New York Fashion Week:
Day #1
02.10.10-
Photos provided by FashionWirePress
John Bartlett
Hudson Street
In House PR
“The perfect start to Fashion Week”, was heard throughout the crowd of many of fashion’s A-list sitting inside excited to see what fashion favorite John Bartlett would bring to the table this season. What presented itself was a completely well edited, wearable collection of dapper English countryside attire. Looks of leather pants & turtlenecks paired with vests & ties were executed right. Notch back pants, argyle & striped patterns reigned throughout & details of applets were found on everything from jackets to a tux. The big news of the evening was Bartlett’s venture into womenswear. To quote Bartlett “his ideal girl isn’t about frills or lace & this was all too apparent as he did not venture far from what he knew pairing women in menswear inspired fabrics & styling with most women donning a pants suit with tie. The collection was flawlessly executed & added some fun to the everyday wardrobe.
-Meredith Garcia
The Vessel by Lois
547 West 27th Street
In-House PR
With violin playing in the forefront this relaxed clean collection provided a sense of tranquility amidst all the chaos of the winter storm outside. The collection of 18 had smart & sophisticated details in every garment. The vibe consisted of a boyish feel with long dresses to mid calf paired with a flat oxford. Fabrics were rich & stayed true to an edited color pallet of Camel, Brown, & Gray with an occasional pop of accent color. Stand out looks included a floor length Royal Purple Cape over a Camel & Black dress. This collection has a lot to offer & can only continue to grow based on what we saw this season.
-Meredith Garcia
Geren Ford
Crosby Hotel
Krupp Group
“What’s under all the clothes Brooke Davis”? Well, if she is wearing Geren Ford’s collection she may have a small task ahead. The layered enthused collection shined at the chic Crosby Hotel and keeping with the idea of shielding one thing from another was the concept behind this edgy, yet modish presentation. Every lip darkly painted and each hairdo mimicking the next, these little ladies could have stepped right out of the 1920’s. Mixing green, gold, bronze, and navy colors kept a warm look throughout the assortment. Asymmetrical necklines and zip-up jackets completed a paint splattered baggy pant tucked away into a leather boot ensemble. Mixing last season’s patched leggings with bold lines exaggerated the effortless layering technique, while matching beautiful, bold jewelry with an unbalanced look completed a proportioned and solid look. By combining different fabrics and textures, the designer created a fun and flirty look, sure to turn every head in the room. The heels will set off anyone’s attire this season and the jewels around the boot is just an added little touch. With leather jackets, high-waist silk skirts, and four-inch heels the Geren Ford customer should experience a sexy and confident look this season.
-Jena Clem
Eryn Brinié
Boutique
Factory PR
Inspired by the designer’s journey from Paris to New York, the Eryn Brinié autumn/winter collection was all things Euro-chic. The collection was done in a neutral color palette, making the garments extremely wearable and perfect for mixing and matching in the fall season. From a flirty trench cape and blazer to a cool bomber and fur trimmed swing jacket- it is safe to assume that coats and jackets dominated the line-up. The collection featured separates that will be ideal for layering this fall and long sleeved striped tops and chunky knits are sure to become wardrobe staples. While the overall feel of the collection was somewhat casual and sporty, Eryn Brinié did feature a few stand out evening looks. The long pleated black dress was flirty and perfect for a night out. Ruffles covered everything from skirts to shoulders adding a feminine flair amongst the eclectic collection of jackets. If you are looking to inject some European flair into your wardrobe this fall, Eryn Brinié has the essentials.
Alexandra Perron
SuperTrash
Landmarc, NY
Grubman PR
SuperTrash was nothing like the name, rather a fun youthful collection that could be seen on any “It” Girl around town. The line which has been a big hit in Amsterdam & can be found in stores in 24 countries is finally launching in the U.S. Designer Olcay Gulson is the ideal specimen to model her clothing of feminine rocker with short, tight, sexy silhouettes. She proclaims that this collection was inspired by the infamous, vain & image-conscious ruler of Egypt, Queen Cleopatra as she embodies exactly the girl that will be donning these looks.
-Meredith Garcia
Standard Finery
10 Greene St
In-House PR
“Feminine and wearable.” That’s how Caron Callahan described her fall Standard Finery collection. The collection began with Japanese influences, as Callahan looked towards kimonos and Japanese cottons. Each look combined a variety of fabric textures, making you want to touch and most importantly, wear the pieces. A silk/wool kimono coat was paired with a jacquard dress made for an interesting juxtaposition of textures and lines. For this collection, Callahan dropped hemlines to create looks that were chic, elegant and modern. Many of the looks played with tucks and pleats, inspired by the draping of early kimonos. Pattern mixing was a prominent element in the collection as Callahan quilted together floral patterns to create skirts and tops and paired them with silk georgette dresses with “fleurette” prints. Callahan succeeded yet again at creating beautiful clothes for the woman who wants to look great without the fuss.
- Alexandra Perron
Iodice
Felissimo on 56th Street
Industry PR
Brazilian Father & Son design duo, Valdamar & Adriano Iodice, showed their delightful fall 2010 collection in their normal presentation format to a snow weary audience. Inspired by the Amazon Rainforest & the “green” movement surrounding its preservation, the collection was awash in “green” detailing, but didn’t look the least bit earthy or natural. 
Instead, the theme was realized in beading & buttons made of “Tacoma Nuts” as well as various seed & feather details. Most of the silhouettes were asymmetrical whether by draping, or graphic detail & the prevailing colors were cream, whites, black, & turquoise. Standout pieces were the sequined & beaded leggings, the black leather laser cut coats & jackets & a silk crepe de chine strapless draped dress that was printed with a large tropical pattern of parrots that was reflected down the center front seam to create a mirrored effect. By & large, a very beautiful collection. The one odd moment came while talking to the designers when they chose to follow up an explanation of how they are preserving the rainforest by using local native craftsmen to create their collection’s beading & assemble the matching jewelry & even using feathers for ornamentation that didn’t harm the birds in the least, thereby furthering their “green” initiatives, with a comment that the shoes were made of crocodile skins, which, in their explanation, they admitted required the animals to be killed, which was “okay” since the crocodiles they used were “raised to be killed”. Oh…
-Scott French
JSong Way
499 Seventh Avenue
In-House PR
If you are a Disney fan, you may find yourself drifting away into JSong Way’s Fall/Winter 2010 Collection. Full of color, the line’s inspiration was magical beauty and nature’s garden. Embroidery and sequins were the final additions this season along with an assortment of chiffon fishtail dresses, tulle swan skirts, handmade leaf wool jackets, and lace dragonfly gowns. The assortment of long skirts and dresses were complimented with a unique belt or accessory while linen was the primary material used with splashes of mustard and coral colors. Created for the everyday woman, Jsong International proclaimed, “Our collections are all for the woman you are and the woman you want to be.”
-Jena Clem
Gen Art New Garde
Drive-In Studios
5wPR
The Gen Art show and party at Drive in Studios was packed despite the wet and windy weather conditions. This year’s Gen Art New Garde show featured looks by four designers: Sophomore, Gar-De, Nomia and WesFeld. WesFeld (Wesley Nault and Daniel Feld of Project Runway fame) was the winning designer for the Plastics Make it Possible and Gen Art competition. Designers were challenged to make two looks from fabrics made from plastic-based fibers, such as nylon, polyester and rayon. The WesFeld collection combined glamour and edge with a gown inspired by a conch shell that featured incredible lines and a beautiful color combination of pale pinks. The duo also showed a nude bolero with out-of-this-world spiked shoulders (I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lady Gaga rocking it on a red carpet soon), which they paired perfectly with a beautifully cut body suit in a silk-satin.
-Alexandra Perron
Norman Ambrose
The St. Regis Hotel
Linda Gaunt PR
The Town and Country inspired fall/winter Collection from Norman Ambrose was displayed in the dexterous charm that complemented chic and stylish grace of the St. Regis Suite. Ambrose had a mixed color palette, black and charcoal for the city aspect of his collection 
and natural colors that occur in nature; appealing to the country living. The entire line, including the striking and prominent hand stitched beading, is being produced in New York City. Charmeuse and Chiffon to blue fox and Persian lamb, these couture pieces will definitely set Ambrose apart. The multipurpose collection caters to the fashion forward individual sipping lemonade in a rocking chair during the afternoon, yet has their driver waiting to bring them into the city for evening drinks.
No faux mink, wool, or fur this season- Norman Ambrose created beautiful coats with intricate detail and hand stitching with seams that were nowhere to be found. If you are ever so lucky to catch a warmer evening in the fall you may want to leave the fur in the dry cleaning bag and grab the designers hand stitched Organza Crop Jacket. When life calls for romance, Ambrose fashioned an enchanting gown with striking ostrich feathers cascading to the bottom of the dress and pearls stitched down the small of the back. A red lipstick alligator belt added an extra flare and sexual appeal to a simple but classy gray wool cowl neck dress. If casual Friday is an issue for you, the dark wool jean with silk stitching will match perfectly with the couture-beaded jacket. All the different styles were made to mix and match, simply wearing them as you like.
The collection was created to make life a little easier on the frequent traveler. Since fall is one of those seasons you are never sure how the weather will go, Ambrose decided to create a little something for everyone. Whether you are living in the hustle and bustle of the city or heading to your country home, you will never be seen in the wrong attire.
-Jena Clem
Rebecca Minkoff
Designer’s Showroom
Shine Media PR
Handbag designer Rebecca Minkoff further developed her label’s sportswear offerings during a crowded presentation in her showroom. The problem wasn’t the clothes per se, but rather using the word “collection” to describe this collection, as it was more akin to an assortment than a collection, albeit a very pleasing & well done assortment. Many of the pieces had details that Ms. Minkoff borrowed from her bag collection, including a pervasive use of large exposed zippers, most to very pleasing ends & the use of leathers, nubucks & suedes in every possible incarnation. The color story too was a bit all over the place, but again, not offensive in the least, using predominantly black, but also burgundy, royal, mustard & red to varying degrees. There were a few prints, the most memorable of which was a black ground liberty-like floral that was used on a dress with a bubble skirt. This label has a serious future as I can see every piece of this collection (save for a weird t-shirt that was used repeatedly that was emblazoned with the words “Bada Boum” [sic] on the front) being worn by any fashion aware woman in my circle, but it needs some serious development to rise to a level where it becomes deserving of the descriptive of “collection”. I suspect it’s only a matter of time.
-Scott French
