Moms Hit the Runway in Fashion Week First

Moms Hit the Runway in Fashion Week First (ABC News)

Moms redefined the look of motherhood at the first-ever Strut: The Fashionable Mom Show  and made history during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Center in New York this afternoon.

This wasn't just a fashion show, this was a celebration of motherhood.  The positive energy in the room was palpable as 20 real moms hit the catwalk - some pregnant, some pushing strollers - and all looking downright fabulous.

The women were all shapes and sizes, varied in age, and were dressed by top designers in wearable clothes that are available in stores and online right now.

A number of women said they felt "empowered"  by the event that was hosted by mom and supermodel Iman, and Lincoln Center fashion director and IMG consultant Stephanie Winston Wolkoff.

Denise Albert and Melissa Gerstein of The Moms had this idea back in August, but pulled it together in about two months.  They partnered with Mom-entum, a division within social media agency Big Fuel, Getting Gorgeous, a website founded by two top fashion and beauty bloggers, and Wolkoff.

"To be able to bring real fashion to real women at the end of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is something that sang out to me," Wolkoff said.

All of that real fashion inspiration was also accessible online during the event through a number of social media avenues and streaming live on a popular parenting site, BabyCenter.com.

Holly Pavlika, president at Mom-entum, a division of Big Fuel, said moms are a force to be reckoned with online and the event capitalized on that.

"Everybody that was chosen to walk is a social media mom," Pavlika said. "We had about 18 women sitting in the 'twitterazzi area' that we'd also chosen for the reason - they also became the untraditional media of the event.  Social media has given moms a platform, and we are natural communicators - so you put those two things together and you can see why social has exploded."

Supermodel Iman had some take-home advice for all moms.

"Pulled together does not apply to one group of women," she said. "It applies to all of us.  You will feel better about yourself, your kids will appreciate it, your husband will appreciate it.  Just pulled together - a little bit of makeup, a little bit of hair done.  If nothing works, put sunglasses and red lipstick on, and a little bit of a heel, and go."

The show was sponsored by T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, Matrix and Clorox.  The looks were provided by Tory Burch, Rachel Roy, Vera Wang, Douglas Hannant, Rebecca Minkoff, Gap, Laundry, Michael Kors, David Meister, Ramy Brook, The Children's Place, Quinny, BCBG, Monica Botkier , Hatch by Twobirds, Pea in the Pod, Coldwater Creek, Bela Bum Bum, and Ingrid & Isabel.