Top 10 Things I Learned at Fashion Week, Part 5

9.) SENEGAL'S IN THE HOUSE: Every show I visited backstage, I made it a point to chat with the brown girls and found out their take on the where-have-all-the-black-models-gone controversy. More often then not, they were too bleary-eyed, exhausted and starving to really go there with me, but what I did find out was that they all seemed to be from Senegal! Seriously, three of the hottest girls walking this season are from said country...including Kinee Diouf (above)...


Maria Fuema...


and Aminata "Mia" Niaria. Gorge, right?










10.) PALIN IS SULLYING THE UPDO'S REP: Don't get it twisted...the updo is no longer the stuffy, sexless style of decades past. At Brian Reyes, Monique Lhullier, Alice & Olivia, Oscar de la Renta, Philip Lim (left, fab Arlenis Sosa), and Lela Rose, the models all wore varying takes on the sexy, unstructured upsweep. From the quirky side bun to a sloppy-on-purpose French twist, these "oh I just threw it up in a clip" styles always look effortlessly cool. Hairstylists were using Sebastian Craft Clay Remoldable Matte Texturizer ($12.99), a light texturizer to create the look. Simply rub a tad between your hands, sweep through loose hair (jiggle at the roots for more texture), and then pin up your strands however you like. Hot, hot, hot.