Initial Reactions

It was raining on 18th Street, but inside Barneys Co-Op last night, it was a full-on summer bash, complete with mini Coronas, ice pops, and a performance by Tanlines—all in honor of Prabal Gurung's inaugural collection for ICB. According to the designer, the approachably priced collection was inspired by working girls who know how to have fun with fashion. "It started off with the idea of how the superstars of the industry, who get photographed by the likes of Tommy Ton, are celebrated," said the designer. There were plenty of chic working girls (and chic girls working it) at the event, particularly its hosts, Hannah Bronfman, Elin Kling, and Leandra Medine. "I love the silhouettes and the prints are great," said Bronfman. "Prabal always manages to spice it up while keeping it feminine." Man Repeller's Medine agreed: "Prabal really knows how to accentuate and celebrate the female body."

Hanne Gaby Odiele, dancing to the Tanlines' live tunes, said, "I really like the collection's psychedelic feel." The catwalker is sure to have her own tan lines soon, as she's escaping to Hawaii for a week's vacation. "I'm not even thinking about fashion week," she laughed. "I'm just going to be swimming, snorkeling, and chilling." We can't be working girls all the time.

A few blocks south at the Standard's High Line room, InStyle hosted the annual Young Friends of ACRIA dinner. And though the premise of the evening was pleasure, conversation quickly turned to work. "It's not here yet!" Bibhu Mohapatra said at the mention of New York fashion week. "We still have about 21 days." BLK DNM's Johan Lindeberg, on the other hand, wasn't fazed in the least. "I just got back from Sweden, where I was visiting my sister," he said. "Luckily I do my own thing; I don't really do a show." Waris Ahluwalia, for his part, was still on a high from his latest project—a 14.58-carat diamond necklace made for Forevermark. "Where's the necklace? Oh, that's just my daytime casualwear," he said. "I'll make tea for whoever buys it, and other unknown favors. But I can't tell you what those are—don't want to ruin the surprise."

—Katharine K. Zarrella and Kristin Studeman