Since I’m not a morning person I’m happy that my first show isn’t until noon. It’s Anja Gockel from London. Described in the press kit as sophisticated and red carpet worthy, the collection featured a lot of flowing silk and satin material and dresses with extensive shirring. These dresses seem problematic because the shirring produced so much excessive fabric that you couldn’t see the silhouette of the models underneath the fabric. I hate to think of what extra fabric would do on an average person. Ms. Gockel was more successful with her more tailored separates than with her dresses.

Next on my agenda was the Mongrels in Common show. The designers, Livia Ximénez-Carrillo and Christine Pluess, met at Esmod School of Design in Berlin and have been working together ever since. Their clothes come down the runway one color at a time: all beige, all black, then black and white. There were several short dresses with zipper details and the requisite redesigned harem pant. The collection reminded me a bit of Daryl K, and while modern and wearable it was so “on trend” to what’s going on right now that it didn’t really feel new.

Next up was Lala Berlin by designer Leyla Piedayesh. I heard that this label is a crowd favorite and it was clear even before the show began. The tent was packed and judging by the camera crews there were several celebrities in attendance. (one of the strangest aspects of fashion week was watching the press go crazy over people and not having the slightest idea who these celebrities were!)

The color palette in the Lala Berlin show was primarily subdued neutrals and rich golds broken up with one short section of bright pink. Like the Mongrels show, Ms. Piedayesh employed zippers as a design element. However in her case the zippers actually affected the drape of the garments in unexpected ways. She also created gossamer deconstructed knits and layered delicate fabrics to beautiful effect.

I decided to skip a reception and go to a few galleries before returning for the final show of the evening: Custo Barcelona. In New York I received an invite to the Custo show only to arrive and not have my name on the list. I was then given a standing room ticket and then there were so many people in standing room that I never even got in. This time I had better luck -an actual seat. And I couldn’t be more pleased. This show really got my attention. The first thing that struck me was how refreshing it was to see such exuberant color and prints. Yes, Custo is known for this, but particularly in the current economy their fabric choices and treatments strike a note that is somehow both irreverent and relevant.

One piece summed up the mood perfectly: a pink and lavender coat with a swirling pattern in purple and silver meticulously stiched throughout.  Appliques on top and patchwork pockets made it seem as something Eliza Doolittle would have worn in the first scenes of My Fair Lady -but luxurious enought that she would have kept it after her makeover. Below the left pocket was an appliqué that read “Live For Life: it’s now or never”. A perfect nod to our times and expertly done.

Katya Moorman