Tag Archives: fashion week
First Kate Lanphear Sighting of the Season
OK, it’s in WWD, not in real life, but still. In Prep School, a piece that details how various fashion celebs about town are preparing for fashion week, Kate Lanphear reveals that she’ll go to any fashion week party sponsored by Modular Records or a vodka company. (We agree – no one wants to drink DiSaranno all night.) She hopes the new YSL boots drop in time for fashion week, harbors a secret crush on Rob Pattinson of Twilight, and describes what she’ll wear as “same old, same old,” which we assume means her uniform of skinny black jeans, a palette of neutral gray, white, and black, and some killer accessories thrown in.
It’s true that many of the most talented fashion folk have a uniform of sorts – Michael Kors and his white jeans, Anna and her Oscar de la Renta skirts, and Sally Singer and her repertoire of colorful, WASPy prints and no makeup. The prime exception is Rachel Zoe, but witness the nightmarish process of her selecting an outfit for fashion week on “The Rachel Zoe Project.” With five FedExed suitcases of clothes to choose from, the options are just too overwhelming.
Fashion Week – the Video Game?
Got a crazy press release last night that I might not believed had it not come from IMG, which puts on NY Fashion Week: Get ready for Fashion Week Live, the video game, due out in 2010. IMG has teamed up with 505 Games, makeup artist Pat McGrath and “fashion insider” Noel Gordon (who is Noel Gordon?) to create a video game based on the increasingly-unreal Fashion Week. It will feature “world-class industry gurus, top models and the star-studded runways of Fashion Week events worldwide.”
This raises several questions. Who exactly is the audience, if actual fashion insiders would sooner die of shame than admit to playing Guitar Hero? Also, this group hasn’t exactly been noted for its, er, technical prowess. (Remember those long silences before a show starts as someone figures out how to work the stereo.) So is it for the audience of teenage girls that tries to sneak into the Project Runway show during Fashion Week?
There are no details yet, but here are some suggestions for the structure of the game:
Marc Jacobs FS09
Nowhere was the radical change in NY Fashion Week more apparent than at the Marc Jacobs show. Where last season Posh and JLo walked the red carpet hand in hand amid a crush of paparazzi, now there were just gates, strict warnings about invitations, a small group of editors and buyers going in, and one very disappointed paparazzo standing next to me. But the end result isn’t that different from a (not much) earlier time before celebrities discovered fashion week, when it was actually all about the clothes.
Melissa Ventosa-Martin of TMagazine, right, in a fabulous feather (?) coat.
Anna Wintour arrived 25 minutes ahead of time, though she is even harder to photograph now that she comes with two very large bodyguards blocking the way. A result of the fact that 60 Minutes may be doing a story on her? P.S. This may be the only time that you’ll ever see Anna Wintour and Ray’s Pizza in the same frame.
Carine Roitfeld. She wore this coat several times during fashion weeks here and in Europe. It’s a myth that the fashionably dressed “never wear the same outfit twice.” In fact, it seems that when they’re really in love with a piece, they’ll wear it over and over. Certainly a more sensible (and economical) approach.
Cropped trousers like these will soon be everywhere for spring.
This mix of lurid colors looked quite jarring as this woman was going into the Marc Jacobs show; after it was over, however, it seemed prescient. Marc Jacobs showed a lot of loud ’80s colors that injected a note of optimism for fall – photo below from Style.com.
Love the slash of bright red lips against the neutral gray of her trench.
A quirky haircut and funky blazer.
The fur flies as this woman runs to get to the show in time. Ever since the complaints about his show starting hours late a couple years back, Jacobs has been almost sadistically punctual.
More menswear style, this time on Roberta Myers, editor in chief of Elle.
Her rolled up shorts fall into that “boyfriend”-anything trend. Also watch for camouflage and any army-navy-store type clothing – very recession-friendly.
A fellow photographer who looked to be a model-turned-photographer – very pretty and chic.
Love, love the dilapidated chic of this outfit. The scuffed loafers and Burberry trench look like relics of wealthier times.
It’s true – bowl cuts are appearing on women. It doesn’t seem like such a bad thing to try right now, but if you wait 30 seconds, it may get annoying.
Chanel bags are another totem of dilapidated chic. Since they’re classic, you could have bought it years ago, or even got it from Mummy. Either way, it looks right.
A great mix of high-low with the fur jacket and jeans, plus the sparkly headband.
Glenda Bailey of Harper’s Bazaar steppin’ out in some hot shoes.
Kate Lanphear of Elle joking around with some guy friends. She was captured in a similar outfit by TopShop, which featured her in their newsletter – a fashion coup!
More colored fur.
Nina Garcia in all black.
Cecilia Dean in a striking black-and-white coat.
Meredith Melling Burke carrying a still-fab Chloe handbag.
Lynn Yaeger’s mash-up vintagey style seems particularly a propos this year.
A detail shot of her amazing embellished Gucci bag – rabbits! – and knit scarf – cartoon characters!
Grace Coddington carrying a Stephen Sprouse Louis Vuitton bag.
The leopard print is great, but this model has amazing hair! Wavy-haired girls, this is your moment.
A model after the show, proudly sporting the ’80s hair and makeup from the runway.
Another model in outrageous ’80s hair and makeup. Where to go to show it off? Too bad Area is no longer.
Jill Stuart FS09
The Jill Stuart show took place at the main branch of the New York Public Library, where the attendees’ spring clothes looked particularly fanciful against the austere, classical backdrop – a fitting send-up for the times.
Edwardian gray, an important trend for spring, as reported in Bill Cunningham’s “Gray Days.”
In case you were wondering, no, it was not difficult to distinguish the fashion people from the usual throngs of tourists at the NYPL.
An adorable schoolgirl collar.
This bag is amazing. Who’s the designer? Look for more graphic black-and-white or graffiti’d bags in 2009.
A structured, architectural coat makes a statement.
The tie-and-vest look, this time played down with a more casual jacket.
These funky, translucent-framed glasses play off an otherwise conservative look.
A good example of the ’80s jackets we’ll see in the fall: bright color, strong (but not over-the-top) shoulders, and a clean, sharp fit.
Vintage black-and-white coat paired with killer studded boots.
She always looks glamorous and a little goth.
A white cotton shift over black leggings–a nice transitional look as we head into spring.
Fabulous cinched coat, belt, and scarf.
Two women in all black talk to a photographer.
Bill Cunningham poses for a picture with a friend.
The combination of elements in this outfit is right on: Military coat mixed with feminine silk dress paired with tough studded heels. The deep blue is a nice change, too.
Different colored stockings–and this Stevie Nicks-style bangs hai
rcut is popping up everywhere.
Two friends by an icy fountain. Notice the shiny black PVC leggings on the left.
Fashion Week FS09: Adam
Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays that can be either wonderfully charming or horribly tacky, so it seemed very apropos that it fell during Fashion Week. The ADAM/Adam Lippes show fit into the former category. Upbeat music set the background for a sassy collection with lust-worthy jackets and coats.ย
Fashion Week SS09: Oscar de la Renta
A designer who dresses everyone from first ladies to megawatt stars, Oscar de la Renta draws a who’s-who list from fashion, New York society, and Hollywood to his shows on Park Avenue. The expensive suit that landed Cindy McCain in so much hot water with the press was Oscar de la Renta.
Funky glasses.
Here’s what black lipstick looks like off the runway–rather odd. If you took off the headscarf, this might be a good look. The gray dress on her friend is quite chic.
Conservative chic.
Black and white with a purple handbag.
Lee Radziwill in a white suit.
Sarah Rutson in slouchy harem pants and lots of necklaces.
Jamee Gregory proves that conservative does not have to equal boring. Love the Roger Vivier shoes.
Linda Wells looking very young and sophisticated in a LBD.
Winter florals in purple.
Meredith Melling Burke in a gorgeous black floral dress.
Virginia Smith, also of Vogue, accessorizing with an Obama pin on her handbag.
Rachel Zoe and sidekick. She actually looked really good in real life–perfectly put together. Now if only we didn’t know what was going on in that head of hers.
Fashion has changed with the climate–there were many more white cotton dresses in September. Call it winter white right now.
Nina Garcia obviously knows how to pick out a dress, but sometimes we think she needs a stylist. Looking at this photo, don’t you want to put her hair up? Unless you emphasize a long neck, puffy sleeves can create the football player effect.
There was a rumor about Jennifer Lopez that she uses Creme de la Mer as body moisturizer. Seen up close, her skin gives some credence that rumor–gorgeous!
Fashion Week SS09: Marc by Marc Jacobs
There were lots of playful daytime looks among the ranks of people attending the Marc by Marc Jacobs show.
Her colorful necklaces were echoed by similar looks on the runway.
She wears black wayfarer-type sunglasses and a shorts suit; he wears a collegiate blazer with crest of arms.
White cotton dress for fall and a cardigan with skull detail.
Velvet bow tie.
A beautifully sophisticated look–black satin for day.
Joe Zee in a suit, Kate Lanphear in gray high-waisted trousers.
Purple is popping up everywhere now, but stick to a deep, royal purple like this one or you’ll look like a purple people eater.
An elegant suit gets a little edge from sexy sandals.
Black and white.
Ken Downing of Neiman Marcus in a skinny tie. Let’s assume he had nothing to do with that Dallas Cowboys “wow gift” in the Christmas Book.
These super skinny jeans are in, but they must be paired with booties or heels, not the flats of years past.
Fuchsia houndstooth dress.
Male models leaving the show.
THE SHOW
Marc by Marc Jacobs is another show to watch for very practical purposes–to see what we’ll all be wearing next spring. Here Jacobs took the mismatchy looks of the designer collection and translated them into pale neutral stripes, plaids, and tribal prints for his contemporary line. The hook? There’s always a little mischief in a Marc by Marc Jacobs line. In this case it was the ultra short swingy dresses and fanny packs as accessories.
Pale ecru colors offset with strands and strands of Caribbean-esque necklaces.
Full, high-waisted, belted shorts were a theme of the collection.
Note the washed-out denim, which should be everywhere come spring. Lace-up flat booties add a pop of color.
He takes a utility-belt approach to the fanny pack, actually making it look cool. You can attach several colorful purses to this one wide studded b
elt.
A cute one-shoulder jumpsuit that flirts with the idea of androgyny. Note the layered belts and accessories that characterized this collection.
Beautiful metallic trench for day.
Men’s looks included a lot of rumpled trenches and roomy colorful pants like these.
View the whole collection on NYMag.com.
Fashion Week SS09: Marc Jacobs
Once populated mainly by artsy, rumpled Parsons students, the Marc Jacobs show is now a celebrity magnet where SUV’s pull up and dispense perfectly styled glamazons. The Parsons students are still there, but fewer and farther in between, and at least the celebs are giving them a run for their money, style-wise.
One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the pure electric thrill of a Marc Jacobs show. This is where fashion transcends the mundane and becomes something that continually surprises, inspires, and opens your eyes.
Padma Lakshmi. Not sure about the white silk jumper, but it is interesting to see more winter white right now.
Lynn Yaeger donned a glamorous cape for the occasion and mixed it with some funky pink leggings and gold shoes.
Sofia Coppola, another style muse of Jacobs.
Black dress, red lipstick, and a flower in her hair. He turns an otherwise conservative outfit up a notch with a hot pink belt.
Hilary Alexander in a statement necklace.
The collection, “The Americans,” was a send-up to all things American, with references from the Victorian era, 1920s, and 1940s mashed together, with a few obi sashes thrown in for good measure. Set to Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” (Leonard Bernstein’s performance?), the theme seems almost poignant in retrospect with everything that’s happened in the U.S. in the few weeks since the show.
Jacobs jazzed up traditional stripes and tweed by injecting them with metallic thread.
He takes the obi sash theme a step further with this look and goes fully into Japanese territory with a beautiful butterfly print.
This dramatic striped dress got a great reaction from the crowd. But note that the majority of looks for this collection were not dresses but separates–mainly high-waisted, mid-calf skirts.
A beautiful, whimsical print that seems pure Marc Jacobs.
See Style.com for the entire show.
Fashion Week SS09: Ports 1961
And, after a Time-Warner-Cable-induced delay, we return.
It’s not truly Fashion Week unless you go to at least one pod people show–you know, the kind where the outfits are so out there that the models look like pod people. Ports 1961, the label by Canadian Tia Cibani, was one such show, with its motif of tree-inspired dresses, painterly colors, super-wide high boatneck collars, and hats worn like tribal masks, all drawn from the paintings of the Canadian artist Emily Carr (1871-1945). But during a fashion week where nearly everyone else was playing it safe, her unchecked creativity was a breath of fresh air.
The show attracted a similarly creative crowd.
Love the surrealist detail on his hat–an eye in the middle of a spiderweb.
More black and white–the pants are Yoshi Yamamoto.
Beautifully abstract tie-dye transitions to fall.
Mickey Boardman and his signature necklaces.
Love her wry look. Look out for candy-colored wayfarers like these in the spring. They also made an appearance on the runway of the Walter show.
If you can get past the theatrics of some of the looks, you’ll see that Cibani was one of the few designers during New York Fashion Week to anticipate what the Wizard of Oz herself, Miuccia Prada, would be unveiling a couple of weeks later in Milan. Ports 1961’s subtle metallic poplins are an exciting step forward in the same direction.
The play of colors here is amazing–Cibani uses sheers and reflective fabrics that are constantly shifting colors as the model moves.
A transparent striped tunic, silk palazzo pants, and statement necklace made of yarn.
Crazy hat-mask.
Gorgeous brown shimmery dress.
Look at the similarity to the Prada dress that appeared a few weeks later, though in typical Prada brassier form.
But back at Ports 1961, just when you thought Cibani might be getting too commercial, she whips out a pod people look. Yay!
View the entire show on NYMag.com.
Fashion Week SS09: Tracy Reese
In transitional months like May and September, when you don’t know what to wear, a good bet is black and white. That seemed to be the thinking this weekend as dozens of show goers dressed in absolutes. One of the biggest developments was winter white, right now–though they’re usually packed away after Labor Day, white dresses were making an appearance in September.
A bow blouse and flouncy skirt.
She is always a presence at Fashion Week and is never one to shy away from outrageous hats. Before the show, she had to describe to a friend on her cell phone what she was wearing (“hot pink, red, and green!”) because the friend couldn’t identify her in the crowd. Hilarious.
Winter white right now.
A gorgeous statement necklace.
Admiring Kate Lanphear’s blouse. From far away, it looked like winter florals, but it was actually an abstract polka dot pattern–in black and white. Also note that while she rocked the gladiator sandals last Fashion Week, Lanphear has put them away in favor of tough-looking open-toe booties. And of course platforms are par for the course.
This outfit, also captured by the Sartorialist, is not just insanely stylish but also quite comfortable-looking on Sarah Rutson, fashion director of Hong Kong’s Lane Crawford. Yes, even the bondage-insprired animal-print stilettos, which are second nature to a fashionista.
Tough chic.
Claiborne Swanson and Virginia Smith of Vogue. Swanson is wearing the boyfriend blazer that will be everywhere next spring; Smith wins for shoes, which also caught Bill Cunningham‘s eye.
Gorgeous green and white wide-legged pants.Celebrating the outrageous.
Love her black-and-white bow-neck blouse.
Robert Burke, fashion consultant extraordinaire, in his usual dapper blazer.
Katrina Szish in the most dramatic bow blouse of the day.
Curly hair was one of the biggest beauty trends this fashion week. Put away your straight irons!
It wouldn’t be Fashion Week without this guy. He selects the fabric for his suits himself and commissions them, and for the past year or so he’s had cute sidekicks. Today’s fabric of choice? Black and white.
Two editors from Vibe Magazine.
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THE SHOW
Andre Leon Talley was seated front row at the Tracy Reese show, which started with a number of playing-it-safe muted solids before developing into her usual festive prints–phew. If even Tracy Reese had gone the conservative route, this would have been a sad Fashion Week indeed. This season Reese’s colorful patterns became more abstract, perhaps the product of new high-tech printing processes.
An abstract print.
The jury’s still out on harem pants for spring, but when you see looks like these, it gives you more confidence in the trend. This outfit is both chic and infinitely wearable.
An elegant open tulip cut cocktail dress in a mustardy chartreuse for spring.
See the whole collection on Style.com.
Fashion Week SS09: Rosa Cha
Or: Aprรจs Cha, le deluge.
It was a category five clothing quandary: What to wear for a hurricane during fashion week? The answer: The same thing you’d normally wear, of course. Nina Garcia gave some very practical advice through NY Mag: opt for platform shoes. “I’ve learned that it’s about the biggest platforms you have so that you can go over the water.”
Great boho pants. Paired with the necklace, they telegraph Brazilian chic.
Miss USA Crystle Stewart, who looked very cool in her own cross necklace before her handlers made her take it off to put on a boring sash. Boo!
Two young women in all black. The “Anglomania” tee is Vivienne Westwood.
Liked her defiant use of white shoes after Labor Day. This outfit is somewhat practical: umbrella and platform shoes as hurricane preparation plan.
THE SHOW
One of the biggest trends in swimwear has been the return of the one-piece suit, which should keep going strong next spring and summer. Rosa Cha showed a number of one-pieces, many of them in very sexy cuts that belied the idea of one-pieces as conservative.
Here Rosa Cha designer Amir Slama turns the conservative element of a one-piece on its head, injecting it with peekaboo bondage elements.
This dress in a gorgeous green pattern is actually a pantsuit. Super wide palazzo pants floated down the runway. Let’s hope this design becomes the new standard for glam beach coverups.
In what would be a recurring theme with several designers this season, there were brown looks for spring, including this sheer cocktail dress.
Brown for spring: a natural progression from winter florals? The whole idea of seasonality is in question right now–especially because it was the first time in recent memory that a hurricane came to New York Fashion Week.
See the whole show on NYMag.com.
Fashion Week SS09: Walter
In the whirlwind of fashion week, it can be easy to forget why you’re going to show A versus show B. But there was a very practical reason to go to the Walter show: to see what we’d all be wearing next spring!
This accessible line is sold nearly everywhere now, but it’s still a favorite of the fashion set–the show was sponsored by Elle and Style 360. Like Erin Fetherston, Walter was selected as a LU Style Award Winner. (Not quite sure what that means, but LU makes those delicious biscuits with the chocolate schoolboy on top, and blessedly, they’re a sponsor of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. Power bars be damned.)
Gorgeous silver leather jacket.
We dread seeing lots of bland clothes on the runway because of the economy. So it was a relief to see that Walter didn’t shy away from prints, because the general appetite for them is far from sated. Here there were plenty of florals and super-saturated colors.
High-waisted skirt and shorts that build on the short poufy skirts popular right now.
This long flowy dress looks beautiful in motion and deserves a trip to St. Barth’s.
You can find full coverage of the show on WWD.com.
Fashion Week SS09: Charlotte Ronson
The crowd at the show always says something about the designer. At Charlotte Ronson’s show on Saturday, industry heavy-hitters mixed with stylish gamine types. And no wonder: Ronson, who currently has a great diffusion line at Urban Outfitters, is one designer who possesses both street cred and commercial success.
Love the Chanel bag with the long strap worn cross-chest mixed with a plaid shirt, shorts and gladiator heels. This outfit strikes just the right balance between dressed down and dressed up for a Saturday morning fashion show.
Black Ray Ban Wayfarers look just right again for this fall–especially paired with a LBD.
Another short, poufy bubble skirt. The shiny silk in a black floral print is spot-on.
Head-to-toe Charlotte Ronson. The jacket–a gray denim take on a motorcycle cut–is particularly covetable.
More schoolboy charm. Note how he balances it out with hair and sunglasses that clearly say “city” not “country” to give the outfit some edge.
Charlotte Ronson started off this season’s show by playing it safe with lots of gray and dusty pink–a logical transition from this fall’s all black looks. The music rocked, naturally (thanks to Sam?), and Lindsay Lohan was seated front and center.
Ronson’s gray denim clothes were nicely tailored and more than presentable, but they wouldn’t pop–on film or in real life. It would be a shame if we all reverted to true recession wear (think early-mid nineties) and dressed in a uniformly gray way.
Not so the later looks in the show–a blue and white striped cotton cardigan was dip-dyed in blue. Now this is a recession-proof look we can live with: fashion that improves on the current season’s trends (cardigans, nautical, dip-dye) and takes them to a new level of creativity.
You can see more Getty images from the Charlotte Ronson SS09 show here.
Fashion Week SS09: Erin Fetherston
Mercedes Benz Fashion Week kicked off Friday in the Bryant Park Tents. One of the most anticipated shows was Erin Fetherston’s. This indie fave designer of the fashion set was tapped by Target last year for a diffusion line that launched in November ’07.
She too wears the poufy skirt cut, this time in dress format. Love his tongue-in-cheek prep-school look with the newsboy cap, bucks, and blazer complete with a coat of arms.
A great transitional look–taking a floral (poufy skirt) dress, cinching it with a black belt and pairing with a little black blazer.
Two guys in bow ties, one with high-octane silver shoes.
Lynn Yaeger, always in style. The bag with an illustration on front is Lanvin.
Many cute boyish elements–the fedora, the shorts, the pseudo wife-beater, add up to one chic, feminine outfit when paired with T-strap heels.
A model and her handler. As she passed by, she said, “I have about 20 pounds of gold chains on my neck!”
A dress made almost entirely of zippers, by one of New York Fashion Week’s sponsors, YKK Zippers.
A girl with a pinstripe bustier over a white button down–Mad Men 2015?
Fashion Week FS08: Marc Jacobs
Finally, the last installment of fashion week: the Marc Jacobs show. Sorry for the delay!
As always, there was excellent people watching to be had at the MJ show. These photos were hard to whittle down.
Hamish Bowles, always ahead of the curve, mixed plaids a week before everyone saw the same trend at the D&G show.
Ellen Pompeo looked gorgeous in the deshabille MJ look for spring.
Richie Rich in black nail polish and rhinestone-encrusted owl thingy.
Luxe velvety layering in a Bloomsbury look.
Rachel Zoe is shocked to learn that the show started without her. Funny, they waited for Anna Wintour.
This girl (Interview Mag? Not sure.) is always On Trend. Black funky glasses, shiny tights, and leopard shoes.
It takes panache to pull off mauve. Somehow this looks really good, especially paired with pea green.
Lynn Yaeger: but of course Bloomsbury is in!
Anna Wintour and her equally elusive husband J. Shelby Bryan.
This dress has a machine gun print! Love.
Neon florals plus biker jacket. A good bet for spring in New York.
Bill Cunningham was beside himself when he spotted these two girls with silk flowers in their hair. Turns out they work for Marc Jacobs.
I had no idea that Ukrainian PM Yulia Tymoshenko was a fan of Sonic Youth. Kidding, people. Still, I like that this hairdo has staying power.
Nice biker jacket and beautiful hair.
MIA. I’m not sure I like what she’s wearing, but here’s her picture anyway.
Another flowy dress that hit below the knee – a trend for fall. Nicely mixed with the fur scarf and belt.
They say dark red lips are in for spring, but doesn’t candy apple red feel spring-ier? Also note her clutch and the diamond band on middle finger, seen several times during fashion week. Her friend rocks the chunky cocktail ring, still going strong.