New York Fashion Week Coverage: Day One

YOU KNOW IT'S OFFICIAL WHEN YOU SPOT ANNA WINTOUR

Though NY Fashion Week didn't officially begin until Friday, February 1st (which is when the shows kick off in Bryant Park, the event's main venue), each season, more designers have begun showing the day before the Bryant Park kick-off, to capitalize on the fact that editors and buyers are in town and the madness has not yet begun. So it happened that I stumbled upon Vogue editrix Anna Wintour at the Rachel Roy presentation Thursday afternoon (at one point, almost literally, not realizing that she and Roy were standing right behind me - d'oh!). I managed to avoid stepping on her black Manolo boots, as did the rest of the fashion crowd, who retreated almost worshipfully as Wintour passed by with Vogue Fashion Market/Accessories Director, Virginia Smith, and Roy, who was giving the duo a private walk-through, until they were virtually alone in the center of the gigantic loft space, while the rest of the crowd pushed to the edge of the room, pretending to be nonchalant. It was fashion comedy at its finest.

Red, of course, in honor of Friday morning's celebrity-fueled Heart Truth Red Dress show, in which major celebs (Joss Stone, Ashanti, Heidi Klum, Allison Janney, Lisa Rinna, Molly Sims and Liza Minnelli, to name just a few) wear the creations of major designers (Michael, Marc, Marchesa and Donna, for instance) to help promote awareness about heart disease, the leading killer of American women. As Splendora HQ is located in SF, special mention must be made of Bay area resident Rita Moreno, who danced down the runway wearing a Lily Samii original. Oh, and did I that mention Liza Minnelli wore vintage Halston (yes, she did!) and closed the show with a spine-tingling version of "New York, New York?" (yes she did!). It was, in a word, awesome.

I spied this billboard on the Highline in Chelsea while making my way from the Rachel Roy presentation to the Band of Outsiders/Boy installation, which took place back-to-back on the same block (love that!) and I just had to share. Truer words were never spoken.

I didn’t see a lot that rocked my world at Friday’s shows, which included Heart Truth, Yeohlee, Rag & Bone and Erin Fetherson. But I fell hard for the peep-toe slingback leather and alligator booties Rachel Roy designed with Manolo Blahnik - uptown chic at its finest - and the wool-and-leather gauntlet gloves she paired with most looks were wonderfully chic. Although technically a menswear show, I also loved the oversized black metallic sweaters at Duckie Brown, which would look super cute - on me! - with a pair of leggings and motorcycle boots.

Also at Roy (where the designer explored a Native American-meets-European settlers theme, with patterns given names like Sioux, Apache, Yuma and Cheyenne): A sleeveless black silk wrap blouse worn with a multi colored metallic crinoline skirt that was a feat of textile engineering. Accessorized with embroidered russet gloves, Roy-for-Manolo sandals and a feathered bejeweled brooch, the effect was truly sublime.

In theory, the honor goes to designer Yeohlee Teng, who presented her fall 2008 collection at the Toby Devan Lewis Sky Room in the just-opened New Museum of Contemporary on the Bowery. Where better to showcase Yeohlee's Shaker-and-architecture themed Fall 2008 collection, which was inspired, in part, by the museum itself? It seemed the perfect marriage between art and fashion - and I love the whimsical “Hell Yes!” rainbow sign on the outside of the building that greets visitors from blocks away. Unfortunately, the small top floor space was accessible only by a single freight sized elevator, which continued to open and close throughout the presentation, its shiny apple green interior a blinding distraction from the rather somber clothing on display. “Yeohlee, you’re killing me with these venues...” muttered one major critic as we fought to get on - and off - the elevator. I’d have to agree.