New York Fashion Week Coverage: Day Five

Click HERE for Day Five Fashion Photo Slideshow
*Photos by Patrick Butler
Man, do my feet hurt. Seriously. I know everyone thinks Fashion Week is all fabulous glamour, all the time- and there are certainly parts of it that fall into that category (watching the Rodarte show yesterday certainly qualifies)- but for those of us not blessed with a car and driver, running from show to show to show to show, with locations that range from grungy loft spaces in the furthest most reaches of Chelsea on the West side of the city to beautifully appointed churches or armories on the Upper East Side (with 15 minutes allotted between shows to get from one to the other), gets really old, really fast. There is a lot of running around being done, most of on foot or via subway and taxi- or some combination thereof- and killer footwear just doesn’t fit the bill. So no more designer platform booties for me, I’m afraid. It’s back to my trusty motorcycle boots or wing-tips for the rest of the week. I’ll still look chic, but I’ll also be comfy! (And given the forecast, which calls for rain and snow the remainder of the week - fun! - I will hopefully be dry, as well.)

OK, rant over. Here’s what went down around town on Tuesday, which was a relatively light day of shows for me (Rodarte, Karen Walker, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Narciso). I was supposed to hit the Y-3/Yohji Yamamoto and Prada store parties last night, as well, but I just couldn’t muster up the energy. You’ll forgive me won’t you?

GOODY, GOODY, GOODY

Tuesday wasn’t all bad, as in addition to seeing some wonderful fashion, I got some pretty fab swag to make up for the barking dogs and transportation woes. Rodarte’s mystical, magical collection was based on Japanese horror films and sponsored by Lexus Hybrid, and their goody bag contained a silvery-grey handcrafted scarf (made in collaboration with Lexus Hybrid Living) and a DVD of “Ugetsu,” a Japanese suspense-love story by acclaimed filmmaker, Kenji Mizoguchi. Karen Walker, meanwhile, gifted guests at her Edwardian Punk-themed collection with an ivory hanky whose lace doily was embellished with the show’s mascot (a little pigtailed girl carrying a sack on a stick, hobo-style), along with a stained glass fly pin, which mirrored the colors seen on her runway.

OLD FRIENDS, NEW LIVES

Speaking of Walker, while I was waiting for the show to start I read over the program notes and noticed that Rolando Beauchamp of Bumble & Bumble had done the hair. It took me about 30 seconds to realize his name sounded really familiar because we worked together as sales clerks as a now-defunct clothing store in Soho when we were both in our teens. Now, once you’ve covered the industry for a while, Fashion Week is like a reunion of sorts, as you bump into a lot of people you only see in February and September. But bumping into someone you haven’t seen in 20 or 30 years? Not so much. Naturally, I had to go backstage to say hello. I ran down the stairs to the hair and makeup room, only to be told Rolando had just gone upstairs, where the models were getting dressed and doing their final pre-show preparations. I went back upstairs and spotted him leaning against a railing talking to a colleague. As I approached, he turned to me and exclaimed, “I know you! I just saw you go down the stairs and said to my friend, ‘I know that woman! I don’t know from where, but I know it was a long, long time ago and she is not a hair stylist.’” I re-introduced myself and Rolando said, “Of course! We worked together at Diddington’s! My God, that was like another life.” It really was. And now he’s a bigwig hair stylist and I’m a fashion journalist covering the shows he works. What are the odds?

INVITE OF THE DAY

Another day, another cute invite. Tuesday’s winner: the old-fashioned wheel from Shipley & Halmos (the new line founded by ex-Trovata duo Jeff Shipley and Sam Halmos, who left that label shortly after winning the CFDA to do their own thing). Announcing the “Fall 2008 offering of some clothing & things crafted with hand, health and heart,” the inner wheel of the invite revolves so that you can see the pertinent deets (show date and time, location, sponsor) in a window cut out on the front. Clever, that.

EMERGING TREND: FUNKY, FUZZY KNITS

Along with the bold, bright colors I told you about yesterday, another trend that’s shaping up to be big for fall are mohair or angora sweaters (the really hairy ones from the ‘50s and ‘60s you see in vintage shops). These fuzzy bunnies turned up at Lela Rose (fashioned from loops of sequin-trimmed yarn), at Thakoon (on an uber-cool blue ombre suit, raspberry pea coat and super plush orange plaid topper) while Doo.Ri used the furry stuff on an off-the-shoulder emerald sweater and a deeply scooped sweater dress. Rodarte, meanwhile, sent out some of funky-chic sweaters and dresses made using different weight and color yarns knit with a drop stitch, so the colors and texture changed from thick and thin throughout. They were, in a word, sublime.

CELEBRITY SKIN

Where to begin? Tuesday was knee-deep in celebs, from the front row of Rodarte, which boasted Libertine designer Johnson Hartig, Vincent Gallo, Christian Louboutin, Mary Alice Stephenson and Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon to Fergie, Rachel Zoe and photographers Terry Richardson and Juergen Teller at Marc by Marc. And Amy Adams turned up in the front row at Narciso, as did Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld, Aerin Lauder and Ruben and Isabel Toledo. Matthew Williamson reeled in Joy Bryant, Rihanna, Brittany Murphy and Leigh Lezark, while J. Mendel attracted the likes of Amy Smart, Lipstick Jungle lovelies Kim Raver and Brooke Shields, Tinsley Mortimer. And, last but not least, who did I spy with my little eye at Badgley Mischka? Jaime King and Philip Bloch.

GO INCOGNITO IN STYLE

Another giveaway worth mentioning, if only because it made me laugh out loud: the little look book for Karen Walker's 08/08 eyewear collection. Dubbed "Masters of Disguise," the 23-page booklet features wonderfully goofy photos of people wearing Walker's shades, along with cheap-looking fright wigs (for the ladies) and ridiculously fake beards and mustaches (for the guys) in order to disguise their identity and, one presumes, avoid the paparazzi. It is hi-larious and made everyone else in the front row wonder what the hell was wrong with me, as I took one look and couldn't stop laughing. (What can I say? I'm a big fan of silly.) Thanks, Karen. It was a much-needed laughternoon break, as my Splendora sisters would say.

RACHEL, FROM A TO ZOE

I sat across from celeb stylist Rachel Zoe at Marc by Marc and hopped over pre-show to get the dirt on Monday’s Halston show (which she didn’t attend, even though she is on the advisory board, causing some in the industry to speculate that she’d been downsized or even fired from the newly relaunched brand). “I wasn’t there [at the Halston show],” she said when asked what she thought of the collection. “I saw the sketches and I looked at the collection last night but I don’t really want to talk about it. I’m a shareholder and I am an advisor on the advisory board but this is Marco’s ride. He’s the designer and the creative director so it’s his show and I’m just taking a backseat. But I thought it was beautiful. I think it’s really clothes you want to wear, you know?” I do. So what else was she looking forward to seeing this week? “Anything Marc does I look forward to. It’s always one of the most exciting reasons to be in New York. He’s one of my closest friends and he’s brilliant and such an innovator. Whatever he does is it. You know he’s gonna surprise you. And what else has she liked? “Oscar de la Renta!” she exclaimed. “I died, I almost fell on the runway it was so amazing. So beautiful. And I went up to see it today, again. It was like...he’s just heaven. Just luxury at its finest and New York fashion at its finest. He’s just all about women being beautiful and being luxurious. He’s the classiest, chicest man. I just love him so much. It’s like you meet him and you want to wear his clothes that much more, you know? I thought J. Mendel and Peter Som were beautiful, as well. I haven’t gone, unfortunately, to that many shows because I have clients in town. Sadly, I couldn’t make it to Rodarte this morning - I had a fitting - and it really sucked to miss it because I’m a huge fan and I love those girls and I think they’re brilliant. But, sadly, due to my work schedule I’m missing a lot of stuff that I’d like to see. It’s horrible. It’s one of those things where I’m working, I’m in a meeting, I’m in an interview, a fitting - whatever - and all of a sudden I’m like [pretends to look at her watch and notice the time], ‘I’m literally sitting here and missing the show.’ It’s painful. But there’s been a lot of really nice stuff this season. So I’m excited.”

MAN THE TOLEDOS! FULL SPEED AHEAD!

“I’m a big fan,” said designer Isabel Toledo when I asked what had brought her out to the Narciso Rodriguez show Tuesday night, which she attended with her charming hubby, fashion illustrator Ruben Toledo. “A big fan of Narciso. I gotta see what he’s thinking. I gotta get in that brain! He’s amazing so I’m really looking forward to the show. And I’m looking forward to seeing the shoes he did on with Edmundo Castillo - it’s a great collaboration and I’m happy to be here.” So what, in particular, about Narciso’s clothes does Toledo love? “How he draws with the seams,” she replied. “I love how he draws with those seams. You really understand the dresses; you feel them. They’re very sexy. You feel beautiful in them. I know cause I’ve worn them!” We continued chatting, talking about what she’s been up to since Jones Apparel Group decided to shutter the Anne Klein Collection (which Toledo had been designing) after just two seasons, but our convo was off-the-record. Sorry, fellow fashion fanatics, but I can’t always dish and tell. Tomorrow is another story...