Okay, I’m a sucker for designer spawn at Fashion Week. Kimora Lee Simmons brought along the Kimussells when she debuted Baby Phat and KLS Collection for Spring 2008. The looks were a hip mix of urban streetwear from Baby Phat and glammed up sophistication from KLS collection. Fabulosity reigned supreme with splashes of color and body hugging cuts all around.
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Mazel Tov! Tracy Reese celebrated her 10th anniversary milestone collection by giving us more of the flirty femme looks we love.
Tracy Reese is one of my all time favorite designers. I like to call her dresses “brunch dresses” because they’re exactly what you want to pull out of your closet and wear to a Sunday morning brunch date. Her clothes are transformative and can take you from “oh my damn!” to glam in an instant. They make you look pretty and pulled together with minimal effort.
The Tracy Reese collection for Spring 2008 was all about bright, happy dressing — bold colors, eye-catching prints, and sweeping lines. Models wore clothes were soaked in color from a belted lavender dress to a beachy marigold shift and tapering off to crisp, white palazzo pants. She sent wide-brimmed hats and parasols down the catwalk as if we were under the French Riviera sun. One word – drama.
Apparently I’m not the only one all caught up in the cult of Tracy Reese. The crowd read like a who’s who and included industry notables like Andre Leon Talley, Bethann Hardison, Tim Gunn, Veronica Webb and “noted fashion photographer” Nigel Barker.
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Sadistic designer Monica Byrne thought it would be a good idea to have models wrapped in yards of tulle and stilettos stand on irregular tree stumps. Jeez…these poor girls are hungry already, forcing them to try to keep their balance is cruel and unusual.
The British are coming and they’re bringing their sexy, slouchy, deconstructed dresses with them. Preen sent a cadre of models including Agyness Deyn and Jessica Stam down the runway in wrap dresses that are so easy they look like you just woke up from a lust-filled night with your lover and tucked and draped his luxurious sheets around your body before high-tailing it back to your place. The biggest thing to figure out with these dresses is what goes where and what doesn’t get exposed.
Amongst all the silk and satin, my favorite look was a black and white sequined party dress draped over one shoulder with a blush pink bandeau. It love this dress because it looks as if they went to the set of Dynasty, ripped out Linda Evans’ shoulder pads, nipped, tucked, draped and voilà! Everything 80’s is posh again!
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The Badgley Mischka boys are red carpet kings and their Spring 2008 collection largely stuck to their strength. Serious gowns. They infused 1920’s flapper style into their lengthy looks and turned to Art Deco architecture references for gorgeous detailing. Come awards season, expect to see these looks on pretty Hollywood things like Emmy Rossum and Teri Hatcher who both graced the front row.
The designers hit a few odd notes when they mixed in everyday sportswear with these big red carpet looks. I did like the scarf-belted trench coat they sent down the runway, but then again, who doesn’t love a trench?
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