Yes, folks, it's time for Spring Previews again, and the schedule can be almost as busy as Fashion Week at times. The Shophound will admit that sometimes we go to these things just for the hors d'oeuvres and free drinks, which is how we ended up at an event for DKNY Hosiery to launch a special collaboration with Gossip Girl costume stylist Eric Daman. Frankly, we were really interested in checking out the Dream Hotel in Chelsea where the event was held. For some reason, much to our and the security staff's confusion, we were directed to enter the subterranean Electric Room through the loading dock (despite the presence of a perfectly serviceable staircase from the lobby), but inside we found a fairly cool bar underpopulated with guests (in fairness, we were there pretty early). There were sullen models looking leggy in their tights (right), but the excitement had yet to kick in and we had to go uptown to...
Kenneth Cole's Hell's Kitchen showroom on Eleventh Avenue for a more conventional sort of preview. With a brand like this the interest is not so much in what's new, but what's filtering down to more accessible labels. In this case it is bright color blocks and the spectre of the '80s (left) including a unlikely mash-up of snakeskin pattern printed on leather haircalf (or cavallino for those who find 'haircalf' too graphic a term) (below). This material made it into shoes, handbags, a skirt, a dress and billowing silk scarf. 
For men there were the not terribly surprising but well executed multi-colored boat shoes as well as suede buck chukkas with eraser red rubber soles (right). Overall, it looks like fashion-at-a-price will be well served by Cole next Spring. We were only charmed more when upon exiting, we were presented with a little box from Ladurée containing three macarons, a green pistachio, a pink one that smelled like roses, and a creamy caramel one that made us fully understand the appeal of the famous French sweet shop. Our aversion to standing in line on the sidewalk has kept us from sampling the new Ladurée on madison Avenue, and this little bit of swag saved us the trouble, so Yay Kenneth Cole!
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