Fashion Funhouse Emporium

Today was the first day that I went inside the tents at Lincoln Center! Here is a list of  Fashion Funhouse Emporium's pros and cons when it comes to the new location of Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week.

Pro: Its far away from Times Square which cuts down on the passers by who decide to crash shows at the last minute.

Con: It's now far away from central Bryant Park location, making a longer trek to off-site shows like Mac & Milk's Fashion Shows and others. Im in Brooklyn. The L train to the F train was a quick hop skip and a rail away. With the C train its a longer haul, and especially heading back down to 15th Street at Milk.

Pro: Its spacious and well organized. The Fashion GPS system makes an easy, quick check in.

Con: If you write for Fashion Funhouse Emporium and are still working on your styling career, the standing line is where you end up on plenty of occasions. You still have to wait, and the haute hounds still bum rush to the head of the line. See definition below*

Pro: AOL Media Center has Blackberry, Droid and iPhone chargers readily available in multiples.

Con: Same port -a -potties with stupid push nozzle sinks. Those sinks anger me. How are you supposed to wash your hands and hold down the button at the same time?

Pro: More room for sponsors like Starbucks, Treseme, Fiji Water, Diet Muscle Milk, PopChips, DHL, Mercedes Benz, DHL, and more.

Con: Starbucks is only has those bottled Frappicino "coffee drinks" Not a real coffee in the whole damn tent. Don't they know some of us will be going from 9AM to 9PM?  Bring back Mc Cafe, at least they had much needed caffeinated dark roasted black coffee.

Pro: Has a small court yard inside that is decorated with lighted benches and Hampton-like outdoor furniture. I call it the smokers lounge.

Con: I kind of miss watching the random old men play boccie at Bryant Park while sitting outside in between shows. There are also no people walking around with cardboard signs damning all us fashion types to hell.

Pro: Larger space makes for a more private, less chaotic experience.

Con: Tents look empty now, creating less of an excitement. (Which is actually a "pro" if you are an agoraphobic) Also finding where to go for each show takes a bit more asking for directions.

Overall, the Lincoln Center location is a gorgeous display. Its a cultural center which makes a better connection to fashion as art, rather than fashion as spectator sports. Next season, once show goers are a bit more used to the process, it will be a welcome change.

Haute Hound (Hote Hownd) n. Person that manages to get invites to fashion shows and has no affiliation, no fashion credentials, and no reason to be at fashion week except to see and be seen.

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Today is the first official day of the Spring 2011 season for Fashion Funhouse Emporium.

Last season I broke my camera with my elbow, fell down the steps and hit my face into a wall. This season, I got hit by a cab on my way to pick up my credentials. My friend Jamar is calling it "The Fashion Week Curse."

Like most New Yorkers, getting hit by a cab is bound to happen at some point or another. For this lucky, clumsy girl, it sounded, and apparently looked worse than it actually was. I was crossing the street, while the walk sign was a go. Did I mention I had the walk sign...that said "hey, pedestrian, go ahead, walk across the street. No, seriously, its  your turn." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw this huge yellow car coming at me. In a breif second, I thought "This dude is going to hit me."  Sure enough, seconds later, I attempted to dodge the car's bumper, which hit me in the ass anyway. I fell on the cross walk. He stopped. I hopped up with only a scrape on my elbow. The passenger, a very nice (and well dressed woman) rushed out of the cab screaming "Oh MY GOD ARE YOU OKAY?? ARE YOU OKAY?" She made the cab driver get out and give me his information. Stunned bystanders were shouting, " look at your arm? Are you sure you're okay??" I was fine, and the tiny scrape on my elbow was just a reminder of what my entire body could of looked like if I wouldn't have jumped out of the way--or sort of jumped out of the way.

I can't imagine what it must of looked like to them, seeing this 115 pound girl getting knocked down by a massive yellow passenger car.  For me, I didn't knock my noggin, got a little cut and therefore, I was laughing. I said " Ive been living in New York for 8 years. I was wondering when I'd get hit by a cab!" Nothing but stunned silence from on lookers. Tough crowd! One woman demanded that I walk around to make sure I was okay. Another said I should go to the hospital right away.

I refused an ambulance. I had to make it uptown to pick up my Mercedes Benz Fashion Week press credential pass before the office closed. Don't they know its fashion week? Who says fashion people are divas? If anything, I'd give this advice: just because the signal is a lit up white guy that means walk, doesn't mean drivers are paying attention. I reported the driver to NYC's Taxi, Limousine and Car bureau for this reason only.  Secondly, you can let a hit by a car ruin your day, or you can get up, check yourself out and go on your way. Just be thankful that it wasn't worse.

With that anticdode, its time for fashion week. Today, I will try my best to make it to the all the shows I was invited to and have my review for you this evening or tomorrow AM.

I just hope the color yellow is not included in any of these collections, for I might feel a bias and give a scathing critique.

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