I had a great NYFW even though ING, the company that runs it, took it out of Lincoln Center and spread the shows all over town. Most took place on the west side of town from the West Village up through the West 30’s. The pseudo headquarters was Moynihan Station, which is the side of New York’s main post office where the loading docks are. It was dark and austere on the inside and was tempted to look for long-lost mail while I was online for shows! At this NYFW “headquarters”, there were no sponsor booths to peruse while waiting in between shows save for Tresemme and a wine room area reserved for people who have a certain type of AMEX card.
I had a wonderful time checking out the Bluefly & Priv lounge at the Crosby Street hotel. Priv treated guests to manis inside their luxurious suits and massages out on the deck with a glorious downtown view. Bella Bags was there to show off the latest in high end consignment (many guests got to purchase bags at a hefty discount) and Bluefly showed off the latest in new high end goods. Guests also got to enter a raffle for a gorgeous YSL clutch!
I got a great haircut from Rita at the Angelo David Salon’s NYFW beauty lounge. held in their chic and modern space at 48th and Madison. They have the friendliest and most efficient service of any salon I’ve ever been in, bar none. Their waiting room is super comfortable as well. It is always a pleasure to say hi to Angelo and find out the “latest and greatest” goings on at his place. They always stock the latest products, know the latest styles and are experts in hair replacement. For more info on their services, go to www.angelodavidsalon.com.
It also seemed harder to get on the lists for the major designers’ shows and that might be due the record number of fashion bloggers attending. I got into several that I really wanted to attend though.
Fortunately, here were great NYFW lounges spread all over town, my favorites being the Eric Javits suite at the Doubletree because I finally got to meet the man himself after wearing his hats for 30 years. His staff was kind enough to lend me one of his couture English wedding hats for my brother’s nuptials in Key West in 1999 but I have treated myself to one of his hats or bags pretty much every year. I was thrilled to be able to meet the dapper King Of Millinery himself and see most of his Spring/Summer 2016 line on display. I also got to go to the press preview in his showroom on the final day of Fashion Week and saw even more luscious hats, many inspired by Audrey Hepburn. I love his patented Squishee fabric which is raffia-like but bends very easily and never seems to get damage on it.
I also make it a policy of visiting the most lively of all lounges, the Panasonic Beauty Bar–which was held in Nick Arrojo’s Tribeca Studio. This lounge is so fun because you get beauty services and get to rub elbows with stars. I saw Kelly Osbourne and Laverne Cox when I was there plus got the rundown on the latest Panasonic beauty appliances including a wonderful facial steamer that the VIPS got in their gift bags. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting with reps from Pandora Jewelry and Cargo Cosmetics as well.
I loved the NYFW skincare event sponsored by AMG Naturally in the Presidential Suite of the Dream Downtown Hotel. It was great to get 15 minute hot stone massages out on the deck with AMG Naturally products, which are derived from all-natural plant sources and meet its owner Linda Lizotte, who is a walking encyclopedia of natural nutrition and skincare. To purchase or find out more information about AMG Naturally products, go to www.amgnaturally.com.
The StyleXtech Lounge is always special because they have the latest technology and I admit I got hooked watching the clothes jiggle in the LG Swash machine there while everyone else was busy mixing and mingling. They sponsor a Media Lounge bus (they use the fabulous Ride tourist buses) and I got to travel to the Serena Williams show with Countess Luann De Lesseps and the fabulous fashion mentor Katlean De Monchy who was rockin’ a fab 60s inspired frock with a Les Paul on it. The lovely Countess showed us her wonderful jewelry line full of statement pieces and we also got the heads up on her fashion line which is full of pieces that don’t wrinkle and travel well including the flowing little red dress she was sporting on the ride.
The Jawbone StyleUP launch took place during NYFW at 201 Mulberry Street and guests were able to check out the popular Up2 and Up3 activity trackers and even get an OPI manicure to match the device they got to pick out and take home! Bauble Bar was there to show off their latest baubles and bangles as well!
I had a fun time at the GBK Productions & Pilot Pen NYFW Gifting Lounge at Skylight Studios–it was sponsored by Pilot Pens which launched their erasable ink pens in a rainbow of colors. I met some great people with new products including the guys from gourmesso.com, who make Nespresso machine compatible pods that cost 40 per cent less than the original. They flew in all the way from Berlin for the opportunity to meet with the fashion press. I also loved catching up with the Beyond The Rack people on their newest offering and adored the takeaway cupcakes Lancaster Cupcakes of Lancaster, PA gave me. In their booth, they had cupcakes with fondant models on top–simply too cute to eat! I sampled the wonderful Life Cell skincare products (they were a major sponsor of the GBK Lounge) and was thrilled to hear about and get a jar of their neck cream. I Googled these products after I got home and was impressed by the reviews they have gotten. I was also impressed that Whoopi Goldberg as well as a dozen other A List celebs stopped in to learn about the line. (For more info, go to www.lifecellcream.com.)
In terms of shows, I started out with Nicholas K at Skylight Studios and was impressed to see that he made a skirt entirely out of white Pilot Pens. His dressed were long and billowy and often put over old-school knickers that had elastic at the knees. Glamour-wise, I vote Zang Toi as the very best and not only were these fancy frocks great for any body type but it was a pleasure to see the Man Himself catting around with Patti LaBelle when he came out to take his walk at the end of the show. Also a winner in the gorgeous gown department was newer design Kai Milla who did a presentation at the fabulous Baccarat Hotel.
I liked Serena Williams’ For HSN show. They were great everyday clothes for the most part and Serena’s love of fringe came through loud and clear. You could see that Serena really designed the collection herself and showed ensembles you would expect to see her in.
The most fun show was Paul Frank Industries kids show at Hudson Mercantile which had a circus theme and ice cream, popcorn and candy were served to guests. The clothing was as whimsical as you might expect and the kids who modeled seemed to be having a blast.
I ended my NYFW not only by stopping in at the remarkable Eric Javits office but also by checking out the latest from Spanish designers at the Bene Rialto Collective, where a luscious breakfast was served and the most cutting edge designers were on display. I found a high style comfort shoe design firm name 5y Medio–and they, like me, agree that rubber soles and a 1 1/2 to 2 inch chunky heel make for total comfort. I loved that there were glittery shoes in their collection and i will be keeping an eye on them (check them out at 5yMedio.com and see what I mean–you have never seen comfort shoes like this before)!
So now I go to rest for six month so I can partake of NYFW next February, LOL
