Posted February 9th, 2007
FASHION WEEK DIARY
Fashion Week. It’s here. A thousand shows in nine days. Well , it seems like a thousand shows. Excited and horrified in equal measure. The designers, the publicists, the celebrities, the editors, the crashers, the models, the photographers, the FIT students, the security guards, the gawkers—a cast of thousands. Mood: Expectant.
DAY 1: Thursday, February 1
Did the Today show Thursday morning, talking about fashion for tweens, the age between 9 and 13 when girls are becoming baby fashionistas. As Meredith Viera pointed out, there are a lot more fashions available now for these kids. Baby Phat, H&M, Polo Ralph Lauren and Rocawear have cute, trendy looks that don’t turn a girl into a woman before her time.
The girls—future fashionistas Laura, Beckett, Kai, Iman , Kate and Pamela—were poised and stylish. Although I got four hours sleep the night before, I had so much fun with them. Had a moment to chat with Ann Curry about the fashion community’s initiative to help Darfur—a situation that she has been, thankfully, bringing into the light.
Went straight from the NBC studios into show week and made the mistake of wearing high heels—about 3 1/2 inches—all day. I never wear stilettos or anything close during show week. Running from show to show all over town, flats at least don’t leave you with foot pain worse than a toothache. I have visions of hip replacement surgery 20 years down the road. Too much time in high heels make you take leave of your senses. For instance, I called to see if a car was available to take me two blocks from the Elie Tahari presentation to the office.
I soon forgot about my feet while chatting with Elie about his women’s and men’s lines. Fabulous patent handbags including the “Rory” named for his wife. Trapeze dresses, fur trims, a cool anorak, and babydolls over leggings. Red. Burgundy, gray, mochas, teal. Sporty but luxurious.Very Mod for 2007 but not too retro.
Took cab uptown to meeting for big end of week show, Designers For Darfur, at Steve Madden showroom with designers and organizer Malcolm Harris.
Never been to the Madden showroom and for the first few minutes all I can think of is that he went to jail. Not a prejudice mind you—so many good people have been to or are in prison. But it was just a little weird.
Anyway, snap and I was over it! Madden is underwriting the show to help victims of the dreadful killing and terrorizing of millions in Darfur. I also saw Alexander Allen, one of the best stylists working today, and heard that he will be styling the show. I was thrilled.
A manicure and pedicure express with Dora, who gave me a free bottle of nail polish. Mental note to visit Dora again—quick, friendly and minimum chatter. What little she did say included that she visits Martha Stewart twice a week to do Martha’s nails. I wondered how my nails measured up to Martha’s, but I was afraid to ask such a question. Dora might have thought I was a reporter—wink.
Douglas Hannant makes clothes young socialites want to wear and there were plenty of them at his 8 p.m. show. Show almost an hour late so ran to get coffee with three other fashion friends. Two had just seen Laura Bush at a reception and thought the First Lady spoke eloquently about the dangers of dying from heart disease but looked nondescript in her signature red.
Nothing nondescript on Douglas’s runway. Loved the gold flapper dress with thousands of tiny gold beads, black beaded and embroidered frocks, gold mini, Fortuny-esque pleated gown, and combinations of delicate lace and velvet.
Had his own version of nipplegate with models’ breasts popping out of their fancy frocks.
The skinny model debate rages on this week. Everyone checking to see if they can see models’ ribs or clavicles.
DAY 2: Friday, February 2
How did Cynthia Rowley find the minutes to see a fashion show before she staged her own? Rowley, in a cute brown bubble coat dress, took time out to support good friend John Bartlett.
Rush backstage to congratulate John on his terrific show with patchwork theme in sophisticated monotone palettes. Red added frisson of life to somber gray and cable cricket sweaters.
Waiting to go backstage saw Wall Street Journal’s Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, who said WSJ will be blogging from the tents. With all this blogging I'm concerned that anyone will get to see any shows.
By the time I got backstage, John was already accepting congratulations. One major trend already worth noting: Air kissing versus cheek busses has increased considerably. Not sure why. But I much prefer cheek buss. And one is better than two, the European version. When you go to European shows you can double kiss your self silly. I’d rather not turn the other cheek.
John is to fashion what Meredith Viera was to the View. No, not a mother of three. But the smart, earthy one. So backstage there were plenty of sincere man hugs and congrats from respected fashion arbiters.
Spacing out—perhaps with the thought of watching 50 shows in the next few days—Simon Doonan (Barneys and VH1) bounced in with Queer Eye For the Straight Guy Carson Kressley.
Carson in high boots and just-stepped-out-of-the-salon hair had graced the front row at Douglas Hannant’s show the night before.
The shows have drawn Ashanti and Tim Gunn, whos office at Parsons School of Design is just a brisk walk from the Mercedes Benz fashion week tents. Tim, Project Runway’s stern den mother, has a new gig. He’ll still be on PR with Heidi but instead of being a dean at Parsons, he’s now creative director at Liz Claiborne.
A wave of PC nausea threatens to do me in at the Marc Bouwer show.
If going fur-free, wool-free and leather-free could be this beautiful more people would do it. However, I face a dilemma after watching Marc's show where every dress deserved an Oscar or at least deserved to be worn to the Oscars. The problem: How to go backstage to congratulate Marc in my screaming red fur jacket.
Before the show, a nice PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) representative trotted across the runway to chat with me. He handed me literature and a CD with Pamela Anderson on the cover. When the nice PETA guy turned his back I promptly threw the CD under chair because I’m not sure that Pam has anything to say that I'm interested in.
Turned full attention to runway and line sheet. Every designer has a sheet of paper or a little printed guide describing what you are seeing on the runway - fabrics, colors, shapes and sometimes the name of the model wearing the outfit are all included.
Saw Marc backstage. Gave a hug. Everything was fine. May have thought my screaming red jacket was fake or may have chosen to avoid confrontation. Not sure. Leave feeling relieved.
All photographs by James Hercule]]>
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