A Different Feel to Fashion

Fashion Week feels different this week, but not as the pundits predicted.

Basically experts say since the economy is so bad, people won't be shopping and that paying attention to fashion is a waste of time. While I won't be buying that $25,000 Birkin bag - but when did I ever have plans to get one of those? - I disagree. As long as we have to get dressed, we need fashion, we need choices and we need style.

This week close to 100 designers in and around the Bryant Park tents are showcasing what they hope people will want to buy six months from now. And that's a hard job because we really don't know what we will be wearing tomorrow. Therefore the looks are all over the place. There is not one trend. (I'm looking for it though.)

The week kicked off Friday with The Heart Truth Red Dress Collection that featured designs from designers from Diane von Furstenberg to Betsey Johnson. Arise, the African Collectivecq celebrated the work of black designers. Barbie celebrated her 50th birthday with a group of flashy dresses.

Jason Wu, the man behind First Lady Michelle Obama's one-shoulder, off-white ball gown presented Friday a frothy collection of pretty dresses as well. (Speaking of Obama, her go-to designer, Maria Pinto, flew in from Chicago to show her collection of tailored daytime wear to a completely filled room.)

Von Furstenberg showed an eclectic collection of layered comfort clothing Sunday afternoon, while Herve Leger continued to do more things with the banded dress. Tracey Reese surprised her Monday afternoon audience by substituting florals for geometric shapes on her whimsical dresses, while Jill Stuart did't shy away from pastels, even though it was for fall, and added a harder edge – exposed zippers and leather — to her collection that helped the pale Goth inspired clothes look warm. Last night, Marc Jacobs took bright jewled tones and gave them a boxy, yet lean, 80s silhouette. Didn't make much sense, but hey, it's Marc.