As far as celebrities go, Phillip Lim is a bit of a crapshoot. Sometimes he has tons of famous folks littering his runway, and in other seasons, it’s mostly fashion movers and shakers. Today, though, he got the best of both worlds. In addition to all the usual editors and style-makers, we spied Irina Lazareanu for the first time — not walking in the show, but sitting in the front row.
Also on hand to revel in the Lim was Elizabeth Banks, seated next to Paula Patton. We’re beginning to think that Banks is the chatty type. She was talking up a storm when we saw her at Monique Lhuillier, and she and Patton were having a gay old time today, exchanging covetous expressions when something pretty waltzed past them. When a male model passed wearing a suit complete with rolled-up trouser shorts, Banks threw Patton an incredulous eyebrow-raise. We have to admit, it made us like her a little bit.
We also got closer to fulfilling our goal of seeing each Gossip Girl cast member, thanks to Leighton Meester’s appearance in a very short white dress. Leighton seemed pleasant, but a bit overwhelmed by the massive amount of photographers crowding around her. If it’s like that every time she goes to a show, we kind of get why she hasn’t been out as much. Now we’re just holding out for Ed Westwick. Doesn’t he realize that Chuck Bass is all about rolled-up trouser shorts?
Meester arrived side-by-side with Emmy Rossum, who — we have to admit — we kind of forgot existed until today. And we promptly forgot again once we looked past her to see Juliette Lewis, dressed in a tremendously understated and ladylike outfit that included a pale fur coat (odd for September, but it was colder today). “I’ve discovered a new me,” she announced, showing off the look.
Filling out the celeb roster was Roisin Murphy, who was wearing a mildly awkward hat, as is her wont; Joy Bryant (of course); Leigh Lezark (ditto); and Kelly Bensimon, who’d arrived too late to get her seat at Michael Kors this morning and had to watch in standing room. She arrived in plenty of time this round, and had even found a moment to change from her earlier conservative pink cocktail dress into perhaps the shortest dress we’ve ever seen, accessorized with flat, open-toe knee-high boots. Hey, if you’re going home to change, you might as well go big.
View front row and backstage photos from the Phillip Lim show.
View a slideshow of the 3.1 Phillip Lim collection.
Watch video of the Phillip Lim runway show.
Watch a backstage video about beauty treatments at Phillip Lim’s show.
