NY Fashion Week AW08: Day One

Even though Mother Nature was not so kind yesterday, with icy cold rain pouring down the on the first day of Fashion Week, fashion lovers were not deterred and filed into the tents of Bryant Park dressed to impress. Most fashionistas were dressed smartly for the weather , in black frocks layered with stylish coats , and I was able to blend right into the crowd in my black pleated dress and platform boots.

The girls of Lipstick Jungle – Brooke Shields, Kim Raver, and Lindsay Price, and writer/producer, Candace Bushnell started the week off in high style with the official ribbon cutting ceremony at 8 am; And the first show, Nautica, swiftly followed at 9 am in the tents.

PERRY ELLIS
The first show I attended was Perry Ellis, held in the Promenade. As I was waiting in line to be seated, I saw Christian Siriano of Project Runway standing inches away from me. He was pretty nice and even posed for a photo with his +1 for me. Hmm…wonder if he made it to the finals of Project Runway…

Creative director of Perry Ellis, John Crocco, presented 40 looks on the runway. Think après-ski meets British hunt attire. There was a lot of plaid, hounds tooth, and herringbone in charcoal, burgundy and forest green, with pops of bright orange and purple. A lot of the looks featured cargo pants, vests, chunky knits and cardigans. All in all, the collection was youthful and very sporty.

BCBG MAXAZRIA
The next show I attended was BCBG MaxAzria which had a large turnout. The tent was absolutely abuzz with photo and video crews snapping up footage of celebs like Tyson Beckford, Christina Milian and Joss Stone. Being that BCBG is marketed primarily towards young, everyday women, as opposed to MaxAzria’s designs for Herve Leger, the collection featured very wearable and stylish looks.

The 39 piece collection was very light and effeminate and was essentially a compilation of cute mini party dresses and outerwear. There was a lot of use of muted colors like ivory, sand and cream, and an occasional burst of metallics and colors like plum and mauve. The fabrics were mostly soft and pretty, like organza silk satins, and silk crepes and the standout looks displayed interesting origami-inspired folds and pleats and bubble silhouettes. Looks like belts (knotted and not buckled) as well as booties and platforms will continue to be hot for AW ’08.

NA BE by VICTORYA HONG
The final show I went to was labeled “Project Runway Designer on the invite. After doing some research on the show schedule the night before, I was surprised to discover that the designer would be Victorya Hong , who was “aufed from the show in the last episode. Interesting…

There was a good turnout from Project Runway alums, like Jay (from season 1), Christian, Elisa and Jack who were all in the front row to show their support.

The collection was a vision in blue and black with clear inspiration from menswear. Tailored shirts and jackets, structured dresses and slacks all accessorized with obi or tuxedo belts defined her fashion week debut. Perhaps not the most interesting collection when compared to the showcases we saw by designers in the finals in prior seasons, but a respectable display of refined garments that would be great for the workplace. Can’t wait to see how Victorya managed to score her own show during fashion week.

It was a great day of fashion and celebrity spotting for me! Can’t wait to see what the rest of the week has in store!

[Images: Style.com, Getty Images &Teamsugar]