Hard Times

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New York Times fashion critic Eric Wilson thinks the age of the young designer "may be coming to an end." Many small designers are struggling to survive, as the stores that ordered their clothing are shuttering and their financial backers are pulling out. "You could sense the dread at a meeting last month between show producers and newspaper reporters to discuss the recession’s impact on Fashion Week, when Paul Wilmot, a leading industry publicist, said, 'We need to come up with talking points!' He already knows the question: Who can afford these clothes?" [NYT]