Chapter 3
I got invited to cover fashion week hoes! Yeah you heard right; this is an inside look at New York Fashion Week SS16 from the perspective of yours truly. Fash Ho live and direct from these New York streets.
Fashion Week is the biggest fashion event in the world. I’m still wildin’ from gettin’ this invite. You know I just finished college right? And every year I been watching this shit online and following fashion police and what not. It’s a trip to actually be here people. Today I have Carl Marefield, CHANTYXPUMA, and, Fleezy, and a bunch of other huge American designer names whose shows I probably won’t be able to attend.
Fashion is my passion that’s obvious, but the buzz I get from sitting in the front row of fashion week, opposite some of the biggest names in fashion or celeb spotting outside the show really makes me stop for a second and realize just how much I really love my job!
Getting ready for New York Fashion Week as a Fash Ho is deadass crazy. I am representing my brand at this kind of an event which means my hair and makeup need to be on point. So yeah first order of business was to get my hair did, my nails did…there are beauty lounges and freebies that come with fashion week so that part was easy. My makeover was courtesy of Toni & Guy for the hair and Manicube for the nails. I chose to wear this really cute black Two Tone Ruffle Dress from Carl Marefield for my first look of the day.
After taking a look around the collections at the designer showrooms at Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week headquarters in Milk Studios, I got in the nice car that was put at my disposal by the Boston Consulting Group and headed to my next stop on the SS16 fashion train. Fashion week can be late nights, early starts and a ton of outfit changes. If you’re not a New Yorker you need to find yourself a place to stay: I am a New Yorker but you know that the lower East side is too far away. So I booked in to The Highline Hotel on Tenth Avenue.
The first show of the day was Carl Marefield. This is a huge deal in terms of fashion week shows and was held in The Gallery, Skylight Clarkson Sq. I love the atmosphere of a show of this scale and some huge names are attracted to them. I even got to chat briefly with Corinne Edgeworth, Fashion Editor of American Vogue about the recent Tiana cover and how she takes fashion forward. She was watching the show with her Fashion Director, Kris Anderson.
There was definitely a doll chic theme going on at Carl Marefield. A lot of white and gray with a couple of pops of black and a maroon type red. I loved the ruffled styles coming off the runway in this show, a sure win when you’re in need of a cool linen dress on a hot summers day.
CHANTYXPUMA was next on the list and boy did they make an impact. Held in the 23 Wall Morgan House, we were greeted by an 'arctic urban forest’ where models walked down a chrome catwalk in a series of bold monochrome designs which looked to be influenced by the same urban street style that the singer has become famous for herself.
Loud music and athleisure wear were a huge part of this show’s story. I am literally in love with so many of their outfits, especially the fierce slouchy hoodie and thigh-high boots with Puma written across the top, can’t wait to rock this next season!
This show was all about neutral colors and had strong influences from Chanty’s own style. Hoodies, sweat shirt and a sport shoe-boot hybrid featured heavily. Fingers crossed they will be on schedule next year as I can’t wait to see what comes next for this pop star turned designer.
For my last show of the day I headed over to Skylight at Moynihan Station at 360 West 33rd Street to see one of the newer style fashion week shows, a presentation by Fleezus. Presentations are way more informal and basically involve the models standing gracefully around as though they were mannequins in a shop window. Press and buyers can walk around the room taking snaps and look over the models closely.
Designers are going for this type of show more often now. It costs a lot less to put on and the venue doesn’t have to be as large. More press can be invited as the duration lasts for a couple of hours and you can come and go as you please without missing anything.
The theme didn’t seem much differed from Fleezy season one or two…..sometimes I think that Fleezus is punking us with this so called fashion line! Fleezy Season 3’s collection was so definitely some homeless person chic y’all. Really androgynous with lots of browns and natural colors in general. I liked the body suits though. Very comfortable looking for just lounging on the sofa watching Netflix. Also the models were pretty diverse which was excellent.
Now for the fun bit! New York Fashion Week parties….Trust me after a loooong day running all over central New York. You will be past in need of a drink. Heading over to a fashion week party where all the drink is free, the music is great and you get to hang out with a ton of flamboyant personalities and bump in to fab friends is such a great end to the day.
Imma head over to the Bowery Hotel to see what’s what. Maybe drop in at all the parties with my partner in crime, Sascha. Tomorrow’s another day! Check out the photos over the jump. Which New York Fashion Week show would you love to go to?
Comment below!
Elmira read through her rough draft, one ear on Sascha as she suggested eating places to pop into before the after parties. Elmira was quite hungry which was the only reason that a hundred per cent of her concentration wasn’t on the blog post she was working on. She wasn’t sure if she should…er deurbanize it a little. But this was her blog and she’d always written like this. Her audience knew it. And wasn’t that the whole point of using her? The fact that she reached this audience? She shrugged her shoulders and decided she wouldn’t change her style. If BCC had a problem with it, they could speak up. Speaking of BCC…Elmira leaned back in her seat thinking about the Group’s CEO. What did he want with her?
Their coffee ‘date’ had been a little crazy Elmira thought.
"Nice place." the CEO had commented, “Not really my usual haunts but nice.”
"Let's get a table." Elmira said heroically refraining from rolling her eyes.
"Right." agreed Sven.
They both sat at the closest available table that they could find. It had a window nearby, too, so they had a lovely view of the flowers growing outside.
"They certainly take very good care of their flowers." Elmira noted.
"Yeah." Sven agreed.
At that moment, a waitress came to their table.
"What can I get you two?" she asked.
"I'll have a caramel latte," Elmira answered. "What about you, Sven?"
"Anything's good." he replied.
"Coming right up!" beamed the waitress as she left to get their beverages.
As they waited, Elmira fished out her iPad and noticed that Sven did the same. He didn’t try to get her to engage with him, just let her get on with her writing while he did…whatever it was with his iPad. Elmira was a little miffed at that. I mean yeah sure he’d promised he wouldn’t interfere with her writing but she hadn’t really expected him to keep his word. It was supposed to be an excuse to have coffee with her!
'Maybe this wasn't such a good idea...'she thought.
"Um...Sven?" Elmira asked.
He looked up at her with surprise. "Yeah?" he replied.
"I just…I wanted to thank you for all this. For this opportunity. I don’t think I did that before.”
He waved a hand, “Elmira, please don't start that. It wasn’t a favor. We got you because you had what we needed. You’re doing us a favor being here. Don’t even get it twisted, okay?"
"Are you supposed to tell me that?" Elmira asked with a laugh. "Pretty sure you’re supposed to let me feel all beholden to you."
Sven sighed...then, he told her, "Elmira, I came here because I wanted to. I don't want you to feel like you’re obligated to be here."
"...All right."
At that moment, the waitress arrived with their orders.
"Here you are!" she chirped. "Enjoy!"
"Thank you." Elmira smiled.
"Thanks," was all Sven told the waitress.
Elmira began to drink her latte while Sven got a frappe. The latter took a sip of his caffeinated beverage.
"Not bad." he commented.
Elmira smiled.
"What?" Sven asked.
"Oh, nothing." answered Elmira.
Sven smiled...then, he looked out through the window. He watched the people walking outside in the street.
"This is nice." he spoke up.
"It is." Elmira added with a smile.
She took another sip of her latte. A bit of cream was on her lip as she pulled her cup away and Sven blushed.
"Something wrong, Sven?" she asked.
A pause...then, Sven kissed Elmira on the lips, catching her off guard.
"Mmph...!"
Sven moaned as he ground her mouth hungrily...before pulling away and licking his lips.
"Sven now is hardly the time, nor the place...!" Elmira told him. "We're in a coffee shop!"
"And that’s your only objection? You seemed pissed that I wasn’t paying attention to you so I thought I’d remedy that," Sven smirked, causing Elmira to blush.
She sighed.
"That’s...I mean, no of course I wasn’t-" she muttered before exhorting herself to stop talking.
Yet...she smiled a bit.
"Anyway," she started. "Are you enjoying yourself?"
"Yes." answered Sven.
”Great. I still gotta…” Elmira indicated her iPad.
“Yeah you go ahead. I got some emails to answer anyway.”
They sat quietly, eyes on their electronic devices while they drank their coffees. Elmira finished her thoughts on the Carl Marefield show and then saved it before looking through her pictures. She’d captured some really good shots of the dresses and a few socialites wearing the brand. She could do some good with those. She looked up at Sven.
“Okay then. I’m done.” She said.
"Wanna head back to your hotel?"
"Yes."
Without a moment's hesitation, they paid for their drinks and drove her back to the Highline. She half expected that he would come up with her but he just helped her out of his vehicle, bowed to her and took off. She stood there watching him go before she shook her head and went to get ready for the next show.
*****
Elmira Olivette polished off her fourth dry martini at the CHANTYXPUMA party, since Sven asked the bartender to stop serving her vodka on the rocks, twenty minutes ago. Smiling at the man who was paying more attention to her breasts than to what he was actually serving her, she slipped him an extra fifty dollar bill.
"Keep `em coming hot stuff," she said in between sips. The bartender paused as if reconsidering how many more he would send her way than glanced longingly at her ample cleavage, pocketed the fifty dollar bill and shrugged to himself before moving off to serve another patron. Smirking to herself as she covertly adjusted her stance to give the bartender a better view; she twirled the stem of her martini glass between her thumb and index finger before turning around to gaze out onto the crowded dance floor. As she leaned back against the bar she heard a familiar voice mumbling almost incoherently.
"Stupid women. Stupid bitch. Who does she think she is anyway? She came here with me and now little Mr. slutty slut is all over her." Sascha slurred as she hailed the bartender and ordered a Midori Sour.
"Oh honey, what's the matter?" Elmira asked, walking down to where Sascha was standing.
"It's Imam, she's just…she's an ass. One look at that skanky…skanky…designer guy and she's following his overactive dick wherever it leads her. Directly to his STD laden crotch! Look at them," she gestured wildly to a dark corner of the dance floor, "they're practically doing it up against those speakers!"
"There, there, let mommy take care of you. Now, how many of those fruity little darlins have you had tonight?"
Sascha looked down at her glass, chewed her lip, tilted her head to one side and looked back at Elmira.
"Four, well…three plus this." She said as she raised her glass for another sip.
"I think I may have just the ticket sweetie, gimmie a second." Elmira swilled the remnants of her latest martini and began digging through her purse. After a few glances at Sascha out of the corner of her eyes and reading the labels of three or four bottles, she shook out two pills and held them out to Sascha. "Here, you'll forget all about her royal bitchliness once I…once these get done with you."
They were actually pain pills for the monumental headache Sascha was gonna have in the morning if she didn’t take it now and maybe about five gallons of water. She signaled to her bartender to pass her the largest bottle which she gave to Sascha along with the pills.
“You could use some of that yourself,” the bartender said, making her narrow her eyes at him.
Some people should mind their own business.
*****
Sven confronted them at the door as they were waiting for their car. He put his hands on Elmira’s shoulder, squeezing gently.
“Hey. Leaving already?”
Elmira said nothing just cut her eyes to her drooping friend.
“Oh, uh you need some help?”
“No. I’m just gonna take her home.”
“How about I take you both home in the tour bus we’re rocking today and then after you drop off your very drunk friend, you can come over to my place for the after, after party?”
Elmira snorted a laugh.
“Really? Are you a rapper?”
“I can drop some barz if it helps. Come on, you don’t want the night to end do you?”
Elmira just shrugged.
*****
Elmira didn’t remember much of the ride to Sven's place, didn’t remember where she sat in the car, who sat next to her, or what they may have said to each other. She remembered laughter, the beer in her hand, someone's fingers in her hair. She remembered colors.
There were a few of them left, the ones who still felt like partying - but it was not much of a party anymore. There was a movie playing: Columbiana, starring Sven's latest celebrity crush, Zoe Saldana. The TV cast an eerie light over the living room, sometimes leaving it dark completely.
The others had gathered around Sven's kitchen table, playing a game of strip poker, being awfully noisy but so lethargic it was mostly funny and nothing more.
Elmira wasn’t really following them, though.
She was pretending to watch the movie, lying on top of Sven on the couch curiously comfortable in her drunkenness, her cheek resting against Sven's chest, her hands somewhere close to Sven's neck and hair. The back of the couch protected them from prying eyes, but otherwise they were out in the open. Anyone could walk by them, could come ask something. It was partly the threat of exposure that made this moment something special. Not that they were doing anything wrong. Just watching a movie.
Elmira knew she was drunk and apparently lost inhibitions meant teasing Sven. It was her way of testing her own appeal, of finding out what she could do to Sven, maybe even her way of complimenting Sven. Or it was just something alcohol did to her blood. But sometimes, she was a tease, and Sven wasn’t pushing her away.
Elmira hoped he wasn’t going to do it at all.
They had been on the couch for over half an hour, watching, pretending, breathing in each other's scents. She knew Sven was as aware of her as she was of Sven. Most days, she could hide nothing from anyone who had eyes to see. It was said she had a glass face. This, she didn’t even want to hide.
Elmira wanted to do something, but it was so easy to break the spell. It was rare that it happened; it was rare that her heart sped up just from the scent of a man, and she didn’t want it to end. Even her alcohol-influenced brain could figure that out. She wanted to stay in this bubble, hyper-aware of Sven's body beneath her, Sven's breath ghosting over her skin, Sven's hand touching her waist so lightly it felt like a whisper.
But she needed to do something or the bubble would burst on its own.
She lifted her head up, looked into Sven's eyes, took his hand, and waited for whatever happened.
Sven brushed his thumb against the side of her hand, not averting his eyes.
Her breath caught, but she forced herself to exhale, slowly, quietly. If she held her breath for too long she would have to let out some kind of a sound, and she didn’t want to.
Don't break the spell.
Elmira stroked Sven's fingers one by one, lingering, patient... so, so careful she was barely moving at all. Her blood was surging, her skin so sensitive she could feel everything clearly, every line of Sven's skin.
Sven's eyes were black in the dim light, and he looked sinister with the five o’ clock shadow he was sporting and his alabaster skin. He looked damn sexy, too. Elmira could appreciate it even if it was not really her thing.
Something in Sven's eyes made her feel bolder than usual and she pulled Sven's hand close to her mouth. She saw the slight change in Sven's features, saw the twitch of his upper lip and it made her grin.
Elmira licked the tip of Sven's forefinger, Sven's eyes so intense it was hard for her to hold his gaze. They were both trying to be as quiet as possible, and it added to the moment, something more passing between them.
A secret.
Her legs were on top of Sven's, but she spread them just a little, the movement creating a tiny amount of friction that stole a breath from Sven's lips. It was still quiet, but it was sharp, too, and Sven closed his eyes for a second. He opened them when Elmira sucked her finger into his mouth, tongue moving slowly against it. Sven's hand on her waist moved, pressed her down, still light and tentative.
This moment turned real only because they were in the right mood to let it happen. It was a little scary, but mostly something they didn’t want to miss. Elmira knew this, read it from Sven's eyes, and felt it in her heart. And what happened right now happened only because Elmira was fearless enough to act. She had all the power in her hands, her choice, her actions, her lead. Sven followed.
Her lips moved around Sven's finger, showing what she could do. Sven seemed to like the image because he bit his lip, pressed his head against the soft armrest of the couch, and moved under Elmira. It was such a small twist of his hip, the couch didn’t make a sound under them, but Elmira felt it, all the way down to her toes. She bit Sven's finger, a warning.
Don't do too much.
And Sven tilted his head to the side for a moment, but when he turned to face Elmira he nodded. Elmira smiled around Sven's finger, then licked his palm, twice, long and slow.
Sven stayed still, but grit his teeth, his chest rising fast.
Because it felt good, she moved, thrusting against Sven, a tiny teasing rhythm of her hips driving Sven insane. She let go of Sven's hand and held onto Sven's shoulders and neck instead, fingers pulling at his hair, brushing his ear. Sven didn’t know what to do with his hand so he let it fall over the armrest so it wouldn't try to grasp Elmira. She appreciated it so much she kissed Sven's neck, licked the stubbled skin there. Sven exposed his throat to her, a complete surrender Elmira couldn't quite comprehend so she didn’t try. She just licked, bit, kissed, happy to have the right to all of this. However temporary.
Sven moved again, bent his knee, thigh coming in contact with Elmira's groin, and this time she almost cried out. She tried to stifle it, hid it in Sven's neck, bit a bit too hard. Sven didn’t mind, just turned his head to the side, giving Elmira more access to his skin.
They were both panting now, Sven's fingers pressing at her inside, but she couldn't stop moving, couldn't stop that little turn of her hips, couldn't even if she wanted to. She was going to come right there, right now, and it was just crazy-stupid-unbelievable. Sven was right there with her, so close his nails were going to leave marks on Elmira's skin, crushing, hard, unforgiving.
When it happened she felt like laughing, but didn’t dare. She was so out of her mind she might be too loud. She couldn't think for a moment, she only held onto Sven, her whole body trembling with released want.
She lay on top of Sven for a long while, her face still buried in Sven's neck, Sven's hand stroking her back, softly, gently. Affectionate. Elmira didn’t know what to think of that. She didn’t know what to think of any of it, but it didn’t matter. Sven took things as they were, didn’t push, didn’t demand, didn’t need.
Elmira finally looked up, watched Sven with careful eyes, but she saw nothing that would make her want to leave. Sven didn’t stop petting her, and she wanted to tell him that she was not a kitty. She wouldn't, though. It would ruin the moment. Instead she leaned closer, and kissed Sven, closed lips, dry, soft. Nothing behind it but gratitude. Sven smiled against her mouth, then grabbed her neck and pulled her head to the side, whispered in her ear, "Anytime, baby."
It was maybe unusual, she certainly had never done this shit before. Elmira kissed Sven's cheek, hands in his hair.
Easy.
She was too drunk to make sense of this.
So she would just enjoy it.