Archive for September 2010

Reviews

Mark Fast Spring 2011: Fringe Fest

Fringe has played a big role at the London shows, and knitwear king Mark Fast got in on the fun for Spring 2011.

The Canadian born designer, whose body-con spider web dresses have made quite the impression on the fashion industry, only tweaked his signature look slightly for spring, adding in some extravagant fringe–made from horsehair?–more than a few crystals–provided by Swarovski, natch–and a bit of patent leather thrown in for good measure.

Was it revolutionary? Certainly not. But Fast is establishing a signature look. For a young designer, sometimes that’s more important than shocking the audience each season.

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Reviews

Tying Up Loose Threads from NYFW: Marc by Marc, Phillip Lim and Anna Sui Do What They Do, But They Do It So Well

You sort of know what to expect from Marc by Marc (cheerful, fun, girly), Phillip Lim (sleek, tailored, the clothes I want to wear), and Anna Sui (’70s inspired, kooky, playful), but that is not to say that these designers don’t put out great collections season after season. There’s something comforting, too, in knowing that when you go to see any of these designers, you know you’re in for a good show. And Spring/Summer 2011 was no exception. We’ve also included our final menswear review of George McCracken’s show in this, our final review roundup from New York Fashion Week.

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Rants

A Message to Modcloth Regarding The “Blog Writer Dress”

Gently priced, self-described “indie” clothing site Modcloth is selling a dress called the “blog writer dress.” It is an off white star-print baby-doll dress with a pinafore-type smock that retails for $131.99. There’s a stereotype about bloggers that they are slovenly and perma-pajama-ed and stuck in the middle of a macbook-and-couch sandwich. Feeding into that stereotype, Modcloth’s “blog writer dress” looks appropriately like a nightgown. For an eight-year-old.

I blog and I edit a blog and I don’t dress like this. Nor do any of my friends who edit and write online. The Gloss took an informal poll of some lady bloggers only to find out that they, too, did not wear, as Triangle Music‘s Valerie Marino calls it, “hipster muumuus,” to work.

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Streetwalker

Street Style: Nastasia Is Sweet Like Macaroons

Name: Nastasia Ohl

Occupation: Model

Agency: Next

What is your favorite dessert? That’s a hard one. I’m a sweet kind of person but probably Macaroons.

What is currently your favorite song? “Salvation” by The Scanners.

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Adventures in Copyright

Adventures In Copyright: Urban Outfitters VS. Proenza Schouler

Urban Outfitters, who is no stranger to our Adventures In Copyright series, is back at it again. This time around the victim is Proenza Schouler. Reader Tina pointed out that the Urban Outfitters’ ‘Realitee Tye Dye Sweatshirt’ looks remarkably similar to a top from Proenza Schouler’s Spring 2010 collection. And we wholeheartedly agree. This is a flagrant knock-off.

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Trendspotting

Trendspotting: Turbans

By SAMANTHA TOBIAS Monday, Sep 20, 2010 / 3:30 PM

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Fashion Is Fun

DIY Video: P.S. I Made This…Denim Messenger Bag

By Leah Chernikoff Monday, Sep 20, 2010 / 2:00 PM

Erica Domesek is the craftiest girl we know. And we’re not talking crafty as in macaroni necklaces and potholders here. She’s glamor with a glue gun, taking runway trends and recreating them DIY-style with materials from the party supplies aisles and hardware stores, breaking each project down on her site, P.S. I Made This. And now all of Domesek’s best P.S. I Made This projects are bound in print: Her new book, P.S. I Made This, is out this week.

A few weeks ago out in Montauk, Domesek walked Lauren and me through repurposing an old pair of jean shorts by turning them into adorable messenger bags with chain link straps. We’re not quite as crafty as Erica, but she made it easy, and it’s easy to follow along in this video. It’s the first of three in a DIY series we’re working on with Erica, and the next project is Alexander Wang-inspired so stay tuned.

Now grab your ratty old jean shorts (it’s finally cool enough to be retiring them anyway), get inspired and repeat Domesek’s mantra: “I see it, I like it, I make it.”

Shop London Fashion Week’s Estethica Designers For the First Time on YOOX

Seven years ago, The British Fashion Council set out on a mission to make fashion just a little bit more ecofriendly. In order to do so, they established Estethica–an exhibition of innovative designers committed to working sustainably.

After seven years of success at London Fashion Week, Estethica and the BFC have decided to make the eco sustainable design exhibition available to consumers world wide through a collaboration with ecommerce site YOOX.com. To coincide with this week’s London Fashion Week, YOOX created an online retail space specifically for a selection of Estethica designers called Yooxygen.

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Fashion News Roundup

Fashion News Roundup: Bedbugs Hit Fifth Ave, Taylor Momsen Is In Her Underwear (Again) and On Fire, and Giles Deacon to NYFW

Bedbugs Swoosh: The bed bugs are back (were they every really gone?). Their latest victim? The 95,000 square-foot Nike store on 57th Street and Fifth Avenue. While Nike has released a press release addressing the bedbug problem, none of the signs outside let passersby know that the store has been infested with bedbugs. Sneaky. {The Cut}

Taylor Momsen Is on Fire, Literally: Taylor Momsen and her band The Pretty Reckless have released their new video for ‘Makes Me Wanna Die.’ In it, Momsen strips down to her underwear while walking through bits of burning debris and leaping flames. Shocking. {Huffington Post}

Giles Comes To NYFW: Maybe. Following the steps of other UK designers such as Preen and William Tempest, Giles Deacon wants to show his eponymous label in New York next season rather than London. {Fashionologie}

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Reviews

Richard Nicoll Spring 2011: I Need, I Want, I Have to Have

LONDON–You know that a show’s good when you begin trying to work out in your mind how you’re going to fit at least one piece, if not two, into your budget next year. That’s how I felt when I was watching Richard Nicoll‘s Spring 2011 show. I haven’t yet decided which piece I want to splurge on, but I have narrowed it down to ten:

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Reviews

The Major Leagues: Vivienne Westwood Red Label and Matthew Williamson Spring 2011

Most of the shows in London are super, super cool–Hannah Marshall‘s Rankin video, anyone?–but not slickly produced. I personally think this is a good thing–I always love intimate shows where the audience gets an up close and personal view of the garments.

However, the better-known a designer is, the more pressure there is to put on a grand spectacle. Yesterday, two of London’s most well-known designers, Vivienne Westwood and Matthew Williamson, staged major shows. With very different results.

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Would You Rather?

Would You Rather…? The Givenchy Haute Couture Edition

Who wears their Givenchy couture better, Vogue Paris EIC Carine Roitfeld or blogger extraordinaire Bryanboy? Either way it’s a win for leopards everywhere.

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