What is it that sets a true fashion writer apart from your run of the mill blogger? How did the New Yorker’s formidable Kennedy Fraser sew the insights of his “Scenes from the Fashionable World” as seamlessly as the garments of which he spoke? Simple: the true writers make their way to the top, or rather to the front row of fashion week. Okay, so maybe it’s not that simple, but to depict a coruscating, detailed panorama of fashion, in its première on the runway you have to smell the fresh paint of the showroom, palpate the personalities of models, editors and groupies––you have to experience the spectacle of it all, face on.

Aspiring to forge to the front, my validation as a fashion writer finally came in the form of a press pass to New York’s 2010 Fall Fashion Week. Working under RunwayResource.net, I was given the assignment to attend and review seven runway collections: Wayne Lee, Kit Willow, Frank Tell, Odyn Vovk, Costello Tagliapeitra, Hernan Lander and Gilded Age.

So on a frigid Friday, Feb. 12, I set to the streets of Manhattan, schedule in hand, pen and pad in coat pocket, and with my camera and tape recorder tucked in my purse. On this seemingly quiet, but still bustling morning the wake of designer Alexander McQueen’s death loomed a gray somberness over the pristine white runways. Each presenting designer offered their nods of respect to the young prince of fashion royalty. A farcical presence as great as his over-the-top couture fashions, McQueen’s absense left a great void in New York’s Fashion Week as he was scheduled to show the day of his death.

The first designers on the list were Wayne Lee and Kit Willow both of which showed beautiful, wearable collections but nothing exceedingly innovative. Wayne presented an interesting take on androgyny-chic with her minimally engineered nomadic style while Willow in her aptly titled collection “Eclipse,” mimicked the natural shadow of the feminine form with her supple drapery.

While the day got off to a slow start with first designers feeling a bit lackluster, I was still quite enamored by the entire scene of it all. The ultra hip and super styled brought their fashion A-games, and their trends were clear: furs, leather tapered pants, geometric cuts, and BLACK, lots of black. So needless to say I felt a bit rebellious dressed in jewel tones and plum suede pumps amid the sea of monochrome. From 11 a.m. until the last show at 9 p.m. I scurried from show to show, and in my downtime made my way to the media rooms to write reviews where reporters and promoters conveniently set up shop with tables, chairs and laptops.

It wasn’t until my second to last show of the evening that I was able to say I had been completely blown away by a collection. Frank Tell, a relatively new talent in the industry, presented his Fall/Winter 2010 designs upon an art exhibit turned runway. Centered on a conceptual fusion between futuristic and primitive styles, Tell borrowed from both Burma Padaung tribes and 1960s Mod silhouettes to create what he calls a “Barbarian Barbarella.” His collection exhibited extraordinary volumes and new proportions using short hemlines, strong shoulders, cinched waists and towering leg lengths elevated by stunning suede wedge boots. His aesthetic appeared minimal with two-tone colors, but not at all simple with a range of voluptuous knits, several appearances of leather and of course the sensuous suede. Combining the pile of fluorescent tube lights on the runway with the humming techno tunes, Frank Tell’s electric-themed collection sent a palpable feeling of excitement among the crowd.

At the end of what was a long day, I was beginning to formulate a newfound, deeper appreciation for fashion. Behind a computer screen and on the glossy pages of magazines, I’ve always gushed over the glamour of it all but never really understand the artistry behind it: the careful selection of music, the atmospheric aesthetics and the precision of hair and make-up to the cohesion of the clothes. A fashion show reads more to me now like a type of art installation.

Related posts:

1. New York Fall 2011 Fashion Week: My journey to becoming a Glamazon
2. Review of New York Fashion Week 2012
3. Retro glamour featured at New York Fashion Week
4. Fall Fashion 2010
5. NYC Fashion Week’s shows scaled back but still glam