Mary Alice Stephenson wears a lot of hats!  Her Facebook followers are in the five figures, she is a media go-to for her red carpet commentating and heart-filled fashion segments, a world renown stylist who has styled for icons such as Avedon, Hiro, Demarchelier, Lindbergh and Richardson as well as serving as a brand ambassador and spokesperson for many Fortune 500 brands.   Oh, and we can’t forget to mention how cool it is that she and Barbie are talking fashion in her “dream” closet for BarbieWow.com next week, while still making time to be the national fashion ambassador for the Make a Wish Foundation.  She gives her time and love for fashion to many charitable organizations all while being a single mom.  She’s our new hero and we think soon to be yours, too!

As a fashion consultant, you get to do something different every day- which days are you favorite?

Every day is different and I love it that way!  It’s such a mix — from red carpet commentating to consulting behind the scenes for Fortune 500 companies, to creative directing, to styling editorial shoots with top photographers. Each week it’s high fashion to mass fashion, it keeps me happy to be in both worlds!  I can reach so many real women all over the world via social media, my followers love that they can get a look into the real world of fashion and learn how they can apply that glamour to their lives in a realistic way.  One day I’m shooting for a European Vogue, doing a fashion segment for the Nate Berkus show or styling a supermodel for Estee Lauder and the next day I could be helping real women get their glam on in a mall in middle America!

Who are young designers that we should be looking to for the future of fashion?

I just had lunch with the talented designers of Cushnie et Ochs, I try to support as many up and coming designers as possible.  I know how tough this business can be and how much support they need to make it.   I love Flora and Alexa from Ohne Titel, Juan Carlos Obando, Joseph Altruzara, Christian Cota, Suno, Frank Tell….  There is so much talent out there right now.  I try to shoot their clothes, or get them on the red carpet as well as talk about their clothes in the media to help get their point of view out to mass America.  The American public needs to know there are more options than just the big brands that can afford to advertise.  It’s still a struggle, for example, there were a wide range of luxury brands seen on the Golden Globe red carpet but where were Erdem, Prabal Gurung, Thakoon, Alexander Wang, Proenza Schouler?  I was happy to see Givenchy, Nina Ricci and Jason Wu, though —  so that is some progress!

For the rest of the interview, click on over to LOOKBOOKS.com!

The Fashion Fund, created by the CFDA and Vogue to aid young and emerging designers, includes a mentorship program and a cash prize. Altuzarra took home $300,000 while runners-up Pamela Love of Pamela Love Jewelry and Shane Gabier and Chris Peters of Creatures of the Wind walked away with $100,000 each.

Those that went home empty-handed were Suno’s Erin Beatty and Max Osterweis; Carlos Campos; Antonio Azzuolo of A.A. Antonio Azzuolo; Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs of Cushnie et Ochs; Ohne Titel’s Alexa Adams and Flora Gill; Fenton/Fallon’s Dana Lorenz, and Soraya Silchenstedt of Finn Jewelry.

This year’s selection committee included Vogue’s editrix-in-chic Anna Wintour, CFDA prez Diane von Furstenberg and CEO Steven Kolb, Theory‘s Andrew Rosen, Coach‘s Reed Krakoff, J. Crew‘s Jenna Lyons, and past Fund winners — Proenza Schouler‘s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. [WWD]

Reese will be rated on the below categories, five being the highest and 1 being the lowest.

What grade did Reese receive? Check out page two to find out.

is a cat. Duh.

goes varsity zombie band geek for the eve.

sent his regards, and his "sister" in his place.

is a demon cheetah? You know, it doesn't even matter, girl is at werq.

gives multiplying chills.

Calvin Klein's PYT Nick Gruber went rather minimal for his costume.

Hanuk Hanuk and Fenton Fallon designer Dana Lorenz got all wigged out and trashy at the Boom Boom room.

Chelsea Handler handles André Balazs colonially at the Boom Boom Room.

Cowabunga! It's the ladies of Cushnie et Ochs!

With tears of blood, Candice Swanepoel sucks in the life of the V Mag party.

Fashion has driven Richard Chai insane! At least Phillip Lim seems to have a fan at V Mag.

L'chaim to

stuns unibrowingly alien at the V Magazine party.

Then there's Heidi Klum with Seal at her party, as literal apes

Meanwhile, at Marc Jacobs' party in Massachusetts...

Marc Jacobs' business president Roberd Duffy has got his tux on for the occasion.

... someone does a really good Debbie Harry. Oh, my b, that IS Debbie Harry. Damn Marc, you're good.

Ruffian

VPL

Graeme Armour

Jeremy Laing

Richard Chai

Cushnie et Ochs

BCBG

Prabal Gurung

Milk is now represented by Creative Artists Agency and has brought on Lexus and American Express as sponsors in addition to original partner MAC Cosmetics.  This partnership has also gone through some changes and beginning this Fashion Week MAC & Milk shows will be under the name of Made.

Lincoln Center on the other hand has IMG, Mercedes-Benz and Maybelline, as well as AmEx with MAC also providing make-up for many a MBFW show.

While Made focuses on emerging designers and does not charge to rent their space — MAC is the exclusive make-up provider leaving models and music on the bill — Lincoln Center caters to more high-profile designers, who in addition to paying for the venue also have to dig deep for models, hair, music and makeup. And these are just a few of the differences:

Number of Shows:

Made – 35

MBFW – 98 (81 on-site, 17 off)

Sponsors:

Made – MAC, American Express and Lexus

MBFW - DHL, Maybelline New York, American Express, TRESemmé, W Hotels Worldwide, Fiber One Bars, ideeli, Fiji Water, AriZona Beverages

Designers:

Made - Sophie Theallet, Cushnie Et Ochs, Peter Som, Erin by Erin Fetherston, Billy Reid, Simon Spurr, Ohne Titel, Jeremy Scott, Nahm

MBFW - BCBG Max Azria, Tommy Hilfiger, Nicole Miller, Cynthia Rowley, Derek Lam, Tracy Reese, L.A.M.B., Diane von Furstenberg, Betsey Johnson, Tory Burch, Badgley Mischka, Vera Wang, Diesel, Michael Kors, Nanette Lepore, J.Mendel, Milly by Michelle Smith, Anna Sui, Elie Tahari

With Fashion Week just around the corner and all those sponsorship dollars, designer reputations and AmEx black cards floating around, the stage is set for a good ole-fashioned walk-off between Milk Studios and Lincoln Center. [WWD]

Photo: Styleite

Lake will be rated on the below categories, five being the highest and 1 being the lowest.

What grade did Lake receive? Check out page two to find out.

Anna Wintour and her flock of the fabulous have meticulously the selected 10 designers (and design duos) in the running for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award. Last year, Billy Reid took the top prize of $300,000, a year of mentorship and a bronze trophy. The two runners-up Prabal Gurung and Eddie Borgo each took home $100,000 and a year of mentoring. This year, the judges are Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler (who join the committee for the first time this year), Mark Holgate of Vogue, Jeffrey Kalinsky of Jeffrey and Nordstrom, Steven Kolb of the CFDA, Reed Krakoff of Coach, Jenna Lyons of J.Crew, Andrew Rosen of Theory, Diane von Furstenberg of the CFDA, and of course the Queen herself, Anna Wintour of Vogue.

See all the of nominees here:

A. A., Antonio Azzuolo

Anna will be rated on the below categories, five being the highest and 1 being the lowest.

Fit: 5

Appropriateness: 5

Trendiness: 5

Styling: 4

Shoes: 5

Hair: 5

Makeup: 5

Pose: 4

Confidence: 5

I am head-over-heels for Anna in this look. The very talented and sexy actress looks extremely chic in the edgy ensemble. Okay, who is ready for True Blood to return?

Cast member Anna Paquin poses at the premiere of "Scream 4" at the Grauman's Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California April 11, 2011. The movie opens in the U.S. on April 15. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT)

RODARTE

DONNA KARAN

RUFFIAN

CAROLINA HERRERA

MARC JACOBS

ALEXANDER WANG

DIANE VON FURSTENBERG

MICHAEL KORS

CUSHNIE ET OCHS

JASON WU

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The Cushnie et Ochs Fall ’09 collection has hit the runway! Offering pants, dresses, sweaters and a ton more, the collection doesn’t cease to offer a number of pieces for a variety of interests. Exploring bold and sophisticated works in blacks and whites, as well as creations painted in dazzling golds and silvers, the collection never fails to show that true spark.

GALLERY: Cushnie et Ochs, Fall 09

Strutting clean-cut silhouettes on the runway, models for Cushnie Et Ochs were able to revel in beauty of the label’s spring 09 collection. Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs have created the pieces for their newest collection with great precision. Envisioning a successful and confident woman, Carly and Michelle have amped up the sophistication for their newest ensembles. Sticking with a fairly basic color palette, designs from Cushnie Et Ochs are crafted to speak toward this sophisticated woman. Dresses, shirts, skirts, and pants outline the basic forms of the collections, all in a diverse range of style. The two designers weren’t afraid to add a splash of pink to some pieces, which gives the line a great sense of vibrant energy.