Carolina’s Mood Indigo

Carolina Herrera Collection All photos: firstView.com

This was one of Carolina Herrera’s more youthful collections to date. And I don’t mean to imply that it was ridiculously puerile; or that younger is always better. Hardly. What I mean it was relatively pared down and restrained. There was an unfussy vibe even though it was all very luxurious, dressed up, and unapologetically ‘uptown’. Lean silhouettes effectively offset the voluminous ballgowns; the use of sweaters and knitwear for day and night (in a few instances, they were thrown over evening gowns, in place of a more traditional evening coverup), and the models’ long straight hair pulled back in headbands, rather than piled into a bun, didn’t hurt the cause.

 Her color palette was almost entirely based on shades of blue ( indigo, dark navy, ‘Wallis’ blue,)  imperial purple, London lilac, modern mulberry, haute pink (a haute way to say hot pink), shades of grey, and, of course, black. Fabrics, always beautiful here, included mixes of wool and tweed, wool knit, jacquard, canvas melange tweed, cashmere, silk mikado, duchess satin, layered silk chiffon, silk crepe, and silk faille in addition to ribbon overlays and embroidery. Furs (fox, broadtail), more exotic pelts, (goat), and feathers, were used throughout but sparingly (showing up as relatively subtle trims or finding their way onto sleeves). An indigo wool jacket layered over a wool and tweed dress and melange cardigan had goat sleeves; a narrow coat in a grey and black abstract jacquard was trimmed at the hem with fox and goat.

As for entrance making gowns, we all know a Carolina Herrera collection would not be complete without them. In this collection, the standouts were those done in painterly, abstract prints: chalked marble, hand painted organzas (some of which were shown beneath cropped jackets), and a group done in an eye catching’ ‘poster’ print rendered in haute pink, black, and canvas. There were several cocktail dresses as well and they looked great.. Elegant Manolo Blahnik for Carolina Herrera shoes, and dramatic black leather gloves (in this case by Shaneen Husham and Carolina Amato), added the finishing touch.

Marooned

Yeohlee Collection Photos: courtesy Yeohlee

Why is it that I feel as though 7th Avenue is getting ‘marooned’ these days (or maybe the designers are becoming winos?) HA! Wine, port, burgundy, oxblood, maroon, are all showing up as the new neutral and almost nowhere did it look more chic and modern than at Yeohlee’s fall 2012 installation and fashion show yesterday afternoon at her West 38th Street retail shop /studio/ headquarters.

The ‘magic of mathematics’ is at the heart of the collection, and it’s all about sharp edged geometry and the human form (cloaking the body in circles, triangles, and squares). When you first walked into the store, you saw several outfits hanging on the wall: a selvedge edged acid green felted wool coat, a grey marbelized cotton knit jacket (THE perfect blazer), a purple silk faille shirt that can do double duty as a jacket, a black laser cut gabardine tunic and catenary skirt (both with almost fringe like details). On a dress form, there was a red wool melton coat shown over a brown wool melange jacket, white paper cotton shirt and brown wool melange crescent pant.

Guests, including Harold Koda, Stan Herman, Marylou Luther, Margaret Hayes, Patricia Mears, Bobbi Queen, were then led into a second larger room, where a burgundy silk gazar Venn Diagram cape, a burgundy silk gazar Venn Diagram dress, and a purple silk faille box dress were suspended from the ceiling, and we were asked to get close to the walls, while a group of models walked in. The run of show included a white paper cotton crescent collar shirt and denim box shirt; a white plastic cotton duffle coat layered over a white pleated t and black sunburst pleated gabardine shorts; a hunter green cobalt blue mohair wool double face wrap coat layered over a white paper cotton shirt and plaid linen cotton shorts, and a maroon linen wool tie neck coat shown over a burgundy silk gazar jacket and denim crescent bermuda shorts. Here, as elsewhere, the outerwear was stellar.

To Die For

Tome Brown Collection All photos: firstView.com

There have been times in my life (and especially in recent days), that I have thought (as I’m sure others who have been involved in this business for as long as I have), that fashion would, at one point or another, get the better of me, or eventually ‘kill’ me. Or that I would do the killing –  LOL. Of course, I’m not being serious (or am I???). But leave it to the always irreverent Thom Browne, to take that a step further and give new meaning to “To die for” (“Death becomes her”, or “Killer collection”!)

There were three different time slots for his fall women’s presentation, held on the third floor of the New York Public Library; and I was in the first one, at 5 PM. Since the show began a little late, I had a chance to chat with the designer’s mom and sister (nice, completely unassuming, and camel clad). who were queued up like the rest of us. I found out that Thom is one of 7 children and when I asked if he always wore his pants short (a signature), I was told that that was not the case, but he always liked his clothes very fitted and he was always precise and fastidious. I wondered if they knew of the macabre events to come (I had an inkling of what to expect because I had been told that one of the models was freaking out at having to be encased in a coffin).

When the doors opened, we were led into a beautiful candle lit dark wood panelled room with 10 ticking striped lined coffins, each with a well dressed model/corpse’ clad in- what else?- a fastidious charcoal gray Thom Browne pantsuit (white tulle ‘shrouds’ covered their heads, ankles, and cuffs). After listening to the strains of the haunting “Hallelujah” for about 15 minutes, a Thom Browne pantsuit clad woman walked up to the podium and in a very serious voice, told the guests that this evening was a tribute to “10 girls who died for fashion” and they were “dreaming about fall 2012” (this got a laugh and broke the ice). “Enjoy the fantasy” she said.

 As if on cue, each of the ‘corpses’ got up from their coffins, and stood next to them, facing the audience, while their ‘dreams’ came to life (so to speak). One by one, models, eerily made to look like beautiful corpses down to their sunken mouths and ‘decayed’ teeth, entered the room wearing selections from fall 2012 collection. Played out primarily in shades of gray, black, white, with touches of camel, (with touches of mink trim), the fabrics were quite heavy and stiff (except for a group of narrow shirtdresses with prim white collars and cuffs, and several white gowns- one with mirrored embellishments), and manipulated into very exaggerated shapes. Of course as always, beneath it all, there are some beautiful pieces. When the last model filed out, the ‘corpses went back into their coffins and the show was over. I asked the designer, on my way out, what they were going to do with 10 empty coffins and I was asked if I wanted them. I said no but considering the high cost of funerals, I probably should have taken them up on it.

-Marilyn Kirschner

Better Bets for Valentine’s Day – by Rhonda Erb

Demeter Chocolate Covered Cherries

PG Bracelets

Italian jewelry designer, Paola Garofalo, created these colorful fabric bracelets and they can be worn individually or in multiples, depending on the wearer’s ever changing moods. The red, white and green “Italia Universal Love” bracelet has developed an international cult following.

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iLuv Vibro II

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

Yeohlee’s Practical Magic

Yeohlee talking with members of the Couture Council

In this day and age — not to mention this special time of the year– it seems that everything is bigger, more in your face, and more excessive. Gaudy lights are all around; there’s the 74 foot, 12 ton Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center; the over-the-top auction of Elizabeth Taylor’s estate at Christies (http://www.christies.com/), complete with baubles the size of tennis balls; and Lady Gaga’s attention grabbing, “look at me” windows at Barneys New York, just to name a few. But it’s reassuring to know that those things that don’t hit you over the head, are smaller scaled, more subtle, and less flamboyant, can be just as rewarding and appealing – if not more so.

Yeohlee black cape

Case in point, Thursday’s private presentation and conversation with Dr. Valerie Steele and Yeohlee Teng, an intimate gathering held at Yeohlee’s chic, small jewel of a shop at 25 West 38th Street, just off 5th Avenue, which was sponsored by the Couture Council of the Museum of FIT. Everything about Yeohlee’s year old 1400 square foot retail space (where she moved her offices, design room, and workroom to be conveniently situated upstairs) speaks volumes about her aesthetic, which is about as far from over the top or excessive as can be, but hardly lacking in drama or magic nonetheless.

The hour long event, which was immediately followed by a luncheon hosted by Couture Council board member Michele Gerber Klein, was first and foremost a shopping event, and invited guests (like WWD’s Bobbie Queen and 1st dibs’ Clair Watson) could walk through the store, try on selections from the fall 2011 collection (a study almost entirely in black, white, and gray), and place orders (30 % of all proceeds yesterday went to benefit the Museum at FIT). I was especially drawn to several jackets and coats, one fabulous black cape, two black hand knitted caps, and what has to be the chicest, most perfect black leather messenger bag on the planet.

Valerie Steele in her favorite Yeohlee coat

At one point, there was an intimate one-on-one conversation between Yeohlee and Dr. Steele, who was of course, decked out in her favorite Yeohlee black coat with signature crescent bottom (she was animated as she spoke about why she loves this, as well as her other cherished Yeohlee pieces that she’s collected through the years). FYI, I have the same awesome coat in a slightly different fabric (mine is waterproof nylon), and I couldn’t resist having the chance to tell everyone how I not only wear it as outerwear, but have turned it into a fabulous skirt. Talk about ‘practical magic’.

Forever chic black & white

Yeohlee is an award-winning, well-respected designer, who is perhaps best known for her innovative, beautifully fabricated, smart, well-thought-out, geometric, architectural designs that place a premium on function and practicality, and always keep the urban nomad in mind. During the course of her conversation with Dr. Steele, she reflected on her work, her inspirations, and her passions, referring to her clothing as “intimate architecture which can effect how you work and how you traffic through your space”. She also spoke about the “romance between the designer and the fabric” and admitted that her “core philosophy: is “wear it to death” (it helps “justify the cost”). She also reflected on the cape that initially put her on the map in the early 80s. When Dawn Mello, then Fashion Director of Bergdorf Goodman, saw it she immediately featured it in the store’s fall catalogue. How fast did they produce more? “We cut the order to the Flight of the Bumblebee,” Yeohlee deadpanned.

Patricia Mears with Yeohlee jacket & bag

Other loves? “I have this affection for one size fits all, unisex clothing that is weightless and packable”. The Museum at FIT’s deputy director Patricia Mears, also clad in a Yeohlee jacket, (an enviably chic hybrid of a bomber and baseball jacket) opined, “there’s no place you can’t wear this jacket”. She spoke of the first time she met the innovative designer, spoke of her love of that now famous Urban Nomad exhibition, and said that they “both share a love for the construction of clothing”. As she put it, “There aren’t a lot of designers who know how to make a garment from beginning to end”.

So, what’s on the horizon? Yeohlee said, “I like simple. The next phase is lasering. I’m lasering in order to make fabric really flat. What seems simple is really not simple”. I then asked, (since the fall collections are just a few months away), what Yeohlee is working on for fall 2012. She said she is “exploring color, texture, form, and density” (she is “loving fabrics that have a lot of density”). And as always, “I’m having a conversation with the circle…I can make endless clothes with that concept,” she offered. Most importantly, long an active and outspoken proponent for Save the Garment Center, she is passionate about “Made in the USA, Made in New York, Made in Midtown” (which is how she put it). And, she not only talks the talk, but walks the walk. Yeohlee is the first designer store to open in the District and it is a testament to Yeohlee’s commitment to the neighborhood. (Though she did admit that her fabrics will continue to come from all over the world and not just Europe).

Speaking of fabrics, it’s literally all about fabrics for this designer and Dr. Steele reminded us that Yeohlee was the first to put Teflon on a white blouse in order to make it practical. Yeohlee’s response, “The real unsung heroes are the ones who make the fabrics”.

She then continued, “It’s not just about price, It’s about magic”. “The fashion industry should be as important as the film industry in New York”. Clothes ARE important! It’s all about clothes. We all need to wear clothes. We all need to be covered and to be protected by our clothes.” At that point, I couldn’t help but recount to those in attendance, the famous ad for Barneys New York that aired on television quite awhile back. It’s shot in black and white, presumably showing a very young Barney Pressman on the Lower East Side at the turn of the century. He is sitting on a stoop and a few of his young friends asked, “What are you going to do, Barney, when you grow up?” Without hesitation, the entrepreneurial youngster answered, “I don’t know, but we’re all gonna need clothes.”

-Marilyn Kirschner

The post Yeohlee in Conversation with Valerie Steele appeared first on lookonline.

Just one month after presenting her Spring 2011 collection at New York Fashion Week, Designer Yeohlee Teng opened last night her flagship store in New York City. As the very first designer store to open in the Garment District, the YEOHLEE Store opening is a testament to Yeohlee’s commitment to the neighborhood. Over two hundred of her friends came out to lend their support – including Fern Mallis, Bobbi Queen, Nanette Lapore, Anna Sui, Valerie Steele, Joan Kaner, Ruth Finley among many others – and enjoy a selection of exotic Malaysian food and desserts.

Anna Sui & Yeohlee

In conjunction with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and the Design Trust for Public Space, Yeohlee is a leader in the Made in Midtown movement – a response to New York City’s proposed rezoning of the garment district, and a study of why the fashion industry and Garment District neighborhoods are an integral part of New York City’s economy and identity.

At the forefront of the movement, Yeohlee has advocated to keep fashion thriving in the Garment District – for the sake of jobs and in the name of social justice. Yeohlee believes that proximity and creativity are indelibly linked. For this same reason, Yeohlee made the decision to locate her first store in the district and moved her entire operation into the same building.

The Midtown store will feature key pieces from Yeohlee’s runway collections which she designs for the urban nomad – a term she first coined for her Fall 1997 collection –defining a lifestyle that requires clothing that works on a variety of practical and psychological levels. Yeohlee coined the term Zero Waste to capture the prevailing mood in September 2008 when she presented her Fall 2009 collection. She became the first designer to use zero waste in connection with how clothing can be constructed in a sustainable way by less wastage. Yeohlee’s seasonless clothes will be accompanied by select accessories from some of her favorite brands including recycled rubber jewelry by Kathleen Tucci and footwear by Bensimon.

Leonard Nimoy and Wife

The store is designed by Architect Joerg Schwartz with the intent to use the materials ubiquitous in the Garment Center in a fashion that had not been used before as a back-drop for Yeohlee’s clothing. Galvanized steel studs placed in front of the newly exposed brick wall evoke a space in transition. Another industrial material, black Tyvek, pleated in Midtown, is used to create drapery for the fitting rooms. Valspar paint was selected for its Hi Def color system – Dove White for the soft walls and ceilings, Tempered Gray for the brick wall to offset the galvanized steel studs and Highland Green as an accent on the signage. Yeohlee added a touch of whimsy by randomly replacing damaged grey floor tiles with granite black tiles. The final touch came with the restoration of the 1920’s façade – a first in the Garment District.

YEOHLEE NY :
Address: 25 West 38th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues, New York, NY 10018
Phone 212 244 8635 Fax 212 244 6598
Hours: Monday – Saturday, 11 to 7pm.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Marie Dasaro
THINK PR
212.343.3920
Mdasaro@thinkpublicrelations.com

The post Store Opening Celebration for Yeohlee Teng’s First Designer Flagship Store appeared first on lookonline.

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

DOTS Gloves

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DOTS Gloves, $15-$25
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– Rhonda Erb

The post Carolina On My Mind appeared first on lookonline.

The weather was so glorious yesterday that it’s hard to imagine anything could happen which would spoil the good feelings. But it did and this one takes the cake. I boarded the bus provided by Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, right after the 1 p.m. Tracy Reese show ended, to head downtown to Donna Karan, who always shows her collections at 711 Greenwich Street. The ride was uneventful. The show was scheduled for 2 p.m. and we got there a few minutes before the show was to begin –approximately 2:30.

The 41 piece collection went by the title, ‘What’s in the Air’, and Donna cited inspiration from the elements: “the sky, water, wind, sand, earth and fire” (what else is new?) Whereas the designer seemed to revisit her roots for the fall collection (where all her familiar ‘best hits’ were re invented and re imagined), spring was a bit more esoteric and experimental (and what’s with those unnecessary Stephen Jones hats, Donna?). While there were a smattering of coats and some pants, it was primarily about artfully deconstructed and fitted skirt suits, worn over stretch body suits, in innovative fabrics (such as viscose matte stretch twill and silk/nylon stretch taffeta) which allowed for fabric manipulation and a feeling of movement.

Evening consisted of Donna’s familiar draped gowns (many of them narrow yet falling away from the body, exposing the sides and backs) in viscose/silk crepe jersey and viscose/silk satin devore. Admittedly, these are not the easiest dresses to pull off if you need to wear any sort of undergarment, or if you are not over 6 feet tall and weight under 100 pounds, like Donna’s stable of models.

The color palette carried out the ‘elements’ theme throughout, in barely there non colors such as pumice, storm, blush, and sky blue, not necessarily the most flattering shades to wear for most women; which made the periodic appearance of ‘fire coral’ (lacquer red by any other name), even more appealing. This turned up in form of a stretch taffeta coat, stretch canvas strapless dress, organza shell; a double linen envelope jacket and double linen scissor pant; a nylon stretch dress with coral branch belt; and a viscose/silk satin devore evening dress.

And since I was sitting across the room from Anna Wintour, who I knew was headed out to the U.S. Open men’s finals (she kept looking at her watch and checking her cell phone), I was reminded that red was the power color worn so well by her good friend Roger Federer this season (though he lost his match last night). By the way, Anna made her quick exit out a back door right before the show’s finale.

‘Dumb and Dumber’

Well anyway, after the show, I looked for Stephanie, the sweet intern who was trying to be helpful and in charge of getting show goers on the bus (in her fuchsia dress, she was hard to miss). She was also in charge of getting us up to the Yeohlee show at 4 (it did seem as though we would have a bit of time to kill but I thought that was wise). We waited and waited and finally, the bus came back and picked up a group of us. It was only after the bus left, that we were told it would make one stop, on West 21st street, where Thakoon was showing at 3. I assumed the bus was dropping show goers off to Thakoon to see the show. Well,I was wrong! When we got to the venue, Eyebeam, at 10th Avenue and west 21st street, we were told that we were going to wait until Thakoon ended, and then bring those attendees to Yeohlee, on West 35th Street.

When a few of us complained, it was obvious that Stephanie did not have the authority to give directions to the bus driver to drive us to Yeohlee or to bring us closer to transportation. She had to answer to ‘higher authorities’, specifically, Katie, at the ‘Command Station’ at the Bryant Park Tents. There were many of us who were irked because this was a huge waste of precious time. We were literally sitting and waiting on the bus for what turned out to be nearly two hours and literally felt we were being ‘hijacked’ and had no choice but to wait. And on top of that, when we finally got to 34th and 7th, just a few blocks away from Yeohlee’s showroom, the bus driver headed east, all the way to Madison Avenue in order to make a turn back to 35th street! We could have simply gotten off the bus on 7th Avenue, walked two blocks, and had gotten there a half hour earlier than we did (it was about 4:30 when we arrived). It was a true comedy of errors though it wasn’t really funny. I blame it on lack of communication and poor organization. But regardless, it was unacceptable.

‘Birds of a Feather’

In the meanwhile, when I walked into the Yeohlee showroom, in addition to FIT’s Valerie Steele and Patricia Mears, Elsa Klensch, and Joan Kaner, I spotted Iris Apfel sitting in the front row. Of course, she’s the original ‘Rare Bird’ (‘Rara Avis’ was the name given to exhibit mounted by the Met’s Costume Institute several years ago, when they paid homage to her colorful and eclectic sense of style). Coincidentally, after I read Yeohlee’s program notes that I found there was actually a ‘connection’ between Iris and Yeohlee’s collection, which was called, ‘The Shape of Sound’.

In addition to the “invisible sonic dimension of sound”, Yeohlee cited tropical birds with their colorful plumage as inspiration for a well edited 21 piece collection that was all about form, texture, and movement. And it was departure for the designer in that it was less severe, austere, and minimal than in the past, and dare I say, more colorful, playful and very feminine! There was a veritable explosion of color, and the use of a print (a fuchsia, green, buttercup ‘Macaroon Dot’ which was fashioned into a ‘bird’ dress and was also used for a peplum jacket paired with a striped sailor top and fuchsia cotton pique shorts). And, can you imagine there were even ‘ruffles’.

But not your typical ruffle, this is Yeohlee, so it’s always about the arduous, brilliant, and innovative manipulation of fabric, and working it into a theme where every detail tells a story. And so, a stripe embroidery fabric mimicked a musical score; sound was envisioned as ‘waves’ (as seen in the stripe embro wave top worn with a black jersey wing skirt); interlocking sound wave patterns were woven onto the top of a black jersey dress; and the wave theme continued in several metallic brass matelasse dresses, which exposed the fabric’s soft white cotton interior, (“a link to the contrasting surfaces found in melodic duality” according to program notes).

Carolina’s a ‘Basket’ Case

Could it be that Carolina Herrera is taking boxing lessons with Ralph Rucci to help her stay in great shape? Perhaps that would explain why a longtime Rucci inspiration: the intricate forms, textures and techniques used in the ancient art of Japanese basket weaving, has found its way into her spring 2010 collection where they were translated onto fabrics, prints, and could be found in the interlacing of the accessories. Hence, there were stone rope weave jacquard linens, straw striped linens, embroidered rope weave printed cottons, and basket weave jacquards (like the asymmetrical gown that ended the show).

Carrying out the nature theme was the predominately neutral color palette, based around stone, straw, ivory, caramel, and amber, with hits of amethyst and rose. While there were probably more evening gowns shown on this runway, than on any other thus far, there were also knee length and ‘tea length’ dresses, many of which were beaded and embroidered, which added further texture, shine, and surface interest. And the designer apparently feels very strongly about the new ‘short’ suit (a belted jacket worn over shorts), because they were a recurring theme, several of which were beaded as well.

Blame it on Rio

Attending a Carlos Miele show is often like taking a quick trip to Brazil. Carlos’s forte has long been his exuberantly colored eveningwear and he didn’t disappoint this time around. But in addition to his dresses and gowns, he included more separates this time, which made for a nice balance.

Standouts include the group of pink degrade silk chiffons (a mini dress was shown with a nude tropical wool pleated bolero, a long gown was shown beneath a nude silk chiffon vest with colorful silk ‘deadlocks’, and the pink degrade silk chiffon was used for a tank top and paired with nude wool pants and a dark denim bolero). Black and white beach and city photo prints found their way onto long and short dresses, and python and snake prints turned up in the form of separates and evening gowns…one, in silk charmeuse with a deeply plunging neckline, was standout.

Mirror like embroidery added texture and shine to a nude tropical wool jacket shown with stiff dark jeans; decorated a black wool jacket which was paired with nude tropical wool shorts, and completely covered a black silk bolero, which was thrown over a black silk tank and wool mini. All I know is when the show was over, I was somehow hungry for Brazilian food.

-Marilyn Kirschner

“Move Over Eloise”: Douglas Hannant At The Plaza

The Park Avenue set has a new outpost to call home. Designer Douglas Hannant opened his first retail boutique last month in New York’s Plaza Hotel. There is no sign of a recession in Hannant’s chic new flagship store. The elegant boutique, designed by Geoffrey Bradfield, features white Venetian plaster, mirrored walls, and white marble floors. Located on the street level of the Plaza’s retail area and in close proximity to Hannant’s loyal clientele, one assumes that the store will fare better than some of the hotel’s other retail establishments.

To celebrate the boutique’s opening, Hannant presented his Spring 2010 collection at a cocktail party held Monday night in the Plaza’s Terrace Room. The theme was a tribute to Venus, the goddess of love, and the space was draped throughout in large swaths of white fabric. The designer’s new looks were displayed on mannequins mounted high above the crowd, as fashionistas and socialites sipped champagne while listening to an 80’s music mix.

In keeping with the theme, Hannant’s new offerings were predictably elegant and goddess like. The color palette included pale shades of blue, yellow, pink, lavender, and green. Two of his most striking gowns were in delicate prints, one in porcelain blue and another in a multi hued floral pattern.

Since not every night can be a party, even for Hannant’s social set, the collection also included skinny pants paired with soft blouses, knee length dresses and well-tailored suits. In addition to the designer’s luxury ready to wear, a new line of accessories will be sold in Hannant’s boutique. The line will feature jewelry, shoes, hats, and evening bags.

– Rhonda Erb

“The Daily Bet” by Rhonda Erb

The Sharpie Bar



On Monday, everyone’s favorite permanent marker, Sharpie, debuted its very first Sharpie Bar in the lobby of the tents at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. Designer Betsey Johnson headlined an event to introduce her exclusive Sharpie Shirt. While there, she demonstrated her doodling skills using the colorful markers. The Sharpie Bar will be open until September 16th and Betsey’s shirts will be available free of charge, while supplies last.

Sharpie has designed personalized markers for many designers at the Tents and you can design your own by visiting their website.

http://www.mysharpie.com/

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