At NY fashion week, with so many casual ready-to-wear collections this season I feel as though it was tough for many designers to really shine through, I saw a lot of repeats in trends and mediocre collections. I understand that this is not couture week, but Marchesa’s fall 2011 collection certainly is and far outshines most of what I saw on the runways. The perfect embroidery paired with meticulous draping has always been their signature and was no less in this collection, but what was more was a new perspective on Victorian. Marchesa is very good at showing modern elegance but to blend modern with the kind of nostalgic beauty of the 19^th century is a new endeavor well achieved.

The helpless romantic in me always tends towards nostalgia; Marchesa’s new couture dress collection epitomizes romanticism through what they call “Decaying Opulence”.  The design duo displayed an intuition into how women want to see themselves as beautiful. It takes a certain kind of confidence and personal identity to wear a Marchesa dress, and this collection embodies an alter ego that many women feel akin to but it is at risk to portray.

(more…)

Diesel’s Black Gold fall 2011 collection shown at NY fashion week, was nice and dark and gritty.  Layers, leather, textures, and laced-up.  There are some hints at a steampunk aesthetic here.  But I’d rather see it as vagabond troubled artist strolling the streets of a dirty crumbling city or militaristic survivalist cowboy making it in a post-apocalyptic scared world.  At first I wasn’t sure on all the lacing, but once I saw the asymmetrical laced-up leather vest I was sold.  I’m loving the color pallet of black, navy, slate blue, brown, mauve, olive, and ivory.  Maybe it’s because I just rewatched the Matrix after a few years, but I had forgotten the nice styling details in that movie, and this collection is right in tune with that (yet nicely updated), right down to the men’s flapping leather trench coat and the women’s tight long black leather ensemble.

(more…)

It’s easy to look at Anna Sui’s fall 2011 collection shown at NY fashion week or Anna Sui’s designs in general and get overwhelmed by all the bold colored bohemian 60s prints.  But there is a ton going on in this collection and in her design style in general that is worth taking cues from.  As I see it Sui is inspired by a whole many decades, periods, and subcultural styles and it’s just a matter of picking the pieces where she blends the styles you enjoy together.  And sometimes discovering you enjoy periods or styles you didn’t think you did.

There are many 60s/bohemian prints and cuts in this collection that I just can’t get into.  But there are some cases where the color and prints come together in a way that catches my eye.  Side stepping this look that was the meat of the collection, there were four main aspects I enjoyed in this collection.  First, animal cosplay hats and designer fashion, perfect!  Cosplay hats have been popping up all over for the past couple years, but this is one of the best ways I’ve seen them done.  Second, glasses on the runway.  There were a few bookworm inspired outfits pushed further in that direction with a pair of frames, very cute.  Mainly, were the all black ensembles pulling from many decades to create a dark, lush, and just plain beautiful effect.  Sui can do sweet and super chic all black ensembles drawing from Victorian, flapper, mod, goth, and boho all at once amazingly.  And lastly, she does this look in all white and I am inspired!

(more…)

At NY fashion week, Betsey Johnson showed two fall 2011 collections.  First was her Black Tag line which was full of velvet, black, flowers, and animal prints.  There were many dark, goth and punk style ensembles but all with a Betsey feel.  Each model was wearing an animal print pantyhose bodysuit, which is questionable in general but in some outfits works surprisingly well, and a ruffle neck-corset-esque choker, which I have seen all over the place lately from “alternative” designers, an interesting trend for Johnson to pick up.  I love the exaggerated shoulder coats and the huge floral attachments on just one shoulder of many of the pieces.

In addition to her Black Tag collection, Betsey Johnson revealed her new Pink Patch line.  The models for this collection were Betsey Johnson employees and friends all in matching blonde wigs.  It’s refreshing and fun to see regular sized and shaped women on the runway at something like NY fashion week.  Instead of going to big-box stores to create a lower price point line, Johnson did it herself and created a line full of her signature looks, poofy party dresses to kitschy and floral bold prints, with all items priced at under $100.  I love this because it means it will be easier to get some Betsey items into your wardrobe but everything from this runway show that I am truly lusting after is from the Black Tag collection.

(more…)

The designer duo known as Rag & Bone put their fall 2011 women’s collection down the runway at NY fashion week. Technically the first thing that comes to mind when I see this collection is it’s paneling. I know it’s very anti-climatic to most, but not to me. This is an art that has been meticulously curated by many and mastered by few. Paneling is the trend that has really captured me intently in the last year. It is difficult to find garments that achieve it in a way that is both chic and flattering, not to mention unique. It can very easily end up looking like retro color blocking or worse like patchwork.  Rag & Bone seem to have inspired themselves and their viewers to look at the very shapes themselves within the garment from without. Arranging balance through contrasting weights in fabric, as well as size in the shapes and panels creates a very tasteful asymmetrical balance.

Esoterically this collection reads to me as though there were an emphasis on the strength of the female essence, utilizing the influence of earthy Native American tribes to Scottish warriors. I also felt a very worldly region based almost patriotic feel, like they took every culture’s essence and turned their designs into mini futuristic tribal tributes to each.

(more…)

New York Fashion Week has begun and fall 2011 collections are being revealed.  The fall Z Spoke collection by Zac Posen is darker and more serious than previous collections.  I am liking what I see!  Many textures, but they are calm not busy, subdued colors, a mix of structure and flow.  Many great business/work options but some good casual pieces too, and everything looks comfy to wear, which is always a plus.  With pieces ranging from $80-650, it is attainable.  Maybe more so than the designs themselves, I am in love with the styling and mood of this collection.  You can do black lip stick and look super chic and it doesn’t have to be paired with over the top hair and clothes.

(more…)

Spanish designer Joaquin Trias showed his first Fall/Winter collection at the recent New York Fashion Week. Trias is a professional tennis player who’s passion for fashion started early in his life which then translated into him showing his first collection ever for the Spring/Summer 2010 season. His ready-to-wear collection features strong lines in sheath dresses and skirts, with classic tailoring reminiscent of 1960s Chanel. Highlights of the collection included; thin obi-like belts, ruched sleeves, and strong necklines. Over all a classic, very flattering collection for many body types and sizes.

(more…)

Siki Im‘s Fall/Winter 2010 collection at New York’s Fashion Week was not your typical menswear design. A mostly black and white collection was filled with; man skirts, kilts, and cropped sweaters, pushing against the normal views of masculinity. The collection read like a sleek business man that combined function with edgy asymmetrical cuts that are pure eye candy. I like the way the kilts were paired with cropped sweaters, accessorized with neckties, trouser socks, and blazers, these pieces all fit together to create a gender neutral silhouette which includes elements from both male and female clothing design. This collection is classic and brings new ideas to the future of menswear and what may become a wider world view of the suit.

(more…)

Andy & Debb describe their design concepts as, romantic minimalism, and the Fall/Winter 2010 collection for New York’s Fashion Week embodied that label. The designer duo gives us elegant day-to-evening wear with highlights including; a copper tailored suit, a white collar Victorian-esque babydoll dress, a sequined shift dress with strong silhouetted shoulders, and a sleek tuxedo styled jacket. Attention was brought to the necklines; blouses with ruffled detailing, fitted turtlenecks, and boat neck dresses, leaving a very demure and modest feel to the collection as a whole.

(more…)

Anna Sui Fall/Winter 2010

Layers upon layers of different laces, furs, knits, patterns, and textures was the theme of Anna Sui’s Fall/Winter collection at New York Fashion Week.  The collection read as if a 1960s mod met a sherpa and they both were influenced by the layering trend of the 1990s Seattle grunge scene.

The Fall/Winter collection featured the drop waist dress silhouette as the foundation for most of this season’s looks.  Sui seemed take us on a journey into different eras of the drop waist by showing looks from knitted day-wear to ruffled floral evening dresses into 1920s flapper-inspired bridal wear.  This chaotic array of plaids, florals, patterns, sequins, and even some macramé would make ones head spin, but Sui made me a believer that less can be more!  The highlights of the collection were the details in the patterned tights, fur vests, and pops of jewel-tones like; emerald green, plum purple, and royal blue.  Anna Sui always makes a statement by being on the cusp of alternative fashion, always daring and always giving us all something to drool over!

(more…)