Dispatches from New York Fashion Week: Saturday Night, with Nigel, Nigel, and Nigel!

We thought the fashion masses would wait on Bostonista to get their groove on, but Bryant Park was bumpin’ by the time we arrived with Fashion Week Mom (FWM) for Verrier show. As we peered at the flashing bulbs from the third row, FWM let out her first sighting, “that guy from the HBO miniseries from a few years ago called Angels in America!!!”

But no, the Gucci eyeglass-wearing southerner was mistaken, and thankfully so: That man was Nigel Barker, noted fashion photographer and Fashion Week fixture. Though we still have a bit of beef with him after he dumped Boston University grad Sarah for not being fat enough to qualify as a plus size in the last cycle of Top Model, Nigel was smokin’ and Bostonista was happy to get our first whiff of the week.

Though not retailed in Boston, at least not yet, the Verrier collection seemed perfect for the Hub’s classic sensibility and Siberia-like winters, displaying slightly modern takes on Imperialist Russia; think fur, brocades, and full skirts with thick petal-like overlays. But it’s hard to imagine all of those layers not making those of us a size (or even two, dare we say!) bigger than the models look like a Yeti.

Before the Sass & Bide show, which ended up being the night’s highlight thanks to a delectably upbeat (and loud! the kids like it loud!) music and some zany sequins paired with skin tight stovepipes, FWM and Bostonista hit up the tents’ Imperia Vodka bar.

FWM pointed to a petite blonde chick with an oversized Marc Jacobs Stam bag and mentioned that she loooooved her super wild and curly hair. Who was that chick? The star of one of our favorite childhood movies (seriously) The Slums of Beverly Hills who notoriously transitioned into being a fulltime crackhead a couple of years back, Natasha Lyonne.

When we explained her past accomplishments, FWM replied knowingly, “ah, so it’s the crack that made her hair so curly!” What does that even mean?! We don’t know. But we’ll go with it.

Also at Sass & Bide were Nicky Hilton, Nigel (again), and Katrina Bowden of our current favorite half-hour comedy 30 Rock, among others. Bowden was all smiles and extremely tall.

The night’s finale was the Rock & Republic spectacle, equipped with a full orchestra that accompanied loud (the kids like it loud!) pumped-in rock tunes like “Layla” and a dangerous, raised stage of a runway (at least two models almost took a dive). Nigel was there again (yes, he stalks us), as was Bowden, plus several evening newcomers like Lydia Hearst, who wore a LARGE beehive hairdo, but whose little lacey dress that exposed her pasty stems made Bostonista feel better about our own ghostly limbs.

When the zoo settled down and the festivities finally started over an hour late, the clothing was predictably costumey, switching between Dick Tracy-esque suiting, Morticia Adams-like dresses, and gowns reminiscent of mama Endora from Bewitched. Apparently, the entire 1500-person crowd were late for their dinner reservations because they were up and bolting before the last model was out for the full company finale.

That’s all for now. Check back later for the report on Sundays DKNY, Tracy Reese, and more