New York Fashion Week Spring '09 Day 0:John Bartlett Brings His Show Home

In order to properly appreciate the experience of John Bartlett's Spring 2009 show, it helps if one has been impersonally pushed and shuttled through your typical overbooked, understaffed Fashion Week runway spectacle. Bartlett got a one-day jump on the week's events and turned the usual catwalk paradigm on its head by inviting a select group of buyers, press and friends not to a tent or event hall, but to his own West Village home and design studio this morning. It didn't hurt that he has a runway length room to use, and the venue allowed him to display his design boards and discreetly show off his two CFDA awards to the sharp-eyed. Always the gracious host, he had drinks served and came out to personally greet guests and introduce his show as his partner John Esty worked the iPod soundtrack.
With only about 50 seats, we appreciated being included, and the intimate setting provided a better opportunity so see the subtle details so often missed in a big runway extravaganza. Next Spring, Bartlett's shop on Seventh Avenue South will offer his ever more refined take on classic sportswear in blue, black and ivory including his signature offbeat touches like a long double voile tunic and chunky textured twine knits shown here on grown-up models.
Though it was a small scale show it didn't skimp on opportunities for glamor, as it presented the first Fashion Week appearance of Project Runway's Tim Gunn who still managed to look crisp on a surprisingly muggy morning. Here, he was more likely operating in his role as Chief Creative Officer at Liz Claiborne Inc., where Bartlett has taken over the design of the Claiborne men's brand.
This designer has always been an expert at show casting. Our current model obsession centers around diversity (or the lack thereof), which has never been an problem for Bartlett. The model lineup even included Make Me A Supermodel's Ben DiChiara (second from left, above) who, as we predicted, looks to have transitioned easily from reality shows to actual modeling, as if anyone could go wrong with those cheekbones.
After the show, John thanked guests personally, and sent us off with fruit and breakfast treats from The City Bakery, one of the most welcome gift bags we expect to receive all week.
John Bartlett (Official Site)
MUSIC: Home stereo + iPod
GIFT BAG: City Bakery breakfast, Fiji water, banana.
DIVERSITY COUNT:  30% -out of 20 models, 4 black, 2 asian

Comments

[greg]

2 asians...Simon Tham and Seijo Imazki.

[David Fundraising]

I like the fact that he took the fashion show into his workspace, inviting the few to get a feel for the place the pieces were created.

[carol]

So glad to see Ben DiChiara in this show. He looks great. It does look like he has made the transition well. I hope to see more of him this week. I love all the clothes on the models. Wonderful show.

[Anita]

Great looks for Spring '09 and a great article!
Wonderful to see Ben DiChiara again AND I hope we get to see more of him very soon!
THANKS!