Fashion Week Recap

Before Jem talks fashion, let’s start with the big news of the week: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is MOVING Fashion Week!!! After 17 years at Bryant Park, Bloomberg is moving FW to Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park. The new spot will allegedly give the showing designers more space. But the critics say budget cuts are at the heart of the switch.

The gloomy economy forced some designers to opt out of pitching tents at this month’s FW Fall ’09 showing. Many fashion insiders said FW did not provide its usual escape, instead only adding to a palpable gloom because of the economy. But even with a dismal economy, a weighty stimulus package, that crazy chimp, Kanye West’s shag hairdo and the Octo-baby lady, there’s always some element of fashion that cheers us up. So, allow JJD to provide a brief recap and take you through a few trends for Fall ‘09.

Rich colors for women in charge

(Getty Images)
Jem is giving credit to Michelle Obama for inspiring designers to look beyond basic black and navy for women in power. Carolina Herrera sent rich colors and elaborate texture down the runway. Does this mean we should be pulling out our brocade?

All Eyes on Jason Wu

(Jason DeCrow/ Associated Press)
Speaking of First Lady O… all eyes were on the collection of her Inaugural ball gown designer, Jason Wu. The 26-year old put a spin on romantic frocks by adding detailed workmanship to dresses that are figure flattering for many shapes and sizes (if only we could actually buy it in all sizes). The critical fashion bunch say he needs to go back to the drawing board on his pants though.

Leggings & Booties

(Ohne Titel; Catwalking/Getty Image)
Leggings and booties! This look isn’t going ANYWHERE any time soon. Designers like Ohne Titel and Alexander Wang showed the look on their runways. You can pair them with cropped, asymmetric jackets and tunics for a runway-to-everyday look.

Get Your Shine On

(Left, center Narciso Rodriquez: Erin Baiano for The New York Times; right Rodarte, Marilynn K. Yee/The New York Times)
The return of the shiny suit? Somebody get Mase outta church because the shiny suit is back… well, elements of shine, that is! Designers Rodarte and Narciso Rodriguez showed pieces that included hints of shine and deconstructed shiny elements like knee-high shiny leather boots at the Rodarte show.

Project Runway Homeless

(Unidentified Project Runway designer; Erin Baiano for The New York Times)
Project Runway still doesn’t have a home. But the 6th season went on as planned, even while the battle between NBC Universal and the Weinstein Company rages on. The two sides have been at odds since last April when the Weinsteins sold the show to Lifetime. NBC then sued for breach of contract, then the Weinsteins countersued. Whew! Are you following? Anywho, we won’t see the show for a few months (if we see it at all), but the fashion show went on with a thousand people watching in New York. Producers had to hide the identities of the finalists to hopefully avoid leaks if the reality show ever airs.

Walk Like An Egyptian

(Photo/PRNewsFoto/Payless ShoeSource, Scott Gries)
Speaking of Project Runway, Season 4 winner Christian Siriano is debuting a line of affordable shoes at Payless this fall. The fierce kitty also showed at FW. Siriano says he was inspired by Egypt! That inspiration led to colors of Nile; sleek, fitted dresses and floaty skirts.

JJD is certainly hopeful that FW gets back on its stilettoed feet very soon. The fashion biz adds $1.6 billion to New York’s tax revenue each year and $55 billion in sales! That’s no chump change.