NYFW BCBG Max Azria FW 2013

I am so grateful that Anjali Patel covered some of FW for me this season as I couldn't make it to NYC this month, first because of my schedule, then because of Nemo!

I first met Anjali at Fashion Week last September (when we both asked each other for photographs with Vanessa Williams after the Carlos Miele show) and I knew she'd have fun covering backstage (Miss USA was there!) and runway for Hogger & Co.

Thanks Anjali!

Here's what she had to say about BCBG Max Azria Fall and Winter Collection:

Bon Chic, Bon Genre.  I think the word to define BCBG FW 2013 collection would be attitude, as in an edgy  attitude.  The only thing soft about this collection is the fur.  Lace mixed with knit sweaters and caps are draped with bold and bright animal print fur to create a luxury bohemian look.  I really like the heels with leather leggings and steel toes to create a sexy open toe boot look.  The leather has a masculine aesthetic but the cut and stitching combinations are very feminine.  For those that are looking for a non snow bunny look next Fall, BCBG has several choices for you.  The FW collection color palette ranges from pure white (even after Labor Day) to deep purple and blues.  I see this as a collection of contrasts: leather and lace, white and dark, fur and sheer silk.  Asymmetrical skirts show just enough skin but balance the outfit.

NYFW Joy Cioci, Emerson, Carlos Miele, Badgley Mischka

Here's a round up of some of my favorite looks from Joy Cioci, Emerson, Carlos Miele and Badgley Mischka.

Joy Cioci's ode to a 20s summer had pearl-encrusted swim caps, sea-salted nails and beautiful blues making me look forward to Spring.

We saw a lot of braids at the shows this season...and Emerson had some of the best, lying low on the forehead, and created by Zahir Ziani. Jackie Fraser-Swan's inspiration was 70s horror films, with the black and white ensembles balanced out with softer floral pieces and touches of red like the finale's burst of red confetti, Carrie-stylez. Dancing With The Stars' Maksim Chmerkovskiy was there, as were other recognizable celebs: Crystal Reed (Teen Wolf) and Johnny Wujek (ANTM creative director).

You know how much I love a good print, and Carlos Miele delivered. Paula Abdul, Vanessa Williams and Daisy Fuentes are fans. (It was also fun to see Joy Adaeze in front of me) always with cool headgear and go backstage after the show.

I may have been slightly more excited to spot Bryanboy (and Kelly Bensimon, who I photographed backstage at Alice + Olivia, Ivana Trump, Lauren Conrad, Kevin Jonas) in front row than to pay attention to the beauty of Badgley Mischka. That's until the show started, and then their romantic “Midsummer Night’s Dream” inspired collection had a lot of beautiful pieces that took my breath away, namely the final coral layered organza number....what a dream. Remember when this happened?

NYFW David Tlale

I was honored to be capture David Tlale's presentation at NYFW, as he's a native of Johannesburg, South Africa, and I grew up in Botswana, living there for 10 years, so my support for anything African comes from a solid place in my childhood heart.

Major props go out to his collection, which was a remarkable vision of a modern Africa.

David Tlale says of his work:

"We showcased a very urban Africa. The collection exuded elegance and sophistication. I called it “Transcendence,” because I wanted to show a migration from the “perceived” Africa to a more modern and transcendental work that goes through and beyond cultural nuances and the delivery of that work to the global consumer.”

I briefly met Dr. Precious Motsepe who is a well known figure in South Africa and the US, as director of African Fashion International and the head of Motseppe Foundation; and she was enamoured with the the collection, as was everyone else I overheard at the presentation...

NYFW Alice + Olivia SS 2013 Backstage + Presentation

I was thrilled to be invited to shoot Alice + Olivia backstage and presentation at NYFW.

I have never fallen so in love with color as I did at this presentation. Everything was just gorgeous, from the skillfully applied makeup (I am a huge fan of this Stila product) to the sleek low pony-tails and of course, the colorful, perfectly fitting, 50's inspired collection. The energy backstage was contagious, not to mention how fun it was to see Kelly Bensimon give interviews and snapping photos with her iPhone.

Another highlight for me was meeting Jamie Beck (From Me To You) who I've admired for a long time. She was really sweet and I literally died when THIS was taken.

I also had a chance to meet Kelly (The Glamourai), Rebecca (Rebecca Prus) and Kim (J'Adore Couture) all of whom were as lovely as one could imagine. Then my new fashion week friend Chris (TheTinyTieRant) and I hightailed it outta there for more shows!

So here, in a bit of gritty photojournalistic style...I hope you enjoy.

NYFW: SEEN: George Kotsiopoulos at Tracy Reese

There wasn't a fuller house than at Tracy Reese's show.

I literally got there (from Boston) as the show was starting and was rushed in by security, so there was zero room in the press pit (where I was invited to shoot), and my resulting vantage point was less than ideal.

Still, it gave me a chance to actually enjoy the show: spectacular tribal-ly green prints, side-parted hair and chem-lab glasses, and afterward, a spotting of George Kotsiopoulos!