It's Lori again, back with more coverage from Mercedes-Benz Spring/Summer 2009 Fashion Week in New York City. I'm going to apologize in advance for the quality of some of the images in these posts—I love my new iPhone, but the picture quality isn't exactly the best .... 
On the evening of Friday, Sept. 5, I attended two shows. The first was Edwing D'Angelo at the Westin Hotel in Times Square. D'Angelo's Antarctica-inspired collection, Aquatica, was modeled by an all-ethnic cast of models—a first for the designer. The ready-to-wear and couture pieces were almost entirely white, providing a dramatic contrast to the models' skin tones. The hair, created by SoftSheen Carson Professional Style Squad Artist Eric Bland, along with Style Squad members Jacci Almond, Nikki Mangrum and Derickus Crawford, resembled melting icebergs. Bland and his team mixed structure and fluidity with crimping and braids, all done on weaves (most were the models' own). Keeping with the "frozen" theme, the men received strategically placed rhinestones on shaven heads. 
At Erin Fetherston, which took place at the Tent at Bryant Park, Bumble and bumble brought in Lyndell Mansfield from the UK to style the models' hair. Starting with a generous application of Bb Grooming Creme, Mansfield slicked hair back into ponytails and added extensions to give the tails substance. The hair was then flat-ironed and cut blunt on the bottom. Manicures and pedicures, provided by Dashing Diva, were done with Dizzy Pinky Lizzy, a fun sheer pink. The hair and nails perfectly complemented the collection, which started out with 70s-inspired sportswear then moved into more fantasy-like dresses.
After a fashion-free weekend, I was back at Bryant Park early this morning to catch Orlando Pita for T3 styling hair at the Carolina Herrera show. According to Pita, Herrera had requested an updo to show off her couture dresses, so he 
wanted to create a style that wasn't a bun or ponytail. "I wanted to give them a classic look with a twist," he said. On each model, Pita created a crown with twisted hair that met at the back and was neatly and flawlessly tucked in. He used T3 360 Plump to prep and thicken the hair, then finished with T3 360 Control hairspray. The makeup, done by a team from MAC led by Diane Kendal, was inspired by Boticelli and provided a black and white contrast. Eyes were dark, smoky and smudged, although no mascara was used. The cheeks featured a natural blend of peach and pink, and lips were prepped with a nude cream base and finished with shiny Bubble to make them pop. CND did the nails, which were painted in Creme Brulee.
I'm done with shows until Weds, so Lotus Abrams and Nicole Palmieri will be providing updates until then. Enjoy! —Lori Morris, Senior Editor