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Nearly everyone that tunes into the Super Bowl welcomes the commercials. And without shame, we watch, discuss, and even cast our vote for the best. On the contrary, I sat in a movie theatre last week and watched the audience get increasingly agitated as a record seven commercials ran before the film; four people walked out, others yelled at the screen. At the RES film festival this year, where commercials from directors like Gondry and Glazer are applauded, the Scion spots inserted between the programs elicited boo's and laughter. And not because it was funny, but embarrassingly wrong. Will the brands that invade Fashion Week be welcomed, or suffer the same humiliation because the relationship seems, well....just awkward?

Fashion Week has visibly entered the sponsorship game, and an ongoing debate within the industry on whether or not it compromises the art and craft of the designer. Younger designers have argued that sponsorships can save them from financial ruin by underwriting the week; others contend that it negatively influences the clothing that's being presented. Are these relationships slapped together, or are they meaningful collaborations? You decide.

Meaningful or Meaningless?

New models of Kohler toilets priced at $2,890 inside the tents in Bryant Park. The press release: "Kohler Provides Attendees the Best Seat in the House at New York's Fashion Week."

Designer Peter Som and the Bermuda Department of Tourism; the arrangement calls for Som to include Bermuda shorts into his collection.

Richard Tyler and Delta airlines; he will include more looks of the uniforms that he designed for Delta than for his own label, Richard Tyler Couture.

Hewlett-Packard and Proenza Schouler; includes accessory designs like an evening bag for a digital camera by HP. The shows sponsored by HP must be staged outside of Bryant Park because it competes with title sponsor, Olympus.