Yesterday was the first day fashion designers presented their Fall 2009 runway shows at New York Fashion Week in Bryant Park in New York City and it ended with a total bang at the THISDAY/ARISE Magazine Fashion Collective when living legend Grace Jones took a star turn on the catwalk for designer XULYBet.

Grace Jones on the catwalk at THISDAY/ARISE Fashion Collective

THISDAY, West Africa's largest newspaper recently launched ARISE, a high quality style/culture magazine and celebrated the collaborative effort by presenting the Fashion Collective, a show featuring collections by several designers of African descent. Xuly Bet from Mali; Stoned Cherrie, the South African label by Nkhensani Nkosi; Momo and Tiffany Amber, both from Nigeria. All showed exquisite, tailored designs with ethnic accents and details. The show was quite impressive from the front row guests-Ryan Leslie, Chrisette Michele, Calvin Pace of the New York Jets, newsanchor Sade Baderinwa and model agency owner BethannHadison, to the models who walked-Estee Lauder model Liya Kebede opened, ITALIAN VOGUE covermodel Sessilee Lopez, Chanel Iman, Liya Kebede, Victoria's Secret Oluchi, Alek Wek, Tyson Beckford and Jamaican model-turned-runway coach Stacey Mackenzie did a return to the tents. The afterparty was swanky with a fab performance by Solange Knowles at The Plaza Hotel. To quote CNN correspondent Lola Ogunnaike there, "Äfrica is the new Black. We're major." And it showed.

Supermodels Alek Wek and Tyson Beckford wearing Xuly Bet

Stacey Mackenzie's return to the tents in Xuly Bet

Xuly Bet's vision of the Obama effect

Alek in Stoned Cherrie's ombre maxi dress with bejeweled collar

Chanel Iman in Tiffani Amber trenchcoat

Liya Kebede in Momo