Fashion Week-pre-day 1

If you have noticed that this blog looks a little strange, as if the margins are off, you're correct--they are. I added some links to the archives, and in doing so, I somehow threw off the margins, but I DID change the color of the type (maybe not for the better, but I'm not sure how I did that, either, so I don't want to start experimenting when Fashion Week is beginning--you might not be able to read it at all!!!!

I got to Bryant Park about 40 minutes early. Last season, the line already stretched out the door and snaked around the park, and we were all so cold it was ridiculous. Since the press office is tiny, and there are only three computer stations to serve hundreds, maybe thousands, of photographers, videographers, and writers, only a few people can enter at at time, leaving the rest of the line outside to move slowly, very slowly, towards the door. Naturally, I witnessed the first of what I know will be "rude behavior" as a thin young man in a faded, wrinkled black shirt breached the line, "pretending" that his friends had "saved" a spot for him. The "friend" obliged him, so what could I do? Normally this kind of stuff irritates me because it is so petty and obvious, but he sun was shining and it was actually quite nice outside, and I figured I'd be waiting for a while anyway, so I just enjoyed the "cunning" the guy displayed, and chalked it up to an amusing part of the action.

I injured my left foot and my other leg, so standing for any length of time is going to be challenging and painful this week, but even better, I snagged one of about two dozen chairs laid out near the press office. Sitting in the sun for about 40 minutes was definitely better than freezing standing up, last season!

Once inside, I picked up my press badge in less than a minute. Gone are the brightly colored Press & Industry passes with the black lanyard with "Mercedes Benz Fashion Week" on it. This years' pass is helf by a plain, black lanyard. It is a somber grey rectangle with a slightly darker grey line drawing of what looks to be 34th Street down to Bryant Park, from 5th Avenue to Madison Avenue. It has a tiny "Spring 2008 in a discreet rectangle on the side, and instead of Press & Industry, this badge has only a large red "Q" which I soberly reflected might mean "queue up" and wait.

I won't have to wait long...my first backstage call is tomorrow at 10 AM