Yeohlee Fall 2005: On and Off the Runway

When fashion designer Yeohlee called to ask me to model in her show during Olympus Fashion Week in New York, it was an invite I was delighted to accept. Being one of Yeohlee's models on the runway allowed me to experience her multi-dimensional talents in the moment.

When fashion designer Yeohlee called to ask me to model in her show during Olympus Fashion Week in New York, it was an invite I was delighted to accept.

Being one of Yeohlees models on the runway this season allowed me to experience her multi-dimensional talents in the moment.

She oversees every aspect of her fashion house, from her design sketches to the final moment her show begins.

Before debuting her collection on the world stage at New York's International Center of Photography, Yeohlee and her team photographed me in different fashions, selecting just the right one for me. Her hair stylist and make-up artist created and took pictures of the make-up and hair designs for the total look. Yes,test" photos of different styles of my make-up and hair!

Fashion shows are a true art form and Yeohlees are an all-encompassing event. Her designs are the stars, coordinated with music, lighting and choreography.

Featuring a diverse array of creative women, my fellow models included Constance C.R. White, style director for Ebay , curator and fashion historian Patricia Mears, Valerie Steele, director and curator of the Museum at FIT; filmmaker Caroline Baron and Michelle Byrd, executive director, Independent Feature Project/NY; artist Rainer Judd; gallery owner Elizabeth Dee; music producer Annie Balliro; NY Post writer Julia Szabo, WB-11 anchor Tiffany McElroy, photographer Roxanne Lowitt; real estate tycoon Anna Anisimova; Americas Next Top Model Kesse Wallace; Jen Crisafulli and Maria Boren from The Apprentice 2 ; fashion consultant, Sabine Heller; model Alexi Panos and actress Irina Pantaeva.

Less than five hours before the show, architects Bill Murphy and Joerg Schwartz are setting up the carpet squares for the runway with the assistance from Reva Revis, director of public relations, Russ Ramage, creative director and their installers for Interface carpets.

At Yeohlees showroom, the hair and makeup teams are arriving along with the rest of the collaborator/models. There is an assortment of sandwiches, fresh fruit and salads for a light lunch; Perrier and Freixenet are on ice. Yeohlee has a surprise for me. A new jacket in a different silhouette has been cut for me to try on. We fit and then it is whisked back to the sewing room to be finished.

Photographers and camera crews from NY1 and WB-11 document every moment of the backstage scene. Daniel, Ted and their Aveda teams are working their beauty magic to have us camera ready for showtime.

Viewing photos of the women in their outfits, Yeohlee, Daniel and Ted decide that sculptural hair and natural make-up with highlights are on par to compliment her new designs in the ICP gallery setting. Daniel preps my skin with a soothing massage before applying any makeup, while Ted experiments with a sculptural updo that is ballerina inspired. Julia and I try on our outfits for Yeohlee's stamp of approval on our completed looks.

Crafting a collection of cashmere jackets, sculptural wool coats, slim ankle pants, circle and tiered organza skirts and elegant gowns in luxe silk and satin, Yeohlee drew inspiration from the simple lines and pure shapes of the architecture of Louis Barragan in Mexico City. Black and white dominate her Fall color palette with accents of ink and red.

26 hours and counting, Yeohlee is brainstorming with her show production team: percussionist Ze Mauricio of Choro Ensemble, architects Joerg Schwarz and William Murphy who came up with the show concept and design, writer Joshua Greene, p.r. associate Brian Lam, and accessory designer and show producer Matt Murphy.

Joerg and Bill devised an inventive way to utilize the layout of the gallery spaces at ICP. Weaving between the two galleries, the models will walk on a pattern of modular carpet squares by Interface, showcasing Yeohlee's forms as works of art on display to the beat of Ze Mauricio and Lisette Santiago percussive rhythms.

With choreography and sound cues set, Yeohlee shares the new collection with Joshua Greene as they collaborate on her statement. In the backroom, patterns are being cut and looks for Mondays show are still being sewn.

During my first fitting in her W. 35th St. showroom, Yeohlee has me try on a black halter evening gown with a train and then my measurements are taken.

It's a new deal at my second fitting less than a week before the show. My outfit consists of a high neck top in matte jersey, slim pants in black gabardine, a cashmere jacket in my favorite shade of red and flat snipped toe black Manolo Blahnik boots.

Yeohlee confers with the patternmaker and fitter as they make adjustments to each piece that I am wearing. She hands pins to the fitter from a pin cushion on her wrist and is precise with the changes - shortening the rise, taking in the width of the leg, dropping the waistband and bringing up the length.

Later in the week, Julia Szabo and I return to the showroom for our hair and makeup test session with celebrity stylist Ted Gibson and makeup artist Daniel Martin from Aveda.

Yeohlee gives us a pep talk once we are dressed and in our lineup. "If anything goes awry during the show, just come to me. Dont be shy. You have a defined space, but when you are not performing, you can interact with each other. If there is anybody in the audience that you know, you can have a conversation with them. I really want you to be very relaxed and have a good time," she says.

The Trans Express bus takes us up Sixth Avenue, past the tents of Bryant Park. As we assemble in the main lobby of ICP, the excitement is palpable. Yeohlee leads us down the staircase to the far gallery where B Video and fashion photographer Dan Lecca are set up along with other members of the press. We walk for the cameras.

As fashion editors, buyers and friends gather on the main level, the percussive sounds of Ze Mauricio and Lisette Santiago resonate throughout the galleries. Its a party on Yeohlee's runway as the audience comes down the staircase with the show in progress. Yeohlee joins us for the finale and we celebrate the evening with Maribelle Chocolates and flutes of Freixenet.

www.yeohlee.com