While the rest of the fashion industry tended to nasty hangovers from the night before (Long Live Kombucha tea!), early birds trekked to Lincoln Center's Stage to see Cynthia Rowley debut her Spring 2011 collection. As usual, Rowley drew a respectable amount of Hollywood wattage including Food Network star Katie Lee, X-Men hottie Rebecca Romijn, Greenberg ingénue Greta Gerwig and even an unlikely fashion week personality--Miami Heat's Chris Bosh who sat front row with his girlfriend. Perhaps Bosh was scoping out new fodder for his upcoming column for Ocean Drive magazine? Also in the audience were a host of judges from Bravo's Work of Art show--perhaps a nod to Rowley's Mondrian-inspired show to come.
As for the collection, Rowley exhibited what she does best--pretty clothes with a healthy dose of optimism. The Swell author went a bit outside of her box this season by accessorizing her peony-lipped girls with sleek hair and oversized futuristic barrettes that looked like something Diane Keaton would wear in Woody Allen's Sleeper and her perforated skirts and dresses looked like someone ran a hole puncher through them-- in a good way. Taking a page out of the Marni handbook, Rowley opted for punchy minimalism with bright color blocking, geometric shapes and stark minimalism but made the collection her own by focusing on the Mod years by way of the Millennium-- think Emma Peel meets Judy Jetson. Later, ever the hospitable designer, Rowley visited designer Prabal Gurung to wish him good luck backstage.
