Badgley Mischka, who was scheduled for September 10, is citing a hectic period for the company as its reason for backing out. Two new stores (in undisclosed locations) are set to open. Badgley Mischka currently has one outpost in Beverly Hills. The designers are also swamped with the handbag and accessories production they've brought in-house.

This will be the first season in several years that the designer duo, which has been in business for 12 years, won't be participating in Fashion Week. They're allaying disappointment with promises to show next season though.

Richard Tyler hadn't committed to a date yet, and according to rep Julie Alvarez, the design house "just wants to take a break for a season." She told FWD that, "They're exhausted ... It's a lot of work to do a show, and there's a lot of other stuff going on."

Fashion Week's earlier dates this year (September 7-14), a hot topic of discussion at this week's CFDA meeting, didn't help matters. According to Alvarez, the Tyler team took a little extra time off to relax this summer, and it would be a push for them to be ready for the shows in time. "Any time the dates get moved up, it's hard for people to adjust," she explains. Alvarez also attests, however, that "Richard loves to do shows" and he'll be back next season.

Randolph Duke is another biggie who'll be a no-show next month. He didn't show in New York last season either, and appears to be focusing on his L.A. business.

Helmut Lang created quite a stir when he announced in June that he would be passing over New York and showing his spring collection in Paris. His first New York show, in March 1998, coincided with the shift of the New York collections to the front of the fashion calendar.