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Relax. Don’t freak out. Of course I followed New York fashion week to give you the Zavvi Notes (my version of Cliff’s notes) on the who, what, why and need to know of last week’s happenings. Since I don’t have to toe the industry line, I decided to do something a bit different and focus on….wearability!  After all, we are the consumers who will be buying the clothes, so it’s important for us to figure out how we are going to incorporate the 2011 trends into our everyday lives, right?

So, here’s what you need to know:

Marc, Marc, Marc…as in Jacobs, is probably the most prolific designer right now. He designs the Marc Jacobs collection, his diffusion line Marc by Marc Jacobs…and he is also creative director for Louis Vuitton. All of this means that his shows are the most coveted invite during fashion week and also makes him the designer with the biggest bulls-eye on his back. EVERYONE critiques Marc’s shows down to the tiniest detail. And get this, Marc’s runway set (seen above) garnered more media attention than some other designer’s collections. How’s that for domination?

Friends on the ground in New York told me that fashion bloggers are now comfortably ensconced as members of the fashion cognoscenti and they were everywhere!

As for the after-parties, I heard that the designers with the best see-and-be-seen crowds are always Alexander Wang and Marc Jacobs.

Probably the most under-reported story of fashion week was the fact that the price of commodities like cashmere, cotton, silk, and wool are going up, so the price of our clothing will probably rise by close to 10%.

Probably the most over-reported story of fashion week was the fact that Kanye West skipped the Grammys in L.A. to be in New York, but was absolutely mum with the media. People love to “disapprove” of Kanye (who had the best album of 2010, by the way), but then everyone always seems to want to be in his orbit. He didn’t say one word and still garnered tons of press.

And you know how much I love Michael Kors, so I was delighted that he presented a beautifully layered collection that was polished and, as always, All-American. Michael was also celebrating 30 years in the fashion industry and will be feted at the U.S. Ambassador’s residence in Paris during fashion week. Congratulations, Michael! Wishing you 30 more creative years!

Now, on to the fashion….

What did I see that I didn’t like? Two things. Gauchos and lots of fur.

Every person in my crew owns a fur coat, so I am outnumbered here, but I am happy that my girls will be able to pull their coats out of storage this Fall.

As for the gauchos, ladies, I know that we are all in agreement on this one…unless you have long legs and can afford to have your silhouette chopped off at the knees…the answer is…just say no.

What were the major beauty trends? Think sexy red lips and don’t worry about bad hair days because the chignon was huge.

The final verdict? The fashion set is describing the week as Americana. But I will break it all down in simple terms, so that we know what to buy, keep, store or toss when we do our Spring cleaning in a few weeks. Stay tuned.

Photo: Neilson Barnard for Getty via New York magazine

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