When In New York

If for some reason you haven't been paying attention to a word I've been blabbing the past few days, I am living it up in the Big Apple for Fashion Week. As soon as I stepped off the plane from LA, grabbed a cab to Manhattan, and got settled in I crashed hard. But there was no time for jet lag. I woke up on my first day to rain and a message from Taye that read "You want to go to Jill Stuart?"
Must you even ask...

My level of commitment to fashion was definitely tested that day. Not only was it raining, but the humidity was ridiculous. Why did I even bother to take a shower? Oh, I got splashed by a car before I could even cross the street to get to the Lincoln Center. Seriously?! And a bird crapped on me as I walked under a tree. They say it's good luck, but that string of unfortunate events almost had me frazzled.

After all that craziness, Taye and I made it to Jill Stuart. The mood was set. The music was fantastic and there was this excitement in anticipation of the show. When the lights began to dim, a hush came over the crowd and everyone prepared their cameras for the first look. The Spring/Summer collection started with a beautiful black lace dress and continued on with great textures like chiffon and brocade. There were ruffles and sequins with cream and flesh tones. The runway looked romantic.

The next show for us was Russian designer Katya Leonovich. The models had their hair pulled up in tight top knots and wore very minimal makeup, so that the focus would be on the clothes. The collection reminded me of Lord of The Rings or the Dark Crystal. Everything looked fit for an elf or a fairy, but with edge. Leonovich ended the show in a political statement: two models wearing dresses with the hand-painted faces of Obama and Romney on them. Wow! It is an election year.

So in between shows and after shows, I ran into some familiar faces and got snapped by a few cameras for street style. Right outside of the Allure Magazine Lounge at the Empire Hotel, I spotted Afrobella. This was the very first time we'd actually met, and I was so thrilled. Then inside the tents I met Claire of the Fashion Bomb, Ty of Gorgeous in Grey, and Teena of Fashion For Breakfast. Oh my goodness! All of these ladies looked impeccable. We took a few photos to have proof the encounters actually happened.

Just when I thought my day was done, the evening came. My friends and I hit the town. We ended up at this party where the super-talented creative magnet and designer Marcelo Burlon was dj-ing. He is absolutely amazing! I rarely ever get starry eyed, but this dude is so cool that I had to get a pic with him. When you're among greatness, you've got to make the moment last forever.

If this is what my first day was like, you can only imagine what would happen next. To be continued...