by Jamee Gregory

Could this be fall’s last gasp? Central Park blazes, splashes of red, patches of orange, clumps of ochre, while yellow leaves drift slowly to the ground. How to fight the melancholy moment and seize the day? 

I head for the Meatpacking District after a run and a quick shampoo-stop at Fekkai. My friend, Allison Stern, picks me up in front of Bendel’s and we’re off to Pastis for lunch.

Little West 12th Street is buzzing. The restaurant is filled with PYTs (pretty young things) in jeans. The mirrors reflect the bustling banquettes, the chalkboards filled with specials, the waiters hoisting drinks. Sun streams through the noisy room. Fresh tomato soup, grilled tuna, a vegetarian Panini followed by two skim-milk capuccino’s and we're on our way, hitting the road for our shopping safari.

The streets are ripped up and rough, construction sites dominate every corner. The Highline is rising again and we have to cover our ears as we dart into Scoop which now covers a block with it’s various shops, including the newest, Scoop Street, which has books and exercise wear, along with home furnishings. The merchandise is varied, from jeans to jerseys and we flip through the stores.

Next we stumble into Ed Hardy which I recognize from Robertson in L.A. I fall for a flower-embroidered green hoody, a sequined black tee-shirt with a skull that says “Love Dies Slowly” and a cheerier pink tee with a heart for the gym. Allison can’t resist a sequined sailor’s cap and short-sleeved tee shirt with a lion and its cub. The shop, newly opened, has embroidered hats, colorful sweats and unique hand-painted and studded tees.
Next we head for some serious temptation at Jeffrey’s, a real destination for fashionistas. Known for its shoes, we linger over pony-skin boots, question who would wear 6 inch needle-pointed silver stilettos {perhaps a dominatrix with a thick-skinned beau?), leopard-patterned Manolo slings with a diamante buckle and ballerinas in every color. A terrific selection of dangly earrings, rows of hand bags, racks of Kors, Pucci, and Dior dazzle as we sway to the sound of the store’s trendy D.J. mix. A Comme des Garcons gold lame blouse gets me and Al cannot resist greeting cards with four-leaf clovers.
We continue up the street, stopping in Stella McCartney, La Perla and Alexander McQueen, where we are sorely tempted by a beautiful black skirt and jacket with heavy white embroidered flowers. Resisting, we investigate Design Within Reach, stopping for the dimensions of a coral printer table on coasters.
Our last stop is at Catherine Malandrino’s boutique where Allison almost falls on the glamorous but tilting-tiled floor. Who said shopping wasn’t dangerous!


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© 2006 David Patrick Columbia & Jeffrey Hirsch/NewYorkSocialDiary.com