Fashion

Sally Lapointe Fall 2012 #NYFW

Feb
22
2012

They said: Inspired by Kafka’s ‘The Metamorphosis’ highlighting the feeling of neglect and isolation.

We say: If only neglect and isolation felt as good as this collection looks. We’re in lust with the dress with the asymmetrical hem in the metamorphosis print. A mix of burnt orange, gold and grayish blue it feels almost military on top but transforms into a softly flowing hemline. This balance of angular and soft is seen throughout her collection that is created in fabrics such as neoprene-backed wool and felted cashmere. From white leather to laser cut black lace Sally shows a collection that is full of standout pieces.

Runway photos courtesy of MAO PR. Top photos StyleDefined NYC

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Ann Yee Fall2012 #NYFW

Feb
22
2012


What they said: A cave – mysterious and dark from the outside, once you enter, there is always an element of surprise. With the silhouettes and cuts for Autumn/Winter 2012, there is definitely more than meets the eye.

What we say: We admit it. Prints can sometimes scare us. But we’re thrilled with Ann Yee’s subtle “cave print” that anchors this collection. The color palette of slate, concrete blue and dusty purple in both the print and throughout the collection beckon us away from the standard black wardrobe. Her chunky knit sweaters and gauzy skirts and dresses balance each other perfectly and the asymmetrical hems add visual interest and intrigue.  These are pieces you’ll want now and will continue to love for the long term.

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Jen Kao Fall2012 #NYFW

Feb
18
2012

They said:  A foxy approach, polished but cagey. East meets west for nightcaps.

We say:  From a long black leather dress to a print on print ensemble of a striped sweater vest worn over a dip dyed plaid dress it could seem at first as though this collection was all over the map –literally not inspirationally! But we could see this style mashup living in one girl’s closet. A very cool girl who can remix her style at will. And there is a little something for everyone else as well. Our favorites are below!

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Kevork Kiledjian Fall2012 #NYFW

Feb
18
2012

They said: I recently found a Helmut Newton photograph of Charlotte Rampling taken at Yves Saint Laurent. In his image she is the personification of my perfect woman, confident and mysterious, balanced with an almost feline sensuality.

We say: with Charlotte Rampling photographed by Helmut Newton as the inspiration, it’s no surprise that this collection is both hard edged and sexy. Dominated by black and with plenty of leather most pieces are very form fitting but the cuts and proportions keep the level of sophistication high. Mr. Kiledjian may originally be from Paris but this collection seems tailor made for the New York female. The woman who wears this is confident in her sex appeal and is never trying to get attention. She simply gets it.

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Katie Gallagher -Fall2012 Silent Soil #NYFW

Feb
17
2012

What they said: “The forest is a space that a city can not possess. Katie Gallagher’s fall/winter 2012 collection, “Silent Soil” is about bringing the atmosphere of the places that the spirit knows to the places that the body lives.”

What we say: Texture, cut and impeccable tailoring come together in a beautiful and sophisticated collection. In the world of fashion that is full of people clamoring for attention Katie Gallagher just needs to show up to be heard. That is the strength of her work and her vision. We particularly love the silhouettes of her jackets and the interplay of textures. Seriously brilliant.

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threeASFOUR FULL CIRCLE

Feb
17
2012

They said: threeASFOUR’s Fall Winter 2012 collection is evoked by the compelling power of crop circles. For years, the team has been fascinated with the enigmatic presence, precision, and sophistication of these sacred patterns.
Mostly cyclical in nature, these concise, geometrically intricate designs have served as universal catalysts towards learning, understanding and spirituality as we strive to unravel the underlying messages behind genuine crop circles.
In homage to the medium, the collection consists of a natural, matte color pallette of pile fabrics reminiscent of grain crops—like wheat, maize, and rapeseed—contrasted by reflective, metallic materials in respect to the reflections of the sun and otherworldly elegance of crop circles.

We say: Is the crop circles inspiration the reason why the guy sitting next to us at the show was showing us photos of aliens he took with his iPhone? (no, really!) –Seriously, we cannot tell you how excited we are by this collection. Yes, it’s clever and conceptual (which might be why it draws the art crowd like Terence Koh, Chuck Close and Yoko Ono and was held at our fave NYC art gallery, The Hole) but it’s also intriguing, well constructed and in our opinion highly wearable. Favorite looks? The two above as well as the black and silver coat with the circular shape that wraps seamlessly into the hood.

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A backstage look at Coquette Cool hair

Feb
16
2012

 

If you ever watch makeover shows (my own secret addiction!) you know that hair and make up are as important to looking great as the clothes you are wearing. So it makes sense that designers collaborate with hair and makeup artists to achieve a vision. This week I was invited by Sebastian Professional to get the inside scoop at Alice + Olivia’s fashion week presentation.

Designer Stacey Bendet is known for her super fun super chic collections adored by “it girls” everywhere. This season she was working a Lolita-inspired look that was described as possessing a “rebellious streak of sweet and sexy.”

To go along with her vision, Sebastian Professional lead stylist Anthony Cole created a swept-back, romantic with an edge hair look spotlighting loosely constructed chignons. We’ve all seen this sort of look in magazines, but how do you achieve it yourself? Here’s how to do it directly from Anthony!
Note stylist secret: use the side of the hairspray to smooth down hair!

1. On damp hair, apply a palmful of Sebastian Professional Whipped Crème throughout. Then, layer in a palmful of Mousse Forte. This combination will give the hair long-lasting, defrizzed body.
2. Blow-dry smooth using a large round brush. Once dry, create a middle part and pull into a ponytail at the occipital bone.
3. Twist the ponytail around the base and pin to secure. Spray with Sebastian Professional Shaper hairspray for shape and hold.
4. Be sure to keep the hair loose in the front so the hairline does not show. Then, pull pieces from under each side loose to frame the face.
5. Detail pieces of the chignon with Sebastian Professional Craft Clay for matte hold.
6. Once in shape, lightly spray Sebastian Professional Trilliant over the finished look for a touch of shimmer and shine.

In addition to this look there was one girl with short hair that the stylist had styled in a pixie punk sort of way with a lot of texture. As someone with stick straight hair I am always wondering how I can get my hair more piecey. The stylist told me the trick was to work a product (she used the Mousse Forte) in your hands and work through dry hair almost making little dreads to give it that edgy textured look. She followed it up with the Shaper Zero Gravity hairspray to keep it in place. I have to tell you I am so going to try this myself and will let you know the results.

Finally I thought it would be fun to show you the Sebastian Professional team getting DJ Mia Moretti ready for the evening! You know how you’ve always been told you need to rat your hair in order to get the height? I had no idea how extreme it could be! Overall I think the Sebastian Professional team along with Stila Cosmetics, who did the makeup, did an amazing job creating the looks for the Fall2012 Alice + Olivia presentation.

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Amy Claire

Jan
10
2012

Amy Claire

Amy Claire McCormick Vokey
University of Colorado, Boulder
AmyClaire

What are you currently up to?
Sketching, draping – working on Fall 2012

Do you currently sell your collection somewhere?
Yes at Fred Segal Couture and Lavori among other places.

Who are 3 artists past or present who inspire you?
Helmut Newton, Irving Penn and Edward Weston.

Where do you hope to be 3 years from now?
I hope to grow just enough to add a few more people to our staff, but keeping the company intimate. We are in the beginning stages of selling to stores, so hopefully in three years we will be well established within the US Market and selling internationally to some of my favorite stores.

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Introducing: Bond Hardware

Dec
14
2011

Dana Hurwitz and Vincent Barile are the Brooklyn based designers behind the label Bond Hardware. Specializing in pieces created from found objects and re-purposing things from the local hardware store. Starting with rethinking what neckwear can be they’re also expanding to rings and other designs. Dana’s currently at the Pratt Institute while Vince studies at the Art Institute but they still find time to work on their collaboration. Learn more about it, what makes them tick and how cool their Dads are below. Continue reading →

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Daryl K + Spencer Sweeney = a downtown girl’s perfect pairing

Nov
30
2011

2 looks from the Daryl K spring 2012 collection

I won’t say that the fact that I just got a reminder to register for February fashion week didn’t put a little stress into my morning! It seems like you’ve hardly processed one season when the next is upon us -and I can’t imagine what a designer feels like. So I’m psyched to be posting this little interview in this space between fashion weeks.

I have been a fan of Daryl K’s work for years: deceptively simple pieces that are always being called edgy because they’re not overtly girly, to me they just seem confident…if clothes can be considered such! Her collection that will be coming out this spring is surprisingly colorful and I discovered that the gorgeous prints are a collaboration with artist Spencer Sweeney. In addition to being a painter Spencer is one of the owners of one of my favorite clubs, Santos Party House and is very much a part of nightlife in New York. He also has a show of his work up now at Gavin Brown’s Enterprise and it’s definitely worth checking out.

Spencer Sweeney at Gavin Brown

You both are very much part of “downtown” NYC. Did you know each other before collaborating? How did you meet?
We were definitely aware of each other through the years, but we did not connect until this collaboration. Our mutual connection was Gavin Brown, a friend of Daryl’s and who represents Spencer. Daryl had the idea to collaborate and reached out to Spencer through Gavin. The first meeting was mutually affirming – we love each other’s work and personally, we got along excellently.

How does the collaborative process work?
It begins with an exchange of sensibilities – Daryl explains the collection and ideas on shapes, fabrics and color. We then go through Spencer’s catalog of work and we discuss his forms, themes…details. We actually begun by appropriating close-up areas of various paintings and mocked up fabrics and initial tailoring. There was a type of ‘collage theme’ with the collection already, and this enabled a fluid collaboration. We ended up with a few existing paintings (the Scottsman top and pants), while we focused on a main, unique fabric – a custom painting by Spencer that was featured on the new JumpDress.

What has been most exciting about doing a collaboration?
Seeing a great outcome in terms of the clothes, and getting to know another artist through their work.

Was there anything unexpected in terms of the results or experience?
When putting together a collection – you learn to expect the unexpected. Yet overall, we were pleasantly surprised with how amazing the clothes looked. The showing was at Gavin Brown’s and was a fantastic experience – we had live drumming by Lizzie Bougatsos and Billy Ficca .

And individually: what’s your current favorite song/artist to listen to when you want to be creative/make shit.

Daryl: Today I have D.R. Hooker…..but I think I will have some Al Green tonight.

Spencer: It changes every moment… I can say this morning I had J.K. & Co. for breakfast.

a sneak peek at Daryl K spring 2012

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