WATCH: New York’s Fashion Week Cheat Sheet — Where to Eat, Sleep, Drink, and Hit the Scene

It’s that time of year again: Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, essentially back to school for the fashion industry, when New York City is filled with an overabundance of catwalk antics and champagne-fueled parties.

Street style during New York City’s fashion week (Photo: Getty Images)

Each September, the shows attract tastemakers from around the world, heading to the city’s hot spots while they’re in town. Like hemlines and heel heights, the fashion world’s favorite hotels, restaurants, and shops frequently change. Here’s a rundown of this season’s chicest places … all of which are, of course, worth checking out well after the last air kisses and gift bags have been doled out for the week.

The entrance to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Center (Photo: Getty Images)

For a taste of the action in the meantime, many fashion shows are simulcast online, and Fashion Rocks, the splashy event that merges style and music, is back, broadcast on CBS on Sept. 9. If you’re in the New York area, simply hanging out near the shows at Lincoln Center is an ideal way to get a feel of the action and possibly see a celebrity or two as well.

The Marlton hotel entrance (Photo: Baby Grand Hotels)

Where to Stay

There’s no shortage of style-centric hotels in New York City and, like the fashion shows, they’re peppered all over town. Smack in the center of Greenwich Village, the Marlton has become a chicster favorite since it opened last year, with its old-school Parisian feel and cozy restaurant. (The one thing it doesn’t offer is lots of space: just like a typical NYC apartment, the rooms are stylishly furnished but very small.)

The High Line Hotel, in the old Seminary building (Photo: The High Line Hotel/Facebook)

With so many fashion shows in West Chelsea (including Donna Karan, Vera Wang, and Thom Browne), properties in that area, like the grand, Gothic-feeling High Line Hotel and sleek, low-key Hôtel Americano, are especially popular this week. For proximity to the official home of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week — the huge tents that are mounted at the back of Lincoln Center — many out-of-town attendees opt to stay at the Mandarin Oriental, which has spectacular Central Park views, or at the Empire Hotel just across the street.

Cherche Midi restaurant (Photo: Cherche Midi/Facebook)

Where to Eat

Two of the city’s hottest new restaurants are recent openings from fashion world favorites: Cherche Midi, a French bistro from Keith McNally (the founder of places like Minetta Tavern and Pastis) and Bar Primi, the latest offering from Andrew Carmellini, the chef behind the Dutch and Locanda Verde. Although both will be crowded this week, many showgoers simply grab a green juice and some gluten-free snacks on the run from One Lucky Duck in Chelsea Market (across the street from Milk Studios, which hosts lots of shows) or Juice Generation, a couple blocks down from the Lincoln Center Tents.

Dishes at Bar Primi (Photo: Bar Primi)

When there’s more time to sit down, Cookshop, with its locally sourced comfort food, remains a Chelsea mainstay, as do downtown perennials like upscale Vietnamese Indochine and the vibrant French bistro Balthazar. (And yes, contrary to popular belief, the fashion world does like to eat!) Near the tents, the elegant cuisine at Bar Boulud — sort of the culinary equivalent of a French designer dress — is, for many, the restaurant of choice.

Commes Des Garçons at Dover Street Market. (Photo: Dover Street Market/Facebook)

Where to Shop

New York is, of course, a mecca for designer labels even when the shows aren’t happening. Although fashion editors do shop at department stores, many rely on more distinctive boutiques — like quirky but luxurious Dover Street Market, Opening Ceremony (which has a decidedly downtown edge), and SoHo’s sophisticated Kirna Zabete — for standout pieces with personality. SoHo is also a popular source for some of that world’s most beloved brands, like Alexander Wang, Isabel Marant, and the French line Carven.

Ina’s Bleecker Street store (Photo: Ina/Facebook)

But — as fashion insiders know — you don’t necessarily have to spend a fortune to look good, particularly in New York City. Ina, a minichain of designer resale shops, is where many in-the-know go for heavily discounted clothing and accessories; Soiffer Haskin, based near Penn Station, is one of several spaces in the city that host impressive (and impressively affordable) sample sales. You can thank the latter for one of this week’s most anticipated fashion events: the Alexander McQueen sample sale, starting Monday, Sept. 8. Unlike so much at Fashion Week, it’s open to all and invitation-free.

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