Fashion Week Part 1: The Wedding Guest, the Warrior, and the Well-Heeled

With Days 3, 4, and 5 over and out, I’m closing in Day 6 at the Ace Hotel taking a mini foot rest and a tea break in between the last set of parties tonight. What has struck me the hardest over the past few days are the all-white openers pervading throughout the shows. You saw that the other day right here. Boring….But leave it to Alexander Wang to take the white theme, and cut it up, slicing panels of fabric that literally hang onto sheer mesh. Mesmerized by suspended cloth, this Tron-like fabric was cut on the diagonal, creating out-of-this-world looks. When kindly asked to refrain from using “flash photography during the show, which includes cell phones” that sure was wishful thinking. Seconds after the lights dimmed, there were thousands of iPhones and Blackberry’s tweeting and Instagramming into internet space. The pre-finale came marching down the runway, the music died down, and the clothes started to GLOW. Seamless transition from all the overload of neon? Check. Look at The Sartorialist’s glow-in-the-dark finale. Wang is as IT as you can get in the fashion world right now. And the sandal boot hybrids and shiny baseball helmets? I’m crushing on those. So is everybody else.

Over on 17th Street, for a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of Fashion Qeek was Rachel Antonoff’s show which was transformed into a mini-wedding. Upon entering the grassy hedges, all the prim and proper dresses and shorts, mainly in red, white, and blue stripes were just plain fun. Whimsical, and quirky, Antonoff’s cute “I’m With Her” sweatshirts, and Bass jellies were the hit of the collection. The models posed among badminton sets and tennis rackets for the perfect Sunday afternoon. The best swag bag from the entire week? PB&J squares and lemonade. Rock on Rachel.

Over at Jill Stuart, another resounding theme throughout show week, lace, came in the form of a boudour-like Hollywood good girl/bad girl conflict. Jill who showed satin bra let tops and tap pants (continue doing those sit-ups for Spring) in a palette of champagne, black, and lipstick pink, still knows how to please her customer. She kept her line PG13, affordable, and utterly feminine.

Over at Mara Hoffman, we went straight on vacation to Hawaii interpreting the idea quite literally. Models came strutting down the runway with palm headpieces on top of their heads, and maxi gowns had fun motifs like colorful toucans and pineapples while a ukelele band played in the background. It might have been a bit kitschy,but those board shorts and hot-to-trot bikini? Get your surf board ready. Aloha!

My birthday weekend closed with a bang on Sunday evening, with Zac Posen, a perfect end a late summer hectic day. Held on an outdoor runway over on Avery Fisher Hall’s terrace, Posen wowed the audience with dramatic, sophisticated clothes. Zac went old-school with his signature fish-tail hems, sweetheart necklines, and floral dresses. Posen focused on gowns with a beautiful rainbow of color ranging from off-white and rose to green and berry. The star-studded front row was dressed to the nines and the model line-up was one for the books. Naomi Campbell, Karolina Kurkova, Alek Wek, and Hilary Rhoda all strutted their stuff. Le Sigh. The biggest Wow factor? When Coco Rocha closed the show in a stunning bridal-esque gown that left the audience dead. Heels were high, jewels were sparkly, and everyone had a good time singing along to Etta James. Except for the poor PR girl who got slapped across the face when an angry Editor didn’t get the seat she wanted. Fashion isn’t all that to get sued for a million bucks. I was just thrilled to attend. A Red Carpet moment? You bet.