Brave soul that I am I ventured out Friday morning through New York City’s first winter blizzard to attend a fashion show.
Fashion shows as a rule are quite entertaining in and of themselves, and judging by what I witnessed Friday morning during Fashion Week at Lincoln Center, one doesn’t have to bear witness just sitting in the front row to enjoy the spectacle. All one has to do is stand or sit inside the lobby of the building and just watch what people are wearing. I am pretty immune to strange dressing but even I raised an eyebrow or two at some of the getups that clearly announced, “Look at me!”
As I entered the building a statuesque figure preceded me through the door. Waist-length blonde hair, mustard colored coat over a print dress, bright turquoise tights and the obligatory 4 or 5 inch heels didn’t look too out of the ordinary, until I saw the profile. This trendy dresser with long mane was a man with full beard and mustache. Really!!!
Then while waiting for my colleagues outside the fashion show venue my eyes settled on three-not-so-little-maids (also male in gender). One wore a leather biker’s jacket with metal studs, leather cap and lo-and-behold a full length diaphanous net skirt… let’s not forget the lace up leather boots either. The other wore a full length fur coat of undisclosed origin, red skirt, high heels, and shoulder drop earrings. As I’m not the world’s best photographer I didn’t capture the third fashion victim wearing the white fur-like coat over knee-high boots let’s just say it was out of the ordinary.
But, let’s get to the reason I was at Fashion Week in the first place; that was to attend the Carmen Marc Valvo Fall 2013 presentation. Carmen never disappoints and this collection was especially glamorous and elegant. I was seated in the front row so I saw the details and craftsmanship, which were beautifully executed. The contrasting inserts, the subtle drape created in liquid silk satin and luxurious lace; I was drooling throughout the show. The collection took me back to when I first covered fashion shows and how excited I was to review the lines. Carmen’s dresses, gowns and fur coats were feminine in every respect. The collection was very special! No drama. No quirky pieces. No shock waves… just beautiful designs that begged to be worn by women who love beautiful fashion.
Carmen launched the newest addition to his fashion label and that is a collection of shoes under his name. The shoes are as exceptional as his presentation of dresses, gowns and furs. The heels, as fashion calls for, were quite high but the models seemed to navigate their strut down the runway quite easily. From the strappy leather pumps to the mesh-like uppers with back-tie, each wrapped the foot in beautiful form.
Working my way back from Carmen’s show to the lobby there were some additional stop-in-your-tracks get-ups. But somehow now it all made sense to me. Fashion Week shows take place in the same Lincoln Center venue as the Big Apple Circus. The Circus features clowns such as the iconic Grandma. Her choice of fashion would not have been considered unique, as a matter of fact she would have been quite comfortable among the fashion clowns that pranced about. I even think Grandma’s style would have created a bit of dress envy by the scene stealers.
Tell-A-Gram 