New York: Day four

By Tammy Eckenswiller

Feeling sad (not really) for all of you poor Torontonians slogging through the slop and slush of that nasty snow storm on Friday while those of us in N.Y.C. click around happily in our new stilettoes and light winter coats… The weather is like the beginning of spring here, sunny and mild! Thank goodness because it’s difficult to be fabulous in slush-friendly gear!

So the week really kicked off with BCBG Max Azria last Friday. Nothing groundbreaking here but it’s always exciting to hear the thump of the music and the clomp of the models as we get to see the first glimpse of the Fall/Winter ’08 runway collections. Certain silhouettes have wriggled their way from the more avant-garde designers into the mainstream. In other words, clothes are more body-conscious. The first must-have of the season? Belted mini dresses with volume at the hip, especially if you have nice legs!

Douglas Hannant continued to make lovely cocktail frocks that every fashion girl can relate to. Check out FASHION’s March ’O8 cover for the gorgeous proof.

Erin Fetherston‘s show was more of the usual girlie stuff with a bit more black thrown into the mix. It felt a bit out of step with the push towards a more grown-up aesthetic that seems to be emerging. Fetherston also had some cute mini dresses with volume at the hip.

Rag & Bone showed a lovely, sharp collection full of menswear and military-inspired goodies. Celeb sighting: Ellen Pompeo was in the front row.

Yigal Azrouël showed his collection against the backdrop of a film shot over two weeks, of N.Y.C. subway lines. Although the collection wasn’t exactly cohesive, there were plenty of beautiful items to dream about owning, like the snappy white shift dress and beautifully draped taupe gown! Yum yum!

Abaeté, designed by Laura Poretzky, showed the usual easy to understand and affordable trends of the season: body-conscious, grown-up dresses, skirts and tops that look fab in real life but don’t inspire editorial . That’s ok though because I’m not a 16-year-old, 6′ model either!

Alexandre Herchcovitch showed a gorgeous first half of his collection. There was a big chunk of black at the beginning (hello! Have you met me???), and the show was packed with perfect little looks that I love–sharp and slightly subversive.

Next up: Alexander Wang. The collection was lovely, albeit not earth shattering. Very rock and roll with the usual masculine/feminine mix. I’m crazy for the black leather zip-front dress…It’s soooo good! His muse and stylist is Erin Wasson, the model, and if you’ve ever seen her you can imagine her wearing the clothes. Oh, and quelle surprise, he’s launched a bag collection.

How stunning is Jeremy Laing‘s collection??? How amazing is he??? How well executed??? How much do I want most of the collection???? Ok, I’ll stop now but I LOVE HIM!!!! (Even better zip dress than Alexander Wang’s!!!)

THREEasFOUR was stunning, more sleek then usual for the other-worldly design team. It’s also the excitement of watching all the scenesters vie for attention and try and out do one another’s fabulousness. This scenester circus made the show one of the best so far.

Hervé Léger had a similar vibe with Leigh Lezark of the Misshapes sitting front row in a black and white graphic banded Léger mini dress. (Borrowed, bought or gifted? My bet is on gifted!)

Y-3 was good fun, except I made the mistake of wearing my new YSL leopard tributes with super high heels, and we had to walk all the way around a soccer field on concrete… I guess it’s part of that athletic Adidas-Yohji collaboration vibe but my feet still ache today! The theme was kind of Canadiana with the sound of a storm. Thrown into the mix were massive walls made of ice-bricks, which created a chilly atmosphere, but blankets and handwarmers were gifted to keep us cozy! The collection was more Yohji than Adidas this season, with beautifully draped plaid scarves, tasselled coats and long skirts that all looked smart and appealing.

The weekend ended with the flamboyant Miss Sixty show, which was fun for the people-watching and merry-making.  Stay tuned for more coverage on the N.Y.C. shows, gossip, and fashion buzz.

Shown: Y-3 Fall 2008. Photography by Peter Stigter

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