H&M

As the mags are now showing us all the goodies in store for Spring 2011, I thought what a good idea to reflect on what we have in store now. And with all the snowed-in fashionistas out there, it’s an ideal day to grab the hot chocolate, laptop and peruse away.

We’re starting our Top 5 list with The Affordables; a collection from the top chains and available to all via their online stores.

The White Lace Peter Pan Collar Sleevless Shift Dress
TopShop $80

Velvet Sleeveless Dress
Uniqlo, $49.90

Kimchi Blue French Dress
Urban Outfitters, $149

Twelve by Twelve Sleeveless Satin Sequin Trim Dress
Forever21, $34

Bright Red Dress AW10
H&M, $34.95

earthday4/22 Terra Plana
Eco-friendly shoes from Terra Plana are 15 percent off during the store’s Earth Day sale.
Place & Time: 254 Elizabeth St., nr. Houston St. (212-274-9000); Th (11–7).

4/22 Vintage Thrift
Stop by Vintage Thrift for a one-day shopping event featuring more than 100 new wedding gowns that are up to 90 percent off. The selection will also include over 300 vintage day and evening dresses spanning from the twenties to the eighties.
Place & Time: 286 Third Ave., nr. 22nd St. (212-871-0777); Th (5–8).

4/22–4/28 H&M
H&M will host clothing donation drive in honor of Earth Day named Clothes for Kids in all of its stores that carry the kids collection. Donations of gently worn clothing will be accepted and donated to the Boys and Girls Club across America. Customers who make a donation will receive a coupon for 20 percent off a future H&M purchase from the children’s collection. Various times & locations

4/24 eDressMe
eDressMe will host a one-day prom extravaganza sale. Shop dresses from Mori Lee, Jessica McClintock, Betsey Johnson, and more at sales up to 90 percent off.
Place & Time: 325 W. 38th St., nr. Eighth Ave.; 10–6.

Through 4/27 Maxx
Spring Handbag Sample Sale – one of a kind and new stock daily. Great for Mother’s Day and why not grab one for yourself?
Place & Time: 385 5th Ave at 36th St, 10th fl; Mon-Thu 10am-6pm, Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 11am-5pm

Have the inside scoop on an upcoming sale? Send your tip to info at newyorkdesigner dot com.

ilovenyWe’ve hit three pre-Fashion Week events in the past 8 hours and NYFW Sping/Summer 2010 doesn’t officially kick off until tomorrow. Oh, this is going to be a good week!

And of course, you all know Fashion’s Night Out also happens tomorrow. There isn’t a spot in NYC you’ll be able to walk without being handed a cocktail and asked to step inside to view the new line. Why can’t we have this every Thursday?

I normally despise cut & paste listings, but folks…this is NYC celebrating fashion. There are waaaay too many things going on tomorrow to fit nicely into an article sprinkled with fashionable wit. To those we clearly lifted from, you are duly credited and linked. Here goes…(we already need a nap)

In a global initiative to promote retail, restore consumer confidence, and celebrate fashion, U.S. and international editions of Vogue are coordinating evening extravaganzas in their respective world fashion capitals. (NYC, UK, Greece, Spain, India, Russia, France, Brazil, China, Japan, Germany and Taiwan)

The Best Picks from The NY Daily News
1. Want to model for a big-name designer at New York Fashion Week? Now’s your chance. Alice olivia is transforming their Park Ave. store (right next to Bryant Park) into a photo studio where hopefuls can stop by for a chance to model Stacey Bendet’s spring/summer fashions at her Saturday presentation. Aspiring models will be treated to hair, makeup and styling. The winner will be announced the next day on alice olivia’s Web site (aliceandolivia.com). 7-11 p.m.; 80 W. 40th St.

2. Join the hipster block party at Opening Ceremony. The Howard St. store will spill out onto the sidewalks, where designers Alexander Wang, Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte, Jack McCullough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler, and Scott Sternberg from Boy/Band of Outsiders will hawk their wares, made exclusively for Fashion’s Night Out, from the back of custom cars to match their esthetic. (Wang will be selling out of a black van, natch). Local food vendors will be on hand, and deejays will provide the soundtrack. 6 p.m.; 35 Howard St., at Crosby St.

3. Vogue devotees and new fans of Vogue creative director Grace Coddington (following her star turn in “The September Issue”) should flock to Prada, where Coddington will “tell an extraordinary visual story throughout the store.” 6 p.m.; 575 Broadway, at Prince St.

4. Shop Shipley and Halmos and get a workout in. The design duo have mapped out a bike tour of their major retailers after being inspired by NYC’s new and improved bike lines this summer. The tour takes shoppers/bikers from Pas de Deux in the East Village to the Barneys Co-Op in Chelsea, and finally to Bird in Williamsburg. 6-11 p.m., starting at Pas de Deux, 328 E. 11th St.

5. Nothing like shopping to work up an appetite. Some of the city’s yummiest spots – including Bar Stuzzichini, Bond St., Craftsteak and Megu New York – have teamed up with Fashion’s Night Out and American Express to offer free appetizers or dessert with the purchase of an entrée when you use your AmEx card. Just mention Fashion’s Night Out or Fashion Week. For a full list of participating restaurants, visit nycgo.com.

6. Get red-carpet-ready at H&M Herald Square. The cheap and chic mecca will have stylists on hand to perfect your look, and “America’s Next Top Model’s” Miss J. Alexander will provide personal runway lessons. When you’ve got your look and strut down pat, strike a pose for H&M’s paparazzi and you might just end up on their billboard in the Meatpacking District. 7-10 p.m., 47 W. 34th St., at Broadway.

7. Barneys becomes a fashion bazaar, featuring a star lineup of designers including Michelle Obama favorite Isabel Toledo, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, Alexander Wang and Narciso Rodriguez. Get crafty with a knitting lesson from Wool and the Gang, or participate in a sewing circle hosted by Alabama Chanin. Or, if you feel like moving those hips, salsa master Juan Carlos Obando will teach you how. And there’s more. For a full listing of Barneys’ Fashion’s Night Out events, visit Barneys.com. 6 p.m.; 660 Madison Ave., between 60th and 61st Sts.

8. Drop into any of Manhattan’s 10 Body Shops for a free makeover and free Hi-Shine Lip Treatment with purchases. Celebrity makeup artist Jim Crawford, from Bravo’s “Shear Genius,” will be giving makeovers at the Times Square location. 1568 Broadway (at Seventh Ave.) and nine other Body Shop locations in Manhattan.

9. Can’t get inside the tents? Take in BCBG Max Azria’s re-created runway show, a restaging just hours after the line’s Bryant Park show, at the BCBG Max Azria flagship Fifth Ave. boutique. If you want to look like the models, there will be stylists and a hair-and-makeup team on hand from 8 to 10 p.m. to give runway-quality looks to clients. Oh, and there’s a goody bag. Fifth Ave. at 40th St., just hours after the models have left the Bryant Park.

10. Get runway-ready hair while sipping Champagne at Bumble and Bumble uptown. The hair experts are offering free styling sessions from their newbie stylists. Pick a hairstyle from the fall runways, and the team at Bumble and Bumble will re-create it. E-mail fashionsnightout@bumbleandbumble.com to book an appointment or just stop by the salon. 6 p.m., 146 E. 56th St., at Lexington Ave.

And there’s more…

Celeb Action
Bergdorf at 7p.m: The Olsen twins are bartending and Victoria Beckham is signing T-shirts
Saks at 8pm: Justin Timberlake
Jeffrey at 9pm: Chace Crawford,followed by Hugh Jackman and Sean Avery at 10:30.

Music
5pm: “Hair” with Ms. Wintour at Macy’s Queens Center
6:30pm: Talbots (525 Madison) to hear Lynda Carter
8pm: Taylor Momsen’s band is scheduled to play on Bleecker St
9pm Barneys: Justin Bond with Rodarte
9pm Bergdorf: Isaac Mizrahi with a cabaret selection