A hectic Friday of shows started with Guli Collections—orient-inspired designs by Ubekistan native and Harvard grad Gulnara Karimova. Karimova also serves Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Spain--an unlikely side gig for a fashion designer, for sure.
Karimova’s pieces certainly reflected her international lifestyle. Middle Eastern-style printed jackets with tiny veiled hats shared the runway with harem pants and more classic dresses. Like many of the collections, Guli featured vibrant spring hues—eye-popping orange, yellow and purple, some shimmering with iridescence. And like many of the other collections, so far, Guli was filled with flowy, draping shapes, perfect for a warm day.
Front Row Roll Call: Singer JoJo (remember her?)
Next up was BCBG MAXAZRIA. Held in the largest of the four show spaces in the tents, this was officially the big time. The front row was packed with familiar faces—Ashlee Simpson, Coco Rocha, Anna Wintour—and the rest of the rows (and standing area) were packed with those craning to get a peek at the famous faces.
BCBG’s looks featured a lot of neutrals—plenty of white, grey, black and beige dresses with simple, clean lines and, again, flowy shapes. Toward the end of the show, things got a little more colorful with coral, pink and yellow crepe and gauzy silk dresses.
While some things were a bit on the short side (all the better to show off those legs!), most everything was totally wearable, and ideal for summer wedding or cocktail wear.
Front Row Roll Call: In addition to those listed above, Allison Brie (“Mad Men,” “Community), Katrina Bowden (“30 Rock”), Kelly Rowland, Elle editor-in-chief Robbie Meyers (Also appears on “The City”) and Marie Claire editor-in-chief, Joanna Coles.
See the looks from these shows in our online gallery: http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/09/11/675435/day-2-mercedes-benz-fashion-week.html
