Front Row — Page 43

Nautica Men’s Fall 2017

February 1, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

The 1990s are back!! And with this return to the 90s, Nautica has also brought back color blocking, bold color and street wear meets sportswear. And while Nautica has established itself as a brand solidly focused on accessible American sportswear, in this fall 2017 outing, Nautica brought a little grunge messiness back, which is a good thing. We are living in messy times!!

In a time of seismic political change, unrest and uncertainty, Nautica takes us back to a time when the future seem unhampered by political division and social unrest, a time of economic prosperity and creative abundance. Remember, in the 1990s Supermodels Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer ruled the runways. Supermodel Kate Moss’ star was on the rise as the fashion queen of grunge. And Nautica was one of the cool and coveted go-to brands for American sportswear.

For fall 2017 Nautica’s creative director Steve McSween went into the Nautica archives and takes consumers back to that time. But not exactly, this homage to Nautica of the 1990s is seen through the lens of updated classics and a re-imagined heritage. In the 90s, Nautica introduced bold color and color blocking, the mix of sportswear and street wear, and dark jean washes with distressed edges. All these vintage 90s looks are back in this collection, reintroduced to millenials. And though Nautica might see re-introduction as a safe move, there is a certain comfort and market sustainability in this reinvention of Nautica’s heritage looks.

Images courtesy of wwd.com

For fall 2017, Nautica re-introduces the nylon jacket with side paneling and the Nautica logo on the sleeve, polar fleece, bucket hats, and a quarter-zip Sherpa pullover. Standouts in this fall 2017 outing, and there were many, include true red goose down extreme parka with jet navy wool single-breasted jacket, indigo cotton blazer with burgundy cotton quarter zip sweater, cream wool pea coat with red fade cotton cable sweater, and yellow nylon fisherman jacket with jet navy stripped nylon jacket.

—William S. Gooch

Samuelsohn Men’s Fall 2017

January 31, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of mr-mag.com

How do you pique menswear editors’ interest for New York Fashion Week: Men’s (NYFWM) when a good portion of the collections showcased are comfortably situated in the American sportswear vein? One way to stimulate conversation and interest is to pull out the gimmicks and props.

In its fourth season NYFWM has still failed to curate high-end, luxury European designers. Though the NYFWM was originally launched to keep mainstream American sportswear designers, namely Michael Bastian, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, John Varvatos, Tommy Hilfiger, and Billy Reid showing in New York City and not opting out for Paris, London, and London. To that effect the CFDA, the governing body for NYFWM, has been partially successful. (Billy Reid, John Varvatos, and Ralph Lauren still show in NYC.)

Images courtesy of nowfashion.com

That said; keeping American sportswear designers in tact was not the only motivation. Wagging tongues contend that the powers that be also hoped to attract luxury menswear European brands. Since that has yet to happen, enter pomp and circumstance and addendum; in other words a parade of extras.

In Samuelsohn’s case, the additional backdrop of setting their fall 2017 collection on an ice rink with Eric Radford, 2014 Olympic pairs figure skating medalist, worked!! Inspired by Monte Bianco, which is capped in ice year round, Chief Creative Officer Arnold Brant Silverstone referenced the foothills of Monte Bianco’s autumn color palette of hues of garnet and wine combined with a snowcapped kaleidoscope of silver, white and ice blue in this outing.

Also used in this collection was Samuelsohn’s exclusive ice technology of luxury wools and cashmeres that are eco-friendly and non-toxic. These innovative ice technology fabrications incorporate isothermal properties, maintaining an optimal body microclimate while offering water resistance, wrinkle recovery, natural stretch and breathability.

Image courtesy of ink31.com

Standout looks in this fall 2017 collection include the tartan plaid vest and soft trousers in Ice Wool, alpaca boucle raglan sleeve coat in wool mohair, yarn-dyed cotton line blend velvet in a double-breasted peak lapel, and Ice Cashmere zibeline finish coat with silver fox collar.

—William S. Gooch

Raun LaRose Men’s Fall 2017

January 31, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

Though New York Fashion Week: Men’s (NYFWM) focuses a significant amount of attention on tried-and-true American sportswear brands, Ralph Lauren, Nautica, Todd Snyder, and Billy Reid, in its fourth season the CFDA has placed a huge emphasis on emerging brands that stretch the proverbial fashion envelope of men’s fashion. Raun LaRose is one such brand.

Inspired by the distorted art formalist Erwin Wurm and skateboard and hip-hop cultures of the 1990s, Raun LaRose’s “To Whom It May Concern” debut fall 2017 collection was a slight departure from the stand American sportswear brands some male consumers might be accustomed to. And that is a good thing!!

Oversized jackets, slacks and asymmetrical tops are key components to Raun LaRose’s fall 2017 collection. And though this collection did mirror Duckie Brown’s spring 2016 collection, there are some key differences and perspective that sets this collection apart from Duckie Brown’s spring 2016 outing.

This collection was all about exaggeration, but unlike Duckie Brown’s spring 2016 collection, many of the garments are wearable and would be appealing to a young male demographic. Perhaps, Duckie Brown was a few seasons ahead of its time, or maybe Raun LaRose just does it better!!

Images courtesy of DMJ Publications

The exaggerated, satirical nature of Erwin Wurm’s art is a big influence in this collection, evidenced in garments that at their core are standards of most American male’s wardrobe. Most male consumers have bubble coats, loose trousers and sweaters. LaRose takes these standards and adding his own unique twist by oversizing every garment, even to the extent of a comic caricature of wardrobe staples. Still, many of the looks are wearable, reminiscent of oversized 90s garb from hip-hop and skateboard culture.

Standout looks in the collection are the brand’s beryl green quilted PVC bubble throw, cream oversized laminated hooded puffer with detachable fur, and brown speckled tweed cropped varsity.

—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

UN:DO Uses Fashion as Art for Debut Collection

November 18, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

Does art reflect life? Indeed, it does. However, the bigger question to ponder is if fashion reflects life. At times it does, and at other times fashion can be the whimsical expression of a designer or a response to what retail stores believe consumers want to buy. Still, when fashion and art meet at the intersection of life whether that life expression is reflected in pop culture, political realities or social change, the results are groundbreaking and ultimately iconic.

When Coco Chanel realized that the role of women in culture had shifted, she created garments that gave freedom of movement, reflecting the changing role of women in society. The bikini and the miniskirt were at the epicenter of the sexual revolution. Zandra Rhodes and Vivienne Westwood allowed their fashion collections to incorporate an anarchistic, irreverent response to Thatcherism. And 60s fashion was a reflective mirror to the freedom movements of Black Power, the Women’s Movement and Peace and Anti-War movements.

If fashion can conjure up images of freedom, liberation, anarchy, or even a political stance, then why can’t fashion comment on violence? Enter UN:DO.

For it debut collection, “UN:LOAD,” UN:DO’s creative director Jack Klauber looked to the epidemic of gun violence as a reference point. “Growing up on the southside suburbs of Chicago, I have experienced first hand the dire situation of gun violence in my own community, and have always felt a devoted need to help remedy it,” states Klauber. “Our partnership with Cure Violence was a no brainer for launching our first collection because not only does this profound non-profit originate from my hometown, it has sites all across America, and growing internationally. In addition to the fantastic work it does by reducing violence, it also provides much needed job opportunities to previously incarcerated individuals. Gun violence tears at the fabric of our society.”

Images courtesy of Seventh House PR

Each garment in the “UN:LOAD” collection is shot with a 12-gauge shotgun creating a uniquely tattered, distressed look to each garment. “UN:LOAD” aims to reduce gun violence through the lens of fashion by creating awareness and raising funds to save lives in communities across the US, with 20% of the profits going to the not-for-profit organization Cure Violence. UN:DO is an ethically “Made In New York” brand, inspired by Berlin culture and the increasingly trending Brooklyn aesthetic.

—Staff

Anne Barge Bridal Fall 2017

October 14, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

With Anne Barge there is always a story. And very good stories they are. From ballet heroines to nature’s ethereal tradition to the current inspiration of the Ziegfeld Follies, Barge consistently has a story tell. And fall bridal season provides the perfect opportunity to tell a story.

For fall 2017 Barge looked to the Ziegfeld Follies showgirls as a point of reference for the collection. And though this cultural motif might seem like a divergent theme for bridal, Barge ingeniously found a way to imbue the world of Ziegfeld glamour with her signature aesthetic of dewy, bridal sophistication!! In other words, Barge brings and old-world sexy back to bridal seen through the lens of a modern elegance and sophistication.

That said; now add the sensual, eye-popping Ziegfeld Follies–inspired bride to your lexicon of bridal glory. Barge vintage-like fall 2017 bridal gowns demonstrate that bridal gowns are not static, but ever evolving. And Barge’s fall 2017 collection is an indication on how bridal brands can borrow from the past and re-invent looks for the modern bride.

Though some of the looks in this fall 2017 collection were traditional, there were plenty of looks that would appeal to a younger bride looking for something more modern. Case in point, Barge’s Alencon lace crop top with double-diamond keyhole back and circular taffeta skirt.

Images courtesy of wwd.com

Standout looks in the collection include Barge’s sleeveless column gown with bateau neckline and deep square back beaded throughout with crystals and pearls, plunging V-neck crepe satin gown with keyhole back featuring metallic embroidery, and strapless gown with notched and split-front accentuated with by beaded embroidery.

—William S. Gooch

Inbal Dror Bridal Fall 2017

October 14, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

Inbal Dror chose Carnegie Hall as their location of choice for the brand’s fall 2017 bridal show. An ideal location it is for a bridal brand that has established a reputation for high-end couture-like bridal gowns.

For fall 2017 Inbal Dror drew heavily from the continuing ruffle trend, high-low gowns, and trans-seasonal design aesthetics that both use fall and spring fabrications. While Dror leaned toward trends that are currently in vogue, there was still a traditional perspective to the collection that went beyond contemporary bridal motivations.

Dror also revealed a softer, more feminine aspect to her bridal collection this season. There were a lot of ruffle embellishments, 3-D floral embellishments, sequined vine embroidery, and ombre petals. Dror’s inclusion of the ruffle trend in this collection popped up in organza ruffled trains, full skirts with ruffled trim, lace ruffle trim, and organza ruffled skirts.

There was also lots of silver embellishments in this collection, reminiscing the silvery chill of winter. And as we have come to expect, there was a youthful charm to this collection that reflects Dror’s preference for the nubile, svelte bridal customer.

Images courtesy of Inbal Dror

Standout looks in the collection were Dror’s ivory fully silver beaded sequined lace short can-can dress, silver rose and vine motif fully embroidered long sleeve gown with matching train, blush with silver beaded chiffon slip dress with flower burst long sleeve tulle over dress, nude tulle with full ivory vine motif embroidery and full detachable skirt, and nude fully sequined and embroidered shadow lace halter ball gown.

—William S. Gooch