New York Fashion Week SS17 Recap Part III

10:00am
Saturday was another early wake-up call as we headed downtown to Clarkson Square for the Dan Liu show at 10am. The designer exclusively featured dresses in a wide range of prints and colors. While I always appreciate the amount of dedication and hard work that goes into a collection, I couldn’t see a cohesive vision and the clothing just wasn’t for me. It was, however, an excellent opportunity to connect with fellow bloggers that I follow on social media, some of which I met for the first time in person.

11:30am
Coffee is in order so we head back to our hotel to grab some Bibble & Sip and shoot OOTD photos. The heat index is at a record high, so I opted for… a bathing suit. I received several comments on this “top” when I first featured it on my Instagram, but it is, in fact, a bathing suit! In this heat, trust me when I say I would have worn only the bathing suit – Leandra Medine style – had it been socially acceptable. I paired it with Re/Done Levi’s, statement shoes and sunnies, and a classic handbag.

Now is a great time to acknowledge the hard work of my husband, who takes all of the photos for In Spades. Not only is he the consummate professional, lending his keen eye to each shoot, but we often work in extreme conditions – in this case the heat – where he’s carrying heavy camera equipment or trying to wedge his way onto a massive riser full of photographers. I am forever grateful for his support, creativity and kind spirit. I could not run this blog without him and there is no one else I’d rather take this journey with.

12:30pm
Our next show isn’t until 6pm; marking the largest break we will have for the entirety of NYFW. We take advantage of the time by hightailing it to Soho for one of our New York traditions – a meal a Prince Street pizza. This place is straight up old school New York – owned by an Italian family that covers the walls with photos of celebrities that have eaten there; you order at the counter (better speak up) and eat standing up in their 250 square foot space.

Bellies full, we walk three doors down to my mecca, Ina. A treasure trove of luxury fashion (remember my floor length leather Celine coat?) I dive in and come this close to purchasing a Wes Gordon duster. What do you think – should I have gotten it?

6:00pm
We’re back at Milk Studios for simultaneous presentations from Andrea Jiapei Li and Maison the Faux.
Andrea showed geometric separates in a neutral color palette accented by hues of electric blue, coral and orange. Standouts were her her triangle handbags, cocoon jackets and voluminous tops. The clothing was eye catching and felt light for spring, which was mirrored perfectly in the game of balloon volleyball the models played during the presentation.

Maison the Faux is “a creative studio posing as a grand couture fashion house.” Highly conceptual and theatrical, this line strives to take a humorous yet affectionate look at fashion. I likened it to Lady Gaga’s work with Nicola Formichetti on her Haus of Gaga pieces. Not particularly meant for production or self-wear, they skew towards think pieces and performance art. I appreciated the clever take on the “faux” Caution Tape wrapped around the models shoes and accessories.

7:30pm
We grab takeout from our other Italian go-to, Rana NYC, and eat squid ink linguini and arugula flatbread on the floor of our hotel room.

9:00pm
Not ready to call it a night, we walk to the nearest place with live music, a dueling piano/cover band hybrid bar. Within an hour it’s packed to the gills. We are totally blown away by the talent on stage – each musician rotated to every instrument, whether it was piano, drums, guitar, saxophone or lead vocals and had the stage presence of a Broadway veteran. We sing along like fools when they play our requested song – Livin’ on a Prayer – and witness the true embodiment of New York. If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.

OOTD image links below!