Tracy Reese was the first show I attended this week at the Lincoln Center Theater, and it happened to fall on 9/11. I was curious to see what might be in store for the 10th anniversary of the tragedy in the U.S. city hit the hardest.

 

There were plenty of memorials and respectful nods to the tragedy around in the city, including a special mass at the beautiful St. Patrick’s Cathedral, an array of American flags displayed at half-mast and a late-night NY Fire Department motorcade through a blocked-off Times Square.

At one point after midnight, when Edric and I were finally settled back into the apartment, I heard bagpipes loudly echoing down the street. (I assumed the sound off was for 9/11, but in New York I guess you never know.) In honor of the day, Reese, along with beauty partners Sally Hansen and TRESemme, made donations to charity organizations Action America and Families of Freedom.

The show itself was bright, energetic, and fun—like her spring/summer 2012 collection. The designer, who traveled to San Francisco as one of the featured designers for last year’s Macy’s Passport, used a nature-inspired palette of corals, mustards, and variations of blue against a neutral canvas of black, beige, and cream. The overall look conveyed modern bohemian with a bit of Victorian edge.

There were plenty of the expected florals for the season, but fabrics in mix-and-match patterns and long and trim silhouettes kept it sexy, wearable, and fresh. Flatforms and platforms seemed to be sticking around for the season, a nice pairing for full silky pants and breezy jumpsuits that require added height.

Star sightings for the day were easy…  just follow the cameras! Paparazzi bum-rushed Angela Bassett and Solange Knowles exiting the packed show.