Fri. 09/11/2015.
Wes Gordon Spring/Summer 2016.
Wes Gordon has the mind and fashion sensibilities of Uptown, but a heart that is firmly rooted in the Grunge-era 90's and that unique dichotomy has informed the footprint of his style from nearly the beginning. For Spring/Summer 2016, Gordon followed his heart more truly than ever before and while the collection may have leaned closer to the central part of Gordon's emotional involvement in the clothes produced, it did make for one of his least convincing collections as a whole. Whereas in the past, Gordon produced looks that oozed Uptown Luxe with a Downtown Chic patina, here, the collection played a bit like a diffusion collection. It just in most places did not have the New-Generation Richesse that Gordon has so successfully applied to his previous collections. This didn't in the slightest way make for an unsuccessful collection, just one that was perhaps not the strongest statement from the designer.
In most cases, from the beginning look of a sleek, yet crisp, minimal to the max White coat, to a Deep Marigold Snap front coat with white frock underneath, Gordon was on the right foot, even with a Plaid dress in White and Brown and Black interspliced with Black Lace, which skewed definitely more youthful than the previously mentioned, Gordon was showing upscale pieces with a sense of a younger take on the idea. In other places, the somewhat badly handled cold-shoulder pieces and some truly just unkempt looking outfits that looked as if they had been slept in and rolled out of bed onto the street, the collection stumbled. There was also, intentional or not, a childlike naif vibe to many of the pieces that came across more Old Navy Kid's section than Saks Fifth Avenue.
All in all, it was an uneven and ever so slightly misjudged effort from Gordon, one that had it's high moments indeed, the White tee and pants at Exit No. 5 comes to mind, which was working a 90's Helmut Lang/Prada vibe to DEATH and "Giving Life" for it, and there were certainly some... LESS high moments that kept the collection from soaring as is usual for Gordon. One would not call it a failure of a collection, but it was certainly a set back for a designer that in the past few seasons has consistently given us some dynamic and achingly brilliant collections. The aching from this collection was bought on for different reasons, entirely.
That's All.
Bye4Now!
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Jason Wu Collection Spring/Summer 2016.
Fri. 09/11/2015.
Jason Wu's Spring 2016 collection was frankly, discombobulated. Wu proclaimed the overarching theme of this collection was "Glamour" yet any real sense of glamour, understated or ostentatious, was generally obscured by a quite honestly, puzzling and inelegant fixation on ruffles that were not executed in any flattering manner and pointedly, added nothing but oddness to the pieces they adorned. When ruffles were not the focus, and Wu restrained his design aesthetics to more sporty shores, he succeeded quite brilliantly, but even at that, it was not a consistent success.
When Wu pared back the ruffle treatments and coupled that with a clean modern viewpoint, he made the most of his talents, as in the perfectly judged Bottle Green trench that opened the show with it's fraying edges and scaled back ruffles, was formidably glamourous and sportif in equal measure. Elsewhere, the experiments with ruffles came off as awkward and ungainly, Wu showed a defter hand when it came to items like a Black Leather ensemble which consisted of a Cropped jacket and slightly A-line skirt or the super Ladylike chic of a belted coat at Exit No. 14.
One thing that was abundantly clear about this outing, is that Wu, who made his name on exceptionally conceived and accomplished evening wear, has in his zeal to incorporate a more sportswear bent to his collections, lost touch with what made him the sensational architect of real glamour that he used to be. It was confusing and somewhat, downheartening to see his evening options fail on most levels to be anything more than messy or worse yet, Basic. This collection vacillated between silly, cumbersome frippery, and modernistic sporty restraint. The two halves did not coalesce easily into a pleasing whole and was just the next collection in the long line of increasingly less deftly handled collections for Wu, and that is surely not the definition of "Glamour"
That's All.
Bye4Now!
Saturday, January 19, 2019
Raquel Allegra Spring/Summer 2016.
Fri. 09/11/2015.
Raquel Allegra Spring/Summer 2016.
Raquel Allegra is a boho kind of gal. No punches pulled there. She's got a Modern Hippie sensibility that was much on display via the Tie-Dye prints, wafting shapes and langourous approach she evinced in her Spring 2016 collection that was her first formal foray onto the NYFW circuit. Nothing here felt like it was in hurry to go anywhere other than perhaps the lido deck of the "Love Boat" The clothes produced here were fresh and modernly urban with a Hippie-Dippy backbone, like the pale Grey hued Tie-Dye caftan that was working as much an evening vibe as it was "Hot Time, Summer in the city" which was perhaps the defining piece of the entire collection. Did the collection break any ground...? Not one whit, but will it satisfy the needs of Allegra's loyal fan base and entice new acolytes... That it surely will! In fine form, no less!
That's All.
Bye4Now!
Raquel Allegra Spring/Summer 2016.
Raquel Allegra is a boho kind of gal. No punches pulled there. She's got a Modern Hippie sensibility that was much on display via the Tie-Dye prints, wafting shapes and langourous approach she evinced in her Spring 2016 collection that was her first formal foray onto the NYFW circuit. Nothing here felt like it was in hurry to go anywhere other than perhaps the lido deck of the "Love Boat" The clothes produced here were fresh and modernly urban with a Hippie-Dippy backbone, like the pale Grey hued Tie-Dye caftan that was working as much an evening vibe as it was "Hot Time, Summer in the city" which was perhaps the defining piece of the entire collection. Did the collection break any ground...? Not one whit, but will it satisfy the needs of Allegra's loyal fan base and entice new acolytes... That it surely will! In fine form, no less!
That's All.
Bye4Now!
Gabriela Hearst Spring/Summer 2016.
Fri. 09/11/2015.
Gabriela Hearst Spring/Summer 2016.
With a last name like Hearst (she is married to John Augustine Hearst, Grandson of the media mogul William Randolph Hearst.) much is to be expected from the pedigree of that hallowed name, and fortunately for the world of fashion and Ms. Hearst, she delivers in flying colours on those expectations. This Spring/Summer 2016 collection, (formally her second, she debuted with a resort collection previous to this) Hearst proved she is a new force to be reckoned with on the NY and international fashion scene, as a natural minimalist with a maximalist luxury streak, her clothes exude a understated sense of chic and cool.
There was much to admire and love in this collection, from the ascetic lack of frou-frou on pieces like a lean and spare knit column inn shades of Cayenne, Egg Yolk and Navy, which hit a sporty/sensual note as clear as a bell, to a utterly glamourous and unadorned, save for the built in sculptural gold necklace built into it, White gown which had all the luxurious magnitude of a fully beaded evening number, of which Hearst showed not a one. A dark Olive Green coat with snap clip closures had a enough urban toughness without losing any of it's urbane luxe appeal, and the Pièce de Résistance was a sweeping Indigo Lurex Striped Gauze gown that was could do double duty as breezy vacation dress or quietly opulent evening gown. It was a true master stroke.
Hearst, for her first foray into the big leagues, shows she has a unwaveringly sure hand and distinct P.O.V. that will put her in good stead in the future. She's mining a rich vein of slightly boho, urban minimalist dressing that is occupied by some other players with track records of high distinction, yet if she keeps true to herself and follows her instincts, which as of this moment have seemingly not steered her wrong, she will stay at the top of the roster for many years to come.
That's All.
Bye4Now!
Gabriela Hearst Spring/Summer 2016.
With a last name like Hearst (she is married to John Augustine Hearst, Grandson of the media mogul William Randolph Hearst.) much is to be expected from the pedigree of that hallowed name, and fortunately for the world of fashion and Ms. Hearst, she delivers in flying colours on those expectations. This Spring/Summer 2016 collection, (formally her second, she debuted with a resort collection previous to this) Hearst proved she is a new force to be reckoned with on the NY and international fashion scene, as a natural minimalist with a maximalist luxury streak, her clothes exude a understated sense of chic and cool.
There was much to admire and love in this collection, from the ascetic lack of frou-frou on pieces like a lean and spare knit column inn shades of Cayenne, Egg Yolk and Navy, which hit a sporty/sensual note as clear as a bell, to a utterly glamourous and unadorned, save for the built in sculptural gold necklace built into it, White gown which had all the luxurious magnitude of a fully beaded evening number, of which Hearst showed not a one. A dark Olive Green coat with snap clip closures had a enough urban toughness without losing any of it's urbane luxe appeal, and the Pièce de Résistance was a sweeping Indigo Lurex Striped Gauze gown that was could do double duty as breezy vacation dress or quietly opulent evening gown. It was a true master stroke.
Hearst, for her first foray into the big leagues, shows she has a unwaveringly sure hand and distinct P.O.V. that will put her in good stead in the future. She's mining a rich vein of slightly boho, urban minimalist dressing that is occupied by some other players with track records of high distinction, yet if she keeps true to herself and follows her instincts, which as of this moment have seemingly not steered her wrong, she will stay at the top of the roster for many years to come.
That's All.
Bye4Now!
Josie Natori Spring/Summer 2016.
Fri. 09/11/2015.
Josie Natori Spring/Summer 2016.
Casting her eye Eastward, Far Eastwards, Josie Natori got inspired by the art of Asian Paintings, focusing more so on Brushstroke techniques rather than actual subject matter of Asian art. Her Spring/Summer 2016 collection was focused solely on evening wear and mostly rendered in Black and White, which allowed Natori to hone the collection to a fine edge and not get caught up in superfluous colour, although colour was not completely off the table and showed up in quirky juxtapositions of Pink and Orange or Straw Green and Silver. Navy was in evidence as well and made for some of the more convincing pieces in the collection.
Natori showed a restrained and minimalistic hand with embellishment and embroidery, which exacerbated the modern drama of the pieces to standout effect. In evidence, a Straw Green Raw Silk gown with a beaded band around the bust and strap which enhanced the dramatic sweep of the gown instead of detracting focus from it. Also, an absolutely divine swath of Orange Silk was totally devoid of any ornamentation and benefited by leaps and bounds for the exercise in purity and asceticism, showing that Natori could imbue her evening offerings with a healthy dose of glamour without paying obeisance to the usual tropes. The most modernistic touch, slim cigarette pants that showed up here and there throughout the collection and spoke to the women for whom traditional, and somewhat antiquated, ideas of evening dressing are anathema. Natori provided her customer with a sleek and artistic clutch of highly desirable clothes for the nighttime, while redefining what evening truly means, in the process one can be sure she enticed in a whole slew of new customers who were just waiting for such fashionable wares to cross their paths.
That's All.
Bye4Now!
Josie Natori Spring/Summer 2016.
Casting her eye Eastward, Far Eastwards, Josie Natori got inspired by the art of Asian Paintings, focusing more so on Brushstroke techniques rather than actual subject matter of Asian art. Her Spring/Summer 2016 collection was focused solely on evening wear and mostly rendered in Black and White, which allowed Natori to hone the collection to a fine edge and not get caught up in superfluous colour, although colour was not completely off the table and showed up in quirky juxtapositions of Pink and Orange or Straw Green and Silver. Navy was in evidence as well and made for some of the more convincing pieces in the collection.
Natori showed a restrained and minimalistic hand with embellishment and embroidery, which exacerbated the modern drama of the pieces to standout effect. In evidence, a Straw Green Raw Silk gown with a beaded band around the bust and strap which enhanced the dramatic sweep of the gown instead of detracting focus from it. Also, an absolutely divine swath of Orange Silk was totally devoid of any ornamentation and benefited by leaps and bounds for the exercise in purity and asceticism, showing that Natori could imbue her evening offerings with a healthy dose of glamour without paying obeisance to the usual tropes. The most modernistic touch, slim cigarette pants that showed up here and there throughout the collection and spoke to the women for whom traditional, and somewhat antiquated, ideas of evening dressing are anathema. Natori provided her customer with a sleek and artistic clutch of highly desirable clothes for the nighttime, while redefining what evening truly means, in the process one can be sure she enticed in a whole slew of new customers who were just waiting for such fashionable wares to cross their paths.
That's All.
Bye4Now!
Adam Selman Spring/Summer 2016.
Thurs. 09/10/2015.
Adam Selman Spring/Summer 2016.
For Spring 2016, Adam Selman's usual camp aesthetic found an effectively campy inspiré, Taylor Camp, a Nudist colony on a property on a Hawaiian island owned by Howard Taylor, the brother of Screen Legend, Elizabeth Taylor. With that on his mind, Selman actually produced a collection that was perhaps his best to date. Best because, the collection seemed less occupied with said campiness and more on the task at hand of fashion designing instead of storytelling.
With more than a small nod towards the fashion great, Todd Oldham, Selman put up a playful assemblage of outfits that were more grounded in the everyday reality of dressing than in the more eccentric world of clubbing and/or celebrity life. Fashioned mainly out of White, the collection had a freshness that was rooted in the playful. Being that the inspiration was taken from Hawaii, the pieces had a certain beach-y, tropic flair, especially the splashy oversized floral adorned pieces. Selman provided a city worthy counterpoint with bright, punchy Flame Red pieces and some seriously dark denim, which was as grounded as the more sun/sand inspired pieces were relaxed. This segued into some bright florals and then a push of Black pieces that ended the show in a flirtatious and sensual manner.
Selman reached a fine balance between serious and fun that yielded positive results on both fronts, it was good to see Selman reach the potential that has been hinted at in his previous collections but obscured by his fascination with theatrics and yes, his glorious penchant for camp. This collection bodes well for the future and one hopes that Selman takes this ball and runs with it.
That's All.
Bye4Now!
Adam Selman Spring/Summer 2016.
For Spring 2016, Adam Selman's usual camp aesthetic found an effectively campy inspiré, Taylor Camp, a Nudist colony on a property on a Hawaiian island owned by Howard Taylor, the brother of Screen Legend, Elizabeth Taylor. With that on his mind, Selman actually produced a collection that was perhaps his best to date. Best because, the collection seemed less occupied with said campiness and more on the task at hand of fashion designing instead of storytelling.
With more than a small nod towards the fashion great, Todd Oldham, Selman put up a playful assemblage of outfits that were more grounded in the everyday reality of dressing than in the more eccentric world of clubbing and/or celebrity life. Fashioned mainly out of White, the collection had a freshness that was rooted in the playful. Being that the inspiration was taken from Hawaii, the pieces had a certain beach-y, tropic flair, especially the splashy oversized floral adorned pieces. Selman provided a city worthy counterpoint with bright, punchy Flame Red pieces and some seriously dark denim, which was as grounded as the more sun/sand inspired pieces were relaxed. This segued into some bright florals and then a push of Black pieces that ended the show in a flirtatious and sensual manner.
Selman reached a fine balance between serious and fun that yielded positive results on both fronts, it was good to see Selman reach the potential that has been hinted at in his previous collections but obscured by his fascination with theatrics and yes, his glorious penchant for camp. This collection bodes well for the future and one hopes that Selman takes this ball and runs with it.
That's All.
Bye4Now!
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Rodebjer Spring/Summer 2016.
Thurs. 09/10/2015.
Rodebjer Spring/Summer 2016.
Spring/Summer is the time to take a languid and relaxed approach to clothing, to drape oneself in liquid, flowing Robes and fabrics that catch the breeze and move like dancers on the wind, Carin Rodebjer applied that sensibility to her Spring/Summer 2016 collection and even chose a palette of neutral colours (with a few more saturated hues) to exalt her cerebrally sensual work for this season. In a way, this felt almost Resort-y in it's vibe and had that away from the everyday sense of escapism imbued in it.
To give a feeling of difference, Rodebjer incorporated a rather eye-teasing geometric print amongst the throng of mostly solid fabrications. Shown in two colourways, a soft makeup-y Nude/Rose version and a more eclectic and electric Blue version, which came at the end of a passage of beautiful light and dark blue pieces. In the middle and at the end, Rodebjer showed pristine White and Black pieces which in the midst of such easy, breezy shades seen before, gave a more graphic and elevated punch to the collection and ended the proceedings in a most convincing and fashionable manner.
That's All.
Bye4Now!
Rodebjer Spring/Summer 2016.
Spring/Summer is the time to take a languid and relaxed approach to clothing, to drape oneself in liquid, flowing Robes and fabrics that catch the breeze and move like dancers on the wind, Carin Rodebjer applied that sensibility to her Spring/Summer 2016 collection and even chose a palette of neutral colours (with a few more saturated hues) to exalt her cerebrally sensual work for this season. In a way, this felt almost Resort-y in it's vibe and had that away from the everyday sense of escapism imbued in it.
To give a feeling of difference, Rodebjer incorporated a rather eye-teasing geometric print amongst the throng of mostly solid fabrications. Shown in two colourways, a soft makeup-y Nude/Rose version and a more eclectic and electric Blue version, which came at the end of a passage of beautiful light and dark blue pieces. In the middle and at the end, Rodebjer showed pristine White and Black pieces which in the midst of such easy, breezy shades seen before, gave a more graphic and elevated punch to the collection and ended the proceedings in a most convincing and fashionable manner.
That's All.
Bye4Now!
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