Why Did You Wear That: The In Crowd at Cotte D'Armes

In the off chance you didn’t get the memo… or didn’t care to, Fashion Week is well under way. Yesterday I hiked on down to the Thompson LES in order to catch the Cotte D’Armes presentation. I don’t know why exactly I stressed myself and stilettos out in order to get there promptly at call time, because like all good fashion shows, they were running a solid fifteen minutes behind. And while the heat and humidity was enough to stir some fashion folks into a straight up tizzy, my top knot and I waited patiently until we were allowed to enter the seventh floor terrace via the overstuffed elevators.

Fortunately, what I walked into was a sight for sore eyes. I know models are attractive and all, but these particular models were the stuff dreams are made of (you may even recognize one of them). Decked out in destroyed denim and slouchy T’s and tanks, these were the girls you wanted to be friends with and the guys you wanted to date… Not to mention the clothes you want in your closet. Casually cool, yet cutting edge is what gave this designer denim its appeal. I was particularly drawn to the knit dress, studded vest, and pants with leather inserts for the ladies.

Judging by what the gentlemen were wearing, it would appear denim with details is back with a vengeance. I thought we had just taught our boyfriends that dark denim was the only way to go? I had such a hard time weaning the fellas off of True Religions and Ed Hardy that the sandblasted and bleached effects on these jeans made me a bit nervous. Sure it looks modern and downtown chic on the toned and attractive models, but will it translate to the average Wall Street banker who is more likely to pair them with a button down than washboard abs or mineral washed tee? Here’s to hoping.

The Cotte D’Armes presentation left me feeling exactly the way I presume the designer, Clarence Ruth, had intended: longing to belong as a part of the “in crowd.”

xx,