What happens when you get Isaac Mizrahi, an Olsen twin, editor-in-chief of Glamour magazine, and a cleverly sharp

, Pulitzer-Prize winning fashion journalist together in one room? You get some of the most brilliant minds in fashion today giving their insights on the world and the future of this fascinating field.

In a 90 minute panel discussion orchestrated by Cindi Lieve of Glamour magazine, the floor was opened up to a variety of topics ranging from the comeback of the first lady to what fashion holds for our society in the years to come. The event, The Future of Fashion, took place at the NYC 92nd Street Y on Oct. 21st and cost audience members only $27 to attend, a small price to pay to get up close and personal with such famous names in the world of style.

Ashley Olsen, the youngest of the group, came decked out in a Grecian style floor-length gown, black fitted blazer and red-hot platform heels, looking very much the epitome of boho-chic meets NYC. She discussed her two clothing lines created with sister, Mary-Kate, The Row and Elizabeth & James (the latter named after the twins’ own siblings). Though they differ slightly in their styles, The Row is more couture while Elizabeth and James offers more of a trendy, edgy feel, their sales are expected to go up to 30% this year alone.

Funny enough, she claims her start in fashion came from a conversation she had with her father, where she relayed to him her desperate search for the “perfect white shirt” to no avail. His fatherly response was to simply make and market her own and a fashion line was born, but don’t expect to find Ashley among the other celebrity starlets who “slap their name” on a clothing brand to enhance their popularity. The Row is comprised of 9 people in total with Elizabeth and James not far behind with only 30 employees! Ashley has taken a hands-on approach to both lines and says that this new role in fashion is one she is excited to live out. This young designer is a future force to be reckoned with and also garnered much praise from the other speakers.

Robin Givhan is a fashion editor for the Washington Post, as well as a Pulitzer Prize winner for her caliber of stylistic criticism which shines through in her journalism. It’s her sharp tongue and wit that set her apart from the cookie-cutter style of writers today. She is, in one word, delightfully cynical in the best sense possible.

One crowd-pleasing moment came when she compared the mentality of fashion to that of sports when driving home her point of why some people (mostly the male population) feel that the art of couture is not as readily accepted as say, thousand dollar prime seats to a football game. Never one to shy away from controversial topics she even commented on how sad it was that much of the culture is still not ready to see fashion as an art-form, or how the recent weight obsession might be the result of a society of women who are “reacting in opposition”, or self-loathing as obesity sets our generation into a further downward spiral.

Isaac Mizrahi is no stranger to the world of fashion. He has not only hosted Bravo’s ‘The Fashion Show’, created an incredibly successful line for Target and attached his name to Liz Claiborne’s, but now he’s working on a new endeavor with QVC that involves cook ware as well.

One extraordinary characteristic about Isaac is the fact that he is always willing to push the envelope and reinvent himself as well as his style. His latest projects with Liz Claiborne and now QVC only prove to set new ground yet to be conquered in the arena of fashion. When most designers would shy away, Isaac welcomes the challenge head-on, whole-heartedly and without a second guess.

Thoughts on Michelle Obama…

One thing that everyone had in common was a great admiration for the First Lady. Every single person on the panel felt that Michelle Obama had changed the face of fashion in one way or another. She has favorably altered the image of the archetypal “First Lady”, in her drab uniforms so as not to outshine her husband. Through her style and her grace, she has become an inspiration for women everywhere and Mizrahi also commented on her ability to mix “high end and low end” pieces to create a perfectly balanced palette. She is dressing for the everyday woman and in doing so, has made herself extremely relatable to the American public. She is not stick thin, she doesn’t wear the standard “first wife” uniform or usual drab business suits, she has fun with her looks and plays with fashion the way a woman should.

The Cultural Conundrum on Skinny…

When the issue of the shrinking model came up, Robin brought forth the fact that in this day and age, the ideal of the perfect size gets smaller and smaller as the average woman gets larger and larger, even offering that this might be the cause of women’s own self-loathing in a world where thin is in. However, despite the recent downsizing in runway models and print ads featuring less than normal body images, Isaac was firm on the fact that, in reality, all of this hasn’t stopped the public from buying what these models are selling. In a society where the masses love reality shows like ‘The Biggest Loser’ and ‘Celebrity Fat Club’ it’s becoming easier to see that it’s not only the fashion world who is obsessed with this thin subculture.

When High-end & Low-end meet in the middle…

The recent dip in the economy has no doubt affected fashionistas all over but even the top designers can give a little advice when it comes to cutting corners. When it comes to shopping on a budget, Ashley swears by buying vintage to get the best deals for a low bargain price. Even Isaac said the chicest of ensembles can be made by mixing couture with inexpensive pieces for an unexpected twist and Robin stated that there are numerous magazines, Glamour being one of them that are presenting readers with more affordable choices when it comes to style, make-up and clothing options and has so far proven to be helpful.

The Inevitable Future of Fashion…

When asked what the future of fashion holds, there was a momentary pause from all the panelists. Robin said that she felt it would be “more democratic”, Isaac meditatively suggested that more mini-trends and fashion subcultures will result in the upcoming years, and Ashley, after much contemplation followed with “it will be more fun and exciting!”

And at the end of the day isn’t that exactly what fashion should be?

What was so refreshing about this entire evening was how laid back and at ease the discussions were structured. It was if we as audience were merely flies on the wall, simply catching a glimpse of these creative minds freely verbalizing over a cup of coffee.