There's a catch, of course. You have to go to the spring 2010 Lela Rose trunk show at Vermillion in North Hills Tuesday or Wednesday. Then, you have to buy something from the show (read all about what in store for spring in today's Stylin' column). For every item you buy, you get entered into a drawing for two tickets to see the fall 2010 Lela Rose show at Bryant Park at New York Fashion Week in February.

Trust me when I say Lela Rose's Fashion Week shows are a delight. They never disappoint!

Appointments are encouraged for the trunk show. Call 919-787-9780.

Broughton High School grad Tiffany Koury returned to New York Fashion Week with a presentation of yet another glamorous collection full of pretty, sophisticated cocktail dresses and evening wear for spring. Check out a video of her latest runway show here. (Or see stills of the collection online at her Web site here.)

With all the long pearls, classic cuts and French music, the collection felt very Coco Chanel, although the theme was Alice in Wonderland. I really liked the green cocktail dress with the poufy sleeves. Here's another one (shown here) that was a stunner.

If you haven't seen it yet, here's the link to the N&O slideshow of some of the best pictures from last week's Fashion Week in New York City. As usual, Marc Jacobs and Marc by Marc Jacobs stole the show, but I really liked the pieces from Lela Rose and Thakoon.

A softer spirit for spring

Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Here's a great article from Fashionweekdaily.com on Ann Taylor's runway show at Fashion Week in New York that shows the retailer is getting a little sassier, sexier and spicier thanks to new designer Lisa Axelson.

The looks (in stores now) were more fashion-forward, but didn't stray too terribly far from AT's traditional and safe roots. (Have to admit, the last few times I've stopped in I liked what I saw. On one trip even took a dozen pieces into the dressing room to try on before a saleswoman brought me what turned out to be the perfect LBD for fall.)

And, the show even had a little celebrity action in the front row, including Joy Bryant, Katherine McPhee and Gretchen Mol.

Baby Phat shows are always one of my favorites at Fashion Week. Not because the clothes are all that (they're typically not) but it's just such a scene, from the front-celebs (Mary J. Blige, Britney Spears, Tyra Banks) to the models on the runway who don't mind breaking a few rules (cracking a smile, waving to someone in the audience).

Now you can see all the fun yourselves with this link to the video feed from the show this week in Times Square.

Normally you wouldn't find Narciso Rodriguez outside of stores like Bergdorf Goodman or Saks Fifth Avenue. And certainly not for under $350.

But soon you'll be able to find a lower-priced collection sold only at an eBay store, according to this Fashion Week report on Mediabistro.com.

Look for eight pieces early next year priced from $75 to $350, the article says. (And for those of you who've coveted some Narciso goodness, you know that's a steal.)

No worries about bidding. There'll be a "buy it now" option.

Here are a few sketches. Check out other sketches here.

Everything you've ever wanted to know about models (including when they change their hairstyles!) and modeling are part of this blog, modelinia.com. The Web site's all over Fashion Week, of course, and you can even find out what your favorite model (Lily, Chanel, Erin, Coco ...) is wearing after the shows.

There's also a video on how to walk in high heels, in case you're looking to make a career change, and a slideshow of model runway mishaps.

(Photo by Marcio Madeira at style.com)

It looks like Swaim Hutson took no time jumping into his new role as creative director at Generra.

Generra presented its spring collection over the weekend, and even though Hutson only started the job earlier this month, he already put his thumbprint all over the menwear collection. (He'll oversee women's wear next season.) It's a no-fuss look with plenty of soft hues and neutrals that are easy to mix and match.

Before taking the job at Generra, Hutson, who graduated from Durham's Northern High School and Appalachian State University, was best known for his Obedient Sons & Daughters clothing lines. The design house had to close earlier this year because of issues with investor funding. Which stinks because Hutson and his wife, who designed the lines together, were really getting a lot of good editorial.

Next time you're in the city, you can check out the clothes at the new Generra store at 823 Washington St.

I was happy to see Natalie Chanin was back at Fashion Week with her Alabama Chanin label.

Chanin, a graduate of N.C. State's College of Design, has built a successful fashion business making sure there's as little waste as possible, and keeping as many jobs as she can in her community. The garments are all sewn by women out of their homes in Alabama, and the fabrics are new, organic or recycled. Many are grown in the United States.

The spring collection is a little more tailored and a little less earthy and Bohemian (although there's still plenty of it) than I remembered from previous Alabama collections. The standouts really seem to be the coats, made with lots of rich textured fabrics

I love this one particular coat. I can only imagine the love and care that went into making it.

(Photo by Peter Stanglmayr / Courtesy of Alabama Chanin)