Fashion Week For Spring ’18: My Favorite Moments!

NYFW is not what it used to be. While the shows certainly have all the glitz and the glamour, there is no one central venue and running all over town from one show to another requires the stamina of an Olympic athlete; that is why I only do a few events each fashion week! I admit that I enjoy the lounges and the pampering available at them over the shows although I do appreciate a collection with classic looks–or as I call it, “classic with an edge.” I only chose to cover a couple of shows this year but took in several lounges. It gets harder and harder each year to get into the bigger designer’s shows, and when I do, it’s standing room for me! I used to do Tracy Reese and Anna Sui every season and actually got invited but lately (thanks to having tough pr firms), I cannot get in at all.

Show-wise, I took in celebrity stylist Claudine Desola’s premiere show as a designer for Livari in the Style360 headquarters at the Metropolitan West Pavilion. One of my fellow bloggers Lara Eurodolian was in it (famous for her site prettyconnected.com and Charlie, her rescue Pomeranian sidekick). I loved the different Livari looks. They were as diversified as you can get–there were classic gowns and funky streetwear reminiscent of the 90s looks of girl groups like Destiny’s Child. I would call it a something for everybody show and there was a fun afterparty next tour at Hudson Terrace where Claudine and her models mixed with press and guests.

Vionic gave a NYFW Zen Lounge within their offices on West 56th Street and all I can say is that you cannot beat an “out call” foot message from the masters at Exhale Spa. It was great to see both the fall and spring collection and every guest left with a colorful pair of Vionic flip flops. I love this comfort line so much because I feel that the soles have an arch that hits just in the right place. I can walk for miles in my Vionic flats and my embellished black flip flops are my go-to pair for the beach.

I was delighted to see that the brand Baja East featured Melissa’s Shoes in their NYFW show! I was thrilled to attend a press preview for the new Melissa’s Shoes store at 500 Broadway last month (they took over the old Tommy Hilfiger Store). The new store has a bit of a retro Studio 54 vibe and they have all sorts of guest designers now including Vivienne Westwood. Anyway, the Baja East show showed off their collabo with the edgy denim brand Hudson, elevated eyewear brand Haze, and of course, the aforementioned iconic Melissa’s Shoes brand.

I did one showroom visit and that was to see the edgy cocktail and bridal wear by Randi Rahm in her midtown showroom. I saw so many convertible pieces of formalwear and even an embroidered clear PVC princess-style jacket that can go over a pantsuit or a gown! The bridal looks were breathtaking and whether you want to look like Grace Kelly or Nicki Minaj on your wedding day…well, RR can pull it together for you! (She does do custom work!) To say that I am impressed by the fact that all her items are created in rooms that are part of their offices is an understatement. All beading is done by hand! Randi is best known for designing Beyonce’s 2013 Emmy gown and insiders at the office tell me that it might be auctioned off to benefit survivors of Hurricane Harvey. That will undoubtedly be a newsworthy event!

I also got to go to the Stila Prep Lounge and get all sorts of great tips from their head makeup artist Sara Lucero. I was thrilled to check out all the spring makeup and get a makeup touchup with both the fall and spring collection products. There are some super innovative products for spring including Shimmer & Glow Liquid Eyeliner and Lipcolors. They are shimmery and long-lasting and I cannot wait to get my hands on them. From the fall collection, I fell in love with Stay All Day Foundation And Concealer, Stay All Day Waterproof Brow Color, Heaven’s Huge Highlighter and Eyes Are The Window Eye Shadow. These items were used by Sarah and her team for many NYFW shows including KUR, Cynthia Rowley, Banana Republic and BCBG and I was pleased that they got used on little ol’ me as well!

WWD gave a party at the Samsung flagship store in the Meatpacking District called WWD X Samsung Present The Style Dimension and it was thrilling to not only try the in-house attractions like a flight simulation ride, but there were great fashion and beauty brands on hand. Many guests were given great skin machines and face brushes by SonicBlend. It was fun to see the glitterati mix and mingle–and during the day, WWD held great fashion seminars inside the store.

The NYFW Pampering Hub at the Dream Hotel was sponsored by Alpha Blu Skincare–guests got mini facials, hand and foot massages on a beautiful deck off one of the Dream Downtown’s PH suites. I just regret that I couldn’t use the gorgeous whirlpool while I was there. There was plenty of male eye candy as Alpha Blue put together a calendar of hunks that were there to mix and mingle with the female guests. Everyone left with a set of Alpha Blu’s “hero” products–their day cream, night cream, eye cream and smoothing skin serum. The food on hand was excellent and included the Dream Downtown’s legendary sliders and turkey club sandwiches.

Techstyle is one of my go-to lounges and being a foodie, I especially enjoyed checking out the “bouquets” of cupcakes by Cupcake Bouquet, having drinks made with Deep Eddy Vodka, and getting my hair done by the ladies of NEUMA and makeup done by the ladies of BeGlammed. They did updos on everyone and I salute them for being able to do one on me considering my hair is about 7″ long! It was nice to see my pals from Plant-O-Gram and Kind Bars as well. The Lofts At Prince Street– where it took place–is a lovely, airy venue with a killer rooftop garden. There was a clothing swap sponsored by the app called Cladwell that was really rockin’! I was very angry at myself for forgetting to bring some pieces to swap. Also at the event was the subscription box company A Genie’s Dream, Callio Fragrance, Harmless Harvest, K. Carroll Bags, Neuma Beauty, DV Closet, Thread International and The Ultimate Cuff.

I loved getting pampered with a Paintbox manicure done with pale pink OPI nail color at one of my all-time favorite NYFW lounges–simply known as GBK for GBK Productions, the company that gives it. The GBK Lounge was given at 404 Tenth Avenue–a huge loft-like space with two floors that seems to be a favorite with local and visiting designers. There were about twenty great food, booze, fashion and accessory vendors. It was great to see my pals from BFloral who were there to promote their unique dried flower jewelry and hair ornaments and the GrandeLash folks whom I have worked with several times who were on board to promote the seven wonderful colors of their latest product, GrandeLips. I had not seen the Nature’s Bounty folks since two years ago at Jill Zarin’s Luxe Lunch and they gave me a ton of Hair, Skin & Nail Gummies (I made the mistake of eating whole jars in one sitting afterwards but they are a delicious mixed berry flavor). The new folks that I met and loved were Catskill Provisions (who make booze, chocolates and catsup with their own honey), Cynthia Gale Jewelry (who gave me a stunning engraved sterling silver band), Eva Gems & Jewels who do wonderful mixed semi-precious stone jewelry and Milene Jardine Chocolatier (who does a wild assortment of truffles including ones flavored like Harvey Wallbangers and Hibiscus/Mint).

I also got pampered at the Caravan Stylist Studio where I got hair done by head stylist Val, who always does a bang-up job in minutes. She is a blast to just hang out with and did a beautiful job with her elegant yet funky decorating skills at the studio. Great brands for guests to peruse and get gifted by at the studio included Hanes/Maidenform, Musely Hydrogel Mask, Baby Foot and Fake Bake. Caravan Style Studio is an intimate space on the second floor of the Gregory Hotel on West 25th Street and I don’t have enough good things to say about them. Check them out at www.caravanstyliststudio.com.

Young Living Essential Oils gave a press event during Fashion Week way west on Bank Street in the Village that blew my mind. They set up four different experience rooms that featured scenes that matched their most famous fragrance oils like the citrus ones (orange, tangerine and grapefruit), pine, lavender and more. To walk into the event and immediately walk into a little room with a video of French lavender fields on the screen and lavender in the air blew my mind. It was so fun to sit on an old-fashioned wooden swing in the room resembling a forest with the wonderful pine essential oil in the air.

There was a killer rooftop party for LF/Life Shoes’ Spring ’18 line on the Gramercy Hotel Roof Terrace and I have to admit that I probably would go to the opening of an envelope there–it has a funky feel with a ton of great Warhol portraits on the walls and a spectacular view of Gramercy Park. Lucky guests got to pick one of six shoe styles to take home and a got a pair of badass black loafers with silver studs. This event had the biggest “beautiful people” crowd in all of Fashion Week (at least in my humble opinion). Now I just need about six months’ rest until the next NYFW comes along, LOL!