Just when everything started looking the same, (with an emphasis on sportswear), Marc Jacobs closed the week by delivering an eye catching, highly visual tour de force that was all about the joy of getting dressed and putting the fun back in fashion. Gone are the waifs in their sad military outfits and combat boots from last season. In their place: a parade of grown up, sophisticated women (down to the dark red lips, severe top knots, leather gloves), each and every one of them polished, put together, and dressed to the nines.

The collection, an ode to a true fashion icon, Diana Vreeland, spoke volumes about her unabashed obsession with fashion and her love of the bold and eccentric (there was nothing shy and retiring about her pronouncements, directives, or her personal style). It was the polar opposite of minimalism and quite frankly, you didn’t know where to look first (“The Eye has to Travel” indeed). There was no surface left unadorned or kept plain, and other than the relatively simple opening group of dresses in black, it was a beautiful mash up of metallic brocades, leopard and snake prints, bugle beads, jet embroidery, menswear patterns, cabbage roses, and fur. Graphic skunk to be exact. There were skunk capes, coats, muffs, bags, and stoles. It was not lost on me that Marc’s very first collection as head of design for Louis Vuitton in Paris, was all about skunk, so it’s as though he has come full circle.

Trousers were shown sporadically, but basically, it was all about a feminine silhouette (dresses and skirts). There were narrow pencil skirts and there were very full, knife pleated skirts, which were really the focal point of the collection. They came in dizzying variety, in lengths that went from below the knee length to floor sweeping, and were shown with everything from tailored jackets and belted coats, to voluminous capes.

It was often so over the top, it begged the question, “Good taste or bad taste?” Diana Vreeland said it best, “Bad taste is better than no taste”. Touche!

Groovy Baby!

Calvin Klein Fall 2015

Well, it looks as though Francesco Costa has been spending some quality time at the periodical vintage shows (I’ve  spotted him at the Manhattan Vintage Shows held at the Metropolitan Pavillion), but it seems he couldn’t quite make up his mind as to which pieces (or decades) most inspired him. His fall 2015 collection for Calvin Klein was quite a departure in that it was an unabashed nod to mod (modified space age), but it also referenced the 70’s and 90’s as well. To the designers’ credit, he made it his own and nothing was taken too literally. The overall effect was subtle and sophisticated, and hardly stuck in a time warp.

Working in a signature palette of black and white, there were hits of camel, coral, brown, and deep burgundy. The emphasis was on dresses and skirts (both short and long), and only a few pants were shown in the entire collection (they were cropped and wide and paired with cropped jackets). The elongated pieces looked especially good, thanks to their perfectly proportioned, narrow, lean silhouettes, and almost everything was shown with a mid-heeled second skin boot (there were also mod inspired block heeled pumps).

Coats and outerwear, the true stars on the runways here in New York, have always been a strong part of the DNA of the Calvin Klein label, and they were the stars in Costa’s collection as well: everything from 60’s inspired abbreviated coats (combining plush fur and leather, often horizontally worked), to long and lean coats layered over long dresses. Highlights in the latter group include the elongated black coat with pronounced silver buttons, trimmed with black patent; the ivory double breasted coat with silver button; the belted number in rich brown and black leather patchwork.

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Cagey Calvin

Calvin Klein Spring 2013 Presentation  Graphic stripes and black &white

Yesterday morning, I attended the Calvin Klein Spring 2013 presentation, held on the ground floor of 205 West 39th Street. Tall glasses of orange juice were served by waiters (I don’t know if they were spiked with vodka or not), along with delicate, elegant looking nibbles. It was shown installation style on live models, and divided into different montages according to classification and color story. Cage like wide black bars formed the basis of seating (models relaxed, and reclined on them, making for a perfect photo op), and actually divided the sprawling space into different ‘rooms’. There were also racks of clothes with coordinating shoes and bags, which enabled editors to get a better look (and feel), of the pieces.

Shirt and skinny pants in an art inspired abstract paint splattered print

The overall heading for the season is “The Modernist”, which is hardly surprising, or a stretch, since the label (in all of its classifications) has long been the very essence of modern. And modern it was, owing to minimal, cool proportions, a youthful athleticism, linear silhouette, and an overall feeling of simplicity and ease. The appealing color palette was primarily based on black & white (whether in solid or done in graphic color blocks, stripes, and geometric, abstract prints and patterns), and it was often revved up with hits of strong pops of color (cobalt blue, viridan green, citron, spearmint). An art inspired, painterly print, which was used for a button down shirt and skinny pant, was a standout. Represented throughout, was a varied assortment of Calvin Klein men’s and women’s sportswear, tailored clothing, dresses, outerwear, footwear, handbags (hand held mini clutches, satchels, over-sized carry alls), eye-wear, and swimwear (the news is the racer back one-piece for women, and new short cut trunks for men).

Calvin Klein underwear

And what, may I ask, would a Calvin Klein presentation be without underwear and jeans, two of the label’s most iconic divisions? The news (as for the former), is the launch of Calvin Klein Concept, introducing seamless technology construction for ultimate comfort, freedom, and fit. For men, it’s all about masculine briefs, trunks, and boxer briefs in breathable microfiber and cotton stretch. 

Calvin Klein jeans

In terms of denim, the timeless, all American classic has been rendered more weightless than ever, with washes ranging from the palest to the darkest. While pale blue washed indigo denims form the basis of the collection, there is also black and white (skinny jeans, for both men and women, are treated with white washes: the height of pared down chic).

FYI, on our way out, editors were offered two gifts: your choice of one of three Calvin Klein Jeans sunglasses, and an abbreviated denim jacket in your choice of wash.

-Marilyn Kirschner

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Pure and Simple

Calvin Klein Fall 2012 Collection All photos: firstView.com (Click images for full size verson)

 The trouble with ending Fashion Week with Calvin Klein, is that Francisco Costa’s collections are always the end result of such purity of design unfettered by anything extraneous (which at first glance might LOOK simple yet we all know that is hardly the case), that it is hard to compare with anything else. Yesterday’s show (there were two back-to-back presentations held on West 39th Street), spoke volumes about volume – a controlled volume that was inherent in the couture like construction of each piece. The predominant silhouette was waist defined, curved hip, rounded sleeve, and contoured bodice. It was a very concise, strong, and powerful statement.

The 33 looks played out primarily in midnight (so dark it looked like black), onyx, parchment, and flint, with flashes of poppy, sienna, and cerise. There were hefty fabrics such as technical wool and wool tweed, shaved shearling, glazed/wool and mohair, plongee (a thick scuba like fabric that resembles leather), an embroidered on laser cut wool that imparted surface interest, and knotted silk.

As on almost every other runway, the coat was the pivotal piece. The first outfit out, in this case, it was a collarless knee length beauty in midnight glazed/wool and mohair, belted with a wide hammered silver belt which further accentuated the waist and added the perfect amount of glistening shine. It was accessorized with onyx alligator flared heel pumps. The flared heel pumps (in alligator or polished calf, and flared heel black alligator boots, appeared throughout. Other standouts were the poppy technical wool tweed coat, the sienna glazed wool and mohair belted coat with inverted pleats, the onyx pebbled and the high neck parchment bonded wool crepe coat with shaved shearling.

The dress was also KEY: they were in the same fabrication and benefited from the same amazing techniques and construction as the outerwear. In some instances, the placement of seams, the combination of fabric, the employment of sheer panels made the difference. Day and evening were almost the same, although the all onyx finale included several embroidered laser cut wool dresses (whose surface interest approximated paillettes), ending with three dresses in knotted silk embroidery, featuring contoured bodices or open backs, and slightly longer lengths. Rooney Mara, the beautiful, young Oscar nominee for ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’, (and someone who is considered to be a real fashion star with her own individual sense of style) was at the 2 PM show, and it might be a safe bet that she will be wearing one of Francisco’s dresses when she attends the upcoming Academy Awards later this month.

Ralph’s Gold Mine

Ralph Lauren Fall 2012 Collection All photos: firstView.com (click on images for full size verson)

The invitation to Ralph Lauren’s fall show (black with gold lettering), was a dead give away that this would be a theme at Friday morning’s show.  While it was certainly not the whole story, there was a strong statement made in black and gold, whether a subtle one, or not so subtle. Gold beads completely decorated the front of a black cashmere turtleneck which was shown with a black glove leather pleated skirt, and accessorized with black suede platform sandals accented with gold, and a black calfskin clutch with gold hinged handle.

A gold beaded on black tulle cardigan was shown over a white broadcloth pique shirt, worn with black wide legged pleated front pants, accessorized with black suede platform sandals with gold mesh detail; a gold dusted black shearling jacket was thrown over a gold chiffon beaded evening dress; an ostrich feather cape in black and gold, was the perfect cover up for a fluid black satin evening dress; and the finale was a gold lame evening dress.

 But Ralph’s true “gold mine” ( what he does best and could easily be his signature) was summed up by the strong opening group: perfect put togethers comprised of impeccably tailored jackets, great coats and wrap coats, jodphurs, boy trousers wide legged pleated front trousers, and fitted cashmere lambswool fair isle sweaters, rendered in mixes of his beloved fabrics (herringbone, houndstooth, heather tweed, windowpane, chalk stripes, and heather tweed), played out in warm shades of camel and brown with a few hits of color. Jaunty caps, white cotton club collar shirts with ties, high heeled burnished leather ghillies and monk strap shoes, polished calf small doctors bags or alligator attaches and briefcases provided the finishing touches.

True standouts were the narrow brown ocelot printed shearling coat which was layered over a taupe cashmere lambswool fair isle sweater; a light green striped cotton shirt with club collar, and camel and brown cashmere glen plaid plus fours. Other ‘vintage’ Ralph pieces: the black beaded leather motorcycle worn with green tartan slim boy trousers and white cotton broadcloth shirt; the black fluid velvet smoking robe with scarlet shearling collar worn with black chalkstripe flannel wide legged trousers and the black polished bonded leather wrap coat.

-Marilyn Kirschner

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Ralph Lauren ‘Black’ Label

Ralph Lauren Fall 2011 Collection (All Photos: Firstview.com)

And I mean ‘black’ literally since out of the 53 looks that came down the runway yesterday at Skylight Studio, where Ralph Lauren showed his fall collection at two back-to-back shows, almost each and every one was either all black, mainly black, or black enlivened with hits of white (as in white shirts), lacquer red, which often came by way of the high heeled red satin open toe pumps, or mixed with multi colored prints or patterns with a hard to miss Oriental flavor (one standout was the red silk shantung embroidered smoking jacket worn over a crisp white shirt and black pinstripe trousers, and shown beneath a black cashmere cocoon coat trimmed with long hair shearling). If it wasn’t black, it was trimmed with black, such as the good looking chestnut tweed double breasted coat and hacking jacket, both of which had black curly shearling collars.

One always expects Ralph to switch gears from one season to the next (but he does it in his own way, within his own ‘oeuvre’), and since last spring was a study in prairie chic, I guess it was safe to say he would completely go in another direction for fall. And so he did. This was a sophisticated, completely urban vision, one that was quite slick actually, and it didn’t hurt that many of the fabrics used, (black silk, silk/wool, leather) thanks to technology, were given a shiny, glossy, polished finish, which heightened the effect.

It was pure Ralph through and though, with its emphasis on strictly tailored, shaped and molded jackets, perfect trousers (pleated and narrow), tuxedos, skinny sweater dresses that fit like a second skin, velvet shawl collared smoking jackets, and fabulous coats (it’s hard to forget that amazing, long, black glossy leather trench coat with shearling trim collar, which was shown with a black polished leather pencil skirt, black turtleneck sweater, and accessorized with a black satin pleated peep toe with red lacquer heel).

A subtle art deco vibe was apparent in the 8 black floor length gowns that formed the finale. Bugle beaded, embroidered, or done in silk panne velvet, they were simple yet dramatic, and a few had alluringly cut out backs. Not so subtle were the two, especially the finale, which featured a fabulous bugle beaded collar and matching ‘hood’. When RR took his bow to a standing ovation, he was wearing a black turtleneck and black distressed jeans (he is always wears a version of the look he is proposing on the runway). It was pure class all the way.

Francisco Costa Wipes the ‘Slate’ Clean

Calvin Klein Fall 2011 Collection (All Photos: Firstview.com)

If someone wanted to know my definition of what ‘modern’ is, vis a vis clothing for our times, or my definition of a collection that is at once youthful yet sophisticated, appropriate for a range of ages, and easy yet still quite structured and sculptural, formal yet informal, sporty yet couture, I would tell them to look at Francisco Costa’s fall winter show which was presented at two back to back presentations yesterday afternoon. The 35 piece collection was whittled down to shades of gray (slate, mercury, smoke), desert, wheat, stone, black and white and played out in luxurious and innovative fabrics such as bonded alpaca and cashmere, alpaca jacquards, needle punched shearling (coats); technical silk twill (pants); silk ribbon jacquard, technical jersey, and technical silk boucle (sheaths); mercury/cotton (shirts).

The silhouette he seems to be most taken with – it was the first outfit out and one that repeated itself but in slightly different variations, was the use of a lean cigarette pant cropped to the ankle  and not a skintight jean or legging, nor a wide trouser pant but something chic, elegant, and in between, worn with a coat that hit just above the knee, in a slightly rounded shape, worn with a white cotton long sleeved shirt. When it wasn’t a coat, it was a cropped jacket with a ‘baseball collar’, a collarless or zip front jacket in leather, or an easy yet beautifully shaped ‘sweatshirt’ with abbreviated sleeves (of course, his sweatshirts are made of alpaca jacquard).

And when it wasn’t a white long sleeved shirt, it was a white, wheat, or black sleeveless shirt. Sometimes, it was an above the knee length skirt, which formed the bottom half of an outfit, and those were needless to say, perfectly cut to be easy, not tight or constricting, yet done with a controlled volume. Dresses (sheaths, shifts and shirtdresses) also fell slightly above the knee (there was not one long dress or gown to be found in the entire collection), and they were also, cut to perfection and innovative. One new dress shape that repeated was the ‘two piece sheath’ that, thanks to tromp l’oeil seaming, appeared to be a two piece dress in the front. Some of the dresses made effective use of fabric mixes. The most ‘evening’ the collection got, was the group of metallic jacquard shifts (in slate and wheat), with fold detail, scoop back, or scoop arm.

There was absolutely no jewelry, not a handbag, and the only accessory were the shoes: a rounded toe, ankle strap sandal or pump on a slight platform, boasting a chunky, low heel (some were white, which gave a clean modern somewhat mod look to the darker clothes, and others matched the outfits) made from wheat hair, truffle hair, and brushed calf. It was hard not to notice that thanks to the comfy, grounded footwear, the models (with their hair pulled back into youthful straight ponytails), were not only ABLE to walk down the runway (wow- what a novel idea!!!), but seemed to literally jaunt down the runway.

This brings up another point. I may be missing something, but I TRULY do not understand the fascination many women, as well as some designers, still seem to have with ugly ugly ugly orthopedic (if not worse) looking, heavy, platform high high heeled footwear that renders them almost cripple. I’ve seen countless of them during fashion week, and mostly, they have been hunched over and almost unable to navigate the sidewalks without leaning on something – or someone. Is that what they perceive as attractive…or modern????? I don’t think so. Especially in the city, when one should be able to move at breakneck speed. Certainly, being able to walk briskly, gracefully, or just walk at all, seems to be what ‘modern’ is all.

To ‘Dye’ For…

Isaac Mizrahi Fall 2011 Collection (All Photos: Style.com)

Isaac Mizrahi’s noon time show, held at Exit Art yesterday, was in one word a HOOT! (okay, two words). It was quirky, imaginative, and insanely off the wall, and like no one else’s. According to the run of show, the collection was dubbed, ‘Cake’ but a look inside the program revealed nothing of a descriptive nature, other than the names of the 26 models. The first model came down the runway, a vision in lavender (a below the knee length coat and dress), with a puzzling poodle like oversized black ‘fixture’ sitting on the top of her head, followed by a model wearing a pale green dress with a large bow; at which point a ‘waiter’ walked down the runway holding a mint green cake with the same large bow in front, the audience got a hint of the madness to come.

Some of the colors (mint green, marigold yellow, hot pink, purple, gray, black) as well as the prints and fabrics (confetti crystals, oversized florals) which were used for the collection of coats, dresses (some long, some abbreviated), elongated skirts, cropped pants, floor length ball skirts, evening gowns, were literally mimicked by the dyed to match layer cakes, (brought out by serious looking ‘waiters’ taking their turn down the runway), AND by the dyed to match poodles that came out with the models.  I thought I’d lose it when one model, wearing a hot pink strapless gown, came out holding a hot pink dyed poodle; and when after a model wearing a short blue and purple floral coat, accompanied by a dyed blue poodle, was followed by a waiter carrying a layer cake covered in the same blue and floral fabric.

(FYI, I don’t even want to guess what sort of dye was used but I would hope it’s not permanent).

 In addition to fashion and the theatre, Isaac has a fixation on layer cakes and poodles? In addition to the models resembling poodles, there were poodle pins affixed to some of the outfits, replicas of miniature poodles topping layer cakes, and there were dyed to match bags in ‘poodle’ cloth. (Thankfully, Isaac stopped just short of showing poodle skirts). When Isaac walked down the runway, he was wearing a poodle pin affixed to his jacket, and holding the leash of what I assume, is his poodle. (Coincidentally, this past week was the Westminster Dog Show in New York, so the timing was not lost on me). Needless to say, the audience was in stitches and we all needed this after 8 days of covering shows. What a perfect way to (almost) end fashion week. Bill Cunningham, taking it all and capturing it on his camera was similarly amused, exclaiming in glee, “Not a moment too soon”, and then he literally dashed down the runway to get a better shot of the last model, wearing a black gown, accompanied by a black poodle.

In the meanwhile, luckily for me, there was an appealing new bakery a few steps away from Exit Art, because after looking at all those ‘cakes’ during the course of Isaac’s show, I developed quite a sweet tooth.

FYI, as I strolled down west 39th Street, on my way to Calvin Klein, I saw a man handing out blue buttons saying “We all get dressed for Bill” (a quote made by Anna Wintour many years ago), along with postcards advertising the long awaited public release of the “Bill Cunningham New York” documentary. It will have a two week run, beginning March 16, at the Film Forum on Houston Street (you can buy tickets online, www.filmforum.org and can watch the trailer at www.billcunninghamnewyork.com). Coincidentally, I literally bumped into Bill, coming out of the first Calvin Klein show, and showed him the button and the postcard and in true BC form, he sort of embarrassedly shrugged it off and quickly changed the subject to fashion shows. You gotta love him!

-Marilyn Kirschner

The post New York Fashion Week Notes: Day 8 appeared first on lookonline.

FashionGPS sponsored report

Chado Ralph Rucci ivory printed gazar “antler chair” strapless gown

Hands down the most special and rewarding fashion experience of the week, occurred the day after the final show on Thursday, and it was not at Lincoln Center, but in Soho, at 536 Broadway to be exact. Far from the maddening crowd. As we all know, Ralph Rucci was to present his spring collection at his Soho atelier this past Monday evening, but canceled right before Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week was to begin. Instead, he opted for individual appointments. My first reaction, as soon as I heard the news, was that I was pleased to know that I would be up close and personal with museum quality clothes, and talk with the extremely cultured, articulate designer, who is known for his excruciating, painstaking attention to detail. (How many times have we all sat at his shows and wished we could actually touch the garment or find out exactly how it was constructed?)

I arrived a few minutes before Ralph and had a chance to quickly thumb through the approximately 80 looks. It was a real treat to feel the fabrics – matte jersey, mohair, silk faille, printed gazar, cotton poplin and cotton canvas, organza, tulle, wool crepe, and get a good look at the construction, the details, the front, the back, the sides, and insides of the pieces. When Ralph arrived, we had a chance to talk about a range of fashion related topics.

Black wool jacket with circular horeshair insets

As for this collection, a study in black, taupe, ivory, and touches of coral, chrome yellow, cinnamon, and celadon, he explained that it is an homage to sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro, (who worked in flat planes). It features signature Ralph themes such as Charles James inspired elliptical cut sleeves, and the abundant use of horsehair. What I learned, (and it truly boggles the mind), is that in Ralph’s wondrous backrooms (where about 70 talented craftsmen make it all happen), they actually steam the horsehair (bend and shape it), so that it becomes pliable. One fabulous black suit with circular, (upward, downward) horsehair insets, was “4 years in the making – I’m so gratified that we can do this!”; a ‘simple’ (Ralph’s words, not mine) black t shirt, was given interest through insets of molded horsehair in a circular pattern; one black lightweight double faced wool and silk 7/8 coat had sheer insets that formed the pattern of a Louise Nevelson collage.

Black satin raincoat

Other mind blowing creations (and this only scratches the surface): an updated black mohair ‘le smoking’ (the midriff and sleeves on the jacket had horsehair insets embroidered in a sound wave design); a fantastically shaped black satin coat with beige outside darts (treated to be water repellent), which was shown with black mohair ‘jeans’ (Ralph’s ‘jeans’, ‘t shirts’, and ‘raincoats’ are not quite garden variety basics); a matte jersey pale beige knee length dress and long black gown given surface interest through cartridge pleating; several pieces in black or white wool crepe (jackets, coats, an evening gown), actually done in the “Pomodoro” technique; a beautiful and graceful strapless ivory gazar gown screen printed with a Han Dynasty chair whose legs were made from antlers.

Ivory pleated dress

When a model came out wearing a dramatic black bugle bead jacket over a black bugle beaded top and long organza skirt, the designer was quick to point out that he is now using bugle beads in lieu of regular beads because he’s tired of glitter (“no more glitter” he decreed). As for the supremely elegant and feminine see through Manolo Blahnik shoes on a new fabulous heel, Ralph noted, “I love an invisible shoe” and then talked about his absolute distaste for those heavy, clunky, almost orthopedic shoes that have been the footwear of choice for quite awhile now (I could not agree more!). He also said, “If I put my mind to evening clothes, it has to be stimulating intellectually and sexually”.

Black mohair ‘le smoking’ tuxedo suit

Speaking of being stimulated, Ralph is always thinking and moving forward. It’s obvious that he is confident and comfortable in his own skin. At this stage in his career, as he put it, “I know my limitations as a designer”. What’s up next? A line of furniture and textiles (he would not divulge the details yet but did say, “I’m in the company of geniuses” (no offense meant, but let’s just say he’s most likely not collaborating with Pottery Barn or Bed, Bath, and Beyond (details to follow soon). In addition, a website, www.chadoralphrucci.com (“a history of 28 years” he proclaimed), should be up and running by mid October. And while the customer may not be able to place an order for an evening confection that costs well into the 5 figures; she will be able to purchase more accessible things.

As for moving forward – that is literally the case; the company plans to move their headquarters from their current Soho location, to the west 20’s (Chelsea), home to many of the city’s famed galleries, and will hopefully be ensconced in their new space by April. Considering Ralph is a consummate artist, that’s a perfect fit

Looking ahead to the fall show, which will be held in February, I think we can safely assume it will be a formal show held in his Soho atelier. Although Ralph admitted that though the consensus of opinion among those who came downtown, was that they personally loved having an intimate view and one on one with the designer, he himself missed the “movement and dynamics” of a formal runway show. He also promised a “big surprise”. He wouldn’t say what it was, but with a twinkle in his eye, he told me that he had a brilliant idea for the collection and began working on it about 3 weeks ago.

A ‘Beauty’!

All photos: Marcio Madeira/ firstVIEW

Francisco Costa’s spring collection for Calvin Klein, shown on Thursday afternoon, was a study in simplicity (could anything be more opposite Marc Jacobs or Ralph Lauren for that matter?) But for someone with an educated eye, you could appreciate the complexity that went into it and understand that there was really nothing ‘simple’ about it at all. Short, quick, and to the point, the 34 well edited pieces spoke volumes about paring down, and doing it with great attention to cut and proportion. There was nothing to detract from the clean look of the clothes- no jewelry, no handbags, and only minimal makeup. No big hair here- the models wore their hair pulled back in easy ponytails. The only accessory used was one shoe: a high heeled anklet sandal (in black, white, or coral depending on which outfits they were paired with).

Here, like many other runways prior, something in white (an ankle length chalk washed silk halter dress), began the show, and like several others, the emphasis was on neutral shades: chalk, pearl, ivory, straw, natural, black (balsam) and charcoal. When a welcome lone coral washed silk shift (hitting above the knee), made its appearance, followed by several in shades of blue, they were the lone bright lights. Layering, a recurring theme, was highly effective and chic in this monotone collection, and there was a real sense of ease owing to the use of controlled volume. Coats, which hit above the knee, had dropped shoulders, deep armholes, and wide sleeves (as did several tops), and were paired with cropped easy pants. Shifts, falling a few inches above the knee, were similarly eased up and fell away from the body.

The use of panels, pleats, and prominent pockets, added dimension and in the case of the latter, it could also be a wonderfully functional detail. How chic is the elongated v neck pearl double faced silk crepe evening dress with prominent side pockets, which would basically obliterate the need to carry a bag? Speaking of bags, on each seat was a small white shopping bag containing a bottle of the new Calvin Klein fragrance, ‘Beauty’. And it was.

– Marilyn Kirschner

The post Fashion Week’s Perfect Punctuation Mark! appeared first on lookonline.

I suppose you can refer to Francisco Costa as Mr. Clean but Calvin Klein himself, already has that title. So I’ll call Francisco Mr. Bond because of his frequent use of bonded fabrics (more on that later). Talk about minimal and architecturally pure. Francisco Costa’s collection for Calvin Klein, a rigorous exercise in self control and attention to meticulous detail, all but stood by itself this season. There was nary a fur, nary a muffled neck scarf, nary a hat, nary a bag, nary a print, and (almost) nary an embellishment in sight. What there was, was pure, unadulterated beautifully structured, expertly cut, shapes: amazing outerwear, shifts, jackets, separates, and column gowns, and details such as rounded shoulders, engineered darts or drapes, raglan sleeves, embossed pockets, draped backs. The feeling of menswear was exemplified by the relatively simple yet highly effective midnight silk folded raglan shirt and midnight wool/silk tab front embossed pocket trouser worn by Sigrid. It was such simplistic perfection, the members of the audience almost gasped when she walked out.

The clothes followed the lines of the body without being constricting, and while there was experimentation with volume, nothing was ever exaggeratedly full, unflattering or voluminous. In a season where so many have almost blinded with superfluous ornamental decoration, Francisco added texture and surface interest to coats and dresses through glazed and embossed double faced cashmeres, hammered, or polished cashmeres When he used sequins or silver lurex (as he did in the elongated columns at the end of the show), it was done in the most subtle way. It’s obvious that each season, Mr. Costa strives to perfect his craft and he been delivering with clothes that are feats of perfection in terms of cut, construction, and fabrication. And this season was no exception. The color palette was pared down to the almost expected black, midnight, off white, ivory, gray, with just a touch of color in the form of a royal blue he called ‘aurora’ (my best guess is that black will outdo this hue).

There was the continued experimentation with fabric techniques to get just the right results. For fall, it was to be found in the ‘bonding’ technique (bonded viscose, bonded silk pointelle, bonded boiled wool). In a season of truly stellar coats, Francisco’s really stood out, such as a black bonded silk pointelle embossed pocket coat, a midnight bonded stretch technical wool storm flap trench, a midnight bonded boiled wool/cashmere/leather storm flap pea coat shown over a midnight sheer silk mock t and an engineered dark skirt; the ivory shearling storm flap trench, and a black double faced hammered cashmere cape with its curved hem. There were also the brilliant fabric combinations, where leather was effectively employed (an ivory silk crepe leather sleeve blouse with shown with an ivory silk crepe tab front trouser, and midnight leather was used with bonded boiled wool and cashmere in one very chic pea coat).

The footwear consisted of a tumbled calf metal heel bootie and a ‘stingray’ ankle strap skinny heel sandal, both on relatively high platforms. These, in addition to the elongated and narrow shape of many of the pieces, which were flatteringly form fitting, lean, and attenuating, made the already statuesque and amazingly proportioned models (including runway ‘stars’ like Kristy Hume, Stella Tennant, and Karmen), looked even more like (beautiful) tall drinks of water.

Boss ‘Tweed’



Almost nobody does tweeds like Ralph Lauren (somehow, after I leave any one of his shows, I basically want to ‘live’ in my chic tweed hacking jackets, jodhpurs, and riding boots), and he was definitely in a tweed mood for fall. The collection, which was presented at two back to back runway shows at Skylight Studios in Tribeca, was played out in the designer’s much beloved muted neutrals, and Ralph was making a case for the interesting contrasts that lie within the ongoing yin and yang of masculine and feminine, day and evening, soft and hard (this is what helps keep fashion looking modern and believable). But of course, none of this is anything new for RL because interesting pairings have always been one of his strong messages throughout the years.

But getting back to THE message for fall: it was all about the mix of hefty menswear inspired tweeds (mainly brown and moss wool tweeds), charcoal wool/cashmere herringbones, and donegals with softer more feminine elements: namely, jewel toned silk velvet separates (blouses, skirts, and jodhpurs) or wispy floral silk georgettes: flutter sleeves blouses, midcalf skirts, and floor length gowns (he’s another designer this season, who’s made a case for longer lengths and with few exceptions, most of his skirts went from below the knee to the floor). A moss washed wool Shetland tweed frock coat which was shown over a charcoal wool and cashmere herringbone vest and Rivington floral silk georgette skirt epitomized the concept. As did the olive mélange chesterfield coat thrown over the Ludlow floral silk georgette gown.

The strongest group from my point of view was not the opening (I’m not a wispy floral kind of gal), but the group that followed which consisted of rich mixes of black mélange wool tweeds, suedes, cashmeres, Shetlands, and donegals, and vintage like dark brown shearling pieces (bags, vests, leg warmers).
Standouts: The black mélange wool tweed cutaway jacket, shown with a black cashmere turtleneck, brown wool tweed cropped ‘boy pants’, and accessorized with a dark brown hand burnished calf leather Ricky bag; the narrow black tweed/wool coat shown over black leggings and a black cashmere sweater, and accessorized with a chocolate alligator shoulder saddle bag; the moss cashmere and wool Donegal tweed jacket, chocolate cashmere turtleneck, Donegal wool tweed skirt, and brown shearing hobo bag; the knee length caramel brown shearing vest (really, a sleeveless coat), which was shown with an espresso cashmere turtleneck, brown wool covert spat, chocolate crocodile clutch.

A group done all in all black and black morning stripes (not the most interesting), was followed by another grouping in black which was somewhat ethnic (this was exemplified by the black ottoman passimentary embroidered coat). The evening finale was comprised of silk georgette florals, with names like Saint Germain, Bloomsbury, Chelsea, and Le Marais, fashioned into floor length gowns which were bare on top and fitted through the torso, featuring skirts that were flounced and tiered. The last dress out was interesting in that it was juxtaposed against a moss felted cashmere cropped shawl collar jacket.

Just a note, Ralph has more often than not, been known to devote an entire collection to an all out Americana theme, though that was not the case this season. I found it curious or interesting at the least, that he would chose to emphasize a print (specifically, florals with decidedly European heritages and names) for a collection shown in such close proximity to the opening of the Costume Institute’s ‘American Woman, Fashioning a National Identity’ in May. Well, I guess we are all so very international and global these days, n’est pas? In the meanwhile, his show last season was all about variations on that all American fabric and wardrobe staple: denim, and I guess Cathy Horyn was trying to pay homage to that aesthetic when she showed up in her well worn jeans (flat boots and non descript black jacket) for this show and the rest of Friday’s schedule. Well, it sort of didn’t work – there’s real life chic, relaxed glamour, and there’s just plain poor.

Isaac’s Tall Tale

I often wonder what the madcap and always entertaining Isaac Mizrahi is ‘smoking’ (and I mean that affectionately because I adore him). Especially, when I read the fantastical and imaginative ‘essays’ describing the inspiration behind one of his shows. (If nothing else, he must have some amazing dreams)

This season, the theme was Central Park Story Book and he spun quite the tale, a fable consisting of “girls trying on glass slippers, flaps coats, and ending with evening clothes that might be confused with camping gear” (I kid you not). He spoke of ‘glorifying’ the bag lady, observing that “every upper east sider has at least once admired a bag lady” (yikes, I admit, I have!) He even used phrases like ‘Geoffrey L.L. Bean or ‘Buffalo Bill Blass’ to conjure up the proper irreverent mood, and went on to describe the show as a kind of “upper east side camping trip where the rocks have new uses”. He’s nuts, what can I say? But we all love him because he’s so unique and so, well Isaac.

The collection was presented at the Tent at Bryant Park, and the stage was decorated with bare trees made to resemble Central Park during the winter with the Manhattan skyline in the background. The 45 pieces were broken up into 5 groups: Parka Avenue, Society Samurai, Vagrant Fairies, Fish & Wildlife, and Seven Winter Fairies. Dresses and outfits were given names like Luncheon armor, Cocktail warrior, City sweats, Diamond crocodile, Toggle town, Manhattan cable, Furry, Wooly, etc. It was all very Isaac: the glamorous evening takes on survival wear (quilted coats, glittery quilted fur trimmed vests with quilted and fur trimmed hoods; dressed up survival parkas; lame utility pants; crystal toggle buttons), the shaggy orange knee length coat; the group of abbreviated shifts that were so overly embellished with crystals, they glowed in the dark; and the finale, a group of strapless evening dresses and gowns in muted, pale shades with poufy organza skirts. When the Seven Winter Fairies made their appearance on stage at the end, a snow machine made fake snow (just we needed, more snow). We all know that Isaac is neurotic about his love for Manhattan (in a Woody Allen kinda way), because he has admitted that he cannot bear to leave the city and hates to travel. So I guess you can call the show, an homage to Manhattan.

-Marilyn Kirschner

The Daily Bet

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-Rhonda Erb

The post Mr. ‘Bond’ appeared first on lookonline.

Ralph Lauren showed his spring 2010 collection at two back-to-back showings downtown on Hudson Street. His program notes made mention of these trying and difficult times and the “resilient spirit of America”. He was inspired by the “character of the worker, the farmer, the cowboy, the pioneer women of the prairie living authentically through challenging times”, and the ‘honesty of their work wear and its reinterpretation”. This theme played out for both day and evening (a metallic ice blue lame voile overall gown, anyone?). Save for the vintage prairie flowers, a grouping in white, and a pink gown at the end of the show, which was shown beneath a blue pinstriped jacket, almost the entire line was a study in shades of blue. It was signature ‘Ralph’ and both the designer and his wife Ricky, were wearing their faded denims in a display of harmony.

The show opened with western inspired work wear and denim in a range of washes, silhouettes, and proportions: fitted jackets and boxy jackets, roll cuffed relaxed jeans, and overalls. (But ‘honesty’ and ‘authenticity’ has its limits; Ralph did not show these pieces with dirty and soiled workmen’s boots but metallic high heeled sandals). This was followed by what Ralph does better than anyone else: different takes on the haberdashery lightweight wool navy pinstripe 3 piece suits (fitted jackets, vests, shirts, pants, broadcloth shirts, ties – the whole nine yards). Then came the whites followed by a grouping in faded blue ombre charmeuse (workshirts, carpenter pants), and then the embroidered and beaded evening pieces.

For Ralph, it’s always about unexpected combinations and mixes, and so, while the vintage chambray single georgette beaded gown was pretty, it was the more unusual pairings that stood out (the indigo cotton striped jacket worn over a faded blue ombre organdy work shirt and faded blue stretch denim pants; the vintage chambray georgette beaded top and faded blue ombre charmeuse jodhpur, or the aforementioned indigo cotton striped peak lapel two button jacket thrown over a faded pink ombre gauze embroidered gown). FYI, since there is almost no living designer more synonymous with ‘American Style’ than Ralph Lauren, you can be sure many of the attendees at this year’s “Party of the Year” (in honor of the exhibit, “American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity”, will be wearing something by the designer.

You can always expect the unexpected, and theatrical from Isaac Mizrahi, though you never know what that will be. How funny fashion is, now that so many designers have seemingly ‘caught up’ with Isaac in terms of using bright colors, stripes, madcap pattern mixes, and injecting a feeling of lighthearted whimsy into their collections (remember his fall 2009 collection?), Isaac has moved on to something else.

And that something ‘else’ (though of course there is still Isaac’s sense of playfulness and whimsy) was decidedly chic, tailored, classic, and spectator-y (I loved the black and white spectator flats and low heeled shoes that were shown at the beginning). And the ‘something else’ also had more than a feeling of vintage YSL in the shapes (the tailleur, the pleated trouser pants, the tuxedos, the use of black and white, the dresses and gowns decorated with large flowers, the use of transparency in the form of sheer black ‘cages’ over dresses).

And then of course, there were the chic straw hats. Whereas last season, Isaac used pocketbooks turned upside down as hats, the only place bags were used (and they were classic and elegant as well), were on the arms of the models. Soon into the show, it began to ‘rain’ from the ceiling, and on cue, a guy dressed in a black jumpsuit ran out with an umbrella, to shield the models from the downpour. At the end, a golf cart appeared. I’m still not sure what the symbolism was; after all, Isaac was not hawking umbrellas and there was not one raincoat amongst all the beige (the main color story was the use of tan or beige mixed with strong pastels). Could it be that Isaac is spending a lot of his free time on rainy golf courses?

‘Needle’ in a Haystack

If nothing else, Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein had to put on one of the most quickly paced shows this season. There were only 35 pieces, but 35 pieces can last an eternity (lumbering music, slowly paced models -you know the drill). But Francisco had one exacting artistic vision and he delivered it quickly and to the point (the models walked by so quickly it was hard to take notes). It shouldn’t be a surprise that since fall was almost entirely all about black, there was hardly any black at all (when it was used, it was used as an abstract ‘print’). A grouping in white opened the show and there was also porcelain, bisque, shades of gray, and hits of color in the form of pale jade, shell pink, coral, and yellow.

Francisco has become known for his use of innovative fabrics and this time he introduced what the program notes described as ‘needle punched’ cotton voile or silk chiffon which was used along with double faced cotton poplin, nylon, rinsed double faced cotton voile, pleated cotton, silk gazar, and silk organdy. The result was somewhat rumpled and highly textural: surface interest without the use of any decoration. And each piece (be it a racer back dress, a coat, a gown) had its own organic shape. Speaking of organic, that would be the best way to describe the collection as well as the ‘prints’, which were very free form and abstract, (some looked marbleized in shades of gray, black, and porcelain, while others seemed to mimic the sky right before a storm).

Everything looked light and airy; nothing clung to the body, yet volume was controlled. While there were some pants shown with jackets, long skirts, (often paired with elongated racer back tank tunics), and a smattering of gowns, it was a ‘short’ story, and a dress story at that. Almost everything was short (but wisely, not too short), and when coats were shown, they were the same length as the dresses beneath. The overall effect was modern, if not somewhat Zen like, and a Japanese influence was hard to ignore. This was even apparent in the footwear (mainly lacquered calf t strap sandals on a very low platform). Hurray!Once again, another designer has endorsed a lower heel for spring. While it was certainly innovative, well conceived,and beautifully done, the clothes are not necessarily the easiest to pull off for most women and admittedly, this is not a collection for everyone (and that’s apparently fine with the designer).

-Marilyn Kirschner

“The Daily Bet” by Rhonda Erb

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The post Ralph’s Got the ‘Blues’ appeared first on lookonline.

Judging from what was on view at Calvin Klein’s Thursday, March 26 informal showroom presentation, the clothes, jeans, underwear and accessories collections for women and men, all seem to have much in common, which means that nearly everything shown is cool and moderne; young, wearable and with it.

No matter if everything was shown on models, on hangers by classification and color, or via still-life presentations, the story here begs the question of whether Klein is somewhat moving away from his expected minimalist viewpoint. Sure, there there is still lots of black, grey and white going on, but on the flip side, there is more color; lots more color across the collections, especially notable and unique when considering all of the vibrant jewel tones Klein has chosen to play with for Fall’09.

So, is the collection, on the whole, predictable Calvin? Well, on one hand yes; on the other hand, no. And, that is what makes the whole package so interesting because, while the collection is pure, expected Calvin Klein, there are still some new and neat tricks, coupled with a few surprises along the way. And, these factors serve to set such a refreshing tone for many of the pieces seen during the showing

First up, in the main room, there was a line-up (by category) of healthy, cheerful, fresh-faced models, each of whom were obviously there to portray Klein’s easy-going, fresh and definitively American look. The models, some of whom were obviously older than fifteen years of age, which was so nice to see, showed off the pieces informally to a well-attended audience of fashion editors, many of whom were given a personal walk-through of each grouping, by an equally good-looking and cheerful group of Klein’s PR and marketing people. Again, this was very pleasant to see vs. the sometimes morose, uncaring and rude PR people many editors encounter when covering collection openings; informally in showrooms and more formally at fashion shows.

At Klein’s event, everything was all good and lots of fun. It was just great seeing all of the sportswear, apparel, jeans and underwear on cheerful models (a refreshing surprise from the sullen, blankly staring models usually seen at events such as these), interacting naturally with one another (and the editors). Side-by-side with the models and the clothing and underwear, were the ample, still-life-tableau-styled accessories groupings – handbags, luggage, duffels, backpacks, footwear, scarves, ties, gloves and the like, most of which which went well with the clothing – nicely served up in groupings of day-into-evening leathers, faux animal prints and suedes.

On the whole, Klein’s idea for Fall is all about curvaceous, generous shapes and silhouttes, rendered in rich, jeweled tones of emerald, ruby and amethyst. When it came to womenswear, fabrics such as deep-pile felts, satins and cashmere blends are accented with velvet trims, heavy studs, lace and sequins, making for a interesting, if not somewhat out of the ordinary, statement here. Especially unique is the lipstick red, belted, funnel-neck cashmere coat, which brought to mind, for this editor at least, a young and lovely Nancy Reagan. Another great look is the easy-but-closer-to-the-body, black puffer jacket with super-long sleeves, that looks so right for cool to cold weather wear. It is wonderful to see a chic, little,cozy jacket like this one, that doesn’t make the wearer resemble The Michelin Man.

Moving on to the well-dressed guys, Klein favors a type of rejuvinated, modernized take on classic styling, by way of his classic peacoat, now looking zingier and more contempo by way of black and grey contrast seaming. Another neat twist on how Klein dresses today’s young man suit is the heather grey flannel two-button number, worn with a traditional white dress shirt and heather wool twill flannel top coat with grey suede gloves. Klein does have his way with menswear, because this collection is not only strong and good-looking, but thoroughly masculine across the board.

Shown right along with all of the clothes and accessories in the room are Calvin’s underwer offerings, worn, of course, by models in tip-top, athletic shape. Called “Black” and “White”, and shown in an array of classic styles, in lightweight Microfiber and stretch cotton, these pieces are good looking, but seem just too basic and staid for Klein’s customers. After all, if one is going to wear Calvin Klein inside and out, shouldn’t everything work from the inside out? With this part of the line, that simply is not clear. However, what does work and what is clearly Calvin Klein underneath it all, is the definitely sexual part of the women’s line, embracing bras, g-strings, garter belts and lace/mesh hipsters in French Leavers lace with soft mesh and microfiber. As the show program explains, these pieces are “woven with antique machines to achieve vintage touches”. A nice touch, indeed.

The new Calvin Klein Jeans Body collection was presented separately in its own little room. A few shirtless men and women in little tops – not as cheerful and interactive as the models in the main room, but all with great bodies, of course – stood in the center of the room, showing off the new jeans, while several jeans-clad men, slouched against the walls. Seeing all of this instantly brought back visions of the old-school Calvin Klein jeans campaigns (print and TV), especially the very suggestive images, which gave the designer so much publicity(good and bad).

Ad campaigns aside, and while jeans are jeans are jeans, and so on and so on, and each company and each designer tries hard to make the statement their own, Klein has made big business out of designing jeans and, in this case, the new collection has its place. As the show program says, these jeans are “engineered, tough, yet sexy, for a contoured profile-enhancing fit.” Done in a classic, skinny cut for women in nouveau rinses of copper and rusted iron, and for men, in a straight leg style, in copper rinse and destructed ore, the $79.50 pricepoint seems reasonable.

Oh, and by the way, just to make sure that every invited guest left the event still feeling happy, a pair of jeans in the requested size, fit and wash, was handed out to each editor in a special Calvin Klein Jeans gift bag.

– Adrienne Weinfeld-Berg

The post Calvin’s Fall View: Some of This & Some of That. All Au Moderne in Color and Monochrome. appeared first on lookonline.