Y-3

Fashion Week

The Best New York Fashion Week Invitations of Spring 2014

One of the most exciting things about fashion week happens before it even begins--getting the invitations. And while many designers still choose to go with the standard invites (don't get us wrong--they're great too!), or emails (more eco-friendly, sure), we're all about the fancy ones. There's just something to be said about getting a little creative--so we wanted to put a spotlight on those designers that went above and beyond. Click through for a look at the coolest Spring 2014 New York fashion week invitations.

Style

Y-3 Spring 2013

The Clothes: For Y-3’s 10th anniversary, designer Yohji Yamamoto gave us what we’ve come to expect – brilliant, conceptually challenging sports-meets

Style

Y-3 Fall 2012: Fashion's Nomads

Yohji Yamamoto could be called fashion's cipher. The godfather of Japanese conceptualism who has also collaborated with Adidas on the avant-sportswear line Y-3 for the past decade—and who didn't appear for a bow at the end of his show yesterday—is not someone you corner for a sound bite. So we'll refer to the show notes sent via PR blast later in the evening which mention his admiration for the “poetry and elegance to the way nomads dress,” and desire “to capture that feeling and make it modern.” That emphasis on itinerant lifestyles would explain the very Silk Road-esque carpets piled across the runway when we arrived at the usual Y-3 underground showspace at 82 Mercer Street. It would also explain the multi-culti mix of references in the 58-look run of show for women and men; we spotted a oversized sherpa, a mini sombrero, and a black hat reminiscent of those worn by Andean matrons—and that's just amongst the headgear.

Style

That's The Ticket: A Look at the Coolest New York Fashion Week Invites

If you've watched Bridezillas, you know it's difficult to plan a wedding. Every detail is mulled over ad nauseam: the music, decor, seating arrangements, the dress, and, of course, the invitations. Fashion Week is kind of the same way. Design houses are in a frenzy, burning Lana Del Rey MP3s, obsessing over the set design, sitting in on model castings, making sure the most prominent editors get choice seating, and sending out creative invites to garner excitement (rather than panic attacks) over the several shows they will have to sit through and ultimately, report on. Just as every bride wants her invitations to capture the essence of her wedding, designers are behooved to get a little creative with their invites. To show you how funky some brands get, we've compiled the most interesting invites we've received. From embossed flasks to digital picture frames, click through for the fashion show invitations that got us most excited.

Business

Fashion News Roundup: Real Housewives' Danielle Is Now a Stripper, Tilda Swinton With a Bowl Cut, and Images From Iris Apfel's Jewelry Line

Peek Iris Apfel's Jewlery Line for HSN: The inimitable icon of everything accessories is having a moment (though, honestly, when isn't she?). Recent news of an upcoming jewelery line with HSN is now supported by a few choice pics, resplendent with all the great costume-y kitsch you'd expect. Clear space around your neck accordingly. {Racked} Danielle from Real Housewives NJ Becomes a Stripper: Ultimate LOL! After her contract was not renewed for next season, 48-year-old Danielle Staubs has signed a three-year contract with a New York gentlemen's club where she will give one live, fully nude performance and pose for the club's website. Bravo: the real gateway drug. {Daily Mail} Yohji Yamamoto Reflects on Life and Ideals: Adidas produced a 30 minute documentary, "Yohji Yamamoto: This Is My Dream," as a semi-promotional tool but probably wasn't expecting it to be quite so, well, good. The doc chronicles the month leading up to the Y-3 show at New York Fashion Week and the designer is surprisingly open about his personal life and creative processes, commenting on his desire to simply "cut clothes" and remain outside of the vicious trend cycle. {WWD}

Style

Y-3 Fall 2011: Homeward Bound

Tucked away in a dim room below street level in SoHo awaiting the Y-3 show, we sat on rustic benches and music from what could have been a John Wayne film blared from the speakers. We half expected to see a tumbleweed roll by, but instead we saw models properly outfitted for a journey into the wilderness. Inspired by the idea of escape into the the hills on horseback or by foot, Yohji Yamamoto equipped his fall collection with messenger bags, hooded scarves, leg and arm warmers, short bill caps, voluminous coats and ponchos as well as plenty of neoprene pieces in case of inclement weather.

Style

Y-3 Men's Fall 2011: Yohji Makes Us Happy

PARIS--There is nothing that makes me happier than going to a really fancy restaurant, somewhere progressive (though it doesn’t have to be new, and the chef doesn’t need to be famous), and being sated by the simplest, most delicious food, made with the best ingredients. It can be original without being wildly experimental. And it can be bright, robust and flavorful, without reaching across the globe for different spices, textures and influences. This is how I felt walking into Y-3’s happy and laid-back F/W 2011 presentation, which was also a celebration of Adidas' 10 years with Yohji Yamamoto.

Shopping

Racked Dealfeed: Elizabeth Gillett, Sunner, & Derek Lam

Elizabeth Gillett Deal: 60% to 70% off scarves, sweaters, and jackets sold at Anthropologie. The designer will be on hand to help with selection. When/Where: Tuesday, December 14 through Wednesday, December 15. Daily 10am—5pm. 242 W. 38th St between Seventh and Eighth Aves, ninth floor (no phone) Sunner Deal: Sample sale on coats, dresses and more. Winter coats are $75, silk tops and dresses are $30—$50, and cotton tops and tunics are $25. When/Where: Tuesday, December 14 to Wednesday, December 15. Daily 8:30am—7pm. 265 W. 37th St between Seventh and Eighth Aves, ninth floor (646-290-6409) Prairie New York Deal: Up to 75% off retail, which means cute on-trend dresses for $60 to $75 and tops for $40 to $55. When/Where: Monday, December 13 through Thursday, December 16. Daily 11am—7pm. 306 West 38th between Eighth and Ninth Aves, second floor (212-967-8166 or customerservice@prairieny.com

Business

Japan Fashion Now at FIT: A Review and A Confession

Fashionista contributor Long Nguyen is the co-founder/style director of Flaunt. REVIEW: Curated by Valerie Steele, Director of the Museum at FIT, Japan Fashion Now--an exhibition extended through April 2, 2011--surveys the past 30 years of Japanese fashion with a comprehensive view of contemporary fashion in Japanese society. In Japan, fashion has always occupied a central role in delineating gender, social and political roles. The exhibit starts with the Japanese revolution--from the designers who went to Paris in 1981 to showcase their unique creations--and moves on to the years of economic downturn that resulted in today’s youth oriented styles like Gothic Lolitas, Forest Girls, Bosozoku (biker punks), and Mambas. And those are only a few among the many diverse expressions of subcultures, depending on the areas where the kids hang out: Harajuku, Shinjuku, Shibuya or Akihabara. The show demonstrated the incredible creativity of fashion in Japan.