Fashion Week Highlights

For years I've had the pleasure of participating in one way or another in New York Fashion Week. (Ever since my college days when I worked as volunteer with my bff setting up shows and dressing models backstage.) Since then I usually attend a show, party and/or event here and there. This season however, for the fall 2012 collections, I was honored to be invited to a handful of events and was even hired to create some illustrations. It was a fabulous fashion-filled week and although I'm a little late here I wanted to share some my highlights.

Fashion week began for me at a tweet-up in the Amex Skybox with the lovely Samantha Yanks, Editor in Chief of Gotham and Hamptons Magazine. Its always a treat to speak with editors and hear what they're excited about but especially so when its one so in tune with New York, and who also has an insanely impressive resume. Samantha previously worked for Vogue and O Magazine, so she's a fellow former Hearst girl. I also learned that she is a fashion illustration enthusiast. Samantha kindly shared a instagram snapshot of my cards with her followers while we gabbed about our obsession with Pinterest.

Immediately after the Skybox I headed downstairs in the tents (yes, fashion week tents are large enough to have a stairs and a second floor viewing lounge) to attend what was possibly one of the best fashion week parties I've ever gone to, "Fashion Night In" sponsored by Mercedes-Benz and P.S. I made this. Why was this party so fantastic you may ask? At first glance it seemed like any other fashion party with cocktails and horderves abound and countless well dressed fashion-folk. But then, in the center of the space was a huge crafting table! And what did we get to craft with, actual Mercedes leather that's normally used to upholster cars!

I was in fashion-diy-heaven sipping champagne while punching studs into leather. I made a collar necklace of leather and tulle, a studded wrap bracelet, and even took some leather home to make tassel keychains for my bags (shown above.) Then after my crafting bliss I got to meet the one and only Jonathan Adler! My dad is an avid potter, and I've been a huge fan of Jonathan's since he opened his first store in 1998. I was so excited to finally meet him, have a little chat and take a photo (above) with him. (Jonathan chose my Eva sketch.)

Another exciting aspect to this soiree was the coat check, it was a "Barbie's Dream Closet" sponsored coat check, which got me even more excited for my Barbie sketches to make their appearance the next day at Barbie's Dream Closet event. The Fashion Night In party was simply wonderful and the icing on the cake was the fantastic swag bag I got to leave with, with a Naeem Kahn silk scarf and 8 new bottles of Essie nail polish created just for NYFW. (Gotta love a great swag bag!)

The next afternoon was my most personally exciting NYFW event because my sketches were displayed for Barbie's Dream Closet at Lincoln Center. (Which I already gushed about and shared more pictures in a previous post.) What I didn't mention, was that aside from the Barbie "headshots" they also had me draw Barbie hands for their manicure bar that featured the different mani options that editors, celebs, and VIP guests such as Nigel Barker (above) and their little girls could choose from, like a Barbie a glitter french mani or a Barbie pink ombre manicure.

The following day I headed back to Lincoln Center bright at early for the 8AM Nicole Ferrari show. Between shows while strolling around the tents and I ended up bumping into an old friend (below) whom I interned with at Saturday Night Live a million years ago, as well as Robert Verdi, my very first boss post college. After some catching up it was time for Vera Wang!

Like Barbie, the Vera Wang show was another star-studded event, Renee Zellweger and Leighton Meester were directly across the runway from me. Also front row was Anna Wontour, Oscar nominee Viola Davis, and Maria Sharapova. Vera showed a lovely collection of gauzy separates in neutral tones with pops of orange and ice blue. I've been searching for some Vera sketches from the collection to share, but it seems like Vera Wang gang hasn't released any.

Later that afternoon I stopped by the Accessories Council Accessory Lounge to support my friend, publicist and Moxie tastemaker, Jono. I chowed down on these adorable cupcakes made by Dana Herbert, TLC's Next Great Baker Winner, and ended up reconnecting with another old friend, "Curvy Girl" Patty Hughes. Needless to say it was a very eventful NYFW day.

The last highlight of my fashion week was the Levi's fashion show. This one was off-site, down in Soho loft, which was a nice change of scenery. The event opened with a Levi's themed art installation followed by the runway show. It was a fun show with a very downtown retro vibe. After the show I once again bumped into Patty which was a great surprise. We were having such a nice time mingling and gabbing that we decided to hit up C Wonder (my new favorite store, thank you Patty!) in lieu of rushing uptown for the next show. I mean there will always be another show and another fashion week right?