Talk of the Tents

Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson front-row at the Charlotte Ronson show (Getty)

Our sleep schedules are back on track, our livers are healing and we've retired our heels. In other words, Fashion Week is over.

So many things happened, but here's what will stay in our minds until February:

Most ridiculous celebrity shill: Eva Longoria-Parker unveiling M&M’s Premium chocolate. We doubt the pint-size “Desperate Housewives” star is gorging on bon-bons.

Most sartorially insane: "America’s Next Top Model’s" Jay Manuel's Gothic Scottish doctor get-up

Most re-usable gift bag: Twinkle by Wenlan's reversible black-and-white tote

Best swag (for guys): Nintendo DS from Julie Haus

Best swag (for gals): Giant bag of NARS makeup at 3.1 Phillip Lim. Need we say more?

Best sighting:: Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson front and center at Charlotte Ronson's show

Craziest celebrity: Joel Madden of Good Charlotte threatening our photographer at the Charlotte Ronson after-party for snapping a shot of Madden's girlfriend, Nicole Ritchie

Designer who should teach a class in how to throw after-parties: Rebecca Taylor. Wine, cheese and fondue and Artisanal trumps cocktails at a noisy club.

Fakest Fashion Week injury: Jennifer Lopez, who said she couldn't attend the "Project Runway" finale as a guest-judge because of a foot injury but then ran a triathlon two days later!

Most real Fashion Week injury: Runway road-kill at Rodarte

Most annoying front-row guest: Leigh Lezark at seemingly every show

Most politically minded: Vogue's Andre Leon Talley, who showed which candidate he's tote-ally voting for

—Julie Gordon and Jessie Pascoe

We stumbled across what looked like the filming of Project Runway's season finale Saturday morning in Lower Manhattan, and managed to snap some photos before we were shooed away by an irritated production assistant.

Imagine how much more irritated he'd have been if he knew we were journalists....

We were on Pearl Street--near historic Fraunces Tavern--around 1:40 p.m. on Saturday, and saw Tim Gunn shake the hand of a contestant, and hand him/her a set of keys. The winner then drove away in a black Saturn vehicle.

The names of the two contestants we saw Gunn shake hands with, and a photo, are after the jump.... Once again, you've been warned--spoiler alert!

Continue reading "Spoiler: Apparent Project Runway finale spotted filming in NYC" »

Heidi Klum and Christian Siriano (Getty)

Like any fashion event involving "Project Runway" alum or contestants, Thursday night's Christian V. Siriano show was pretty much a circus of fans and fashion types.

"Runway" judge Heidi Klum said there's reason for the attention on the 22-year-old television series winner: He's actually talented.

"It's one thing to be talented, but if you just have personality sometimes you don't have to have talent to go with it. But Christian does," Heidi said before the show.

She also said the young designer gets so many props already and that he's "so special." And, obviously, fierce.

-<>See photos of what each Project Runway finalist presented here--with Christian Siriano's solo show photos at the end

-See videos of each show by clicking here, from our sister blog Project Runway.

--Click here for all the photos of celebrities who came Fashion Week, from Jennifer Lopez to Lindsay Lohan to Beyonce to Nastia Liukin.

— Julie Gordon

Actrress Mena Suvari and her fiance, Simone Sestito (Getty)

Actress Mena Suvari thinks her short blond haircut is a style "don't."

"I hate it right now," she told us at the Rebecca Taylor show Thursday. "Thank God for hairstylists."

Mena buzzed her hair short last year for a role, and it's still growing out.

"It's really in between. I just want it to be long," she said. "My hair grows very slowly so I'm just taking my vitamins and crossing my fingers."

Accompanying Mena to the show was fiance Simone Sestino, who designed the blindingly gorgeous engaement ring on Mena's finger.

"It's all about the stone," the music producer said. "Then you can design around the stone after you pick it." Nice work.

— Julie Gordon

Mena's engagement ring (Getty)

First photos are in, as the six Project Runway finalists--Kenley Collins, Korto Momolu, Leanne Marshall, Suede, Joe Faris, and Jerell Scott-- strutted their stuff at Fashion Week this morning.

And last year's winner, Christian Siriano, had his own star-studded Fashion Week solo show last night.

-<>See photos of what each Project Runway finalist presented here--with Christian Siriano's solo show photos at the end

-See videos of each show by clicking here, from our sister blog Project Runway.

--Click here for all the photos of celebrities who came Fashion Week, from Jennifer Lopez to Lindsay Lohan to Beyonce to Nastia Liukin.

-Click here to see all the photos and videos of what the designers are showing at Fashion Week, from Oscar de la Renta to Michael Kors to Vera Wang to more.

-Hear about all NYC celebrity happenings first by taking 30 seconds to sign up for our email newsletter

-And catch up on all the celebrity photos and events in New York from this week just by clicking here

Spotted: Jay Manuel looking like a gothic Scottish doctor on the way to make a house call. We had to blink a few times to make sure our eyes weren’t deceiving us. Alas, they weren’t and the America’s Next Top Model regular was experiencing some sort of sartorial insanity. What would Tyra say?!?

-- Jessie Pascoe

A front row guest brought a live accessory to the Reem Acra show Thursday afternoon: Her little white dog!

We wonder if she was inspired by Acra's runway bow last season toting her own furry friend.

— Jessie Pascoe

Ross Geller, err, David Schwimmer, left, with John Varvatos at the designer's party Wednesday (Photo: Patrick McMullan)

If you've ever pondered this question, we got your answer Wednesday night at the John Varvatos party.

"I am directing a play Off-Broadway right now called 'Fault Lines at the Cherry Lane Theater. I am in rehearsal right now. I will be wearing [Varvatos] the opening night," Schwimmer said.

Well see Sept. 30 if this fashion vision will come true.

— Jessie Pascoe

"Gossip Girl's" Chace Crawford, left, with designer John Varvatos at a party at Varvatos' store last night (Photo: Patrick McMullan)

With the hoity-toity vibe of Fashion Week starting to grate on us, we were relieved to step out of the Tents and get a dose of rock 'n' roll Wednesday night, courtesy of menswear designer John Varvatos.

We swung a party at his store -- located in the old CBGB space on the Bowery -- which opened in April and retains many relics from its predecessor. Though it's usually filled with rocker-style clothes, the shop was cleared Wednesday to make room for a performance by Perry Farrell (of Jane's Addiction and Varvatos' new campaign) and a massive crowd.

We caught up with Varvatos before the concert.

How do you keep the vibe of the legendary CBGB at your store?
We love doing events here. We are constantly doing concerts here and when we thought about taking the space over we said we want to honor what was here and I wanted it to live on. I don’t want it to be CBGB's. I'm not trying to make it CBGB's. But the walls are still talking.

Your fashion shows always have such strong music choices. How do you figure out what to play?
It’s so personal with me the whole music thing in my shows because I pick the music myself. It’s whatever I’m thinking about when I’m designing a collection. Whatever’s kind of stimulating me at that moment. I think the music that we do in the show is different than any other show in New York. There are other people that do something else great at the other end of the psectrum. I’m a rock and roll guy. And I want it to be interesting, where people go, 'Wow what was that?' Even the musicians that attend always ask me, like, 'What was your second song?' I love when they ask me those questions.

How do you discover new music choices?
I’m a junkie about it all. I'm constantly searching new music out or old music. I think about music as an experience but it’s also about new experiences and reaching back to find things that either you touched on briefly in the past or you never know existed.

Continue reading "John Varvatos: Stop, shop and roll" »

Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro at the John Varvatos party Wednesday night (Photo: Patrick McMullan)

It was no surprise that Dave Navarro was at John Varvatos' party Wednesday night. Held at the designers Bowery shop in the former CBGB space, the evening toasted Varvatos with a Perry Farrell performance. We ran into Navarro before his former Jane's Addiction bandmate took the stage, where we inquired about his fall plans.

"Honestly, I can't think that far ahead. I don't even know what I am doing tomorrow," Navarro said.

Well, he might not know what he's doing, but knows he'll be wearing designs by Varvatos.

"[John Varvatos] doesn't design for one feeling or emotion. He designs street wear, he designs evening wear. I can come and [shop] for going to club or go to another rack and dress for going to dinner at the White House," he said.

Now that's a photo op we'd like to see.

Also spotted at the Varvatos party were "Gossip" Boy Chace Crawford, David Schwimmer and (yuck) Lauren "The Hills" Conrad.

— Jessie Pascoe