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SPIN’s Guide to Fashion Night Out 2012

Chairlift's Caroline Polachek / Photo by Matthew Eisman

Fashion’s Night Out takes over New York tonight, and it can be a little daunting to navigate the jam-packed streets of Soho. It’s best to stick to the music instead: at the MAC Store (506 Broadway), SPIN cover star Azealia Banks will be unveiling her new lipstick, Yung Rapunxel (a deep plum that’s neutral enough for a wide range of skin tones). Over at the Prada store (575 Broadway), Chairlift will be setting up at the foot of the Rem Koolhaus-designed slope for a sparkling performance among this season’s Mary Tyler Moore Show pantsuits. There’s also a lot of DJ action: Q-Tip and Nick Catchdubs take over Supra (4 Prince Street) while Questlove hits the Hoodie Shop (181 Orchard).

Of course, it’s a full week of afterparties, and as ever, the Alexander Wang show is the hottest ticket — rumors are mixed on the actual happenings, but his most recent stars include Azealia Banks, Diplo, A$AP Rocky, and your boy Penn Badgley aka Dan Humphrey, so do with that what you will. Another one we’re anticipating is Opening Ceremony’s 10-year anniversary extravaganza, which will celebrate/resurrect the best parties of the last decade, including Smiths night at Sway, Club Luxx (remember electroclash?), Ghe2o Goth1k (still going strong) and Misshapes. Meanwhile, Lady Gaga goes uptown to launch her all-black perfume at the Guggenheim, but we’re most anticipating the related film they’re showing by Steven Klein, the photographer and director whose innovative images are beautiful and always just a little bit creepy.

As for labels? Young, buzzed-about label Eckhaus Latta will show its second season on Friday, though we’re predicting (hoping?) this season is the one Tumblr aesthetic goes the way of the pager. We’ve got a hankering for cleaner lines and a continuation of this season’s menswear minimalism, as done so enviously well (and androgynously) by the likes of Patrik Ervell, Robert Geller, Hood by Air and, yes, the Olsen Twins, whose line The Row consistently drapes women in awesomely tailored, highly wearable but super avant silhouettes. (The oversized line of their resort 2013 had shades of Comme des Garcons for the girl with a dayjob, we wanted all of it.) However, you’ll never want for anything if you can just find yourself a good pattern, and Suno is the MVP on that end, most recently serving stripes and madras mixed up with a wild peony painter’s palette. Meanwhile, Creatures of the Wind’s take on downtown wacky has been hitting all the right spots (ankle socks and chancletas, you can do it). Those are some of our go-tos each season — the best of the rest? We’ll just have to see.