With the Fall/Winter 2012-13 fashion week season in full swing, editors, bloggers and fashion fanatics are flocking to the international style meccas to catch a glimpse of what sartorial ventures are to come. As the who’s who of the fashion industry congregate in these major cities, designers and industry conglomerates have gone to new heights to grab the attention of onlookers. From lavish parties to humorous doodles to innovative e-commerce initiatives, there is no shortage of fascinating fashion week events happening this season. Here, we give you the rundown of what you shouldn’t miss during the Fall/Winter 2012-13 fashion week circuit.

Exclusive collections

In celebration of the four most important fashion weeks of the season,
Miu Miu has launched an exclusive and limited-edition collection of handbags. The lineup features an array of handmade, vintage-inspired box bags. Crafted from luxurious materials such as crocodile, ostrich and python and mixed with embroideries, brocade and linen, these handbags are drool-worthy—to say the least. The handbags are available at the Miu Miu flagship store in each of the major cities—New York, London, Paris and Milan—as of their respective first runway shows. With 46 bags and 17 different material combinations, the Prada brand is making specific handbag styles exclusively available in each of the fashion capitals.

The bags range in price from $1,495 to $2,795 and are sold with an ID card and mini booklet showing images of the complete collection.

Inspired doodles

Even from his sickbed, Alexsandro Palombo, the designer-turned-artist who is currently battling cancer, is making an impression on the fashion-week crowd. His newest venture, the
Humor Chic newspaper, captures his
eccentric aesthetic in expressive illustrations of industry celebs—yes, he drew Marc Jacobs sitting on a toilet! If you want to get your hands on one of these colourful drawings, keep an eye out for Palombo’s people handing out 1,000 copies of
Humor Chic outside select NYFW runway shows. Hint: They wear Anna Wintour-inspired masks.

If you can’t find the
Vogue editrix-dressed individuals, you can purchase a limited-edition T-shirt or his prints at humorchicart.com.

More fashion week events you shouldn’t miss on the next page…

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Historic soirees
Grand and full of history—much like fashion itself—the 2012 New Museum Triennial seems fitting as the backdrop to one of NYFW’s most lavish fêtes. Marking the unveiling of the museum’s “The Ungovernables” exhibit, which boasts artwork from 34 artists from around the world, the February 14th celebration will attract the New York art scene elite. (We bet this is a prime spot to snap some shots of style eccentrics!)

Joe Mimran, creator of Joe Fresh, will be hosting the VIP Preview and the opening reception set to launch the exhibit. With a glass of champagne in hand, you’ll want to mingle with editors, journalists and designers alike, admiring the style and beauty of your surroundings.

If you can’t make the opening ceremony, "The Ungovernables" exhibit will be open to the public from February 15 – April 22.

To-do Lyst
If you aren’t able to make it to the shows this season, don’t fret. Most designers have come full circle with digital initiatives and have been live-streaming their runway presentations. And they haven’t stopped there. For the first time ever, Marc Jacobs will not only be streaming his show, he will offer a pre-order option for users to “reserve” pieces from his collections way ahead of the retail season. Another great digital move is one done by a shopping site called Lyst. This social commerce site functions much like Pinterest, where users are able to add their most coveted designer pieces to their “lyst”. The best part? Once the pieces are available anywhere in the world, the site will notify them. Let the shopping frenzy begin!

Read more:
One to watch: 6 emerging fashion designers you need to know now

Celebrities and their favourite fashion designers

Celebrity style: The new fashion eccentrics