Fashion week fever

IT'S BACK! New York Fashion week kicked off in earnest this week, with some big shows coming early. Many of the looks were similar to seasons past; there was a lot of '80s influence and painterly patterns. But the week is still young, so hopefully someone will break out with something new and fresh. Check out the look from Halston as well, which is enjoying another renaissance with the backing of Rachel Zoe, Tamara Mellon and Harvey Weinstein. Pictured, clockwise from top left: Tracy Reese, Rodarte, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Halston, Matthew Williamson, Matthew Williamson and Tracy Reese. Our favorite collection so far? Matthew Williamson!

The Rachel papers

OH, ZOE: This page appeared in The Examiner on Dec. 12, 2006, in the midst of the Rachel Zoe hype. Pre-Nicole Richie pregnancy and pre-Lindsay Lohan total meltdown, Zoe was the style maven to be reckoned with. Looking back, the trends she ushered in are still going strong. It was a glamourous look reminiscent of the '70s: large sunglasses, purses, long patterned dresses and bohemian costume jewelry. And perfectly fitting, she's part of the team trying to bring Halston back. We still think she could stand to gain some weight though.

Green with envy

It's the era of going green, at least for most everyone except the few who deny that climate change is a problem. Saks Fifth Avenue has joined the cause and has launched a division of its Web site devoted to eco-friendly fashions. The site shows that you don't have to sacrifice style to go green. This Song dress is a great example, it's simply stunning in white for $189.

Fantasy League week nine

MY PICKS FOR WEEK NINE: After last week's surprise results I'm not at all sure who's going to be in and who will be out this week. I think Rami, Jillian and Christian will make it to New York Fashion Week, but beyond that I'm at a loss, so I'm flying blind here. I'm going to go with Jillian as the winner this week. I believe she's going all the way to the end, and for that to happen she must win a challenge. I'm going to stick to my guns and pick Ricky to go home. He has no cohesive vision, he has to go home. It's a no for Kors' favorite expression, and I will once again pick Ricky to cry.

Week eight results are in...

I don't know if I've ever been more wrong about the outcome of an episode before; I never would have picked Victorya to go home and Ricky to WIN? It's unbelievable, and pretty wrong, to be honest. I understand the concept of having each challenge be winner takes all, loser out, but it penalizes really talented people who happen to have a bad day. Take Tre from "Top Chef," as another example. Not that Victorya was the cuddliest person on the show or that I feel that sorry for her, but she's a better fashion designer than Ricky. If Ricky were to design a collection I feel like I have no idea how it would look, whereas I do get Victorya's vision. Jillian was also undone by denim in this week's challenge, and Sweet P and Rami rose to the top. I would buy Sweet P's dress right now, and Rami's rocked. FANTASY LEAGUE RESULTS: It was a tough week all around. Everyone finished with eight points, except for Rachel, who got 15 for picking Victorya to go home, a stroke of clairvoyance, because that was not expected! The grand total for the season so far is I've got five wins, Kate has two and everyone else has one. It's a great time for someone to go on a winning streak and take the top prize!

Fantasy league week eight

MY PICKS FOR WEEK EIGHT: It's getting close to the end, and Ricky is still there. It's so wrong, all I can do is hope the judges finally come to their senses this week. I have a feeling Ricky will somehow escape the ax once more, but out of principle I'm going to stick with him as my pick to go home. As for the winner, I think Jillian will finally come out on top this week. I don't think Michael Kors will say mother of the bride this week, but I do think Ricky will cry, hopefully when he's sent home!

Week seven results are in...

It was designer team vs. designer team this week on "Project Runway," with plenty of catfights and power struggles to keep things interesting. Jillian and Victorya joined forces to make a stylish trenchcoat, but they had to flip a coin to decide the team leader since neither would willingly take direction from the other. Rami and Sweet P were a combustible mix, as Rami revealed a not-too-flattering controlling side, and Sweet P suffered the consequences. Kit and Ricky teamed up to form team-who-cares, and it turned out the judges really didn't, as Kit ended up being sent home for her Scarlett O'Hara creation. Chris and Christian were "team fierce," as they combined to be great partners and great co-designers. The dress they made was a waterfall of ruffles that was really beautiful. I don't think I've ever seen Nina Garcia smile at a creation before, and she could barely contain herself. Christian won, and despite last week's miserable performance, is one of the frontrunners to win the whole thing. Oh, and the guest judge was Alberta Ferreti. the designer of Scarlett's gown, at left. FANTASY LEAGUE RESULTS: We had only a small group this week, with myself coming in first place with 18 for picking Christian as the winner. Rachel was a hair behind with 12. She didn't pick Chris, but he was part of the winning team and shares in the victory for our purposes. Julia and Kate were just shy of that with 8 and 7, respectively. All in all I've won five weeks, Kate is in second with two wins, and Angy, Julia, Brad and Andrea have all got one win.

The doctor is in

The day I got my first pair of Doc Martens in high school was a very big occasion. I picked them up in a little store in Greenwich Village on a school trip to New York City. They were purple, and I was in love. My second pair I found at a shop in Birmingham, Ala. They were blue square-toed boots and I was no longer in love, just in like. The infatuation had faded, and very soon it would fade for the rest of young America, as Doc Martens became a memory, much like "Singles" and my old flannel shirts. I'd been reading that the British standbys were on the verge of a comeback, but it was still pretty shocking to see this pair at www.freepeople.com. I'm thrilled, though I don't think it's possible to do a trend the second time around. If you want to give it a try, they'll work perfectly with the short floral dresses on the way for spring. And don't forget the Pearl Jam.

Sometimes beauty is only skin deep

Jessica Alba gave a revealing interview in the latest issue of Elle where she didn't hesitate to speak her mind about all sorts of things. She slights Eva Mendes as not being able to greenlight a project like herself, Jennifer Lopez and Halle Berry, as well as "Dark Angel," the Fox series that gave her her first leading role. Also not spared are Paul Walker, her co-star in "Into the Blue," and many of the cast and crew of her latest film, "Good Luck Chuck." I'm all for speaking one's mind, but not if it hurts someone, and definitely not in a major magazine if it has said impact. Anyway, she still looks pretty in a dress, which is why she was named to this week's Vogue's 10 best dressed list. Also appearing on the list are a dressed-down Kirsten Dunst and Katie Holmes channeling a classier version of Posh Spice at The Critics Choice Awards.