The Stories Behind the Scrims

NEW YORK —  There’s nothing like sex, politics and religion to make a fashion statement, and a trio of big-ticket shows here this weekend had it all. Who wants to waste a sunny weekend indoors looking at clothes, anyway? Plenty of celebrities and other beautiful people.

A fashion show doesn’t typically attract the TV tabloids, unless of course, the designer happens to be the daughter of the pardoned Marc Rich. The financier couldn’t make it--he fled the country in 1983 after being indicted on tax evasion charges and was pardoned by former President Clinton in January. But ex-wife and Democratic cash cow Denise Rich played the perfect hostess, opening up her swank Fifth Avenue penthouse for designing daughter Ilona, 34, to show off her spring duds. Tanned and blonded Mama Rich, dressed in a turquoise shantung pantsuit, even sweetened up guests with butter cookies decorated with one of Ilona’s childhood sketches.

It was the least Denise could do after the taxing months her family spent on the hot seat, dodging questions about a certain Bill. But the only hint of that old news was in the library where a silver framed photo of Denise with Clinton and Al Gore was sandwiched in between leather-bound volumes of the journal “Fertility and Sterility.”

No, this party wasn’t about politics at all. It was about daughter Ilona ... and a few celebrity guests--Ivana Trump, Sonia Braga, Natalie Cole, Russell Simmons and the ubiquitous Hilton Twiglets, Paris and Nicky.

“I’m so thrilled for Ilona. Her collection is like a breath of fresh air,” Denise said, taking a break from cheek-kissing well-wishers in the living room, with its sweeping views of the Plaza Hotel and Central Park. “She’s always been the creative type. As a kid she started doing art, later she went to the Parsons School of Design and she’s a sculptress as well. I’m a proud mom.”

The Victorian prep collection should go over well with the country club set--lots of tennis skirts with childlike airplane or rubber ducky patterns, stovepipe denim pants paired with flirty bustiers or Edwardian blouses, and Liberty print summer dresses. For the edgier chicks, there were splatter-painted sweats and pretty pants, pleated from the knee down with fuchsia silk inserts, and sexy jersey wrap dresses with grosgrain ribbon trim.

“It’s so weird to work so hard for 15 minutes!” said the shy Ilona, poised under one of mom’s many modern art canvases after the show.

In the front row, singing the clothes’ praises, was Cole, looking lovely in leopard print D&G.; Although she came out to support fellow songwriter Denise, Cole couldn’t help spilling some of her own big news. She plans to marry preacher man Kenneth Dupree Nashville next month. The two met in Los Angeles in 1999. “I’ll be the bishop’s wife. Doesn’t that sound sweet?”

The collection also scored points with Trump, who is hawking her own Ivana Haute Couture line at https://www.IvanaTrump.com and was at the show to support her “good friend Denise.” She said, “I always support my friends--always, especially during the rough times because they’ve been there for me.” Sporting an Oscar de la Renta tennis skirt and polo shirt, she was dashing off to the U.S. Open Finals right after the show. “I’ve got 20 people waiting for me in my box!”

Tennis twins Serena and Venus Williams, fresh from the elder sister’s U.S. Open victory, were front row and center the next day for London designer Luella Bartley’s first show stateside. The dynamic duo, who are repped by the sports marketing firm IMG, which now owns New York Fashion Week, caused a near-stampede as they headed backstage after the show. More than one put-out fashionpuss wondered aloud how the muscle-bound beauties would ever fit into Bartley’s delicate prairie girl designer outfits.

‘City’ Slickers

One of the weekend’s near riots happened when “Sex and the City” girls Cynthia Nixon and Kim Cattrall showed up runway-side to support costume designer Pat Field’s latest collection. The actresses and the crush of media following them nearly eclipsed the clothes, which were cute in a juniory way--lots of glitter, logos, denim, T&A.;

Field did her best to give her partner David Dalrymple some time in the limelight (he does most of the actual designing for the House of Field line), hanging in back until right before the lights went down. But when she did emerge to take her seat next to Vogue’s Andre Leon Talley, the audience couldn’t help but applaud. She looked absolutely fab as usual in camouflage pants, metallic pumps, a lipstick red top and lots of campy porn-star jewelry.

Backstage after the show, Dalrymple was a good sport about his sexy female competition. He said he was just happy to have the support.

Turning the Tables

Those crazy kids from Imitation of Christ--Tara Subkoff and Matt Damhave --never fail to shock the fashion flock. At their show Sunday night, they gave guests the chance to see what it feels like when critics play God. After guests were herded into the warehouse show space, it didn’t take them long to realize they were the ones under the Klieg lights, with the models sitting on either side of the “runway” looking menacing.

Pads and pencils in hand, Alek Wek, Sophie Dahl and nearly 100 other lovelies did their best to offer critiques while the real photographers and journalists ambled through the funhouse. A steady soundtrack of “I’ve Got the Power” played in the background, while a voice screamed nuggets of cheer at passersby such as, “Don’t smile!” “We’re already late,” “Your nipple popped out!”

“You can feel the panic in the air!” chuckled one behind-the-scenes onlooker.

Say what you will about the two kids from L.A.: that they don’t design, that their shows are just a bunch of gimmicks, that they rode onto the scene on Chloe Sevigny’s coattails. But the show was just the bit of levity that the dour fashion crowd needed. Only one complaint: The model critics, decked out in IOC’s own brand of flea market chic, were way too well-dressed.