Fashion Week Diary: Ralph Lauren's Civilized Show, Yachting With Bill Blass, and Naeem Khan
Photos: Imaxtree
Looks from the Ralph Lauren, Naeem Khan, and Bill Blass Spring 2012 collections
Fashion Week Diary, Day 8
Well, we made it. It's the last day. The lure of the Ralph Lauren show pulled me out of bed this morning. That's not an easy feat at this point, let me tell you. But you don't miss the RL show. After a week where people pushed and shoved for a chance at a front row seat, it's downright refreshing to go to such a civilized show. The who's who of fashion calmly took their seats, no one stole anyone else's, and it was all just lovely. Sigh.
Olivia Wilde was sitting front row. It took me a few seconds to recognize her. Or rather, my thought process was, huh, that editor looks surprisingly like Olivia Wilde. (She's gorgeous in person in case you were wondering.)
The show referenced F. Scott Fitzgerald's Daisy Buchanan, and all the glorious outfits she'd wear. As you can imagine, I'm now completely jealous of a fictional character. But the clothes were just so pretty—a great way to start my last day of Fashion Week. (For more on Ralph Lauren, read the review.)
Next up was Bill Blass by Jeffrey Monteiro, which I nearly missed thanks to my inability to schedule things properly! I got there just in time. The collection was very nautical (and a touch more resort than spring)—think navy, white, red and anchors galore. The blouses and dresses were essentially backless, making me wish I not only had that slim a figure, but a yacht upon which to wear these clothes. Oh, a girl can dream can't she? But back to the show. Karlie Kloss wore an amazing yellow sequined dress while doing that intense walk that she does. Which made me wonder—what does she think about as she's strutting? I'm curious. Karlie, give us a shout with the answer.
My last show of the day—and of the week!—was Naeem Khan. Naeem's gowns are a sight to behold, though the crowd wasn't as serene as my two previous shows. I was sandwiched between two very burly guys who'd moved forward a couple rows. Oh well, closest thing to a date I'm having anytime soon. The soundtrack was a bit at odds with all that is Naeem. Marilyn Manson for the first song? But we were here for the clothes, which were richly detailed, embellished, beaded and more. Some of the gowns were so long the models stumbled. I was holding my breath hoping they wouldn't fall (they didn't, thankfully!). At the end, Naeem received the first standing ovation I've seen all week.
I ran out of Lincoln Center in the hopes of catching a cab back to the office. Instead, I ran into pouring rain. I apparently left my umbrella in the cab. This is my sad end to Fashion Week. But it was a fun ride, as tired as I am now. I'll be spending my weekend soaking my feet and recuperating.
