I have been here for just over four hours and have already seen three wonderful, very different collections. We hit the ground running, literally. The first show of the day was Badgley Mischka. All the usually suspects were there; the Knot, Martha Stewart Weddings and Grace Ormond. The real story is the gowns, the hallmark of this collection was the beautiful delicate beading. Every bit of embroidery, beading and crystal work was as delicate as a whisper. One of the few gowns that wasn’t embellished with this stunning beadwork was a slip dress of Morocain silk crepe with a matching bolero. The two pieces together were a triumph of understated sophistication.
We dashed across town to Amsale’s flagship salon to see the press only show for the Kenneth Poole line. Austin Scarlett (yes from Project Runway) has come of age as a designer. This collection also uses a good bit of beading, but here it was notable for it’s contrast. Scarlet used a lot of subtle color variation to great success. The absolute stunner of the collection is “Bottecelli” a strapless ball gown in tulle with beautifully embroidered scallops each perfectly graduated from the row above. Too gorgeous! Even with all that embroidery it still had the feeling of being light as a feather.
At Michelle Roth we were treated to the witty antics of her brother Henry Weinreich. What I wouldn’t give for his energy! The collection was beautiful and very traditional. The slender tiered gowns were the best of the lot. Delicate crystal pleats were everywhere.
I’ll get a report on the Amsale show for you a bit later.
