New York Fashion Week: Finding Inspiration

We all know that getting inspired is 90% of accomplishing anything. Who among us hasn't spent a few minutes (or hours) staring at a blank Word document, waiting for some clandestine idea to enter our brains, or had a minor, hysteric melt-down as the clock ticks ever closer to your deadline and writer's block still reigns supreme. Ok, maybe that last part is just me...Anyways, as New York Fashion Week rages on and designers amaze us yet again with their ability to churn out jaw-dropping, innovative collections every few months, I thought it might be motivational to see what a few designers cite as their sources of inspiration this season:

Suno designers, Erin Beatty and Max Osterweis were drawn to luxurious tapestries and dark, heavy brocades of medieval armor as well as sporty tech fabrics (seems like a strange combination, but given Suno's outstanding record I'm sure they made it work). Also, they used intricate seaming and varied proportions to create contrast.

Returning to the runway after a seven-year hiatus, Kenneth Cole found inspiration in the phrase "Urban Liberation." Pictured is a scan of one of his sketches from his Fall '13 collection. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks elbow-length gloves need to make a major comeback.

The urban landscape served as the basis for Joseph Altuzarra's creation vision for his Fall '13 collection. He tweeted this black and white photo to Style.com when asked for a preview of his contribution to New York's Fashion Week.

Scott Sternberg of Band of Outsiders cited "a strange and wonderful place in space where Billie Holiday and Atari meet" as the creative vision behind his collection and chose this blue painting as an embodiment of the radical interaction. 

Georgia O'Keeffe's art, philosophy, and humble approach to creativity inspired Ramon Martin and Ryan Lobo, the head designers of TOME.