925 people attended Fashion for Relief show this year... that made the pre-show cocktail party more about navigating than mingling. I made the choice not to bring a camera because, being my first show at Bryant Park Tents, I wanted to savor the experience rather than see it through my camera lens. A few turns around the main hall with my champagne in hand, I had gotten an overview of the attire of the evening - mostly black- gotten my photo taken a handful of times and after chatting with a few people I decided to make my way to the show tent. This ended up being like what I would expect that cattle feel when being herded up the shoot from the coral. (Now visualize dressed up bovine with stiletto heals!) There is a narrow, carpeted three step rise from the main entrance hall/lobby/cocktail area that you have to ascend to get to the long hall leading to the tent of choice. In the attempt to make my way from point A: reception hall, to point B: walkway to tent; my heal got stuck in the carpet whilst 900+ people were pushing and shoving (fashion show etiquette) I almost took out Anna Sui (designer) who was following close behind. Thank goodness I was able to right myself, regain my balance; saving my dignity, Anna Sui and my right to ever attend another New York Fashion Week show!
Once inside the tent I found my seat, after only two failed tries, sat down and enjoyed half an hour of people watching before the show started. A a bevy of celebrities showed up to raise funding for ravaged Haiti in the celeb-attended Friday. (Celebrities = designers, actors, music industry, actors, fashion journalists and the ever overabundance of (yawn) reality t.v. "stars".)
Then the lights dimmed, and the show began.Super model Naomi Campbell was in charge, style maven Rachel Zoe lent her phenomenal styling abilities, and Sarah Ferguson joined Campbell to host. Among celebrities present for the evening were singer Chris Brown, reality star Kelly Osbourne, designers Diane von Furstenberg, Donna Karen, supermodel Helena Christense, photographer David LaChapelle, , models Amber Valetta andSelita Ebanks, actor Alan Cumming.
The invigorating show also featured designs from such fashion icons as Versace, Gucci, Christian Dior, Burberry, Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Jean Paul Gaultier, Tom Ford, Louis Vuitton, Manolo Blahnik, and Roberto Cavalli. Lanvin, Converse, , Brooks Brothers, Calvin Klein, Uniqlo, and on and on. In all, nearly the entire fashion community was there in one way or another to help the very important and critical cause of helping Haiti. ($100,000. was raised by tickets and all the donated garments will be auctioned online at NET-A-PORTER starting March 15th. The donation is tax deductible and 100% of the event ticket sales will benefit CARE.)
The show ended with a tribute to designer Alexander McQueen who died two days prior. His friend, style icon, journalist and noted collector of Haute Coture, Daphne Guinness, donned a silver McQueen jumpsuit created by McQueen for her birthday just before Alexander passed away and was followed by models wearing 7 pieces from his 2010 spring/summer collection dubbed "Platos Atlantis". It was as somber yet beautiful ending to the show.
And what an amazing show it was!
