On Monday morning, men and women from across the country gathered along Fifth Avenue clutching tote and garment bags, waiting to show their crafts to buyers inside the tony department store. Lining up for Henri Bendel's Open See event, the 300-plus crowd - which once included unknowns like Anna Sui and Todd Oldham -- was there to find out if their jewelry, handbags or ready-to-wear pieces were of high enough caliber to be carried among heavy-hitters like Catherine Malandrino, Diane Von Furstenberg and Sophia Kokosalaki.

"Just the exposure [of selling at Bendel] would be amazing and it would help us take it to another level," said Nathaniel James about his eponymous line, which he designs with partner Todd Greer. And does he think his womenswear collection could fill a void at Bendel? "Oh yeah, definitely," James said confidently of his collection, which he deems "conservative with a twist. We're something new."

But inside the basement -- where more than 10 buyers from Bendel's accessories, ready-to-wear, designer and cosmetics departments were stationed -- the confidence that James and his competitors came in with was quickly diminishing. With only minutes to create a makeshift display case and present their product, many hopefuls muttered under their breath or walked away looking disappointed.

Over at the accessories booth, one designer showed her leather rose pendants to accessories buyer Heidi Cohen. "I think your items might be geared towards a little older customer," Cohen told the woman gently, "and because we're so young and trendy, we have to be just right." Despite Cohen's gently constructive criticism, the woman walked away crestfallen.

"It's hard to turn people away, but I know what works for the store. I'm looking for things that I might not have seen in Europe at the shows, or something unique that inspires me," Cohen told FWD. "Unfortunately I haven't seen anything like that yet today."

The twice-a-year New York event brings people from all over the country, and there are no restrictions or rules to show your wares; some roll in garment racks, while others pull T-shirt samples our of their totes. Started in the 1960s, the Open See event took a hiatus when the original Henri Bendel store on Park Avenue South moved uptown to its current location on 56th Street and Fifth Avenue. Thanks to the resurgence inspired by vice president and general manager Ed Burstell, the event started up again five years ago.

"Since we are a single store business, we can work with the designers individually," explains director of marketing Teril Turner. "Sometimes we buy whole collections and sometimes just one piece, but we always aim to please our customers because they come to Bendel looking for things they wouldn't find anywhere else. Our buyers have been with us forever, so they know what sells."

So while handbag designer Ayana Evans' line of clutches might not be considered because of what Cohen calls "an over-saturation in the handbag industry," innovative ready-to-wear lines like Alice Kim -- who just started designing her collection of silk camisoles and satin skirts this year -- seem like a sure fit with Bendel's penchant for ultra-feminine ready-to-wear lines. The buyers spent a long time with Kim and even took the rare step of taking photos of her collection.

House of Diehl, not exactly an unknown label since it's already showed during New York Fashion Week, also earned a very careful look from Bendel buyer Janet Kim, who told them she'd be in touch. "We need something new and fresh that would fit our store -- sexy, but not cheap," Kim said.

For the second year, Henri Bendel will also host an Open See in LA, this time holding the designer call at the Standard Hotel during LA Fashion Week. "It's great to go to California because there is a little bit of the West Coast vibe, but they have the same viewpoint of designers here in the East. It's like a translation of the Bendel's idea," Turner says.

And sitting patiently outside in the two waiting rooms set up, designer hopefuls sit nervously, like Broadway actors auditioning for the next big role. There are even a few pushes towards the front, and one older woman has to be asked to sit back down in her seat when it seems like she's cutting the line.