Fashion Week kicked off with a bang at the celebrity-studded Heart Truth's Red Dress Collection, which raises awareness for heart disease in women. Stylist June Ambrose, Nigel Barker, Jay Alexander, Jay Manuel, Matthew McConaughey and TV personality Bill Rancic sat front row as Eve, Suzanne Somers, Dania Ramirez, Gayle King and more sashayed in red down the runway. Laila Ali showed off her baby bump in a Pea in the Pod gown while walking to LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out"; a newly single Garcelle Beauvais strutted in Monique Lhuillier to Rihanna's hit "Only Girl in the World"; and Taraji P. Henson sizzled in a strapless, sequin Naeem Khan as she stomped down the runway to Michael Jackson's "The Way you Make Me Feel."
When asked after the show why she chose to participate, Henson said, "I wasn't ever quite aware of the alarming numbers heart disease is killing — especially women of color. My hat goes off to our first lady for her 'Let's Move' movement. The whole purpose of that is to prevent heart disease. When you're young and you don't know how to eat properly … what happens? [I'm happy to] use my celebrity to help spread the word."
Day 2 began with a celebrity crush at the BCBG Max Azria show. Ashanti, Henson, Beauvais and Kelly Rowland all seemed to love the show's simple lines and subdued tones. Celebrity sightings were few and far between at the afternoon shows, which allowed Fashion Week devotees to focus on a few emerging trends. Seventies-era silhouettes are making a comeback, along with warm colors like mustard, moss green and cranberry.
Later, at Christian Siriano, Gabrielle Union was witness to a model falling in a pair of the designer's perilously high Payless-issue, hoof-toed, studded shoes. Union said, "Sometimes you're gonna fall, and you gotta pick yourself up and try it again. This show embodied [the spirit of] taking chances. Sometimes you fall, but you keep on stepping — and you'll still look fly." When asked how she's dealing with the stress of Fashion Week, she admitted, "I'm on a champagne diet. The breakfast of champions."
Claire Sulmers is the editor-in-chief of the Fashion Bomb. Follow her on Twitter.
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