NEW YORK, Sep 13, 1999 /FW/ --- Scheduled for 7PM this evening is the very popular BCBG Max Azria show. I have arranged for a backstage pass for our photographer and I so we head back there around 6:30 PM where a frenzy of photographers, make-up artists, hair stylists all swarm like bees.

Chatting to a make-up artists I learn that the look is not doll-like but like playing dress up with a paint box yet with skin clean and neutral, brown mascara and traffic light red lips. The girls are supposed to look like they woke up from a beautiful dream - and the hair reflects this.

Tousled and curled, the back of the head looks like its fresh off the pillow and right out of fantasyland. The stage directions just before the catwalk entry read:

Girls, you’re not walking down a runway, you’re strolling down a street in Morocco. It’s hot, sunny and beautiful and you’re radiant. You’re not in a rush because you’re enjoying where you are. You’re gorgeous inside and out, happy, safe, warm and glowing.

"You want me to put six months of hard work into a few words?" he laughs and hugs me joking around. He describes the collection as shy-like, fun, useful, colorful, inspired by many continents.

“It’s a little luxury, a little sporty and very chic,” he giggles, all smiles. “The stage directions are intended to get the girls in vacation mood and relaxed. Look for the shoes and the bags too, it the first time BCBG has done these.”

Suddenly its showtime and a collection of stunningly detailed embroidered and re-embroidered shirts; trellis patterned dresses, beaded hem dresses, beaded seam trousers and embroidered cardigans flow out. The influences seemed to reach as far and wide as India and China. I adored the enamel linen cotton embroidered trellis coat with embroidered garden trellis knee pants.

Open-toed boots were a little impractical but the lacquer suede shoulder bags were delicious. The grass colored carved roses short shoulder bag was beautiful and was worn with a natural tie-front cardigan and natural burlap with cowhide appliqué pant.

One or two embroidered belts looked Peruvian paired with organza re-embroidered ribbon skirts. The last few pieces harked back to the 70’s - multi tulle layered beaded asymmetric beaded dresses worn with boots! After such excitement (and a late start) it was time to hotfoot it over to the NYC 2000 event held by Mayor Guiliani and Donald Trump in Times Square.

You would have thought it was New Year’s Eve come early the way the public packed in and the traffic were blocked off. But a public fashion show it was with one Millennium outfit from each of eighty seven designers, modeled in some cases by top supermodels and celebrities and introduced by Supermodel Vendela. Heidi Klum looked radiant in her Victor Alfaro spangly column gown, Ivanka Trump barely wore the mini bikini and pants sets of Rebecca Dannenberg

A tongue in cheek yellow cab robe and New York skyline outfit came out from Stan Herman, Third Rock From The Sun’s Kristen Johnston swaggered down the scaffold runway in a Randolph Duke sea green number, former Backstreet Boy Jordan Knight modeled tartan Tommy Hilfiger pants and Lauren Hutton glowed in a Giorgio Armani classic black velvet pantsuit. There was more silver, disco-ball shimmery fabric than anything else.

My favorite was a gown with huge computer mini floppy discs sewn on like sequins - perfectly tongue in cheek for Millennium fashion. These outfits will be auctioned at a later date with proceeds to support the important work of the Center for Arts Education and The New York Annenberg Challenge for Arts Education funds. With Trisha Yearwood singing live at the start and confetti being thrown from the top of the surrounding buildings, it was a real-life outdoor extravaganza. It was truly a fashion moment like no other at fashion week since the show was utdoors surrounded by the neon backdrop of Times Square. Not something that one is likely to forget in a while. As Rudy Guliani put it "Here at the crossroads of the world, in the fashion capital of the world is the most appropriate place to celebrate NYC 2000. The most fitting place to pay tribute to our fashion industry that brings in $19 billion each year to the US.”