Archive for September 2010

Fashion Week

Sneak Peek: Grey Ant Spring 2011

On Tuesday, September 14, Grey Ant–who are best known for their jeans– will be holding their NYFW show while also celebrating the re-launch the Grey Ant Collection after taking a few seasons off. We were lucky enough to get a sneak peek at some of the pieces, including a Grace Jones detailed cotton silk dress, an amazing cardboard and leather platform, and their Kennedy sunglasses–all of which will debut on the runway come Tuesday. Grey Ant says that their collection was inspired by their move to New York City from Los Angeles, after taking residence in the CFDA’s Fashion Incubator. Take a look at some of their one-of a-kind pieces.

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Reviews

Cut and Color at Vena Cava

The mood at Vena Cava was serene and slowed down despite the requisite frenzy surrounding any fashion show. Models walked to ethereal warbly opera music, and moved so slowly down the runway they looked like they were underwater.

The runway was hung with geometric color-blocked mobiles, a reflection of the early ’80s Memphis design movement that inspired the collection. Turbaned models floated down the runway in simple yet elegant separates (blazers, shorts, flowy skirts and bralet tops) in richly saturated color-blocks of bright orangey-red, khaki, and aqua. Geometric shapes were sewn onto delicate silk tops.

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Fashion Week Parties

Last Night’s Parties: OMGCHANEL

Last night’s Chanel party to celebrate the re-opening of the brand’s Soho store was the place to see and be seen. The store was so A-list star saturated you couldn’t move without bumping into one. I almost inadvertently tripped Russell Simmons with my way-too-big bag. And I kind of froze when I came face to [...]

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Reviews

Former Rodarte Trainees McTega Make a Splash at New York Fashion Week

The California fashion scene isn’t huge, so it makes sense that one of the sunshine state’s more promising new labels has its roots in Rodarte, the undisputed granddaddy of LA-based fashion. Sarah McLellan and Kristina Ortega met as interns to the Mulleavey sisters, and with no formal training under their belts, started McTega in 2006. The line of resin jewelry quickly drew a following with its attention grabbing pieces: knuckle-sized rings with stalactite-like drops, candy-colored necklaces formed as giant rock crystals, and freeform bangles in a mesmerizing transparent rainbow palette. A piece in WWD led to an order from Barneys, but then the recession hit and, like most struggling lines, McTega lost their momentum.

Luckily for us, the girls kept playing and perfecting their resin-melting methods in the chem lab they built in Monterrey Park, CA. At Wednesday’s presentation, held at a small gallery on the Bowery, this season’s pieces intermingled with moss and coral, inside glass terrariums that were frustratingly impermeable to an iPhone camera’s flash but admittedly cool.

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  • Kate Scheyer
  • Friday, Sep 10, 2010 / 11:30 AM
  • 3 Comments
News

Exclusive Video: Christian Cota’s Spring 2011 Inspiration

By Lauren Sherman Friday, Sep 10, 2010 / 11:00 AM

We love CFDA Fashion Fund finalist Christian Cota–his Saturday show is one of the most hotly-anticipated of the season. Christian was kind enough to give us a sneak peek into his magical world. Enjoy!

Fashion Shows

Richard Chai’s Sheer Layers

This NY Fashion Week marks the one-year anniversary of Richard Chai’s Love collection. This time around it was still the good girl/tomboy we’ve seen before, but toughened up just a bit with hits of leather and charcoal accents.

Chai sent a total of twenty-nine looks down the runway, each averaging about three pieces per look, some with up to five separates, which will amount to a hugely salable bevy of goods. Almost every look included a sheer nude fabric that acted as either the main focus of the garment or as an accent or trim. As for the color palette, if the spring 2011 ‘Love’ collection is any indication of what we’ll be wearing next season, it’ll be a stormy few months; lots of neutral beiges and nudes, cloudy navy blues, and light grays.

Flowing drop-hem dresses, below-the-knee skirts, and voluminous pants all in light-weight and sheer fabrics make for a very comfortable and wearable collection, yet the accents of black and gray leather in the bandeau tops and crop tanks toughened up the overall airiness. For each super feminine dress, there was a dark blazer or other element of menswear to harden it up. True to Richard Chai’s aesthetic, there was nary a high heel in sight–each model wore a lace-less, flat oxford. Certainly the “good-girl-with-an-edge-who-sometimes-wears-her-boyfriends- clothes” attitude was made even more evident by the music choice: a DJ mix of songs by The Arcade Fire.

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  • Brittnee Cann
  • Friday, Sep 10, 2010 / 10:30 AM
  • 2 Comments
Menswear

Fenton/Fallon’s Dana Lorenz is Launching a Men’s Collection

We love Fenton/Fallon for its tough yet glossy appeal–now the guys get a chance to be adorned by Dana Lorenz. The designer just announced that she’s launching a full-blown mens collection for Spring 2011, as well as collaborating with our favorite menswear designer Tim Hamilton on jewelry for his REDUX line. Lorenz’s main collection will retail from retail from $150-$500 and includes leather-wrapped bracelets and necklaces.

The designer says that she wants men to be at ease in her pieces. “Guys still want to wear things they forget they have on, that are comfortable and natural–but I wanted to push the boundaries of that a little.”

For Hamilton, she’s doing everything from pins and pendants to wallet chains–14 exclusive pieces in total.

Here’s a sneak peek at what’s in store.

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People Are Talking

Love is Blind. We are Not. Don’t Be So Difficult.

Which designer is so hard to work with that his casting director dropped him two days before the show and now has his family members calling around to find models?

Fashion Week

Exclusive: Behind the Scenes at Naomi Campbell’s Rehearsal for Fashion’s Night Out

I’ve had some crazy experiences in my life, but the last place I expected to find myself on the first day of New York Fashion Week was in a Midtown dance studio watching Naomi Campbell bust a move. But it happened. And it was kind of amazing.

Naomi and a gaggle of young models were rehearsing their Fashion’s Night Out performance, which will take place tonight at Dolce & Gabbana’s New York flagship on Madison Ave. The dance, put together by Campbell’s friend Laurie Gibson, features Naomi fist-pumping to Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Kanye West in “Run this Town.” Gibson, who’s made a name for herself choreographing tons of music videos, including Lady Gaga’s, is so positive and encouraging I almost wanted to jump in there. “It doesn’t have to be perfect, just honest” she tells the girls. “Except for the marches–those have to be perfect–you’re models!”

The theme of Dolce & Gabbana’s FNO party is, simply, Naomi. She’s been in the business for 25 years, so they’re celebrating with limited edition t-shirts featuring iconic images of Naomi taken by the likes of Patrick Demarchelier and Steven Meisel. I got the chance to chat with the Super for a few minutes. She was very humble and genuinely excited about the whole thing. “It’s such an honor to work with Laurel,” she told me. “I studied dance and I always wished I could do dance or performance. But I chose a career as a model instead. This is a dream come true.” As for what she thinks about an entire evening dedicated to her career: “The whole thing is just really fun. It’s a celebration.”

Click through for my photo diary of the rehearsal.

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Fashion Shows

Drama and Daywear at Christian Siriano

Christian Siriano. The name brings about memories of “Ferosha Coutura,” good Project Runway seasons, and giant poufy dresses.

But the pint-sized wonderboy has grown so much since those days. Now with a successful shoe and bag line for Payless and sunglasses on the horizon, Christian Siriano is becoming a brand beyond reality TV.

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Fashion Week

Tommy Wants You to ‘Meet The Hilfigers’

It’s the Tommy Hilfiger brand’s 25th birthday this season, and on Sunday we’re in for what is sure to be a fabulous runway show, followed by a big party where The Strokes are rumored to be playing.

But until then, Tommy wants to get into your head. The company has launched a new ad campaign entitled Meet the Hilfigers–you might have noticed it in the September books–featuring Fall 2010 runway looks. But this isn’t your typical print campaign. Each model plays a character, from wannabe actor Noah to off-kilter socialite Issie. (You can read all about them here.) Starting today, the Hilfigers will begin making public appearances. First at the US Open, then at Fashion’s Night Out.

Here’s the social media bit: Each of the characters–Chloe, Noah, Jacquelyn, and Lea–will be broadcasting their “lives” via Twitter. Their handles will be announced shortly via the official Tommy Hilfiger Facebook and Twitter pages.

This is all kind of goofy, but in a good way. (Plus, it doesn’t hurt the Hilfiger boys are all pretty cute.) So many big brands–luxury, mass, and in-between–are ultra lazy when it comes to social media. They think throwing up a Facebook page and calling it a day works–it doesn’t. We applaud Tommy for doing something different and are eager to see how it pans out.

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Entertainment

Ten Questions For Project Runway

1) We can’t blame Michael Kors for promoting his sunglasses on the show, right? At least he’s entertaining, unlike the Garnier guy.

2) What kind of resort wear do you think Tim wears? He didn’t look very comfortable on that boat in his suit.

3) Does Gretchen REALLY think Casanova is a “retard”? (His word, not mine, I swear!)

4) Isn’t it so sweet that Mondo admitted to being a “dick” (again, his word) and apologized to Michael C? Although that brief shot of them canoodling after the judging was a little weird.

5) Why, oh, why won’t they just send Ivy home already??

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