From the opening ukulele ditty to the models’ low-slung side buns, everything about the United Bamboo spring ’09 collection screamed, er, whispered unfussy. Straying from their usual sculptural detailing, designers Thuy Pham and Miho Aoki displayed mostly slouchy silouettes in powdery pastels accented only by geometric necklaces. The highlights: color-block dresses, preppy striped tie-waist pants, and totally wearable short suits.

Photo courtesy of WWD

www.unitedbamboo.com

The weather might’ve been gray and rainy, but the models at yesterday’s Elise Overland show were ready for a sunny road trip (colored specs included). Each woman wore her hair pulled back in a tight bun; many had headbands or attached head drapings to tie down any flyaways. Cropped jackets, loose A-line dresses, and a salmon jumpsuit had a retro-casual appeal that would be stylish at any pit stop. Even the chunky belt buckles looked like seatbelt fasteners in an homage to the open road. We figured the message is that you can (and should) take it with you.

www.eliseoverland.com

Hot young Spaniard Frank Tell showed off his decidedly nonspring-like spring collection at the Soho Grand yesterday. Frizzy-haired models with painted-on lashes stomped down the makeshift runway in stripper-meets-biker boots and bold party frocks. No pastels here; just purple, blue, black, and white. But not even the shots of rum disguised as mojitos could distract us from the pretty details: tiny pleats, visible bra outlines, cinched waists, and shiny paillettes. Do tell us more.

Photos courtesy of WWD

www.frank-tell.com

The Chelsea Art Museum seemed a fitting host to the Vena Cava presentation, where models could just as well have been an art installation. Egyptomania was the theme of the collection with symbols, patterns (like zodiac symbols), and text adorning many of the pieces. The models wore their hair gelled back off their faces and bronzer-rich makeup to showcase bone structure, drawing a likeness to heiroglyph women.

We loved the shoes, a debut collaboration between Vena Cava and Via Spiga. Hardware designs reappeared on much of the footwear, but that isn’t surprising, considering zodiac symbols even covered the foam beer koozies yesterday. Must be a sign of the times.

www.venacavanyc.com

Camel #1: Was it just me or was Friday hotter than the Sahara? Good thing we weren’t making a desert trek — but lounging on the Atelier building rooftop for Form’s fashion show.

Camel #2: What ethereal and elegant Bedouin wanderers those models made. I bet I could carry five of them at once without breaking a sweat.

Camel #1: And thank heavens for midday lemongrass-ginger cocktails. Those sponsored concoctions are usually about as appealing as a glass of sand.

Camel #2: I stored some in my hump for later. But let’s keep that entre nous, d’accord? Was feeling at home in the fiery sun, but I did notice a girl pretending she hadn’t sweated straight through her borrowed Isaac Mizrahi. Poor dear. At least she seemed distracted by that J.J. Cale cover they played.

Camel #1: The view from that rooftop was worth the perspiration. Once the show finally started, the clothes came along like an oasis. It’s Tam’s most wearable, feminine, cohesive collection to date.

Camel #2: The muted taupes, beiges, blues, and that goldenrod he used were subtly stunning. The palette felt washed out in a good way and allowed the wee shots of color he did use — and those blue and silver sequins — to surprise and delight.

Camel #1: The drapey layers reminded me of when our passengers sleep nude in their tents and a sandstorm forces them to throw on whatever they have near them. The miniature leather breastplates radiating fine chains conjured desert warriors and spice traders. The knit pieces, that black fabric tail trailing behind, the rough-edged dresses, even that short tuxedo-esque jacket — all made sense.

Camel #2: You know what didn’t, though? That sultan of swing hawking apartments in the building as everyone tried to push through to the elevators.

Camel #1: That should in no way diminish how much you loved Form’s show.

Camel #2: You’re right. It was the funky cold medina.

Everyone knows that the best part of Fashion Week is the schwag.

You can get a little bit of yours without suffering interminable lines when Club Monaco takes the fashion show on the road in two custom Smarts (the cutest cars in the history of ever). The mobile trunk show (get it?) will make six stops around town on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday; the first 75 people to show up at each stop will get gift bags of new fall accessories. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.

The nice girls at CM gave us the scoop on what they’re giving away where. Plan your subway stops accordingly.

Sunday, 2-4 p.m.
First stop: Mercer Hotel - assorted gold and jet bead necklaces and lizard wallets
Second stop: Pastis - Capri sunglasses

Monday, noon-2 p.m.
First stop: Condé Nast Building - orange or yellow cashmere scarves
Second stop: Wall Street - Italian silk ties

Tuesday, noon-2 p.m.
First stop: Madison Square Park - ribbon belt
Second stop: Bryant Park - houndstooth driving gloves *our insane favorite*

The hipsters set their alarms and came out early (11 a.m.) in all their fedora-wearing, latex-legginged, hair-braided glory for Charlotte Ronson’s show today. Even hetero boys showed to ogle Annabelle Dexter-Jones (Charlotte’s little sis) and Daisy Lowe (Mark’s current squeeze), strutting the catwalk to Mark’s boppy beats. Samohan were front and center with Mom, making it one big happy family affair.
Photo courtesy WWD.

This one is especially close to our hearts, as designer Laura Poretzky is a dear friend. We watched the whole thing come to life, from inspiration (a vintage Guy Laroche dress Poretzky spied us wearing at a Fourth of July fete) to execution (an amazing bright yellow number that made its way down the runway today). Tailored chambray trousers, intricate ruched frocks, fitted blazers, and perfect swimsuits made us almost wish fall wasn’t upon us. We’ll take one of everything, please!

www.abaete.com

Ladies and gentlemen, we have seen the future. It’s provocative, it’s feminine, and it’s Cushnie et Ochs, a fantastical new line from ’07 Parsons grads Michelle Ochs and Carly Cushnie. The designers, who were difficult to tell apart from the models, showed off their collection this afternoon at The Glass Houses in Chelsea.

Although the women say they got their inspiration from Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, the pieces seemed a little more Battlestar Galactica cylon than psychopathic serial murderer to us — though some of the models nearly killed themselves trying to get through the violently rotating door that led to the runway.

Sheer fabrics, bare midriffs, and highlighter-bright colors show great potential. We can’t wait to see what tomorrow holds for this duo.

www.cushnieetochs.com

Generra’s new ecocentric spring collection made its debut on a midtown rooftop Friday, complete with sunshine and lemonade. Twenty perfectly chiseled boys — dressed in light khakis and stripes — perched on white platforms; girls wrapped in flowy skirts and high-waisted cropped jeans showed us how to layer effortlessly.

Models sported comfy Toms (which donates shoes to children in need for every pair bought). We couldn’t get enough of the dark denim suspender shorts, floor-grazing tiered dress, and an oh-so-soft pelican leather motocross jacket (we’re already scheming a way to borrow it for the day). Ikat prints, tie-dyed cotton, and pretty reef coral served as a reminder of the summer that follows spring. And who wouldn’t want to skip ahead to live that season all over again?

www.generra.com

We laugh in the face of rain! It’s New York City — we all own galoshes. Instead of buckling down, buck up — our pals at Artlog told us about a few weekend art events that are not to be missed. We threw in some party details for good measure.

7 Deadly Sins
What & Why: The exhibition combines the fashion designs and canvasses of Russian artist Katya Leonovich. There’s a runway show with couture denim dresses and a slew of paintings inspired by human transgressions .
When & Where: Sat., 6-9 p.m., at Monkdogz Art Gallery, 547 W. 47th St., b/t Tenth & Eleventh Sts., 5th flr.

Art Parade After Party
What & Why: The Dietch-fused parade in Soho was canceled due to inclement weather concerns, but the after-party carries the torch with DFA DJs, absinthe, and the regular party people.
When & Where: Sat., 8-10 p.m., at new Chinatown hot spot Santos’ Party House, 100 Lafayette St., b/t Walker & White Sts. (See flyer for more details.)

RISD Alumni Biennial
What & Why: Fifty-five alumni working in painting, drawing, printmaking, installation, and industrial design strut their stuff.
When & Where: Sun., 3-6 p.m., at The Old American Can Factory, 232 3rd St., b/t Third & Fourth Aves., Gowanus.

FYI: Artlog is all about connecting creative types. Surf the site for gallery listings, portfolio websites for artists, open calls for submission, job boards and events, and the upcoming neighborhood art crawl on September 24. Find out more at artlog.com.

Your cup runneth over with political pomp and circumstance. Your TiVo runneth over with The Colbert Report. Pull the curtain closed and elect a tote bag to match. Be the first to correctly answer these tricky trivia questions and score Alexis Hudson’s oh-so-progressive Change Bag.

1) How old are Alexis and Hudson?
2) Where do each of them live?
3) What store placed the first Alexis Hudson order?

E-mail your answers to swindle@dailycandy.com.

Who are we to pass up a coffee and Danish in the morning? Hailing from Denmark, but stationed in NYC, designer Camilla Staerk texts us a few words about fall fashion, pastries, and her brand new Stærk store.

DC: You recently opened your very first free-standing shop in Little Italy, just in time for the San Gennaro festival. If you could have the street fair to yourself for an hour, what would you do?

Camilla: I would invite all my friends and replace the cannoli-eating contest with a vodka martini contest. I would also open up my store and serve snaps and herring to give everyone a little taste of Denmark.

DC: Is there an ideal look for someone attending this booze bash?

Camilla: A black leather racer-back tank, jersey pencil skirt, and my signature head scarf.

DC: You are going b-a-n-a-n-a-s over _____for fall.

Camilla: I am so excited to wear my riding boots and can’t wait for a pair of the Stærk gold crocodile stilettos.

DC: We’ll be seeing _____on all the gals in NYC come winter.

Camilla: Head scarves and leather riding pants.

DC: Giddyup!

Stærk, 182 Mulberry Street, between Broome & Kenmare Streets (212-343-1160).

www.staerk.com

Hansel from Basel designer Hannah Byun doesn’t sock monkey around — and neither do we when it comes to Swindles. Time for multiple choice.

Say you’re in Basel, your new Marionette booties keeping your toes toasty as you loiter in front of the historic Münster, and a suspiciously jolly gent offers you some chaschiel. Do you:

a) run for cover.
b) accept and ingest.
c) call the authorities.

Do the right thing and you’ll actually have those Marionette booties, as well as Kangaroo booties, Cable Button knee-highs, and a pair of ribbed tights, just in time for fall.

E-mail your answer to swindle@dailycandy.com. To see styles, go to hanselfrombasel.com.

Just mere hours ago, in a penthouse on 36th Street, a slew of lanky models wore NYC-based designer Julie Haus’s spring designs, marching down the runway to this: