Monday night’s last showing in the tents was one of the week’s most anticipated: the Justin Timberlake-helmed William Rast.

The speakers blared rock and blues classics as a modern, artistic rendering of the American flag provided the backdrop for the runway. Appropriate atmosphere for a show that offered reinterpretations of American classics such as motorcycle jackets and, of course, denim.

As expected, tons of celebs populated the front row; I snapped Nicky and Paris Hilton, Anna Wintour, Justin’s former N*SYNC bandmate JC Chasez, and MTV V-jay Damien Fahey with his girlfriend, up-and-coming fashionista Grasie Mercedes, before the lights went down.

When they came back up and the show started, however, the collection wasn’t as glittering as its audience. New takes on old favorites can be exciting but the pieces here lacked innovation and originality. The influence of the American experience was clear, and elements of Western, Native American, ’80s Conspicuous Consumption, and ’60s Hippie style were evident, yet it felt like a warmed over mashup of fads that made you wince rather than feel nostalgic or inspired.

The men’s collection included some slightly better offerings (and some clear James Dean channeling), and maybe Rast should focus exclusively on menswear (especially in an already saturated women’s denim market where market-share and competition are fierce).

After JT took his bow, the fashionable took theirs, too, and called it a night at the tents!
~Adri

Alice + Olivia’s evening show yesterday was, so far, one of the highlights of Fashion Week for me.

The event was packed as the fashionable turned out for a glimpse of Stacy Bendet’s art gallery-inspired presentation of her Fall 2009 collection.

As a friend says, the beauty of Alice+Olivia is the diversity of the line: mod, feminine, edgy, demure, and sexy can coexist in the same collection and still feel cohesive. The Fall ’09 line is similarly styled, with influences ranging from everything including preppy, punk, vintage, and contemporary rock-glam.

I loved the animal prints, especially the embellished, Zebra-print jacket on the left–very Jackie O. meets Patricia Field!

One of the most innovative parts of the presentation was the use of photos mixed with real-life details, like the above ruffle superimposed on the photo of its corresponding dress. The same was done with zippers, bows, and handbags.

These puppet-like mannequins added a quirky touch:

And that party was full of friendly faces!

I ran into the divine Bevy Smith, Fashion Bomb friend and style-maven-about-town!

And also kicked it with songstress Chrisette Michelle, who’s doing the rounds this fashion week. C. Michelle and I did our best to imitate the fierce A+O model poses.

The fabulous Jerome Lamaar, formerly of Baby Phat, was also on the scene sporting some vintage Baby Phat fashion jewelry.

Overall a great showing, and good times were had by all.

~Adriana

This season, Diane von Furstenberg’s collection transitioned easily from spring to fall.  Continuing with the trend of dramatic headpieces, she went from floral headbands last season to pop-pom covered knit hats.  Though black was seen throughout her collection as well as the collections of many others, this collection was filled with layering and vivid leopard print pieces…

There were a few sequin-laden pieces as well paired with cardigans and bold knit coats.And some looks weren’t complete without a bright colored clutch.

Leggings and long, tribal necklaces added a pop of color to the gray and darker hues of the collection.

Some of the pieces reflected the importance of comfort and glam, especially because of the Studio 54 kind of vibe I got from a few of the looks. The collection and music paid homage to the disco-era diva herself, Diana Ross, who was actually there, and gave Diane a hug at the end of the show! For more of the collection, click

Finally recovered from my transatlantic travels, I stopped into the Tracy Reese show to take in her Fall 2009 collection.

I along with a ton of fashion fanatics piled into Bryant Park’s relatively tiny Salon…

There were barely enough seats to sit–Even Andre Leon Talley was left standing!

Finally the show began, and Tracy reinterpreted her signature pretty, uber feminine pieces for fall using a colorful palette of deep reds, purples, and turquoise…

While some of her looks were somewhat predictable–ruffles, lace, and frills–school girl chic also seemed to be the name of the game, with Reese amping up her lacey, brocade regulars with bits of edge witnessed in thigh high socks, skull caps, and librarian-esque readers…

Flashes of luxe elements like fur and sequins also appeared in this collection, making certain items perfect for the girl who isn’t watching her pocketbook…

…perhaps why the front row was peppered with glitterati like Paris and Nicky Hilton, Kim Kardashian, and Solange Knowles.

I caught up with Kim Kardashian afterwards who looked stunning in a Tracy Reese strapless dress…

And also got a quick interview with Solange! Check it out here.

What did you think of the collection?

Bisous!

Necklace by Jenny Dayco, Makeup by Glam De Luxe.

I chit chatted with Solange at the Tracy Reese show to ask her about her style and a few of her fave designers.

She was super cool and down to earth!

What do you think?

I caught a bit more Real Style out and about in the tents:

Jennifer keeps it chic in a vintage dress, leather jacket, and booties, while Andre represents for the men with skinny jeans, a blazer, and a smart bag.

What do you think of their style?

Did you know???

Ugandan model Kiara Kabukuru had one of the longest CoverGirl campaigns of any black model.

Discovered in a shopping mall in Los Angeles when she was only sixteen years old, Kiara went on to walk for Chanel, Balenciaga, Sonia Rykiel, and Dolce & Gabanna before appearing on American Vogue’s July 1997 cover:

She recently appeared in Italian Vogue’s All Black Issue:

And currently lives in New York City.

British staple TopShop is finally set to invade US shores April 2nd.

WWD says, “After months of delays due to construction and permit problems, the British fast-fashion retailer owned by Sir Philip Green is set to debut.” The first store will be in New York; no word on when or if the brand will expand nationally.

On Friday I was still a bit jetlagged, so decided to keep it low key with the Cushnie et Ochs show:

If you’ve been reading the Fashion Bomb, you’d know that the dynamic Parson’s alumnae behind the line were the recipients of a $25,000 Ecco Domani Fashion Award to show at Fashion Week.
With all their accolades, I was super excited to see what they would send down the runway:

Their Fall 2009 collection focused on subdued blacks, grays, and whites accented with pops of futuristic metallic. Edgy and eye catching, the ladies went for drama with dresses, jackets, and pants with singular details like cut outs, single arms, liquid materials, and high collars:

While I gushed over some of the more club ready frocks, I felt perhaps the ladies pushed the envelope too far with certain looks–some sheer tops, short skirts, and super tight satin dresses seemed more bawdy than sexy…

They may have overshot just a bit, but they have the proven talent to bring it back. I look forward to seeing their future collections.
After the show, I stopped backstage and interviewed Carly Cushnie about the line’s inspiration:

What do you think?