Big Girl in a Skinny World: Fashion Week Diary Day 1

We're so excited to have Nicolette Mason, our newest Big Girl in a Skinny World contributor, Nicolette Mason, covering NYFW for Marie Claire. Come back every day for her diary!

So, though the official start of New York's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week is tomorrow, we could say that Wednesday marked the "soft opening"- with a handful of events going on throughout the city to get the NYFW engine running. The weather is a bit cold, damp, and certainly dreary - much to the chagrin of fashion's darlings (and our beloved shoe collections). Perhaps I'm overly romantic about these things, but there's something really nice about previewing Spring and Summer collections in this weather! Except, I do wish I could wear fancier shoes without worrying about puddles...

My morning started at Pier 59 Studios on the Westside Highway, where Sachin + Babi were holding their presentation. I definitely think Sachin + Babi are a designer to watch, with their beautiful, sleek (and ultra-wearable!) designs and accessibly priced accessories. Set in an open studio, 18-models stood on pedestals and gorgeous 70's-inspired pieces. I loved the bright, punchy oranges, sparkling gold and navy lamé, leather stripes, cut-outs and paillettes. Paillettes in the right context will always make me swoon!

After a rendezvous at Hearst HQ, I was on my way back downtown to see What Goes Around Comes Around, a line developed with the same spirit and enthusiasm for decades past as the vintage store of the same name that preceded it. The What Goes Around Comes Around show was set in the lobby lounge at the Soho Grand Hotel, where turquoise couches (and champagne) were the perfect complement to the late-1960's jetsetter motif. Not surprisingly, the stunning Lauren Hutton was one of the main inspirations for the collection, and it produced something perfect for the girl who loves a relaxed, bohemian edge with a bit of romance thrown in, (I don't know about you, but velvet and tassels really speak to me).

As night fell (and the rain intensified), I made my way back uptown to the classic Paris Theater, where I joined Sergio Kletnoy (assistant to MC's EIC, Joanna Coles), for the premiere of God Save My Shoes, sponsored by The Outnet. Directed by Julia Benasra, "God Save My Shoes" (watch the trailer here ) is a documentary about womens' draw to footwear, filled with Louboutin, Hardy, and Blahnik - oh my! It was like all my favorite things were given a bit of facetime in just over an hour - with multiple cameos from Dita von Teese (burlesque performer and personal idol - who I got to meet post-screening), shoe designers, sex sociologists, museum curators, and everyday women thrown into the mix. The film itself was a lot of fun and really shed some light on some of the innately psychological reasons that so many women (myself included, of course) are drawn to shoes nearly obsessively. The film will be released in just a couple of months, but to bide the time, head over to The Outnet to get your fix of shoes beforehand... I have my eye on a killer Alexander Wang pair!

So, that concluded my New York Fashion Week Eve. Or, almost. I took a little stroll along 57th Street, window shopping Bergdorf's, Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu, Dior, and Chanel - just as the visuals teams were clamoring to put together their Fashion's Night Out windows for tomorrow night.

With tomorrow as the official start, it's time to rest up for the ultimate fashion marathon!

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