Fashion mags, dishy websites, and stylish stores all provide the mainstream media with a fashion fix; NY Fashion Week takes it to a whole different level.
When you’re in New York during this particular span of time, the entire city is captivated: newspapers, TV stations, even cabbies know what’s going on in Bryant Park.
See photos from Spring '06 Fashion Week.
The Tents
By first impression, the tents in Bryant Park feel like any other ritzy NY haunt; yet in reality, they’re literally outdoors in the middle of a park. That just goes to show that New York City is all about appearance.
Lining the walls of the tents are promotion booths chock-full of the latest (but not always greatest) products; manning the front desk are modern day newsboy-girls handing out the day’s imperative reading material, including WWD, The Daily, and Elle; and trolling the crowd are UPS men with silver platters of insanely delicious brownies. For the majority of fashion gals, who seem to avoid words like “fudge” and “chocolate” in their daily diets, a freebie latte bar provides adequate caffeine fixes.
The Stages
The fashion shows take place in separate venues, which are large stadium-seated rooms each decorated according to the respective designer’s view.
Some dazzle them up with glittering chandeliers and catchy neon lights, while others go a much more minimalistic route with all-white interiors. Either way, attention is never on the decorations: when there aren’t clothes to focus on, you can count on a standard front row of celebs to gawk at.
Dress Code
Although the clothing prancing down the runway does take center stage, it seems every spectator is vying for their own few seconds in the limelight. The attitude concerning dress code seems to be “anything goes,” but a dose of distinction certainly doesn’t hurt.
A select posse of high-powered fashion editors seem to really break out the big guns (and by that I mean stylists) with head-to-toe designer ensembs sometimes mixed up, or in the case of Anna Wintour, in the designer who has a show going on at the moment. Others follow their own beat (in an impossibly chic way, no doubt.)
It is safe to say that comfort is a key, but at Fashion Week it’s definitely not a defining factor. You can spot nearly as many stilettos as flats and flip flops (yes, FLIP FLOPS!). Skinny black pants are an obvious choice for their simplicity and style factor, yet pencil skirts added a sophisticated, yet undeniably stylish contrast.
More about "Dressing for the Shows"
Guest List
A wide variety of people show up to the renowned Bryant Park tents, all with one collective interest: fashion (or celebrity-watching, in the case of the paparazzi).
The most widespread crew includes fashion journos from various newspapers, magazines, and websites worldwide; photographers and media types are typical, too.
You can expect to see an average of two celebs per show, but the number and the scope of their fame varies on the notoriety of the designer. Show newbies (like myself) get a thrill out of the famous faces, but paparazzi they bring ruffled the feathers of fashion veterans.
Models
Models play a large part in the overall fashion show experience - though not in actual size, obviously. During the actual production, they are exactly what you would expect a walking mannequin to look like: tall, remarkably skinny, and as straight-faced as sin.
If you catch them off duty outside the tents, on the other hand, they ooze personality while chatting on cells, rocking out to iPods, and, best of all, exhibiting their truly hip taste.
Recuperate
Although nothing can quite compare to Fashion Week, in the end it comes as a relief to know that it only comes around twice-yearly: the work put into it for everyone involved, from the photogs to the designers to the show-goers, requires nearly that much time to recuperate!
