With half of the year behind us what have we learned?  Good design withstands the test of time in economic downturns and fashion design is no exception.  More emerging designers are stepping in and stepping up to take their turn as visionaries turning their ideas into material innovations.  We were fortunate to be able to take part in several fashion brand launches and meet a string of dedicated designers with that intense ‘eye of desire’.  The desire to be heard, seen and taken seriously as fashion players in their own right as they worked tirelessly to bring possibility into reality in an environment where truly only the strong survive.  Looking on with fascination from the outside, fashion design looks glamorous and it can be much later in the process but in the beginning not so much.  Like anything worth having dedication, hard work and a tinge of insanity are necessary.  These fashion warriors deserve our appreciation for the sheer fact that they made it happen one stitch at a time bringing to us emerging fashion with bold colors, alluring patterns, exotic textures, innovative fabrics such as milk, pine needles, wood, bamboo, corn, cork and recycled fire hose.  Without the emerging designer our fashion choices would be very selective and possibly boring.  They charge on continuing to open up new fashion inroads for all of us to travel every day creating billboard eye candy for our insatiable fashion sweet tooth to enjoy on the trip.   Our hearts and hand claps are for all the emerging designers in the trenches making it happen every day.  Keep up the amazing work we applaud you!