Gabriela Perezutti’s romantic flair was still in evidence with a beautiful black tiered lace maxiskirt and sequined slipdresses, but this season, the designer added rustic elements to her accessories, showing riding boots and Navajo patterns on hosiery with her more casual looks.
The strength of Tadashi Shoji’s glamorous collection was more sensual, less sizzle. Cocktail dresses and gowns with blouson tops, Watteau backs and dropped waists covered more than they bared and moved gracefully over the body. Looks both long and short were shown in bonded lace, paisley printed gazar and cut or washed velvets — some with beaded insets and leather belts — and were a testament to the designer’s terrific restraint.
Check out all of our images and our full review after the break.
Timo Weiland continued to explore the themes he touched on for pre-fall like streamlined suiting and jacquards and upped the ante adding trim like rich tapestries, leather and fur on coats and separates for a collection that was both special and wearable.
Right from the start, the Timo Weiland girl has been all sugar ‘n’ spice and everything nice. But now, apparently, she’s developed an attitude problem. That’s very good news though, as this collection benefited from its fresh sense of toughness. The first look established the change in tone: Today’s show opened with a shrugged-on, mannish coat with oversize shearling lapels that suggested that the girl wearing it would sooner kick you in the shins than be accused of being “twee.” Same goes for her friend in the quilted biker jacket, and the one in the hooded black leather bomber. Pretty much all the outerwear had that welcome hint of snarl.
Not all the looks were quite as bare-knuckle, but even when designers Timo Weiland and Alan Eckstein were working in a more refined vein, they tended to keep the looks sharp and un-girlish. To wit, a lean suit of navy windowpane check and the slouchy gray marl sweater worn with a foulard-print pencil skirt. Even a look as overtly femme as a khaki minidress with exaggerated godet pleats conveyed grown-up, can’t-be-fussed confidence. Not everything here worked as well; the wallpaper jacquards were a bit off, for example. But the weaknesses were made up for by the terrific show-closing look, a one-shoulder cocktail dress in navy satin that had some serious bite.
Speaking after the show, Weiland and Eckstein said that they had been inspired by English Tudor houses, and imagining hip East London girls heading to the country for the weekend. As they went on to acknowledge, though, those references were refracted, as they inevitably had to be, through their ur-New York sensibility. Somehow, all of that added up to a kind of ’90s-era X-Girl vibe—there was the same mix of grunge and polish. If the trousers had been boot-leg cut, the effect would have been complete.
Check out our full gallery after the break.
Maggie Grace and Christina Ricci adorned the front-row at Richard Chai’s women’s show. The designer explored a decidedly more grown-up, polished look than in past seasons. Yet the pared-down silhouettes, worked in a mostly dark palette, lacked Chai’s familiar energy. Men’s wear plaids were a leitmotif, shown on tailored suits, jackets and slim, understated dresses. The outerwear was a highlight, especially the hooded bomber in an abstract floral print and a long, beige oversize coat with a drawstring waist. The pop of purple here and there was refreshing, most notable on a bright sequined shirt worn under a tailored tweed jacket.
View all of our photos from runway after the break.
We 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.
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American Express announced an exclusive Cardmember Only Show featuring the CH Carolina Herrera collection in collaboration with the editors of Harper’s BAZAAR will take place during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week on February 14th at The Stage in Lincoln Center/Damrosch Park. For the first time ever, American Express Cardmembers and all CH Carolina Herrera fans will be able to shop select looks from the runway show exclusively on ShopBazaar.com immediately following the show.
Tickets are available now, and can be purchased using an American Express card here, for $100-275 depending on section and row preference.
The show will feature 50 looks from the Spring 2013 Men’s and Women’s Collections. Hailed as “Fashion’s First Lady”, Herrera was named the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year in 2004 and honored with the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. Acting as a mentor and critic to graduating design students for years, Herrera recently received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the Fashion Institute of Technology. In addition, she was also awarded the 2012 Fashion Group International Superstar Award.
Rihanna will make her design debut in London at a special event on Feb. 16 during London Fashion Week. The collection, created in collaboration with British high-street brand River Island, is made up of clothing and accessories that will go on sale online and in store on March 5.
“Launching at London Fashion Week is a dream come true for me,” said the singer. “I have wanted to design my own collection for a long time and to present my collection for River Island alongside all of the other great design talent at LFW is a real privilege. I can’t wait to see the reaction from my fans and the fashion press.”
“We are [pleased] to present our Rihanna for River Island collection at London Fashion Week,” River Island chief executive officer Ben Lewis told us in an interview. “This is the perfect platform to showcase Rihanna’s design talent and ambition.”
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.”
For 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.
Earlier today, Vivienne Tam presented her Spring / Summer 2013 collection.
Backstage before her show, designer Tam told us Chinese cosmology is the inspiration for her latest Spring collection. “It’s about the five elements,” she said. Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, as they were listed in the show notes—all materials we wouldn’t usually consider for a fashion line.
The shapes and energies associated with the five elements made Tam’s collection really impressive. There was a geometric twist to almost everything. Sheath dresses were layered with intricate octagonal cutwork, and other frocks, including a printed column gown, had hexagonal peplums. A classic trenchcoat, cropped gaucho pants, and a miniskirt also got the graphic cutout treatment. And the knits, the most commercial pieces in the range, were of the burnout variety.
Check out our full review and photos after the break.