A-Line: Celebrity StyleBehind-the-scenes at Katie Holmes’ New York Fashion Week debut
Katie Holmes is officially a fashionista.
The single mom is probably letting out a deep exhale this afternoon after concluding the highly anticipated presentation of her fashion line, Holmes & Yang, at New York Fashion Week. The event took place early Wednesday in the Box Theater at Lincoln Center. It is the first time Holmes and her partner, celebrity stylist Jeanne Yang, showed their line, which they started in 2008, at NYFW.
The 33-year-old arrived for her big event — which took place Wednesday morning at "the tents," a sought after spot where top designers typically show their wares — dressed in a sleek black leather jacket over a white v-neck shirt and stretchy black pants. Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, and she had on sparkly high heels. In true stylista form, she had on oversized shades as walked from her car into the theater.
Holmes took a hands-on approach backstage. She was seen putting the finishing touches on some of the models — adjusting the way various pieces were positioned and modifying sleeve lengths. She and her close friend Yang, who was dressed similarly to Holmes, whispered to one another as they looked at all the models clustered together. The designers then posed for photographers — first off to the side by themselves, and then standing with the models. For most of the shots, Holmes was displaying her trademark shy smile, giving us serious "Dawson's Creek" flashbacks.
Once the presentation kicked off, Holmes — who has been getting her groove back since her July divorce from Tom Cruise — took the microphone and spoke to the audience about her collection, which she recently described to Women's Wear Daily as "very simple, with very classic lines. We use a lot of silks and leathers and suedes. This year, we're excited because we've incorporated a lot of new trims. It's basically pieces that have evolved from basics, but not too far. They're just nice, well-made luxury items that highlight the woman wearing them." She smiled often and seemed happy and excited.
New York Times fashion reporter Eric Wilson was there for the show and tweeted, "At Holmes & Yang, it all looks very much like Katie." The Associated Press fashion editor Samantha Critchell had a similar take. She posted a photo of a tall skinny brunette model in one of the Holmes & Yang fashions and wrote, "Can't you see Katie Holmes in this?" Meanwhile, Laura Craik, who is fashion editor for the British newspaper The Times, called the collection "edgier than expected."
So far there have been no mentions of Suri sightings at the presentation, but that was expected as the little girl — who likely would have loved to have attended (she is a mini-fashionista) — started school this week. On Tuesday morning, the 6-year-old appeared a tad nervous as she made her way to her first grade class at the posh Avenues academy in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. She was seen biting her nails through the tinted windows of her car as she was driven to school with her mother by her side. Despite being a bit anxious, Suri looked adorable, wearing a pink bow in her hair and carrying a pink cheetah-print backpack.
Holmes recently told WWD that part of the deal when she and Yang started their fashion business was that it would be family friendly. "When Jeanne and I decided to do this — we're both mothers; our daughters are very good friends — and I said, 'Jeanne, this has to be something that we enjoy, because we want to do it with our girls here,'" she told the paper.
In the same interview, Holmes talked about all the media interest in her personal life, which has grown significantly since her quickie divorce from Cruise. "I have a lot of feelings about the press," she said with a smile. "There are a lot of people with much bigger problems and who are less fortunate. I try to keep it all in perspective."
More Celebrity Features on Yahoo!:
