Yes, It's that time of year again when the fashion press from around the world gather in New York City, specifically in The Tents at Bryant Park, to partake of the chaos, the charm, and yes, the circus that is Fashion Week.
And yours truly, C, is one of them....yay! and sigh
Now in case you may have rolled your eyes (just a little) when you read my 'sigh', let me explain. Yes, it's fun and cool and I love being a part of it all but when you spend consecutive days from morning till night in high heels, running all over the city to catch show after show, the glam loses a bit of its glow.
Thank goodness I have you to write to...and vent, just a little ;)
Now I have to say, I think Fashion Week itself, seems to have lost some its luster. The scene doesn't sizzle quite the way it used to. Now I'm not sure why, but I have a theory.
Ever since the Internet allows everyone -- not just fashion buyers and press, but consumers too -- to see inside the world of fashion as it presents what will be in stores six months from now -- now -- well, where's the mystery? Where's the excitement?
When you know what's coming down the pipeline so far in advance, you forget all about the season you're in. While that's obviously a must for a fashion editor who is always writing so far in advance, YOU buy a new coat in the fall or a summer skirt when it's hot -- yeah, in the summer.
And then, what's worse is that all this insider info on the net and on the popular fashion-centric reality shows take you so far behind the scenes that it's like turning a beautiful dress or jacket inside out and wearing it with all the seams showing! I mean when you can see the seams and how its made it kind of takes away the magic of the creation, don't you think? And in the case of Fashion Week, I think that's exactly what's happened.
Add to that, what a police pal of mine at The Tents told me yesterday that he knows of tickets to the shows being sold on Craig's List and people actually getting a hold of invitations and heading to Kinko's to dupe them and sell them on the streets!
Craig's List? Wow! Who's doing the selling? If the original invitees, that's pretty telling. Check out this Fashionista Blog post for an explanation.
Anyway. All that aside, there are some pretty wonderful designs coming down those runways. and one of the most heartfelt (no pun intended) and uplifting was on Day One: The Red Dress Heart Truth fashion show. Camryn Manheim shook her booty and rocked our world as she made her way down the catwalk. Fabulous! And the finale was Liza Minelli in a be-spangled Halston dress singing "New York New York"...a real treat. And guess what, that was her very first time INSIDE the tents... in her whole life!
But hey... wait a minute. This wasn't fashion. Not in the traditional sense of a runway show of a designer's offerings for the season ahead anyway.
Yes, some may argue that any fashion show is an "entertainment spectacle" -- of the circus freak variety -- but that's because they're not looking at it with seasoned industry eyes. But the Red Dress show was an entertainment spectacle worthy of a Broadway show. And when you get American Express selling tickets to card members for a fashion show and fashion industry folk selling their invitation tickets on Craig's List...well, maybe it is turning into a circus after all.
Oh well, I guess we'll have to wait and see. For me though, I better get back to the three-ring wonder. I'll check back tomorrow. Have a fun-filled day Ladies!
Love,
~ C
UPDATE: 02/06/08
HERE'S THE ONLY BLOG YOU'LL WANT TO LOG ON TO FOR THE LATEST NEWS FROM FASHION WEEK, IT'S ON THE FULL FRONTAL FASHION SITE (WWW.BLOG.ULTRAHD.TV) WITH POSTS BY ALL OF THEIR REPORTERS AND HOSTS SO... SEVERAL VANTAGE POINTS AND THAT MEANS MORE THAN ONE POINT OF VIEW....GREAT!