want it to be.

Lauren David Peden writes for Rue La La as a Contributing Editor.

We love a modern take on a retro staple, and the crowd at Lincoln Center had us seeing spots. The classic look keeps it cool with graphic blacks and whites in sophisticated silhouettes.

I knew something was afoot when I arrived early to the Imitation of Christ show Thursday and saw interns scurrying around scattering rose petals on the stage (which was decorated with a garland-strewn canopy) and down the center aisle of the ballroom at the W Hotel in Union Square. As if that wasn’t enough of a tip-off, standing in the corner was a dude dressed as a priest. Turns out Father Andrew O’Connor is a real ordained Diocesan priest, and had agreed to officiate at the fanciful wedding dreamed up by IOC designer Tara Subkoff to showcase her Spring 2012 collection.

As the It Girl wedding guests (including Susie Bubble, Natasha Lyonne, Cory Kennedy, Byrdie Bell, Arden Wohl, and photographer Ellen von Unwerth) looked on, singer Natalie Rose LeBrecht sang a lovely a cappella version of Billy Idol’s “White Wedding,” and out came a tuxedoed groom and best man, followed by a flower girl in a pretty embroidered dress, who tossed more petals as she strode toward the altar. Several dozen bridesmaids followed, all dressed in beautifully ethereal IOC confections that recalled garden party frocks from the Thirties and Forties (think: floaty feminine dresses with delicate beading, lace, and lingerie-inspired details in dusty shades of blue, cream, and blush). Best of all, the models were actually smiling – a rarity at most fashion shows.

Then a string quartet struck up the familiar notes to “Here Comes the Bride,” and, well, there came the bride: model/actress Lydia Hearst-Shaw in an elegant lace gown with a figure-flattering corset. As Father O’Connor advised the bride and groom to “imitate Christ for one another” (meaning: strive to be the best they can be and to see the best in each other throughout their marriage), it was easy to forget this was not a real wedding, and more than one hardened fashionista got tears in her eyes. Then he pronounced them man and wife, the “newlyweds” kissed, and the crowd erupted in a huge heartfelt cheer. Huzzah!

Between the sun-dappled ballroom, the gorgeous gowns and the beaming bridal party (all two dozen of them) this was one of the most joyful, feel-good fashion events I’ve ever attended. “I miss my old shows,” Tara told me after the show. “And I wanted to give people something in the spirit of that – something fun and beautiful – to start the week!”

Mission accomplished.

Lauren David Peden writes for Rue La La as a Contributing Editor.

Lauren David Peden writes for Rue La La as a Contributing Editor.