A few days ago I had the privilege of being a guest of American Express at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2008 in NYC. Aside from agonizing over what to wear (and realizing that of course no one was looking at me), it was a fun experience, and one I'd likely never get to have without this invite. As an AmEx guest, I got to go to a special "Skybox" to view the DKNY Spring 2009 show along with about 20 AmEx Platinum Card members, who were there (at the cool price of $700 each) to enjoy the day's events and luxuriate in special amenities as part of AmEx's "By Invitation Only" program. Also on hand were staffers from various companies associated with AmEx, who made sure the guests were comfortable and enjoying themselves. I chatted with one guest, who took advantage of the complimentary hair and makeup services that morning. She did have excellent hair. The room was too dim for me to see her makeup, but I'm sure it was lovely.

AmEx, a major Fashion Week sponsor for the second consecutive year, has long associated itself with fashion icons. On display in the tent's main lobby, front and center, was an AmEx booth that featured three iconic photos, used as part of AmEx's "I'm a Card Member" ads: Sammy Davis Jr., Diane Von Furstenburg and Venus Williams. Word is the photos changed throughout the show. Other sponsors also had booths in the main lobby, from the usual suspects, such as Judith Ripka and the Italian Trade Commission, to unexpected companies, such as Office Max and M&M's.

Google is getting more and more famous for spoiling and splurging on its employees every day it seems. A couple of years ago the two founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, made headlines when they purchased a used Boeing 767 which they converted to a large customized private jet. Now they're making headlines again as they have negotiated a $1.3 million deal to with NASA to both use the Moffett Field runway and to have parking spaces for Google's over-sized private Boeing jet and 2 other smaller jets. The Google execs get an exclusive parking spot within mere minutes of headquarters, and NASA gets both the annual income and the chance to put scientists on board Google flights for research purposes.

All the other high rollers in the area are just drooling with envy.

For a designer, being a part of NYC's Fashion Week means a lot more than just coming up with two dozen "looks" and hoping that they turn into hits. It means planning everything from invitations to lighting, music to publicity. It means money. A 15-minute long runway show costs more to put on than you might think. The tents at Bryant Park alone cost up to $50,000, and more luxurious locations can cost two or three times that. Lighting runs up to $64,000 and music, assuming that a DJ is the one spinning the tracks, adds another $10,000 to the final bill. Models, makeup and celebrity attendees can push the total up as high as the designer can afford to go. Rock N Republic's show this year cost nearly $2.5 million

And is it worth it? The producers who put on the shows certainly think so - but they would, wouldn't they?

As a trend, leggings aren't going out of style just yet. Instead, they're getting more sophisticated. Balenciaga featured this particular pair in their S/S 2007 runway collection. They look metallic, but it is more likely that they are made of some sort of metallic fabric than actual gold. Then again, they are made only at request and cost roughly $100,000 per pair, which is pretty steep for what amounts to what is little more than long underwear.

While the waists for summer sundresses are coming up to the bust line, the waists of wedding dresses are dropping. Ali Landry, at her wedding to Alejandro Monteverde in Mexico on Saturday, wore a strapless Monique Lhuillier gown with a low, drop-waist. The ivory gown had a full skirt with hand-sewn layers of organza, tulle and chiffon, similar to this one from the Spring 2006 runway collection. Drop-waisted dresses are not for everyone, as their curve-skimming lines are not flattering on every figure. They are perfect for curvy silhouettes and the slim, curvaceous Landry would have looked stunning in one. Wedding gowns by Lhuillier retail for upwards of $3,500, but the runway and custom models can go for much more.