Spring 2010 New York Fashion Week Day 3: From Students To A Master With Academy Of Art University, Christian Siriano & Chado • Ralph Rucci

The Shophound's Fashion Week Saturday followed a rather interesting and totally unplanned progression as our shows ran the gamut from the newly graduated fashion students to Project Runway's most promising champion thus far to America's premier couturier.
Of course, our day was supposed to start at Adam by Adam Lippes, but in a rare misstep, his show was overbooked, and we never made it inside despite going out of our way to get to Milk Studios. We were more dismayed than anything, as Adam's PR firm is typically a model of efficiency and professionalism. Basically, we learned that though Milk Studios is in a cool (though not especially convenient) neighborhood and has some very good show spaces, it doesn't seem to have the kind of space or amenities that could ever make it a serious rival to the bigger tents at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week uptown, where Adam showed last season. The West end of 15th Street is awfully far to go out of one's way to not see a show. We're not mad at you, Adam...just disappointed.
But back to the shows we did see.
Academy of Art University in the big Tent at Bryant Park always packs them in, but in this particular universe, Miss J. Alexander is the star guest who attracts the biggest throng of fans. So far, Miss J. is the only "America's Next Top Model" representative to to have a pesence in the tents as normally dedicated showgoer Nigel Barker (the noted photographer) has yet to make an appearance so far. Down the row from him was "Real Housewife" Alex McCord and her mini-entourage, whose quasi-celebrity is already tiring us. Bill Cunningham was busy shooting the audience, and major critical press was soley represented by Suzy Menkes, lending her much needed gravitas to the affair. As for the newly graduated students, those with the most flamboyant work drew the biggest cheers from the audience, but it was Brittney Major's cheerful plaid taffeta sportswear that showed its designer knew not to pile all her ideas into one outfit. One or two will do. Even the best efforts of top models like Myf and Siri Tollerød, who opened the show, couldn't mask that, though talented, some of the students were still in "design school" mode.
The Shophound was especially relieved to know our seat was safe at Christian Siriano's second runway show, so we could bypass the throngs checking in. Even two seasons after his big TV triumph, Siriano remains popular with the public, and has shown impressive business savvy scoring contracts with Payless, who shod his models, and Victoria's Secret from whom he borrowed show opening model Behati Prinsloo. Siriano's front row was one of the starriest we have seen so far. It was an eclectic group including Tori Spelling, Estelle, Veronica Webb, Kell andy Rowland, Kristen Johnston, Mena Suvari and Amerie, a group who pushed Siriano's fellow "Project Runway" alumni back to the second row.
As for the clothes, the pixieish designer has not strayed from the ultra-glamorous looks that made him famous on TV. If the results were not always as youthful as one might have hoped for, it's worth mentioning that he gets better with more extravagance culminating in fantasy gowns like a volcanic printed organza confection worn by Sessilee. This is one designer for whom more really is more, and Saks and Neiman Marcus were in attendance to show their interest.
To end the day, we had a champion of a different sort. The only celebrities who go to the Chado Ralph Rucci show are there because they are faithful and adoring customers like Martha Stewart, a front row regular. In fact, this is the one show where waiting for the tent to open is an golden opportunity to examine the designer's work up close. The clients, who are in abundance, pull out their best Chado outfits for the show. We found ourselves standing in front of Vanity Fair's Amy Fine Collins who wore a spectacular strapless cocktail dress in beaded, knotted fringe, while his chief patroness Deeda Blair sported a full skirted black dress with sheer insets. FIT's Valerie Steele swanned by in an intricately seamed jacket. There is as much of a Chado show in the audience as there is on the runway. Though some whisper of a rift between the designer and a certain all-powerful editor, it can't be so bad that André Leon Talley couldn't show up in a sweeping white satin coat.
As for the show, Rucci always starts with the simplest day clothes and builds the drama. The fabrics, silhouettes and decorative treatments become more and more elaborate as the show progresses, ending in an astonishing run of gowns that leaves his clients swooning, and this year was no different, sending his audience to its feet for an extended finale.