Little Big Town Explore High Fashion With Isaac Mizrahi

Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman of Little Big Town were dressed to thrill Tuesday night, outfitted in items from the collection of famed designer Isaac Mizrahi at the Nashville Symphony Fashion Show.

"We don't usually get this gussied up for our shows," Karen exclaimed as she showed off her short, shiny silver coat-style dress prior to hosting and performing at the benefit event.

"I love fashion because it's a form of self-expression, like music," she told The Boot. Pausing a moment to look over at Kimberly, she noted, "Doesn't she look like a princess? That dress is so perfect on her."

Kimberly wore a short, pale pink dress, fitted to just below the waist and accented with layers of soft, puffy fabric. "They brought us several different dresses to try on and we got to choose what we wanted to wear. .. but I don't think we get to keep them," Kimberly said, adding, "But I really want to."

Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook looked great in dark suits but both declined to admit any knowledge of fashion sense. "I just wear what they tell me to," Jimmy declared.

The symphony hall had been turned into a designer runway for the evening's presentation of Mizrahi's 2010 Fall Collection. Mizrahi, who hosts Bravo's 'The Fashion Show,' was on hand to declare his love for Nashville and country music.

"I know it seems a little strange that I would like country music -- a Jewish boy from New York City," he said. "All art starts with music I think. Country music is more American music than any other music, and it inspires me. There's something about it; it's direct and pure, kind of how you think of America as being."

Both Mizrahi and Little Big Town said the main reason they agreed to do the event was to help the symphony continue its programs of education and community outreach.

"We come to the symphony quite often, so when we were approached, we wanted to help out in whatever way we could," Kimberly said. "Music is so much a part of our life, so it's great to be able to be a part of this event."

"Any time I can help out a cause like this one, I consider it to be the best part of my job," added Mizrahi, who was in Nashville for the first time. He admitted to being a big fan of Dolly Parton, saying, "I wanted to do two things while I was here: go to the Grand Ole Opry, which I couldn't do, and go to Dollywood, which is several hours away."

When told that Dolly had a shop not far from the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Mizrahi was amazed that no one had told him about it earlier in the day. "What have I been doing the last two hours that I couldn't have gone over to that shop?" he asked of the people who'd been making sure he kept to his appointed schedule.

Mizrahi's Fall 2010 collection was a bit of outdoor-wear meets a lot of class, combining a few camouflage prints with cool jackets finished off with fur-rimmed hoods, and short cropped jackets over shiny skirts and dark leggings for day wear. His evening line was so glamorous it had women in the audience applauding as models glided down the stairs to the runway, long before they were close enough to see the intricate details! He says his New York-inspired show, titled "Central Park Store Book," was " Central Park surrounded by Bergdorff-Goodman and the Met, or a tale of uptown girls in an urban forest."

Little Big Town presented a short, acoustic performance following Mizrahi's show. Phillip explained, "We decided to break it down with just me and Jimi and our producer Wayne Kirkpatrick playing guitar, with no band." Karen added, "The hall has such great acoustics, and sounds so fantastic, we decided to show off our voices and the way we write songs."

Kimberly and Karen both expressed their honor at being able to wear dresses from Mizrahi's collection. "One of my goals has always been to attend Fashion Week in New York," Karen said. "Isaac, if you're listening, I expect an invitation!"

Little Big Town are currently working on a next album. The group has just released a new single, 'Little White Church,' which Karen said is the perfect song to play for the man who won't make a commitment to getting married!

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