So- last night we got to peek at Rebecca Minkoff's fall 2009 collection of handbags and the full collection of apparel she's designed with stylist (and friend) Ilaria Urbinati. The collection is fantastic- sexy teetering on tough , rockabilly tinged with western, all with a very modern spin. Gorgeous makeup- rich coral lips, matte eyeliner and pale skin created a dramatic backdrop for the high waisted leather skinny pants, suspender skirts with intriguing plackets and zippers and panels (a throwback to RM's clothing designs from way back- how we hooked up with her in the first place! more on that shortly) and bursts of color in delicate dresses with tiered ruffle details balanced out the masculine/feminine edges of the clothes. The details were very polished- right down to the models wearing pairs of shoes from Minkoff's own vintage collection, along with some vintage Bally jazz shoes that were to die for. Absinthe cocktails in creamy hues flowed freely, and tunes from Bob Dylan to Johnny Cash, with some Ryan Adams for good measure set the tone for appreciating the clothes, the bags, the crowd- all cool, all hip. All very New York. Who needs a tent?