Although the Grammys are over and we all know who took a Grammy and who didn’t, let’s talk about who the winners REALLY were.

 

Loved Rihanna and Nelly Furtado in their royal blue dresses. Alicia Keys in her sea- green Hervé Léger dress. Aretha Franklin, on the other hand, chose a hot color, yellow. Great job Aretha! (She must have read my blogs.)  However, she stopped reading way too early because there was too much of the color. What she should have done is asked Tina Turner for tips on correct on-stage outfits. In their duet, Tina eclipsed with her outfit and her performance the fabulous Beyoncé.

Isn't Fergie becoming Little Ms. Ferguson Fauntleroy? Seems she's always so prim and proper now. "Boy, you clean up good," Marc Jacobs said to her backstage after his Marc by Marc Jacobs show.  

I expected more from Fergie who wore a long, grey/silver draped dress by Versace. Coming from a cutting edge group like the Black Eyed Peas, and releasing singles like  “Glamorous,” Fergie should have chosen a more interesting and exciting outfit for her live Grammy performance.

So what’s my vote? I am going with TINA on this one! HOW COULD I NOT?

 

I know some of you are over it, but if you're not, tell me who your vote goes to.

 

No, I don't mean me. I'm talking about the first shows.

I feel elated about the start of fashion week. Designers like Nicole Miller, Kimora Lee Simmons and Max Azria for his BCBG line, who usually appear lost in a blizzard of commerciality, contributed to a rousing, creative start.
 
Sitting stage-side at the Baby Phat/Kimora Lee Simmons show was spiritual fashion guru Russell Simmons.  He slipped a bracelet of polished green prayer beads on my wrist, maybe we were all to pray that Kimora would have a good show -- no panties, no breasts, no incomprehensible fabulosity, no filmy Christian LaCroix references.  Well, faith believes all things. She did.
 
Simmons, Miller and Azria's collections were surprisingly sophisticated and grown up with touches of Fortuny pleats, toga dresses, strapless dresses and plays on masculine/feminine. The Forties, reminders of when women were strong and grown, make it easy to make clothes that are simultaneously glamorous and serious.
 
A new guy in town, Brit Jonathan Saunders, brought over the kind of gloriously precise and eccentric style (replete with Forties references too) that put Alexander McQueen on the map. The color block Christian Louboutin shoes will have shoe fetishists in a tither.
 
BCBG, intent on cornering the celebrity market, managed to get every cute entertainer under 30 into their clothes and front-row at their show. Everyone from singing cuties Joss Stone and Amerie to young actresses Sophie Bush and Alyssa Milano checked in.

With show week upon me, I pulled a muscle. I really don't know how I did it. There's a boring story in there somewhere I'm sure.  Nevertheless, I press on. I bought nuts. I bought Motrin (between show snacks. Miss lunch. Miss dinner). The timing of my injury is fortuitous; however, I must look for the silver lining. When show week rolls around who has time to go to the gym or dance class anyway?
 
I just heard that P. Diddy is having a show and casting models today. I'm excited. He hasn't had a runway presentation in a while and it will be interesting to see what Mr. Showman suggests for men and women.
 
Other hot tickets are the revival of Halston which, is partly being masterminded by celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe and being bankrolled by Harvey Weinstein, Peter Som's first collection for Bill Blass and Max Azria's Herve Leger line.
 
There's also going to be a lot more menswear on the runway this time. I don't know how I can possibly see even half of these shows, but I'll take in as many as I can including Marc Jacobs -- can't wait to see what he sends down the runway.