For John Bartlett, home is where the ready-to-wear is

Photo: Getty Images

Why bother trudging through midtown's muck and traffic to roll out your Spring 2009 collection at the Bryant Park tents when you can just do it in your living room? That's what John Bartlett was thinking when he decided to stage his eponymous line's show in his Greenwich Village duplex on September 4.

"In today's day when everything is so overhyped and overproduced, it's better to keep things smaller and personal where you can see the clothes," Bartlett told Fashion Week Daily. "With menswear, everyone knows each other and it can be kind of like a party."

Bartlett will spend the next few days readying both his collection and his home, which was designed by his partner John Esty. "I'm going to remove all the furniture, bringing in some lights and keeping things low tech," Bartlett said. But as is so often true, a little hard work now means a lot less later: "I love the idea of being able to wake up and not have to leave the house to do a show," he says. Which has us thinking if Bartlett keeps this up, and art truly does imitate life, we might have a fabulous Fall 2009 collection of chic footie pajamas to look forward to.

Stay tuned for more about this Out 100 alum -- we have an exclusive Q&A coming Thursday at Out.com.

-- NOAH MICHELSON