New York Fashion Week Coverage: Day Three

So, what did you guys do Sunday? While the rest of America geared up for the Super Bowl, I skipped the layered cheese dip and headed out to the Super Bowl of Fashion to take in the fall 2008 shows of Lela Rose, DKNY, Tracy Reese, Diane von Furstenberg and Y-3. I was also scheduled to attend Hervé Leger, Preen, Jonathan Saunders, Shipley & Halmos and Miss Sixty, but there are only so many hours in a day - and some of them must be spent writing these entries, reviewing for Vogue.com and, oh yeah, eating and sleeping. Here’s what went down in and around the tents.

A SCENTSATIONAL THREEASFOUR

I forgot to mention this yesterday, but I had noticed Saturday’s ThreeAsFour show at the Altman Building in Chelsea smelled divine. I did a little digging and found out that the avant trio (Gabi, Adi and Ange) scented the show by having their pals at Aedes de Venustas - a sybaritic fragrance store on Christopher Street - pipe in Iris Pallida by L’Artisan Parfumeur. “We chose Iris Pallida at the event for its ethereal presence,” Aedes’ co-owner Karl told me post-show. “The scent of iris is one of the most complex and elusive, giving the show something mysterious. Also, iris is one of the favorite essences of Adi and Ange and was a main ingredient in the limited edition (now sold out) Threeasfour Eau de Perfume for Colette in Paris.” If only more people would do this...

AROUND THE WORLD IN 43 DRESSES

Diane von Furstenberg’s heroine this season is a peripatetic little vixen who, according to the show’s program notes “always knew she would find her way through the rain drops...the mystery, the unknown, the infinite possibilities of a foreign affair.” Whatever. With her thematic locale shifting from Berlin to Shanghai to New York City - and styles that reflected each place (from mannish tweed topcoats belted over chiffon dresses to Suzie Wong-style cheongsams to glittery Rainbow Room-inspired cocktail frocks) DVF took her audience on a whirlwind, and very stylish, trip - all in under 15 minutes.

THE FOUR SEASONS

At Tracy Reese, meanwhile, Mother Nature was the muse in a collection that played upon the elements - earth, fire, air and water - via chunky sand-hued sweaters, grass green or blooming floral dresses, swirly oceanic-printed skirts and tulle covered copper pieces that made me think of the twinkling stars in a vast night sky. Nicely done, Ms. Reese.

HOW TO PISS OFF A REALITY TV STAR IN 3 EASY STEPS

1. Invite a reality TV star to your fashion show (their first) and promise them a seat in the front row.

2.Hire publicists who are slow to respond when said star stands up to pose for the paparazzi (presumably the reason you’ve invited them in the first place) and someone steals their seat and refuses to budge.

3. After 10 minutes of high drama, during which security guards try to boot the reality stars off the runway so the presentation can start (instead of ejecting the interloper), finally secure an extra chair and stick it at end of the row, so your guest can sit back down and enjoy the show.

This is exactly what happened to Vanessa and Angela Simmons of the MTV show, “Run’s House” at Tracy Reese on Sunday. Not nicely done, Ms. Reese (though, obviously, the designer herself was backstage and had no idea what was happening). Still, this incident, coupled with the grumbling we heard post-show from several major buyers and editors who were also unhappy with their seating situation, seems to indicate that someone in Reese’s House is not getting the job done.

THE STARS COME OUT AT DVF

Stars of a different magnitude came out in force to support DVF and her motley front row crew included Rachel Zoe, Ellen Barkin, Susan Sarandon, Lee Radziwill, Fran Lebowitz, Fiat heir Lapo Elkann (he of the leonine red mane), Amy Smart, Molly Sims, Rose McGowan, Waris Ahluwalia, Chaira Clemente,Carine Roitfeld, Andre Leon Talley, Simon Doonan and Anna Wintour, who spent the better part of the pre-show wait time in deep conversation with Charlie Rose.

COOLEST SHOW, COOLEST SWAG

Yohji Yamamoto presented the coolest collection - literally - showing his Adidas Y-3 line in a specially constructed igloo (I kid you not) at Pier 40 on the Hudson River. Accessed by a long, dark tunnel illuminated by tiny spotlights (not so great if you happened to be wearing sky high platform boots, as I - and about a million other female guests - were doing), the show’s backdrop consisted of 12-foot-high walls of backlit ice that curved through the Pier’s underground space. Metal bleachers had been erected in front of the wall, and each seat came complete with a plush ivory stadium blanket emblazoned with the Y-3 logo, which was instantly put to use by most in attendance - as were the foil-wrapped hand warmers that were given out upon arrival at the unheated space. Who needs the Super Bowl when you’ve got Yohji? Give me a Y! Give me an O!

A MINUTE WITH MARISKA

I got to chatting with Law & Order:SVU star Mariksa Hargitay while waiting for the Lela Rose show to start (you know how you do), and let me tell you, she is one nice lady. We discussed Lela, of course, about whom she said (take a deep breath before reading): “I love fashion. But I sometimes think, oh, is that too dressy? Or is that too much applique for day-to-night, what do I wear from the night to the day? Oh, God (she rolled her eyes). I just think there’s so many decisions and I also, being a new mom, just don’t have the time to think about fashion as much as I maybe used to and not that I don’t care but I just have other things on my brain now. So I have to think less with Lela cause she does it for me. Her clothes are really feminine, really girly but wearable. Whatever I throw on from her, everything sort of works together. I mean, I’ve tried on tweed pants from her that are cut so spectacularly and groovy and they’re low waisted and the belts are great - look at this (she hiked up her shirt to reveal a thick waistband with button tabs). I just love the details and the ladylikeness. It can also be worn for business. It’s appropriate anywhere and fashionable and very chic in an understated way, I think is what I’m trying to say. I wear Lela a lot to a lot of events. You know how it is, you find designers that work for you body. My body is Lela, Vera and Carolina. Those are the no-brainers for me. I have a really curvy body so I need that kind of support!” She also told me that she’s busier now than she was before the writer’s strike, preparing for the official launch party of her foundation, Joyful Heart, which offers retreat programs for victims of sexual assault. “It’s really sort of my foundations’ coming-out party,” she told me. “So that has been a lot of work. And assembling the board - I don’t know if you’re on the board of charities but working with the board is almost as much work as the actual work. You know, it’s a lot of people to balance and A-type personalities and everybody wants to contribute so that’s really taking off. And then my son is 19 months so we’re trying to get into schools and I have meeting with schools every day and I’ve had photo shoots and a lot of projects.” Hmmm...juggling a career, family, community work. Stars. They really are just like us! 02.05.2008