Tracee Ellis Ross misses 'vibe' of bygone Fashion Weeks

Tracee Ellis Ross has noticed a change of "vibe" and energy when it comes to Fashion Week events.The Black-ish actress, who is the daughter of singer Diana Ross, previously worked as a model and contributing editor fashion editor to New York and Mirabella magazines, so is no stranger to extravagant catwalk events.

She still attends as many shows as she can, whether in New York or Paris, but Tracee insists the atmosphere isn't like it used to be.

"It isn't.

It just isn't," she sighed to Fashionista when asked if Fashion Week is still the same.

"I mean for so many reasons.

First of all, there was no runway...

What do you call it? The vogue.com app? Vogue Runway.

There was no app.

Everyone was sketching.

When I was working for Grace Mirabella and Jade Hobson Charnin at New York magazine, they sketched.

Grace Coddington still sketches sometimes.

It's just a very different vibe and different energy and it wasn't about the celebrities in the front row.

It was about editors and selling the line and getting that stuff in the magazines and the right magazines and those relationships." She does still find such soirees "exciting" though, perhaps even more since she's dipped her toes into designing herself.

The 44-year-old star has created 45 pieces as part of her Tracee Ellis Ross for J.C.

Penney collection, due to launch next month (Nov17).

"It was really important to me to have an age range and body-type range when I designed the collection," she explained.

"I really believe women are beautiful in all shape, sizes, colours, and ages - all of it.

Beauty is about the individual.

Beauty is about choice.

Beauty is about personal desire and what that means to you as an individual.

So, I really wanted this collection to be joyful and armour-ful, you know? To empower women to feel good in their skin and to feel joyful in their clothes."