Elegant, Sophisticated Beauty-Bill Blass

Last Night, I saw Peter Som at the American Express Cardmembers only show, in which he previewed his Spring 2008 and Fall 2008 collections. But this morning, Mr. Som was back at the tents, hard at work backstage in Bryant Park, getting ready for his first show for Bill Blass.


The Creative Nail Design team were already hard at work when I arrived, adding a brown/burguny shimmer polish called "Baroque" (you can get it now if you like) to both fingers AND toes of the model. This color is elegant enough to stand up to the strong, architectual, and sophisticated designs of the clothes, and complimented the colors. The toes were also painted, explained Cherie from Creative Nail Design, because the models were wearing sheer stockings and chunky sandals and peep-toe shoes by Christian Lamboutin for Bill Blass. The bold burgundy nail color looked beautiful on the runway and especially with these shoes.

I asked: what can my readers do to make nails new, this Fall? Cherie replied that the trend is still for very strong hits of color, like burgundy or deep plum, or dark blue. As with last year, these are going to stay in style (but many are super-metallic instead shimmery or glittery). You can also make your nail polish look new by coordinating the color of polish with an element in your outfit. For example, if you're wearing a hot pink belt, make your polish, match. But don't overdo....blue from head to tips of your toes, for example, is just TOO much!

Tom Pecheux was working his makeup magic with the MAC Pro Team. Although I didn't have an interview set up with him, he saw me scribbling madly on my pad, and gave me a few minutes of his time to talk about the makeup. When I asked what the vision was for the makeup he without hesitation replied: GLAM ROCK." But then the charming makeup artist added: "More glam than rock." For Bill blass, as with many shows this season, you've got to treat your skin to a light, matte finish. And, the emphsis is still on the eyes.Tom used lots of mascara, false lashes, and an intense colored blush in plum with a mix of pink and orange thown in. Interestingly, there was just a nude lip --the effect was that you couldn't help but stare into the model's eyes and barely notice anything else. When I suggested to Tom that he really had a way with words he said..."I'm French!" I guess that says it all.

EugeneSouleiman created the hair look. This slick, severe bun was reminiscent of a modern Robert Palmer Girl. The slicked back bun was severe, but the little twist on the side made it a bit funkier and more feminine. You can do a similar style yourself, by keeping hair sleek, maybe in a pontail instead of a perfect bun, but twisted one piece of hair to the side and then re-incorporating it into the finished look.

The idea, according to Eugene (in the hat), was to make a style that showed a strong, maybe somewhat cold woman on the surface, but underneath burns a warm heart. A woman who lived in France and is now transplanted to NYC...chic, maybe a bit cold, but a woman underneath the surface. As I've heard many times this week from the stylists, CLEAN is the word to describe the hair looks for fall. Eugene used products from GHD, including an amazing hot iron with triple-dipped plates for ultimate control and even heating. When I asked Eugene what trends he'd suggest for Fall, he immediately said "I don't believe in trends." Individuality, what works for you and what makes you look good, is always in. A good stylist helps you discover what really looks good, and not just what everyone is wearing. This man is a GOOD stylist!



It was getting pretty crowded backstage, so I wandered up to the racks of clothes, just to take in a few details. The models, the lights, the music...it all look so wonderful on the runway, but when you look at just the clothes without models, lights, or music, you realize that each is a little work works art--a work of art meant to be worn by a discerning clientele. If you can't afford a Bill Blass original, you can still take away some design elements from the collection. FOR DO IT YOURSELF-ERS. This slinky blue evening gown was wrapped around the waist with a black, velvet ribbon belt --try a velvet ribbon as a belt or around your neck to freshen up last year's party dress. Features (ostrich, in particular) and fur (faux or otherwise) are big for Fall. Festoon a substantial cardigan like the grey one in the photo with either to dress up any outfit, especially eveningwear. Also try wearing luxurious hats and gloves to "citify" your outfits. The ones in this show were gloves by Lacrasia, hats by (the often daring) Philip Treacy.

The photographers and TV crews were beginning to close in, but Peter Som still kept his cool, looking young, fresh, and happy and not the least bit worried about his collection. Of course, he wasn'it worried--it was amazing! The clothes were modern, unique, strong and architectural in feeling, beautifully cut and tailored, but still, meant for a beautiful woman. While Som's own collections are sophisticatedm they are also approachable and within reach of working women. This collection, his first collection with Bill Blass, is statment dressing, Alas, fashion is still a class society and these clothes announce it. The strong, almost masculine designs of this collection simply say "upper class." They drape and form around a woman's body like expensive clothes for discerning women (not girls) do. The slender evening gowns and tailored daywear are wildly compelling, but not cuddly or cute. This is attractive power dressing in the way a woman dreams to look -- it's not a young girl's "pretty." I actually can't imagine a woman crying and/or having a hissy fit in these clothes...she would simply be too chic, too collected, too cool to do so.

This card, situated right outside of the catwalk entrance, shows all of the looks!

A-listers slowly filled their seats in the large tent venue, including Roll Call: Tinsley Mortimer (the only one I really could see and recognize) is in this photo in the green. Also there were Jamee Gregory, Adelina Wong Ettelson, Helen Schifter, Nina Garcia, Gilles Bensimon, and Linda Fargo. Anna Wintour was supposedly there too, supposedly...who could find anyone in the crush of people schmoozing and photographing others on the runway before and after the show?

..and...the show was beautiful, with a sound track that included the pop band Depeche Mode. Afterwards, everyone was talking and talking and talking about the new infusion of talent and excitement Mr. Som has brought to the label of Bill Blass. Devotees of Bill Blass don't want to wear hippie chic or micro minis, odd hats, or goth makeup. They're all about understated, refined, confident, elegance. This is fashion that, like Pygmalion, can transform a woman.

all text and photos © 2008 all rights reserved by Alison Blackman Dunham of THE ADVICE SISTERS® The Advice Sisters is a registered United States trademark. All photos by Alison Blackman Dunham. For permission to use this content, please contact advicesisters(at)advicesisters(dot)