NYC Fashion Week

Thanks to my sweet roommate Cameron who works at a fashion PR firm, I got invited to two really great fashion shows! Monique Lhuillier was at 11 am in The Tent at Bryant Park where the main hub of Fashion Week action takes place. I used my lunch hour to head up there for the festivities. It was a rainy day, but it wasn't so bad since the subway entrance is at the end of my street and I exited a block from Bryant Park. I left my big red galoshes at work and wore my leopard print heels - had to try to glam it up a bit!


The Tent at Bryant Park

Once inside the tent, I had to wait in line for about 20 minutes - all the shows start late, or so I've learned. I was supposed to be standing room, but just before the show started there were empty chairs so I got to sit! It looked exactly how you'd expect - the long runway with photographers at one end and the audience on each side. There was a group of photographers in the middle of the runway taking pictures of celebrities on the front row. (Thankfully, I had sat down by a girl who was as star struck as me - she said it was okay to take pictures, so I snapped away - otherwise I would have been trying to play it cool!)


Leann Rimes (in tan) and her husband, Michelle Trachtenberg, Asian woman in gray - is that Tia Carrere?, and Ivana Trump!



We thought this woman looked like Judith Light from Who's the Boss...I'm not convinced though.

In between our front-row scanning and celebrity watching, there was a fashion show going on!

I love the picture of the model in front of the throng of photographers!! Can you imagine! :)

The models were unbelieveably skinny, had terrible posture and the most expressionless faces ever! I remember thinking I would HAVE to smile when I got to the end of the runway if I were them! Oh - and I only noticed one girl trip up on her skirt.

The show was over pretty quickly - maybe 15 minutes?? I needed a lot longer to get good pictures, but oh well! :)

Back in the main area of The Tent, Carmen Electra was broadcasting for Full Frontal Fashion. She's very tiny!


Carmen Electra

Back on the street, I had just put my camera back in my bag and opened my umbrella as I waited for the light to change so I could cross the street. Who pops out of a town car FIVE feet from me but Ivana Trump! I saw her bleached blonde hair and saggy, skinny, tan legs trotting toward me as she hopped into another town car and sped up 6th Avenue. She was so close to me I could have grabbed her, but it all happened so fast all I could do was stand there with my mouth open!!


So, I thought I'd already had a pretty fun day and was pleased with the celebrity sighting I'd been able to do. But next on the show list was Just Sweet - Jennifer Lopez's new line! It started at 9 pm and was in a warehouse on W 21st St between 10th and 11th Aves. Again, supposed to be standing room, but when they finally ushered us into the room, we were quickly directed to split up and fill seats. The chairs were set up all over the place (not the typical look of the earlier show). The path for the models zigzagged through the crowd. I was on the front row on the stretch just before the models went backstage.

Oh, but let me back up. When we walked through the black curtains into the room, the first people I saw were the cast of "Fashionista Diaries" on Soapnet! We're addicted to this show, so I had to keep myself from talking to them like I actually know them!



Fashionista Diaries cast - from right to left: Tina in red, Laurie is blonde behind her, Andrew in white jacket, Bridget in front of him, Janjay with her back to me, and Rachel looking to the right.


Just before the show started, Tommy Hilfiger slipped in! I watched him quite a bit, but I couldn't get a good picture! The show was really cool - I loved the models' bright make up and long hair, and I marveled at how their skinny mini legs could balance on their platform stiletto heels!


The models entered here and walked straight down the main runway to the photographers, then zigzagged twice back up through the crowd and turned a corner by me to exit. I had to keep my feet out of their walkway, I was so close!

And then...J. Lo herself!! It was so exciting!! It was complete chaos in my world during her parade down the runway! My camera battery was dying, so it took like 40 million years for the camera to get ready to take another picture! I was more concerned with my camera than watching her, so I really didn't get the full J. Lo-watching experience! You'll have to take my word for it that right after this picture of her walking back up the runway was taken, Marc Anthony stood up and they hugged and kissed about 15 feet from me! It was so upsetting - I would have had the perfect picture!



J. Lo entering and pausing for applause before walking the full length of the runway and back.


Though I missed my primo pic, this one of Marc Anthony will just have to do!


Rebecca and Shaina

I went to the show with Shaina who lives in my building and Lauren. Even Lauren was a bit star struck, and she never is! ha! We also saw the singer Mya - walked right by me and I didn't even know who she was! I'm the worst celebrity spotter ever!

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/powersearch/results?&ca=search&site=style&designer=design_house203

http://offtherack.people.com/2007/09/13/jennifer-lopezs-sweet-fashion-show/

www.justsweet.com