New York Fashion Week Day 1 Reviews

The fashion world takes over Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week! The industry's well-established fashion house and several newcomers in fashion officially previewed their Spring designer collection for 2014.

Style Awards at the Lincoln Center served as the hub as they honored Kate Upton as "Model of The Year" and named Zac Posen as "Top Designer." Elite fashion designer Michael Kors was celebrated by the Couture Council of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg named Wednesday as “Elie Tahari Day” in honor of the designer’s 40th anniversary of his business in the big apple.

Missed out on the first day? Check out the designer profiles below and watch the runway videos.

Nicholas K

New York-based brand Nicholas K was founded by siblings Nicholas and Christopher Kunz. The vision of the brand has leaned towards sophistication matched with modern refinements and a downtown edge. The neutral palette they presented composed of gray, black, white and browns - greatly influenced by Native American vibe. They also played with layers and lengths over loose and flowing silhouettes. This collection definitely spelled out Urban Adventure.

David Tlale

South Africa native David Tlale has etched yet again another memorable show although his show got on a rocky start. His fashion show producer People’s Revolution pulled out from the agreement as the agency claimed they didn’t receive any payment from the settled fee. Nonetheless, David Tlale still managed to launch his Spring 2014 collection. His brand has well established both daring and dramatic look combined with excellent manipulation of fabric, color and texture. Gorgeous gown in sleek silhouettes rounded up David Tlale’s collection.

BCBGMAXAZRIA

Max Azria and wife Lubov has embodied European sophistication for their brand. Their creative innovation in clothing and their high quality products has made their brand known among high profile celebrities such as Emily Blunt, Rihanna and Dakota Fanning. Their line has completely evolved to a lifestyle brand with evening dresses, swimwear, footwear and more. Their Spring 2014 collection were inspired by bohemian silhouettes, delicate floral prints, and boys-borrowed concept showing off some tuxedo-style cotton shirt and shirt dresses. Supermodel Heidi Klum was spotted in the front row taking particular notice on Oscar-worthy evening gowns.

Richard Chai

Chai's prestigious experiences from well-known fashion houses has led him to develop a keen eye for detail and architectural design elements. His line has been warmly received for its understated yet sophisticated elegance. Chai’s Spring 2014 collection were summed up in two words – “Soft Geometry.” His collection also debuted the designer’ collaboration with outerwear lablem Andrew Marc as seen on the range of leather jackets. Spotted celebrities on Richard Chai’s Spring 2014 Collection were the Jonas Brothers who sat beside Christina Ricci, Zachary Quinto, Louise Roe and Colton Haynes.

Supima

Supima Design Competition is an opportunity for emerging talents. This year four of America's top design schools were represented by two finalists from their graduating seniors which showed off a capsule collection of women's eveningwear gowns from premium Supima denims, knits, corduroys, twills, and shirting. This year’s eight finalists who would be are Bradley Mounce and Carly Rosenbrook from the Fashion Institute of Technology; Sylvia Bukowski and Will Riddle from Kent State; Hannah Soukup and Morgan Selin from the Rhode Island School of Design; and Michelle Leal and Rachel Buske from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Tadashi Shoji

Founder and chief designer Tadashi Shoji was born and raised in Sendai, Japan. His collection is widely recognized for its original designs and innovative collections. His “Sweet Liberation” Spring 2014 collection showed pastel-colored pieces matched with embroidery, lace and feathers in hourglass and curvaceous silhouette. His looks on the runway embodied a more feminine feel in strapless dresses, peplums, A-line tops and tiered skirts. Paying careful attention to the runway is Disney Channel starlet Bella Thorne.

Desigual

Spanish brand Desigual's colorful runway collection made it memorable to the crowd! The lively catwalk came in intense prints, vibrant colors and flamboyant graffiti art - no wonder everyone's talking about it. The It Girls of the show were Tali Lennox and Amber Le Bon who made everything they wear become a trend. Manel Jadraque (Desigual CEO) sait that the collection was "more quiet, more sophisticated." Enjoying the cheerful show was Italian actress and model Isabella Rossellini.

Marissa Webb

Marissa Webb's aesthetic has always shown apparent taste for elements of architecture and nature, producing structured but whimsical pieces that offer flow and softness. The tone of the looks on her runway was chic in wearable pairings. Aside from top editors, stylists and retailers, actress Alexandra Daddario were also seen in the crowd with Cory Kennedy, and sisters Alyssa and Catherine Milano.