TRADITIONAL BEAUTY MEETS VERY MODERN DESIGN
In 1985, Amsale Aberra started designing wedding gowns. The Ethiopian born designer had designed her own wedding gown, so, why not? From her apartment in New York City, she began creating wedding gowns, and ended up building a powerhouse in the bridal design industry.
Her fall/winter 2018 collection is called, appropriately, “Nouvelle”. It takes Amsale’s more traditional looks and adds a modern twist, making them both classic and fresh.
A high-necked gown becomes a princess dress with a whimsical tulle skirt. A simple satin drop-waist top pairs with a bias-cut skirt. French lace cutouts add even more romance to silk organza.
It’s easy to understand why celebs flock to Amsale for bridal and bridesmaid gowns. And why brides-to-be everywhere seem to dream of spending their big day in Amsale.
© Red Stiletto Media 2017 Photography: Anton Brookes
The list of celebs who have worn Christian Cowan’s clothes reads like a designer’s dream: Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Sia, Fergie. Not long ago he was a student at the London College of Fashion. Now, Paris Hilton is strutting down his runway in New York. “I’ve dressed a lot of celebrities over the last couple of years while I was at university,” he told me, post-show. “When I was 10 years old was the defining moment when I knew I wanted to move to America. I’ve always been obsessed with celebrity culture here. Everything’s larger than life.”
Dressing celebs is a big deal, but to turn design into a business, you need to get a lot more people to buy what you’re selling, and so Cowan has decided to combine both of his favorite things. “I really want to, obviously, continue to dress those icons,” he said, “but now I want to bring that in an easier way. I want everyone to wear it and feel like a million bucks, and everyone is happy wearing it, and everyone notices and compliments her.”
Cowan says he dresses women who are “not afraid”, and you would have to be truly brave to wear some of his super-sheer, super-sparkly styles. But for those who want to glitz up their evening wear and aren’t afraid to show a little skin, Cowan’s your man.
The aesthetic here is pure, unadulterated joy. It shows in the work. It shows in the man. “I feel like we’re at a time when everyone needs to smile and be happy about stuff,” he says, “and so I really wanted to design for people and give them something to be happy about. I feel like, this isn’t a time to hide, and people need to be loud and out there about whatever they feel, and I wanted to embody that in the collection.”
I have a feeling we may require his brand of optimism next season, and for several seasons after that, as well.
There is something that sets Naeem Khan apart from pretty nearly every other designer who shows at New York Fashion Week. His collections are about pure, unadulterated glamour. Look after look, walking down the runway, each more breathtaking than the one before it, gowns that take red-carpet dressing to a whole new, and more elegant, level.
He dedicated this collection to his mentor, the legendary Halston, for whom he worked in the ‘70s, and inspired, also, by his deep love of cooking. In his notes, he said, “to me, taste has color.” And this collection was about as full of vibrant, brilliant color as any I’ve ever seen.
With the ‘70s theme came graphic, mod-inspired prints, a series of color-blocked gowns that were fun and, somehow, flattering in black, white, red and a little pop of pink. Then, suddenly, everything bloomed. Starting with smaller, embroidered flowers, they grew in size and color. Wild floral prints gave way to bigger, bolder patterns and what I wait for every season at Naeem, lots and lots of sparkle.
One gown, shimmering white with red, coral and yellow flowers, made me swoon. What I wouldn’t give for the money to buy it, the figure to wear it, and some place to go to show it off. A red-and-pink floral with a soft, white, flowing skirt was, well, magnificent. But then, every look was.
He says the collection was “born through my passion and love… un homage to the effortlessly confident woman.” It’s also the reason why his is, season after season, the one show I refuse to miss. Naeem Khan is what fashion week is all about, old school glamour mixed with very modern design.
It starts, as all good, hot July afternoons should, with a beach party, courtesy of Krammer & Stoudt, the always interesting, creative and just-a-bit-out-there L.A.-based line taking the men’s fashion market by storm.
How many times have I said it, “this men’s line is not for the faint of heart”? Well, I’m saying it again. Rideau is most definitely not for the faint of heart. This distinctly New York-based line is for the most confident of men. But if you find that part of yourself that believes clothes maketh the man, and you are the man who loves bright color, wild patterns and unusual cuts, then Rideau is the line for you.
For Private Policy, sending a message is as important as producing fun, wearable fashion. If it seems like a bit of a dichotomy, well it is. And, it isn’t. Nothing about Private Policy is exactly as it seems.
Classic, yet edgy, serious, yet whimsical, Chapter’s Spring/Summer collection kind of defies definition. And that is no accident. Looking to “the juxtaposition of a city’s harsh architectural lines intersecting with the socialization and human interaction”, and turning that into a cohesive clothing line is no easy feat.
Part performance art, part fashion presentation, Uri Minkoff found the perfect way to showcase his Spring/Summer 2017 collection, a mix of performance wear and traditional men’s clothing. Dancers, wearing suit jackets and cycling shorts, stretchy pants and dress shirts, stretched and danced, combining athletic and artsy moves the way the collection combined lifestyle and work style.
Music and fashion aren’t just for Lola. The two have a long, synergistic history. You can’t have a runway without the pounding beat of house music, right? By Robert James completed the music/fashion marriage in his Spring/Summer 2017 presentation. The music was the fashion, or vice versa. 
There is something so comforting about a Billy Reid collection: soft, tailored, wearable, real clothes for real men. But don’t confuse comforting with boring. There is nothing mundane about his looks. There is always a creative edge that cannot be denied.
For Fall/Winter 2016, Reid experimented with fabrics: tweeds, blends and knits. He also focused on patterns, taking his inspiration from nature, a perfect fit for his preferred neutral palette.
There were so many standouts in this collection, relaxed pants paired with silky print sweaters, quilty coats and vests, buttery soft suede jackets, slightly oversized sport coats, baggy shorts and beautifully tailored overcoats.
But this runway wasn’t all about the boys. Reid showed his spectacular women’s wear collection, too. Classic, with a twist, like a midi-length leather skirt in black and a deep orange tan, roomy slacks and a magnificent gold overcoat in the softest wool I’ve ever seen.
It doesn’t hurt that this die-hard southern boy is also one of the nicest people in the industry, with lots of famous fans, including Jesse Tyler-Ferguson who showed up for the runway. But the real reason behind his popularity is that his clothes are just so damn good, tailor made for the man, or woman, who knows who he or she is, and dresses to match.
It was a rainy, steamy September night when crowds gathered to see Greg Lauren’s creations for fall. It all sort of came together perfectly to fit the designer’s theme. Art Beam was transformed into a different world, a smoky, slightly dangerous-feeling, downscale men’s club from another era.
From a distance, we saw sketchy-looking characters holding up the walls, or joined in hushed conversations, while far-too-pretty boxers seemed to slug it out, slowly, in a ring in the center of the room, all dressed in tattered tops and sweats or slacks, ripped and worn, like the men wearing them.
Then you get a bit closer, and realize the wear and tear is decidedly calculated, a kind of trademark of the Greg Lauren line, relaxed, tattered, yet classic, and oh, so luxurious. Even the leader, or “Hero”, of this rag-tag but handsome bunch, is Tyson Beckford. Nothing is as it appears.
Though the scene was a bit world-weary, the clothes definitely are not. Lauren, who has tried his hand at so many things before discovering designing, has been evolving since his first collection, and this is a big step forward in that journey.
This is fashion for style-conscious men on the days they don’t want to look polished, but still want the world to know they care about how they do look. They’re clothes are beautifully made, ooze comfort, style and, perhaps most importantly, confidence.
“The artistry of the zen garden, minimal and austere, with bold strokes of color and form, with lacquered hair.”
So begins the inspiration statement of the legendary designer, Carmen Marc Valvo for his Spring/Summer 2016 collection. “This season’s collection is very Asian inspired”, he said, backstage before the show. “It’s very yin and yang with a lot of calligraphy, brushstrokes, Koi and cranes. We have butterflies, we have dragon flies, we have all sorts of things.”
And that combination makes this one of his most magnificent collections ever, and that’s really saying something. Black, white and bold, bold red were the colors of this catwalk, inspired in great part by the designer’s butterfly koi. It took two years to bring this vision to the runway. He said, “they had babies about two years ago in the pond, which is kind of cool. I wanted to try to do this, but the timing wasn’t right, then I didn’t know how to accomplish it.” But, two weeks before the mills closed, it all came together in these strong yet delicate looks. Hence, the yin and yang.
Painterly prints and big florals added to the Asian-inspired theme, along with soft chiffons mimicking gossamer wings, leather and python patterns reflected shimmering fish scales. The fabrics were perfectly chosen, as well: double-faced wool, crepe, chemise, linen and leather.
Shift dresses, either color blocked or patterned, had a real updated ‘60s feel, a truly modern mod. He brought palazzo pants to a new level, with a peony-printed pair, topped with a mesh inset maillot and another with a calligraphy crane design with an ivory racerback maillot. They were just so sexy.
Then there were the swimsuits, all one-piece, most using the same brushstroke motif, all amazing.
Of course, where Valvo’s collections really shine are in eveningwear, from a sleek, ebony organza lacquered gown to a poppy brushstroke gown (this, along with an ebony pleated gown inset with python is where you could really see the Koi influence), to the true show-stopper, the Changshou organza gown, they were light and airy, and oh, so glam.
I’ve focused on womenswear because that made up the bulk of the collections. His menswear used the same patterns and textures in perfectly tailored jackets and shorts, shirts and suits. And tailoring is so much a part of what makes a Carmen Marc Valvo collection truly special.
While the looks are easy to wear, so much work goes into each piece, fit and cut to perfection, with touches like double pleated overlays and hand stitching that truly elevate the looks. Valvo says he is not an artist, but rather an artisan, dedicated to his craft, and it shows. I can’t wait to see what he creates next.
Red Stiletto Media
Red Stiletto Media 