Terry Maloney's 2006 Olympus Fashion Week Diary February 2006 Written and Photographed by Terry Maloney
	Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony at Industria

February 3rd, Friday, Day One: At last the five-month wait was over. Olympus Fashion Week Fall 2006 was finally here! Armed with my hard-earned press pass featuring a huge black letter "I" (Important? Insignificant?) I ventured out into a rainstorm and headed, not for the famous tents in Bryant Park, but to the historic Altman Building on West 18th Street, utilized by many designers represented by the amazing Kelly Cutrone and her People's Revolution PR team for their seasonal runway shows.

Finlandia Girl Kelli Hands Out Samples

First up on the Altman hardwood was the "Lumiere" Autumn/Fall 2006 collection by A la Disposition. Following the twenty-two design show, it was downstairs (backstage) for some Finlandia Vodka and an impressive buffet by caterer Marc Cooperman. While lunching I ran into the Paris-based designer Afshin Feiz, whom I had first met during last September's NY Fashion Week. The handsome and affable Afshin was accompanied by his father, a Patrick Stewart look alike, and dad's lovely girlfriend, who was wearing one of Afshin's designs, a beautiful purple ankle-length dress.

The Iranian-born Afshin's forty-one design show was amazing and, following another mini after party, it was finally off to Bryant Park by very slow taxi (note to self: use the subway!) for the very dark Dragana Ognjenovic show in the Atelier tent. The clothes were rather drab, but the black tote bags with leather clutch and handle were tres chic!

Designer Afshin Feiz and Anthony from Kenneth Cole

After being presented with yet another new bag (a much in-demand Lacoste beach tote), it was now back to the Altman Building (by swift subway) for the Kai Kuhne "Myself" show. The venue was packed with fans of the former As Four lead designer and he didn't disappoint, with a highly wearable collection of skirts, blouses and dresses ranging in style from evening wear to sporty.

As we left the building heading for the Kuhne after party at nearby Embassy, the man himself voiced his approval of my baby blue French Army UN beret which, for some inexplicable reason, I had been wearing at the show. Alas, it was the last I saw of Kai as I did not attempt to penetrate Embassy's VIP area and was content to enjoy the open bar with some new friends, departing at 1 am shortly after the waiters brought out the silver buckets and rather pricey champagne menu ($500-3000!)

February 4th, Saturday, Day Two: I forgot to bring my digital camera today, which means I was able to relax more and really enjoy the clothes (and models.) At 2pm it was time for the Brazilian superstar Alexandre Herchcovitch in the Main Tent, a Kelly Cutrone client. At 3 pm it was time for another one of "Kelly's boys,” the Turkish-born, Vienna-based Atil Kutoglu. His beautiful "Turquality" show took place in the Promenade tent.

A few hours (and a few Delta-provided mimosas) later I was "promoted" from standing to the front row (don't ask) at the Anait Bian show in the Atelier tent. Anait's twenty-nine design show reflected her "love of color, soft feminine silhouettes combined with tailoring and architectural structure, luxurious fabrics and hand cut flowers." Anait, of French and Armenian heritage, is New York-trained, having studied design at both FIT and Parsons. She recently returned to the city and opened a new showroom on East 65th Street.

Finally, in the Promenade tent, it was time for the Australian team of Sass and Bide (Sarah Jane Clark and Heidi Middleton.) Their "Shining Independent" show featuring twenty-seven designs was described as "a play on the contrast between fluidity and fixed elements...a modern interpretation of Hera meets Emily Bronte."

February 5th, Day Three (Super Bowl Sunday): Unlike last February, there was no television available in the lobby cafe area to watch the Big Game, so I needed to rely on my cell phone for scoring updates. With no invitations today, I had to rely on my press pass, aging charms and the pity of young PR interns to gain entry to any of the Sunday shows. I managed a standing room ticket to the Twinkle show, featuring colorful designs by designer Wenlan Chia. After the show I met three lovely young women, a Turk and two Greeks. Nazli, the Turkish girl studying architecture at Columbia, then accompanied me to the Altman Building for the Rachel Comey show ("an experiment with new shapes and unexpected pairings of color and texture.") Amazingly, it was my first show which also featured male models.

It was then back to Bryant Park, where I failed to get into the Diana von Furstenberg show (her first Tent show ever), a decision prompted by the off-site track lighting accident last September which seriously injured several journalists. While scoping out the line for celebrities, I met Tim Gunn of Parsons and Project Runway fame. I practically begged him for a ticket to the upcoming Project Runway show but the very sweet Mr. Gunn told me: "I can't even get a ticket for my sister!" He's such a nice guy that I just had to believe him.

Patricia Field

There was such a mob scene in the lobby for the DVF show and it was nearly impossible to spot any celebrities. The only ones I managed to find were PBS's Charlie Rose, fashion legend Patricia Field and the formerly condemned Salman Rushdie, who was holding the coat of a leggy beauty in red. "I'm just happy to be here," said Salman.

After being shut out of the Tuleh show, I retreated to the always popular Lotus open bar where I drowned my sorrows with several Effen (vodka, not profanity) Lemonades. The Lotus bar is a major feature of the Bryant Park lobby, with cute bar people and invitations to nightly parties at their main location on W. 14th Street. Unfortunately, the lobby bar is only half the size it was last September, as it was forced to re-locate to make room for a Moet Champagne room which never seemed to be open to anyone but pouty models doing photo shoots.

At half-time I was off to the Splash Bar to watch the rest of the Super Bowl with Trai la Trash and the boys. (Steelers won: yay!)

February 6th, Monday, Day Four: I am ashamed to say that I actually blew off a runway show that I was invited to this morning. It was the 9 am James Coviello show, which I had absolutely no chance of making seeing how I got home at the ungodly (for me) hour of 1 am after a "wild" Super Bowl/Bingo party at Splash. I'm sorry Jimmy, and please don't add me to your s-list for next season.

Despite my early RSVP to my invitation for the 2 pm Reem Acra show, I was presented with an "open seating" index card which in "Fashion Week Speak" translates to "standing room," the way "grande" at Starbucks means "small." The thirty-four design Acra show was Acra’s attempt to "redefine evening dressing...to broaden the concept of what and how a woman can dress for even the most special of occasions...it is very important for a woman to look fresh and modern."

After the Acra Show it was back to West 18th Street, this time to the Metropolitan Pavilion for the Gustavo Arango show. A lovely reception preceded the show where I shared drinks with the beautiful Saba from Somalia (via Sweden) and Juliana, a model-like journalist from Colombia.

The thirty-five look Arango show was described as "sensuality emerging from a juxtaposition of textures and influential shapes."

It was then back again to Bryant Park with new friend Saba for the awesome runway show of the Malaysian sensation Zang Toi. New York Magazine recently had this to say about the Toi Boy: "Year in and year out, fans of Toi know they can count on the designer for one thing: pure, unadulterated glamour. That plus great, body-flattering silhouettes and beautiful tailoring. The designer helps women young and old to feel like the only woman in the room with his dramatic, often finely embellished gowns, dresses and separates, as well as sophisticated but feminine suits."

February 7th, Tuesday, Day Five: I just make it to the Altman Building for the official 12 noon starting time for the Costello Tagliapietra show. Robert, my favorite security guard, let my special guest go right in rather than make her wait on the very long line. (Note to reader: make friends with the security guards; it helps when you are older than them.)

Of course, official starting times have nothing to do with when the runway show actually begins. It's usually not even the time when guests are allowed into the building or tent. Typically, shows star anywhere from 30-45 minutes "late," but everyone accepts this and no one complains.

My friend Kelly Cutrone was running this show and, as I had gallantly given up my seat to my special guest, she beckoned me to the front row (an awesome feeling), where I was honored to sit next to her small daughter Eva and nanny. Adorable Eva was all set to take notes with her pink high-lighter, just like a real fashion editor (no, not me.)

The twenty-four look show featured "beautifully tailored dresses, constructed jackets, and coats in muted tones, all with an attention to detail both inside and out, with a focus on the draping of fabric that’s finished with bound edges and French seams."

Jeffrey Costello started by designing clothing for actresses and musicians, and then met up with partner, native New Yorker, and Parsons graduate Robert Tagliapietra, and together they founded Costello Tagliapietra. Both were taught the art of tailoring by their grandmothers, who, coincidentally, had both worked for Norman Norell in the 1960s.

Celebrities who wear Costello Tagliapietra include: Angelina Jolie, Padma Lakshmi, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna and Cameron Diaz. "Only girls with a body to handle the cling need apply!"

After a quick lunch at KFC (hey, I'm not on an expense account) it was back to the Main Tent for the forty-three design show of Long Island born Charles Nolan. It was sweet to see his brother, the priest, at the check-in desk and also inside the tent, obviously very proud and adding a rarely seen spiritual touch to Fashion Week. In Roman collar, the good Father Nolan was probably the only one immune from a style critique by the fashionistas.

Feeling a bit fluish (thank God--or Father Nolan--we had been promoted from standing room to seats), I decided to go home and rest up for the final three days of Fashion Week. Yes, tonight was the Heatherette show (and after party), but I didn't have a ticket and I knew it would be mobbed with hundreds of cool kids and drag queens and the chances of this old "hepcat" getting in were slim to none. So, somewhat reluctantly, I went home to my new recliner and "American Idol."

February 8th, Wednesday, Day Six: A mix-up by the Peter Som PR folks had me designated as a photographer with a spot reserved on the runway riser. While I do snap pics of models, I am not a fashion photographer and, armed only with my Nikon Coolpix 5.6, I would have been eaten alive by the one hundred or more real photographers bearing huge telephoto lenses and multiple cameras. Phallic thought it all might be (the riser was mainly a male bastion with two notable exceptions), these long-lensed pros were not about to tolerate little old me and my tiny digicam.

A midnight e-mail reply from a Som flack stated there was "nothing that can be done at this late date." Nevertheless, I arrived at 10:30 am, a half-hour beyond the official starting time, just as the check-in desk was closing. Waving my original invitation, I breezed by security and stood near (but not among) the photographers at the top of the runway. The Peter Som show turned out to be one of my best Fashion Week experiences: in and out of a show in 15 minutes with some of my best photos! (Usually it's like this for show invitees: a one hour wait to be seated, fifteen minute show, and fifteen minutes to get out of the venue.) Oh, and his designs were spectacular!

Swee Kee Tan from Malaysia at the We Entertainment booth

Feeling victorious, it was off to the We Entertainment booth to score a red tote bag for my special friend; much nicer than the tacky gold ones of last September.
Rejected by the Michael Kors flacks, it was soon time for the gorgeous designs of Carmen Marc Valvo. I was very lucky to be seated next to the lovely Renee White of the Amsterdam News. Before the show she regaled me with tales of Hillary Clinton and the late Coretta Scott King.

The forty-one design Valvo show was inspired by the oil paintings of Helmut Ditch and "looked to the breathtaking beauty of the Arctic and its sweeping panorama." The actress Illeana Douglas was one of the very impressed spectators.
Following standing room visits to the Richard Chai and Carlos Miele shows, it was time to beg the Anna Sui publicists allow me in to her Main Tent show. One of the last people in before they closed the doors, I needed to stand on tiptoes and weave from side to side just to see the top of the runway. Was that first model Naomi Campbell in a "navy dotted plaid on metallic stripe chiffon blouse with navy pin tuck wool stripe pleated shorts"? Yes it was!

Finally, some people blocking my view moved a bit and I could see the full length of the runway. One gorgeous outfit after another appeared and the models vamped for the cameras until the last one appeared. Yes, it was Naomi once again, this time wearing a sexy "black all over mesh flowers baby doll dress." She soon joined Anna Sui for the traditional designer bow moment as the crowd went nuts for the supermodel and super designer.

February 9, Thursday, Day Seven: I slept-in this morning, not arriving at the tents until 4 pm. After candy/mimosa stops at the Tents, I crossed the street to the Bryant Park Hotel for the Daily Front Row reception on the 24th floor. The three-room suite was mobbed, but I managed to reach the tiny open bar and even eat some flatbread and spicy peas (?) while chatting with Elizabeth Wellington, the fashion editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

It was then time to check-in for the Joanna Mastroianni show in the Atelier tent. Despite having an invitation, I was given a standing room card (yes it happened again), but upon arriving in the tent I sat in the first available second row seat I could find. I enjoyed the show but our "gift bag" consisted of a pencil, energy bar and a party invite ("donation suggested.")

It was time once again to venture south to the friendlier confines of the Altman Building for the Kelly Cutrone produced Zaldy show. Arriving one hour early, I killed time chatting with Robert the friendly security guy (ex-NYPD). It was very amusing listening to all the reasons given by nearly every arriving guest as to why they needed to be inside, out of the cold, and preferably "backstage. Finally my friend Antonia the Stylist arrived and we entered the seating area where a seat was found for me by a People's Revolution staffer. Once again I gallantly gave it up to a friend, only this time there was no reward of a front row promotion, as those seats were taken up by the likes of Hilary Duff and Jay, last season's Project Runway winner.

Illeana Douglas	Charlie Rose

The mini-after party was crowded, including Illeana Douglas (she gets around), but after a drink Antonia and I were off uptown to a non-Fashion Week party for the new revival of Pajama Game and a promised meeting with star Harry Connick Jr.

February 10, Friday, Day Eight (The Last Day): This was the morning of the Project Runway show, which I had very much hoped to attend. But, despite a last ditch e-mail and fax to the publicist, this time invoking the name of co-star Tim Gunn, I had failed to obtain a ticket. And there was no way I was leaving home at 7 am for a 9 am show when I had already been rejected by the Bravo publicist at least three times. I'm masochistic but not crazy!

So, I strolled around the lobby on this final day, collecting my final batch of Jolly Ranchers and Peppermint Patties (ubiquitous official candy of Fashion Week) and Red Dress pins, feeling extremely melancholy. My friend Antonia arrived and asked what was wrong. "I don't want it to end," I said, as she told me to "shut up" and to have another mimosa.

If I only knew what awaited me I would not have been so sad. The final two shows (both Kelly produced) were the most fun-filled shows of the entire week.
First up, in the Main Tent, was Manuel Cuevas, a 73-year old Nashville-based designer who specializes in denim, leather and lots of rhinestones. Manuel's credits read like a history of country and pop music of the last half-century.
From 1956-74 Manuel was the lead designer for Nudie's Rodeo Tailor, where his clients included Dolly Parton, Dale Evans, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, John Wayne and Johnny Cash (for whom Manuel provided his first six black suits).

In 1967, Manuel designed the Beatle's uniforms for the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club album cover and in 1968 designed the famous "TV comeback" outfit for Elvis Presley: tight black leather pants and fitted matching leather jacket. In the mid-70s he opened a North Hollywood store and Ronald Reagan became a lifelong customer of Manuel. He has also designed for former President George H.W. Bush. Manuel has also designed for Robert Redford ("Electric Horseman") and for John Travolta ("Urban Cowboy"). Other stars who wear Manuel designs include Bob Dylan, Madonna, Cher, Sharon Stone, Winona Ryder, Dolly Parton, Lorrie Morgan and Emmy Lou Harris.

The runway show, with front rows filled with Manuel devotees wearing his designs and 10-gallon hats, lived up to the Manuel legend. Model after model sashayed down the runway in a collection of forty-two sexy outfits including coats, jackets, blazers, jeans, bustiers, shirts, suits, skirts and dresses in materials ranging from leather and denim to python and crocodile. But the piece de resistance was four designs from his Fifty State collection: beautiful leather jackets representing New York, Tennessee, California and Texas, all embroidered with symbols of the respective state.

Manuel and his son (and heir) Manuel Jr. received a well-deserved standing ovation from the full-house following an unforgettable first New York runway show. I felt honored to be there.

Following a detour to Industria on Jane Street to get a photo of Jennifer Lopez and Mark Anthony, it was back to the Altman Building for the always wild Jeremy Scott show. The Kansas-born, Los Angeles-based Scott never disappoints and his Fall 2006 line, including candy stripe pants, puffy minis, giant polka dot kimonos, ice-cream coned tops and a Jeremy "candy bar" outfit, was greeted with enthusiasm and smiles by the full house of admirers and customers, including Icelandic songbird Bjork. After experiencing my second Scott show all I can say is: When you've got Jeremy, who needs Heatherette?

Manuel Cuevas with Two New Friends:
Brenda A. Go-Go (left) & Brandy Wine (right)

Well the shows were over until September, but this old fool still had parties to attend and it was off to Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse in midtown, where I introduced Manuel to a couple of lovely drag queens, and where I met Angelo the tailor from Dallas and the beautiful Janey from Tennessee. It was then off to the Jeremy Scott party at Marquee, with Janey and drag queens in tow. Intercepted by Antonia the Stylist and Anthony of Kenneth Cole, we entered the crowded club and soon found ourselves on the second floor (alas, not the VIP room) where we "boogied down" till dawn (actually 2 am) before I headed home for Bayside.
It was an amazing final day to a great week and, as I said back in September, I can't wait until Bryant Park is taken over once again by Fashion Week in just seven short months.