So I was up early yesterday morning. Really early. 6 AM to be exact (it was a Sunday, after all). But I have to say that it was totally worth it. Thanks to Beauty.com, I was able to live and breathe the behind-the-scenes scene at the Lela Rose show.

Lela Rose is a native Texan, who designs beautiful feminine clothes that anyone can wear. They’re classic, timeless and utterly gorgeous; the kind of clothes that work for a high-power job, to a summer cocktail party to a wedding. For Spring 2010, her inspiration came from Venice Beach, CA,  the splashes of color and surfwear, the soft waves of the ocean, mixed with the sun-faded palette of artist Alex Katz. The show was amazing, and getting to see the prep time was even more thrilling. I was lucky enough to chat up makeup artist Sarah Lucero of Stila, hair stylist Ted Gibson, of the eponymous haircare line and salon, and Deborah Lippmann, manicurist to the stars and creator of Lippmann Collection nailwear. To find out how they created the Lela Rose look and how you can replicate it at home (it’s effortless, with the idea being you’re fresh off the beach and going straight for cocktails on a fabulous patio) read my article, which will be posted on Shop.com later this week.

One thing I noticed backstage, is there’s a lot of waiting around. Call time was for 7 AM, but the show didn’t start until well after 10 (it was a bit late). Models who were finished with hair and makeup, kind of hung around reading the special Weekend edition of W and other fashion-related mags. In addition, there was a ton of food, bagels, coffee, scones and juice, andall the models I saw were chowing down as if they never saw food.

But I did get a long look at the fashions, and while it was warmer outside, most of the models were doing the fall thing. One had on this adorable plaid shirt dress, cinched in the waist with a wide belt, gladiator sandals (her last ode to summer) and a chic scarf casually tied around her neck. It was fabulous, and enough to make me want to order up a plaid dress pronto.

I opted for black leggings from Theory (a splurge, yes, but they will be my uniform this season), a Theory top that had ruffles and a bit of volume framed by a long, ribbon embellished thin black wool cardi from J.Crew. For accessories, I donned the suede booties and added the studded cuff, for a bit of rock and roll edge. I loved the look and glad I had it on, since the wee hours of the morning had that fall chill.

By the time show started, I was pumped. Barbara Bush, Jennifer Esposito (of Samantha Who? and Spin City fame) and Mariska Hargitay were all in the audience, as well as fashion’s elite editors, pr people, socialites and the top buyers for Saks, Neiman Marcus and the like. The lights dimmed, the music cued up and pow–it was show time. As the models sauntered down the runway, I was blown away by the styles of the clothes and how wearable they all were. Fitted sheath dresses, tapered pants, low slung skirts and one shoulder gowns–I could picture myself in all of them. Plus the colors and prints brought to mind the fun of spring dressing–navy, greens, bright yellows (a big color for spring) mixed with dove greys and watercolor feathery prints. I can’t wait for the collection to come in (will have to be in February, sigh).

Afterwards, I was lucky enough to spot Jennifer Esposito, who graciously agreed to take a picture with me. Ahh….what a morning.