Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne, and Robert Duffy at Marc Jacobs on Monday, September 10 (Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/gettyimages.com)
Marc Jacobs yet again created serious magic at the 26th Street Armory. A row of giant red lacquer doors swung open at the end of the show and models poured out, filling the stage like an exquisitely dressed set of chess pieces. Usually tight-lipped VIPs and celebrities were gushing backstage. “It was so cool—the music, the models,” said Rose Byrne, who had woken up in the Hamptons that morning. “So theatrical. I loved it!”
“The Marc Jacobs collection has gone straight back to the Twiggy era for me," mused Kelly Osbourne, sporting an altitudinous top bun. "The black-and-white stripes of the 1960s and houndstooth sparkles. Perfection!”
Louise Roe, Odette Annable, Katie Lee, and Sami Gayle at Tracy Reese on Sunday, September 9 (Photo: Michael Loccisano/gettyimages.com)
Dialing back a day, to Sunday’s shows, it was mainly fashion editors (Robbie Myers, Kate Lanphear, Amy Astley, Carine Roitfeld) in the front row at Derek Lam’s show at 330 West Street. But it was an Asian woman sitting beside Simon Doonan who I couldn’t take my eyes off of. She appeared both uptight and cerebral as she studied the clothes, like a woman on the verge.
There was a dude at Tracy Reese with a nose ring like a doorknocker that Dispatches likewise couldn’t stop staring at. Reese’s show opened with a hula-dancing backdrop. In the pretty front row: Katie Lee, Odette Annable, Shenae Grimes, Sami Gayle, and Lauren Conrad.
Andy Cohen and Sarah Jessica Parker at Diane von Furstenberg on Sunday, September 9 (Jason Kempin/gettyimages.com)
The Thakoon show venue on far West 22nd Street was so small that you could see everyone. I chatted with Christina Ricci in the front row and then took baby steps toward the door. As I was rushing down the street to get to Diane von Furstenberg, a handler in heels stopped me. “Marshall?” she asked. She apparently thought I was from The Wall Street Journal.
Von Furstenberg’s show was heaven. Oscar de la Renta, in the front row, spoke about his “dear friend Diane.” Valentino looked oh-so-tan. And Sarah Jessica Parker air-smooched Dispatches on the way to her seat. The tall, tented room sparkled with little mirrored lips hanging from the ceiling on clear wires. The collection was called Palazzo and gave one the feeling of a caftan-wearing Marrakesh princess.
Sanya Richards-Ross and Hailee Steinfeld at Tommy Hilfiger women’s on Sunday, September 9 (Photo: Chelsea Lauren/gettyimages.com)
At Timo Weiland, Dispatches sat next to the super-energetic Lucy Sykes Rellie, who rightly pointed out what rising stars the designers, Timo Weiland and Alan Eckstein, are. There was lots of sparkle, fun mixings of patterns, and camouflage.
That night, the Tommy Hilfiger women’s show took place on a section of The High Line that had been decorated with white lanterns. Olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross looked sensational in a big hat and denim coat. When Dispatches entered the men's room, a female model was getting her hair washed. Oops. And there was a sweet moment when Hailee Steinfeld’s mom shied away from meeting Hilfiger on camera.
Chris Benz and Susan Sarandon at Benz’s show on Monday, September 10 (Photo: Craig Barritt/gettyimages.com)
Paula Abdul was so cute in the front row of Carlos Miele’s show on Monday. She said she’d just flown in from L.A., and she was seated near Vanessa Williams, who had on a big purple dress that looked like it was out of a Middle Eastern fairy tale (before all hell broke loose in the Middle East).
A show or two later, I walked into Avery Fisher Hall beside Susan Sarandon, who was holding two fluffy dogs, for Chris Benz’s show. Perhaps inspired by Benz's hair color, Kelly Osbourne wore pink lipstick and Abdul had slipped into a pink skirt.
Crystal Reed, Odette Annable, Stacey Bendet, and Ari Graynor at Alice + Olivia on Monday, September 10 (Photo: Taylor Hill/gettyimages.com)
So starry that it required a red carpet, Stacey Bendet’s Alice + Olivia show took place on far West 22nd Street. Jessica White had on shades, as if she'd just rolled out of bed. Dani Stahl, Ari Graynor, Abigail Breslin, and Odette Annable looked fresh-faced and fashion week fatigue-free.
From there it was an easy trot down to Zero + Maria Cornejo at Pier 57, where Dispatches spotted Mark Ruffalo (in a color-block jacket) with his stunning wife, Sunrise Coigney, faithfully waiting in line. They labeled themselves "fans" of Cornejo and clapped enthusiastically at the end of the show.
Aly Raisman, Lauren Conrad, Danielle and Katie Deleasa, and Kevin Jonas at Badgley Mischka on Tuesday, September 11 (Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/gettyimages.com)
It was back uptown for the well-traveled elegance of Tory Burch at Avery Fisher Hall at 9 a.m. on Tuesday. A tan Jordana Brewster made the front row. And Manu Chao’s super-charming song, "Bongo Bong," added much charm to the show’s soundtrack.
At 10 a.m., in the Theatre at Lincoln Center, Olympians Aly Raisman and Allyson Felix were front row along with Kevin Jonas and wife Danielle Deleasa at Badgley Mischka. Also front row was Lauren Conrad, who struck a new facial expression or head tilt for each outfit.
Minka Kelly and Brad Goreski at Jenny Packham on Tuesday, September 11 (Photo: Mike Coppola/gettyimages.com)
I saw Brad Goreski and Minka Kelly backstage at Jenny Packham, but I didn't realize he was filming his reality show—two cameras shone on me when I asked Minka what she thought of the collection.
Backstage at Naeem Khan, Padma Lakshmi took an errant piece of paper off my face. "If a friend can't tell you about something like this…” she offered. Jordana Brewster had made a fast-and-furious change into a chic black-and-white gown that looked like a sideways bar code. Jenna Dewan-Tatum showed plunging cleavage.
Cyndi Lauper, Betsey Johnson, and models at Johnson’s runway show and birthday bash on Tuesday, September 11 (Photo: Brian Killian/gettyimages.com)
Ivana Trump brought her beefy beau, who had on tight jeans with a lot of heavy stitching you know where, to Dennis Basso’s rooftop presentation at the St. Regis Hotel. The combination of hot lights, warm weather, and fur proved too much for one model who nearly fainted.
That night, Cyndi Lauper performed at Betsey Johnson’s 70th birthday bash and runway show, where I spotted AnnaSophia Robb and Bethany Hamilton, the female surfer who lost an arm in a shark attack and was later portrayed by Robb in Soul Surfer. Hamilton looked gorgeous in person—no prosthetic, no sleeve.
Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta Jones, Olivia Munn, Marisa Tomei, Camilla Belle, and Katharine McPhee at Michael Kors on Wednesday, September 12 (Photo: Eugene Gologursky/gettyimages.com)
The Michael Kors front row on Wednesday morning was literally a showstopper. Security tried to halt all access to row one. I spotted Michael Douglas with Catherine Zeta-Jones, Olivia Munn in emerald green, Marisa Tomei in Google Glass eyewear, and Camilla Belle in a windowpane black-and-white jacket by Kors.
Nanette Lepore’s front row was a frenzy of her celeb following. In fact, Lepore herself came out to join Edie Falco, Aida Turturro, Abigail Breslin (there with her mom), and Stanley Tucci and wife Felicity Blunt (Emily's sister) in the front row. “I didn’t want to miss out on the fun,” said Lepore.
Pamela Rosenzweig holds her nephew, Skyler, at Rachel Zoe’s show on Wednesday, September 12 (Photo: Jason Kempin/gettyimages.com)
I spotted Harvey Weinstein at Rachel Zoe. On the other side of the house were Zoe's parents and son Skyler, who started acting up before the start of the show. Zoe’s husband, Rodger Berman, handed him off to granny.
Olympian Ryan Lochte wore a blue V-neck sweater to Milly’s afternoon show. He and his burly wingman, Conor Dwyer, were swarmed by blondes—every woman in the room wanted a photo. Lochte’s head turned for every model that passed during the show.
Amy Adams, Emma Stone, and Diane Kruger at Calvin Klein on Thursday, September 13 (Photo: Clint Spaulding/patrickmcmullan.com)
Thursday at 2 p.m., I raced to my final show, Calvin Klein, which was presented in an elegant white box on West 39th Street. In the front row were Amy Adams in white, Emma Stone in orange, and Diane Kruger in a crop-top and leather skirt. Just as I was about to get a minute with Adams, she got a phone call about a travel glitch. My interview was off at that point, and Adams left the millisecond the show ended.
Later that evening, Lady Gaga’s fragrance launch at the Guggenheim Museum (which Dispatches mentioned in Part I) felt like a cathartic ending to an epic week. As Gaga rested in a giant replica of her new perfume bottle, fans stood in line to reach through a hole and touch (or pet) the pop star’s hand. She occasionally pulled back and gave a “yuck” look.
