NUMBER:Lab Fall 2012

Recent CFDA Incubatee NUMBER:Lab showed their Fall 2012 collection recently at Milk Studios. The collection, with their perennial combination of luxury and high-tech fabrics hits the nail perfectly on the head. The perfect look for the sophisticated but rugged urban male, Luis Fernandez manages to bring in the 3Cs of color, cut, and clarity of vision in a way that its no suprise to have a diamond-esque sculpture accenting the runway (yes, I realize it is supposed to be a glacier). This collection is 100% what ready-to-wear is all about, since I am ready to wear any and all of these outfits straight from the runway, and I know I am not alone! I would say I can't wait to see what they'll do next, but I am too busy re-watching this presentation and picking out my fall wardrobe...

Christian Cota and Doutzen Kroes at Fashion's Night Out

Super exciting event for tomorrow's Fashion's Night Out... Christian Cota and Doutzen Kroes will be creating one of a kind prints using pixal paint screens at Saks Fifth Avenue on the third floor from 6:00 - 7:00 PM. Then hop downtown to check out the launch of Christian Cota's shoe line for Aldo at their Soho store (579 Broadway) from 7:30 - 8:30 PM. Two events in one day, especially so close to fashion week, seems almost superhuman - but if any designer can do it, Christian is surely the man for the job!

Livestreaming Fashion Week from Metro Velvet TV

Watch live streaming video from metrovelvet at livestream.com

If this isn't working you should check it out at MetroVelvet

House of Major - Fashion to the Max

With fashion week coming up, I couldn't help but share this hot ticket. Former Heatherette designer Richie Rich is teaming up with the fashion forward Jean-Luc Quevauvill​iers to produce what can only be an amazing satorial extravaganza... Knowing these two over the top designers, if there is one show not to miss this season, it is this.

Brooklyn Royalty - Fashion Week Launch Party

Independent label Brooklyn Royalty is collaborating with killer website Brokelyn on a new apparel collection that is set to launch during September 2011 Fashion Week. The launch party will be Friday, September 16th from 7:00-10:00 PM at Mission Dolores, a great bar and event space at Fourth Avenue and Carroll Street. The men's and women's tees & tanks being launched will be sported by models and also available for sale to the public.

In keeping with the Brokelyn ethos, nothing will be over $20 and as part of this inaugural launch, each shirt will come with a package of neighborhood discounts available for those sporting the Brokelyn collection. There will also be delicious drink specials, fashion week-related prize giveaways, and free temporary tattoos if you want to blazon yourself Brooklyn pride (at least for the night...)

Discounts Include:
* 2-for-1 beer or coffee at Flying Saucer on Tuesdays
* 2-for-1 drinks at Bocca Lupo after 10:30 on Friday and Saturday nights
* 2-for-1 beer at karaoke Wednesdays, MikNic Lounge
* A free one-bite appetizer at St. Austere restaurant in Williamsburg
* And way more than we can list here!

To contact Brooklyn Royalty designer Bob Bland, email brooklynroyalty@gmail.com. You can also reach Brokelyn founder Faye Penn at faye@brokelyn.com. Mission Dolores is located at 249 4th Ave at Carroll St.

LES Runway at Grand Opening

Tickets are now available for the LES Runway!

Come and see some of New York's up and coming designers in the most intimate and interactive runway ever to hit New York. Swag bags, champagne and all the fixings of a downtown fashion event will be provided. Yet another great experience provided to NYC from Grand Opening! The LES Runway will be open from September 7th through October 2nd.

Runway: Thursday, Friday and Saturday (7, 8 and 9pm)
Pop-up Shop: Tues, Wed and Sun (12pm-7pm), Sat (12pm-6pm)

Get your tickets here:
http://www.grandopening.org

Grand Opening
139 Norfolk Street, NYC

Maria Vazquez - Spring 2011

The final show of fashion week in Buenos Aires and the runway has sprouted giant multicolored mushrooms. The opening look did not disappoint after the mushroom laden runway and acid trip video. Bright colors pop on top of crisp white backgrounds and a caged bird print on black adds to the trippy vibe with its bright colors and swirling paisley accents. The show continues with some great color blocking in lemon and tangerine silks, paired with turquoise green shoes.

The Maria Vazquez girl is definitely living in a technicolor world this spring - even the accessories, like a multicolored button clutch, help bring a pop of color to an otherwise all too normal little black dress. Flowers and stripes make an extremely powerful statement whether paired or standing on their own. These patterns become 3D and really jump out to grab the viewer as they are incorporated into structural elements of the garments (and I thought that they were speaking loudly before - now they are standing up and shouting!) The girl who wears these clothes better have a lot of personality - otherwise the clothes will end up wearing her. Seriously, they can truly come alive - or maybe the show was just one big acid trip. Either way you should watch out for these clothes - you don't want to miss them, and you will definitely see them coming. Hopefully to a boutique near you...

Photographs courtesy of Mike Ferre

Hermanos Estebecorena - Spring 2011

The models had to navigate a runway full of obstacles, and in their underwear no less! Well at least the first two did... The obstacles ended up melding together to display the company logo when seen head on. The clothes were classic, refined, and at times playful. The look incorporated fun prints like flowers and lighthouses (reminiscent of little boys' bedding) with everyday staples and some sleek jackets. These pieces could walk right off the runway and into the closet of any dapper dude from New York, London, Tokyo, or Milan. The HE-man has plenty of fashion sense with a bit of whimsy thrown in.

There also might have been a bit of magic backstage - with the whole show comprised seemingly of three models (though it turns out to be four - two sets of twins, one being admittedly more identical than the other...) Apparently in Argentina only the boys know how to do quickchanges, and these guys are experts.

The staple pieces presented in the collection are well thought out and excellently tailored, giving the right mix of polish and enjoyment. The tailored shorts, hemmed to just above the knee, have a great sense of classic modernity to them. If there were to be any complaint (not that I have one) it would be a question of color. The clothes were impeccable but lacked the bursts of color one so longs for after a cold grey winter.

As the show came to a close there were a few surprises. The chest mounted camera was certainly one of them, and this techno-modern edge came from nowhere - as did the next model (in his only sighting of the show) finally giving us some color in a purple bathing suit - worn with a thick coat of chest hair. Overall an excellent collection of spring staples - which according to the runway obstacles you can now buy online!

Photographs courtesy of Mike Ferre

Varanasi - Spring 2011

The heavy handed intro video was entirely unnecessary - like being forced to sit through all of the credits before getting to watch the movie. The African influence on the collection would have been abundantly clear without the laborious video (OR the African singing, OR the sculptures on the runway - though both of these I enjoyed). Lightweight white linen pieces floated down the runway with patchwork and applique details that ride the line between tribal and holly-hobby but somehow manage to come across mostly fashionable. As the music amped up and the group started singing we were delighted with a celebration of colors in interesting geometrics - both on the clothes and the models themselves (the models had painted hands and arms). All of the colors seem to have a root in nature which allows them to be mixed (at times in abundance) interestingly and elegantly. The clothes are definitely for a more modern and artsy woman who appreciates the hand touched feel of less processed fabrics and a spice of something different. Bright bold prints brought back the tribal feel in a modern and interesting way. One of the recurring visuals was a (nearly giraffe) pattern that seemed to emulate the cracks in dry mud - both structurally and in prints. I still can't decide whether the plastic Massai neckbands and giant gold starfruit earrings were over the top or a genius new jewelry trend to watch.

The wood, metal, and leather sculpture were just as interesting as the clothes and never waivered in their taste level or interest. They definitely added rather than detracting (unlike the video).

Photographs courtesy of Mike Ferre

Cora Groppo - Spring 2011

One of the strangest openings I have ever seen, three models walked down the second row of seats on both sides of the runway before the first model stepped foot on the runway. This was a precursor of the models doing double duty - walking the runway then completing another lap up and down the aisles. The garments were decidedly dark with black, navy, and midnight blue as a palette. However, their light and ethereal nature told you that they were decidedly for spring. The clothes had an interesting precariousness to the way they were layered - as if made from scraps of other luxurious garments. Color came into the collection with dusty mauve, platinum, and purple. There is a natural architectural quality, as if the pieces grew organically or were put together by waves or winds rather than men in hard hats. The great mix of textures range from light weight knits, to silks and jerseys, and even a shockingly yet seasonably light leather. The layered looks are great for a day on the town - and will carry you from spring through fall. Meanwhile, the sculptural dresses are perfect for your next cocktail event and can hold their own against the best that modern art (or modern dance, given their ethereal nature) has to offer.

Grupo 134 - Spring 2011

The hipster vibe meets an old English (as in England... not the malt liquor) feel - including an older bearded man who is either famous or they were really trying to push the bum aesthetic further than anyone in Williamsburg is willing to. The clothes were in a muted palette of tan, cream, white, grey, and black. The stylistic choice of a bowler hat is not my favorite; especially as it has been repeated on every single model. There is a good use of layering, even if the clothes look worn out, although the guys look bored and dirty more than anything. The ladies come out in a similar aesthetic but here it seems to have some direction. Light weight fabrics flounce down the runway and the girls look ready to hit the street in the summer heat. My personal favorite look is a cream silk jumper with short-shorts in a dark polka dot. And unlike their gentlemen counterparts, we are seeing a bit of color on the ladies, with coral colored tops and accents.

Another older man comes out and walks the runway for good measure (this one is shaven and more rocker-chic) then the fashion is amped up! The mens and women's clothes are both sleeker and, at least for the boys, chicer. It seems that now we have gone from day to night- where the proportion of black in the ensembles makes a bit more sense, even if it is supposed to be spring. I am sure that it doesn't hurt that it seems like they have saved their better looking (and better walking) models for this section of the show - since apparently quickchanges weren't an option. the dark black outfits on the ladies are brightened up with white stripes to add a nautical yet dramatic feel to them.

The video art piece projected throughout the show was very well thought out and well tied into the show; that is, until the unfortunate Greenpeace ad at the end. Stupidly and unnecessarily politicizing, it almost makes me dislike the whole collection even though there were a few worthwhile garments.

Vicki Otero - Spring 2011

The opening look combined with the harp music gave a very Victorian / Alice in Wonderland doll feel, which quickly jumped back and forth with a sort of retro-modern style. Dark color palette of blacks and greys with heavier looking fabric than you might expect from a Spring/Summer collection was combined with platform with platform shoes so hideous you would almost think they are orthopedic...

The first white garments are (not) surprisingly unfresh - with a bib detail that is at one moment baby doll and the next sailor boy. Finally we get some plausible spring dresses, but even when they are flouncy they feel too heavy in grey and dark blue hues. The color suddenly shifts to include a bright lipstick red with black - seemingly coming out of nowhere and then disappearing back into nothing - which I think is where it belongs. A white cowl-back top paired with a black skirt followed by a white overcoat and great scarf tied in a bow (in black of course) try to salvage the collection at the end. The show finishes as we see a tango singer come out to stand off the last model like a matador with a bull.

Other than the last two looks the white Alice in Wonderland dress on the harpist and the all white linen suit on the singer my be the best outfits in the show. I can only hope that they were also made by Vicki Otero. In the end, the only thing heavier than the fabrics pleated and folded upon the models is their makeup - a fuchsia eye with accented heavy eyebrows definitely read spring (if you are Frida Kahlo).

Evangelina Bomparola - Spring 2011

The show opened strong with an elegantly tailored tangerine jumpsuit, followed by multi-colored graphic and geometric pieces in an ivory, camel, and tangerine palette. She is clearly drawing inspiration from the late 70s and early 80s. At times this was in a very modern way like her shift dresses, which are simultaneously architectural and structureless - in the best possible way. While at others very literal, as with the odd pair of bellbottoms included in the collection. The color palette expands to include exuberant accents of magenta and canary as well.

Her high waisted short-shorts will definitely give girls a reason to hit the elliptical before spring gets here. A series of canary dresses bring some pop back into the collection while highlighting the aforementioned architecturality of the collection as they float down the runway. Stunning gold zipper details are highlighted bu the black trim surrounding them - really making this detail stand out on these otherwise bright and weightless garments. The Mondrian inspired clothes are perfect for a cocktail or a gala event, whether you are supporting the MALBA or the MOMA. Truly a modern sensibility for dressing women, Evangelina has managed to pull some of the best elements from the past and drag them into the present.

Unfortunately, as a series of gorgeous ivory dresses with magenta accents came out the musicians either ran out of things to play or encountered technical difficulties, distracting from the show - always something to think about when you choose to use live musicians in a show. The cacophony of noise started up again- now sounding more like a siren than music - just as the last model stepped off the runway. Such a tragic way to end an otherwise splendid show...

Buenos Aires Fashion Week

The stage was set for my first South American fashion show. Other than the setup for a live band on the runway and ads playing from jumbotrons before the show - this seemed just like any other runway event. It is quite remarkable how fashion people all seem to look the same, no matter where you are in the world. And of course, there was the requisite amount of pushing, herding, and standing in line. The main salon (much larger in size than the two runway salons combined) feels more like one of the trade shows La Rural is famous for hosting, than anything I have seen in New York. This led to the event feeling somewhat smaller market, not dissimilar to the up and coming Philly Fashion Week (which I was ever so lucky to model at once upon a time...) Perhaps a trip to Brasil is in order to see if this is just how things are done in South America. Also Interesting is how centralized everything is - with all of the PR seemingly handled by through the fashionweek organization rather than individual PR firms, and without upstart rival shows happening all around town.

Stay tuned for the resulting articles...

Articles are now up for:

Cora Groppo
Evangelina Bomparola
Grupo 134
Hermanos Estebecorena
Maria Vazquez
Varanasi
Vicki Otero

Eva & Bernard may be coming to a store near you...

After a hot summer like this has been, these slinky and airy designs from Eva & Bernard would definitely be a sartorial relief. The brand's trajectory has been almost as hot as the weather outside - since its launch in 2009, Eva & Bernard has been carried in stores throughout Germany and Italy and were recently named “Ones to Watch” by WWD in correlation with Berlin Fashion Week 2011. Whether you are headed to a beach vacation, or just spending the weekend pretending you are already on one, the relaxed elegance of these garments will help you feel cooler than a beach breeze. With Eva & Bernard, their "easy tailoring" aesthetic doesn't mean that they aren't paying attention to the details - these Italian-made garments come in a range of the finest cottons, silks, linen, and cashmere. Currently they are only sold in Europe but with stockist meetings next month in NYC, hopefully they will be coming to a boutique near you soon!

Check out their Berlin Fashion Lineup for the Full Collection

Paola Hernandez at Global Glam

It's almost like dejavu... It is not uncommon to experience this when you see the fashion week looks finally hit the stores several months later, but how often can you go and buy the designer's looks in the same location that you first saw their collection? Well, with Paola Hernandez you can do just that! After her fabulous February presentation with artists from New York Academy of Art in the W New York, now you can purchase some special pieces she designed for the W Hotel's project- Global Glam. Pieces from Paola Hernandez and several other designers will be available at W boutiques starting in August.

Paola Hernandez - Fall 2011

Paola Hernandez presented her Fall 11 collection, titled “A Look Within,” at the W New York on Sunday. There is nothing I love more than art and fashion with a few cocktails mixed in. The presentation consisted of a mix between models and actual artists from the New York Academy of Art in looks ranging from layered corset dresses to long wool layered coats.

The authenticity of the artists highlighted the concept behind the collection which was based on the idea of balance. The pieces were primarily simple colors, black and grey; paired with a silver lining, suggesting light and revealing the power for creation within. While sipping on Perrier and Whiskey Sours provided by Auchentoshan (admittedly more Auchentoshan than Perrier), we were able to actually observe the artists creating, whether it was painting, sculpting, drawing, or writing.

ADAM - Spring 2010

Casual and soft, these slouchy loungey clothes are perfect for a sunny day in any locale, not just Lamu – a small island in the Indian Ocean off the Kenyan coast which inspired the Spring 2010 collection. The prints of flowers and butterflies scattered throughout were fun and girly without being overbearing. Ostrich feathers glammed up the runway a bit making appearances with metallic detailing as skirts and a dress. I loved the color palate of pale blues, lavenders, and a punch of turquoise all complimenting a buttery cream base. The super soft tissue-weight jerseys are not unexpected from a clothier who always has the finest fabric selections. The pieces adorned with metallic beads brought in some sparkle in an earthy organic way – although occasionally a bit heavy-handed. The palliate skirt is bound to grab everyone’s attention as it walk down the street. My favorite piece was a silver metallic dress that is ethereal and gauzy in contrast to some of the chunkier metallic beading work. Welcome back from vacation Adam and thanks for bringing New York this breath of fresh air.

Poleci - Spring 2010

Drastic improvements from last season at Poleci. From construction to aesthetics this season was many steps in the right direction. The color palate was a little bleak - washed out purples, deep river blues, and dull camo greens. There were some interesting textures created by layering sheer fabrics and gathering. The two standout pieces involved a fun blue sequin fabric which was a sparkling relief amidst the drab matte silks that permeated the collection. The shoes were as clunky as the color choices. There are a lot of interesting and wearable pieces but as a whole there is still some room for improvement at Poleci.

Christian Siriano - Spring 2010

This kid really needs to give up on these hats – oversized even for the Ascot opening day scene from My Fair Lady… Beyond that the clothes were stylish, well tailored, and elegant. Warm silvers and rosy beiges paraded up and down the runway. Ranging from snug and sleek dresses and suits to billowy and soft blouses and skirts, everything seemed to take a minimalist and monochromatic tone. A detailing of blue piping finally accenting the sea of beige hinted at the color splash to come. Then finally, midway through the show, an abstract print of a variegated blue and grey appeared. The print is bold and interesting but can be somewhat aggressive as an 80’s style propelled ruffle or – pushing it even further - a skin tight jumpsuit. I pause. Was Mystique just on the runway? The deep aqua chiffon that grounds the print is calm and serene. Suddenly the palette warmed up with a red top standing out from the rest and we got hotter golds and a red print cocktail dress with petal pleats - apparently Christian is watching reality TV? Super aggressive ball gowns in reds and rose shut down the show, although my favorite was the blue evening gown which he showed before the color shift. Very typical of Siriano’s reputation as a showman to end by hitting you over the head with a bunch of big statement pieces; maybe if I wore one of those ridiculous hats I would be a bit more protected. Nonetheless this was generally a very solid collection you will definitely see around Manhattan this spring and the shoes were to die for!