Fashion for the fall at Style Week O.C. events

With etiquette experts imposing a post-Labor Day moratorium on white clothing, shoes and belts, fashion designers are stowing summer apparel and dressing the well-heeled in dark-colored fall pieces.

Linen? Out. Leather? In.

For 10 days, select Orange County retailers will showcase fall clothing trends to fashion enthusiasts at the seventh anniversary of Style Week OC.

Attendees may gather around to marvel at the latest ready-to-wear looks, couture designs and pre-fall runway shows featuring shops and department stores at Fashion Island, Irvine Spectrum Center and the Market Place.

“Style Week O.C. is a great way to showcase the talented designers we have right here in Southern California, in addition to all the exciting trends for fall from our collection of retailers,” said Stacie Ellis, senior director of marketing for Irvine Company Retail Properties, in a prepared statement.

Neiman Marcus kicked off the show Wednesday morning with a sneak peek of fall collections created by designers including Tom Ford, Stella McCartney and Jimmy Choo.

Wrapping up the week-long fashion celebration is “Project Runway” season two contestant and clothing designer Nick Verreos, who will return to host the Spectrum Collection Runway Show on Sept. 20 at Irvine Spectrum Center. During the show, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising students will present their resort-wear looks inspired by Celebrity Cruises’ exotic destinations. In a promotional video, Verreos said one of his favorite parts of the show is seeing the fashions under the Irvine Spectrum’s Ferris wheel, because it serves as the perfect backdrop.

“I’ve seen the evolution really turning into one of the premiere fashion weeks of the entire country,” he said.

Retailer events and runway shows will be free and open to the public for viewing. FIDM’s annual Fashion Museum Soiree on Saturday, themed “Fabulous!”, will be a private, ticketed benefit with a VIP reception area, refreshments and seating for the runway shows. The event benefits the FIDM Museum Fashion Council, which hopes to acquire the Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection. Tickets are $110 or $200. For information, call (949) 244-7977.

If You Go

Fashion Island Collection Runway Show: 7 p.m. Friday at Neiman Marcus-Bloomingdale’s Courtyard

Neiman Marcus Children’s Runway Show: 1 p.m. Saturday at Neiman Marcus-Bloomingdale’s Courtyard

FIDM’s Fashion Museum Soiree: 5 p.m. Saturday at Neiman-Marcus-Bloomingdale’s Courtyard

Fashion Island’s Evening of Glamour and Celebrity Cruises Design Competition: 7 p.m. Saturday at Neiman Marcus-Bloomingdale’s Courtyard

Street Scene Runway Show: 7 p.m. Sept. 19 at Irvine Spectrum Center

Spectrum Collection Runway Show: 5 p.m. Sept. 20 at Irvine Spectrum

Saturday Style in-store trend presentations: 2 to 4 p.m. Sept. 20 at the Market Place.

Information: styleweekoc.com