Letting the Clothes Be The Stars

It's impossible to attend any of the key shows at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week without feeling the effect of the paparazzi, who take the pre-show focus away from the clothes and towards the bold face names in the front row. When A-list celebrities don't show up, the photographers will swarm around whoever they can, whether it's an actress you've never heard of, a well-dressed magazine editor, or just a show guest that's wearing something bright or outrageous.

It's added incentive to take your seat early, since getting trapped in the scrum of flashbulbs can be daunting and — if there's a sudden push to grab a shot of someone really famous — just plain dangerous.

Yesterday, at a few designers' fall collections, Paris Hilton and her sister Nicky simply stole the shows they attended. In some cases, like Jill Stuart's forgettable collection of ruffled party dresses, it was a welcome distraction; in others, like Tracy Reese's pretty set of feminine pieces, it put the focus in entirely the wrong place. Meanwhile, some of the best shows of the day, like a presentation by Bodkin that spotlighted super-wearable separates made from eco-friendly, vegetable-dyed fabrics, were celebrity-free. The same could be said for Carlos Miele (who used some recycled fabrics this season — we love this trend!) and Luca Luca. Even Marc Jacobs scaled down his guest list to welcome just editors, who are fawning today over the wonderfully brash, '80s club kid clothing he showed on a pared down, velvet carpeted runway.

The Hilton sisters were also out in force at alice + olivia's fall presentation, where the Kardashian sisters (Kim and Khloe) also stopped by. But even with flashes popping, guests at this upbeat event really did direct their attention to the wearable clothes (admittedly, with glasses of champagne and mini-cupcakes in hand.) In a day that started with Carolina Herrera's kinda dowdy collection of uber-pricey pieces, it was a wonderfully accessible line, including lots of embellished T-shirts and a cute woven jacket that will actually be affordable when everything hits stores. The clothing was shown in an unusual way — in giant, wall-sized photographs by Mick Rock, with real garments attached to some of the images — that actually worked. And if those pictures look appealing, stay tuned; rumor has it that they may be available down the line, with proceeds going to one of the handful of charities alice + olivia designer Stacey Bendet Eisner vocally supports.

If you're an alice + olivia fan, stay tuned to Tonic: We'll have coverage next week of a big charity event the brand is hosting (along with Gwyneth Paltrow) in New York. And, of course, check back often for more Fashion Week coverage!

Photo of Kim Kardashian by Ali Goldstein.