New York Fashion Week:
Day #6
09.14.09-
Carlos Miele
The Promenade
Carlos Miele embodies the spirit of Brazil. From the moment you take your seat you are transported to Rio de Janeiro via the soundtrack of Brazilian bossa nova. The models reflect the diversity of the population and his gowns embody the free spirit Brazilians are known for. You can always count on Miele to feature bright, cheerful colors and Spring was no exception. He featured lots of mini-dresses, no doubt to better show off toned gams, in beige silk or violet and green dégradé. His flowy evening gowns were printed with either a city photo print or a turquoise dégradé silk with dreadlocks. The collection is definitely more appropriate for a sunny locale than for a trip to the office but who cares, it is 
gorgeous and keeps us in the summer spirit.
-Miriam Driot
Jill Stuart
Astor Hall, NY Public Library
80’s rocker chic? Yes! Ostentations? You bet! Tasteful & wearable? Debatable! Needless to say the latest collection from New York staple Jill Stuart was chockfull of studs, spandex, mesh & fun. The aggressive & risqué collection was all about tight dresses—make that short (super short) tight dresses. Looks were geared to a younger audience who needless to say aren’t at the age to work too many curves, for fear of a wardrobe malfunction of sorts. I can’t say the collection was a misstep because I can see the vision & audience Stuart had in mind & for that the season was executed correctly; fabrics were strong, construction was properly delivered & the palette was on oar. I have no doubt that party girls everywhere will be lining up to add a few of these duds to their wardrobe.
-Meredith Garcia
General Idea
Exit Art
With the popularity of women's jumpsuits on the runway for the past few seasons, it was only a matter of time before someone attempted to reinterpret them for men... And this season at General Idea turned out to be the time. With almost a third of the collection comprised of the "man jumpsuit" it may have been better pulled off had there been more masculinity in the tailoring. But as it happened the jumpsuits, and the collection as a whole, gave off an almost feminine feel. There were color blocked and graphic tees in black, white, gray, and hot pink... Textured leggings with graphic linear patterns… Black leather sandals, wrap bracelets, and oversize hobo bags… And many of the models wore headbands? Besides that, there were some nice tailored jackets in cotton, wool, and leather with sharply angled hems and pockets, and bold structured shoulders. As a whole, I left the show picturing how great many of the pieces would look hanging in someone’s closet- mine.
-Anna Sandberg
Rad Hourani
Milk Studios
His motto: They come from no place- no time- no tradition— designer Rad Hourani embraces his aesthetic once again. Season after season Haurani has provided diversity to his basic black pallet with touches of white & gray. Although there is the expectation of color (or lack thereof) the execution & delivery is something worth noting. This season the men’s & women’s line maintain the theme of asexual & aseasonal. Hourani’s strengths are in his ability to detail just enough to keep looks understated. Such details include elbow cutouts, exposed zippers & fringed hems. Bottoms were tight leather & spandex, topped with flowey tops & biker jackets. Models adorned capes on their back an obvious take on the early 90’s Helmut Lang backpack trench.
Rad Hourani continues to put out a strong collection every season & I have no doubt that we will one day be referencing his designs & inspirations in future designer’s collections.
-Meredith Garcia
Malan Breton
Metropolitan Pavilion
Malan Breton, known for his elegant tailored women’s garments, chose this season to try his hand with menswear. As the Chelsea symphony played elegant classical music he sent out 29 looks- half men’s and half women’s- including two classical dancers who spun and leaped down the runway. Using his typical silks (faille, dupioni, taffeta, and brocade) he also incorporated bits of cotton, leather, lace, and neoprene here and there. The color palette, with the exception of a few pops of sapphire blue and poppy red, was mostly muted in shades of nude, lavender, gray, navy, and black.
In spite of the (somewhat confusing) dance interludes the show as a whole represented what we have come to expect from Breton. So although the collection was very reminiscent of his past seasons, meticulously tailored and well fit clothing is timeless… and while nothing was overly complex or intriguing there were many classic pieces that would make a sharp addition to any of his target customer's spring wardrobes.
-Anna Sandberg
Zero + Maria Cornejo
Hosfelt Gallery
“… the beautiful tension of organic elements pushing through the cement of an urban landscape are what inspired me most…” says under the radar designer extraordinaire Maria Cornejo in her run of show statement. What she delivered wasn’t that, but it didn’t matter as what was on her runway was a fresh, modern, no nonsense collection that represented a slight variation in her trademark play on the circle, instead using straight lines that went around the body in a technique Ms. Cornejo described as “off kilter”. Her colors were all colors found in nature set off against white, black & cream with the occasional putty gray & the silhouettes were Zero + Maria Cornejo’s usual futuristic assortment of amorphous shapes with a few tailored jumpsuits thrown in to keep her on trend with the rest of fashion’s pack for the season. Most interesting was Ms. Cornejo’s jewelry – a series of bowed blonde wood pieces that fit around the cuff, neck, & waist. The effect was wholly natural, wholly surreal & assuredly modern.
-Scott French
Brooks Brothers
Madison Ave Store
The American classic brand did it again for their spring summer line up. The collection stayed true to its brand presenting wearable pieces with just enough fashion to get new customers excited, but not too much to scare away the already devoted. Women & men all over the US can exploit their blue blood preppy chic natured with a number of the seer sucker, classic white shirtings & plaid looks.
Back again is the Black Fleece collection from Thom Brown- this year think nautical navy seer sucker with the classic Brown silhouette of form fitting & short. Looks were reminiscences of the 20’s & 30 are where looks were complete from head to toe.
-Meredith Garcia
Sophie Theallet
The Altman Building
New designer and CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalist Sophie Theallet has recently began to attract attention, with the endorsement of none other than Michelle Obama. Beginning her Spring/Summer 2010 collection with shades of nude, ivory, and dark chocolate brown, the colors progressed with the show to muted shades of peach, rose, and coral, eventually deepening to warm shades of burnt orange, eggplant, scarlet, and moss green. She used a few simple line and block prints throughout the collection, embellishing the pieces with ruffles, pleats, draping sashes, and ties at the waist, neck, shoulders, and sleeves.
Her collection of mainly dresses ran the whole gamut from simple shifts and shirtdresses, to sexy draping halters and asymmetrical looks of all lengths. The full-skirted pieces, belted at the waist were all very wearable, whether in the form of a scarlet sleeveless look or any of the block printed fabrics (nude with a hood, orange with a tie neck, red and off-the shoulder). For something a little sexier, there were plenty of after hour choices, such as gold embellished cocktail dresses, and satin full length gowns. Chances are whatever the occasion; Theallet has provided something to wear… after all, if it’s good enough for the first lady, its good enough for me.
-Anna Sandberg
Tracy Reese
The Salon
When you entered the venue for Tracy Reese’s Spring 2010 collection the feeling was 1950’s/60’s modern living room, with the multicolored ceiling lamps hanging down over the runway & the dramatic painted backdrop. Unfortunately, the drama & modernity ended there. The show was a directionless mélange of what appeared to be a showing of someone’s closet rather than a collection fit for a runway. It was a little of this, a little bit more of that, then a combination of this, that & something else, only to be followed up by something else altogether. As an example, picture an iridescent pastel lurex short feminine number followed by a black cotton tunic trimmed in hand crochet edge trim over a brightly colored short-short, followed by a different color iridescent pastel lurex gauzy piece. It had the feel of a little girl doing a show from her mother’s closet. Mind you, the mother had taste, as the clothes were not ugly, but they shouldn’t have been styled as they were. The prints shown were graphic versions of organics, some resembling lily pads; others were versions of animal prints. Again, the combinations of the prints was more random than right. Certain pieces like the Marine Blue anorak dress, a purple 1950’s dress & a few versions of bubble dresses & skirts in cream, were wonderful & gave us hope that the Tracy Reese of past seasons still is working at the house. Hopefully she’ll be back in earnest next season.
-Scott French
Chris Benz
Drive in Studios
The Chris Benz Spring/Summer 2010 presentation on Monday afternoon was busy- and not just in terms of the slightly pushy crowd. The collection itself, an assortment of rainbow colored dresses and separates, all covered in sparkly multi-colored pailettes and/or puffy maribou feathers, could have used some strong editing. While there were some very nice looks, it was somewhat difficult to focus on them since seemingly every outfit had either an overwhelming use of bright colors, polka dots, stripes, layers of chiffon, feathers, large sequins and in many cases a combination of some/all of these.
So all distractions aside, the pencil skirts in various shades from khaki to bright yellow, hot pink, lilac and light blue were all cute and wearable, as were many of the jackets (specifically any of the jackets not entirely covered in shiny paillettes). There were also some very pretty chiffon dresses, one in a lilac and purple tonal tie-dye, one in a blue, purple, and tan colorblock print, and one with layers of ruffles cascading down the front in hues reminiscent of a summer sunset. So chances are, if you have the patience to look past the costume closet pieces in Chris Benzes collection, you may just find something you like.
-Anna Sandberg
Barbara Tfank
Milk Studios
Why isn’t Michelle Obama on to Barbara Tfank yet? These pieces were oozing femininity & never crossed the lines of classically beautiful taste & decorum. Culling her inspiration from the iconic works of Richard Avedon, designer Ms. Tfank served up a series of quintessential 
day dresses that could go into the early evening by simply adding the right necklace or earrings & swapping of a bag. Collections like this elude most new designers, who opt instead for the route of trying to outfit the trendy “it” girls who are the fodder of tabloids. The Barbara Tfank customer is the ladies who lunch, the ladies who go to fabulous dinners in places like Newport, or Palm Beach, or attend garden parties in Southampton (the part of town SOUTH of the highway). In other words, these ladies have money to spend & places to go & need clothing in which to do it.
Much to her customers’ delights I’m sure, Ms. Tfank served up a selection of Navy, White & Red nautical numbers that felt as if they could be taken right out of the closet of Jackie O. should we still be lucky enough to have her in our lives today. She followed this with a Black & White story & then she entered her comfort zone – a mélange of Sherbety tones all served up in textured jacquards & rigid solids that create the sort of soft, yet architectural silhouettes that are her signature. The setting too was of note – a large, open loft space with expansive views of the sunny Hudson River, where the models entered one by one to be admired by the crowd & then be left to return to the secret world of civility. Change this scenario to an expansive 5th Avenue Penthouse Apartment with an expansive view of the Park, where the wearer ventures out to lunch on Madison Avenue to be seen by the other ladies in her circle, only to return to their secret lives in society’s upper echelon & what you’ve just witnessed is real life of Barbara Tfank’s core customer.
-Scott French
Gottex
The Tent
Newly appointed Creative Director of Gottex, Molly Grad, brought a bit of the once trademark glamour back to the collection that has been drifting more & more into the territory of novelty in recent seasons. The result… Gottex has never looked so good! In a series of silhouettes sure to please its core customers, but never seeming a simple rehash of the past, Ms. Grad moved the Gottex collection strongly forward & opened the doors of fashion in this niche market wider than they’ve been in quite some time. Showing Black & White plissé knits that were then draped, knotted & tucked to create a soft, Grecian sort of mood & then sporadically ornamented with palettes of gold coins reminiscent of a pirates treasure off a Spanish galleon, followed up by series of colors ranging from Ochre, to Cobalt Blue, to Coral Red & Gunmetal, Grad continued to tell the story. The most incredible piece was the Gunmetal plasticized Lycra strapless suit that was so highly polished it appeared mirrored or liquid. Many of the looks are horribly inappropriate for actual swimming, but has Gottex ever truly seen chlorine? These are clothes meant to be worn as a suggestion of swim & not perform”sous l'eau”. The Gottex collection is safe in Ms. Grad’s freshman hands!
-Scott French
Geren Ford
Metropolitan Pavilion
In a parade of silky fabrics, some suede, some leather, and plenty of obi belts, the Spring/Summer 2010 collection Geren Ford sent out is sure to be a hit. Always a favorite with New York girls and continuing to gain popularity, the designer hit it right on the head yet again, showcasing easy silhouettes with a little bit of edge and a dose of sex appeal.
There were plenty of separates with mix-and-match potential, in bright saturated hues, just enough black and gray, and a few carefully selected prints, all tied up with various different obi belts. Some of the more memorable looks included a white asymmetrical zip jacket with fuchsia paint splatters, and a navy charmeuse blazer with purple lining. There were also plenty of skinny jeans and sexy top combos in black and gray with bits of hardware, and a gray printed jumpsuit with black leather shoulder pads was fun and unique. My personal favorites were the pieces featuring the “Flag Ink Splat” print- a slip dress with a gray asymmetrical jacket and a silk tank with pleating running up the back… and of course, the bold oversize jewelry is always a hit.
-Anna Sandberg
