Womenswear — Page 39

Maison the Faux Fall 2017

February 11, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

The fall 2017 fashion season was a season of retrospection. A season of seeing what worked in the past and reinventing those tried-and-true formulas for contemporary audiences; in other words finding successful fashion moments that have relevancy for today’s consumers.

Maison the Faux employed this look-back perspective, well, sort of!! Maison the Faux took fashion industry professionals back to the wild, runway shows of the 1990s and early 2000s when fashion shows were theatrical presentations and the models brought sass, drama, and irreverent charm. (No other models brought irreverent charm to the runway more than Kristen McMenamy, Stacy Mckenzie, and Linda Evangelista.)

Maison the Faux presented a runway show that was fashion forward, outré and, above all irreverent. And that is a good thing!! In a season full of gimmicks and runway tricks ad nauseam, Maison the Faux runway theatrics helped pushed the editorial story forward, adding to the runway drama, but not distracting from the clothes.

For the fall 2017 collection, models strutted down the runway carrying bags of trash and second-day floral bouquets. They also brilliantly showed off zig-zagged stitched peplum jackets and pants, cinched-in-the-waist bubble coats, bubble jumpsuits, off-the-shoulder bubble coats, all paired with thigh-high stiletto boots and distressed, asymmetrical skirts, dresses, blouses and shirts.

Now combine all this outré fashion with smeared make-up and some gender fluidity and theatrics and you have a very fun runway presentation. And surprisingly, viewers still could feast on the clothes and not be overwhelmed by the carnival going on.

In spite of the theatrics, many of the looks in this fall 2017 show had great editorial value and could appeal to a niche audience. And that niche audience is that consumer is not afraid to take some risks with their clothes and has a penchant for bubble coats and gender fluidity in all its many variations.

Images courtesy of EB Consults

Maison the Faux demonstrated in its fall 2017 collection that you can combine over-the-top drama with fashion and not sacrifice the accessibility of the garments. The fashion community needs more of this!! Rock on Maison the Faux!!

—William S. Gooch

Erin Fetherston Fall 2017

February 11, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

Erin Fetherston’s fall 2017 collection references the bohemian world traveler. Fetherston’s woman sips tea in Marrakech, dances Flamenco is Seville, lives her fantasies in Paris, but at her core she is an American young woman who probably live in Laurel Canyon, California.

Fetherston has evolved her woman from an ethereal creature who has a penchant for wispy, diaphanous fabrics to a bohemian traveler with a predilection for comfortable, travel-friendly clothes. Though the garments are not fitted clothes that show off the feminine physique with a nod toward sheer fabrics, she is more grown up and ventures outside of her usual world.

For fall 2017, Fetherston’s woman is a romantic creature whose clothing choices lean toward billowy sleeves and Indian-inspired prints. Like many designers this season Fetherston incorporates metallic fibers and velvet into her fall 2017 collection. And Fetherston carries over the continuing trends of fringe and lower heels from her spring 2017 collection.

Fetherston in this collection solidifies the notion that her consumer is a woman of the world and is comfortable with world population though her heart is rooted in her homeland. Interestingly, Fetherston contributed to the political mood of the fall 2017 collections by putting Planned Parenthood pins in the gift bags. This motivation demonstrates that the Fetherston woman, though a world traveler, is connected to political movements in her own country.

Images courtesy of Marcus Tondo/vogue.com

Standout looks include the brand’s burgundy velvet blazer with flounced chiffon gown, rose paisley silk jacquard tiered poet dress, rose fringed cape and skirt, and chestnut paisley silk jacquard poet sleeve gown.

—William S. Gooch

Michael Costello Fall 2017

February 10, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

Without a doubt sexy, feminine clothes makes up Michael Costello’s oeuvre; there is no argument about that. The bigger question is if Michael Costello can turn his obsession with sexy into a viable collection that has retail value and appeals to a wider female demographic. Costello almost achieved this with his debut spring 2015 collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and he got even closer with his spring 2016 outing during New York Fashion Week: The Shows.

Sometimes, with Costello there is inconsistency. Some seasons Costello’s brand of sexy is projected toward consumers that want to show all their physical gifts, giving a strong nod to decadent profundity. Other seasons there is more restraint with a healthy mix of sensuality, charm, and innovation.

Still, every season Costello gets close to the goal of achieving that special balance of sensual charm and boldness paired with innovative sensibility. Costello’s fall 2017 collection manifests that combination better than any outing thus far.

Everything is almost there in Costello’s fall 2017 collection. There is more sophistication, possible wider consumer appeal, some vintage mixed with now and next, and of course Costello’s brand of sexy is front and center.

Inspired by that powerful woman whose cool style sets her apart from other women, Costello’s ‘Histoire D’Amour’ collection presents this powerful woman at the height of sensual allure and influence. This woman’s charisma is so compelling that all who encounter her charm want to be associated with her and document the many loves of her life.

“The story of this collection was a vixen’s love story,” explains Charlotte Welch, stylist for Michael Costello’s fall 2017 collection. “This is the cool girl who falls in love, and the styling had to support that idea. We have to keep the girl cool and edgy so I went sunglasses, belts, some cool jewelry, and hat accessories to forward Michael’s story of that cool girl.”

True to form, Costello’s fall 2017 collection is a cornucopia of plunging décolletage, diaphanous sheers, high slits and form-fitting silhouettes. What set this collection apart from other Costello collections that employ similar elements are some sensual restraint and overall more compelling silhouettes. Costello’s va va voom is still a primary focus of this fall 2017 outing; however, Costello has pared down his penchant for overt sexiness to appeal to a wider demographic.

Costello also references certain eras of American sexiness in this collection. From 50s mermaid silhouettes to 70s disco glam to 80s power woman structured silhouettes, Costello finds a way to stir all this seemingly disparate feminine silhouettes into one pot and render a relatively cohesive collection.

Images courtesy of wwd.com

At first glance, Costello’s predilection for a white color palette with floral and lace embellishments conjures up images of bridal collections. However, with the specific styling of the collection, Costello elevates his penchant for white beyond bridal. “I knew going into this show that Michael was going to use a lot of white, which can mean bridal, so that was my styling challenge. So I had to use styling, makeup and hair to take the collection out of a bridal aesthetic. Of course, brides can wear many of the garments, but that is not the reference point of this collection,” detailed Welch. “We have brought in a lot of trends to elevate the collection of a bridal aesthetic. We have the rose gold trend, belting at the waist—brought back from the nineties—, and chunky jewelry.”

With this fall 2017 collection, Costello boldly responds to the question of market viability and an expanding demographic with a resounding yes. May the magic continue!!

—William S. Gooch

Desigual Fall 2017

February 10, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

It can be argued that fashion reflects life. If ever observed the British fashion of the late 70s and early 80s that embraced the punk lifestyle that was a direct opposition to the austerity of the Thatcher regime or the feminine power suit of the mid-80s paired with oversized jewelry, reflecting the excesses of the 1980s, there is not doubt that fashion in a microcosm of life.

Whether fashion brands comment on mainstream cultures or subcultures, at its core fashion is not separate from culture. That said; Desigual was inspired by the subcultures of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. (Think the 60s liberation movements, 70s punk culture, and 80s nightclub culture.)

For Desigual the counterculture represents the underground vogue dance craze of 1980s, and Sunset Strip’s rock culture of the 70s, and psychedelic of the late 60s. What once considers counter culture is now mainstream, and Desigual in this outing sought to take consumers back to what was once outré, concentrating on elements of the counter culture movements that are wearable and consumer friendly.

As always, Desigual’s genius is in its separates and for its fall 2017 collection its outerwear is perhaps its best distillation on outerwear ever. Layering also plays a key role in Desigual’s style DNA and works extremely well with its celebration of counter cultures.

Though this collection is perhaps a homage to the past subcultures, the collection is not weighted down by this reference point. The garments have a youthfulness and freshness that though giving a nod to the past is totally accessible to modern consumers.

Images courtesy of Getty Images

If there is one drawback to this collection, as in seasons past, some of the best pieces in Desigual’s collections never end up in retails stores. This fall 2017 is chocked full of great garments and hopefully many of these great looks will be accessible to consumers.

—William S. Gooch

Nicholas K Fall 2017

February 10, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

Don’t you know
They’re talkin’ ’bout a revolution
It sounds like a whisper
Don’t you know
They’re talkin’ about a revolution

—Tracy Chapman

Nicholas K is talking about a revolution, a revolution of sorts in their approach to their design aesthetic. And it is not a whisper, but an in-your-face political expression made evident in their fall 2017 collection.

Nicholas K has established itself as a brand that has successfully married a nomadic chic aesthetic with an urban chic style. For over one decade Nicholas K has revisited their design DNA, finding new and interesting ways to expand upon a signature looks that immediately identifiable. And for fall 2017 the brand’s signature aesthetic is still in place. However, Nicholas K’s fall 2017 collection does not begin and finish with their nomadic chic aesthetic.

Realizing that fashion is a microcosm of society and culture in real time, Nicholas K’s fall 2017 collection drew heavily from revolutionary movements of the last 50 years, seen through the prism of the current political landscape of uncertainty, xenophobia, isolationism, and retraction. And though this revolutionary-inspired collection at its core pays homage to the hip-hop movement of the 1990s with its community building and solidarity-infused musical messages—think Arrested Development, Erykah Badu, and Soul II Soul—, those musical messages had their roots in the liberation movements of the 60s and 70s.

This intersectionality of music, movement, and political uncertainties is expressed in fall 2017 collection that celebrates determined, powerful women who have a clear fashion voice and wear their humanity and political convictions on their bodies. And in this collection that woman is sexy, fashion-forward and oh so chic! In common language, this season the Nicholas K woman is a powerful, bad ass b*tch!!

Nicholas K in their fall 2017 collection brought back some iconic and interesting fashion elements—you could say some vintage looks. This vintage looks were detailed, layered, and paired in ways that expressed a modern woman’s ability to combine sensuality, consciousness, and style. These fashion adjectives are no longer disparate bedfellows, but meet at the intersection of how the current style diva expresses her raison d’etre.

Images courtesy of Agentry PR

With 90s hip-hop style-music featuring Latasha Alcindor blaring in the background, the opening looks—Black Power berets, metallic trench coats, crush velvet jackets, and leather wrap dresses— creative directors Christopher and Nicholas Kuntz demonstrated that they have their pulses on the current wave of fashion meeting political influences. Standout looks in the collection, and there were many, include the brand’s gold metallic shearling coat with gold beret and gold metallic skirt, red leather wrap dress with red beret, burnt orange crush velvet jacket with burnt orange crush velvet breeches, and tan wrap blouse with tan oversized parka.

—William S. Gooch

Rich by Richie Rich Fall 2017

February 9, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

Richie Rich is back on the New York Fashion Week calendar. After several years away for the New York Fashion scene, Richie Rich used Style Fashion Week as the venue to re-introduce himself and his new fashion brand, Rich by Richie Rich to industry professionals.

One would have hoped that is the five years since Richie Rich has presented a collection in New York City that Richie would have evolved his design aesthetic. In some respects he has; however, there was still a lot of off-the-beaten-path, crazy club clothes in this “Popoganda” collection. In fact, many garments in this collection that might conjure up images of club clothes are no longer club clothes for the current generation of club goers.

Richie Rich did attempt to dress his woman at her point in her day. There were leather color-blocked skirts that might work for daywear, some hoodies with logos that might reflect street wear and metallic body suites and leotards that could be deemed club clothes. Still, overall this was a disjointed collection that reflects what Richie Rich created when was a co-creator with Heatherette. However, the Heatherette days are over and consumers want something more than a party on the runway. (And this wasn’t even much of party; mostly it was a circus.) They want clothes that they can actually wear.

Images courtesy of wwd.com

Richie Rich should look to brands like The Blonds, Telfar, and Libertine who, though not everyone’s taste, over the years have established a loyal base of consumers who anticipate new collections. Richie Rich take notice!!

—William S. Gooch

PORTS 1961 Pre-Fall 2017

January 26, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

PORTS 1961 has never been a fashion brand for the unadventurous of those who gallop with the crowd. And PORTS 1961’s pre-fall 2017 collection, though more consumer friendly when it comes to many of the separates, is still for that fashionista that pushes the proverbial fashion envelope.

For pre-fall 2017, PORTS 1961 looks to relaxed elegance seen through the lens of modernity and multi-functionality. The brand incorporates stripes that pop up throughout the collection and some floral treatments that are interesting and unique take on insignias and decals. The floral treatments appear to evoke flowery vases one might find in PORTS 1961’s showroom.

That said; PORTS 1961’s stripes and plaids are ubiquitous through the collection, ingeniously utilized in oversized sweaters, overcoats, skirts, asymmetrical tops, and dresses. And though the blanket-like fabrications in this collection conjure images of comfort and familiarity, there is an edge to this outing that places this collection in the category of now and next.

Images courtesy of PORTS 1961

Under the aegis of PORTS 1961’s women’s wear creative director Natasa Cagalj, the brand had become more accessible and consumer friendly. Still, PORTS 1961 is still an acquired taste. But once the taste has been acquired, it is savory and addictive. Vive la difference!!

—William S. Gooch

ELLERY Pre-Fall 2017

January 14, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

For its pre-fall 2017 collection, the late, great Nina Simone, the high priestess of soul, inspired ELLERY creative director Kym Ellery. Like the iconic Nina Simone, ELLERY is bold, out-of-the-box, effortless mixing feminine with the masculine. Also, like Simone, ELLERY melds the classic with the rebellious as evidenced in ELLERY classic silhouettes fused through a lens of fashion-forward sensibility and innovation.

That said; still in place is the brand’s penchant for restrained volume as seen in wide-legged pants and blouses that balloon in volume at the forearm. And what really stands out this season is the wide array of outerwear in this collection, from maxi coats, double-breasted coats, zippered overcoats to dusters, bombers and fur-embellished long coats.

The color palette in this collection is an interesting evolution of the brand. Though the neutral and dark colors are a carryover from other collection, this season Kym Ellery has incorporated burnt orange, mottled rust, a fiery print of red, as well as shades of blue and silver.

The fabrications used in this outing are also an evolution for the brand. Traditional fabrications of knitted houndstooth, flocked Italian shirting and paisley silk jacquards bring a timeless quality to the modern shapes. Innovative Swiss–pleated tulle, mottle-dyed velvets, and technical gabardine fabrications effortlessly hold the pre-fall 2017 collection’s silhouettes.

Where the Nina Simone influence is most evident in this pre-fall 2017 collection is in the styling and the juxtaposition of hard and soft, feminine and masculine, and how Kym Ellery has reviewed early 70s influences into this outing. Cinched in waist, wide-legged paints, maxi coats with volume and most evident in this collection the oversized jewelry conjures up images of the early 1970s. Nina Simone was known for her costume statement jewelry that was large in scope. Statement jewelry in this collection the materials range from plated gold and silver to mottled resins in fleshy nudes, deep reds and a vibrant orange spotted tortoise.

Images courtesy of C&M Media

In the spirit of Nina Simone’s strong, powerful revolutionary voice that spoke to a people’s yearning for freedom of political thought and self-determination so does this collection render a bold, eclectic message of creative freedom and individualism.

—William S. Gooch

Nicole Miller Pre-Fall 2017

January 6, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

“…What has been done will be done again. There is nothing new under the sun.” So the writer of Ecclesiastes postulates. And for her pre-fall 2017, Nicole Miller expands on this point of view, but with a twist.

The punk aesthetic found its way back into runway collections for 2013 evidenced in collections by Versace, Vivienne Tam, Custo Barcelona, Alexander McQueen, and others. Editors were inundated with studded and zippered leather jackets, bags, footwear and shirts. Even the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art paid homage to punk with its “Chaos to Couture” exhibit.

Nicole Miller revisits punk culture for her pre-fall 2017 collection, a sharp departure from the frilly feminine looks we’ve come to expect from Miller. Miller took her pre-fall 2017 collection out of her lovely showroom in the Garment District and opted to showcase the collection at Daredevil Tattoo on the Lower Eastside.

Punk culture is highly compatible with tattoos and piercings and Miller takes advantage of this marriage, playing off youth culture’s current obsession with tattoos. And by pairing safety pins, metal studs, tartans with tattoos and piercings, Nicole Miller is on the right track to the more edgy version of the downtown fashionista.

Still, Nicole Miller takes this pre-fall collection beyond piercings, tattoos and punk culture. Miller’s girl is always chic and sophisticated which in previous season was translated into that stylish consumer who didn’t take a lot of risks. With this collection Miller has found her edgy oeuvre, going back to her roots, so to speak, of when she launched her brand in the early 1990s.

Images courtesy of Nicole Miller/Think PR

Though this pre-fall 2017 collection is the polar opposite of what Miller has been presenting, there is retail value in the collection, particularly in some of the separates and footwear and handbag accessories. Standout looks in the collection include Miller’s black silk jumpsuit, pinstriped duster coat, and punk minidress with safety pins and padded shoulders.

—William S. Gooch

Missoni Pre-Fall 2017

January 3, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

Mix and match has been a fashion mantra for several decades. Originally formulated in the early 1970s as a solution to a retracted fashion industry on the heels of a recessed American economy, fashion intellectuals sought to appeal to consumers who were spending less. Cajoling consumers to mix and match something new with something that was already in their wardrobe, mix and match has grown into a life of its own and is now a well-known component of the industry.

For the House of Missoni mixing and matching has always been a key component of the brand’s DNA, which also lies at the core of Missioni’s knitwear. For its pre-fall 2017 collection Missoni has re-interpreted their signature aesthetic of mixing and matching evidenced in the pre-fall 2017 collection.

The pre-fall 2017 collection breathes new life into perfectly coordinated looks, tonal variations, graphic chromatic contrasts, revisited iconic patterns, exclusive techniques and innovations echo the origins of the brand. Silhouettes accentuate the body as seen in the frock coats and slim dresses, godet skirts or flared-hem trousers cut above the ankle and paired with short-fitted, knit-tailored jackets. Outfits are coordinated with double-breasted gilets, cardigans and polos or with turtlenecks in varying micro and macro patterns. Checks, vertical stripes, greek frets, space dyes or zigzags in a recurring range of graded shades alternate between cobalt and blue, white and black. Long eveningwear ornamented with paillettes or ribbed lamé knits assembled in blocks are enriched, with their glimmering reflections and glamour, through the use of lace stitching, fringed hems and intricate techniques that overlap and misalign to create textural depth.

Images courtesy of C&M Media

What is the most attention grabbing in this pre-fall 2017 collection are the great short-fitted, knit-tailored jackets with matching, almost high water trousers. This look gave a nod to early 70s British mod style. By combining the mix and match aesthetic with vintage silhouettes, Missoni proves that a brand can recycle tried-and true looks and present in a way that has a dose of modernity and panache.

—William S. Gooch