On February 3rd, 2006 the Olympus Fall 2006 Fashion Week was kicked off in New York with the Heart Truth Red Dress fashion show. The annual charity show featured celebrity models, musicians and guest designers to raise awareness about women's heart disease. Reuters photographer, Brendan McDermid captured Singer Amerie (above) walking the runway during the Red Dress show, which was sponsored by The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

Among the celebrities present and smiling was the newly single, Sheryl Crow.

Sheryl Crow Reuters Photo Credit: Brendan McDermid

Sadly, Sheryl Crow, 43, and "Live Strong" cycling champion Lance Armstrong, 34, announced yesterday that they will not be walking down the aisle together, after a two-year very public relationship and five-month engagement.

Crow walked down the catwalk in New York on Friday showing no signs of wearing her heart on her sleeve.

The couple released a statement to People Magazine which read:

After much thought and consideration we have made a very tough decision to split up.

We both have a deep love and respect for each other and we ask that everyone respect our privacy during this very difficult time.

Sheryl and Lance appealed for privacy during "this very difficult time".

Last September, the Grammy award-winning rocker released her fifth album, Wildflower. She said that Armstrong had been the inspiration for the album. However, today, their fans around the world must be wondering if one of the strongest, bravest men on the planet is not "strong enough" to be her man, after all.

On Friday, Sheryl Crow wore a red Ralph Lauren gown.

The Heart Truth

Other celebrities who came out to show their support in New York included singers Nelly Furtado, Thalia, Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child, Natasha Bedingfield, Jossie Perez, JoJo, Yolanda Adams, Cheryl Bentyne, Christina Milian, Stacy 'Fergie' Ferguson from the band the Black Eyed Peas, Deborah Ann Harry of Blondie rock 'n roll fame, Country singers Lee Ann Womack, Emmylou Harris and LeAnn Rimes, actress and singer Bebe Neuwirth, actress and singer Michelle Phillips, actress Elaine Stritch, actress and singer Earth Kitt, and actress and singer Lindsay Lohan.

Debbie Harry, Earth Kitt and Elaine Stritch got the biggest applause from the crowd. Stritch then sang "You've Got to Have Heart."

On March 13th, Harry, the lead vocalist for Blondie will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at its 21st ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City along with her bandmates (Clem Burke, Jimmy Destri, Nigel Harrison, Frank Infante, Chris Stein and Gary Valentine), as well as Black Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Sex Pistols, A&M founders Herb Albert & Jerry Moss, and the late great jazz trumpeter, bandleader and composer, Miles Davis.

On March 7th, "Blondie Greatest Hits: Sound & Vision" will be released. Their new collection, which can be ordered now, contains 20 audio tracks and 16 videos.

Lindsay Lohan (second from left)
Reuters Photo Credit: Brendan McDermid

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), sponsor of The Heart Truth campaign, was responsible for inspiring the models to wear red.

February 3rd marked National Wear Red Day, where Americans across the country were invited to dress in red to unite in the national observance and to give women a personal and urgent wake-up call about their risk for heart disease.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) created and launched the Red Dress as the national symbol for women and heart disease to inspire women to take action to protect their heart health.

Lindsay Lohan, 19, wore a Calvin Klein dress.

Womack wore a strapless gown with gathering and satin strips on the bodice by Carmen Marc Valvo.

Thalia strutted her stuff in a Vera Wang red satin coat with a darker dress underneath.

Rimes dressed in a Zac Posen spaghetti-strap gown with a tightly pleated bust and high-front slit.

Milian's flowing gown with jeweled straps was created by Max Azria Atelier.

Nicole Miller Fall 2006 Fashion
AP Photo Credit: Louis Lanzano

One of my favorite dresses was a rich design of the Byzantine era modeled at the Nicole Miller Fall 2006 fashion show.

I love the color and the "rugged elegant" texture of the gown.

Carrie Underwood and Beth Ostrowsky AP Photo Credit: Stuart Ramson

Among those who were in New York to attend the Olympus Fall 2006 fashion shows was American Idol winner turned Country music "Some Hearts" star Carrie Underwood. Underwood sat with model and actress Beth Ostrosky, the girlfriend of Sirius Satellite Radio host Howard Stern at the Nicole Miller fashion show.

Olympus Fall 2006 Fashion Week in New York

If you missed Friday's Fall 2006 collections by Kenneth Cole, John Bartlett, Michael Wesetly, Henry Jacobson, "The Heart Truth Red Dress Collection", Dragana Ognjenovic, John Varvatos, Akiko Ogawa and Baby Phat it's not too late to see others. Seven more days of fashion shows are ahead.

The upcoming schedule is as follows:

Saturday February 4th, 2006

1.00pm ALICE ROI
2.00pm ALEXANDRE HERCHCOVITCH
3.00pm ATIL KUTOGLU
6.00pm ANAIT BIAN
7.00pm SASS & BIDE
8.00pm LACOSTE
9.00pm OAKLEY

Sunday February 5th

11.00am Y & KEI
Noon DKNY (711 Greenwich Street)
1.00pm TWINKLE
2.00pm TRACY REESE
4.00pm DIANE VON FURSTENBERG
5.00pm Edun
6.00pm NAEEM KHAN
7.00pm TULEH
8.00pm BADGLEY MISCHKA
9.00pm WILLOW

Monday, February 6th

9.00am JAMES COVIELLO
10.00am CAROLINA HERRERA
11.00am CYNTHIA STEFFE
Noon JILL STUART (New York Public Library)
1.00pm OSCAR DE LA RENTA
2.00pm REEM ACRA
3.00pm BETSEY JOHNSON
5.00pm CHILD MAGAZINE
ADAM+EVE
5-7pm BUDDAKEN (75 9th Ave)
6.00pm BCBG MAX AZRIA COLLECTION
7.00pm ZANG TOI

Tuesday, February 7th

9.00am TIBI
10.00am MONIQUE LHUILLIER
11.00am BILL BLASS
Noon CHAIKEN
1.00pm LUCA LUCA
3.00pm CHARLES NOLAN
6.00pm IISLI
7.00pm NANETTE LEPORE
9.00pm HEATHERETTE

Wednesday, February 8th

8-10am Kate Spade & Jack Spade (48 W 26th St., 7th Floor)
9.00am MALO
10.00am PETER SOM
11.00am MICHAEL KORS
Noon RICHARD CHAI
DIESEL (Hammerstein Ballroom)
2.00pm CARLOS MIELE
3.00pm CARMEN MARC VALVO
4.00pm YEOHLEE (225 West 35th St., 16th Floor)
6.00pm MILLY BY MICHELLE SMITH
7.00pm ANNA SUI
8.00pm VIVIENNE TAM
9.00pm ABAETE

Thursday, February 9th

10.00am J MENDEL
11.00am WUNDERKIND by WOLFGANG JOOP
1.00pm PAMELLA ROLAND
2.00pm VERA WANG
3.00pm TEMPERLEY LONDON
5.00pm CALVIN KLEIN
6.00pm JOANNA MASTROIANNI
7.00pm CUSTO BARCELONA
8.00pm ZAC POSEN
9.00pm JASON WU

Friday, February 10th

9.00am PROJECT RUNWAY
9-noon RALPH LAUREN
Noon CYNTHIA ROWLEY
1.00pm MANUEL
2.00pm STRENESSE
3.00pm DONNA KARAN (711 Greenwich Street)
4.00pm SWEETFACE
4-6pm INDUSTRIA (89 James Street)
5.00pm MALANDRINO (Roseland Ballroom, 239 West 52nd St.)
6.00pm DDCLAB
7.00pm CHADO RALPH RUCCI

Unless otherwise noted, the above fashion shows are expected to take place at The Tent, Promenade Atelier - Bryant Park on Sixth Avenue (between 40 & 42nd Streets).

Meanwhile, Marc Jacobs' fashion show, scheduled for 8:00pm on Monday, February 6th at the New York State Armory, will be delayed until 9:30pm.

For further details regarding New York's Olympus Fashion Week, please explore:

Inspire & Be Inspired.

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful, "red hot and full of heart" living!

~ Jennifer Carolyn King, Rugged Elegance, LLC