So, it's Wednesday of Fashion Week. But it's not a week, really -- it's more like a fashion epoch. It goes and it goes and it goes. And with it, your will to live.
I kid, I kid! With so many shiny things to look at (not least the studded jackets, shoes, and bags many of the fashion editor ladies are wearing) there's a lot to keep you interested. And it's ironic, really, that rows filled with women who look like extras from a Robert Palmer video -- yes, the 80s are back, thanks to Balmain, Marc Jacobs, and YSL -- are witnessing a return to femininity and romanticism. A sort of Newton's Law rules over fashion: every action has an equal and opposite reaction. You wear a hard core, rock 'n' roll leather look to enter the dark days of winter, and those cunning designers will make you want a painterly print or a dramatic ruffle for spring. Oh, they toy with us so!
I'm in a lucky position when I think about it, because I don't have to go to every show (that's for the stamina queens, our fashion department). I go to the big guns, the friends, or the next, next big thing. And this week has been a mixed designer bag: At Alexander Wang, it's always sexytime, even when he's feeling NFL shoulder pads. And what makes him so appealing is the clear joy he has for what he does -- fashion can be fun, remember? Laura and Kate Mulleavy at Rodarte were clearly inspired by my country (Australia's) finest cultural export, Mad Max. You might want to leave the tribal war paint at home, but the shoes were killah. Jason Wu's party frocks were like the contents of a jewel box. I swear my seatmate, the fetching actress Kerry Washington, actually moaned. And speaking of moaning, that was me at the Victoria Beckham presentation. I love me some Vicky B -- she's a hoot and her sculptural, body-conscious dresses are gorgeous. I ordered four just sitting there (um, I'll pay for it later).
And today, fashion's hump day, I just got back from Michael Kors. The Michael Kors woman is who I want to be when I grow up. I mean, she flies on private jets (at least in the ads) and lives her life in cashmere. What's not to like? For spring, Michael did Jetson chic -- Perspex cutouts, asymmetric hems and big clear Lucite baubles around the neck. In the end, there are few better designers in New York for when a girl wants to feel put together. And rich. So, if you haven't married up yet, buy some Michael Kors. It might help.
While the marathon is winding down, it's not over yet -- so keep checking back for our full coverage of the best of New York Fashion Week.