Sergio Hudson Spring 2022

February 15, 2022 by 2 Comments

Sergio Hudson is riding high on a wave of success and popularity. With season after season of rave reviews, Hudson has done it again. For his latest New York Fashion Week (NYFW) collection, the South Carolina-native, turned Los Angeles resident, turns his models into time and space travelers, but not in the traditional sense. This season’s inspiration was a high-fashion African safari, with a vibrant color palette reminiscent of the Ndebele people of South Africa. However, the silhouettes evoke the image of 90’s fashion girls Dionne Davenport and Cher Horowitz from the movie “Clueless,” Whitley Gilbert from the sitcom “A Different World” and Lisa Turtle from “Saved by the Bell.” By his own admission, Hudson found it fun, outlandish, and cheeky to imagine women on safari in mini-skirts and heels, but he made is dream practical by creating pieces that a woman can really wear in her normal life.

Keep in mind that this is a spring 2022 collection, not a fall collection. Sergio Hudson is one of the few NYFW designers to ditch the traditional six-month, runway-to-retail timeframe in favor of a see now/buy now business model. The colors are bold, and the cuts are strong, all leading to a prediction of another fan-favorite collection. Hudson presented his traditional impeccable tailoring and fitted dresses, but also explored new silhouettes and fabrications, including safari jackets, mini skirt suits, knitwear, and biased-cut evening wear made with chiffon and silk charmeuse in pastel shades of mint green, sky blue, and lavender.

In addition to his own creations, Hudson added a few collaborations to the mix. The runway show featured a capsule shoe collection in collaboration with Malone Souliers. The limited-edition capsule features statement heels in rich textures and brings together Malone Souliers’ unconventional approach to the traditional cordwainer’s craft with Sergio Hudson’s glamorous take on fashion. The result was footwear to match each in two styles: the Jojo and the Lilli offered in Raffia, Nappa leather, and Elaphe. Hudson also collaborated with Swarovski for the finale dress which featured an abstract leopard print.

If all of that was not enough, Hudson added a few legendary models to the line-up. Beverly Johnson, Veronica Webb, and Gisele Zelauy all graced the runway in Hudson’s latest show. They were in addition to Maria Borgas who opened the show in a body-hugging black spaghetti-strap dress underneath a leopard-print robe coat.

Images courtesy of Dan Lecca

This, the eighth collection from Sergio Hudson, offers more options in metallic shades, solid blacks, and color-band prints. There is something for any woman who wants to live, or relive, her days as an it-girl. To see more of this spring collection, or to pre-order a look for yourself, head over to www.sergiohudson.com.

—Carl Ayers

Asia Fashion Collection Fall 2022

February 15, 2022 by Leave a Comment

The Asia Fashion Collection is a project produced and sponsored by VANTAN and PARCO CO., LTD to provide a platform for fresh and emerging talent in the fashion industry throughout Asia. Designers compete for a chance to debut their collections during New Yor Fashion Week (NYFW), judged by prominent industry experts like Kaname Murakami, the editor in chief of WWD Japan, and Takanobu Kono, Official Evangelist of Shopify Japan. This season, six designers debuted their collections from across Asia to be presented on screens in New York’s Spring Studios. The project, with its focus on discovering and nurturing new talent, comes with major cultural implications in terms of Asian fashion and youth subculture, making it a significant fashion show since all perspectives are fresh with each designer having their finger on the pulse of fashion.

The first collection, Yuuna Ichikawa by Yuuna Ichikawa from Japan, is inspired by dance, youth, music, and movement. ‘Youth in Heart’ is embedded in the sheer fabric across model’s chests while the collection’s muses are Loie Fuller, pioneer of modern dance, and Patti Smith, punk rock icon. The collection, in neutral shades of gray, white, and black, features billowing construction, untamed and carefree design in sharp, wide shoulders and overextended leather sleeves and strings that take up space like an arm that extends across a stage in a swirling dance. Movement and youth are also concepts that danced across several other collections.

WooLeeX by Yu Nung (Jerry) Hsieh and Ming Jo (Cynthia) Hsieh from Taiwan, for example, features custom fabrics in patterns of mountains, forests, and plum blossoms printed on 3D jacquard. The jacquard pattern is meant to symbolize the emotional reactions of music listeners from deep melody to joyful dancing. The fabrics are works of art with intricate detailing and vivid imagery with oversized tailoring allowing for unrestrained movement.

COCOTONO by Kotono Fukazawa from Japan, also uses movement as a backdrop for the collection to conceptualize how distorted movement evokes a feeling. The first menswear piece is a plaid jacket with distorted fabric that drips like the ice cream in the model’s grip styled with youthful short pants and long socks. The collection, like Yuuna Ichikawa, plays on depictions of youth, but in a more literal manner with a blue oversized coat patterned with a felt fence and fluffy sheep while the model holds a pillow. The collection, like many of the other collections, is meant to be carefree and even comedic to bring upon an emotional response.

Like COCOTONO, SUNG JU by Sung Ju Lee of South Korea, also carries the comfort of a bed to the runway in an emotion-driven presentation inspired by the designer’s personal experience being teased for his name’s association with a Korean yellow melon. The collection swells in vibrant shades of pink and yellow across puffer coats, pillowing constructions, and fluffy slippers sliding over the runway. The pieces can be categorized as “dopamine dressing” meant to boost mood, which is expected to increase over 2022.

“Dopamine dressing” is even more evident in DOKKA Vivid by Nodoka Sugauchi and Akiho Ka of Japan with their mixing of a variety of floral prints and bright colors as models hold brilliant hued Japanese hanging lanterns. The pieces resplendent with vitality, are also sustainable using upcycled fabrics, like on their kimono mask. DOKKA Vivid also reinterprets classic Asian designs like the kimono as two models walk together wearing floral print coats with billowing reflective fabric in the back.

Images courtesy of New York Tokyo LLC

Glenda Garcia by Glenda Garcia, who is Indonesian and based in New York, also reinterprets classic designs through deconstruction to provide a fresh perspective. Her pieces are designed for the modern working woman and deconstruct traditional workwear pieces to form a collection featuring oversized garments, asymmetrical construction, and leather fabrications styled with rainboots.

For the fall 2022 season, the showcase reflects themes of youth, movement, and rebellion showing a lack of restraint through billowing designs and oversized silhouettes. The presentation depicts a focus on sentimental fashion that evokes strong feelings and memories. All collections are current and modern, so it is appropriate that the AFC also created a fall 2022 Metaverse Project to debut artwork inspired by each brand in Japan’s NFT marketplace “nanakusa.” To view the NFT artwork, visit nanakusa.io!

—Tessa Swantek

Custo Barcelona Fall 2022

February 14, 2022 by Leave a Comment

It is always a good thing when a brand returns to New York Fashion Week (NYFW). Especially if that brand happens to be Custo Barcelona. A mainstay of NYFW Custo Barcelona has not shown at NYFW for two years.

Always pushing the boundaries of what is appropriate in fashion. Creative Director Custo Dalmau always expands the creative palettes of his customer when it comes to color combinations, design silhouettes, fabrications, and even feminine and masculine aesthetics. And though he is sometimes ahead of the curve, his customer always catches up.

For the brand’s fall 2022 collection Custo Dalmau looked to shining again from within to radiate light and illuminate humanity. Custo’s collection played with shapes and patterns in a variety of fabrics and patterns with playful patches and word art on streetwear-inspired pieces.

The dresses were the core elements of the collection and other pieces were designed to complement these key pieces. Creative cut-outs and micro-mini shorts and skirts dominated the collection.

Shiny jacquards, multicolored sequins, vibrant-colored satins and velvet jacquards were expertly juxtapositioned to create a collection that was playful, yet sophisticated. More relaxed pieces included micro jumpsuits with tiny trousers and long sweatshirts styled as mini dresses. And the athleisure garments that bordered on references to 1960s space clothes added that special touch of fantasy and fun!!

Though this collection was heavy on streetwear with a strong athleisure wear influence, what stood out most in this collection was the strong outerwear garments, as well as Custo’s embrace of gender fluidity.

Images courtesy of The Riviere Agency

Gender fluidity is something that Custo Dalmau has never shied away from. However, in this collection, gender fluidity was front and center with many garments working equally well on both men and women.

And as always Custo Dalmau’s penchant for architectural shapes and graphic design elevated this collection from a collection that could have been overburdened with too many ideas and trends to a cohesive collection, though whimsical, that was a kaleidoscopic feast for the eyes. Custo Barcelona we are so glad you are back!!

—William S. Gooch

Victor Glemaud Fall 2022

February 14, 2022 by Leave a Comment

Surging off of his recent collaboration with Target, Haitian-born designer Victor Glemaud presented his fall/winter 2022 collection entitled “Black Beauty”. Dedicated to “the countless women who left their homelands for the American Dream,” this collection is inspired by the movie “Black Girl,” a 1966 film directed by Ousame Sembène, based on a true story that explores the themes of identity, colonialism, exploitation, and racism. Glemaud decided to showcase the idea of Black beauty viewed through the lens of immigration. He presented his collection against a mural stating “Hey New York, I’ve Arrived” in Daniel Patrick Moynihan Train Hall. Poignantly, Moynihan was the former United States Ambassador to the United Nations.

Populating his runway with only African models in a color palette of cafè au lait, chocolate brown, black, white, and clementine, Glemaud explains that fall is the season when he expresses new ideas. For the first time in six years, the brand has incorporated a new yarn into the collection, which allowed him to introduce cut and sew jersey into his garments for the first time. The fabrication creates a slinky and seductive silhouette while still holding it shape.

Keeping some of the creations light and airy, tonal mesh inserts keep the structure and form of the dress while giving the illusion of bare skin. There are also options with plunging cutouts that display your shoulders and back, highlighting the beauty of your skin without an illusion.

The ponte jersey dresses boldly introduce a modern interpretation of eveningwear that seamlessly ties in with comfort and ease of knitwear. There are also garments that look sleek and athletic enough to wear during the day, making this collection a true day-to-night offering.

Images courtesy of Dan Lecca

As this is a fall collection, there is a need for the wearer to be warm. To keep his customers protected from the cold, Glemaud has included natural fur options; a collaboration he’s had with Saga Fur since his fall 2019 collection. In a past interview with Fur Insider, Glemaud stated that he enjoys working with natural materials in his collections—cashmere, cotton, and merino wool—and fur was the next step in his evolution. Even though there is a lot of social commentary regarding the use of fur within the fashion industry, real fur is noted to be a natural, renewable, reusable, sustainable resource. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but Glemaud provides the option for those who want it.

This collection runs the gamut of athletic to formal options for a woman’s closet. With a minimalist range of color and well-tailored construction, the Victor Glemaud fall 2022 line easily appeals to the palette of a sophisticated customer.

 

—Carl Ayers

Christian Siriano Fall 2022

February 14, 2022 by Leave a Comment

Christian Siriano showed his latest collection at one of Manhattan’s most iconic locations, the Empire State Building. The space itself set the tone for what was to be the designer’s strongest collection to date. The show notes on the seat read, “This season for fall 2022, we are calling the collection Victorian Matrix. The name comes from so many references to the time we are living in—some days feel like we are living in the Victorian era, while others feel like we’re living in the Matrix.”

Siriano’s musings about the state of fashion today translated to a compelling mix of these two disparate points of reference. What came down the runway reflected the mix between what one would wear in a brutal dystopian future juxtaposed with the heavy layering and embroideries of the Victorian period. He opened with a strong grouping of laminated denim looks that were futuristic and streamlined.  Supermodel Coco Rocha wore a nipped in jacket with massive ruffles at the shoulder that resembled angel wings. Another standout look was a strapless knee length dress with matching opera gloves. The oversized blue zebra print fur coat would keep you warm in the most desolate burned-out landscapes. Slicked back hair by Jon Reyman for Dyson and edgy eye makeup by Charlotte Tilbury artist Sofia Schwartzkopf contributed to the effect as did blue-toned sunglasses, all the better to guard against a blinding sun that’s burning through a thinning ozone layer.

The show then took a more optimistic turn. It began with an interesting twist, a nod to modest fashion. The muted royal blue honeycomb cocoon seemed like just the right piece to wear while taking shelter in these tumultuous times. Cobalt blue pantsuits and dresses showcased Siriano’s sharp tailoring and signature ruffles and were just what the audience wanted.

Images courtesy of IMAXTREE

Evening gowns rounded out the show and demonstrated Siriano’s skill for designing eveningwear. Although they were mostly restricted to a somber palette of black and grey, they had the wow factor needed for the red carpet. Gowns spanned the gamut: a revealing opaque number with black netting adorned with floral silver sequins, a voluminous Victorian grey ballgown, and a fitted fishtail satin gown with oversized blue chambray collars and cuffs in line with modest fashion. Christian Siriano would be right at home filling the late Oscar de la Renta’s shoes.

—Vivian Kelly

TEDDY VONRANSON Fall 2022

February 12, 2022 by Leave a Comment

Teddy Von Ranson is on a mission to redefine “Modern American Classics.” His designs reflect the classic East Coast preppy style from his years at Ralph Lauren mixed in with his roots on the West Coast. The designer’s combination of East Coast meets West Coast mixed with a strong dose of European aesthetic made for a compelling and exciting presentation at New York Men’s Week (NYMW).

Fashion Reverie caught up with Ken Downing, the recently appointed chief brand officer of Hearst Luxury Collections, to get his take on Von Ranson’s latest collection. Downing enthused, “He’s a true talent; the hand knits are exquisite! The collection is inter-generational—he’s like a young Saint Laurent and there’s even some of Todd Oldham mixed in.”

Drilling down further, the collection was a compilation of micro collections within a collection. One especially notable grouping was comprised of three standout pieces, a jacquard knee-length duster, another, a hip length jacket and lastly, a puffer with matching palazzo pants. The hip length jacket resembled a painting of the sun and the sky with a strong Native American vibe. According to dopely.com, blue was used by shamans to evoke serenity, and yellow and gold symbolized triumph and optimism.

The shearling coats were cut in traditional shapes as were the chunky zip-front sweaters and crewnecks. What set them apart was the color palette of sorbet pink, merlot red, and muted royal blues that worked well as tone-on-tone outfits or mixed together.

Images courtesy of R. Scott French

The fabrics were luxe, a pair of black leather trousers were as supple as a pair of the finest Portolano kid leather gloves. One of the best looks was made from a microfiber silk blend in a Georges Seurat-like pointillism print that looked great cut into a raincoat, gauchos and matching rainhat and Doc Martens-style lace-up boots. What’s for certain from Teddy Von Ranson is that you can look forward to expecting the unexpected every season; we can’t wait to see what he shows next.

 

—Vivian Kelly

Perry Ellis America Fall 2022

February 12, 2022 by Leave a Comment

Perry Ellis elected to show their diffusion collection, Perry Ellis America at New York Men’s Day (NYMD), rather than Michael Maccari’s Perry Ellis, a collection that has become a favorite with stars such as Hailey and Justin Bieber, who both wear his oversize camp shirts in bold artsy prints. It is the first time Perry Ellis America has shown at NYMD.

 While Perry Ellis Collection has ventured in a more experimental direction, Perry Ellis America, has stayed the course, delivering pieces that are right at home on the streets of Kennebunkport, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard. Although Perry Ellis America is a diffusion brand, it has that timeless quality that has made Perry Ellis a wardrobe staple for men looking for ease, comfort, and quality since the mid-1970s.

Designer Thomas Harvey showed a collection that could be called “Americana,” It was a quietly elegant mix of red, white, blue, khaki, and ochre brown pieces styled by GQ’s Jim Moore. There were bucket hats, ball caps, rain slickers, khaki pants, varsity jackets and sweaters as well as striped polo shirts. Moore skillfully layered striped tees and added in checkered button downs and rugby shirts over slouchy chinos—no belts necessary. There was a black car coat/rain slicker with a seasonless quality to it that would make it a go-to, year-round piece in any US city. The ochre and tan zebra print fleece coat jacket was another standout item that could easily be a unisex item women would “borrow” and never return.

Images courtesy of VERY New York

A pair of denim patchwork pants pushed the fashion needle forward a bit, but not too much. They were worn with an eye catching red, white, and blue floor-length poncho sporting a giant red letter “A” on the back. All the looks were accessorized with Sperry boat shoes, perfect for afternoons spent on or by the water. Overall, this collection was a stylish salute to the American Flag.

—Vivian Kelly

PatBO Bridal Fall 2022

October 8, 2021 by Leave a Comment

PatBO’s fall 2022 bridal collection is adorned in a way that it is as if the crocheted netted skirts of last year’s PatBO collection have been cast out into Brazil’s rolling waves to then return from the ocean floor full of glistening, white pearls. The ocean, colored bright blue, teems with life and excitement under the surface. PatBO’s lady in white is as lovely as always, but her beauty is magnified by the treasures of the sea draped across her form, capturing the sun in its tiny orbs. Grace Kelly was correct when she said, “The pearl is the queen of gems and the gem of queens.” The woman in white is the queen of the beach, and on her perfect day, she deserves to resemble the riches of the sea.

As her ideas strung out delicately like the pearls of the sea, Patricia Bonaldi, founder and creative director of PatBO, weaved together an autumn 2022 bridal collection that is rich with the brand’s embroidery expertise, signature cut-out details, and airy fabric that ruffles, drapes, and blows in the wind flowing off of the ocean’s current. Rather than outsource skill, Patricia Bonaldi developed a school in her hometown of Uberlândia, Brazil to teach local women the craft of embroidery, and now more than 200 men and women are skilled in the technique. 

Bonaldi states “It is important for me to dress my clients for all of her life moments, including her wedding day, with a collection that celebrates the brand’s dedication to craftsmanship.” There is nothing more special for a woman’s wedding day than a piece made with meticulous attention to detail and care. The love that a married couple feels for one another is transfused into each PatBO collection piece.

This exquisite expertise in hand-designed pieces is abundantly clear when viewing the collection. The most radiant looks from the ten-piece capsule collection are the pearl-beaded pieces in the forms of a mini dress, maxi dress, and cocktail dress. The cocktail dress, in particular, features pearls draping from a five-string freshwater necklace across both delicate shoulders and spreading down the arms to form gem crossed-square patterned sleeves and bodice. Coco Chanel has said, “a woman needs ropes and ropes of pearls,” and PatBO certainly would have earned Chanel’s interlocking CC stamp of approval as the piece was made “from more than three pounds of individually hand-strung pearl beads that took thirty days to create.”

Images courtesy of PatBO

Other pieces in the collection are more minimalistic, yet still highly detailed. A ruffled lace and crepe gown with waist cutouts is perfect for a dinner rehearsal look while a belted sheer bustier gown would suit an engagement party. A figure-hugging ruffled trim midi dress is a more casual piece that can be worn for the wedding after-party or next day celebration!

The collection would not be complete without multiple types of pearl and rhinestone embroidered hanging earrings by Ranjana Khan that capture the light glowing off of the face of a bride-to-be. This collection is classic yet sexy, and elegantly regal. It is available for pre-order now on patbo.com and items will be available at Saks Fifth Avenue and PatBO between November 20th and December 1st!

 

—Tessa Swantek

Kevan Hall Spring 2022

September 12, 2021 by Leave a Comment

No one could predict what New York Fashion Week (NYFW) spring 2022 season would look like. It certainly wasn’t going to be like previous seasons—and that includes the recent two digital seasons. One thing that was certain, NYFW spring 2022 season would be unlike anything we had previously experienced.

Many of the fashion guard did hold live shows, but some fashion designers continued to have digital presentations. Unfortunately, many of the designers/brands that held live shows presented their collections to a much-reduced audience and the atmosphere at many of these live shows had a cautionary feeling of uneasiness and sadness.

That said, there was one show that was a jubilant explosion of bold color and excitement with a nod to the tried and true. Kevan Hall’s spring 2021 runway show was that show, a show that projected toward the future, but stayed grounded in what still works.

Attended by many of the fashion industries’ hallowed, seasoned professionals, Hall gave viewers and will continue to bestow on his consumer base silhouettes and design aesthetic that will always be in fashion. Hall carefully eased consumers back into a world of sophisticated elegance and glamour, without forcing that consumer to consider design aesthetics that they not quite ready for. (Remember, we have been in a health pandemic lockdown for 18 months and glamour has not been a part of the conversation.)

Though there were no new revelations in Hall’s spring 2022 collection, new revelations and new perspectives were not needed. Hall ingeniously understood that his client is slowly getting ready to celebrate life again and going out on a night on the town does have its risks. So, that consumer, though slowly getting their groove back, is not quite ready to experiment with silhouettes and innovative design techniques that push the proverbial fashion envelope.

In this collection, Kevan Hall expertly satiated his consumer’s taste for simple elegance. Inspired by multicultural scene of 1930s Paris, Hall employed the realist painting style of Christian Berard. Berard was one Sergei Diaghilev’s coterie of young French  painters who designed and painted sets for Diaghilev’s famed Ballets Russes. Berard would later work as a fashion illustrator for Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Nina Ricci. Berard’s painting style was particularly evident in the first five garments in this collection.

This successful return of Hall to NYFW week cannot go without acknowledging the incredible runway saunter of supermodel Coco Mitchell. Mitchell demonstrated with her glorious walk how a model should show off garments. Mitchell allowed the garment and the fabric of garment to dictate how she would move—something so few models now understand. And not only did Coco Mitchell’s very studied and educated walk demonstrate her understanding of movement, Mitchell also showed how a women of her ilk would walk in that garment; how that woman would enter the room, and how that woman would let her beauty shine through. Now, that is how you sell clothes!!

Images courtesy of VERY New York

Standout looks in the collection was Hall’s alabaster trompe L’oeil cardigan and pleated trouser, salmon painterly floral shirt with pleated trousers with brass signature belt, onyx ruched flounce dress with diamante white-collar necklace, and cerulean sequin cocktail bubble dress.

—William S. Gooch

Ricardo Seco Spring 2022

September 12, 2021 by Leave a Comment

When you think of a typical show at New York Fashion Week (NYFW), you imagine a runway with people sitting in the audience on both sides. Ricardo Seco’s spring 2022 show “Reborn: Immigrants Brighten Up NY” was very different from that.

The scene was set as soon as you entered the Chelsea location of Cinepolis. Before going into the theater, where the runway show would later take place, you were offered popcorn and drinks. The ambiance was set; with your popcorn and soda one was prepared to enjoy a movie in a lush movie theater, but what we got was better.

And yes, there was a little video played before the models came out that explained Seco’s inspiration, but what was not expected was the fact that the models walked between the rows of seats in the theater. This way everyone was able to see the pieces up close. It resulted in a much more intimate experience.

“I never thought I would use this word to name one of my collections. Nevertheless, all of my collections are a reflection of my feelings and what I am living, and “Reborn” is what best describes this new chapter after the pandemic,” says Seco.

As it is the designer’s 10th year anniversary in New York, this collection perfectly encapsulates what Seco is all about.  With every collection, he is inspired by mixing the influences of the US with his Mexican and Latin American cultures and how they are assimilated by immigrants in the country.

Seco takes this multicultural inspiration and translates it into bright, bold pieces that are sure to be noticed on the streets of Mexico and New York. The clothes seen in this collection are comprised of separates in bright metallics and shiny textures that are made in an array of fabrics such as cashmere, silk, cotton, leather, and denim. Colors used in the collection include hues of blue, pink, jacaranda (purple) and orange. Each of the colors in the collection have a meaning that ties back to the significance of “Reborn.”

There are many pieces that standout within the collection; however, there are some pieces that shouldn’t be missed. The first piece that is a standout is a jacket that is done in orange, pink, and blue metallic leather that is color-blocked diagonally. The bright and colorful jacket is paired with a metallic blue swimsuit bottom.

Images courtesy of Ricardo Seco

Another look that stands out includes a jean jacket embellished with pearl-like beads on the seams and a “Hecho in Mexico” graphic on the back that can also be found on other pieces in the collection, as well as light pink metallic leather wide leg pants that include a jean waistband that peeks out of the top of the pants. The last standout look that should be noted is the two-toned leather jacket in orange and purple with studded sleeves that is accompanied by a pair of metallic orange shorts that match.

This spring 2022 collection should not be missed. So, get those ducats ready!!

—Phoebe Howard

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