(Photos and Nails by CND)

Ed. note: We’re backpedaling for a moment, to the last night of New York, before heading back to London.

When I said things couldn’t get better than my night with Narciso, I meant it.

But I was wrong. Last night, Linda Fargo and Andre Leon Talley (in a black eyelet robe) hosted a repeat performance of Phillip Lim’s SS10 collection for American Express card holders.

Prior to the presentation, I was escorted backstage to interview Phillip, slightly better than sneaking past security guards, and snooped around backstage area checking out the sky-high Louboutins and gorgeous clothes up very very close. (And no, I didn’t walk away with the sequin pants I had my eye on. I may be sneaky, but not sneaky enough to swipe the clothes right off the models backs just yet.)

Inspired by Picasso’s collages, Phillip wanted to create a collection that collaged the life of the modern woman. From his opening look, a red “New Suit” made of a techno-poly that can be machine washed but still feels and looks luxe to his closing “cubist” dresses that offer a different view from every angle, he wanted a collection that any woman could see herself in.

AmEx and Bergdorf Goodman hoped that the event would educate consumers about New York Fashion Week and inspire them to hit the stores. And based on the post-show conversation and excitement, it definitely worked. I don’t think I’m the only one headed to BG tomorrow.

Britt sent me to Tibi last night, while she took her seat at the big tent next door for Narciso.

But then I snuck in and got a better seat than her. Thanks to my new photographer friends I sat in the pit, teared up over Anne V., met Narciso and had the greatest night of my life.

So there I was, face-to-face with Narciso Rodriguez’s SS10 collection. It was half classic Narciso and half total departure. There were cutouts and zippers, but there was also air; his spectacular finale dresses in grey, white and black billowed away from the body. He built cocoons over the models’ legs and though everything was feminine and sexy it was indisputably strong. He repeated exaggerated hips and bell silhouettes, the latter best executed on Anne V’s mud cloth coat. It’s like he used the strong silhouette as a shell to keep the wearer fashionably safe.

Post-show, Freja said she was terrified she’d trip and fall on her dress’ long train (though of course she walked seamlessly) and if I hadn’t ended up talking to Narciso that would’ve been the highlight of my day. But then I somehow fell into line between Simon Doonan and Emmy Rossum to congratulate the designer. Simon told me “ladies first” and shooed me over to Narciso who hugged me and said, “Thank you.”

And then I called my mom and cried.

The Custo Barcelona show took place in the twilight zone. It was like I had been transported from Bryant Park to another fashion universe where the men wear too much cologne and the ladies are perma-tanned. I had to keep reminding myself this was Manhattan not South Beach.

Before the show started the paparazzi were abuzz over Princess hopeful Tinsley Mortimer, Ugly Betty’s Mark Indelicato, Estelle, and Kenan Thompson. Yes, that Kenan. Unfortunately, Kel was no where to be found.

The runway show was more of a party than a serious presentation, and for that I’m grateful. There was techno music blaring, audience members cheering on the models (Arlenis Sosa got the most fan support, though I was rooting for Iekieline), and many heads bopping and feet tapping.

So here we are, unofficial day one of Fashion Week.

We’re heading out to catch Jenni Kayne, Rachel Antonoff, shop Anna Sui for Target and celebrate Preen at the Soho Grand, but first, our second batch of creative invites.

Shipley & Halmos took the video route, too. Theirs featured a typewriter actually typing out each invitation and then someone stuffing and addressing the envelopes which makes us expect, um, something old fashioned?

DvF’s postcard invite features palm trees and the desert while Rag & Bone’s crinkly invite is leather we wish we could wear and we kind of want to put Jen Kao’s on our wall.

Not sure if anything beats the hot pink bracelet invitation you have to wear to get into the Marc/Gaga party though.

The m&m is Britt; the Grateful Dead is the Imaginary Socialite

Sounds like Milk Studios is going to become one of our most-visited locations come September and New York Fashion Week.

WWD reports this morning that MAC, the usual cosmetics sponsor in the tents, is negotiating to sponsor shows at Milk instead.

This is an interesting development as MAC makeup teams typically create looks for more than 60 shows during any given season. And they bring the best key artists in the business with them.

Milk is a great venue and one that has hosted many a fashion event, and show, in the past. It will be interesting to see who jumps ship from the tents and goes with MAC. Will it simply be smaller designers? Or will any of the bigs head to Milk too.

After months of speculation, Halston’s announced their newest creative director, Central St. Martin’s alum Marios Schwab.

The half-Greek, half-Austrian designer’s headed his own label since 2005. Now he’s picking up for a move to New York and planning to debut his first collection for Halston, Fall 10, next February. He told WWD, “While Halston’s DNA is crucial to its future success, I very much wish to move the brand forward and make it relevant for today.”

The announcement comes after a season in which Halston fell apart (again) and Schwab, with his psychedelic, architectural Fall 09 collection, established himself as an industry favorite. It’s easy to see how after that collection, one editors watched delightedly through their 3-D glasses, Schwab could do anything.

And yet we’re more relieved to hear he’s keeping his own line than we are excited to see what he does for Halston.

That recession thing everyone was obsessing over during New York Fashion Week? Well, in London, they have no idea what you’re talking about.

From our first show, Ashish - which featured a raging live performance, acrobats and gift bags packed full of makeup - to the last, there wasn’t even the slightest sign of an economic downturn. Champagne and food flowed, beer, wine and liquor, too; coffee in the mornings, water, Vitamin water, and Godiva chocolates everywhere you turned.

Gift bags popped up at almost every show - two at some like Roksanda and PPQ - totes packed with cosmetics, hair products, magazines, t-shirts and Barbies. And it felt like every single designer had an after party - including magazine and store parties, there must have been at least seven events a night.

And the photo pits, which we noticed were considerably smaller in New York this season, were huge. Not just at shows like Vivienne Westwood, but at Charles Anastase and Krystof Srozyna, too.

More importantly, no one even talked about it. Except for us of course, desperately running around asking everyone both British and American why it felt different on this side of the Atlantic. No one had an answer.

So we’ll leave it up to Paris - let the French have the final say in just how much the industry’s letting its inner turmoil reflect in its public face while we recover from London’s rollicking week-long party.

We don’t have to tell you that Fashion Week starts a week from tomorrow, but here’s what we do have to tell you about Abaete:

The show will include a live performance from Priestbird, the band formerly known as Tarantula A.D.

Known fans include Daria Werbowy, who we’re hoping makes a surprise front row appearance, if not on the runway (though nobody’s holding their breath for that one).

Laura Poretzky, the girl behind the Abaete name, also sent along this sketch of one of her looks for your judgement.

In the meantime, we’re putting together some good notes on Fall 09’s musical tendencies. So far we have Priestbird, Duke Spirit… And stay tuned.

It’s official: Damrosch Park (part of the Lincoln Center plaza) is the new Bryant Park, but not until September of next year.

Spring 2011 (“Spring 11” just doesn’t look right) will be here, in case you just can’t yet visualize it either.

Those of you already thinking about seeing your favorite models on the runways later this month can count out Abbey Lee, at least for New York Fashion Week, anyway.

The Australian model won’t be able to walk because she’s just had knee surgery and obviously needs to recover before setting foot in any 6-inch platforms.

Abbey had a rough show season for Spring 09, tripping on the Rodarte runway due to ridiculously high shoes, and then fainting and falling the next month at McQueen due to an overly tight corset.

We’re hoping the baby-faced girl gets better in time for the European shows at least - In the meantime, it’ll be interesting to see which models take her slots at the top shows.

If you have to announce you’re closing a New York office - the morning the world’s talking about Jason Wu might be the best time to do it.

Yohji Yamamoto’s closing his thirteen-year-old stateside press office at the end of this month. One person will stick around until March - probably to help the Adidas team with February’s Fall 09 Y-3 show and make sure all press operations are smoothly transferred to Japan.

Unlike a lot of designers making strategic changes, the Japanese brand has no qualms attributing the close to the rough economy, blaming “the economic situation in the U.S.”

Not to worry though - as of today, Yamamoto’s still planning his Paris shows, and the celebrity extravaganza Y-3 show in New York is definitely still on.

Fun fact:

Carine Roitfeld’s boy spawn, Vladimir, is showing an exhibit of his work during New York Fashion Week next month.

No word on exactly where or when the ex-model’s presenting his work yet, but the budding photographer is showing during Fashion Week, so maybe we can expect tons of photos of his ex, Lily D?

Guess we’ll see.

Update: Actually, we got it wrong. It looks like Vladimir is just curating the photography exhibit (as in, they’re not actually his photos) in conjunction with Louis Vuitton (not LVMH) on Feb 17th to show the work of three photographers: Salim Langatta, PC Valmorbida and David Mushegain. A portion of the proceeds from the limited edition prints will go to benefit AMFAR.

Last year, Sass & Bide dropped out of New York Spring 09 Fashion Week to focus on new projects.

They fully intended on returning to Bryant Park’s tents with their Fall 09 collection next month, but now they’re dropping out again, this time due to designer Sarah Jane Clarke’s third pregnancy.

Maybe pregnancy, maybe economy, maybe they’re tired of leading the shrinking Australian fashion pack?

Can’t they just throw their clothes on a plane and trust a stylist to make the runway look awesome?

We can feel Fashion Week slipping through our fingers - and we don’t like it.

Alice Temperley’s the latest designer to cancel her Fall 09 runway show and the first outside of New York.

The British designer, who just returned to London Fashion Week after years in New York, has been planning this for over a year.

She, along with various directors, artists and photographers, will stage a series of installations in New York, London and Paris in collaboration with MILK Studios and Starworks. They’ll be half digital, half live and distributed to the media and customers just as soon as editors and buyers get a peek. The concept debuts February 18th during New York Fashion Week.

“The four seasonal installations will allow us to communicate our brand message and aesthetic to a larger international audience while supporting both economic and environmental challenges,” says Lars, Alice’s husband and the company’s CEO.

He’s right - each season the idea of sending ten editors and five buyers from the same magazine or store all over the world for a month sounds more and more antiquated and becomes less and less necessary.

With our love divided equally between the internet and trips to Paris, it’s hard to say just which side we’re on.

Barbie’s getting a make-over for her 50th birthday, and with it comes a real live runway show during Fall 09 Fashion Week.

Mattel wants to up the doll’s fashion cred which means life-size outfits designed by fifty life-size designers including Alexander Wang. Will Ken still love Barbie when she trades in her sequin gowns for ripped denim and smoky eyeliner?

Post-Fashion Week celebrations include separate collaborations with Vera Wang and Jeremy Scott. Mattel’s also signed on as a co-sponsor for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and worked itself into a three year partnership with the CFDA. Whether the partnership means money or something more creative remains to be seen.

But back to the show, we can’t wait to see how fifty different designers interpret their Barbie influence - and the fifty very curvy models they’ll need for the runway.