TWISTED KNICKERS

We’re approximately 48 hours away from Michael Angel kicking off the SS09 shows in Bryant Park. This is where nearly 100 designer collections show for eight days, beginning at 9am Friday as part of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.

In addition to the MB shows, there are loads of venues around town showcasing talented designers who may not have the resources to be involved in the fashion circus that is ‘the tents’. Over the years, various organizations who focus on emerging designers have come & gone. This is very sad to us because those are the shows we especially love! There are still plenty, you just have to do a bit of research to find them.

A few group shows that are a bit more intimate than the Bryant Park shows (and likely easier to score a ticket)…

STYLE360, presented by LIVEStyle Entertainment and HFM U.S., will showcase six designers and two cutting-edge stores — Dash and Caravan — representing the East and West coasts at the Metropolitan Pavilion from Sept. 7-10. Nigel Barker, Russell Simmons, Khloe Kardashian and Taryn Manning are among confirmed celebrity guests.

The 14th annual Gen Art “Fresh Faces in Fashion” show, presented by BlackBerry and T-Mobile, is Thursday at the Manhattan Center. The lineup features emerging womenswear brands JF & Son, Ideeen, Sariah, Lialia, Richard Ruiz and Chree; menswear designers Hyden Yoo and Philip Sparks; and accessories designers Antoinette Lee Designs, Deka Ray, Heutchy and TNC Studio.

Fashion Indie Week Brooklyn upped the ante of its annual presentation by incorporating 6,000 feet of “runway” space on the Brooklyn Bridge for its “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” show. The show runs through 9/10.

Nolcha Fashion Week presenters will showcase more than 50 emerging American and international designers Sept. 8-12 at the Prince George ballroom in Manhattan. Coca Cola and the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce are among sponsors of the event, which includes “Profile NY,” a Sept. 11 show featuring new looks by 35 designers from the United Kingdom.

The “Project Runway” show will be taped the morning of Sept. 12. Malan Breton and Zulema Griffin will continue their streaks of Fashion Week presentations since competing on the show, Breton on Sept. 11 at the tents and Griffin at 9 a.m. Thursday online on YouTube (key words Zulema Spring ‘09).