OMG What was that? If New York Fashion week was like the tastiest Blow Pop ever, then Paris Fashion Week was a rainbow of Poprocks. Eye candy cannot graze what happened to my eyes last week. Eye ecstasy is really more like it. Thank you Emanual Ungaro for resurrecting pink. Thank you Wunderkind for showing us asymmetry in tights. And thank you Viktor & Rolf for making us wonder if we were still watching ready-to-wear. There was a nipple sticker (Ungaro), a made-from-hay step and repeat (Chanel), sometimes no shirts (YSL, Sonia Rykiel), sometimes no pants, and as models blew kisses from the catwalk designers crossed their fingers in hopes that sex still sells.

What does an average working woman do with barely there textile and pieces that reveal? I’m guessing that in the Spring, people will have to wear pants and shirts, but sheer stuck. YSL’s autumn leather pieces carried over. Candy colors and lips that pop were as frequent as toque toppers and tall platforms. Continue to accessorize with belts, headbands, earrings, sunglasses. Allow these accessories influence your fall purchases. As for businesswear, there were plenty of knee length skirts and safe for work jackets. Just because the models aren’t wearing shirts with their suits, doesn’t mean you should!

The winners? It’s hard to decipher amongst the hoopla. Louis Vuitton, with the afro wigs and feather clogs, looked harder to wear than Gaultier’s visible bra shirts. And Alexander McQueen’s fru fru skirts and devil horned hair looked uncomfortable. However, while parts of Paris fashion week made a New Yorker feel pre-pubescent (like the French can justify excess because - enter French accent - “We’ve been doing this longer than you!”) other shows remained keyed to consumers needs (Hermes, Alexander Wang, Giles). Until spring, patience.

Photos: Paris Fashion Week, Spring 2010, Ready-to-Wear  Ungaro, YSL, Sonia Rykiel, Viktor & Rolf

Emma Dinzebach

You name it, they’re participating. Never before has the fashion community united as strongly as they will Thursday, September 10th for much anticipated “Fashion’s Night Out.” Anna Wintour’s brainchild, this evening aims truly aims to promote retail, restore consumer confidence, celebrate fashion and unite industry aspects. There are no tickets, no invitations, no exclusive lists. From 6p.m. to 11p.m. stores will welcome customers with giveaways, sweepstakes, cocktails and mini manicures and more.

The Vogue City normally encourages bargain shopping, widely discouraging full price purchasing, but Fashion’s Night Out is more than just shopping.  All proceeds from Fashion’s Night Out official t-shirt sales will benefit the National September 11th Memorial and Museum. Over 700 retail stores in the 5 boroughs are on board to participate and in addition to celebrating, many retailers are taking a charity angle. A city-wide clothing drive where people can donate new or gently used clothing will kick off to benefit the New York City AIDS Fund. The collected clothing will be distributed to 17 area AIDS charities. For a list of retailers accepting the clothing donations, click here.
With Zac Posen painting one of a kind dresses at Bergdorf and a Patrick McMullen photo exhibit at Lord & Taylor, participation is running the gamut. It wouldn’t be New York and it wouldn’t be Vogue without some star alignment. WWD reports Sienna Miller at Intermix, Hugh Jackman at Jeffery, the Olsen twins at Barney’s, Charlize Theron at Dior, Justin Timberlake at Saks and the list goes on.

Rich, poor or somewhere in between, this is an unprecedented global event orchestrated by the American fashion industry. No where else in the world could such an ambitious, charitable and energetic idea, accessible to every citizen regardless of class, color, or cash flow, ignite a global phenomenon pulling together every teeny aspect of monstrous industry. Despite the state of our economy, shaky decision-making and heart-wrenching loss in some of our most creative industries, we are New Yorkers. Like Bergdorf’s president and CEO, Jim Gold, said a few weeks back, “You can lay down and do nothing, or beat the drum and create excitement.” In New York, we’re drum beaters.
Fashion’s Night out is an initiative supported by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, The City of New York, New York & Co., and Vogue. For a list of retailers, timelines or other information, visit www.fashionsnightout.com.