By Adrienne Weinfeld-Berg
Well, here we go again. Now that the madness and craziness of the next-to-the-last edition of Fashion Week at Bryant Park has just ended – the move to Lincoln Center is coming soon – we’re bringing you a brand new, second-time around assortment of some of our favorite, undiscovered “personalities”, coming straight to you from The Tents (and beyond) in NYC.
Now, although we’re not really saying for sure which of these “faces” might fall under which category of either being a Beauty, a Freek or a Geek, we think it’s much more interesting for you to draw your own conclusions about who fits where. And although we pretty much have our own ideas about who fits which of the categories in this eclectic puzzle, we simply wanted to let you play the game and have as much fun and frolic as we did, when we first found this cast of characters, and then lifted the veil about who they are and what they had to say, at the Spring/Summer 2010 Fashion Shows.
Tyler Laswell
Affiliation: Celebrity Hairstylist, TRESemmé Booth
You live where: Lower Manhattan. I also have homes in Key West and Kentucky.
And, you are wearing: A pile-on of expensive labels with a few more, reasonably-priced things. John Varvatos sunglasses. Double-hoop, Tiffany, sterling silver earrings in my right ear. I am sorry to say this, but the earrings are a little bit tarnished and they are very tired; they’ve been in there for a long time. Marc Jacobs T-shirt. Christian Dior jacket; my absolute, most favorite jacket in the world. I am super-picky with the jacket. Uniqlo jeans. John Varvatos boots. Hermes Birkin bag; the piece de resistance. We could fit 101 Dalmations in that bag. A lot of people ask me what I carry in the Birkin, and I say, ‘my ego’, and it’s barely big enough for that. What’s in there today? Actually, another cheaper bag from Club Monaco. The Hermes bag was actually a gift from an anonymous benefactor who lives in Germany. I met him in quite the round about way, at a celebrity birthday party in the city, but I can’t really say any more about him. So, we’re just going to leave him alone; leave him in the street.
Great and Not So Great Observations: One of the most fabulous things that I have done during Fashion Week is working on fierce shows, such as Brian Reyes and Tracy Reese.
In the six years that I have been working at Fashion Week, I have to say that we get around 80% crazies and 20% bona fide people in the TRESemmé booth. The crazies are the crazies and they know who they are, and that’s that. Now, when it comes to the bona fide people, we are seeing a lot more buyers than we do editors, and stylists. I think this is because the editors, for the most part, are so put together in their own ways, whatever that way might be, and I feel like so many of the buyers that we see in the booth, even though they are fabulous, really do not put that much time into their appearance. So, it is a good thing for us to have the chance to add to that particular person’s individual ‘look’, which is as much fun for us as it for that buyer.
It is interesting to note that while we have had a surprising male response this year, in terms of the females to males ratio we have been seeing, most of the men coming to the booth for touch ups are wearing a lot more of the longer, not so coiffed hair; more of the sexy, Italian style, James Dean with an Italian style twist to it. And, in that vein, I put myself, although I would characterize myself more as probably a little bit of all-American prep with a little bit of James Dean, rock-and-roll background. I cut my own hair and style it with TRESemmé products, of course.
It’s really sad that the fashion business has turned into a world of bloggers, and this really bothers me, because everyone has become so taken up with living in a world of immediate satisfaction, Nobody wants to wait for the beauty in the magazines anymore. Everybody has to have it right now and everybody wants to have it so fast and nobody wants to wait for everything to be right and correct. It’s really as if everything that so many of these bloggers say is 100% right and written in stone, vs. the magazines, where the editors truly do their homework and fact-check everything. For me, with the magazines, it is all about the art, and the fact that the magazines do not just give information, which is pretty much all that the bloggers do, and in most cases, the bloggers really mess up with the information that they give out, but the magazines give the history and all of the beauty and the behind-the-scenes about a particular story. And, for me, that’s what makes magazines work, even in this day and age of instant gratification.
Sam Morris
Affiliation: Creative Director, Raine Magazine
You live where … Financial District
And, you are wearing A much shorter hairstyle than I had a few weeks ago, when my hair, which I hadn’t cut in around five months, was so super-curly and wild and long, that I looked like the ‘Sideshow Bob’ character from ‘The Simpsons’. But, now, I have people coming up to me at The Tents, asking me if I’m Seth Rogen. I tell them no, but sometimes I get the feeling that they still think I am him, which is kind of funny. I cut my own hair, no I’m joking. I always go to a great salon in Westchester, because there’s one stylist there who really knows how to cut my very curly hair, and they always get it right. Sunglasses; I believe they’re just really nice, little black glasses from Lens Crafters. But wait; oh no, Cohen’s Fashion Optical, just like your vintage black Rayban’s. Argyle Sweater; I don’t remember. Oh, wait a minute; Dockers. T-shirt with little London logo, from London. Pants from when I went to Rome two years ago, by some Italian designer, whose name I can’t remember. BCBG shoes.
Great and Not So Great Observations: We just came out of Christian Siriano, whom I loved. I love how he plays with architecture; how he mainly does dresses, but also, how he plays everything up with voume and with color. The first half of the collection was all of those muted tans and browns and beiges, and then, all of a sudden, there are these giant pops of color at the end. His show was one of the best I’ve seen so far.
Adam Lippes is also absolutely one of my favorites. I saw his Fall 2009 collection in February and I fell in love with it. I love how everything this designer does is so elegant and simple and really and truly ready-to-wear in the truest sense of the word; it’s all just out there and ready to be sold immediately.
On the other side of the coin, we have Charlotte Ronson, whom, to be honest, kind of underwhelmed me. I know that her show was one of the more packed and crazy shows that I’ve seen this week, and everyone seemed to love it, but I did not. Maybe, great expectations, because I know that she has a big fan following; plus, everybody loves her sister, Samantha. Now, with Samantha dj’ing at the show, the music was really great, and with the music being so great, well, for me, the music overshadowed the fashion, and that’s not such a good thing.
This is my first year and only my second season of covering Fashion Week. I’ve learned, sort of, kind of, some of the ‘tricks of the trade’, as opposed to seeing so much difference in the clothing from one season to the next. I’ve learned how important it is not to cause a mess and not cause a fuss. For example, if you’re not on the list, you might or you might not get into a show. If you do get in, you might get a seat, but you have to be cool about everything. Conversely, if you’re on the list and have a seat, but you don’t like that seat, you’ll generally be able to get a better seat, but again, you have to be cool and civilized. My thing is to simply relax, do my job, but still have fun; Fashion Week is all about doing all of those things. I feel that all of the big drama should be backstage.
As for the hangers -on who come to The Tents, I can sort of understand that part of it all, because when I was in High School, I always wanted to be at Bryant Park; in The Tents and everything, but now that I am here as a working professional, I understand that this is my job and that while I am definitely here to work for my magazine, I am also entitled to enjoy myself and have fun. I think that what I have learned the most during my time at Fashion Week, is how important it is to be able to know how to balance out the business and pleasure side of things, because at the end of the day, Fashion Week is hard work.
The people who come to The Tents as hangers-on, well, for me, these are the people who are usually the most annoying, the loudest and the most obnoxious; the people who bump you and then tell you to get the hell out of their way. These are the people who’ll be the first to steal your seat at a show, or grab your gift bag at a party, and then, try to intimidate you into thinking that they deserve the seat and the gift bag, which is just insane. So, at that point, all you really want to say to that person is, ‘can I see your pass? Can I see your badge? Are you supposed to be here?’ It’s just all so ridiculous.
As for walking into a show and seeing gifts only in the first and second rows, which is where basically the cream-of-the-crop editors and celebrities are seated most of the time, well, I do understand some of that. I also understand about economics and the fact that the majority of designers, especially the smaller, lesser-known designers, just don’t have the budget to give gifts to everyone who attends their show. And, that’s perfectly fine and completely understandable. But, on the other hand, the thing that I don’t understand and don’t like at all, is when gifts are placed in the first four rows; that’s kind of cheap and a little bit like saying to the guests that all of the first four rows are so much better and more important than the rest of the rows in the house.
Move to Lincoln Center: There are positives and negatives, I think. In Bryant Park now, there’s one giant tent, one medium tent, one smaller tent. From what I understand, at Lincoln Center, they’ll be able to have one giant tent and two medium tents, so they’ll be able to have two slightly larger tents, which is a good thing, I guess, because more people will be able to see the shows, which means more outlets will be able to cover Fashion Week in general. On the opposite side, however, there’s the fact that Bryant Park is such a centrally located place, which is literally in the center of Manhattan; so convenient and so easy and quick to get in and out of. Not only that, but a large part of the allure of Fashion Week is that it’s not really open to the public, and people always walk by 42nd Street and The Tents, and kind of gawk and stare in awe at everything that’s going on, along with gawking and staring at all of the people going in and out of The Tents, and so, all of this really does add to the excitement and the glamour of the whole thing.
At Lincoln Center, Fashion Week, I think, is going to kind of be quietly tucked away in a corner, where nobody really walks by, unless they have to, and I think that kind of diminishes the allure and the grandeur of what Fashion Week represents. But, who really knows what is going to happen once everything moves over there. Of course, I’m still going to come to Fashion Week and Lincoln Center, because I love the event and I love Lincoln Center and the upper West Side. I hope it all works out.
Donna Brasier
Affiliation: Southern Belle, Fashion Afficienado
You Live Where … Indianola, Mississippi
And, you are wearing: My hair is cut and styled by a close friend who owns a wonderful boutique in my town. I just got this vintage hat from a very dear, very old friend of mine. The hat has been in her collection for many, many years, and she gave it to me to wear in New York City, especially for Fashion Week. I love hats and I have tons of them. My cocktail dress, beaded bag and beaded, Donald Pliner shoes are all from Maison Weiss in Jackson, MS. I’m wearing Mikimoto pearls and earrings. I love pearls.
I’m at The Tents because: I’m in New York visiting my son, who works for the New York Stock Exchange. I thought it would be neat to come to the shows and see what’s going on for next Spring. I just saw Christian Siriano’s new collection, which was totally awesome. I loved everything, particularly, the blue section of the show. I thought that everything he showed was very chic. I still can’t believe that the bags and shoes that I just saw on the runway are going to be at Payless; I just can’t believe it. Now, you know that I really wasn’t a client of Christian’s before, but after seeing this show, I certainly will be a client of his now. I’m also looking forward to seeing Chado Ralph Rucci’s collection later on.
Aside from the fun times I’m having at The Tents, my friends and I had such a wonderful time going all around town during Fashion’s Night Out. We had cocktails and great food at so many of the stores we visited; the whole night was just like one great party. At Gucci, I bought a couple of purses, which was fun. Overall, the total Fashion Week experience for me has been so exciting and so glamorous. It’s so interesting just to be here and see and know about what’s going to make you look so good and feel so good for the coming season.
Bruce Elliott
Affiliation: Fashion Stylist
You live where … Greenwich, Conn.
And, you are wearing: A signature look inspired by Rick James. He is my muse and my inspiration; I get that I look like him a lot. I really like to look different, and it’s hard to do that, especially in New York. But, I haven’t seen another man wearing a bang like I wear in a long time; certainly not since Rick James anyways. My hair is cut and styled by a stylist by the name of Carmen; she’s a family friend and she has done my hair for years. Vintage sunglasses, Tokyo 7, Soho. Shirt: Kirra. Sweater wrapped around jeans: Ralph Lauren. Jeans: H&M. Boots: Dr. Martens.
Great and Not So Great Observations: I just came out of Christian Siriano’s show, which was so beautiful. I loved the ball gowns; he really knocked me out of the water with this part of the collection. The dresses were very beautiful, as well. I loved the marbleized prints that he used, and the volume of everything, which is what I really like from him. But overall, I think that he played it safe this season. The bags and shoes, which he created exclusively for Payless are totally unexpected, but that’s Christian. I didn’t like the repetitiveness with all of those big hats; we’ve seen that before. I think, as with many other designers that we see during FW, Christian needs to evolve and change things around and take risks.
Move to Lincoln Center: Since this will be the very last year for Fashion Week at The Bryant Park Tents, I think that being here right now makes everything a little bit more magical; a little more special.
What is different now at Fashion Week is that I am seeing more people who are showing up this season, and not only that they are showing up in bigger numbers, but many of these people are showing up much more well dressed and well groomed this time around. Also, I am seeing more designers presenting some really good and wearable collections, For example, David Elfin’s show was just amazing; same for Rebecca Taylor, Tuleh, Vivienne Tam and Venexiana. When you ask me about which designers I didn’t like, well, to be honest, I can’t really say that there was anyone that I didn’t like this season. It would be hard to badmouth any designer, because everyone that I saw ranged from good to better to really, really great.
Katy Winn
Affiliation: Getty Images; House Photographer for IMG, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week
You live where … Bi-coastal. New York and Los Angeles.
And, you are wearing: Hair color given to me by my mother, who is a natural blonde. I finally decided to go with a natural color, because I am part Dutch, so I really have to give credit to my mother and her heritage for my coloring. Barry at Bumble & Bumble cuts and styles my hair. My hair is much longer now, because I’ve been using Biotin, an incredible product, which has really made my hair grow. Make-up is just a big, mish-mosh of stuff. I’m wearing a combination of Barbie from MAC make-up and Maybelline lipstick and that really glossy and slick ‘Lash Stilletto’ mascara. I love the fact that Maybelline is at The Tents this season; so fun and exciting and glamorous. Scarf: my mother’s vintage piece. Michael Jackson-inspired Jacket: Trash and Vaudeville. Shorts: Charlotte Ronson, from one of her first collections. Hosiery: The Sockman, Saint Mark’s Palce. Shoes: Trash and Vaudeville. Camera: Nikon D-3, ‘the only way to go’, Nikon SV900 Flash, Lens: 24 to 70, 14 to 24, 70-200, ‘you’re ready to rock Fashion Week’. Runway Access Pass/4CS: ‘This pass is from Christian Siriano’s show. If you don’t have one of these, you are not hitting the runways. I have nearly all access with this pass, but I also have a ‘House Photographer’s’ badge, which does make me all access, all of the time’.
Great and Not So Great Observations: I’ve been shooting Fashion Week in New York City for sixteen seasons; eight years and I think that I have seen it all and heard it all. I do more of a photo-journalistic take on what’s going on here at Fashion Week vs. the paparazzi-style of photography, which I really don’t do. I mostly have an interest in the editors, but of course, I will take a picture of a celebrity in the front row, because that is part of the story. But, I focus on the editors, stylists, fashionistas, in general; the staples who have been making Fashion Week the exciting event that it has been sine 7th On 6th first began.
When you ask about my thoughts on all of the hangers-on who come to The Tents, well, I can only say that I really do have a problem with all of those people who would love to be a part of Fashion Week, but who do not really belong here. It seems that we just have so many random people who love to come to The Tents, and they get in somehow, and they go around, taking advantage of everything that they possibly can take advantage of. I see so many of these people running to the open bar, grabbing as many freebies as they can; stealing seats and goodie bags; i.e., doing whatever they can possibly do, just to be seen and be photographed. I think that all of this is just crazy, especially when it comes to stealing gift bags. I mean, anyone can get a lot of the stuff in those bags on their own, for a very nominal cost. So why, go and steal a goody bag? I guess for these people, running around with a gift bag from Fashion Week is the thrill of the hunt; the be all and end all of their lives. On the other hand, there are so many fashion, art and design students in New York City who want to be here, and I’d love for them to be able to come in and see the shows, because these young people are truly followers of fashion and style, and for them to be a part of Fashion Week seems right.
When you ask about whether or not people in fashion can be nice, vs. all of the rudeness that just seems to be such an integral part of Fashion Week, I have a story. I lost my Blackberry when I was shooting house for Duckie Brown. You know that in the fashion industry, we’re driven to tears for losing something as crucial to our lives as a Blackberry is. Our whole lives are stored in there; we’re tethered to that Blackberry. You see many, many people going through The Tents on their Blackberries, constantly talking and texting on them. Everybody has all of their important numbers, contact information, et al, on the Blackberry; nobody has any of that information committed to memory; everyone depends on the Blackberry for all of that. So, when I lost my Blackberry, I went crazy, obviously. Most of the Duckie Brown team, who were just darling and great, was searching with me, once we got everything straightened away with the show and all of that, but in the end, the Blackberry was nowhere to be found. I walked out of that show in tears. And, I’m thinking, so, this really is the rudeness and disgraceful attitude of some person, who would actually take someone else’s Blackberry and just walk away with it. I cannot tell you how I felt at that exact moment, just thinking that there was someone out there, walking around with my property that they had stolen. But, there was good news in the end, because when I walked to the front of The Tents, I went to the Information Booth, just on a hunch. I figured that I’d make one last ditch effort, and I’ll ask if anybody had turned the Blackberry in; well, somebody did find my Blackberry and they turned it in. I was so happy. Maybe one day, I’ll find out who that person was who turned it in and be able to do something equally wonderful for them.
Some Good Dish: I can tell you who had a hard time getting a seat at one of the major shows this season. You’ll have to forgive me, though, but I just can’t remember which show, because right now, it’s all become such a blur. Poor Russell Simmons, who is one of the richest men in the music and clothing world, had just come into the show, and was jostled around from one front row seat to the next, because the publicist couldn’t find the correct seat for Mr. Simmons. So, the publicist finally sat Mr. Simmons down, right next to Nikki Hilton, who was being really heavily photographed, and there were flashbulbs going off everywhere. So, while all of this was happening, Mr. Simmons turns right around to the publicist, who just happened to be standing right there in all of this craziness, and says, ‘I’m here to watch this show, and I want a real seat, where I can do that’. And, so, then, Mr. Simmons was relocated to another seat in the front row.
Celebrities At The Shows: The thing overall that I find most interesting about the celebrities who come to Fashion Week, such as Tori Spelling, Tim Gunn, Kelly Rowland, Mena Suvari, et al, who were at Christian Siriano’s show, is that they all continue to draw so much interest and attention from the general public. The media and the designers are all interested in the celebrities because the celebrities make news and they also help to sell the designer’s image to the general public, so it’s all a big circle, going around and around. But, there are certain shows, and I don’t want to name any names here; there are those shows that do not encourage celebrities to show up. And, that’s OK, because in those cases, those lines are not de-valued at all. Some of these designers are really big names; some are smaller names, but no matter who they are, they just seem to want to make a conscious decision not to being in the celebrities nor encourage the celebrities to show up. And, the reason is simple, because for these designers, it is all about and only about the lines, and what they are showing on the runway for that season. And, for many of us in the fashion industry, we like that way of thinking, because whether or not you choose to have that celebrity factor , ultimately it should really be about the line and the fashion for that season, and not necessarily about which celebrities are going to be at your show, or which celebrities are going to be wearing your pieces on the Red Carpet for that season.
Astrid Brucker
Affiliation: Fashion Stylist
You live where … East Village
And, you are wearing: Hair cut, style, color, Nathaniel Hathaway. Make-up, Makeup Forever. Fragrance: Soir de Lune by Sisley. Draped neckline cocktail dress with asymmetrical sash, designed by Astrid Brucker.
Great and Not So Great Observations: I’ve been covering Fashion Week on and off, since I went to Parsons School of Design and majored in Fashion Design. Over the past fifteen years, I do think that Fashion Week has gotten away from its roots, where the clothing on the runway and the designer’s creative vision behind a collection, were the true stars of what made Fashion Week such an interesting event. Today, Fashion Week has become very celebrity driven, and I really don’t think all of this should be as important as it has become and is now. But, I do think that the celebrity factor is done for the press, purely to get the attention of the media, in general, which, in turn, drives and garners the sales in the stores.
So, it’s understandable that more and more designers want to get those celebrities in the front row. And, so, all of this has taken priority over seating those people who will take the good pictures, post them, and write about a collection in a way that matters. Plus, we’re not really seeing so many of the A-list celebrities at the majority of shows; we’re seeing more of the C-and-D-listers; more and more of the ‘Reality Show’ celebrities, such as Kim Kardashian, The Gossip Girls, and Alex McCord from The Real Housewives of New York City. Speaking of ‘Reality Shows’, and their popularity right now,I do think that Anna Wintour was really smart, and totally ahead of the wave when she began creating a look for celebrities on her covers.
Addressing the crazy draw of celebrities and how all of that is hooking into fashion, I think that for anybody who is not as passionate about fashion and style and the shows and the glamour, such as people like you and I are, well, don’t we love the drama and the clothing, and the actual craftsmanship that goes into what we’re seeing walk down that runway; well, for me, nobody who is not an industry professional can really have that love affair, nor understand it all. On the other hand, people like you and I know and understand what all of this entails behind the scenes. We know all about the pain and suffering that go along with creating a line, and the hard work and many, many years of studying the craft, that in the end, is what really matters when it comes to the creation of that collection we’re seeing at that designer’s show.
Really, I don’t think that any of these celebrities, no matter if they are A-list or not, truly understand or know about, that fashion is what it is; hard-work and everything else that goes on behind closed doors, way before that celebrity walks into the show and takes their front row seat. I think that these celebrities just come to Fashion Week and come to the shows and they think, ‘oh, this is just a great, fun party, and I can dress up and get my picture taken and maybe promote my new project, and get some free clothes and go to the gifting suites and pick up some freebies, and then, we’ll be done’.
Move To Lincoln Center: I am sad about the move. Bryant Park is the fashion center as we know it; the place is convenient to everything. For example, when I have a break between shows, I can quickly run over to M&J Trimming or the fabric stores where I always shop, and see what’s new over there. Plus, I can take the F train right here from where I love downtown, so, when it’s bad weather, I can just hop on the subway and be here in a moment’s notice, with no muss or fuss. Lincoln Center is far away and for people like me, it’s not going to be so easy to get there. And, once we’re over there, we’re there, because getting around isn’t going to be as easy it is with Bryant Park. Plus, Bryant Park is gorgeous and I think that the entire location adds to the mystique of the city, not to mention Fashion Week, for tourists. The Bryant Park location makes everyone excited about Fashion Week, even if they’re not involved in fashion. We see many regular people coming to The Tents, just to get a look at who’s coming and going during the week. And, that only adds to everything that’s going on here. I do think that we will lose a lot; really, a lot, of the excitement of Fashion Week At Lincoln Center, simply because the location is so out of the way. For me, it’s quite an odd choice.
Trending, Meeting and Greeting at Fashion Week: The main trend that I don’t like is the l980’s theme; it really is the most awful trend, even though many designers are showing it this season. I’ve never worn it and I don’t care to ever see it again. Once was enough. Big shoulders don’t look good to me or on me, and I suspect that other women feel the same way that I do. After all, how many women do you know that can pull off this look, aside from the tall, skinny models we see wearing this look on the runways.
Maybe, maybe not. On the other hand, the designers whom I did love and thought showed some amazing things in their collections are Vera Wang (her show was absolutely gorgeous; her mix of colors and fabrics are incredible); Oscar de la Renta and Marc Jacobs. I thought that Marc’s things were interesting, especially his mixes of ruffles and the Japanese touches; exquisite.
I also very much liked David Elfin. You and I met in a very interesting way at his show. I recently worked with People’s Revolution as part of a photo shoot I did with The Plaza Hotel. So, in working with the company and several of the designer collections, which People’s Revolution represents, I was invited to David Elfin’s show. I was really excited to see this first showing of his work, because he’s so interesting to me, aside from his creativity. He’s good friends with Pedro Almovadar, and he’s involved with the film world, and he’s an actor, and I was so intrigued by all of that. So, I was excited about coming to see his show. I think that he showed so many different silhouettes, and at first, I thought that it was interesting choice for him to focus on the color green, as he did throughout much of his collection. For me, his sea-foam green shade was really evocative of springtime. But, I also think that when you’re showing in the Fall, and you’re using these one-off, springy colors, such as sea-foam, especially in a setting such as Bryant Park, where it really is looking like Fall, well, maybe that might be too different and out of place. So, some of that took some time to adjust to and get used to, because it was just so different.
I did like the fact that he mixed classic, simplistic silhouettes and shapes with those colors, as well as using some odd, bits and pieces, such as the man’s jacket with one sleeve. I’m not so sure that I was so crazy about that piece, but I especially liked the bandau with the front and back drape; I just loved that one. So, overall, I thought that this designer showed lots of really great pieces that I would wear. On the whole, I liked this show, because there really was a definite point of view; plus, most of the garments were not totally un-wearable, vs. so much of what we see on other runways.
During the show, I was taking pictures of the audience’s reactions. I always love to see how other people are looking at things, and what things they are looking at. So, I’m sitting there and I’m thinking about what I’m seeing on the runway, and I’m wondering if maybe there’s just too much green and if it’s just too strange. Then, all of a sudden, I looked around, and I saw you looking, and I saw the expression on your face, and I thought that perhaps you were thinking the same thing as I was thinking. And, it really showed on your face. So, even though I was sitting in one of the last rows, and you were further down front, I knew that we both felt the same way. I wanted to try and talk to you after David Elfin’s show, but you were gone.
I then ran into you at Douglas Hannant’s presentation at The Plaza Hotel. I just used Douglas Hannant’s clothing from this collection for a print and website campaign, which I styled, and which was photographed by Walter Chin. Douglas’ pieces are gorgeous, especially all of his Grecian Goddess things. I’m glad that he chose The Plaza Hotel to show his collection, which does make sense, not only because of the delicate and beautiful ambience of the room where the presentation took place, but also because, he just opened his own retail shop at The Plaza.
Lisa Robertson
Affiliation: QVC Program Host
You live where … West Chester, Pa.
And, you are wearing: Hair cut and styled by Chaz Dean; Wen product. Make-Up: Bare Minerals Foundation; So Natural Liner. Earrings: QVC gold hoops. Ring: Italian Gold. Pendant: Gold Expressions. Indian Bangles: Marc Bouwer. Blouse, Leggings: BCBG. Rocker Boots: Donald Pliner.
All About Q: We met Robertson, sitting front row at Isaac Mizrahi’s show, and then, talked with her at the QVC sponsor booth at The Tents. Robertson, who has been one of the more prominent “faces”, selling on QVC since 1995, competed in The Miss America Beauty Pageant in l989, winning the Miss Tennessee title. She went on to become a spokesperson for The Cultured Pearl Association of America and Japan, where she served as U.S. Pearl Princess; a spokesperson for the Governor of Tennessee and a hostess for a small, cable network show, “Shop at Home”.
Robertson lifted the veil on the tie-in with Mizrahi, which is due to launch on air in early December 2009. ‘Live! Isaac Mizrahi’ will broadcast out of New York, where a special studio is in the process of being designed and built, as well as from QVC’s Pennsylvania headquarters. Reported to be the biggest QVC launch ever, Mizrahi’s shows will feature his particular brand of lifestyle, home décor, clothing, accessories, food, and costume and fine jewelry lines, all at affordable prices. Obviously, Mizrahi’s teaming up with QVC makes a lot of sense, Robertson says, not only for his creativity, but more importantly, because of his personality and showmanship. No doubt, this partnership makes for a perfect package, especially when it comes to really reaching millions of shoppers who are not necessarily the young, well-heeled, genetically perfect, size 2 designer favorite, but still covet the look at realistic prices.
QVC had a huge presence at Fashion Week this season. Its name and sponsorship apparently enabled the company to make a big hit with the press, but also to make an even bigger hit with its broadcast and website shoppers, many of whom would probably never have gotten the chance to know about or purchase capsule clothing and accessories collections in small to plus sizes, all at budget prices, from names such as Viv byVivienne Tam, Edition by Erin Fetherston, Logo by Lori Goldstein, Marc Bouwer, Rachel Zoe, Chloe Dao, Pamela Dennis, Bradley Bayou and Shop Intuition by Jaye Hersh.
Here, QVC broadcast two, live, sold-out, fashion presentations, straight from The Tents on two different evenings, via an intimate, cocktail party-style selling event in the lobby and a back-of-house runway show, both complete with an invited audience and guests, stylized models and personal appearances from the featured designers
Given the fact that that QVC is seemingly doing its best to further market and brand itself in a much more fashionable way, as evidenced by its amped-up visage at Fashion Week, its growing roster of new and name designers, and everything else that the company is doing to become the number one retailer in the world, is there any doubt in anyone’s mind out there, as to exactly how long it’s going to be before the fashion press, buyers, et al are attending QVC Fashion Week? An interesting point to ponder – no?
Wow! I was like reading it and realized it was very long article. It took some few minutes to finish. And I end up thinking. That's interesting! I guess all of them are good persons.