Vera Wang Fall 2008

I barely made it to the tents in time for the Vera Wang show this morning, a huge fire shut down 3rd Ave and traffic was horrendous.  I was totally panicked because not only is Vera our favorite Chinese-American designer but my friend Sasha (whose stepmother was an editor at Vogue with Vera and a close family friend of hers) promised to take me backstage to meet her!  I managed to get to my seat at 10:30, just in time as the plastic runners were being removed from the runway.The show was absolutely breathtaking, Vera Wang said the collection is a “measured study in color, texture, silhouette and proportions playfully depicted in the sophisticated portraits of Dutch artist Kees van Dongen.  From the striking color palette, which ranges from all manner of charcoal-blacks, to melanges of shades that frequently border on “neon”, his paintings celebrate his love of fashion, his love for women, and his passion for la vie mondaine.”  The resplendent collection also featured fabulous jewelry by Phillip Crangi which glittered elegantly against the soft draped tops.  The tassle necklaces hung casually around the neck made even the most intricate of gowns feel effortless.  I loved the silhouette of the pompadour skirts, shown with Chinese poppy techno brocade top or a brown cashmere antique gold collar sweater, it was playful and fun.  An interesting detail was her use of neon bright tights, an orange pair under a midnight green embroidered back drape dress lightened the mood and created a multi-dimension contrast of color and texture.  My favorite looks were an ivory taupe satin silk cream embroidered top over black felt twist skirt and a beige cashmere cardigan over mink faille short sleeve embroidered micro pompadour dress.  There were also plenty of felt hats jauntily placed on the models’ heads, furthering the playful mood of the collection.  Sasha introduced me to Vera backstage and though she was surrounded by dozens of people and photographers trying to vie for her attention, she took time to meet me and snap a photo.  Just love her!   Thanks, Sasha.  Love you too!