LA-Story.com: New York Fashion Week: Joyce Goes Off the Beaten Path to Kahri Runway

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Joyce Artinian is covering more of NYFW than is typically seen on the various youtube channels or image sites. Instead we get so of the emerging designers and this is good because you get a chance to see talent as it evolves.

Photos courtesy of Joyce Artinian, www.joyceartinian.com

When I arrived at the show for Kahri's spring 2009 collection, it wasn't a royal ball, but more like a dance in a high school gym, circa 1950's, with balloons adorning the floor at the entrance.
The venue? The Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Midtown East--quite a different environment from the tents, but unlike the Bowery Hotel, not in the best way.

When I got downstairs to the dance studio itself, there was a sparse audience (no doubt due to the inclement weather) the fact that the venue was out of the way (near Second Avenue) and in a "closes early" part of town --according to New York City standards.

The soundtrack before and during the show was 50s doo-wop: "It's My Party" and "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" which was cute and enjoyable. I could tell that the designer KahriAnne Kerr tried to create a fun atmosphere, even baking the mini-cupcakes herself that were on tables around the perimeter of the room along with a requisite punch bowl.

The fashions were very "junior" in fabric and quality (not as good as hoped). The design and use of color was sexy and fun-- right down to the names of the pieces. The "You Can't Hurry Love Dress" and the "Be My Baby Vest" are eloquent descriptions of the early 60's vibe. Fuchsia and teal ruled with classic black and white. Overall the line is certainly wearable for clubbing and casual evenings out.