KATYA LEONOVICH: ART, FOR FASHION’S SAKE

Posted on December 27, 2012 by Red Stiletto Media

DESIGNER BRINGS HER ART TO LIFE FOR SPRING/SUMMER 2013

I have often thought that creative people were, simply, creative.  They could probably have found their calling in art, fashion, writing or any other creative pursuit.  Katya Leonovich goes a long way toward proving that true.

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As a painter, she was able to bring her canvas to the runway, using hand-painted fabrics in a palette of greys, creams, beiges and greens.  Her complicated designs, skillful draping, big shoulders and asymmetrical hems could have gone horribly wrong in different hands.  But here, they are beautiful and feminine, but never overly girly.

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Leonovich used leather to show she’s still a designer with an edge, and in some cases, stiff bodices made the looks even stronger.  Everything in the collection is right on trend, from the bold prints to the cut-outs, sometimes in surprising places.  The jewel tones gave the looks a real richness, and the mix of textures like soft chiffons, lace and leather, gave it real character.

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There was plenty of shine, but no real bling to speak of.  But that’s okay.  In this collection, it would have been out of place.

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The final surprise was a pair of hand-painted dresses, one incorporating the face of President Barack Obama, the other the face of Republican opponent Mitt Romney.  Political statement?  An attempt to get out the vote?  Who can say?  I do know that Katya Leonovich is a designer I’d like to support.

Photography: Anton Brookes

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JOANNA MASTROIANNI: COULD IT BE SPRING?

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Red Stiletto Media

FLORAL ELEGANCE FILLS THE RUNWAY

Joanna Mastroianni

I’m not sure there would be much disagreement with the thought that, season after season, Joanna Mastroianni brings a level of elegance to the runways at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.  There is a level of intricacy to her designs that is missing from so many others, a true dedication to putting perfect looks on the catwalk.

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This season, her inspiration was the garden, and her flowers came in many forms.  There were the brightly colored, printed flowers on dresses, skirts and even a short-sleeved suit.  Then, there were the embellishments, woven into a beautifully tailored white dress.

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In some cases, it was just the color of flowers popping up in a garden, or, in this case, in pants, skirts or tops.  In one case, it was just the green, in a lattice-patterned shift.  Perhaps the most intricate of all were the tiny fabric flowers, each perfectly formed and dotted in the center with a crystal, sewn onto a dress fit for almost any garden party.

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She didn’t neglect black, which showed in the most intricately-patterned pants suit and an incredibly sexy take on a blingy little black dress.  Lattice-work jackets covered tiny frocks, cocktail dresses were covered with sparkles.  One very special cocktail dress took the flower motif to a new level, black daisies covered a shining white sleeveless.

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This collection hit all the marks Mastroianni is famous for, attention to detail, color, perfect tailoring, and amazing creativity.  The theme of Mastroianni’s designs seems to be, it’s not enough to be expensive, you have to look expensive, and this, like all of her collections, achieves that goal.

Photography: Anton Brookes

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JENNY PACKHAM: OH, TO BE IN ENGLAND

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Red Stiletto Media

BRINGING BRITISH STYLE TO SPRING/SUMMER 2013

I know that Jenny Packham is British.  I don’t necessarily know if it’s what inspires her, but it is certainly a palpable part of every one of her designs.  I can’t help thinking “Mod” when I see this season’s collection, especially in her dresses.

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For Spring/Summer 2013, it was all about shine.  There were sequins, sparkles, beads and mirrors.  This collection is for the girl who likes a good party, who knows how to have a good time. Her notes said her inspiration came from Hollywood actors, gambling and Vegas.  It all sounds so retro, but make no mistake, everything that came down that runway was as modern as it gets.

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A short, shiny silver dress was made for a party.  The design was simple, the  execution, brilliant.  It also came in skirt and jacket form, which was somehow even more beautiful.  A group of whites came out that looked crisp and clean but so wearable, and the bling there was kept to the sleeves. A girl’s summer dress came in a cool blue, but containing a lot of shine.

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The entire collection was girly, feminine and very grown up, much as I suspect the designer must be.  A long, black-and white polka dot dress was the perfect example of that.  It was sleek, elegant, and very young.  Yet I don’t want to give the impression that this is a collection you have to be 15 to wear.  The level of sophistication means it can cross a lot of age groups.

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You could easily go through each piece in the collection and rave about its style, its texture, the clean lines and joyous shine.  There wasn’t one miss.  But there were so many standouts.  A gown in a kind of chess-board print was magnificent (actually, a variation of this design showed up in a few items). The soft color palette was interrupted only by the odd black piece or a couple of pops of orange. And the final showstopper, a white gown with an attached cape made only of bling, defied design.

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This is another show that I look forward to every season.  There’s something about seeing Jenny Packham’s designs that bring a sense of calm and beauty.  She is the classic English rose.  I’m just glad she shows her goods here in New York.

Photography: Anton Brookes

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FARAH ANGSANA: SOUTH AMERICAN FLAIR MEETS RICH DESIGN

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Red Stiletto Media

TAKING INSPIRATION FROM BRAZIL FOR SPRING/SUMMER 2013

There is no doubt that Farah Angsana designs for women with disposable income, and lots of it.  Her looks are glamourous, feminine and unapologetically upscale.

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For Spring/Summer 2013, Angsana took her inspiration from Brazil, with the unmistakable touches of her Asian roots.  The colors she sent down the runway at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week were bold and bright, the patterns decisive and graphic.

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She doesn’t do every day wear.  These dresses, whether long or short, just scream “special occasion”.   Every piece has its share of bling, so it’s bright, but never garish.  One gown, with a gold embroidered top and see-through skirt with rows of brilliantly colored feathers was nothing short of stunning. A shorter cocktail dress popped in green and orange with a big, black print pattern.  Another was softer, with a gentle floral pattern, but still sparkled.  These are looks that defy description.  They have to be seen to be understood.

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Look after look in bright, royal blue, incandescent yellow or soft salmon were made for the woman who’s not afraid to be noticed.

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Her final look down the runway seemed to ground the rest of the collection.  It was no less intricate and complex than the rest, another see-through gown embellished with feathers, but this was all grey, black and white.  And it seemed to add a certain quiet elegance to a very loud collection.

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Always designed with the confident woman in mind, Farah Angsana creates the clothes that dreams are made of.

Photography: Anton Brookes

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FALGUNI AND SHANE PEACOCK: FASHION THAT’S NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Red Stiletto Media

THE DESIGN DUO TAKES A WILD RIDE INTO FUTURISTIC FASHION

When the first model steps on to the runway wearing a see-through space helmet, you know what’s coming is not so much ready-to-wear as I-wish-I-could-wear-that.  I saw their Fall 2012 show, and I was hooked.  When I saw that they were showing again this season, I had to see it.

This husband and wife duo live to experiment, with color, texture, pattern, design, you name it.  This season, they looked into the future, well into the future, for inspiration.  The result was a bright, shiny, highly structured and very young collection.

It’s hard to pick out individual pieces, each one was a work of art all its own.  There was the see-through fishtail dress, the body suit for which the phrase “body hugging” was invented, dresses that were so structured, they seemed  made for inter-galactic cocktails or a red carpet on Mars.

The collection ticked all the Falguni & Shane Peacock boxes.  Beading, beading, beading?  Check.  Use of out-there materials, like hip-enhancing plexiglass? Check.  Exotic embellishments? Check.  Its own unique brand of glamour?  You’ll need to check that one twice.

Sometimes I have to remind myself that not every piece that comes down the runway is for me to consider wearing, but I can still consider its merits as fashion.  I am allowed to be a fan of things I couldn’t wear, not even in my wildest dreams.  Sometimes, it’s just fashion as theatre.  And with Falguni & Shane Peacock, it’s jaw-dropping drama.  I can’t wait for next season.

To see video of the Falguni & Shane Peacock  Spring/Summer 2013 Mercedes-Benz NYFW runway presentation click below

Video & Edit: Scott Fetterman  Music: Tony Di Pietro  Still Photography: Anton Brookes

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CHRISTOPHER ESBER: SIMPLICITY EQUALS BEAUTY

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Red Stiletto Media

THE AUSSIE DESIGNER MAKES HIS MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK DEBUT

It is always nice to discover a new designer.  No matter how big or small your outlet, you feel like you’ve gotten a one-hour pass into the inner circle.

That’s how I feel about Christoper Esber.  He may be familiar to Australian fashion elite, but he’s brand new to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York.

His collection is a study in simplicity.  The lines are straight, in skirts, dresses, pants, even tops.  The color palette is simple:  basic black, navy, crisp white and grey.  What interrupts the simplicity are the surprises. Little black dresses showed exaggerated shapes.  A simple white sleeveless dress hangs in an asymmetrical peplum.  A simple black top is totally backless.  So backless, you wonder for a moment how it’s kept on.

There was a simple black two-piece pants suit made in the shiniest fabric I’ve ever seen (it comes in white, as well).  Long shorts have a zip that can turn them into a skirt.

He appears to be a craftsman, with each piece going together effortlessly, but beautifully.  No frou-frou, no flowers, just a wearable, but beautiful collection from a new-to-New York designer.  I hope he sticks around till next season.

Photography: Anton Brookes

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DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: A LESSON IN DESIGN FROM FASHION’S GRANDE DAME

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Red Stiletto Media

CREATING CLOTHES FOR THE CONFIDENT WOMAN

Diane von Furstenberg is truly the spiritual godmother of New York fashion.  Her designs are iconic.  Her shop in Meatpacking is every bit as trendy and cool as the neighborhood itself.  And now that she sits atop the CFDA, I sense that the order of the fashion world has somehow been restored.

Her looks for Spring/Summer 2013 are, as ever, amazing.  It’s great to watch new, young designers try to come into their own at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.  But there is something so special about seeing the masters at work, and von Furstenberg is a master.  She knows women and how their bodies move better than any other designer.  She knows what we think when we shop, whether it’s for a specific occasion or just for fun.  It would be easy to say it’s because she’s a woman, but there are a lot of women designers and few of them get it to von Furstenberg’s level.

For Spring/Summer 2013, it’s all about the color:  big, bold, fun and showy.  It was mixed and matched in ways few of us could imagine, let alone pull off.  And it worked.  A bright, shiny turquoise was paired with orange and white.  A soft teal top with over-sized sleeves went so well with red slacks.  A grey jacket trimmed with gold leather was matched with a sea blue top.

There was a decided Indian influence in the Sari-like tops with tight tapered pants in silk.  Every color, the blues, the greens, the lavenders, the pinks and the corals were pastels with pop.  Yes, sort of wearable pop-ice.

When you get to the more traditional von Furstenberg styles, suddenly the colors went primary, and really stood out.  A navy spotted suit was pure fun, as was a happy, patriotic-colored pants suit.  A dress with a coral jigsaw design was soft and beautiful.  Sparkly gowns were perfect for the red carpet.  Even her whites seemed crisper.

But she is a designer who doesn’t stand still, who always seems to look forward (note her collaboration with Google for this collection, and the fact that many of her models wore “Glass by Google” glasses on the runway.  So her onesie in blue, turquoise and red really fit in.  It couldn’t have been  more modern, or more on-trend.  But then, I suspect it is designers of her caliber who create the trends.

These are looks for the confident, successful woman who knows what she wants, and can afford it (and wear it). This woman isn’t afraid of color, isn’t afraid of anything, really.  Her customers love her traditional wraps and familiar patterns.  But she has the ability and the desire to bring fashion into the future.

Photography: Anton Brookes

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CUSTO BARCELONA: A SUMMER OF FUN

Posted on November 18, 2012 by Red Stiletto Media

THE ECLECTIC DESIGNER NEVER DISAPPOINTS HIS LOYAL FANS

It got off to a less than auspicious start, Custo Barcelona’s Spring/Summer Runway at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.  A line the length of the Tents’ lobby let you know that something had gone wrong.  Way too many invites, way too small a room.  Some people gave up and left, others tried to cut into the line, and the rest of us just stuck it out, hoping for the best.

The best, of course, didn’t happen, and with countless people left in line, the announcement was made that the room was full, and we’d all have to just go away.  Not that easily deterred, I parked myself in front of the big screen in the garden.  I’ve never missed a Custo show, and I wasn’t going to start now.

You enter a different world when you watch a Custo Barcelona show.  None of the regular rules apply.  You can’t judge it as fashion.  It is, simply, fun.  It’s a crazy mix of colors and textures that don’t make sense anywhere but here.

Of course there is a statement of inspiration (colors, graphics, transparency, oceans, cosmos, etc.).  It doesn’t matter to anyone but Custo Dalmau.  These are clothes that make you smile.  The first look out was a simple white short, white t-shirt with someone’s face emblazoned on it, and a green printed swathe of fabric that acted as a sort of cape around the waist.

Trust me, that was the most staid look that came down the catwalk.  What followed was an eclectic mix of patterns for men and women that no one else could possibly conjure up.  There were pinks and blues and greens all mixed up together.  Fringe turned up in the most unlikely places.  A summer shift shined in a mix of metallics and what seemed to be an almost Aztec-inspired print.  A colorful skirt and top you want to call “Mod”, has such a modern vibe that the word doesn’t really fit.

And so it goes, blast after blast of color and design that is quintessentially Custo.  No, it’s not for everyone’s taste, and not everyone can wear it.  Though I defy you, no matter what your age or position in life, not to find a piece or two that suits your lifestyle.

It says young, it says fun, it says happy, and when you consider that what we’re talking about here is fashion, not nuclear proliferation, there’s nothing wrong with happy.

Photography: Anton Brookes

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CLOVER CANYON: THEY ALL CAN BE CALIFORNIA GIRLS

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Red Stiletto Media

BRINGING A WEST COAST VIBE TO MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK

Colorful, crazy prints dominated this debut to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Clover Canyon showed color, color, color in beautifully made clothes.  Some, like an almost Pucci-like paisley print had a retro feel.

But really, this is a forward thinking collection.  An orange-aid colored print short suit was so fresh.  Then came the cannabis prints.  Yes, marijuana leaves on bright white backgrounds, or mixed in with other prints.  They appeared in jackets and skirts, and ok, they’re not for everyone, but they’re actually quite pretty.

One wild pink print jacket had lots of shine, as did so much of the collection.  But paisley dominated, in oversized jackets, blouses and dresses.  Mixed in were southwest-themed dresses and jackets, Native American-influenced fabrics, even some lovely California beach themes.

It was probably one of the most refreshing collections at the shows, brave as the woman who’d wear it would have to be.  The tailoring was near-perfect, but the wildness of the prints made me want to wear these incredible clothes.  Don’t know if I’ll ever have the courage.

Photography: Anton Brookes

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CHARLOTTE RONSON: STYLISH, SEXY AND WEARABLE

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Red Stiletto Media

INSPIRED BY THE OCEAN FOR SPRING/SUMMER 2013

One of my favorite pre-Fashion Week moments is spent opening that invitation from Charlotte Ronson.  She is one of the designers whose looks always make me smile.  There’s no doubt she designs for girls.

For Spring/Summer 2013, Ronson was inspired by the ocean, and that manifested itself not just in color, but in style.  First down the runway was the sand, pretty, feminine dresses covered in netting.  Beach wear was represented by shorts and bra-tops.  Then, there are the summer dresses.  They came in beautiful, floral patterns based in deep blue.

But it wasn’t all soft femininity.  The Ronson edge came in the form of soft, black leather.  A skirt topped by a sleeveless vest was a real standout.

She played with summer-like textures so beautifully.  Cotton mixed with lace, the sheerest silks were matched with netting, and a see-through plastic that was paired with many different looks.  Jackets and dresses featured shoulder cut-outs that were filled with lace.

When I think Charlotte Ronson, I think dresses, because her looks are so feminine.  And this season she really didn’t disappoint.  One favorite played on her ocean theme with waves of blue working their way up from the hem. Those blues, obviously, featured in a series of designs, as did seafoam green, soft grey and coral.

And the music, mixed by DJ, you guessed it, Samantha Ronson, was so perfectly appropriate, you couldn’t help but smile and wish for spring to roll on, quick.  I really do heart Ronson.

Photography: Anton Brookes

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