Thursday, September 6th

Sara Vilkomerson — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 19:30:28 -0400

The hottest half-naked fashion plate in town is far, far from Bryant Park—we’re talking, of course, about Sir Ian McKellen, who opens his sold-out appearance as King Lear at BAM, directed by Trevor Nunn. For those fashion fiends who simply cannot abide Shakespeare, there are tent shows from Lela Rose, Cynthia Steffe, Badgley Mischka, and our favorite maker of sassy, tight jeans, Miss Sixty, which we’re told will be attended by motherly Maggie Gyllenhaal and—clearly making a run at blanketing Fashion Week à la Mischa Barton—Hilary Swank. Miss Sixty designer Wichy Hassan called from Rome: “I like to compare my new collection to Chelsea Girl, the film of Andy Warhol. It’s a very strange movie with two different girls with two different spirits. The same in my collection. It’s 70’s, hippie-chic, also with modern material like plastic, silver, vinyl.” Well! But what to wear to the shows? Mr. Hassan suggested “the hot dog trouser. I love it so much! There are some guys who wear it, but I am thinking when I design it of a girl. But the gays, they love the skinny jeans of Miss Sixty!” Indeed, well-shorn men (like sheep in June!B-a-a-a-a-ah!) in skinny jeans will no doubt abound as Condé Nast hosts the ad sales spectacular of the year, “Fashion Rocks,” at Radio City. This year’s MC is Jeremy Piven and the lineup of Z100 all-stars includes Jennifer Lopez, Usher, Aerosmith, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Avril Lavigne and Ludacris. The after-party promises dancing ad execs galore (meep!) … in other words, get us our couch, our kitty and our Cat Power CD.

[Lela Rose, 9 a.m., Miss Sixty, 10 a.m., Cynthia Steffe, 1 p.m., Badgley Mischka, 2 p.m., www.mbfashionweek.com; Fashion Rocks, Radio City Music Hall, 8 p.m.]

Observer » Thursday, September 6th

Thursday, September 6th