Bits and Pieces by Marilyn Kirschner

Narciso Rodriguez Spring 2012 Collection Photos: firstView.com (click on images for larger views)

The shows are nearing an end, and there have been many themes which have played out over and over, sort of like fashion’s version of Groundhog Day. It always happens, after a few shows, you begin to think (seen one, seen them all) in terms of trends. Among some of the more ubiquitous this season: the use of strong color (sunshine yellow is emerging as one of the favorites), graphic color blocking, asymmetry, the use of transparency, sports influences, shirtdressing, and  prints.

Narciso Rodriquez Spring 2012 Collection

The one runway show which seemingly touched upon all the above, (though it was devoid of any prints or patterns), was  Narciso Rodriguez, who always takes his craft to another step, exploring and pushing the boundaries along the way. Inspired by the work of Korean tattoo artist Kim Joon, the collection was quite ambitious, and daring.

Narciso Rodriquez Spring 2012 Collection

There were some amazing pieces (Narciso artfully pieced together fabric collage style, to create his own patterns). While sportswear and athletic influences are seen elsewhere, they were far more subtle and sophisticated on this runway. Athough subtle is not a word I would use to describe Narciso’s often jarring use of strong color, (and that includes the hair, thanks to Dick Page for Shishedo). FYI, I had mentioned that in a season of shirtdresses, NR’s artistic color spliced interpretations were standouts.

Vera Wang Spring 2012 Collection Photos: firstview.com

Who else but Vera Wang could make active sportswear and athletic wear look so couture like; who else but Vera Wang could boast an eclectic front row with names as diverse as Serena Williams, Kim Kardashian, Beyonce, and Madeleine Albright. In a season of prints, who else but Vera Wang could conceive of what has to be the most inspired print of them all, her ‘psychedelic 18th century French wallpaper print which was distorted to abstract effect; and who else but Vera Wang, could successfully combine outsized hoods, eyelet mesh, utility vests, cutout pockets, parachute drawstrings, sheer silk chiffon, drawstring waists, and peplums (sometimes all in one outfit), and have successful results. Speaking of the latter, peplums were used throughout the collection, and I didn’t realize there were so many ways to use them.

Vera Wang Spring 2012 Collection

Vera is known for her fondness of mousey colors – shades of gray, brooding inks, and black. Perhaps the more surprising elements of her spring 2012 show, dubbed ‘Alice in Wonderland’, was her exploration of tailoring and transparency; the emphasis on active sports and utility shapes, collages of texture and details;  a reliance on optic whites and acid brights (which showed up as accents), and the use of soft pastel shades inspired by the iconic Laduree macaroons. In fact, there was not one piece in black on the entire runway; that is, until Vera took that traditional bow on stage, dressed in her signature black second skin jerseys (you didn’t really think she was going to be dressed in hot pink – did you?).

J Crew Spring 2012 Collection Photos: Randy Brooke

Yesterday morning J. Crew held its first presentation in conjunction with New York Fashion Week at Lincoln Center. Half womenswear and half menswear, it was shown installation style on great looking models, all of them right out of central casting.  Jenna Lyons, their famed head of design, got it right with her easy, relatable mix of ladylike, preppy, downtown, uptown, country and urban, crossing age lines and doing it at price points that are thankfully not insulting. The colors, silhouettes, and the styling were spot on, and the bags and shoes, the perfect exclamation point.

J Crew Spring 2012 Collection

Among the standouts were the denim workshirt and horizontally striped sequined skirt shown with a bright green clutch; the kelly green and navy color block sweater, kelly green narrow pants, and orange patent sandals; the bubble gum pink chiffon button down shirt and red wool pants; the khaki safai shirt paired with pink thin wool pants and accessorized with an orange patent loafer; and the ivory sequined tennis cardigan (a take off on Chanel), worn with a faded denim jean jacket, striped shirt, and khaki shorts.

J Crew Spring 2012 Collection

Disclaimer: I’ve been a huge fan of J. Crew for quite some time, and some of my favorite pieces date back 15 years or so. In fact, I hadn’t even realized that yesterday, I was wearing an old pair of J.Crew black stretch velvet narrow pants with zippered hem (they are still going strong), until woman asked me if I would mind being photographed, and then asked what I was wearing.

Stepping Out with Oscar

Oscar de la Renta Spring 2012 Collection Photos: firstView.com

Set in a raw, unfinished space, miles away from the haunts of his uptown ladies, Oscar de la Renta’s spring 2012 collection stripped away some of the establishment formality, resulting in a collection that was, at once, both younger and modern. Juxtaposed against the raw setting was the colorful gowns, suits and day dresses that his customers crave. This time around in addition to the ruffles, sequins and prints that the designer is known for, there were feathers, fringe and off beat colors. Case in point, a multi-color space dyed suit tied up with a chartreuse bow blouse.

Oscar de la Renta Spring 2012 Collection

De la Renta is in love with lace this season, offering up Chantilly and Battenberg styles, an of the moment fabric. Some of his best paired black and white, notably a black Chantilly embroidered lace gown with tulle-embroidered border and a white threadwork embroidered blazer with a contrasting skirt, a fresh take on the season’s tuxedo.

Oscar de la Renta Spring 2012 Collection

In addition to ladylike suits, woven throughout the collection were the signature pieces that the designer is known for. Chic sheaths, shifts, shirtdresses and gowns this time turned out in colorful florals, often with intricate needlework details. The piece de resistance was a silk faille gown in a soft daffodil embroidered with a field of poppies. The combination of florals along with the models’ hair dressed in Pre-Raphaelite style, evoked true innocence and youth.

Oscar de la Renta Spring 2012 Collection

Easy, breezy glamour was presented in scene stealing, sequined and embroidered shifts, chemises and trapezes, often embellished with ostrich feathers, offering his ladies a clear, simplified alternative to evening.

– Tricia Kenney 

The Daily Bet by Rhonda Erb

HTC Flyer

This season, busy editors have added one more item to their arsenal of high tech products. Tablets are popping up along the runways to record video, snap photos and take notes. The HTC Flyer is small enough (7″) to fit easily in a tote bag, but it has premium features like 16GB of expandable memory, rear (5MP) and front (1.3MP) cameras and Android 2.3, HTC sense. Plus, HTC Scribe Technology and HTC Notes allow you to record your thoughts and even sketches and keep everything organized with ease.

Available at: http://www.bestbuy.com/ $499

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

Master Class

Yeohlee Spring 2012 Collection Photos: Ernest Schmatolla

Yeohlee’s spring 2012 collections, set in an urban garden setting, was the utmost in studied simplicity. Set against a backdrop of trees, slate and soft afternoon light, the Zen- like collection carefully balanced geometry and nature. Her artful, structured shapes and fabrics, shown in a cool palette of mostly whites, neutrals and textured metallics, offered a thoughtful alternative to this season’s more colorful scenario.

Yeohlee Spring 2012 Collection

These are clothing for a discerning minimalist customer. The woman who wears Yeohlee knows that she will be striking from any angle. Case in point, the finale’s stunner, a beautifully constructed gold bateau neck top and crescent shaped skirt, a masterful combination of structure and beauty. With fit and form so present in the fashion vernacular, much of it is retro in derivation. Yeohlee’s precise shapes are all in the present and future tense and exemplify what modern dressing is about. A cream mini cross hatch textured dress, with rolled neck, rounded shoulder and crescent shaped body was an exercise in both volume and beautiful simplicity.

Yeohlee Spring 2012 Collection

Despite the architectural attributes to the collection, there was an inherent ease to the more sportswear oriented aspects of the collection. A sand colored papery finished flyaway jacket with a softly shaded etched patterned knee length short provided a modern take on this season’s omnipresent barely there short, while a cream jersey cowl neck top and iridescent gold crescent shaped short offered an elegant, modern version that made many others look obsolete. Yeohlee’s take on the jumpsuit – a beautiful Shibori patterned waterfall grey and black water color print version with three quarter sleeves.

Yeohlee Spring 2012 Collection

With an almost cult-like following of fashionable devotees, this beautifully rendered and crafted collection, influenced by Jones Wood, will insure Yeohlee’s place among the master craftsmen not just of the present but also the future.

-Tricia Kenney

Carolina’s Deco Deluxe

Carolina Herrera Spring 2012 Collection Photos: firstView.com

Like everyone else this season, Carolina Herrera was bitten by the print bug (you might be in trouble for spring 2012 if you’re allergic to prints because they are all around; but of course, there are always alternatives, and solids have thankfully not completely disappeared. Hers, showed up in color combinations of grass green (a favorite shade of hers) and canary yellow; red, black, greige; cornflower, red, and sepia; off white, taupe and, sepia; and ran the gamut from relatively delicate florals and sparrow prints to more classic dots and stripes. There were printed chiffon blouses and printed crepe de chine wrap skirts; printed crepe de chine blouses that could stand on their own, or work as well beneath a sepia dolman sleeved canvas coat dress; printed crepe de chine shirt dresses that hit just below the knee, and printed floor length chiffon gowns.

Carolina Herrera Spring 2012 Collection

As always, CH mixes day and evening on the runway, so it’s not unusual for a few daytime pieces to appear, followed by a floor length gown. Her daytime is characteristically dressed up anyway – let’s face it, this is not a runway where you will likely see sweats and workout clothes, or second skin motorcross pants and scuba jackets for that matter, so the sequence is not very relevant. Among the ideas CH proposes for day: cropped woven canvas jackets shown over printed skirts and blouses or paired with a striped silk jacquard blouse; graphic bi-colored cotton dresses; canvas coats and coat dresses (a chic update on a traditional trench); graphic knits and pleated pants; and the use of printed silk scarf tied around the neck as a large bow (a recurring theme).

Carolina Herrera Spring 2012 Collection

But the most important influence on the collection, day and night, and the one that reaped the most strikingly modern results, was the Bauhaus movement, which showed up in a variety of geometric art deco inspired pieces, including: an off white silk blouse with geometric appliques paired with a cropped pleated black pant. A graphic off white, black, and sepia cotton sleeveless dress with red patent hinge belt; a nude and black geometric lace long sleeved dress with linear bead embroidery; a red silk seersucker cloque gown with black and white geometric embroidery.

Carolina Herrera Spring 2012 Collection

The grass green silk geometric jacquard gown with multiple fold detail in back that ended the show- which would be a perfect choice for a summer soiree in the Hamptons or Palm Beach, or for a black tie gala at the lush Conservatory Gardens.

-Marilyn Kirschner

The Daily Bet by Rhonda Erb

Sterlingwear of Boston

Get cleaner, whiter, healthier teeth with this new toothbrush that removes up to 100% of plaque, improves gum health, and gets your teeth noticeably whiter in just one week. It comes with a USB charging case for travel and a drinking glass that doubles as a charger as well.

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Derek Lam Spring 2012 Collection Photos: firstView.com (Click on images for larger size)

Make no mistake about it: Sunday, September 11th was no ordinary day. Not that I expected it to be. Especially, because of my close proximity to Ground Zero, I had a rather unusual perspective than many others who live in New York. When I went out for my early morning run, I found all the streets near me had been barricaded and the police were literally all around. My usual jog on the esplanade was thwarted as there was limited access in that direction. There was no traffic on West Street, only news trucks and police cars. It was rather surreal. I was told I would need my ID just to get back into my building. And not only was I able to follow the ceremony on television, I actually heard it simultaneously on the loudspeaker right outside my windows, a few blocks away. Hearing victims’ families reciting their names, reading poems, or saying something heartfelt and personal, was incredibly moving.

Without being trite, it really does put things into proper perspective. I began to think about all the silliness and unnecessary pettiness as we head into the middle of fashion week ( like being blocked from some shows when all you are trying to do is your best job, the ridiculous attitudes, or the out of control egos). We are all in this together. Really, can’t we all get along? Can’t we treat one another with respect and humanity?

Because of the constant and unnerving reports of an unconfirmed Al Quaida car bombing planned for the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I couldn’t help but ask myself, as I started getting dressed for the day, ‘what should I wear if, it is indeed, my last day?’ (obviously, something I love, that makes me happy was the answer). That’s what’s so great about fashion. It’s not rocket science or brain surgery; we are not saving lives – not that the fashion industry does not give back and contribute to society.

Fashion should be life affirming, joyful, and bring one great pleasure and comfort. Yes, it is big business. Often times, clothes are called into play for serious and somber occasions; but it should also be fun. When a well known industry insider mentioned that he had mixed feelings about having fashion shows on 9/11 (especially this anniversary), I understood what he meant. But, I do believe, it was the right thing to go on with the shows and not stop our normal schedules. We can’t let “them” win after all.

Coincidentally, it seems as though the overall mood on the runways thus far has been unapologetically lighthearted and upbeat. Even edgy, hip, downtown houses like Daryl K, who showed yesterday, have been proposing graphic prints and patterns in jarringly strong colors, or lightening up with white, in addition to black of course.

Diane von Furstenberg Spring 2012 Collection Photos: firstView.com

And as it happens, ‘lighthearted’ (colors, prints, patterns, fabrics, shapes) was the operative word at Diane von Furstenberg’s jam packed late afternoon show at The Theatre at Lincoln Center. The show even boasted a very tanned Valentino in the front row (DVF was seated at her good friend’s table at last week’s Couture Council luncheon in his honor and she was on the luncheon committee). FYI, it was hard not to notice the couturier’s influence in some of the chic togas, couture like dresses with a 60’s spin, and the use of a strong red.

Diane von Furstenberg Spring 2012 Collection

The European born Diane, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, knows a thing or two about appreciating life and enjoying it to the fullest. She successfully translated those ideas onto her upbeat designs. As a seeming tribute to the day, she called her eclectic collection “Beginnings” and in her program notes, she spoke of renewal and resilience. The highlights were the eye popping prints and pattern mixes customized by her in house team of textile designers. Some had a Japanese feeling and others, bold and almost mod, a la Marimekko. While it was extremely feminine, there was more tailleur than in the past, (and it looked darn good), and her bags, chic clutches, were noteworthy.

When DVF and her creative director Yvan Mispelaere took their walk down the runway it was to the upbeat tune of Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good,” and she handed out miniature American flags to some of those in the front row.

Derek Lam Spring 2012 Collection

What, may I ask, could be more lighthearted, easy and uplifting, than the notion of ‘California Dreaming’? And that is precisely what California native Derek Lam, known for his unfussy approach to elegant, luxurious American sportswear, had on his mind earlier in the day when he showed at The Stage. According to his program notes, he was inspired by a fantasy he had about hanging out in the Richard Neutra designed Kaufmann House in Palm Springs. As he put it, “My mind is wandering to a place of salubrious comfort . . . Frank Sinatra and the “Rat Pack” crooning by the piano and Angie Dickinson lounging by a crystal blue pool.”

Derek Lam Spring 2012 Collection

Remenber when I talked about the notion of ‘Just Great’? Well, thats what I would call many of the chic, desirable items: stellar trenches, expertly tailored blazers, superb open weave sweaters, well cut trousers, flattering a line skirts, great dresses, and knock out leathers that came down the runway. Many of Derek’s best pieces throughout the years could easily fall into that category.

-end

The Daily Bet by Rhonda Erb

The Miele S6 Red Velvet Canister Vacuum

Miele has added style and beauty to the mundane chore of vacuuming. Their new vacuum has a red velvet flock coating that makes it look so elegant, you might not want to hide it away in a closet. It is also an amazing cleaning machine; after all, it is a Miele. The S6 Red Velvet weighs less than 10 pounds and the motor is incredibly quiet. It could make you look forward to vacuuming.

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