Refinery29 Dispatch: What To Look Forward To This Week

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In their first dispatch for Racked, Refinery29 kicks off their Fashion Week coverage with a quick rundown of the independent designers and runway shows on their radar.

Maybe it's the back-to-school buzz or the general blissed-out vibe from our collective summer sojourns, but the mood for Fashion Week this season is decidedly upbeat. Best of all, sandwiched between all the big-ticket Bryant Park productions are more must-see indie shows than ever.

Among the first-timers we can't wait for: the guys behind The Cast as well as British imports Poltock & Walsh and husband-and-wife team Preen. Now that Aussie Josh Goot is a bona fide New Yorker (he relocated here this summer), we're looking forward to his new collection, too. Of course, some regulars on the lineup still remain the most anticipated shows of all, including New Zealander Karen Walker, the duos behind Eventide and Vena Cava, Toronto wunderkind Jeremy Laing, menswear genius Robert Geller, and United Bamboo, who according to our sources, hosts a Fashion Week fete that's more than worth the hangover.

Above, a look from Karen Walker's Fall/Winter '07 show.