Daily Front Row

2010 February 10

Full Exposure

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Christian Cota
Patrick McMullan View Gallery

(NEW YORK) The countdown is officially on, but sounds of the ticking clock were drowned out by music and revelry last night at The Standard as designers and their close supporters stepped out for the Sundance Channel’s Full Frontal Fashion celebration of Catwalk Countdown, the new series that follows young designers as they prepare for a runway show. The show premieres February 8, and you can access the footage online at sundancechannel.com/fullfrontalfashion featuring designers Chris Benz, Christian Cota, Cushnie et Ochs, Shipley & Halmos, Vena Cava, among others.

The show looped on a flatscreen as guests sipped champagne, indulged in mini grilled cheese sandwiches and paused to watch the docu. “Sundance sounds really high brow, and so we’re excited about expanding our repertoire in that way!” Sophia Buhai of Vena Cava laughed. Lisa Mayock added, “We’re huge Sundance fans and are both are movie lovers. For this season we secluded ourselves in a house up in Woodstock, Vermont and we created a character for inspiration through this.” Did the duo get stir crazy? “No, we loved it. It was an incredibly efficient way to get work done.” Guests were careful to avoid falling into the mini four-foot pool in the middle of the room. “It’s enticing. I just may take a dip!” Robert Geller confessed. Jeff Halmos also nodded in agreement, “A few more drinks and I might be in there.”

Coco Rocha, however, stayed dry while taking in the view. “I was just down the street so I thought I’d stop in.” Rocha stayed calm before the mayhem, explaining, “Show season isn’t a stressful time for me. I don’t feel like a new girl who needs to prove herself anymore. I’m here to support the designers, and so it’s so nice not to have to stress out.” Cota was also all smiles. “The whole experience with Catwalk Countdown was such fun! I’ve never done something like that where cameras follow you around. I loved that they wanted to see the whole process as opposed to just the end product.” In the free spirit of Full Frontal Fashion, the talk turned quickly to the full frontal debate. Where do you stand? Buhai noted, “I’m a fan of the imagination. I think not knowing is usually better than seeing all.” Geller responded zealously, “Oh, full frontal nudity? I’m all for it!”
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