Telfar Clemens's name may be new to you, but the downtown darling has been steadily growing a cult following among the most influential of NYC's on-

This New York Fashion Week delivers 13 brands–with aesthetics ranging from avant-garde and edgy to classic and couture-inspired–being helmed (or co-helmed) by African American creatives. We are excited to see these individuals defying the odds many face as black designers in New York. Click through the slideshow to check them out.

For a split second I almost thought I was at New York Fashion Week. Backstage, top models like Georgie Badiel, Alek Wek and Oluchi Onweagba were getting beautified, while at front of house an army of street style photographers stalked the front row for candids of celebs and it-girls. Outside, copies of an all-African daily (suspiciously similar to The Daily Front Row) were being handed out to thousands of paying guests while the oversized tents, similar to those at Lincoln Center, were prepped for the influx. Yet as time went on, it became increasingly clear that this was definitely not New York. This was Arise Magazine Fashion Week in Lagos, Nigeria--and for all the similarities--it's a whole different ball game.

We've looked at the schedule for next week so many times, we practically have it memorized. So we've definitely noticed just how many young designers

There's a lot of hype surrounding the Beijing Summer Olympics of 2008, and here's some more: Opening Ceremony is kicking off a 72-hour long party at