Fashion with Verdi

(Above Robert Verdi)

New York Fashion Week. It’s the most wonderful time of the year! (depending on who you are lol) I felt like it rained most of the time… and because of the recession designers really scaled back on their shows… some such as Betsy Johnston and Vera Wang pulled out entirely. Even Kimora did not put on her usual tranny festivities.

Speaking of tranny I was sitting at home watching Tyra… learning about how some single women are so desperate to be in relationships they marry gay men (Oh Tyra!) when I got an email from one of my editors over at a celebrity gossip mag asking me to cover a party. I can always use the money! But the one thing that bothers me about doing it is this… you knew all day you wanted to send someone out…. Why are you emailing me at 6pm to attend a red carpet event that starts at 8pm. COME ON PEOPLE! I have to get glam-a fied AND take a 45 min train ride downtown. Plus it was for Fashion Week…. can I at least get some notice so I can go cop a new dress?????

In New York you learn to play it off. When you can’t go shopping the best thing to do is throw on all black and rock ubber accessories. I had on every piece of gold jewelry I could find and gave myself the smokeiest eye my Chanel shadow could give me. Since I no longer work full-time I have not wrapped my hair in a min… detangling took about 40 min… grimy I know but at least I’ve been brushing my teeth.

I was told to get interviews from Robert Verdi (I love this man! For those who don’t know he’s a celebrity stylist… I’ve interviewed him before… he’s ALWAYS fun!) Kim Raver, and……. MS. JAY ALEXANDER FROM AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL!!!!!!!!!! The event was for this foundation that provides money for up and coming designers to showcase their clothing during fashion week. They are responsible for putting some of fashions best like Zac Posen and Derek Lam on the map.

I had no clue who this Kim chick was… But I did not have time to research to find out. The event was at Greenhouse… NY’s first eco friendly club…. Ummmm… this going green thing is going too far. How are you an eco friendly club? Are the glasses made from recycled materials and the dance floor biodegradable? WHO CARES! Anyway, As I was walking up to the door to pull out my ID and credentials…. I realized something…. I FORGOT MY WALLET IN MY OTHER BAG! DAMMIT!

Bouncer “ID?”

When in doubt fake your importance

Me “Oh no, I don’t need ID… Is Tasha the PR Rep inside? She is expecting me. I’m covering this event for her. (as I was saying this I pulled my recorder out as proof I was a journalist)

Bouncer (Lifting the rope) “Come on in”

I was greeted at the door by some reps and I introduced myself. I love covering events because people kiss your ass in hopes that you will give them a cover story or something… when in fact I have NO control over that and out of everything I write the mag might just use two sentences as a caption to a picture… but I let them think I really care. There was no formal press line so I was directed to the VIP area… due to medication I can’t drink so I sat there and turned down all the free cosmos that were offered. But I DID tear UP the food. The mini quesadillas, spring rolls, and ravioli bites were OFF THE CHAIN! Now it was time to figure out who this Kim chick was I was supposed to interview. When in doubt… ask a gay guy,


Me “ OMG… did you hear Kim Raver is supposed to be here!!”

Gay guy “ I KNOW she is just FAB in Lipstick Jungle!”

That bullshit still comes on? Who knew? Welp that’s really all I needed to know.

PR Chick “Our guests of honor will be here in a min Jessica and I’ve set up a private section for you to conduct interview! Is there anything I can get for you…..”

Me “Yes hon, Can you get some more of this quesadilla things (mouth all full) they are fire!” (If you know me… I keeps it real no matter what LOL)

My interview with the kim chick went pretty good. I had to play it off. I asked her all about her fashion week experience… her personal style…. Her involvement with tonights event… and then came the Lipstick Jungle questions.

Me “So, What’s next for your character in Lipstick Jungle?”

Kim “I think she is really looking to become a mother. But struggling with that because she is a really intense career woman and loves her career and I think women today can relate to that. We are in an amazing time where women are really hitting there stride in so many different ways whether that’s actors, women in business it’s a great time for women. But they are also struggling with wanting to get married and have children but its happening so I think it’s a really great thing for Nico to go into and also trying to decide between hottie Kirby and very hottie Griffin!

Me “OH MY! DECISIONS DECISIONS! It’s hard when you got it like that!”

Kim “ That’s Right! Decisions Decisions! It’s a win win either way!”

I ended the interview there… I was not trying to out myself for not knowing who the hell this woman was! I take it "Nico" is who she plays on the show... LOL! I wish that was video taped. I know my face had the "WTF look" going on!

Next stop was Robert Verdi! We talked about everything from his love of Tyra Banks, to where the fashion industry was going to Chris Brown and Rihanna to WTF is going on with Kanye West’s hair LOL. MS. J came over in the middle. Can I just say he is NOTHING like he is on TV. He talks like a regular dude off the street. He was dressed like a normal metrosexual man… only with a perm and tapper. I was kind of disappointed.

Robert “Jess! So I’m having a swag party tomorrow! Give me your card and I will email you the invite! YOU MUST COME OVER! It’s at my house. Promise me you’ll come!”

Me “But of course!”

I left the party around 11. I still had to transcribe tape and write a story all to be in by 7am. The parting gift for the party was a bottle of Merlot Wine. Around 1am I got the invite from Robert. My first personal invite to a semi-celebrity NY home! I was excited! The event was from 12 til 4 pm. My friend Kim is always looking for a reason to get up from her desk at InStyle so I took her with me.

This man lives in a condo over on 30th and 7th! His place was SICK, DOPE, ALL THAT AND MORE! IT WAS HUGE! Home theater playing Devil Wears Prada and everything! Kim and I agreed the place is at least worth 4 million. I can’t even begin to describe the décor… but it looked funky like someone who dresses most of Hollywood. Ms. Jay and his 7 ft 20 in self was there too. The food was amazing. I got really shy at this thing… I felt kinda like some little girl that was just saved from the projects and taken into the home of a billionaire. Kim had to keep telling me to calm down… eventually I did, but for one of the first times in my life I felt completely out of my element… then my inner drag queen spoke up “HONEY! YOU BELONG HERE YOU FABULOUS FLY THANG! YOU BETTA WORK!”

I was cool the rest of the time chumming it up with Robert and some other designers that were there. Kim and I got HUGE gift bags when we left. The True Religion Jeans were like a size 3 though…. Womp womp… but we got TONS of drink mixers, beauty products, spanx lol, books… etc. Those bags were at least 40 lbs! 40 lbs of freeness… GOTTA LOVE IT!

Welp, that was some of my Fashion Week… beats the last one I did where I practically worked the fashion closet the whole time (those of you who work fashion closets feel my pain) THE WORST!

Off topic… but I really wanted Taraji to win an Oscar tonight. She still looked fab though… and Beyonce had a new look…. LOVED IT! Still does not make up for me not getting to see what Rihanna would have rocked to the Grammys… but it will have to do