We attended the Georges Chakra fashion show today and it was spectacular. Gown after gown was an artistic marriage of flattering design and technical skill as the models glided down the runway. I have yet to see gowns drape and move as flawlessly as they did in this show. It was captivating.

There were no slacks or skirts at all. It was a show of short and long formal dresses in red, navy, black, white, silver and gold. Lace was huge, as was the tuxedo jacket as the “it” cover-up. (I want a black tuxedo jacket RIGHT NOW). The models sported simple updos and wore six inch stiletto heels. No accessories and minimal make-up. This show was all about the dress and making it shine. I loved that discipline.

The creations were for the most part pretty commercial in that you wouldn’t look out of place wearing them in the real world. Often, runway collections are so impractical and over the top that you’d look daft wearing the creations in any situation other than in a fashion show. But these wearable works of art were a breath of fresh air.

If I went to the Oscars this year, I’d want to wear the tomato red high-necked sleeveless gown on the model above. That’s my favourite catwalk garment I’ve seen so far. I haven’t paid much attention to Georges Chakra in the past, but after today’s show I’m a new fan.

Waiting for the show to start was in itself a show. Hundreds of people queuing up in fabulous outfits with invitation in one hand and cellphone and handbag in the other. The audience was once again a sea of black. Almost everyone wore soaring skyscraper heels to accent their form fitting skirts, dresses and skinny pants. Today, I chose to wear a black 60’s go go dress over skinnies with biker jacket, bold scarf, pearls and cream ankle boots. I’m making a my own fashion statement at fashion week by NOT wearing black from head to toe.

YLF got a press pass to view the 2010 Fall Collections at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. So here we are in gloriously sunny but freezing New York City soaking up the magic. People watching takes on a new meaning around here. It’s sublime! Observing the street fashion has been the best part so far. So many inspirational outfits. But the activity that surrounds the fashion shows is almost as impressive. Wherever you look there are headsets, walkie-talkies, microphones, cameras, laptops, cell phones, strict security and people delegating like they mean business.

There are clearly two groups of style statements here at Fashion Week: those who want to look chic, sophisticated and trendy, and those who want to be a fashion spectacle. Both are totally fabulous and make for a superbly interesting and colourful atmosphere. Black is definitely the colour of the moment for both men and women. I have NEVER seen so many people wear black in one place at one time. I felt quite rebellious wearing my off-white Bond girl leather jacket, which also made it easy for Greg to spot me at a distance.

As expected, almost all of the women are wearing four to six inch heels. Some of the groovy men are wearing platform wedged heels too. Very few people are in jeans, but many more are wearing leggings, ponte knit pants, skirts and dresses. For my first day at Fashion Week, I decided to go with a black shirt dress, white studded belt, low heeled black patent boots, Burberry scarf, pearls, white leather jacket and black puffer coat. I was very comfortable and felt fab.

There is a media room for bloggers that’s conveniently set up with tables, chairs, and places to plug in laptops and cell phones. This is where bloggers are furiously typing away their thoughts and impressions live for you to view. There’s no question about the influence that bloggers and new media have in the fashion world these days. And yes, that’s me tweeting! If you’re into Twitter you can get my realtime fashion week updates on the YLF twitter feed.

Behind the scenes activities are extra fab. I loved, loved, loved seeing the garments, shoes and handbags being trolleyed in backstage for the fashion shows. This takes me back to my much loved fashion buying days. We caught glimpses of models walking backstage too – one covered in a lime green blanket to keep warm in her show outfit.

We haven’t seen too many celebrities yet. Last night we saw Kimora, who designs Baby Phat, and this afternoon I caught a glimpse of Heidi Klum as she stepped into her car. Gorgeous! Unfortunately we were blocked by a stampede of paparazzi and didn’t get the picture.

Tomorrow, we’ll start attending shows so stay tuned as we tweet and blog our thoughts over the next week.

I frequently use these techniques to add visual interest to my outfit. Perhaps it’s just in my head, but I feel more hip and cool when I pop my collar and scrunch up my sleeves. I’m also still amazed at how much better my outfits look once I’ve made these adjustments.

It’s reached the stage where it doesn’t feel right if I leave the collar lying flat, so I almost always pop the collar of shirts, blazers and jackets. I really enjoy the aesthetic and additional neck coverage. My collars tend to stay put popped because I have a long neck and short hair. These factors do help to make the look work, as does a pretty stiff collar.

I don’t always scrunch up, turn back or roll up shirt, blouse, jacket and knitwear sleeves, but I am doing it more and more often. The scrunch adds a super textural element to your outfit and it’s a great way to make an item elbow length (a very flattering sleeve length).

Popping collars works for all dress codes, from casual right through to formal attire. But scrunching up sleeves does add a more relaxed look to an outfit. So leave your sleeves down if you need to be more formal.

Obviously, when it’s cold, you’ll need as much coverage as you can get. I’ll keep my sleeves long under my coat, but often scrunch them back up when I’m all toasty indoors.

Some effective examples of popping collars and scrunching sleeves.

Often, we find fabulous items, but then discover that they are “dry clean only”. Blast. Well, I don’t follow laundry instructions religiously at all. In some cases I am overly cautious, and in others I take a chance.

On the cautious side, there are some things I avoid, even when the instructions say it is safe to do them. I never wash anything in hot water. It shrinks your clothes more often than not. And I seldom use the dryer. Your clothes never look quite as pristine as they first did after a few spins in the dryer.

But when it comes to the “dry clean only” label on knitwear, blouses and dresses, I often bend the rules by washing gently with mild detergent instead. I use the “hand wash delicates” option on our washing machine and once again, I use cold water. I do not physically wash the items by hand (that would be a deal breaker).

Items like lined jackets, coats, dress slacks, button down shirts and Greg’s shirts, jackets and suits still go to the cleaners because they actually do a better job at laundering the items than I do. I might be using home dry cleaning kits incorrectly, but so far I have not found them to yield satisfactory results.

Bending the dry cleaning rule does mean that you’ll need to press your items once they’re dry. As much as I loathe ironing my clothes, I’m prepared to do it as long as things don’t pile up.

Do you also bend the rules?