It’s a toss-up as to what drew more eyeballs on Friday morning: the male models in tiny-and-tight hot pants on the Carmen Marc Valvo 25th-anniversary runway, or baby Carmen Baldwin in the front row with mom, Hilaria.
The event didn’t begin super fortuitously for Baby Baldwin, because we accidentally almost crashed into mother and child when Hilaria trotted her out for their photo op in the middle of the plastic-coated runway (which she traversed in huge heels, VERY carefully). During the show, Hilaria smooched her daughter’s head and gestured at outfits she presumably thought Carmen would appreciate, while the baby cheerfully clapped and waved, grabbed the arm of the gentleman to her right and gazed soulfully into his eyes, and tried to lean over Hilaria’s lap to get a better view — and then, like every toddler in history, grabbed a hank of her mother’s hair during the finale and gave it a mighty neck-jerking tug, like a countess ringing for her butler. We hoped Hilaria would hand her off to seatmate Hal Rubenstein for a second so she could pop off a quick Yoga Pose of the Day — maybe atop the jib, for drama — but by then Carmen seemed tuckered out and snuggled into Mom’s neck for the treacherous journey back through the mob and out the door. Or maybe, as she did not appear to be wearing ear plugs, the deafening strains of the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams” had just given her a toddler-size headache. Next time, Hilaria, we demand yoga satisfaction.
Anyone would have been satisfied though, by eyeballing Victor Cruz, although the extremely dreamy wide receiver kept his own hidden behind sunglasses for a good portion of the runway show — prompting us to wonder if he is, perhaps, the Anna Wintour of the New York Giants. He sat next to Orange Is the New Black’s Selenis Leyva, foxy in a white dress trimmed with lace, and her co-star Jackie Cruz (who had been forced presumably against her will into a non-colored lace evening gown that was farther down the awesome scale than she deserves). We eavesdropped on a conversation where Jackie admitted that she can’t live without lipstick — who can? — and obviously, thinking of deprivation reminded us of her day job. We asked her what she thought the worst part of being in prison would be (for us, it would be being unable to waste hours online looking at pictures of Prince Harry and puppies). “I don’t like people telling me what to do, so I would suck in prison,” Jackie told us. “Real prison. That’s the first time anyone’s ever asked me that!” Well, it is only day two of Fashion Week; give it time.
In fact, for all we know, she got it again later that day. Friday evening, Cruz — this time, in a chartreuse patterned number — attended Nicole Miller’s show alongside Leyva again (looking wonderful in a pink flowered dress) and co-star Kimiko Glenn. Per usual, Miller’s front row was packed, beginning with Carol Alt and including The Leftovers’ Amanda Warren, Margarita Levieva (both formerly of Revenge, and, disappointingly, looking not at all vengeful), socialite Tinsley Mortimer (why, hello there, 2007! You look well for something that’s just been exhumed!), and actress Katie Cassidy of Arrow, who was sporting some elastic-cuffed pants that looked rather like tailored sweats (do they come with their own box of wine?). While her friend boogied to the music with Pretty Little Liars’ Chloe Bridges, Cassidy watched the runway show extremely seriously, appearing to take careful note (and photographs) of everything she saw. It’s okay to have fun at Fashion Week, Katie. Take it from Carmen Baldwin.