Thanks to Phoebe Gubelmann, Director of Communications at Carolina Herrera, I got an invitation to this show. I walked up to the tents in my high-heeled Jimmy Choo boots and presented my invitation to the intimidating looking security person at the front door. A mob of people had already started to accumulate behind a black and white sign that said Carolina Herrera. After standing around for about 20 minutes, they started letting people into the next holding area. They had us stand there for a few more minutes and then we were herded into the tent. The photographers are all smashed into one end of the tent at the end of the runway. Everyone else got a seat except for the poor losers who had standing room only written on their invitation. My seat was in the 7th row right next to our girlfriend Stephanie Quadri from D Magazine. It took another 20 minutes for everyone to settle into their seats, which was fine because Stephanie and I were busy checking out the front row. We spotted Ken Downing, André Leon Talley, Anna Wintour, Kim Cattrall and Ivanka Trump. Dallas girls Elizabeth Norton, Abi Ferrin and Missy Prichard were also in the audience. It was easy to pick out Carolina’s Park Avenue clients – they were the ones with alligator Birkins and sable coats.

Finally, around 11:00, the show started. The first look was a terrific black wool cut out top with matching felt skirt shown with leather opera gloves and black opaque hose that had black beading up the front. Another personal favorite was a grape moiré three-hole dress with embroidery detail at the pocket flaps. There were loads of gorgeous furs, menswear plaids and jacquards. Luxury was the look for evening with couture-like finishes and extraordinary attention to detail. Overall, the collection was almost somber – a marked change from her sweet spring showing.

After the show, Robert Verdi interviewed me with a TV crew. I guess he thought I was an editor. He was shocked to learn that people from Dallas wear black.

The people at Oscar are my new best friends thanks to Mary Lou Connor who manages the Oscar store at NorthPark. I could barely contain my excitement when they gave me my seat assignment in the 2nd row! I was seated with a bunch of the young New York socialites and I couldn’t help but check them out and do a bit of eves dropping. The New York girls favor a very natural look – almost no makeup and straight hair or a pony tale. I guess they didn’t get the memo that said that buns are the new ponytail. Seated across from me were Tinsley Mortimer and her Goldilocks curls wearing a beautiful dress from Oscar’s spring collection, Tory Burch and Amanda Brooks. Barbara Walters caused a stir with the press as she took her seat nearby. Camilla Belle, a new 20 year old “it girl” who played a babysitter in the horror film “When a Stranger Calls”, was there. Mary Lou was so great. She came over and grabbed me so I could meet Alex Bolen, CEO of Oscar and Susan Mathieu, Director of Stores. They are both very excited about having a new store in Dallas.

The plastic was pulled off the runway and the show began. How can you not love Oscar de la Renta? He has been making gorgeous clothes since the early 1960s. His fall collection featured contemporary pieces done in a mostly somber palette of chocolate brown and black with a few metallics, brocades and a little python thrown in. I loved the loose gray shift shown with a narrow belt. Got that Mary Lou?

Derya Topay and Hande Demirkol from the Highland Park Luca Luca store got me my invitation to this show. I don’t think I mentioned earlier that these three shows were on Monday and for some reason I felt compelled to walk back to my hotel and change outfits after every show. So, by the time the Luca Luca show started at 3:00, I never wanted to see those high-heeled Jimmy Choo boots again. The show was in the somewhat smaller tent called the Promenade. I took my seat in the 5th row next to a couple of Junior League girls who had won their seats at an auction. I spotted Carmen Electra and Kimora Lee Simmons in the front row.

If you like glitz you’ll love the Luca Luca fall collection. The first looks were some fabulously glamorous snow bunny outfits that I’m sure will be a huge hit with the Aspen/Beaver Creek crowd. Lurex, iridescent silk and sequins dominated the collection. It’s OK because the Luca lady isn’t shy.

Vanessa Dabich (who you will all get a chance to meet because she is coming to Dallas for the launch of our Lancôme/Fashionista Color Design Lip Collection launch), Director of Public Relations at Lancôme, scored the Peter Som ticket for me. I sat in the second row with all the Lancôme people and then felt like a total rock star when they invited me to go backstage. There’s nothing particularly interesting about being backstage, but it sounds good to say that your were there. I spotted Brian Bolke and Shelly Musselman across the room during the show. You know they carry Peter at FortyFiveTen.

Peter Som makes pretty clothes for lithe young women who haven’t spent the past 35 years developing their deltoids and biceps. However, the beluga (think color) Teflon faille trench coat with the fuchsia chiffon shirtdress and neon green skinny belt was a look that would work on a more buff client like myself. I adored the shale wool crepe dinner dress that had a beautiful shot of color on the back. These clothes would look great at a gallery opening or cocktails at a hip downtown restaurant.

Most of the invitations I received to the shows were the result of just plain begging and my ticket to Michael Kors was no exception, so I guess I should be happy that I got invited at all. For Michael I waited in the same old line for 20 minutes or so and since I hadn’t received a seat assignment, I had to go to the desk. Remember my nasty comment about the losers who got standing room only? Well, this time I was the loser. They make standing room people go stand in another line and wait until all the cool people are in the tent. I filed in with the other losers and made my way to the top of the bleachers. I found a dark corner near a very strict female security guard who was engaged in an altercation with a photographer. Donald Trump was in the front row and his voice is so loud that I could actually hear every word he said. Lauren Bush and Rachel Zoe were front row fixtures. As it turns out, standing is better than sitting in the 7th or 5th row because you can actually see below the model’s midsections.

We all love Michael for his sportluxe. His fall collection was worked in a soft neutral palette with shots of taxi yellow, safety orange and royal. There was lots of four-ply cashmere and fur and my absolute favorite – a mink shift. The structured satchel in crocodile was enough to make the Bagsnob drool. Talk about luxe!

Our friend and fabulous supporter of The Fashionistas didn’t show in the tents, but I was able to go to his showroom across the street and have a look at his yummy fall collection. There wasn’t a piece of clothing in the group that I wouldn’t wear. He is famous for his clean lines, chic silhouettes, crocodile and ostrich detailing and sumptuous fabrics like alpaca.

There was a time in my life when the only thing I wanted to put on my body was Donna Karan. Donna has been designing her signature collection since 1984 and I have been wearing her clothes since that time.

Talk about the royal treatment. They sent a black sedan over to the Royalton to pick me up to take me to the show. Sandi Sheppard, my adorable sales associate from the Donna store on Madison Avenue, met me and off we went to Donna’s Greenwich Street studio. Inside, images from past advertising campaigns were displayed on the walls as backdrops. They seated me in the second row, right across from Anna Wintour, André Leon Talley, and the rest of the Vogue gang. Donna’s family was also across the way, including her adorable granddaughter who threw up her arms for grandma when Donna came out to take her bow. Even Anna Wintour emoted when Donna picked up the darling girl and carried her around the runway.

Donna’s fall collection was built around her signature bodysuit. It was all about the interplay of matte and shine and the hourglass figure with shots of chartreuse, teal and violet against black. After a few seasons of voluminous layers that hide the odd love handle, it’s time to cut back on carbs, step up the cardio and prepare yourself for the belted cinched in waste.