Friday (Double) Feature: Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and The Sartorialist

Who: Scott Schuman and the fashion world.

What: A book of photographs entitled The Sartorialist taken for Schuman's blog of the same name. It was officially released by Penguin on August 12th with a list price of $25.

Scott Schuman just wanted to take photographs of people on the street who looked great. His now famous blog ('the bellwether American site that turned photo blogging into an art form' - "New York Times") was an attempt to showcase the wonderful and varied sartorial tastes of real people - not only those of the fashion industry. The book is a beautiful anthology of Scott's favourite shots from around the world. They include photographs of well-known fashion figures as well as those shots of the anonymous passerby whose imagination and taste delight the viewer. From the streets of Rio to Bejing, Stockholm to Milan, these are the people that have inspired Scott and in turn, inspired designers and people of all ages, wages and nationalities with an interest in fashion. Intimately designed and created with Scott, the book is a handsome object in its own right, in full colour on hand-picked, quality paper.

And, I also want to feature the slew of fashion shows for designers big and small who are showcasing their Spring 2010 Ready to Wear Collections.

When: Book in stores now, Fashion shows run between yesterday, Sept. 10th, and next Thursday, September 17th.

Where: Bookstores and various tents and show spaces in NYC

Why: Because I'm fashion obsessed and equally enamored with Schuman's great blog. I was first introduced to his work via a gallery exhibit in D.C. Since then, I"ve been a devoted reader of his blog. Even if you aren't into fashion, you can still appreciate his work. His fantastic eye lends an artistic and thoughtful quality to his photos, making them more than simple pictures of well or interestingly dressed people. His work is not just about clothes but about details, statements, cultures, and society.

Shots from Schuman's book:

Check out Scott's blog for daily photos

Looks from some of the few collections shown thus far:

From left to right: Helmut Lang, Jenni Kayne

From left to right: Helmut Lang, BCBG Max Azria

From left to right: Jenni Kayne, BCBG

An early look at Libertine's collection:

For more info on Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, visit their site or check out Style.com's extensive coverage.