Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Cathy Horyn Uses Light and Dark Language to reveal ‘Easy’ Aesthetic of NYFW

Photographed by Andres Kudacki

A New York magazine report on New York Fashion Week revealed the “easy” American aesthetic of the runway collections by balancing the use of warm, bright words with cold, dark words.

Renowned fashion critic Cathy Horyn’s report “American Fashion Confronts America” featured the above photo of supermodel Natasha Poly backstage at the Michael Kors show as the cover photo for “The Cut” section. Natasha embodied the duality Horyn observed in the collections and imbued in the article’s language. The gold, metallic leopard brocade of her dress “reflected” an “irresistible rich bitch” aura with slick “sun-bleached” hair. She grasped her metallic handbag with “tension.”

Natasha grasped the handbag as if she were squeezing the life’s blood from it. It’s a perfect pose of strength to go with the title “American Fashion Confronts America.” Her power pose evoked the violent side of Horyn’s language connecting to the words “colliding, tension, forceful, coldly, killer and hellholes. Yet the liquidity of her somewhat wet hair and wrap dress exuded ease.

Read these full sentences that use some of the above words and prepare for the profound.


“Simons exposed the enormous opportunity for fashion to begin reflecting the tensions and hopes colliding on the American stage.”

“It was haunting and expansive too—like movies that depict sun-bleached hellholes on the Fourth of July.”


Sunday, March 5, 2017

Paris: Céline Fall/Winter 2017 Ready to Wear



Céline Fall/Winter 2017 in Paris

Look1: According to the beige trench and scarf, it’s Cookie Time, to use that catchphrase from the cult film Troop Beverly Hills.

Look10: The model resembles a young Carine Roitfeld. The influential French fashion editor is present in that face and those pointy boots. She looks like she’s wearing someone else’s clothes. 
  
Look17: Britney Spears the Ring Leader (Circus) The coat and militant boots point to this. Crack that whip!

Look18: An angsty high schooler with Dakota Johnson’s face. The map motif is wonderful.

Look19: She’s a Western Woman in the leather midi skirt and over-the-knee boots.

Look26: Grace Kelly dyes her hair black.

Look36: Ballerina in rehearsal. Those arm bands and bust exudes elegance and athleticism.



Look40: Italian woman cooks spaghetti in the kitchen, but also wears sharp menswear pieces. The fringe apron and overcoat speak to this.  

Mugler F/W 2017: Jetsons meets 80s

Mugler Fall/Winter 2017 in Paris
The Mugler woman of Fall 2017 wears her hair pulled back like those women from Robert Palmer’s “Irresistible” music video with broad 80s shoulders. Let’s take a trip back to the future.  Check out the looks here: 



Look 1:  The pointy shoulders and PVC material makes Natasha Poly ready to hang with the Jetsons in this opening look

Look 2: The pleats are so Grecian.

Look 13: The figure skater top.

Look 20: The swimsuit jumpsuit.

Look 23: The pleats would also fit a mermaid’s taste.

Look 25: Holly Golightly at the beginningof her dinner party in the Breakfast at Tiffany’s film.

Look 33: The delicious dragon lady boss

Look 40: She looks like a lawyer, but can lawyers wear jumpsuits?


Thursday, December 8, 2016

Rag & Bone SS17 Menswear

The Rag & Bone SS17 show is a lesson in layering where anorak jackets are paired with tuxedo jackets. Smart doses of bold color are also important. The collection is sporty with a touch of dressy and those baseball caps are everything. I loved them at SS17 Balenciaga show and I love them at Rag & Bone. 



Anorak jacket layered under tuxedo jacket







A bold and blue futuristic coat. The color is so alive. 











A close-fitting shirt layered under a pajama-striped shirt. Just look at that boxy silhouette. Sick!







The tangerine anorak (that looks like a hoodie) layered under army green top coat









The stand collar on this jacket is the money maker.







The collection's bowling elements appear in this look: the bowling shoes and the bag. The pop of the white drawstring of gives me chills.












The thin lines resemble laser beams. Futuristic!










The collegiate sweater is sexy without an undershirt 


Chanel Pre-Fall 2017 show: Chic meets the street:

Karl Lagerfeld showed his Chanel Pre-Fall 2017 collection at the Ritz Hotel in Paris on December 5, 2016. This Métiers d'Art collection is a chic and street mix that is a refreshing way for women to dress. The continent of Asia is a big influence from the dominance of gold to the long Nehru-style jackets. Lagerfeld once again finds new ways to present the classic Chanel look. The crucial looks from the show are below.

Photo credits: Vogue.com

Puffer coats & evening gowns mix street & evening.


The Chanel suit goes body-conscious. Peep the choker.

A clutch that resembles a jewelry box.


A Nehru collared shirt under a Chanel jacket.

Ash Stymest returns to the runway in a gold car coat full of sequins, fur & sparkles.

The jumper dress &  bishop sleeves = a romantic boss look.

The dress & choker give me Britney vibes. 

The Chanel cardigan got longer and more casual. 
I'm loving the mix of a street wear scarf and an evening dress.

Lagerfeld shows that the bomber jacket is a cousin to the classic Chanel jacket.

This reminds me of the coat dresses Lagerfeld put in the Fendi FW16 Couture show. 


The puffer Chanel jacket. Notice the Eiffel tower embroidered detail.










Sunday, November 27, 2016

Terry cloth coat steals the Fendi SS17 show


The Fendi Spring 2017 show is summed up in one outfit it's the photo above. Top model Stella Lucia wears the look and she embodies the juvenile-meets-refined style of the clothing. Firstly, she has the Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen twin face, so it's perfection when she wears a half up, half down hairdo consisting of barrettes and pigtails.

 Stella's terry cloth coat also reflects a youthful optimism. The multicolored floral embroidery offset by white creates a graffiti effect that's fresh like New York City hip-hop, but also fresh like spring flowers. The coat is structured like a society lady's coat, which contrasts with the very fun embroidery. Other great details are the ribbons on each side of the waist that mirror Stella's pair of side ponytails. It's splendid symmetry. The sewn-in belt is a fun feature that cinches the waist, yet the coat also buttons up and down.

 The accessories slay. The boots that Karl Lagerfeld presented at the Fendi Fall 2016 Couture show in Rome return for this show and they're welcome. Clearly, those boots stole the show and are a bestseller. Their sportiness translates into versatility that can be worn casually with jeans or with sexy pencil skirts. Don't forget the classy Victorian-ness of the booties. The purse is classically-shaped, but reinvented with scalloped edges and fairytale embroidery. It also looks very roomy and ready to fit all that a woman needs to live her life.


Side view of Stella's purse (Credit: Vogue.com)

Saturday, November 26, 2016

Trendcue hosts pop shop at Askan boutique


Mannequin wearing isidoro francisco bomber jacket

It took a while to get to the pop shop at the fashion boutique Askan in the Lower East Side. It was a designer promo event curated by Trendcue that featured a DJ spinning music and drinks. The brands showcased were Dafne, isidoro francisco, Mr. John Wright and Label & Lébal.

When I arrived at 6:15pm, Askan was buzzing with people. The first person I saw was the wonderful Isidoro Francisco who I gave a big hug. He's the man behind the satin boys of new york bomber jackets that feature flawless embroidery on the back that says "boys of new york."

I was busy snapping pictures on my iPhone of the clothing on the rack that caught my eye. While I did this, I saw a man in a black fur coat. The man was Ryan Wiltshire, the owner of curating company Trendcue. I said "Hi" and he said "You're the blogger." See, I met him at the "Ice Cream" pop shop at the Hotel Americano last month.

Some of the pieces I took pictures of were the navy bomber jacket that isidoro francisco designed in collaboration with Label & Lébal featuring the number "718" embroidered in yellow on the left breast. 718 is the area code for Brooklyn, you know.

Then I finally got to see the light gray pinstriped suit in person from the isidoro francisco Fall 2016 collection. The suit was also known as the Uniform. I love the sporty elastic waistband on the pants with a drawstring. They're like sweats, but they're dressy. Oh, and those long side zipper pockets that Isidoro Francisco talked to me about at the "Ice Cream" pop shop. The matching jacket was classically double-breasted, but not stuffy.

The backpacks and purses by Dafne were hand-painted with vibrant colors. The hand-painted images included the All-Seeing Eye of God (eye in front of pyramid like on the one dollar bill) and a skull.

The Askan boutique carried a lot of interesting clothing on their racks that were not in part of the showcased designers. A quilted butterscotch coat made by Fairplay glowed with luxury. There was a 3/4 length sleeve minidress by Animapop that bursted with Asian flavor thanks to a pagoda print. I read that Animapop dresses are reversible with a solid color flip side. Continuing with the Asian theme was a graphic bomber jacket from Qilo with an Asian print incorporating Asian writing.

Other dresses that wowed me were the lavender bandage dress from FEMME Los Angeles that put me in mind of early 90s Versace and Madonna's iconic Jean Paul Gaultier bustier top. The last stunner was the mohair wool tank dress from Greylin that brimmed with 1920s abandon with a waist that could be drop-waist or fit and flare. I'd have to see it on a model or mannequin.

As the Askan owners began to start closing up shop, the piece de resistance was a silver metallic mannequin standing tall in the boutique's window wearing a burgundy isidoro francisco bomber jacket. I felt like lead character in Confessions of a Shopaholic because the mannequin was speaking to me. They even looked like the same type of mannequins in the movie.

While people moved tables around getting the boutique back into its original form, a friend of the designer stood. She was a gorgeous Latina with a crinkly bob and thick velvet choker. Her red-painted lips matched the red-painted lips printed on her t-shirt. Suede thigh-high boots capped off the outfit. She was a fashionista indeed and was a woman who I could imagine wearing the dresses mentioned above. The perfect model.

Front of isidoro francisco x Label & Lébal jacket

Back of isidoro francisco x Label & Lébal jacket

isidoro francisco pinstriped jacket
isidoro francisco pinstriped pants


Animapop dress


Greylin dress


FEMME Los Angeles dress


Fairplay coat 


Dafne bags


Qilo bomber jacket



Bobbed Beauty at Askan boutique