New York Fashion Week fall 2013: Tracy Reese

Tracy Reese fall 2013 runway show in New York. AP Photo

By JOCELYN NOVECK, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Any model will tell you: It’s hard to walk down a catwalk.

Especially when you’re an actual cat.

Designer Tracy Reese’s fall-winter show had a guest model, of the feline variety. The cat was supposed to be walked on a leash, but was a bit frightened, the designer explained backstage, and had to be cradled in the model’s arms for its one trip down the catwalk. Er, runway.

The cat, named Lily, was a 4-year-old Siamese Blue Point rescue cat, according to Purina ONE, which sponsored the show along with Reese and provided the feline visitor. The pet food company says it wants to bring attention to the fact that leash-training can benefit cats by incorporating activity into their lives.

As for the fashion, Lily may have been timid, but Reese’s designs were the opposite — full of mixed prints and bold colors, like the floral-printed neoprene frock in pink, orange and black that accompanied the cat-bearing model.

Reese is perhaps best known for the shimmery pink and silvery-blue dress that Michelle O bama wore to the Democratic National Convention, and her dresses didn’t disappoint on Sunday, including a sleek black knee-length number with huge red flowers on it, its dainty shape contrasting nicely with the boldness of the print.

Tracy Reese fall 2013 collection on the runway in New York. AP Photo

From flowers to animals: There were animal prints all over the collection. A cheetah-print coat opened the show, paired with a black lace shirt and a charcoal pant. The collection also included a cheetah tunic covering a cheetah skirt, a zebra-print trench over a crepe floral dress and an “animal jacquard” coat in tan and black worn over a sequined sweater.

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