Front-row fashion-watchers tend to be in one season, out the next, but one woman is a fixture: Suzy Menkes. Anyone who’s been to a show has likely seen the International Herald Tribune’s critic, her bangs flipped into that signature top-roll, typing away on her mini computer (long before any blogger picked up on the trend, it should be noted). She’s written over 1.7 million words for the Trib, where she’s served as fashion editor since 1988. She’s both a tough critic and a nurturing presence—or, to put it more bluntly, as Kate Moss did when speaking to the New Yorker, she’s “like a slightly mad auntie.” During the upcoming menswear shows at Pitti Uomo, Menkes will be awarded the Fiorino d’Oro, an honor given by the Municipality of Florence to individuals who have greatly contributed to social and cultural development. For anyone in need of a primer on Menkesism, a few key moments in her rise and illustrious career:
—Menkes attended her fist couture show—Nina Ricci—while living in Paris and studying dressmaking during her gap year between high school and university.
—While at university, Menkes would sneak into the Paris show venues at 5 a.m. and hide under the stage until she could creep out and watch the collections walk down the runway.
—In 1991, during a Michael Kors show in an apparently derelict loft, a piece of the ceiling fell on Ms. Menkes’ head. The mishap caused her to deem New York fashion week “second rate.” But there was a silver lining—the incident caused New York’s designers to show their future collections in a single, less dilapidated, location—Bryant Park.
—In the nineties, Menkes prompted what was, perhaps, one of fashion journalism’s earliest open letters when she declared that the classic quilted Chanel bag was “over.” The house took out a full-page ad in the Tribune in protest.
—In 2007, perturbed by Marc Jacobs’ infamously tardy Spring 2008 show (it began two hours late), and unimpressed with his collection, Menkes wrote a review titled “Marc Jacobs Disappoints With a Freak Show.” Naturally, a fashion feud ensued. Jacobs eventually attempted to make amends by leaving a Marc Jacobs T-shirt on Menkes’ seat at that season’s Vuitton show. The shirt featured a drawing of the designer and critic side by side, as well as a “love note.” The note she may have appreciated; the gift, maybe not. She famously refuses all gifts, saying, “I was brought up to believe a girl should never accept anything but flowers and chocolates.”
—In 2012, Menkes reached her latest pinnacle: animation. Disney artists created a cartoon Suzy to sit front-row for the festivities surrounding the Barneys New York and Disney holiday windows.
—Katharine K. Zarrella
Photo:Dave M. Benett/Getty Images
Tank magazine’s fashion director, Caroline Issa, has always been on our list of chic industry girls. She has a clear, established personal style that doesn’t disappoint, so we weren’t surprised to see her looking incredibly fashion-forward at the shows last season. But it is worth mentioning that she always manages to mix what, for others, would be hard-to-wear separates, with ease. Here, she paired Burak Uyan fur boots with a bright, printed Mary Katrantzou T-shirt and body-hugging leather leggings. Recreate her look with pieces from Joseph, Rag & Bone, and more, below. 
‘Tis the season for post-holiday discounts. But while you’re shopping the sales in Midtown, or returning that sweater from Aunt Sally that didn’t quite tickle your fancy, we suggest taking a peek at Barneys’ new vintage boutique. Launched in November, the well-kept secret stocks hard-to-find items like vintage Birkin, Kelly, and Chanel bags and eighties and ninties gold jewelry from YSL (a giant Egyptian-style gold necklace was our pick), Chanel (like kitschy gold bag-shaped earrings, belts, and bracelets) and Givenchy (a pair of gold disk clip-ons was particularly appealing). Tucked away in a quiet corner on the Madison Avenue flagship’s main floor, Barneys’ treasure-trove of vintage wares is basically a nineties Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele shoot come to life (left). And there’s a healthy price range, too, starting around $250 for earrings and skyrocketing above $20k for a gently (or in some cases, never) used Hermès bag.
In the modeling biz, 2012 was the year of Tilda Lindstam. The Swedish stunner walked more Spring runways than any other model (68 in all, including hard-to-land turns at Calvin Klein, Versace, Céline, and Givenchy), and has been keeping the momentum up with key pre-fall bookings (Alexander Wang, Prabal Gurung), a spate of editorials, and confirmed spots in forthcoming ad campaigns for Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, and Valentino. Like Julia Nobis, who was the top catwalker in terms of stats the previous season, 20-year-old Lindstam can wear a couture gown with the ease of a sweatshirt. Meanwhile, her quirky-casual off-duty outfits—often a Lower East Side thrift-store mix—have captured the attentions of Tommy Ton and other street-style photogs. Chances are we’ll be seeing even more of Tilda at the Fall shows in February.
Fashion is shifting into another dimension—and it’s a holographic one. Following Burberry Prorsum’s hologram runway show in Beijing last April, we noticed some of our favorite designers turning out Space Age ready-to-wear and accessories that really attract the eye. Blumarine’s iridescent Fall 2012 collection and Proenza Schouler’s revamped PS11 bag come to mind. Stella McCartney also dabbled in futuristic finishes, using them on clutches, sandals, and tech cases. Below, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite pieces from Eddie Borgo, Chalayan, and more. 
