I am so proud of Bibhu. He has come a long way since his days at J. Mendel. He is showing in the tents. Big time! So my friend Rod Keenan and I head over to Lincoln Center after we had dutifully printed out our invitations with bar codes to ensure entry.
At the information desk I asked where Bibhu's show was and got a wide-eyed, "Well you can't go to his show unless you have a bar code!" I feel like I'm in Aeon Flux. I show him my code and he breathes a sigh of relief.
Then I go to the scanner, I'm waiting for it to chirp, "Welcome to Wal-Mart!" but it sits silently (much more fashiony to be silent, non?) and I scan my code and then it shoots out a receipt that flies to the floor and I have to scurry around on the floor to find it. Oh how I hate technology!
Finally we both have our receipts and we are sent to a hallway where they scan us and hustle us into a very long line. I start looking around. "Rod, these people don't look very Bibhu do they? I mean, that girl is wearing polyester and that one looks like she grew in a pumpkin patch she is so orange." Rod agreed. It seemed a very odd mix of people for a man who dresses ladies who lunch. After milling about a bit longer we realize they had sent us into the line for the Max Azria show! Now if they caused such a hullabaloo about scanning our bar code, wouldn't they see we were not here for that show?
We were rerouted to another hallway where the crowd was much chicer, well heeled and apropos. We entered The Box, which is a room just for presentations and I was struck by the crowds. Bibhu has certainly become the hot topic! I felt like I was in a fish bowl swirling around with the fashion fish eyeing the collection in the center of the room.
I adored the young, flirty cocktail numbers and the grass georgette column gown with Orion brooch looked like it was straight out of a Slim Aarons shot. The vapor print on various skirts and dresses was deliciously mysterious and the black gazaar dress embroidered with silver sequins that resembled chain link was so rocker goes to Rome.
Mohapatra clearly knows his clients, young, smart, well-traveled girls. Paris Hilton need not apply.
