A Store Opening Yet So Much More

Monique Lhuillier

All photos Lieba Nesis

The Monique Lhuillier store opening was held at 19 East 71st on the first two floors of a beautiful townhouse. Diane Monique Lhuillier, 41, is a high end New York fashion designer most well known for her bridal wear. She launched her first bridal collection in 1996 to great acclaim and has since then expanded her collections to include ready-to-wear, evening gowns, bridal lines, tableware, fine paper and home fragrances. In 2003 Monique Lhuillier was invited to be a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America and in 2006 she received the Medal of Honor from the Philippine president. I have attended many of her fashion shows held at the tents for fashion week and was excitedly anticipating this store opening. However, what I didn’t anticipate was the pride I would feel in being a woman at the conclusion of this festive night.

Dressing room

The store was magnificent. The gray carpeting, the winding stairs, the square blocked mirrors and festooned chandeliers were breathtaking. The dressing rooms were so lavish I almost mistook them for an entertainment space (the flat screen television did not help). Monique, a dimunitive yet beautiful woman, shone in her elegant Lhuillier gold dress. The crowd was a mixture of socialites, upper east siders, models and fashionistas. There were wedding cupcakes, savory drinks and a fantastic dj throughout the evening. The clothing was exquisite. The bottom floor had couture and ready-to-wear dresses and the second floor was dedicated solely to wedding gowns. Every detail in the store was perfection.

Publicist Peggy Siegal

However, it was the guest list that made this event uniquely satisfying to the most important shopping customer, the women of the world. Jean Shafiroff, a socialite and philanthropist, who co-chairs more than twelve charity boards was in love with the clothing which she called, “fresh and fantastic.” She was also pleased that this event was in support of the botanical gardens charity. Peggy Siegal, a publicist in Hollywood for the past four decades, was on a “reconaissance mission” to find clothing for her next red carpet event. Peggy Siegal, referencing her recent Bazaar magazine article, said she agreed to be interviewed in order to “combat the rampant age and sex discrimination in our society and the media. I want woman to feel empowered, to show them that if you take care of yourself age is irrelevant.”

Kimberly Guilfoyle of Fox News

At Siegal’s 60th birthday party she gave out a list of the thirty doctors who help her maintain her ageless appearance. Siegal then told me of how important it was to be well groomed in any industry stating, “it is imperative for a woman to be well groomed in the workforce. My mother taught me that first impressions count. My mother and grandmother would go to the airport in a Chanel suit. If you look like the help you get treated like the help.” Siegal, who herself started off as a fashion and accessories designer, said that Lhuilliers’s clothing were “show stoppers. They are made with gorgeous fabrics in the categories of works of art like Vera Wang and Marchesa. They are great fashion statements however, you need a lot of confidence to wear them.” Her message of empowerment to women was echoed throughout the evening. Kimberly Guilfoyle, co-host of a Fox News program, said that Lhuillier’s designs were her “go to” dresses for black tie affairs. I feel amazing in her designs and as a woman in the news industry that feeling is immeasurable. Even her cocktail dresses are splendid.”

As the evening came to a close and the guests slowly exited Monique summed up the entire evening and the thought behind her designs succinctly and meaningfully. She stated, “I am so excited to have my first store in New York that houses my entire collection under one roof. My motto is women designing for women. My clothing is all about making a woman look and feel like a million bucks. I try to highlight a woman in the most flattering light possible and hide her imperfections with a flattering cut. Once again I am all about women and enhancing them.”

The message of the evening for me was that yes Lhuillier’s pieces are beautiful, truly the store is magnificent and certainly there are many beautiful women in Manhattan. However, the most important thing about this store is that it is paradigmatic of the new woman in the 21st century- women in positions of power who are utilizing their power to embolden other women to succeed in the workforce through the medium of fashion. The power of fashion is that it enables women to spread their talents and abilities throughout society by equipping them with sartorial tools reflective of their confidence and ability. Clothing and fashion, while sometimes appearing trivial, is actually, as echoed by Siegal and Lhuillier, a potent and powerful way for women to influence their environment thereby laying the groundwork for them to change and beautify society.

– Lieba Nesis

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Carolina Herrera’s show notes spoke of “an alluring confidence in the women who inspired fall”. “A sophisticated feminine attitude and striking details, reveal an integrity to luxury”. And that was luxury with a capital L. In fact, there was so much luxury on display, one could almost call it an embarrassment of riches. But I wouldn’t call it wasn’t an embarrassment; it was actually quite well done. Ms Herrera bid adieu to the artsy side she seemed to favor in recent seasons, and returned to her luxe sportif roots.

Certainly, there were enough understated cocktail dresses and gowns, as well as dramatic red carpet worth entrance makers, with sculpted pleats, fluid ruffles, embroidery, etc., to keep her social swans and celebrity customers (including her number one fan Renee Zellwegger) happy for another season. And in the case of the latter, there were enough sleeveless, one shouldered, or strapless creations to show off her well toned form.

But for me, it was the strong daywear that stood out, (in a color palette of camel, Prussian blue, deep red, and an okra floral print), the stellar coats (many of them in camel), and the creative use of embroidery and fur, mainly sable. And oh boy, the fur was flying yesterday morning; so much so that Carolina might become PETA’s number one enemy. I also loved the crisp white cotton shirts (Ms. Herrera’s signature item) used beneath some of the coats and jackets, and classic slouchy menswear trousers, sometimes in banker’s pinstripes (skinny jeans and leggings have their place but after awhile, one longs for another proportion and these looked right). Standouts: the chocolate sable and faille brush stroke print jacket with grey wool wide leg pinstripe pant; the camel crocodile and wool jacket shown with stone mélange wool wide legged pants; the double face wool cashmere cape with a an embroidered mohair scarf with fox trim, paired with a windowpane wool wide legged pant; and the sable trimmed camel double face belted knee length that looked as though there was a sable bolero over it until you saw the entire back was covered in sable. Accessories were Manolo Blahnik’s high heeled shoes (not one boot in sight), the jaunty brimmed hats by Albertus Swanepoel, and belts by Bennett Liberty (all done especially for Carolina). By the way, I liked the way she used a thin red belt to define the waist, for both day and evening. What looks better with camel than red?

The straw that broke the ‘camel’s’ back

Speaking of camel, the camel (or camel hair) coat, an iconic menswear item, is a timeless and classic wardrobe staple for women as well, and the camel coat was THE coat for fall 2009. From the look of things, it’s continued into this season (and for good reason). It’s flattering, chic, always in style, a perfect neutral which literally goes with everything, and like the tan trench or khaki army jacket, it keeps on being re interpreted. And no matter how you do so, it still looks great.

IT was hardly surprising when I looked at the run of show, (before the 19 piece Yeohlee show began), to find that camel coats would be a major focus of the collection. In fact, the first three items out were different variations on the theme: a camel single cylinder cocoon coat, a knee length camel funnel neck coat, and a camel ‘cadet’ coat, shown with either narrow cuffed pants in grey fleece or kazimir, or over a watercolor plaid silk shirtwaist dress. They were all shown with the chicest, most simplified and hard to find perfect pumps: simple, low heeled, feminine yet sturdy at the same time (sometimes with bare legs, sometimes with ankle socks). And were also accessorized with cozy, knitted hoods or large neck scarves (in black white mélange, oat two-ply melange, grey or black wool). The program notes also revealed that Yeohlee was inspired by artist Kazimir Malevich’s Black Circle springing out into a cylinder. (Thus, the double face camel wrap coat, a dress in pewter laminated jersey, or a jacket in lime grey brushed angora plaid)

Yeohlee is one of the most consistent and talented designers today, and almost nobody makes a coat quite like Yeohlee. I can attest to that fact because I am a coat collector and have several of her pieces and they not only stand the test of time, they are insanely fabulous, foldable, packable, seasonless, weightless, timeless, and magically versatile and practical (did I leave anything out?). I always think of her Urban Nomad Collection and her concept that clothing becomes one’s environment outside. So true. And I kept thinking, I’d love to add any one of those shown yesterday, to my collection. In addition to coats, standout pieces were the grouping in black/white mélange hand knit, a Spacebond (sort of a pale greige color) 3 cylinder jacket, aviator cape, and cadet dress with an interesting shoulder detail; two pewter cylinder dresses, and two perfect little black dresses.

Reese’s ‘Pieces’

Tracy Reese is in an upbeat, girlie, and downright sexy mood this fall based on the 40 pieces she showed yesterday afternoon. The emphasis was on the body (abbreviated skirts and narrow pants namely jodhpurs). Short dresses (frocks and shifts) appeared throughout in myriad of fabrics (everything from lace spliced jersey and shaded square jersey, to an expressionist grid). In many cases, they were paired with a thick loopy ‘fringed’ neck scarf. This Mongolian lamb like fringed fabric, (a replacement for real fur?) also appeared as a coat and several cropped jackets. While there were other faux and distressed faux furs, as well as distressed faux leathers (as in one gray faux leather coat), apparently Tracy is not making a politically correct statement about being anti fur because the real thing was used as trim on the short sleeves of several cardigans. Speaking of which, cardigans were also a recurring theme and there were several good looking coats, the best of which was a graphic alpaca plaid. The color palette was predominantly black, grey, ecru, camel, and brown and blush with touches of a smoky blue, and several abstract patterns. Glittery jewelry (mainly necklaces) by Gerard Yosca added shine.

Monique’s Crimson Tide

It may have been too late for Valentine’s Day, but Monique Lhuillier, who always shows a crowd pleasing collection which is a variation on her signature themes (if something is not broke, why fix it?) cited soldier like inspiration from “Chinese warrior and military suits” and promised strong silhouettes, strong shoulders, lots of leg, lots of ‘edge’ and a tough chic vibe. Hence, her love affair with crimson red, either alone or used in combination with black. Best pieces: the dragon lacquered mattelasse mini dress with gold encrusted cuffs that opened the show; the crimson jacquard coat with red piping and oxidized metal epaulets; the crimson halter dress with gold leather chain embroidery; the black and white tweed jacket and skirt with grayed tulle trim; the noir crocodile embossed velvet coat with oxidized crystal epaulets; the dragon lacquered mattelesse trench; the black and nude pleated tulle gown with nude floral embroidery, and the jaw droppingly beautiful Shanghai red duchesse draped gown with floral skirt.

-Marilyn Kirschner

The Daily Bet

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