My Favorite Fashion Week Finds

 As a fashion blogger and photographer, I trek back and forth between Lincoln Center's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and the events at Milk Made Studios. Exhausting? Yes.  This is why you need my NY Fashion Week survival guide:

Whether it's uptown or downtown, you need places to eat and disco nap.  Near Lincoln Center, the Empire Hotel serves as a refuge for the fashion weary.  The lobby bars and second floor lounge have cozy couches to rest platform heel-wearing feet.  Great cocktails and a terrific happy hour food menu can be found in the hotel's restaurant, Ed's Chowder House.  Salty snacks like upscale fried clam strips and calamari, salmon burgers or chowder make for quick meals between fashion shows in the evening.

For lunch, I head to the Atrium across the street from Lincoln Center.  It has a quieter atmosphere and an outpost of 'WichCraft.  This quick cafe chain has innovative sandwiches, baked goodies and great soups.  You can use Lincoln Center's wifi or buy discounted tickets to the ballet.

Heading to the Meatpacking District, I always stop by the Chelsea Market.  The former Nabisco factory houses NYC's top food vendors.  My favorites are the Lobster Place for tarragon crab/avocado/bacon sandwiches or their spicy shrimp soba salad.  Treats to be had include Fat Witch Bakery's brownies and Jacque Torres cookies.  The ideal place to chill out near Milk Made Studios is the Highline Park.  They have extra-wide wooden seats that face the Hudson River and feng-shui approved plantings all around.

For the fashion after-parties, my favorite place to shop for edgy, fashionable frocks is All Saints Spitalfields two blocks down.  Next door to All Saints is Bumble & Bumble where I always have my hair cut.

Living in Manhattan means that you always have 5X the amount of stylish goods and serves right in your neighborhood than almost anywhere else in the country.  Capital One gives you 5X the interest, which will come in handy when you pay for all these goodies.

Whether you are sitting front row along the runway, or just living the fashionable life in NYC, I'm sure you'll love my favorite fashion week picks as much as I do!

With High Yield Free Checking from Capital One Bank, you can earn Interest 5X the national average, guaranteed for a year, and have access to free ATMs anywhere. Learn More about HYFC and where you can open in NYC. Click here to learn more.

Compensation was provided by Capital One via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Capital One.

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Zac Posen and Naomi Campbell - NY FASHION WEEK

How gorgeous are these gowns? Zac Posen's Spring 2013 fashion show for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week was a stunner on all fronts.  It brought supermodels Naomi Campbell and Alek Wek back to the runway. Other star models included Coco Rochas and Erin O'Connor.

The opening saw Naomi Campbell stroll down the terrace of Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall in a demure, floral printed ensemble.  The pretty romantic florals soon gave way to immaculate full length gowns. Amazing pleated details were manipulated into luxury fabrics like silk organza, satin, taffeta.  Alek Wek sauntered down the runway in a dark fishtail gown with blooms as accents and delicate folds of fabric.  Coco Rochas breezed by in a voluminous, bride-worthy gown.  Jewelry was glittering and full of elegance.

Half the cast of America's Next Top Model were on hand to admire the show as well as top bloggers The Man Repeller and BryanBoy who huddled together and traded accessories.  Madonna's fashion mogul in training Lourdes Ciccone was in the audience as well as tough glamour girl Gina Gershon.

Unfortunately, the show did not go off without a hitch...Naomi was late to arrive (I could overhear all of the communication from my spot in the media riser).  The PR company was at odds with Lincoln Center management, and were forced to remove a number of seats at the last minute due to fire codes.  (The poor pregnant producer was yelled at by Lincoln center management right at the start of the show). A foreign French representative of publisher Jalou, Marie-José Susskind-Jalou and her tag-along daughter Jennifer Eymere were therefore some of the guests left without seats. While the overworked Lynn Tesoro, one of the top PR mavens of NYC was trying to multi-task, the mother (or daughter) lost patience and assaulted her.   

Now, anyone who has ever attended Fashion Week has experienced the inexperienced, snotty PR assistant who was driven power-mad by her clipboard, and sometimes you want to slap them...But, there is a BIG difference from imagining something in your head to grown adults actually acting on a violent impulse.  I cannot imagine an experienced person like Lynn Tesoro was anything but professional, if possibly a little weary.  I saw first-hand the difficulty with the seats at this show, and it was a situation beyond their control.

Most guests, even A-list celebrities I observed, have always been gracious during NY Fashion week when things don't go according to plan.  For these French publishers and tag-alongs who are adults to use  slap someone because they personally feel entitled to something is classless.  What's worse, they were proud of it and bragged to the press about their behavior.

I hope a judge informs them once and for all that entitlement and savagery are will never be in style.

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NY FASHION WEEK: Betsey Johnson Fall 2012

If the three hour photographer waiting line for this show wasn't an indication, then the packed theater at Lincoln Center Monday proved Betsey Johnson was the hottest fashion show this season.  Fall 2012 for the fashion icon included big fur faux wraps and collars.

There were cheeky cocktail dresses with flouncy skirts, mini shorts and mini skirts with colored tights.  Also, slim, cigarette trousers and wildly printed blouses and tea dresses the designer is known for.  Coats were A-line or a fit and flare silhouette.  There were graphic black and white looks, with stripes or bold motifs.  Then the ultra-girly pinks, teal and purples of her signature palette.

Accessories included brightly colored fedoras and large pieced clutch bags in harlequin colors.  Jewelry was flash, fun and not to be taken too seriously.

All three generations of Johnson ladies walked the runway for the finale.  The little lady and Mom, Lulu Johnson flaunted complementary pink dresses.  Grandma Betsey led a cheer leading squad after her signature cartwheel and even a quick split landing.  Rock on Betsey!

Photos by David TW Leung

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NY Fashion Week: Carlos Miele Spring 2012

"Will there be Samba musicians down this runway?"  There is only one designer I can think of where members of the photographer's pit would ask this question.  

Carlos Miele brought his brand of sophisticated Brazilian chic to Lincoln Center for New York Fashion Week.  There were no dancers or musicians, but the models brought South American style to Manhattan.  The first few looks to come down the runway were dramatic swirls of printed chiffon. 

The rest of the looks that followed were draped, sexy silhouettes showing off bronzed legs, bared shoulders and long necks.  Sunny orange, one of the most popular colors in the Spring 2012 collection was important in this collection as well.  Vivid blues and greens to reflect the beaches of Brazil were also very prominent.  The popular pattern were variations on a painterly swirled design interpreted in different color palettes.

Fabric manipulations were popular as a design detail on several gowns.  Fabric was twisted and braided.  Other gowns featured a gathered fabric floral technique. 

When spring hits NYC, I'm usually wading through dirty slush thawed from the winter.  If there is any luck in my world, next spring I'll be instead on a beach in Brazil, with a caipirinha in hand and a regal Mielle gown on my back...

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