As I sat in the Promenade tent at Bryant Park waiting for the PORTS show to start, I realized how completely exhausted I was from all that’s involved with Fashion Week. It seems very glamourous on the outside, but it’s a lot of waiting around, dealing with pushy people, and being scrappy to get what you want. I kept thinking ” I just want this show to be over, so I can go home”. Until … the lights went down, and an Indian marching band started to play. I was immediately whisked away from this crowded tent to a beautiful place in India. With each silk sari that walked down the runway I felt farther and farther away. You could practically smell the sandalwood, and patchouli in the air. There was everything from glistening neutrals to bold colors. We saw earth tone prints that led into ornate brocades. The pieces were regal, and sophisticated. I was there, in the collection, wanting almost every piece. It was the most relatable collection I’ve seen so far. There were pieces for every woman. It was Glamour, elegance, sensual, and alluring. So, who wants to go to India with me? I know what I’m wearing!

Last night, The Style Coalition co-organized an event that brought Fashion and Social Media together. We wanted to see exactly what would happen if we mingled Tech-Geeks with the Fabulous Fashion World. Well…It was MAGIC! Ideas were shared, cards were exchanged, and alliances were made. The evening was a success!
This particular event centered around emerging fashion designers showcasing their creations for leading fashion bloggers, tech and online media influencers. As a co-founder of Style Coalition, it’s our mission “to get designers, trendsetters, tastemakers and other in the business of fashion to respect that independent writers, bloggers and journalists are indeed influential and will continue to have a heavy hand in shaping the trends, purchases and ultimately, success, of fashion brands”.

I was thrilled to wear an outfit by one of the presenting designers – Gilles Montezin. As always, he is lovely to work with! As you can see from the pictures, the dress was beautifully beaded, and had implicit detail. I felt like Audrey Hepurn, purely elegant. Arriving back to the Bryant Park hotel at midnight, I still wasn’t ready to take the dress off! That… is a sign of a GREAT DRESS!
As I sat on our ridiculously comfortable hotel bed, enjoying a Turkey Club from room service, I thought about all the incredible people I had a chance to talk with. Most were entrepreneurs who were risking a lot by following their passion, and were more than willing to help another find success in their own venture. There’s a special bond between entrepreneurs, one that simply doesn’t exist in so many other areas of business. Cheers to all who figure out how to create a business out of something they LOVE doing!

The Designers at the event:
Gilles Montezin Gilles Montezin
Rebecca Minkoff Rebecca Minkoff
Sylvia Heisel Sylvia Heisel
June Webers The June Collection
Kathlin Argiro Kathlin Argiro
Anna Lucid Lucid New York
Tamara Pogosian Tamara Pogosian
Brooklyn Royalty by Bob Bland Brooklyn Royalty
Papusza Couture by Kaytee Papusza Papusza Couture
KRELwear by Karelle Levy KRELwear

Carlos Miele is one of my favorite collections of the week. The pieces were rich, graceful, and feminine. The collection was filled with deep color, bright color, black and beyond. In a word… Dreamy! These are the creations I long to wear, and would certainly invest money in.

Apparently, times are so tough that designers are having us dress the part. Bag-Lady Chic? I’m having a hard time understanding what happened to this collection. It seems confused, without direction. I might be able to work with one piece at a time, but not all at once. What do you think? Do you find comfort in the “anything goes” feel of this collection? Or does it leaving you wondering what to do next?

Day 2:
Today I’m attending the ADAM Lippes show, and hoping to get into the BARBIE Runway show. Since it’s going to be a short day, I decided to bring my niece Grace. She is fabulous – in – training!

My Outfit:
Black skinny jeans, crisp white shirt with ruffle detail, bright blue cardigan, Chanel pearls, Wedge boots, and Gilles Montezin Coat.

Grace’s outfit:
Juicy Couture peacoat, Splendid dress, opaque tights, bright pink scarf, and plaid ballet flats.

Note: I was really pleased with how age-appropriate Gracie was dressed. She’s 12 years old, and her outfit was perfect. We saw a few little girls that were wearing high-heels, and a ton of make-up. It was creepy! Grace maintained sweet innocence with a touch of Manhattan edge. It’s exactly what we want to see on a pre-teen fashion forward young lady!

So far, New York Fashion Week is made up of extremes. We’re seeing feminine, flirty, brilliant color on one hand. Dark, edgy, and harsh on the other hand. I have yet to see any textures that you would expect to see for Fall. There hasn’t been a lot of tweed, or earthy textures. I’m waiting to see the Diane Von Furstenberg show, she usually gives us some version of what we’re comfortable with. What do you think so far? Are you for the edgy, or the flirty?

Last night, I attended the inaugural “It” Designer contest put on by Yuli Ziv of MyItThings, held at Lotus Space in Manhattan. I always have high hopes when I go to see new designers, and this event did not disappoint. I think everyone in the style and fashion industry loves to see a new, fresh approach to fashion. The beauty is that the younger designers still believe in the craft, and haven’t sold out yet. Their designs are based on their creativity and vision, and not necessarily on pleasing the mainstream. Honestly, I’m so tired of mainstream. I want more creativity, and originality in designs. Lately, I walk through stores and I’m so painfully bored. I suppose it has something to do with our economy, but it’s sad to see no one taking any risks. Now, more than ever, I want to buy a piece that has character, not a piece that every Tom, Dick, and Harry has. For now, I suppose I will have to stick to creating unique looks on my own – mixing it up a bit. Congrats to Wakana Koike on a great collection, and to Yuli for putting on an awesome event.

We also had the chance to catch up with great friends in the online fashion community. Pamela Pekerman, and her sister Michelle Finkelshteyn of Bag Trends (looking fabulous on the bottom left picture above). We were able to meet Anna Sabino, the jewelry designer who runs Lucid New York, after many Tweets back and forth! Designer Kathlin Argiro (on the right with the pink bag on her shoulder) took in the show. And last, but certainly not least, our fav girls from the best Indie fashion site around Smashing Darling, Trish Ginter and Mo Puia.

Once the people have gone home, and the tents are taken down, what are we left with? When its all said and done, how do we interpret the impact of Fashion Week? Basically, the shows are an indication of where we are headed as far as trends and style go. This year the message was clear, it’s a return to flowing feminine style. Each collection had a fluid element that danced down the runway. The pieces grazed the body, making it mysterious and quite sensual. The skin-tight, super fitted look was missing from the collections with exception of Herve Leger. We also took notice of the shoes throughout the week, and they did not disappoint! This summer’s hit, the gladiator, will return for Spring 2009. The difference: it will be a “must have” in nude patent leather, which is like a beautiful extension of the foot with added texture. We also saw a lot of wedge heels, and strappy ankle platforms. There’s nothing delicate about the shoes for Spring, they are eye-catching and make a statement. The prediction on color is bold like the vibrant colors found in a beautiful floral landscape. There were also muted colors like grey used as a backdrop with a pop of color peeking out, as we saw in the BCBG show. We also saw a nice mixture of color and pattern, which DVF’s show portrayed beautifully. Overall, we think you should be excited for Spring 2009. There are no crazy surprises, and no uncomfortable fashion trends headed your way. It was all easy, relaxed, wearable pieces that will flatter the female physique.

Tibi was high on my list of shows that I really wanted to see. I’m always interested in seeing how designer Amy Smilovic uses fabrics, textures, and patterns. There is always something bold about how she mixes elements of design, either in the fabric she chooses or the cut and style of the garment. The collection Tibi presented for Spring ‘09 was clearly Asian inspired. The fabrics were silky, and had beautiful movement while still maintaining structure. The dresses I saw looked really wearable, and would easily work for any number of women.

As with any collection, while there were pieces that looked great on the runway, they will not work for the average woman. Tibi showed ballon-like riding pants that are probably not going to be as flattering on most of us as they are on the models. I will be surprised if they make their way into retail stores.. but who knows I could be completely wrong.