New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2012 Kicks Off!

Alexandra (“Ali”) & Kristen O’Neill are the sassy sisters behind the label Porter Grey. The two are brains, beauty, and fashion!  Ali (left) attended NYU and Kristen (right) went to Harvard. This is their 2nd year showing at NYFW.

 

The hip O’Neill sisters grew up in Denver…so while their collection is fun and girly with a touch of East Village, it’s very Colorado grounded….literally! All the models had flat oxfords on. My favorite dress was actually the one Kristen was wearing…cool open back.

 

 

 

 

 


 

Of all my years covering Fashion Week…I have never ever met a designer as chill, humble, and relaxed as Richard Chai. When all that hard work boils down to a 10 minute runway show, designers are usually on edge backstage…to say the least. But not Richard. Much like his clothes…Richard is no frills, just finesse.  Having sketched for Lanvin…designed for Donna Karan…only to become the creative director for Marc Jacobs, Richard is trained and equipped to do it all. He won the CFDA award last year for his men’s line. Today was the first time he showcased both the men’s and women’s lines in one runway show. Yes, this meant male models for me to gawk at:) Known for his understated, architectural style…Richard is spicing it up for Spring 2012…more colors and prints.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the midst of the fashion frenzy: steamers puffing at your face, hairspray hurricane, makeup mayhem…
I couldn’t help notice a beaming face: a woman with flawless skin just radiating health. It was Tata Harper, the organic skincare guru who’s been all the buzz lately. The Columbian beauty says all of her products are made at her farm in Vermont. I actually use the Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask and love it because it gently tightens my pores. Tata was in charge of keeping the models’ skin glowing…which is no easy feat when they are piling on and scraping off makeup…show after show. Alright, kids…it’s Day 1 of New York Fashion Week. More adventures to follow!

Click on the gallery pics for makeup and hair trends.

Fashion Front: Truly Julie is wearing Lanvin dress and Lanvin for H&M necklace






 

The US Open: Where New York Serves Up an Ace

Truly Julie taking in the fine game of tennis at the US Open.

Every late August into September, you start to see an increase of prepster crowds roaming the streets of New York. Just droves of folks wearing collared T-shirts with enormous Polo logos visible from space. Ah…the US Open is here. What a gem of an event for New York. It attracts about 30,000 people to the USTA Tennis Center DAILY over a span of 2 weeks, and conveniently brings this historic sport from 16th century France to my concrete jungle. Tennis was, from the get-go, a highly fashionable sport of kings and noblemen…and on Saturday, September 3rd, I had the pleasure of watching the #1 ranked player in the world, Novak Djokovic, command this ‘Jeu de paumme’, with true royal flair. Check out how far he bends his back when he serves. No wonder he serves bullets! The Serbian crushed his Russian adversary, Nikolay Davydenko, with little effort and showed the crowd why he’s currently the favorite to win it all. The Billie Jean King Tennis Center also showed off its A-game with a slew of A-listers, delicious eateries…and courtside cocktails. The “Signature US Open Cocktail” (Grey Goose, Chambord and lemonade garnished with melon balls) was the perfect refreshment for spectators. Since it wasn’t a Federer game, there were no Anna Wintour or Gavin Rossdale sightings, but just 50 yards away, I did spot Olivia Palermo (here with me in the Good Day New York studio) and Carson Kressley mingling with a dozen other people in their luxury box. I also caught the tail end of the Ana Ivanovic vs Sloane Stephens match.
Most of the crowd cheered for 18-year-old Stephens (upper court), who is viewed as the next big hope for US women’s tennis, but in the end, Serbia’s Ivanovic took the cake. With Djokovic and Ivanovic it seems Serbia is pumping out the strongest players of the moment…but as to who hosts the best tournament? USA all the way…NYC all you can see! What other destination can serve up the thrills of Manhattan while being a 25-minute subway ride away from this international sport packed with the world’s best players?!
When Djokovic won his match, he danced for the crowd. Scoreboard for Djokovic vs NYC: Love – Love.



Arrrrrrgh! A 160lbs Alligator & My Ninja Reflex

(With Zoo Director Jim Breheny at the Bronx Zoo. My Alligator friend, Orville.)

Check out my close encounter with death! 5 minutes before my live remote at the Bronx Zoo, this 7ft alligator wheeled me in with his tail and snapped at my hand. Of course, all of this happened within nano seconds!  What the alligator didn’t know…is that I have ‘Wendi Murdoch reflexes’ (if you do not get this reference, click here), meaning I dodged her nasty algae green teeth like a ninja. Needless to say, I was a bit shaken up and it took every fiber in me to pet it during the segment.  Catch the segment, where I stay cool as a cucumber: Click here!