Project Runway’s Tim Gunn and chief creative officer of Liz Claiborne, Inc. was on hand Saturday at Bloomingdale’s for the debut of the Kate Spade New York apparel collection. The charismatic author of A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style, was dapperly dressed in a charcoal gray Banana Republic suit acccented with a buttercup yellow tie.
Gunn and Leah Salak, director of special events and marketing for Liz Claiborne, who wore a black Kate Spade A-line shift, hosted a fashion show featuring a bevy of contemporary pieces from a zebra print coat with tie collar and tangerine orange peacoat with gold-tone buttons to a grafitti pink sequin minidress and sleeveless Audrey Hepburn-esque little black dress with a bow; all were accessorized with this season’s must-have bold tights, a black and white polka dot pair and a magenta pair with an argyle pattern popped the most. The looks were fresh, modern, and vibrant.
The brief event kicked off with more than a hundred guests directed to seating, each with a copy of the October issue of Harper’s Bazaar with Janet Jackson blazoned on the cover in a form-fitting Oscar de la renta silk chiffon dress. During the show, Gunn and Salak commented on each look shown in the show and how it could be worn for different styles and ages like a black A-line shift with lace peter pan collar that had a classic appearance worn by Salak, who was a tall lithe blonde. The dress was shown again on the petite raven haired Cati Gallardo, public relations representative for Bloomingdale’s, who wore her shift atop a black long sleeve t-shirt and black tights, giving her an overall appearance of the woeful character Wednesday from the television show Addams Family (1964).
At the conclusion of the event, guests were welcome to ask questions and Gunn fielded myriad quandaries about Project Runway as well those on how to wear the looks from the collection. The Attendies dispersed quickly to inspect the designs up close. Guests who spent $300 or more could have their picture taken with Tim Gunn. But, most were more excited about trying on the city chic looks. One guest, Debbie Torres, 57, who accompanied her daughter to the fashion show, was eager to try on a dress featured in the show that was a Jackie O styled shift dress embellished with beads. She described the bold colors and modern designs as reminiscent of looks from the 60s and 70s, calling them “timeless and inducing self-confidence.”
Chicly Yours,
The Chic Spy
