Fabiola’s Fashion Week Diary: Saturday

Fabiola with Kelly Pickler in the MAC Lounge; with Heidi Klum at Barbie. All photos Fabiola Beracasa.

 

Barbie
While I was hanging out backstage at the MAC lounge Kelly Pickler walks in. To be honest, at first I didn’t know what to make of her: In comes this girl with a hot pink dress with hot pink lipstick to match and an impossibly tight blond ponytail… naturally I thought she was a Barbie promoter. But when I asked some question about the Barbie show and got only her blank stare in return, I realized I might be barking up the wrong tree. So I asked for a picture instead. I mean who doesn’t like a little country music?

The Barbie show was an extravaganza of pink and plastic; most people brought their kids and they all just loved it. Designers like DVF and Rachel Roy created looks for Barbie, but the crowd favorite were Bob Mackie’s looks. I however was in my own world of fascination as I was sitting directly across form Annie Liebowitz, with what seemed to be her two stunning daughters. She is such a talented artist and interesting woman, she is a fantastic role model for this generation and many to come, I wanted to somehow by just being near her absorb some of what she knows. But I’ve tried that before, holding Deepak Chopra’s handshake just a little longer than what is considered normal, which didnt go over well.

Anyway, Barbie was fun.

 

Erin Wasson at Alex Wang; a look from Alex Wang

 

Alex Wang:

OK, so you know how every gay boy has a female alter ego? Well, Alex Wang is my gay alter ego… I just love him-everything about him. I remember when I first met him, before I had seen a single thing he designed—before I even knew he was a designer—I thought he was so handsome, and he was just wearing the coolest laid back shit, I knew he was probably not into girls, but for a moment I wished he would be. Once I discovered his talent I was blown away. I covered his show last season and I knew right away that this was the next wave. He is so true to himself and to his lifestyle: So many designers design for what they think people will like; Alex’s clothes feel authentic and that is what it’s all about. The show at the Roseland Ballroom was amazing. When I got there the line was around the block, but something about it felt like old New York. No pomp. You walk in and a bar serves drinks, the lights are low, the DJ is jammin’ and suddenly you feel like you’re out with your friends going to see your favorite band. Everybody there was equal: the old garde, the new garde; the blue chip and the blue collar-it just felt like a good time. The clothes were so refreshing sexy, creative unique: I mean leave it to Wang to bring back the bike short and make it look not good but great. There were amazing cut out dresses, pointed rubber sole platforms (I have an old pair I will now pull out) and just clothes you feel bad ass in. The music as always was enough to make me want to stay and dance the night away. But wait? It was only 6 PM.

Fabiola wears Preen last week in Miami

 

Hervé Leger:

I love me a bandage dress. I can’t say it enough; maybe it’s because I have such an affinity for the fashion of my 80s childhood, or maybe its because I like to be bound—but that’s for another post!I’ll say it again: I love a bandage dress. This Hervé Leger collection did not disappoint, some embellished with crystals and others with impossibly square shoulders. The dresses were chic and sexy and as they popped with femininity I remembered the days of supermodels.

Suddenly, a collective gasp shuddered from the usually blasé crowd, which means one thing: a model has taken a dive on the cat walk. This was no indelicate misstep—this was a FACE PLANT. As everyone peered at this girl she managed to re-adjust her shoe and get herself up and then the fashion bitches (including me) become benevolent. We all cheered and clapped as she completed her runway duty. And when she came out again, more cheers all around! I would like to take this opportunity (since I’m on my soap box, and you are listening) to draw a parallel to life. We are all going through difficult times collectively and individually and sometimes giving up seems like the only option, but as proven by model number 15 in the Hervé Leger Show, it’s not about what happens to you, it’s about how you handle it.

 

 

Preen:

Looks from Preen

 

 

Vintage D&G

It’s 11 AM on a weekend morning and truth be told if I had my way I would have stayed in bed with my boyfriend and snuggle-puss dogs. But I love Preen and there was no way I was going to miss this show. When I got there it was a sea of Starbucks-clad fashionistas standing outside smoking cigarettes and bitching about the cold. I avoided all that by slipping in and finding my seat. To my left I had the hilarious and quick-witted Derek Blasberg and to my right was the lovely Poppy Delvingne. The show was beautiful, with the ubiquitous cut outs of this season that remind me of Thierry Mugler. The collection started off as a parade of black and white with layers of chiffon and oversized herringbone prints—then suddenly a jolt of color as the flow of the colorful dresses was juxtaposed by the sharp structure of the silhouette. Perfect! I didn’t bother going backstage as I had a lunch date with my boyfriend Jason at Cafeteria and I wanted to check out the consignment store Fisch for the Hip right next door before I had to meet him. I found an amazing grey and lace Dolce & Gabbana bodysuit—if you didn’t see the label you would swear it was vintage underwear—and I made it in time for lunch without a moment to spare!

 

DVF

 

I can’t be unbiased when it comes to DVF. DVF knew my parents before I was even an idea in their minds. My whole life I have looked up to her: Forget about her sense of style, which has been a constant. She was gutsy before it was cool; she always spoke her mind and did her thing. I was always amazed at her courage, she influenced me to be authentic to take a chance on my intuition and to be strong. She has brought so many gifts into my life and when I wear her clothes or watch her shows I am reminded of what an inspiration she is to me and millions of other woman in the world.

 

DVF, Talita, Tassilo

 

But for the sake of the blog, I’ll tell you how it went down: I meet with DVF backstage an hour before the show, and she was surrounded by two of her stunning grandchildren, Talita and Tassilo (who I held as babies and are now like little people: Suddenly I’m feeling old!). DVF herself was wearing a brown velvet leopard print dress from her “Nomad” collection, saying that as a girl clothing had a talismanic effect, such that, “whereever she goes she belongs, and her clothes are her friends.” She listed the three things that inspire her, “woman, nature, and art” and declared that “art is a reflection of our time—so fashion and art always make sense together.”

 

Front row at DVF. Talita is the busiest.

 

She looked relaxed and said she was very pleased with the collection so I was eager to see it go down the runway. I left backstage and went to the front of house to find Jason (my boyfriend, for those of you who have not been reading my posts). He never comes to fashion shows, but he always comes to the DVF show as he is friends with Alex VF (DVF’s son). Coincidentally Alex introduced Jason and me, so here’s a shout out! Once in our seats I look around to see the front
row studded with celebrities, magazine editors, and just plain fabulous people. But the cutest of all were Talita and Tassilo waiting to see the show!

 

The looks were filled with color, layers and prints. Everything was rich and beautiful yet very wearable and young…all that color was a welcome change from the heap of black I have seen so far. The ethnic tones of the collection were culturally rich and accessible. All in all I would wear every single look… actually, I already asked if I could reserve one of the pom pom hats! And I’m making a list of the other looks I want so I can order them early.

 

After the show Jason and I headed to DVF studio for the dinner party. We hung out and had drinks but didn’t eat, so we ducked out and had a romantic dinner at Marcelleria. I had a delicious fish… Went to bed feeling very satisfied!