Tough times have hit the fashion world.
At New York's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Maybelline replaced M.A.C. as a cosmetics sponsor and the coffee served in the tents at Bryant Park, where the spring 2010 collections were recently shown, came from McDonald’s.
Big glossy invitations are a thing of the past; this time, many invites were delivered via email. The sets for many of the shows were pared down to a basic white backdrop and fewer top models walked the runways.
But the biggest example that designers are tightening their belts came with the noticeable lack of goodie bags.
Just a few years ago, I carried an extra (empty) suitcase to New York so I would have room for all the fashion week swag. I brought home curling irons and Nintendo DS game players. I collected oversize tote bags from Lacoste, gift cards from Payless and shoes from Tom’s. Even though Chanel and Prada don’t show in New York, their cosmetics people always sent fragrances, lipsticks and anti-aging creams to my hotel.
Most of the freebies went to co-workers and friends, so I was a very popular guy in Houston. Everyone loves something for nothing.
This time around, though, the pickins’ were slim. Only Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs offered a fragrance. Kors new scent, “Very Hollywood,” and Jacobs’ new fragrance, “Lola,” were on every seat of their respective shows.
I guess my priorities have changed, because I was much more excited about seeing Madonna at the Jacobs show than the free perfume. With a teased hairdo reminiscent of French actress Catherine Deneuve in the 1960s, the pop superstar appeared much softer-looking in person than she does in photographs.
Jacobs’ show was one of the few with much imagination. He featured models in Kabuki-like makeup to showcase his vaguely Asian-themed collection of ruffled dresses, lattice work coats and lingerie as outerwear.
“It’s not just about selling clothes,” he told Women’s Wear Daily the day before his show. “It’s about giving people things to dream of and romanticize about.”
Oscar de la Renta also sent out a dreamy collection filled with bold colors. His only nod to the recession: His clothes aren’t nearly as heavily embellished as they once were. This time he used Chantilly lace to lend an air of mystery to his evening gowns.
Most everyone else offered safe collections with lots of separates. The thinking goes like this: If a woman doesn’t buy an entire outfit, she might be enticed to purchase a blouse or a skirt or a pair of pants or a jacket.
Just when I had resigned myself to going virtually swag-less this season, a close friend who writes for a major East coast newspaper invited me to tag along with her on a visit to celebrity stylist Robert Verdi’s Luxe Laboratory. Verdi, who styled Eva Longoria Parker’s French wedding and is a judge on TV Land’s “You’ve Got the Look,” sent a driver in a Mercedes to fetch us.
The Luxe Lab penthouse in the Garment District looks like the set for MTV’s The Real Life, with a deluxe kitchen, playroom, hair salon and small terrace. It is stocked with promotional items from such well-known names as Rock & Republic, Timex, Van’s and CVS.
During fashion week, Verdi opens up the stylish retreat to a select group of fashion editors and celebrities. They can have their hair or nails done and munch on a light meal before returning to the fashion grind.
I just missed Kathy Griffin, star of My Life on the D-List, and Saturday Night Live commediene Kristen Wiig, who came to get Verdi’s advice on what gown she should wear to the Emmy Awards.
But I did talk with a CVS representative, who touted the new line of Serena Williams lip balm and sent me away with a care package that included Tide stain remover, CVS band aids and Lumene instant cooling eye stick. Verdi threw in a pair jeans, a sports watch, skull earnings from Tarina Tarantino and a copy of Ignite the Genius Within.
Now isn’t that special?
D-list star Kathy Griffin checks out the swag at the Luxe Laboratory suite during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.
