After the hottest summer on record, civilization finally seems to be stirring. Our calendars are fully booked, which can only mean one thing: New York Fashion Week is about to begin. Here, five highlights we wouldn’t dare miss, in chronological order…

1. Kathy Grayson and the former Deitch Projects gang are infusing some arty fun into Fashion Week. The Hole gallery (and social nexus) will present Peggy Nolan’s debut collection on Wednesday, a favorite of performance-art band SSION. The presentation promises Gatorade, giant foam fingers, and lots of spandex—and if that’s not a party, we don’t know what is.

2. Even god needed a rest on the seventh day, but not Karl Lagerfeld. His whirlwind tour of the Big Apple will culminate with the relaunch of the Chanel boutique in Soho on Thursday. A star-packed, in-store cocktail party will be followed by a lavish private dinner. Need we say more?

3. Despite a partial defection to Paris, Tim Hamilton hasn’t forgotten his New York faithful. And on Friday, he’s got a lot to celebrate: his latest Redux collection, his new collaboration with Lacoste, and a new video by photography star Collier Schorr. But most enticingly, our favorite chanteuse, Kalup Linzy, will be putting on a special performance and DJ set, fresh off of her tour of Moscow.

4. Our friends at Seven New York are going luxe this season with a shindig at the new Soho Grand Club Room on Saturday. In a mass of black draping, their closest fans, designer friends and co-conspirators will celebrate the launch of their new house fashion label, SYN, and jewelry collaboration with Chris Habana.

5. Fashion Week winds down on the 16th, but for those still standing on the 17th, the New Museum will throw open its doors for the premiere issue of 00, a multimedia art book featuring contributions from the likes of Damir Doma and Gareth Pugh. The fete will be hosted by Terence Koh and Casey Spooner—which means you should expect your hangover to last well into Milan.