Almost Killed Tadashi Shoji, Fashion Week, Day Two

DAHLINGS –

Your faithful correspondent almost inadvertently killed designer Tadashi Shoji at his Fashion Week presentation on Friday morning.

In my defense, may I point out that my recent illness has required me to use a cane or walking stick. (Do you know how HARD it is to find a decent looking cane??). And I was wearing black stilleto heels, the better to complement my black 1950s wiggle dress covered with velvet flowers and my matching black 1950s veiled platter hat. Walking in very high heels when you have to use a cane is NOT recommended.

So, I stepped up and entered a pitch-dark room, crammed with the usual rude masses, and the press. On one side, the models stood among wooden hand-made trees. This was supposed to be some sort of garden motif. One only wished the dresses had not been same color as the decor. I mean, there’s qui and feng shui and all, but really, would making something bright red kill the man? Oh, I forgot, I almost did.

Photo: Ms. Fabulous

The dresses on the far left, which unfortunately you cannot see in these photos by blogger Ms. Fabulous, had those circular petals all over them which you can see on handbags at every street seller’s corner in New York City. Who knew Mr. Shoji would use them as an inspiration?

Photo by Ms. Fabulous

IN ANY EVENT, the dresses are lovely, shimmery, the usual. Very red carpet, you know the kind of thing. So I determined to make a quick exit. Not easy when you are impeded by both a huge crowd and a cane. As a result, I found myself not only bumping into people, but crashing into people. I stumbled, and smashed into two small Asian gentleman! (Since even without heels I am almost six feet tall, you can imagine.) One of them turned–

And you know where this is going. It was Tadashi Shoji. With a stunned look on his face.

“Oh I’m so sorry Mr. Shoji the dresses are beautiful it’s a lovely presentation is that a security guard must dash congratulations ciao!”

And back in the corridor was I, only slightly flustered and grateful that there would NOT be a headline on the nightly news: “DIMINUTIVE DESIGNER CRUSHED TO DEATH BY BLOGGER”.

I had meant to get to the Guli show, but it takes quite a while to look truly fabulous. And it started at 9 AM! So, I went straight to my ill-fated visit to Tadashi Shoji’s presentation to the BCBGMaxAzria runway show.

Do you recall the dress on a recent Project Runway that Ivy created? That was called “shapeless,” “dull,” “not resort at all”?

Photo courtesy of Lifetime.com

I don’t think Mr. Azria was watching that night. Eer…um..

What else can one say? Gaunt models speedwalking down the runway in silk dresses of various shapes and sizes and all I could think about was Ivy. Which is NOT a good thing to think, believe me.

This was my favorite. It was darker under the lights, and the fabric had very feminine movement. As it happened, I was sitting next to Mr. Azria’s financier, quite a handsome man, so I made appreciative sounds in a voice an octave higher than my own. We’re seeing each other after he returns from Morocco.

By far my favorite show of the day was Ports 1961. Fiona Cibani’s sister Tia has left the company. You would never know it by all of the wonderful, youthful designs. Ports 1961 always has something fresh to show, and they did not disappoint. The theme was “urban Sahara” , and although by then I had seen enough neutrals to last me the rest of my life, there was a parade of GORGEOUS liquid dresses that had me lusting to own a copy of each one.

That was a perfect show to end my day on. Being extrêmement fatigué, I opted out of attending Betsey Johnson’s party in favor of a cold cocktail and a warm bed.

Ciao,

Elisa & Bucky the Wonderdog

Photos courtesy of Getty Images