The CFDA held a ‘town hall’ meeting yesterday to talk about all the issues the fashion industry’s facing as we enter SS10 Fashion Week.

We like to think there was yelling and hand raising and a chalkboard and a gavel, but really it sounds like Diane von Furstenberg did her best to calm everyone’s nerves and focus on one problem at a time while Anna Wintour made silly statements like, “We have friends in the White House now,” while proposing something illegal.

The general consensus is that the root of the problem (aside from the obvious economic woes) is the customer’s confusion. And as anyone who’s ever worked in retail can attest, it is in fact baffling for most customers to face a fur coat in July and a bikini in January. Why would they buy it then when they can wait until it’s actually cold (or hot) outside and buy it for 70% less? The Pres repeatedly advocated shipping wear-now product, something Elie Tahari says he’s been doing very successfully.

The iPhone keeps on expanding. WWD reported this morning that Elie Tahari is launching a free application next month that allows users to see the entire Fall 2009 collection, as well as zoom in for detail shots.

Sounds a lot like Style.com, but there’s more to it. The app is buying-based, so it’ll show you the looks and guide you to places online where you can purchase them. It’s a smart move, as designers in the past year have become increasingly aware of catering to the consumer.

And while a woman could click through the looks on Style.com and admire them, she couldn’t go much further than that. This tool could (as the brand is undoubtedly banking on) bring in new customers.

We’ll be watching to see which companies - that we are more likely to frequent - follow suit. And may we suggest that they include a feature that alerts us as pieces start going on sale, and lets the app direct us to the best deals, too?

—AMANDA JEAN BOYLE

We are so excited for September.

While the official list won’t be released until August 17th, we just received a huge rundown of events for Fashion’s Night Out, the New York City fashion celebration this September 10th. Over 300 retailers in all five boroughs have already signed up to party from 6pm to 11pm. We’re a little overwhelmed by it…in a good way.

We already told you about Alex Wang at Barney’s. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Also at Barney’s? The Olsen twins (girl crush times two!), Jonathan Adler and Lisa Perry, on hand to teach you how to knit. After you learn, you can knit a square to be included in a blanket to be sold to benefit the September 11th Memorial Fund.