What shock and awe we experienced this evening when Marc Jacobs showed nearly on time! Our companion called her driver at 6:45 promising that this season it would be different. Her projection was that Marc would perversely start promptly on time. And while the show didn't go off exactly at 7, a mere quarter of an hour later Sonic Youth were playing and models were walking. Plus there was champagne at the tables. I guess Marc really is giving us a mea culpa! To which we say Ego te absolvo, in nomine Prada, Fendi et Salvatore Ferragamo, amen.Sure he isn't an Italian brand but hey it has a nice ring to it huh?

Respecting the past while remaining current is a difficult task. To his credit Calvin Klein's Francisco Costa has that balancing act all worked out. While the brand continues to channel the minimalism of the mid nineties that made the line a household name one still feels as if Calvin Klein is a modern house. Perhaps it is simply the wave of nineties nostalgia that is overwhelmingly present in popular culture today but we feel like Calvin Klein has never been fresher. Please enjoy our video interview with Francisco Costa below.

There is something magical about seeing a collection come together. Our visit to Joanna Mastroianni's studio before Fashion Week made us feel exceptionally lucky as she dazzled us with her laser like focus and inspiration. But seeing the finished collection today was an even more rare privilege. The tiles she had shown us in our video tour manifested in garments fit for a princess from skirts to a hoodie cape.

Indeed, while her theme was more Moroccan this season we asked her before the show if she had ever been inspired by Byzantine princess Anna Comnena what with her emphasis on detailing, gold and noble craftsmanship. Her face lit up and she told us that yes rare and exceptional women throughout history have always inspired her with Anna at the top of her list. It was an esoteric inspiration thus we were pleased to find ourselves on the same wavelength as the brilliant Joanna. We like to think that Princess Anna just may be the patron saint of this royal line.

Each season Oscar De La Renta reiterates his love for powerful women. And each season we eat his message up with a spoon. There is something so touching about a man so steeped in the traditions of fashion being so progressive. But it is fashion that so often gives a woman the power to evolve into something new. And it takes a little bit of conservatism to give us the confidence to buck the system. The secret to Oscar De La Renta is simply knowing how to achieve a balance of the past and the present in order to create a better future. His optimism gives us hope that America's next season will be as vibrant as Oscar's.

The show started at 1:20pm on the dot. And while we hate reporting on the basics like color and silhouette what else can we really liveblog? Jessica Stam waltzed by in vivid purple. Otherwise the entire experience is one of grays, browns, and integrated metallics. Wide leg pants are making quite a few appearances as well. And of course the traditional full skirt. A live pianist Regina Spektor is singing "Den of Thieves." From our vantage point we can see Oscar watching the girls come out. Look closely!