The snow has yet to melt, but the fashion industry is already looking toward fall 2010. From Feb. 11 through Feb. 18, New York City hosted their semiannual Fashion Week.

One of the major trends to watch out for is a huge return to the color black. Contrary to last season where big and bold colors were king, it appears that black
will once again be the new black.

Another emerging trend is the layering and mixture of different fabrics and textiles all in one outfit. This means that the combination of such fabrics as leathers, knits, and other kinds of separates are more than just appropriate, but also fashion savvy.A new trend that has been recycled from previous seasons is the tailored look for both men and women, but this time with a twist. For men, designers are avoiding the typical business and plain looking blazers and spicing them up by changing the trim shape and adding splashes of color. For women, the classic blazer is taking a sexier turn by appearing in both business and night on the town outfits, creating a look that is versatile and more revealing.

Many people find the shows of New York Fashion Week accessible only to the social elite, but there many ways to get past the faux exclusivity and experience the fashion hype firsthand.One of the most straightforward ways of scoring tickets is to e-mail the designer and ask if there are any available seats. Usually, seats are not reserved for outsiders but standing room tickets are sometimes available for free.

In some cases, those in the standing section are granted seating if there are unoccupied spots.

If one yearns for a more hands-on experience, many designers allow people to volunteer as dressers and assistants for their shows, but this must be done months prior to Fashion Week since they are highly coveted positions. Another way to watch Fashion Week is right from the comfort of home though the Internet. Designers such as Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, and Isaac Mizrahi have taken to the Web to stream their new collections live.