As Fashion Week gets underway, Hazel Clark, a professor in the MA Fashion Studies Program and research chair of Fashion at Parsons The New School for Design and the co-author of The Fabric of Cultures: Fashion, Identity, and Globalization  (Routledge, 2008) kicks off the February series on New York's place in the global fashion picture.

Tell us the story of the most recent article of clothing you've purchased --

New York singer-songwriter Sophie Auster performs songs from her new EP, Red Weather.

Brooklyn-based journalist Elizabeth Cline discusses her new book, Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion—a look at the downside of inexpensive clothing.

Since Air Jordans debuted in 1985, the sneaker industry has been dominated by basketball's biggest stars. But how have shoes risen to this level of prominence? And where does fashion intersect with sports, race, and class?

In the 1970s, hot pants were hot -- until they were not. We get to the bottom of the matter, with a playlist.

Brooklyn-based journalist Elizabeth Cline discusses her new book, Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion—a look at the downside of inexpensive clothing.

→ Event: Reading and conversation with Elizabeth Cline, hosted by Alison Feldmann of Etsy.com | Thursday, June 21, 7pm | Powerhouse Arena, Brooklyn

Hairstylist Vidal Sassoon, who undid the beehive with his wash-and-wear cuts and went on to become an international name in hair care, died Wednesday. He was 84.

On Monday night, stars made their way up the Metropolitan Museum's red-carpeted stairs to attend the Costume Institute's annual gala. The theme for this year's benefit and exhibit was, "Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations."

In her cramped, yet colorful, SoHo boutique, simply called The Hat Shop, proprietor Linda Pagan predicts one of her hats will win The Kentucky Derby.

Vogue magazine, perhaps the world's top arbiter of style, is making a statement about its own models: Too young and too thin is no longer in.

Israel passed a law earlier this week that bans local advertisers from using overly thin models in their campaigns. It also requires publications to disclose when images are altered or photoshopped to make models appear thinner. The law's supporters hope it will promote healthier eating habits among models and stop glamorizing extreme thinness among the general population.

A new organization called the Model Alliance has formed to fight for the rights of a group that is young, largely female and non-unionized: models.

Earlier this year we looked at the natural fibers wool and silk, and this week we’re talking about polyester and other synthetics! Polyester is used in carpeting, building materials, and clothing. Sean Cormier, assistant professor in the Textile Design and Marketing Department at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and Jill Dumain, Director of Environmental Strategy at Patagonia, explain how polyester and other synthetics are made and how they’re used.

This Friday is all about the 11s. The date — 11/11/11 — bears special significance for gamblers, newlyweds, math nerds, and of course, our troops. But the palindrome has also found a major following among fans of corduroy.

All month we’ve been talking about innovation — speaking to innovative people and discussing innovative ideas. Now we hear from  a woman who has designed a product for diabetics that not only solves a problem but is changing attitudes too. Jessica Floeh is the creator of Hanky Pancreas, a line of insulin pump accessories — scarves, neck pieces and other decorative items — that make the functional medical device fashionable.

Retail giant Wal-Mart announced plans to move its New York City apparel office to Bentonville, Arkansas, where the company's headquarters is located.

Some enticing advertisements for shoes by Reebok have been circulating, promising "up to 28 percent more of a work out for your butt, up to 11 percent more for your hamstrings and calves." It sounds like a lot to expect from a simple shoe, and the Justice Department is saying it's worse than just an exaggeration — the company is making false claims, and should reward disappointed customers with refunds, which could add up to $25 million.

This summer, Alexander McQueen's Savage Beauty exhibition at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art drew in over half a million visitors, making it the most viewed fashion exhibition in the museum's history.  It was also one of the hardest exhibits to get into — I personally made four unsuccessful trips to the Met. But a recent Twitter campaign may help the show go global. ...

After Fashion Week cancelled Gulnara Karimova's show, there's word that the oldest daughter of the controversial leader of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, will relocate the catwalk to Cipriani restaurant. Activists plan to gather there on Thursday to protest Uzbek policies on child labor in the cotton industry.