So I just got this email from Urban Outfitters announcing the grand opening of the retail chain's first Brooklyn location on March 13. The first 300 customers get Brooklyn-themed totes and 10 percent of the first week's sales go to BAM.

The message of the email is clear: Brooklyn is cool, therefore so is Urban Outfitters. Why, it's the home of Jay-Z, Coney Island, and the pixelated Mike Tyson from "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!" Also, the L train, which goes nowhere near Atlantic Avenue and Court Street. If only the Notorious B.I.G. were alive to see this glorious development.

Brooklyn already has an Urban Outfitters; it's called Brooklyn Industries. Anyway, here is Urban Outfitters' tribute to Brooklyn in possibly the least essential audio slide show ever.   

Name: Kathrin
Lives: Williamsburg (originally from Munich)
Occupation: Journalist, designer

Where are you working right now?
As a correspondent for German magazines. I'm also working on my own label, Kyline.

What kind of magazines do you work for?
Art, science, fashion, design, culture.

What cool fashion-related stuff have you worked on lately?
I interviewed Cory Kennedy, but I'm more interested in art than in fashion.

What did you think of her?
She was more mature than I expected. And a funny girl. But she is 17 years old.

Tell me about your outfit.
The pullover is from a designer friend from Paris, Ben Sherman. The shoes are from a fairytale. (FG: Where are they really from?) Shoe Market in Williamsburg. I was looking all spring for green pants, and I found them in the fall, on Spring Street. The label has a horrible name, it's called Rich and Skinny or something. The scarf is from Urban Outfitters.

Where do you like to shop?
I like to wear my friend's designs; Hui Hui, from Berlin. In summer, there's a great outdoor market on Berry Street. I love Urban Outfitters, the only problem is then everyone wears the same thing you do.

Nobody does feminine like Tracy Reese. Never too precious or dainty, her designs are both girly and mature, and bold without being flashy. Compared to past seasons, this collection was a little muted in terms of color, but was definitely still filled with statement pieces. Luckily for New Yorkers, her flagship store is located in the West Village.

What's a cheery theme to base your collection around? How about Fritz Lang's dystopian sci-fi flick "Metropolis" from 1927? It's got it all: German Expressionism, robots, class struggle.

What does this mean in terms of the collection? Lots of black, metallics and short wigs. Not that I didn't like it; I did, very much so. I loved the dark and dangerous tone to the collection. It was urban to the core, and I think the Russian Mr. Singer has a bright future ahead of him. You can find his collection at Linda Dresner.

Tyson Beckford likes what he sees.

"My favorite is Ms. Clinton because you have no real idea what she is wearing." Eat your heart out, Chris Matthews! [LA Times via WWD]

This is the biggest week for holiday parties, both at work and with friends, and ladies across the city are all wondering "What the heck am I going to wear?" With New York's diverse retail shops, you would think that dress shopping would be easy, but I'm sure wading through racks of ugly sequinned numbers or animal prints can be a bit overwhelming. My suggestion: Stay simple, pick something you can wear again, and accessorize your outfit with shimmery tights, belts and vintage jewelry.

This American Apparel Pencil Dress can be styled to your liking, and for a mere $34 it leaves you with enough money for some sexy shoes. Urban Outfitters has some great party dresses this season, but this $54 Lux Baby Doll Dress can be worn casual without the belt or with jeans, or more formal with a belt and tights.

I can't say more about how essential the little black dress is. This sequined number from Bebe will cost you $98 but you won't need much else besides some simple jewelry. Happy shopping and good luck out there!

Name: Ajiri
Lives: Brooklyn Heights (Soon leaving for Paris)
Occupation: Freelance fashion editor/Grad student

What fashion magazines have you written for? I just wrote a piece on skirts for New York Look magazine.

Only a few people can pull off shorts in the winter. Tell me about your outfit? The shorts are Alberta Ferritti, the sweater is from Givenchy, the tights are from American Apparel, and the shoes are Dolce Vita.

What are some of your favorite shops? Anywhere that carries Thakoon, Dries Van Noten, Balenciaga and Lanvin, but for vintage jewerly j'adore the vintage shop Legacy in Soho.

Do you have any favorite NYC restaurants? The French restaurant, Le Bilboquet, is wonderful!

When you think about booties it may conjure up the little knitted numbers Aunt Suzy made for you before you could spit out the words "fashion faux pas" or maybe those old house slippers gathering dustballs underneath your bed. Withhold the "fashion don't" for just a sec, because I'm talking about the booties with the dreamy heel and leather detailing minus the Minnetonka fringe (no offense to our hippie contingent) and Ugg label. You've probably heard them called ankle boots, but isn't bootie a better word? Check out my favorite booties for the season and be sure to pick up those cutesy lace Shirley Temple ankle socks to go with them. (BCB Girls $133.95, Frye Boots $251.95, Miss Sixty $253.95 and Lumiani $219.95)

(Photos Courtesy Zappos Shoes)

As the leaves and outdoor seating disappear from the city, it's time to face a hard truth--you are going to be wearing a winter coat every day for the next three or four months. You don't have to settle for the same generic pea coat seen all over the streets of Midtown. This Mala Brajkovic coat (above) from Elizabeth Charles has a fun, feminine look to it, just one of many attractive coats from Aussie or Kiwi designers at this West Village boutique.

Some other good options? A.P.C. is a great place for chic, alpaca fur-trimmed coats for men and women, while Tokio7's consignment collection means big-name designers for low prices. Check out all of our winter coat suggestions in our "Winter Wear" feature.

I know we're all bummed that Philip Lim didn't win the CFDA award this year. Lim, along with Vena Cava, Erin Fetherson and Threeasfour, were included as some of the favorites among New York designers, but who would have guessed that the underdog Gregory Rogan, who specializes in eco-conscious clothing, would take the $200,000 prize? Rogan (who has a store in Tribeca) owns three lines and maintains that looking good is just as important as being ecologically minded. While some blogs are shocked that Rogan won (see Papermag's rant), I think Vogue and CFDA's choice is huge and sends out a message to the consumer that eco-conscious clothing is inevitably the smart and trendy thing to do in fashion. Now, only if they can figure out how to make organic cotton cheaper everyone could be eco-chic!

(Photos Courtesy of Rogan)