Fashion Week Pics: G-Star and U.N. Bring in Celebs, Sears Puts LL Cool J on Display

September 12, 2008

Fashion Week has finally come to an end—later today construction crews will dismantle the white structures in Bryant Park and haul away furniture and other pieces of equipment. In our final look at the proceedings: Sears touted its LL Cool J-designed fall 2008 line with a multi-room installation on Wednesday inside the Bryant Park Grill. And among the last showings of the week, G-Star Raw's spring/summer 2009 runway show and after-party at the Seventh Regiment Armory last night used a partnership with the United Nations Millenium Campaign 2015 to bring celebrities out of the front row and onto the stage.

Alan Cumming and Heather Graham opened the G-Star show and hosted the after-party—the label's first "Raw Night in New York." The night took on a much more political tone than others, with Cumming asking the audience to join the 2015 campaign and vote for Barack Obama.

G-Star Raw's spring/summer 2009 show

Photo: Keith Sirchio for BizBash

Inside the Bryant Park Grill on Wednesday, producer Derrick Roberts built a multi-room installation to showcase clothes from Sears. At the entrance, several flat-screen TVs showed a video of LL Cool J talking about the collaboration. The rapper was on-site at 5 p.m. signing autographs and hosted a party later that night on the restaurant's rooftop.

Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash

To show off the fall 2008 LL Cool J-designed line from Sears, producer Derrick Roberts recreated the promotional portrait by photographer Mark Seliger.

Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash

Elsewhere at the Sears installation, the department store displayed products from other brands it carries, including a Kenmore washer and dryer in a laundry room-like setting.

Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash

In the days leading up to its show, G-Star handed out Rhinoceros-shaped denim toys, promoting its partnership with the United Nations Millennium Campaign 2015.

Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash

After two years at Gotham Hall, G-Star moved to a larger space this season to accommodate more attendees. Last night's show at the Seventh Regiment Armory also promoted the United Nations Millennium Campaign 2015.

Photo: Keith Sirchio for BizBash

Wanting to build its "own little G-Star world," as G-Star's North American director, Deepak Gayadin put it, the Dutch denim label used a black and white backdrop showing a pollard willow.

Photo: Keith Sirchio for BizBash

Expanding on the heavily choreographed shows from previous seasons, G-Star incorporated more theatrical movements, with models criss-crossing paths, walking at different paces, and stopping at different points on the runway to strike specific poses.

Photo: Keith Sirchio for BizBash

Several adjacent sections of the runway at G-Star's show raised and lowered, forming stairs for the models to walk on. The show ended on this segment of the catwalk, with models posing on the different levels.

Photo: Keith Sirchio for BizBash

G-Star's after-party—the first-ever "Raw Night in New York"—was curated by the United Nations Millennium Campaign 2015, which lobbies world leaders to commit to ending world poverty. Hypnotic Brass, an eight-piece ensemble, played for guests as they exited the show and entered the party.

Photo: Keith Sirchio for BizBash

Rounding out G-Star's after-party, celebrities including Heather Graham, Alan Cumming, Mena Suvari, and Josh Lucas introduced musical performers Justin Bond and Our Lady J and spoke more about the goals of the United Nations Millennium Campaign 2015.

Photo: Keith Sirchio for BizBash