Fashion Camp
 Ayoka with Rachel Zoe's style director, Brad Goreski, at Monique Lhuillier's runway show Photograph by Dalia Dalili September 24, 2010 Fashion Camp
Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week (MBFW) is always a fashion marathon packed with runway presentations, amazing street style, monumental parties, and celeb sightings. After bidding farewell to Bryant Park last February, this year's Spring/Summer 2011 presentations opened at Lincoln Center with much speculation about whether or not the new venue would prove successful. But after five days of gallivanting from show to show, I have no doubt that MBFW has found its new home. For any style aficionado, New York Fashion Week sets the tone for the upcoming season's trends during a week that has so much to offer I often refer to it as the ultimate Fashion Camp. Here's a wrap-up of the entire week through my top five moments at MBFW: 1. FASHION GPS RULES! With more than 10 shows a day, it can be daunting to wait in line for the PR girls to check your name on a list. This season, Fashion GPS introduced a genius new process by which attendees zapped emailed barcodes at scanner stations, which produced small sheets of paper with seating assignments. Done! 2. STREET STYLED BY THE FASHION PAPARAZZI. You can't attend a weeklong fashion event without running into the "Fashion Paparazzi." Tons of street style fashion bloggers and photographers lined the entrance of Lincoln Center to capture who made the cut. My custom-made dress by local designer Jamie Lin Snider with matching spats was a total hit! 3. NEXT SEASON'S TRENDS FIRST-HAND. It's a major perk for all fashion professionals to get the first glimpse at the trends coming down the runway. My favorite shows included Georges Chakra, Herchcovitch, Monique Lhuillier, and Ports 1961. Spring/Summer 2011 is looking a bit like a revisit to the '90s, with specific trends such as crop tops, a minimalist aesthetic, lots of orange, and separates galore. 4. CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS. New York Fashion Week is all about the scene, the front row, and what celebrities attend which shows. I spotted the Kardashians with The Spin Crowd crew, Olivia Palermo, Brad Goreski, Kimora Lee Simmons, Russell Simmons, Kelly Rowland, Kristin Cavallari, Kelly Osbourne, and the list goes on! Fashion's Night Out was the largest gathering of known fashion names and music stars, with a list so long it must have broken some record in the fashion universe. 5. AFTER PARTIES. The final element to the Fashion Week formula is the collection of after parties. Tommy Hilfiger celebrated his 25th anniversary, the Misshapes held court at a different bash every night, the designers each threw post-show parties, various magazines held fashion fêtes, and there was never a dull moment in the city! To watch highlights from Ayoka's MBFW experience on her three-part video diary, click here. To peruse the photo gallery of behind-the-scenes moments, click here.
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