Fashion Week Fall 2005

It's that time again in New York for the Fall 2005 Fashion Shows. And the parties. Of which, British Vogue notes:

"Then come the parties: Betsey Johnson is expecting 2000 of her nearest and dearest in her favourite restaurant, Matsuri, in the basement of the Maritime Hotel, Jessica and Jerry Seinfeld will be toasting Narciso Rodriguez at 49 Grove on Tuesday and Zac Posen has let it be known that he'll be partying at the Four Seasons restaurant after his show on Thursday."

And JLo, according to the NYJournalnews:

"But it's the one on the last day, in the prestigious 8 p.m. time slot � the grand finale, if you please � that promises to be the most talked about, the most photographed and the most frenzied mob scene.

"The designer?

"Jennifer Lopez.

"'There was that famous scene in 'The Day of the Locusts' when the mob tore the celebrities to pieces,' warns fashion show regular David Wolfe of Manhattan's Doneger Group, who's expecting near chaos in the Bryant Park tent.

"'A zoo,' agrees Lauren Ezersky, host of the Style Network's 'Behind the Velvet Ropes,' who worries about being 'crushed to death' en route to the show.

"J.Lo's Sweetface show, which promises to attract an overflow crowd, marks the first time the singer and actress is sending a collection down the catwalk. To add to the hype, MTV cameras will be rolling for a show that airs later this month. And according to a recent Women's Wear Daily Fashion Scoops column, the presentation will mark nothing less than a 'turning point for the label.' It seems J.Lo will pile on the glam and sophistication while backing away from the 'hip-hop Lopez of yesteryear.' Let the buzz begin!"

Newsday starts us:

"Nicole Miller kicked off Fashion Week Thursday night with a show full of luxury and glitz, set in a venue of old money and venerable tradition.The New York Yacht Club, with its soaring ceilings, graceful staircase, outsize fireplace, and ornate woodwork was a fitting setting for dresses ruched and gathered and pleated.

"... Aside from the madness that prevails at Heatherette and the iconoclastic vision that is Betsey Johnson's, there is this year's Project Runway show, showcasing the talents of younger designers; there's also the Red Dress collection, designed for celebs, which benefits the American Heart Association's Heart Truth campaign."

Finally, noting, "Showing off-site and generating much buzz is the debut collection of Kai Milla, also known as Mrs. Stevie Wonder."

The New York Post writes:

"Red Alert: The increasingly chic Laura Bush is one of the 14,000 guests slated to pitch up at the Bryant Park tents for today's whirlwind opener.

"Unlike her nervous-Nellie predecessors (who worried they'd be labeled superficial if they showed any interest in Fashion Week) the unfazed first fashionista is expected to make history when she pops up in the front row at the 2 p.m. 'Heart Truth' show. Designed to raise awareness about heart disease being the No. 1 killer of women in this country, what prom ises to be a rollicking runway show will feature unexpected models like Sarah Ferguson (in Ralph Lauren) wearing a saucy array of (natch) red dresses. "

Other takes: Jossip and Fashionweekdaily