Chris Han, one of the subjects for our pre-fashion week video series, showed her A/W 08 collection in the tents last night. Angelic images served as inspiration for the collection and if it were someone else, you might expect weightless frocks and feathered headbands. Han, though, presented a collection that was angelic in a darker, more classical sense. The pieces, a dusty plum transparent shell top, a pair of sleek wool trousers, a stained glass yellow blouse, came together to create a collection that was more dynamic than one would expect to come from angels (though not from Han). Though some textures where particularly high fashion most of the collection was wearable and accessible.

Oh Custo, you crazy European! Last night, we went backstage to have a quick word with Custo Dalmau (one of two brothers for Custo Barcelona) before the A/W 08 show. A 'quick word' was, as it turned out, not in the cards. The backstage was jumping with people hanging around, with Spanish TV crews conducting 45 minute long interviews, with the sort of relaxed, celebratory chaos that is so difficult for Americans to conjure or understand. We stood waiting in a line that was not a line, thinking to ourselves, "Okay, it's 6:15, our slot was at 6:10 and we've got to run over to Chris Han soon. This is so ridiculous. Why isn't anyone keeping this organized!" and then our interview with Custo begins. He tells us about 'the music' for a while but you'll be spared this part of the video because he starts kissing a friend and talking to us at the same time and it's never really clear whether he is talking about disco music in general or, like, his show. Anyway, some of the collection turned out to be totally nuts, and we appreciate them giving us something to talk about in upcoming weeks aside from fur stoles and 'it' shoes.

Yesterday, we talked with the MAC team about the rock n' roll inspired makeup for Bill Blass. The truth is, you never know how the makeup will turn out on the runway. No matter how beautiful it looks backstage, when the models get hit with bright, white lights and a million flashbulbs, it can be a disaster. Funnily enough, the makeup for Bill Blass wasn't our favorite close-up but looked spectacular on the runway.

The show, it turns out, was not of the rock n' roll variety. The look of Peter Som's collection for Bill Blass was rather ladylike with a nod to film noir (and all those powerful mischievous women). The plum, cobalt, and aqua palette, set against black was striking and high waisted belting kept everything tucked in where it counts. We suppose the reason for the rock n' roll makeup was mostly the need for intensity. The makeup served to mature the collection, and encouraged its dark side, rather than its pretty one.