Every season, in our role as an official sponsor of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, we ask one novice MBFW-goer to record her adventures and, ahem, misadventures. This February, ideeli’s fearless Assistant Editor, Carmen Villafañe, is our My First Fashion Week correspondent. The 23-year old Miami native, who is usually orchestrating our sales editorials in the office, is experiencing the glam scene at Lincoln Center for the first time—and let’s just say she’s not the retiring type. Here’s the second update on her exploits!
My weekends are normally full of standard 23-year-old stuff. I go out with my girlfriends, we re-cap the night in pajamas for a good 8 hours the next day, maybe throw a movie in the mix. I’m not usually rubbing elbows with fashion’s elite in the industry’s biggest, most important venue. But this was my first Mercedes Benz Fashion Week(end), and I'd be posted up inside those tents all day, all weekend—live-tweeting everything, from the six shows I was attending to the celeb sightings in the lobby to my inevitable fashion week faux pas. We definitely weren't in Miami, anymore, Toto, and I didn't want it any other way.
My first show was Vivienne Tam. Ideeli’s resident PR princess Diana Gepp and I found our seats in the Theatre(that's us below) and gushed over Tam’s collection from the 4th row. It was dark but girly—chock full of appliquéd silks, tweed schoolgirl skirts, and sculptural navy coats. Diana was also a MBFW virgin, and I was so excited to have someone to freak out with.
As fate would have it, Saturday’s first rookie fail happened right before one of the most exciting encounters of the weekend. I realized I had forgotten to email my RSVP to Charlotte Ronson’s show that night, so I started frantically blasting their PR team. That show had the most buzz and all the celebrities would be there and I’m a huge fan and…WAIT. Is that Lynn Yaeger?! Two feet away from us stood the storied former fashion reporter for The Village Voice, whose eclectic look—red bob, rosy cheeks, and cupid’s bow lipstick—and pointed stories are the stuff of fashion industry legend. (That's us with Lynn below.) Her advice for a MBFW novice? “Don’t cry like I did every night my first time. And have a thick skin if people are mean to you.” Noted, Lynn, duly noted.
The crowd gathering outside the Theatre for Charlotte Ronson’s show was by far the best dressed yet, reflecting the designer’s chic Brit meets Soho fashionista vibe. That said, they were a vicious mob, pushing and shoving for dear life. I’m not one to become roadkill so I threw some ‘bows and made my way in. We were crammed like sardines, but had a perfect view of the models before they came out. Yellow Fair Isle sweaters, ripped leggings, and military green rocked the runway, but it was more a party than a show. Impossibly cool.
Brace yourselves for rookie blunder #2. Ideeli’s social media assistant Nicaila Matthews had joined up for the G-Star Raw show, and we spotted the hottest man alive in the front row. I tell Nicaila to go get a picture with the hottie, who we swore was Tyrese. As Nicaila calls out “Tyrese!” the Adonis turns. It was Tyson Beckford (pictured below in the mob scene). He pats Nicaila on the arm, and gives her a devastating smile, “We all look alike, I know.” Clearly, we were delirious and decided to call it a night, but not before a post-fashion show burger. A girl’s got to eat, after all!
Sunday was rumored to be the busiest day, full of celebrities milling about. It also marked a moment of fashion journalism glory for me. For the past week, we had been in touch with the PR team at Yoana Baraschi, to get a meet-and-greet with the designer. She was showing a presentation, which I learned means models posing literally 2 feet away from you while the designer goes around meeting with fans and press alike. In short, I was interviewing Yoana Baraschi, who’s been in the industry for over 20 years, and I was slightly intimidated. Even as I hyperventilated over her leather cropped skinnies and a to-die-for red evening gown, I really had nothing to worry about, Yoana was so easy to talk to and very candid about her first fashion week experience: “I was wondering is anybody going to come? But we ended up having over 600 people!” (That's me interviewing Baraschi, below.)
Baraschi knows the design process inside and out, having started in textiles, and now designing impeccable ready-to-wear pieces. “But my favorite part is that wild moment is when you strike the right note with each individual garment,” she said.
My best friend and MBFW novice Natalie had us all signed up for complimentary hair treatments from Tresemme when I spotted the other iconic fashion redhead: Vogue Creative Director Grace Coddington on her way to Diane von Furstenberg’s show. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet Anna Wintour’s wingwoman. Grace was kind of surprised when I stopped (begged) her for a picture (that's us above). And when I said I knew it wasn’t her first fashion week she said in her quiet British accent, “No, no it’s not” with a smile. Shell-shocked, Natalie turned to me and said, “We need to get into DVF.”
After ideeli staffer Elisabeth schmoozed with the phenomenal PR girls, we were standing in the nosebleeds at DVF, happy to just soak in the glory of the great Diane. The show started with a pointedly Argentine gaucho reference—red and gold, with a touch of fringe—but ended with bright sequined wrap gowns that I could picture Diane herself wearing in her Studio 54 days. Her collection basically solidified the fact that she needs to adopt me. We picked up the gorgeous first row invite above off the floor. One man's trash is another man's treasure has never been more true...
I had an extra ticket to Custo Barcelona, so I called my roommate Alisha, another MBFW virgin, and we sat 4th row! Across from us, were our other friends Natalie and Giovanna (that's the four of us above), and all throughout were several ideeli staffers taking in Custo’s wild-child pieces—we all died for the lace-printed leggings, chunky knits and sequined skirts. And me? I was looking around me and realized something clutch. Fashion week, like everything good and worthwhile, is so much better when it’s shared with the people you love.
Tue, September 6, 2011 at 5:17PM 
As an official sponsor of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, we’re thrilled to bring you into the fashion fold with us for 8 days of special sales, guest bloggers, and, on Twitter and Facebook, live runway coverage and a super-sized dose of style-centric interactive features. Starting Thursday, it’s going to be all MBFW all the time, and here’s what you can expect to see:
