Front Row — Page 56

Sherri Hill Spring 2016

September 13, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

“Florals for spring, groundbreaking,” remember that iconic line from “The Devil Wears Prada’? Well, whether Sherri Hill got the memo about floral prints for spring looking rather pedestrian or not, it didn’t keep her from putting lots of floral prints in her spring 2016 collection.

Sometimes this floral direction worked, and sometimes it looked like a walk down Southern Belle sipping mint julep among the magnolia tree memory lane. And at times that was a part of the charm of this collection.

That said; for several seasons Sherri Hill has attempted to push her design aesthetic out of the beauty pageant/prom queen genre. Some seasons she is more successful than other times. This collection was not one of her shining moments in that endeavor. And though some of Hill’s floral print garments had a certain amount of charm, at times the saccharine element was almost too sweet, like something out of a 70s Butterick pattern book.

Though Hill did add some trending elements like crop tops, cutouts, and illusions to her floral prints what worked best in this outing is Hill’s pageant-inspired looks. And in the genre Hill is without compare.

Because Sherri Hill has worked in the pageant/prom genre for so many years, this segment of the fashion industry is definitely more comfortable for her and over the years she has instrumental in expanding that genre beyond the pretty, over-embellished gown standard and helped evolve the pageant/prom genre into a fashion-forward expression of that particular genre.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

Still, it is good thing that Sherri Hill continuously pushes out her comfort zone, always trying to evolve her design aesthetic. Ultimately, this quest has influenced her aesthetic, pushing it further and injecting more style and innovation. Keep pushing Sherri!!

—William S. Gooch

Lie Sang Bong Spring 2016

September 12, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

Though Lie Sang Bong has showed during New York Fashion Week for over two years now, Bong is still not a household name in American markets. And that is unfortunate because Lie Sang Bong should be.

Season after season Bong delivers innovative collections with an eye toward retail viability with the spring 2016 collection, perhaps, being the most consumer friendly collection presented stateside. Though other collections have been fashion-forward and stunning with great editorial worth, at times the collections were more fashion as art than fashion as commerce.

Not this time around!! Bong is one of the few designers this season that successfully combined the continuing trends of diaphanous fabrics, micromesh, graphic 3-D digital prints and athletic wear as throughout-the-day wear in one collection.

For spring 2016 Lie Sang Bong created a collection that used simple, white silhouettes as the core color and structure of this collection. With each look Sangbong built on the simplicity of easy, light, casual sportswear married with his unique acuity for embellishing simple silhouettes with graphic and floral cutouts. And though the silhouettes at first glance seem simple in truth they are not. Only a seasoned craftsman can make complicated, asymmetrical silhouettes embellished with cutouts and layers on top of layers seem effortless and move with such ease and freedom.

Images courtesy of Courtesy Photo/wwd.com

What was also great about this particular item is that Lie Sang Bong presented familiar silhouettes in ways that were reimagined, causing reflection on the structure as if he created something that was entirely new. Standouts in the collection were Lie Sang Bong’s asymmetrical white culottes, white oversized shirt and white pant with floral organza cutouts, and blue and white graphic inspired trench.

—William S. Gooch

Vivienne Tam Spring 2016

September 12, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

Vivienne Tam has always marched to the drum of her own creative vision of fashion. And Tam spring 2016 collection was no exception, extending her vision to embrace a more street wear aesthetic seen through Tam’s particular design aesthetic.

Tam’s show was made up of dark/light greys and black with touches of Army green cottons. White was not the main color that for some designers is usually the common denominator during the spring shows. The interchangeable pieces in this collection are designed for both men and women. For example, a onesy on a male model can be worn by both male and female. There was also a new twist on the baseball jacket made of sheer see-through nylon combined with short dresses with large floral prints.

Influenced by her Asian heritage, there were many styles of the “dragon tattoo” pattern. And another new addition for Tam this season was the long and short shirt son both male and female models in a kaleidoscopic mixture of prints, including lots of layering and mixing of textures intertwined with a smidge of Asian flavor.

This collection also consisted of some sheer white short dresses with a splatter of abstract roses, as well as strapless jumpsuits with ruffles across the top. Into the mix were kimono jacket robes to be worn outdoors over any of the pieces in the collection.

Images courtesy of John Aquino/wwd.com

In this outing, Tam used lots of layers in a variety of mixes and combines that is representative of the change in societal moods, morays, and points of view. Though this spring 2016 collection would not qualify as the most exciting collection from Vivienne Tam, this collection had many twists and turns of basic styles and some original use of fabrications.

—Rosemary Ponzo

Monique Lhuilier Spring 2016

September 12, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

Monique Lhuillier never ceases to amaze. There always seems to be another innovation, another interesting combination of color and fabrication, a new way of looking at an old silhouette or simply a reinterpretation of beauty.

For spring 2016 Lhuillier’s reinterpretation of beauty or fashion as art rested on the shoulders of her vision of simplicity married with sculptural minimalism from her inspiration for this collection, the work of Ellsworth Kelly. Like Ellsworth Kelly, Lhuillier developed her aesthetic this season around the concept of shaped canvasses that focused on one or two primary colors. And the development of this design motif throughout the collection is the basis of Lhuillier’s brilliance and genius.

With opening looks of simple shift dress silhouettes in primary colors with jeweled and beaded necklines, the collection evolved to lacy floral separates still in primary colors. The collection continued its metamorphosis to include pointillism-like floral prints still in 1960s simple silhouettes, lastly, erupting into more constructed evening wear in bold, form-fitting, primary colors.

In this collection, Lhuillier has earned her right to the old adage “less is more.” For Lhuillier, her less was more dynamic, more focused, more true, and ultimately more of a risk. Only a designer with Lhuillier’s design acumen can take tried-and-true silhouettes combined with primary colors—this has been done time and again ad nauseam—and create something bold, unique, fashion forward, but not off putting for female consumers.

Lhuillier’s color palette of fuchsia, strawberry red, lipstick pink, spring green, cobalt, and geranium, though at times not necessarily spring/summer fare, due to the design genius of the collection possessed a sophisticated lightness and joie de vivre that any woman would easily prescribe to. And though the peplum silhouette has been a weary worn feminine construct for several seasons, Lhuillier by employing a grand asymmetrical cut made her peplum gowns a Diana Vreeland–like design concept of now and next.

Images courtesy of Danielle Oberrauch/nymag.com

Standouts in this collection, and there were many, were Lhuillier’s noir double gauze strapless dress with draped skirt and silk-white pebble crepe u, fuchsia multi-floral splatter print lace sheath dress with integral noir micro-floral lace bandeau, silk Chantilly lace dress with multi-color PVG floral embroidery, and azure silk faille strapless draped bodice with train matched with cobalt silk faille pant.

—William S. Gooch

5:31 Jerome Spring 2016

September 12, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

Jerome LaMaar, creative director 5:31 Jerome, has not abandoned his urban roots. And perhaps, that is a good thing. With his the spring 2016 collection of his eponymous brand, LaMaar has attempted to create the new urban glam fashionista—and by urban I am referencing a downtown Brooklyn fashionista, maybe, even an uptown Harlem style maven.

Now, LaMaar’s new urban fashionista has a sense of street style in-your-face glamour married with a patina of outré high fashion. She’s confident, eye catching and not afraid to be the first to don garments that are outside of the fashion cultural norm.

LaMaar has made a good attempt for spring 2016 to create appropriate clothes for this new urban consumer. Though at times, he overextended his reach with an over abundance of embellishments and sequins.

Themed “Earth. Abundance. Maximalism,” LaMaar was most successful with his flora reference that included foliage-themed restrained volume jackets and light coats. LaMaar’s abundance and maximalism themes were not as well thought out and bordered on too many ideas and too many fabrications and embellishments. Instead of abundance, some garments referenced overkill. Less should have been more with this motif.

Images courtesy of fashionreverie.com/Ernest Green

Still, LaMaar is evolving his design aesthetic beyond some of the design silhouettes he learned well while at Baby Phat. And his knit and silk dresses with rivets were sexy and will have a larger market appeal.

As one of the few African American designers that show regularly during NYFW, LaMaar should be celebrated for his evolving aesthetic and his resilience in market that sometimes swallows up the best. Keep up the good work!!

—William S. Gooch

Custo Barcelona Spring 2016

September 12, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

The Custo Barcelona of spring 2016 is not the Custo Barcelona of the past. And that is a good thing. We all loved the kaleidoscope of color and the crazy quilt patterns and fabrications, and the outré silhouettes were an editorial dream and the be-all-end-all look for those shock value fashionistas. Still, the retail value of the brand was disintegrating. Particularly, with upstart Desigual stealing all of Custo’s thunder.

Things have evolved at the brand, and the evolution is pointing Custo in the right direction. The miasma of color and wild patterns and fabric combinations are still in place. So, you could say, Dalmau Custo’s signature point of view is still dictating the design aesthetic of the brand. However, the direction of the brand is focusing on retail sales that is reflected in collection that have more retail viability.

For spring 2016, Dalmau Custo was inspired by rebellious, powerful women who like to express their of style and individuality in bold colors, ergonomic patterns and geometric shapes. Bold and powerful points of view have always been a central theme of the Custo Barcelona design aesthetic. However, this season that perspective has been funneled through a lens of more wearable clothes.

Where in past seasons the men’s looks in the collections sometimes outshined many of the women’s pieces, for spring 2016 there was a lot more balance between the genders. Dalmau Custo continued with his carwash, thick-fringed skirts and dresses from the past two outings, as well as patched geometric shapes forming a mini-shift dress. Still, the combinations of silhouettes and crazy quilt patterns this season seemed to paired together better to be more appealing to consumers.

And the sequins and glitzy glam added to several looks later on in the collection produced additional sensation that really made this collection sing. Custo Barcelona has not exactly been seen in the States as night out on the town fashion brand, but this collection could prove some fashion pundits wrong.

Images courtesy of Alessandro Luciano/Imaxtree

Keep up the good work, Dalmau. You are heading into the right direction. There is a pot of gold at the end of your rainbow!!

—William S. Gooch

Libertine Spring 2016

September 12, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

Who wears these clothes? That question is asked a lot about most clothes that are presented at fashion weeks around the world. It’s obvious who wears household brand names like Michael Kors, DVF, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Kate Spade, Oscar de la Renta, Vera Wang, and other popular American fashion brands. Either it’s those celebrities and well-heeled consumers with deep pockets or those die-in-the-wool fashionistas that have the latest from top American designers.

But the question still begs who wears the collections of not so well know designers that push the proverbial fashion envelope. And in particular, who wears Libertine? Especially, who will wear Libertine’s spring 2016 collection, a collection that focused more on pop art/street vibe than wearable outside of members of you own fashion tribe?

Libertine’s creative director Jonathan Hartig is one of the few innovative minds in the fashion industry that understands how to bring freshness, sensuality and a certain amount of chicness to street wear. Twenty years ago there was plethora of fashion talent tapping into street wear and translating that exuberance and rebellious angst into garments that reflected that expression of youthful abandon and agitation.

Hartig still has that ability and he has facilitated his penchant for mixing colors, patterns and embellishments into a wonderfully dissertation on street fashion seen through the lens of 2016. Though some of the collection harked back to hip hop of the 1990s with big gold chains, oversized sweat shirts and prints with big colorful, emblazoned numbers, this collection was solidly a Hartig concept.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

Still, the question begs who will wear these garments? The consumer who is confident, not afraid of taking risks, and who is a big fan of street culture; this is the consumer for this spring 2016 collection.

—William S. Gooch

Giulietta Spring 2016

September 12, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

For spring 2016 creative director Sophia Sizzi was inspired by the futuristic pairing of athletic wear and the geometric, space age designs of Andre Courreges. With tennis being the primary sport of reference for this collection, Sizzi successfully married her oeuvre of graphic, color-blocked panels of bold colors, box pleats, geometric lattice prints, and cabochons to produce a collection that gives a nod to 1960s aesthetic of Courreges while still managing to be current and fashion forward.

Athletic street wear as daywear that can transition into evening wear has been a trend that has carried from fall 2015 collections to spring 2016 collections; however, Sizzi is one of the few designers that understands how to craft this continuing trend into looks that are sophisticated while still projecting a casual approach to modernity. And this casual projection is not stilting by the chic sophistication of the collection. Looks were still feminine, and in some cases, majestic with Sizzi’s unique injection of youthful vibrancy.

Though every look in this collection was not a bona fide hit, overall Sizzi was successful at producing a collection that was more retail friendly than some of the brand’s previous outings. And though she continued her signature aesthetic of bold color-blocked panels and geometric shapes, this spring 2016 collection saw the evolution of the Sizzi’s aesthetic expressed in looks that were more fresh and consumer-friendly.

By adding Cabochon embellishments to many of garments in this collection, Sizzi elevated this collection from what could have been just a designer’s homage to Courreges. Instead, Sizzi subtlety added details—and with the Cabochons, not so shyly—that helped this collection be what all good collections should be, now and next.

Images courtesy of John Aquno/wwd.com

Beyond the incredible jumpsuits in the collection, other standouts were Sizzi’s black and white stripes with Cabochon embellished dress, royal blue and grass bodysuit with shite and black-striped culotte, black Cabochon embellished mini dress, encrusted collar black gown, and buttercup Cabochon embellished gown.

—William S. Gooch

alice+olivia Spring 2016

September 12, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

Spring/summer 2016 fashions always include white in their collections.

At alice +olivia creative director Stacy Bendet added the boldest splashes of color, stripes, and huge flowered patterns. These combinations of whites, and the color of sand only made for a fresh take on spring/summer 2016.

Bendet’s long draping of dresses will be very wearable for a large range of clients and demographics. The oversized tops with short skirts give a fun look for everyday wear.

The intertwine and mix of Southwestern Spanish elongated palazzo pants and long vests in the brightest of colors paired with whites and desert sands add to a very cheerful collection. Another addition to her collection is the black and white striped pantsuit which of course elongates the body.

Images courtesy of John Aquino/fashionreverie.com

The collection includes long and short dresses, and gowns that Stacy Bendet calls “Goddess Gowns” These dresses can be worn day and evening which makes alice +olivia a very imaginative and accessible brand. The collection is easy to comprehend and can be combined with other looks in her line.

—Rosemary Ponzo

Nicholas K Spring 2016

September 11, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

Though Nicholas K was true to their aesthetic of nomadic chic for their spring 2016 collection, in this outing the design duo of Christopher and Nicholas Kunz created a collection that was more utilitarian and for the most part more wearable. Wearable and utilitarian are not words that easily come to mind when pondering Nicholas K, but the potential for this evolution has always been there and this season the design duo realized this potentiality.

Calling their spring 2016 collection ‘Terminal Velocity,’ inspired by aerial flight, the design duo employed an aesthetic that conjured up images of aeronautics, buoyancy, and lightness of being. Additionally, this concept paired aerial motifs with restriction, evidenced in cross-bodied ropes and leather straps clasped with metal hardware that suggests, perhaps, that for Nicholas K aerial flight is not without its constraints.

Though Christopher and Nicholas Kunz used billowy silk-like nylons, the design and construction suggested parachute material. And a bit of modern innovation was injected into the collection, particularly with the hooded looks rendering a projection toward space travel or environmentally protective gear.

While in previous outings the brand’s nomadic chic aesthetic combined with voluminous layering made some collections look very encumbered and weighted down, this season the layering produced a more ethereal weightlessness that matched the overall theme of the collection. And the sense of ease movement of this collection and at times lighter color palette buoyed the retail viability of the clothes.

Images courtesy of fashionreverie.com/Ernest Green

It is been suggested by fashion pundits that Nicholas K with all of its layering and nomad chic point of view is a brand that translates well to a fall/winter design aesthetic. That may be true; however, with this collection Christopher and Nicholas have proved the fashion pundits wrong, creating a collection that is not only worthy of temperate climates but also points the design duo in the right direction.

—William S. Gooch