Shows of February 12-20, 2009
Caren’s Coverage: Oh, the exhaustion. I can barely remember what I’ve seen; its one big fashionable blur in my mind. I am heroically trying to sort out the mess that is my brain and scrape together some sort of coverage.
Abaete: This collection featured a lot of black, but that’s ok since its the color of choice for the entire city. I feel that the accessories stole the show a bit here. Some eye-catching belts with chains and charms draping down, and also shoes with chain details on the front or heel. The best part is that since Abaete has an accessories line in Payless, shoppers can buy those shoes (or something very similar) at a great price.
Anna Sui: If you’re familiar with her then you know her fondness for bohochic, and she does not disappoint this season. With a riot of blues, purples, reds, blacks, lace and ruffles, any gothic lolita would be proud to don these creations. The print/pattern lovers amongst us will be intrigued by the patterned tights and vintage-y feel of the prints and the shiny brocades. She also threw in a few 80′s-esque prom dresses to round the party out.
Carolina Herrera: The word I think of when I hear her name is lovely. She always puts out a lovely collection. This particular lovely collection featured a lot of evening fabrics (satins, silks, fabrics with metallic threads and accents) in precious metal and jewel tones. The ever popular one shoulder dress was incorporated in too. Coats with short or 3/4 sleeves were cinched with heavy gold link chain belts; the same chain made another appearance in the bags that were shown.
Chado Ralph Rucci: The reigning master of haute couture for New York fashion week. His shows are always pure works of art that present the creativity of design and the craftsmanship of producing these masterpieces. This season found him exploring sculptoral color blocked garments,zen Buddha prints and the limits of his models’ balance. The runway with its three upward sloping platforms would be a challenge to many barefoot much less in towering 3-4 inch heels.
Charlotte Ronson: As far as I could see through the bobbing heads trying to snap shots of LiLo, it was a collection fit for New York’s reigning downtown princesses who like their fashion witha bit of edge. With dark colors such as black taking the lead, its no wonder that some of the most memorable pieces were in leather; zippered studded short jackets and above the knee boots accented with studs were the best examples. The one shoulder trend found a home here and so did the wide shouldered look. One other noteworthy detail was the use of military stars to make the accessories or just accessorize the garments.
Cho Cheng: It seemed like the designer was aiming for that exaggerated women’s work wear/school girl look. The jackets had a contrasting color at the collar and cuffs with some of them playing with the proportions of the wearer’s figure. Blazers were paired with ruffled minis. Then the show began its shimmery evening gown segment, which included several all white wedding looking numbers. The show definitely had some nice points, but the blond bob wigs were extremely distracting, especially since some of them seemed askew.
Christian Cota: He unveiled his fourth collection in a presentation at the Metropolitan Pavilion where attendees sipped cocktails while oohing and ahhingover this eye-catching collection. Drawing inspiration from Earth’s geological wonders, the elaborately beaded garments gleamed like gems and shot out sparks of color as the models moved underneaththe lights. The array of colors mimicked the stones that he tried to reproduce in both print and texture…the results – fluid, feminine and dazzling.
Domenico Vacca: Brought a friend who habitually needs to buy conservative officewear along for the ride because I thought that he could give me the best review for the show. Both womenswearand menswear was presented, and they both heavily featured tailored suits. The women’s clothing showed more variety by also including slinky, body hugging evening and cocktail dresses. All in all, they do classic clothing very well, and this is not where you expect to see cutting edge fashion. My friend had rave reviews for the cuts of the suits, and we ended the evening with him waxing poetic about the good ol’ days when he worked in fashion and could wear cool clothes. Ok, perhaps he wasn’t the best choice of someone to get a solid review of this show from.
Duckie Brown: On the other side of the menswear spectrum is the collection Duckie Brown presented. Color-wise, the collection weighed in heavily on the blacks and charcoals with splashes of brights, and it was obviously created for the modern urban man. The clothing actually seemed tame when you compared them to the…I guess accessories would be the most appropriate term for them. Some of the men were sporting the ninja look, all black outfits complete with ski masks. Others bravely rocked knit hats with giant (and I mean giant) pom poms on top, vaguely remeniscent of Buckingham Palace guards. A third option of large enveloping scarf was also on the menu; although, the guy with patent leather (?) trench was allowed to escape onto the runway with none of the above.
Farah Angsana: This show was all about glamour. Look after look of evening gowns and cocktail dresses in almost every shade of the rainbow with black, white and various metallics thrown in too. Whether you desire long or short, beaded or ruffled, flowing or figure-hugging, you eventually saw something that fit your tastes.
Georges Chakra: Also a lot of gowns and cocktail attire but these have a distinctly more haute couture feel. Ombre fabrics have been pleated, ruffled, twisted and gathered within an inch of their lives into shimmery creations that made dramatic statements on the runway. Some of the other looks featured what looks like laser cut floral and leaf representations appliqued onto chiffon or mesh. A few one shoulder/one sleeve dresses also muscled their way into this presentation.
Lela Rose: A pretty and wearable collection featuring heather greys, blues and citrines. Fabric is fluid and flowing in many of the tops and dresses (several of which feature that, you guessed it, one shouldered look). The more structured looking skirts featured a graphic print that is more aptly described as a color bleed than a color block.
Loris Diran: Got a jump on the competition by showing a day before the official start of fashion week. He always presents a sophisticated and lady-like collection, and in this showing, he has branched out to include menswear. The clothes showed an emphasis on tailored suits for both men and women and including many a structured sheath dress for the later. A few of the men’s looks skewed equestrian, and quite a few of the outfits, both male and female, were capped off with some unique leather half gloves.
Monarchy: Showed numerous suits and outerwear, with trenches and capes being the most popular for women. A distinctly British feel was evoked for the men with the use of bowler hats to top off some Savile Row looking suits. Personal favorites include a leather dress with a multitude of exposed zippers and the the unique way many of the fastners for the coats, jackets and cardigans were in atypical places.
Ports 1961: Known for drawing their inspiration from far flung, often exotic locations, Ports 1961 shows are as much a voyage, as a presentation of clothing. This season viewers were transported to India with the aid of a live band playing some authentic sounding tunes. Many of the dresses were obviously sari inspired (draped over one shoulder and yards & yards of flowing fabric) and included the other hallmark of Indian fashion – vibrant color. The hues ranged from metallics to magenta.
This Day/Arise Magazine: This was a presentation of four collections by African designers, all of which aimed to give fashion week attendees a taste of the culture. The whole spectrum of womens wear was covered from structured suits to beaded floor-dusting dresses, and while some looks seemed quite literal in their translation of traditional African fashion elements, others had a much subtler hand. All good runway shows will have at least one showstopping look, for this show, it was Grace Jones. The room errupted with applause, cheers and a standing ovation as she prowled up and down the runway.
1909 Victorinox: Did not quite know what to expect from the makers of Swiss Army Knives. Outdoor/camping gear? I had sincerely hoped not; although, in hindsight, outdoor wear is a catagory that could use some sprucing up (pardon the pun). What I got was some fairly utilitarian pieces with interesting design details to them. Made for that outdoor boy who’s definition of outdoors is chill’in at a city park. Was struck by several of the looks which featured a belt on top of the jacket, coat or sweater vest - something very familiar to the world of womens wear.
William Rast: A fairly new label that is primarily known as “Justin Timberlake’s line.” While not actually designed by him, the line does take cues from him and thus rolled out a very music/rock and roll inspired collection consisting of the holy trinity in music garb – denim, leather and tees. In this case, that rock and roll has a 70′s and 80′s vibe to it, with tight jeans, studs and fringe galore. In the battle of the sexes, I have to say I preferred the menswear looks over the womens. Frankly, most guys can carry off denim and leather, but the slightly football player look that some of the jackets and tops gave the women takes some getting used to.
Vivienne Tam: Instead of the tents, she opted for a presentation at her Soho store. Her Chinese calligraphy inspired collection was showcased perfectly in the space that mixes modern architectural elements with Chinese antiques. She began the collection by pondering the character for nothingness, which makes itself most apparent in her prints which seem like they were painted on with a calligrapher’s brush. Many of the pieces are richly textured with her habit of layering fabrics and shapes to create patterns and prints. Her signature red is well contrasted with the beautiful purple, blue and emerald jewel tones in the collection….Caren Kong
Pearl’s take on Feb. fashion week: This winter Fashion Week proved to be a challenge. About half or so of the designers were not in the tents.
That means people, if you’re not in shape for; running up and down subway steps, chasing after crosstown buses, and hailing cabs, you will be by mid week. Or you’ll be dead. Of course, I’m still alive to write this.
Friday Feb 13th: Venexiana:Never had I heard so much ooohing and ahhhhing at a show. There wasn’t one piece of clothing I didn’t like. Every dress either could have been worn to a major event or the Oscars.
ThisDay/ Arise: Grace Jones was there!!!!!!!! Need I say more?
Malan Breton: His couture fashion was excellent!
Sat Feb 14: Monarchy: The last show of the day. They saved the best for last.
Barbie Runway Show: Another fun and creative show. Every designers’ dress had it’s own way at seeing the 50 year old doll. There was something for everyone.
Sun. Feb15: Lela Rose: I put a couple of pictures up. Check the snap shot pages.
Mon. Feb 16 Farah Angsana: Never have I seen a collection like this one. This made my whole week. If you are into glamour, or want to turn heads when you walk into a room then grab these clothes quick! Because I think they are going to fly out of the doors!
Terexov: They have never disappointed me. Not last year nor this year.
Tuesday and Wednesday I had to take off, “gasp” but I will be back for the last two days…Pearl Runningdeer
