Tag Archives: Jane Kratochvil

BCBG Max Azria Fall 2013 RTW

MBFW_FW13_BCBG_JKratochvil_7471We got up bright and early this morning at 6:30 AM to make it to Linclon Center in time to make it for our call time to interview Lubov Azria. That interview will be up on the site soon!

Max and Lubov Azria found inspiration in the beautiful tiles and stone inlays of Istanbul’s iconic mosques. The result was just the sort of exotic romp that the BCBG girl loves: full of lovely, wearable prints and rich textures, all layered with abandon à la the gypsies the Azrias saw in Turkey. “I loved their whole approach to dressing,” said Lubov prior to the show.

The runway also included lots of coats, from puckered and quilted parkas with leather patches to fur-trimmed hoodies, many of them worn casually over pilings of silk separates done in tile or mosaic prints and embroideries. Many of the skirts, dresses and tunics were slit high up the leg in contrast to their proper midi or sweeping lengths. And leather was a key component too, worked on laser-cut trapeze tops and lizard-embossed boots for an extra dose of mysticism that made this collection a real success.

“A free-spirited bohemian girl that knows what looks good on her” was how Laurent Philippon, head stylist for Bumble and bumble, described his hair inspiration for BCBG Max Azria’s collection. To achieve this look, Philippon used a combination of Bumble and bumble’s Thickening Spray and Surf Spray. The pairing of these two products created a “light and voluminous sideswept look.” He finished off each model with Bumble and bumble’s newest product, Cream Contour, a hair texturizer that can be used on any hair type. “I wanted a worn-out look with a lot of lightness, I didn’t want any weight at all, and this Cream Contour is perfect for that,” said Philippon. Each model’s look was topped off with a beanie.

Val Garland, lead makeup artist for Sephora Pro, used browns and neutral tones for a grunge-meets-Middle East-inspired look. Using Sephora waterproof liner in dark brown matte, Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencil in bourbon, and Dior Diorshow mascara in chestnut, Garland created a smoldering dark-brown smoky eye. To showcase the cheeks, she used Benefit’s Watt’s Up! on top of Stila Stay All Day foundation. The look was topped off with a glossy nude lip from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar.

Check out all the photos from Jane Kratochvil after the break.

Continue reading

Nicholas and Christopher Kunz’s Men’s RTW Fall 2013

MBFW_FW13_NicholasK_JKratochvil_7358Nicholas and Christopher Kunz’s fall collection was very black and white. The first half of the show featured paper-white monochromatic tops and cozy coats layered over sweatpants for women and men, while the second half focused on to head-to-toe black ensembles.

The duo drew inspiration from intrepid Arctic explorations during the late 19th century, so we were treated to an impeccably styled masterful lesson in layering. The models came out wearing clear utilitarian goggles on their foreheads like headbands, while we’re all for the avant garde, we thought they were a bit much.

Among the standouts for women was a plaid jacket with a fur collar as well as diaphanous dresses with sweetheart necklines that came either one-shouldered or with full sleeves. For men, the feel was technical meets utilitarian centering on classics with optical depth such as nylon parkas and scoop-neck knits.

Check out the full gallery from Jane Kratochvil after the break.

Continue reading

Fotini Spring/Summer 2013

MBFW_SS13_Fotini_JKratochvil_2854

Photo Credit: (c) 2012 Jane Kratochvil for Coup d’étage

Photo Credit: (c) 2012 Jane Kratochvil for Coup d’étage

Born in Athens to an Egyptian father and a Greek mother Fotini was raised in Canada.  Initially, Fotini embarked on a career in finance and marketing at the direction of her father, but could not ignore her passion for the creative and design that she dreamed of as a little girl.  Today, the New York based designer, has been building a brand that combines luxurious fabrics, corsetry, a true love of Fotini’s, while adding intricate details on the garments.   Fotini, spent 3 years traveling abroad to Italy particularly in the areas of Bergamo, Bologna and Como studying the construction of corsetry beside old world ateliers.  This has enabled Fotini to design the feminine, sensuous and chic pieces that she felt were missing from her own closet.  Fotini understands her customer’s needs.  “A woman designing for women” is a quote from her.

The FOTINI Autumn/Winter 2012 Collection paid homage to her heritage, drawing inspiration from Egyptian queens and Greek goddesses.   Fabrics in this collection ranged from chiffon, jacquards and laser cut leather.  The special touches of feathers, embroidery and modern day beading were some of the beautiful finishes.  “I love shiny things, a sexy fit and rich fabrications, a woman should not be afraid to show her femininity” she stated when interviewed about her brand.

Fotini is a woman that is proud to have a background in business before she decided to switch careers after getting inspired by working by a fashion house. “I have always wanted to be a designer but my family wanted me to take an education in business.” She believes having an education in business is helpful to her in the fashion industry.

While she showed us her collection for Spring/Summer 2013 she had time to tell me a bit about her inspiration for this collection: “The clothes are inspired by French countrysides landscapes and 18th century paintings,” she said, “like you can see on the little details on this dress the beading are little flowers closely beaded together.”

Continue reading

Falguni and Shane Peacock Spring 2013

MBFW_SS13_FalguniShanePeacock_JKratochvil_0661For their Spring 2013 collection, married designer duo Falguni and Shane Peacock decided to take fashion into the future, far, far into the sci-fi future sending glamorous Martians robotically strutting down the runway. They started their show with models in clear space helmets adorned in an embellished sequins cat suit, a deep V-neck printed body suit and plastic transparent light up dress with fire red details.

Known for their audacious, theatrical aesthetics and body conscious silhouettes, Falguni and Shane Peacock kept to this tradition for spring 2013. The collection, somewhat similar to past season designs, was full of embellishments; hand beading, feather accents, original prints, and laser cut detailing.

The bright colors of the collection were a pleasant surprise from the nude subdued tones on other collections. The colors shimmered and sparkled radiantly on the runway.

Psychedelic prints, planetary plastic transparent trims, sequins, and feathers take the collection’s classic ladylike shapes to a surreal state. The extraordinary graphic fabrics in a vibrant and sophisticated color palette provide a sexy intergalactic update. Metallic fabrics with reflective silver pieces, outrageous patterns against sheer and sparkling textures all of this was a part of the story Falguni and Shane told.

Continue reading

Carlos Miele Spring 2013

MBFW_SS13_CarlosMiele_JKratochvil_7652

Photo by Jane Kratochvil

A trip to the zoo prompted Carlos Miele’s two-year-old son to draw pictures of the animals he observed. A blue giraffe emerged, and for Miele, inspiration struck. “I wanted to create a hallucination jungle,” the designer said before his show. Lightness in the jungle’s tropical heat was important, so Miele incorporated movement into his looks, using lots of chiffon and borders of fringe. His son’s blue giraffe appeared; a tiger in oxidized yellow was also part of the menagerie. Layered together, as they were in the opening look’s giraffe caftan and long leopard dress, they did look hallucinatory and like an animal lover’s trippy dream. It would have been fun to see more prints in the mix (what else did Miele’s son come up with?), but instead black dresses with Deco beading and dripping sequins pulled you out of the jungle. The beading, and the turquoise stones on necklines and shoes, served as a grounding element amid all the frothy chiffon but at times felt unnecessarily heavy. Fantastical and acid-hued, this was a collection for dreamers.

Check out our full gallery after the break!

Continue reading

Sachin + Babi Spring 2013

MBFW_SS13_SachinBabi_JKratochvil_0388Sachin + Babi drew inspiration for their Spring 2013 collection from a photo taken by Ryan Holden Singer of his backpacking trip through Mongolia. Both Sachin and Babi Ahluwalia have dreamed of taking this trip together, and their collection was indeed dreamy.

The duo showcased their signature embroidery expertise jazzed up with some rock-n-roll chic pieces like a Sgt. Pepper inspired jacket and printed skinny jeans. Vertical ruffles added new movement to chiffon gowns and skirts, some of which were paired with crocheted bikini tops.

The collection was fun, festive, and destined to be a best seller next season. Kelly Framel, Miss Universe was spotted in the front row. More photos from Jane Kratochvil after the jump.

Continue reading

Reem Acra Spring 2013

MBFW_SS13_ReemAcra_JKratochvil_8401The artist Aaron Young and his motorcycles put Reem Acra in a youthful state of mind, so she focused less on swanky eveningwear and more on pieces for day, looking to inject her collection with an edgy, modern attitude. The silhouette was predominantly fitted and sleek, but a few blouson dresses belted at the waist with embroidered ropes were quietly sexy. Cropped motorcycle jackets in leather and silk satin were, fittingly, strong. Ribbed-knit cuffs and waistbands gave them a sporty feel, and one was embroidered, coolly, with matte, laser-cut sequins that looked like a motorcycle tread. A racing motif pervade. A few dresses had embroidery-framed cutouts down the sides, which looked like tire marks on the street after a road race. Acra did well with the daywear, but it was when the gowns came out at the end that the audience started to buzz. Frothy and fantastic, they had their own kind of horsepower.

All of Jane Kratochvil’s photos are after the break.

Continue reading

Custo Barcelona Spring 2013 X-Ray collection

MBFW_SS13_CustoBarcelona_JKratochvil_5620The Custo Barcelona Spring 2013 X-Ray collection was really exciting with bright architectural prints accentuated with pops of neon pink, lime green and bright orange. These signature color and graphics are emboldened though a filter of transparent overlays and layers of textured fabric. The intricate geometric patterns are inspired by the oceanic landscape, the cosmos and the constellations. Plastic trains stemming from the model’s shorts, mesh over bold printed shirts and gold foil shorts electrified the collection.

As usual Custo Barcelona offered a bright array of colors, everything from pastel, to whites, to boysenberry streaked with black. The models strutted with exaggerated high heels, bold eyebrows and a damn good dance beat in the background. Another avant garde fusion of colors, materials and swagger.

Continue reading

VLOV Spring 2013

MBFW_SS13_RichardWu_JKratochvil_3723As part of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, VLOV, a lifestyle apparel designer based in China who designs apparel for middle-class Chinese men displayed their Spring 2013 collection. VLOV is sold by distributors through multiple points of sale throughout China.

Mr. Richard Wu, VLOV’s CEO and Chief Designer, stated, “After the brand exposure and recognition within China that we received from participating at the Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week last fall, we want to thank the China Fashion Designer’s Association for recommending VLOV for the second consecutive year to participate at the 2013 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City.”

Mr. Wu continued, “Due to the high level of interest that we received since being at fashion week last year, we are in the early stages of exploring opportunities of bringing VLOV apparel outside of mainland China. We do not anticipate that this will happen immediately, rather the entrance into other markets will take time so that the introduction further enhances our brand.”

While the collection as well tailored and put together, I would have liked to see a bit more color in the looks. Gallery after the break.

Continue reading

Diane Von Furstenberg Spring Summer 2013

MBFW_SS13_DianevonFurstenberg_JKratochvil_5838

Photo by Jane Kratochvil Photography

Diane Von Furstenberg presented her spring/summer 2013 collection at New York Fashion Week earlier today and showed the fashion world that color blocking is here to stay for the upcoming warm weather season. A big trend for Fall 2012 which is continuing in Spring 2013, color blocking dominated Diane Von Furstenberg’s spring 2013 looks on the runway at The Theatre in Lincoln Park.

The runway was intricately decorated with metallic doves hanging from the celling and lining the double runway. One thing that really stood out to us about the show was Diane’s partnership with Google. Model’s went down the runway wearing Google Glass, a technology that allows it’s user to interact with a computer or a smartphone using a device, engineered to be worn like glasses. While the technology is cool, I thought it took the focus away from the clothing, rather than complementing the looks, or showing off a way for them to be worn in a particularly fashionable way.

Continue reading