Talk of the Tents

By Mark La Monica

In life, we must embrace the opportunies sent our way. No matter what they are and what other people may say about them, approach opportunity with an open mind and see where it leads. If for no other reason than to experience something once in a lifetime.

Confined to the media risers and the surrounding floor area for all the fashion shows so far, I managed to obtain a pass to sit in the seats among the beautiful people for the Carmen Marc Valvo show.

Wow, what a new world. They have these things called "gift bags" on all the seats. Maybe you've heard of them. They also have "information packets" on all the seats. Perhaps you've seen one or two of them in the past.

This sure is nicer than catching elbows and tripod edges in the ribs and other sensitive areas inside the photographer's pit.

Here in the seated area, people are nice. They're chatty. They're accommodating. i'm guessing much of this has to do with wealth, affluence, a well-groomed appearance and body comfort, four things not always visible in the pit.

You can actually learn about the designer's show, the inspiration behind the collection and other funky tidbits such as models' names. This last part is interesting because if you ever click through a photo gallery from a fashion show, all the captions begin with "A model walks . . . " Very annoying.

Not anymore. Hey, look, here comes Ines and she's wearing a black petal embroidered sheath. And Linda V. is walking the runway in a dusty rose satin face organza rose-bud cocktail dress.

Liudmilla wore a black silk brocade trapeze back jacket with a black silk dupioni wide-leg trouser. In the pit, that translates to "that really tall model with the black thing on her shoulder and the pants." Perception is nine-tenths the knowledge.

Marta had on a black silk barathea draped back cocktail dress on. I don't know what any of that means but I know I need to start going to more cocktail parties because that dress was pretty hot.

There was an empty seat in the front row at the show. Usually, this doesn't bode well for a designer. In this case, it was the designer's decision. Valvo kept an "Empty Seat" as part of an effort to raise awareness and funds for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

"I am leaving one front-row seat empty to put the real focus on who isn't at the show, instead of who is," Valvo said in a statement issued inside the gift bag and information packet.

A very nice touch, I felt. And something I never would have known had I not been seated for the show. Learning new things, regardless of their relevance in the grand scheme of life, is an opportunity no one should let slip away.