Mercedes Benz Fashion Week 9/9/07- Reem Acra

How could you not love a designer who sets her tiny, fluffy, white dog onto the runway at the finale? Designer Reem Acra's special occasion and evening gowns were as pretty and perky as her little dog. The designer's notes said: "This season explores the theory of rejuvenation, keeping the looks fresh and ethereal with a modern touch. The common thread through the collection is the emphasis on the waist and the refined feeling of luxury. "

The 40 piece collection was 100% evening wear, and 100% glamorous, with no daywear being shown in this collection. The theme of Spring seems to be "Old Hollywood glam rags, with a "young, modern twist." As with several of the designers collections I've seen so far, the emphasis is on pretty but very waist defining dresses that will make some women want to watch their waistlines a bit more. You can't wear wide belts with full skirts and not look bizarre, if you aren't in shape.

Although the overall feeling of these evening clothes is still "old Hollywood glamour with a "young, modern twist," Reem Acra jazzed them up with lots of swingy, tiered layers of wide ruffles, black lace mixed with purple in a nod to the boudoir, and surprise element such as mix-and-match colors of bright yellow, purple, green, and red mixed and matched with super-pointy, super-high, supercharged colored pumps in contrasting colors to the clothes. Belts were fashion accessories to brighten up the feel of nearly every dress, including the gold sequined slip dress with purple belt to the left, and the sexy, sequined black gown with lingerie elements to the right.

The silky, luxe fabrics in organza, lace, taffeta and silk were indeed expensive looking and elegant, but it was the color that made this collection special, such as this brilliant, green dress (I believe the color was called "fern") worn with shoes finished in 22 karat gold by Max Acra for Reem Acra. It looks especially striking on this red-haired model, but a dress in a bold color like this would turn every head in the room on any woman--no genuine emeralds required.

Straight, textured hair by Gavin Harwin and pink lips with glowing skin by Christian McCullouch for MAC, plus ladylike manicures from Creative Nail Design, complete every woman's "Grace Kelly" look.