A week in the fashion lane

[AP photo / Mark Lennihan] Slinky and inky, this evening dress was part of the Christina Perrin Fall/Winter 2002 collection shown in New York.

Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 16, 2002

NEW YORK -- It's a wrap in the city that never sleeps.

Fashion Week has ended, and America's titans of style once again engaged in the draining, semiannual battle to propel their upcoming collections into the limelight.

The models, as usual, are in top condition, though living on cigarettes and willpower. Somehow they manage to rocket out onto a runway and sashay toward a hundred camera lenses, spin and glide gracefully back to the starting point.

The designers, meanwhile, are running their own course -- a journey that takes them from merely fried to totally unglued. At each of these 17-minute shows, the people on the risers who sit in judgment will declare six months' worth of toil and talent a winner or loser in the wink of an eye.

Here are views from the sidelines.

[AP photo] A cropped sweater over a sequined “parachute” skirt remained a favored look in the Betsey Johnson collection.

It became immediately clear at this year's women's fall fashion shows that many designers have a lot in common with the rest of the population: They're on the austerity plan.

Betsey Johnson and Carolina Herrera saved thousands of dollars by staging shows at their Seventh Avenue headquarters instead of the costly Bryant Park tents. Johnson's staff even moonlighted as models, sparing her the professionals' fees.

"They're my sisters!" shouted the flame-haired designer, who held up cards with each employee's name and occupation as she tripped down the runway. "Carly, Trim Design" said one sign. "Stephanie, Sales Girl, Woodbury Commons," read another.

Johnson's girls may not have looked as good as real models, but they had bigger tattoos and were way more fun. They strutted proudly down the catwalk, shimmied for the cameras, then danced off to the dressing room. Photographers, standing next to a wall of colored spools, applauded wildly.

What was Johnson's payroll wearing? Her usual mix of brightly colored lingerie, corset dresses, sequined shrugs and layered lace skirts. The only items that looked really new were gold-stenciled satin slips and camouflage pants.

Herrera also showed metallics -- elegant silver lame belted coats and slacks. They were beautifully tailored and looked more dapper than disco.

Like virtually every designer this season, she sent out a variety of flat-front, wide-legged trousers ending in cuffs. If shoppers are to buy just one thing for fall, it should be these pants.

'N Sync member Chris Kirkpatrick's clothing line, Fuman Skeeto, made its runway debut at the Girls Rule show but paled alongside creative getups by Dollhouse, Planet Youngthing and other designers who believe fishnet ankle socks with white patent-leather high heels are, well, okay.

Comfort and restrained elegance are themes many designers hit this week.

Anne Klein designer Charles Nolan said he was inspired by strength:

"The strength of character that has recently turned daily routine into cherished moments, and heroic events into daily routine," he explained, rather profoundly and coherently, for a designer.

Nolan showed enough career sportswear for all the women on Wall Street, and retailers in the front row looked like they couldn't wait to get their hands on it.

His camel coats, paneled suede dresses and flared skirts looked soft and chic. So did his low-waisted tweed pants and cream fisherman's sweaters (a big trend this season).

Steffe opened her show with a flamenco dancer named Greg who tapped his little heart out. Then she took one and all on a trip to the bullrings and tapas bars of old Spain.

Saucy senorita clothes danced down the runway, done up as tango shirts and matador pants, all ruffled and lacy. There were sheer skirts with asymmetric hems, pert bustiers made entirely of fringe, short shearling jackets and even shorter crocheted tanks.

Sean "P. Diddy" Combs spent $1.2-million to unveil his fall menswear line -- $60,000 of that for the invitations, which arrived in elegant boxes covered with black Ultrasuede.

He apparently devoted little of the money to security and crowd control, however. Guests were forced to wait outside in the cold for more than an hour. New York police barred at least 200 invited guests from entering the show because the room was already filled to capacity.

The Sean John customer may choose from a wardrobe of three-piece suits, zip-front sweaters, pleated pants, floor-length overcoats and crisp dress shirts worn with silk neckties.

At Tommy Hilfiger's show, the designer seemed to be channeling the Kennedys, including every cliche about New England. His program notes referred to walks on the beach and touch football on the lawn. His collection was a familiar but pleasing blend of patriotic colors, preppy looks and the juxtaposition of track pants and sweat shirts with blazers and button-down shirts.

As soon as his show ended, his staff busily sent out hundreds of e-mails listing the celebrities who had attended -- musician Wyclef Jean and actor Jill Hennessy. Just in case the media hadn't noticed.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.