Today I spent some time in Naeem Khan’s studio and was excited to watch him work. Once again I missed Nanette Lepore. Then I ran over to Lincoln Center to start counting nipples. I can report eight today.
I’ve fallen into a fashionable groove, yet feel a cold coming on. Odd Molly had good swag – the first decent swag of the week. I wonder – why doesn’t Emergen-C ever sponsor this event? We’d all mix some Fiji with the miracle powder to form a rejuvenation elixir, which wards off the air kissing transfer of germs. Also, oddly enough, the cops hovered around, as I was photo editing in the American Express booth – a police report was being filed; someone stole an iPad from Maybelline. They finally cornered the guy in the bathroom. As rumor has it, somewhere between Zang Toi and the Amex Tory Burch party, a naked woman was supposedly arrested in the lobby. Strange things happen at Fashion Week.
Jeremy Scott
Jeremy Scott might be the only designer that can create a dress out of a black plastic trash bag and make it work. In attendance was Kanye West, Kelly Osborne and an excited Terence Koh in white feathers. The Wonder Girls from Korea did their thing and posed for pictures. I’m being informed they’re trying to get some street cred in New York. Beefcake men in leather chaps, ‘like-a virgin’ Madonna corsets and a straightjacket bridal dress (all in one look). Do I see a meat dress? Yes, I see two. Plastic Prosciutto actually. This is when I wonder, how did he know? Some of the looks are for the girl that wants to look like Gaga but doesn’t have Nicola Formichetti as a Facebook friend. I’m glad he didn’t use those lanky men, and just did beef – both in the clothes, and in the men. I’m still swooning from the black hunk with a size 28 waist. Wearable and stylish can describe the line. ‘Admit One’ shirts for boys and girls; bags from your local Chinese take out and deli. Downtown chic at Milk Studios.
Philip Lim 3.1
Perfect luxury. If Michael Kors is Anna Wintour’s Gap, surely Phillip Lim should be her Club Monaco. This is the first time the designer’s shown at the Armory, and the expansive space was filled with the serious fashion crowd. The stoic ensemble of experienced onlookers earnestly watched the bougie blue (a color dead center between sky blue and teal) skirts and sublime luxury parade the through the expansive space dotted with monumental white molding. Did we shrink and fall down a rabbit hole? No. In Philip’s hands, we see blush skirts and laser cut leather shorts, perfectly woven into sublime simple lux. If Holly Golightly could, she’d wear Lim to eat Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Anna Sui
The Wonder Girls popped in with a costume change from earlier today. Who else? Not sure. The models trotted past under a backdrop reminiscent of an Andrew Wythe painting, with harvest wreaths and Indian bands. The dresses were quintessential Anna Sui: frilly with mosaic prints from the prairie years. But the Anna Sui girl can go from field to haystack and still keep her purity. Crocheted tops, embroidered rompers and beaded necklaces won the crowd of friends and buyers.
Gant by Michael Bastian
This is the first time Michael Bastian has ventured into womenswear, creating a collection of boarding school chic. If you’re sailing off the Hampton shore or a well-healed teen, you’ll love the offering for Gant. Maybe he’s been watching too much late night TV or felt mod. The old movie reels and empty theater seats with animated models effortlessly said ‘wear me and look rich but young.’ He’s known for his work in menswear but this collaboration has allowed good design within affordable reach.
alice + olivia
alice + olivia get the award for best lifestyle marketing. Traipsing into their presentation/party last night, I was met with what looked like a Hollywood premiere. Celebrities (why hello Denise Richards, hello “Man Men”‘s Elisabeth Moss) strutted by a press pit while Cobra Starship blasted beats from the stage. Standing on a vintage-inspired set at the back of the space were about a dozen models, all coyly showing off shades of gold and sand, flowery prints, and silky creams. There was nothing groundbreaking here, but nothing tragic either. The point is, though, that the atmosphere made me – and probably everyone else there – think that anything associated with the brand was fabulous. What really made the night for me, was when a DJ Mia Moretti and violin-wielding Caitlin Moe took to the stage and rocked out like few have rocked before — well, at least this Fashion Week. Oh wait, wasn’t that done in the Richie Rich runway show too? And isn’t this DJ the same person who played the violin for Richie Rich? Apparently it’s a trend, and one at which this girl is adept at both ends.
Read more: Philip Lim 3.1, Alice + Olivia, Jeremy Scott, Zang Toi, Gant by Michael Bastian, Anna Sui, Style News
