This weekend marks the beginning of the twice-yearly fashion migration from New York to London, Milan and Paris, as models strut the catwalks and editors and retailers clog the pavements during the women's ready-to-wear season. The careful style observer, however, knows it's not just what happens on the runways that matters. As each town gets turned into planet fashion for a week, propped up on stilettos and swathed in devore velvet, so sartorial inspiration and anecdotes are everywhere. Here are five things to keep an eye on.

PARTIES The biggest splash of New York fashion week will occur off-piste as Gucci inaugurates its largest flagship store - 45,000 sq ft on 5th Avenue - with a black-tie fundraiser for Malawi, co-hosted by Madonna (right) and held in specially erected tents in UN Plaza. The guest committee includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Demi Moore and Salma Hayek, guaranteeing the biggest star wattage of the week. With the Oscars still in doubt and people reluctant to flash the cash when everyone else is losing theirs, the bash may go down as the last great red carpet event of the early 21st century.