Mar 28, 2002/ FW/ --- I saved the best for last.

The photos from the Bob Mackie show had been sitting on my hard drive for over the month now.

Everytime I look at it and try to write down my thoughts, I always stop even before I could type my first sentence.

I was scared that whatever I write will be inadequate and if I "over-praised" the collection, it might sound and look contrite on paper, figuratively speaking of course.

Even now, when I'm down to the wire (I want to finish up all the New York Fashion Week materials before April 1), I am still unsure of what to write.

I started working on the photos, which by the way is twice the amount that Visko our photographer took for a show.

It seems that he could not stop clicking the shutter, afraid to miss a detail, and scared that one photo is not enough to show the beauty of the dress.

I understand him very well. As a reviewer, I am scared that my words will not be enough. You have to see the clothes and examine every minute detail to experience the design genius of Bob Mackie.

To a lot of people, Bob Mackie is Cher's designer and creator of the Mackie Barbie Doll series.

Very few people know that the designer has done it all - television, movies, Las Vegas, runway show, and Broadway.

For Fall 2002, Bob Mackie decided to give a tribute to Broadway.

From Cats to Annie Get Your Gun, from Aida to My Fair Lady, the plays were represented in terms of dresses and costumes, most of them actually very wearable.

A big number of the clothes presented can be worn right off the runway without changing anything.

For some of them, just take out the elaborate headdress or just don't use the different colored boas, and you have something to wear to the next Oscar night.

And that is only part of the creative genius of Bob Mackie - making costumes actually wearable.

Another part is his interpretation of the "costumes" for each Broadway represented!

The inspiration was truly Broadway. In fact, when I saw Lin as Grizabella from Cats I can almost hear the song "Memories" in my head.

The "cat costume" is actually a black slip gown worn with a cape decorated with tiger stripes. For the headdress, a sculpted "cat" complete with ears and whiskers was created. Grizabella would have been proud to wear it on her way to cat's heaven.

Being from Texas, I was really taken with Bob Mackie's interpretation of "Annie Get Your Gun."

The model, wearing a black catsuit was wearing cowboy chaps made of white ostrich feathers.

The gun belt and holster are leather trimmed with silver, while the gloves (a need when riding horses) are also leather trimmed with silver.

Bob Mackie even gave a model a diamond star, like the regular sheriffs of the west!

The whole ensemble is great as it is, yet Bob Mackie was able to top it with the black cowboy hat trimmed with diamonds!

Talk about a prize on your head! A western saying that was subliminally given to the audience with the hat.

"Aida" walked on the runway and I completely forgot that I have chosen the "sheriff with a diamond studded hat" as my favorite.

First, I thought it was Cleopatra and then told myself, it was never a Broadway play. It was a movie! So this has to be Aida.

The model was wearing a strapless bias cut gown in gold, orange and black. A set of golden bracelets and a beaded Egyptian headress finished the costume.

My first reaction was - "Wow! Just don't wear the bracelet and the headdress, you've got a stunning gown worthy of the red carpet!"

As the show went on, I decided that I just cannot choose a favorite. The whole collection is just overwhelming.

As Phillip D. Johnson, Features Editor of Lucire said, "This was a serious collectiooon delivered with all the bells and whistles intact. Mr. Mackie's Fall 2002 collection was a loving, sometimes over-the-top tribute Broadway and the oft 'amazing and exciting experience' [that is live theater]."

Mr. Johnson said it best and I will also use his closing words, because it fits how I feel after seeing the collection.

"The only sadness associated with this is the fact that we have to wait a whole year for Bob Mackie to come back and work his magic all over again at the Tents."