Olympus Fashion Week always brings an interesting assortment of sponsors to the Bryant Park Tents and last week was no exception. Once past the throngs gathered around the entrance, fashionistas could enjoy munching on the brownies offered by UPS (I guess that’s what Brown could do for us) and then quaff Moet & Chandon champagne, or Aquafina for the tea totalers among us.
WE furnished us with their give-away bag of the season, but there was no candy this time around (a blessing for all of our waistlines). MAC had cappuccino at the ready, and in the Denim Lycra Lounge, a small group was always gathered to enjoy refreshments, and for the lucky ones, free jeans.
Delta, the travel partner of Project Runway, offered service with a smile. Their flight crew, clad in their Richard Tyler uniforms, served an endless supply of vanilla ice blended coffee. The fashion weary crowds were invited to enjoy this frozen concoction, while snacking on designer cookies, and lounging in first class or economy seats, complete with “in-flight” entertainment.
Since most of us have a weakness for new shoes, who could resist the opportunity to design your own flip-flops? Havaianas offered what had to be the swag item of the season, allowing us to mix and match seven strap colors with five limited edition printed soles to create an endless array of colorful footwear.
According to Dave Sengstakan, President of Style West, the company that sponsored the promotion, Havaianas are now more popular on the East Coast than they are on the West Coast. They’re durable (I bought my first pair four years ago and I still have them) and if they become dirty, you can just rinse them off. Judging from the lines, which stretched from one side of the tent to the other, many of us walked away with more than just one pair. What was the most popular color combination? Mr. Sengstaken said that with fall just around the corner it was definitely brown soles with gold straps.
-Rhonda Erb
Scene and Overheard:
After jumping up onstage and posing alongside the models during the Alvin Valley show at the W Hotel in Union Square, a young woman explained, “I was just having some fun,” as she was gently but forcibly escorted from the room.
