A staple show the Army of M.E. always looks forward to…

The Hess Natur by Miguel Adrover presentation was a particularly poignant moment in my fashion week because I have some previous ties to the brilliant Miguel. His show was the last runway show I ever worked on -it was a huge success on the Sunday evening of Sept. 9th…2001. What happened two mornings later left me to throw my Narciso Rodriguez seat assignment for that day (the 11th) in the garbage and walk away from the relationship I was courting with fashion on the side of my regular career. It was hard for me to even continue with my day job -which, thankfully, was not in fashion. But I digress, knowing the financial difficulties Adrover had with his line -through no fault of his own but the result of attracting the wrong investors- and the heartbreaking moment in 2004 when he had to pack up his Bowery studio and head home to Mallorca, having him back in New York was really important for those of us who were there from the beginning. It is one of those disenchanting tales of a man whose brilliance is unmistakable (yes, Anna lurved him too) and yet he slipped away from us. I am happy to announce that he is back and with the same ideals (he was always into sustainable clothing) and passion he’s always poured into his creations. And now he has the added bonus that all creatives one day hope for…corporate sponsorship!

Miguel Adrover at his Hess Natur presentation at Matthew Marks Gallery

Ben Cho is what the Army of M.E. classify as a social brand -it is more about the association and fun of it all than the clothes. I do not mean offense by this but if you’ve ever sat waiting for a Ben Cho show (on this occasion it took an hour!) vs. an Oscar de la Renta show it’s like the difference between catching a rock band at CBGB (RIP) and an opera at the Met -there’s no comparison. The usual suspects flanked the runway and finally the mere 18 looks came and went.

The Army of M.E. is terribly excited about his flagship opening in the Meatpacking District and have always loved what he’s done for his label and Pucci. Once again he does not disappoint:

The Mulleavy sisters have proven to be the most watchable, anticipated siblings in the industry. Yesterday was no exception beginning with very wearable modern, pale-palette looks to vibrant-dyed, flowing floor-length fantasies which we recall from last season. The surprise arrives in the occassional chain, fishnet and leather touch. Learning they referred to the models backstage as “beautiful androids” also got our attention since we happen to have a thing for androids…several members of the Army of M.E. are androids…to the clothes…