Front Row — Page 70

Betsey Johnson Fall 2014

February 14, 2014 by admin 2 Comments

If you want to get your fashion party mojo going, go to a Betsey Johnson runway show. She never disappoints when it comes to a festive celebration seen through the lens of fun, frolicky, and sometimes raucous, party clothes.

And after more than forty years of creating collections, Betsey Johnson knows her customer extremely well. She knows where her consumer is going, what kind of parties she likes, her taste in colors and fabrics and more importantly how far to push it; which in most cases is through the roof.

For fall 2014, it was classic Betsey Johnson all the way, giving her rock n’ roll, party girl lots of options. Though there was nothing drastically new about this collection—no new silhouettes, innovative construction, or new textiles—the collection was not dated or old. And that’s saying a lot in that Betsey referenced American Hustle or the wild antics of 70s disco.

Betsey found a way to make that hey, beep, beep stylish sex vixen very 2014 with still a wink and nod toward the “bad girls” of the 1970s. Now it would be best advised not to wear one of the head-to-toe creation in this collection at certain time day. You don’t want to be a mistaken for a certain kind of “working girl.” Still, there was lots of fun and great separates that can add that special kind of Betsey Johnson bling to your fall 2014 wardrobe.

Images courtesy of Ken Jones

The real standout in this collection was color, and lots of it. Shiny color, sparkly color, neon color and bold, bold color, especially Betsey’s color of the moment, RED!! That’s right, hot, saucy, sizzling, in-your-face RED!!

This collection indubitably proved that Betsey Johnson is back. But then again, she never really went away.

—William S. Gooch

Marc by Marc Jacobs Fall 2014

February 14, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Watch out! The new Marc by Marc Jacobs girl is one tough chick. She may have a wry sense of humor, as evidenced by the clever sayings on her socks. But make no mistake; this girl is ready to kick some serious butt.

The fall 2014 Marc by Marc Jacobs collection was all about a new attitude for the label as seen through the label’s new designers—design director Luella Bartley and new creative director Katie Hillier, who was formerly an accessories consultant for the brand. The label also introduced its new name—MBMJ, which was emblazoned on everything from bandanas and shoes to the front of a dress.

Oh yes, and the boys have been kicked out of the Marc by Marc Jacobs clubhouse.

The new Marc by Marc Jacobs line was all about the girls in their high top, sneaker-wearing, pigtailed glory. In the new MBMJ world, swagger is the new black. Company officials said the new attitude was a deliberate attempt to push the label—the Jacobs world’s moneymaker—forward out of a creative rut.

Bartley’s own line was known for its punk and British rock influences. The new MBMJ showed its street smarts with bold references to a colorful range of influences—BMX bike culture, Japanese comics and ninjas, and cheeky British school kids, and oh, yes, early Marc Jacobs, which Bartley said in interviews that she was deliberately referencing.

The combination of influences were, at times, both jarring and exhilarating. Perhaps nowhere was that more the case than with the cartoon-bright large plaid in royal and bright red, and more often than not topped by a huge, origami bow—a motif also repeated in solid colors.

Images courtesy of style.com

While the BMXish tops and dresses may have seemed a bit young, there was a downtown vibe that will likely prove appealing to many. We’re guessing that the double skirts may be modified for retail. But, the pleated detailing and prep school blazers, styled with ninja warrior belts, are certain to find their way into a number of closets for next fall.

—Karyn D. Collins

B. Michael America Fall 2014

February 14, 2014 by admin 1 Comment

“Quintessential American”—B Michael’s description of his fall 2014 collection—surely sums up the designer’s fashion feast for next season. This collection provides selections for almost any occasion, from daywear, to cocktail hour or on to a masquerade ball, for both women and men.

The “Urban Chic” and “Town and Country” clusters were his daytime wear of dresses, jackets and suits in cashmere, wool jersey and wool boucle, designed for women, who want to be classic and comfortable. Standouts included a two-piece dress of cashmere and wool with a layered V-shaped collar, and a scarlet red, doubled-faced wool jersey dress with an exaggerated collar jacket. For the men, one of the standouts was a red brick-colored eight-button suit made with a cashmere and wool blend.

For the “Good Times” cocktail dresses, the designer worked with silk mikado, a silk blend popular for wedding dresses because it is heavier than regular silk, for several dresses. B. Michael added texture to it with embroidery or sometimes using an Italian lace overlay. One outstanding creation was a lavender floral printed silk mikado with a billow sleeve demi jacket and a ruched hem. B. Michael added dimension and contrast to a black wool crepe sheath by making the empire bodice of embroidered silk mikado, resembling strains of DNA.

For the “Illusion” of eveningwear B. Michael unveiled classic strapless, drop shoulder and off-the-shoulder ball gowns, as well as halter-top and cap sleeve cuts. The models wore elegant jeweled masks, which added a dramatic dimension to the gowns. B Michael worked with hammered silk, lacquered-feathered velvet, embroidered silk chiffon, and confetti embroidered silk organza giving birth to beautifully textured creations with rustle and flow.

Images courtesy of Presley Ann Slack

B. Michael also married black to bronze and used metallic fabrics and embellishments to add light. Most notable was a black wool crepe low waist gown with a river of bronze metallic boucle flowing down the front of the gown. Also, a black hammered silk strapless steeple bust gown with confetti embroidered silk organza with a waterfall train made an impression. A perfect pairing with either of these dresses would be the men’s granite, Italian boucle shawl collar jacket with black silk and wool blended Hollywood trousers.

“Deliberately glamorous evening wear,” B Michael says in his run of show notes, “reminds us of our appetite for luxury … It’s all American.”

—Francesca Simon

Libertine Fall 2014

February 14, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Johnson Hartig of Libertine has used his great creative prowess for good and created a 2014 fall collection worthy of the alumnae of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Imagine Hermione of the Harry Potter series all grown up and looking like Emma Watson on the red carpet. Hartig created a series of simple but stunning black dresses and coats sparkling with whimsical stars, spirals, spider webs and other symbols that will bring a sense of mystery to whichever woman will wear these outfits.

The magical series included an evening ensemble of a long black column dress with a matching open jacket, a vintage coat sparkled with the same symbolic theme, followed by a skirt and top combo, and a lovely black and white-open collared coat with simple sparkling circles.

These looks, though classic in style, were marked with a Libertine signature of jarringly loud multi-colored patterns on the leggings, which clashed with the classy cluster of magical dresses and coats. It was a reminder that the true Libertine style is creative chaos and crazy colors. Hartig even sprinkled sparkles on his menswear. A gray jacket with white trim had silver streaks running horizontally across the each side of the chest. This was paired with plaid knickers bearing collegiate-like patches plus skull and crossbones, which was a recurring symbol on the menswear, along with “Yale” patches.

The collection showcased the kaleidoscope of colors and patterns that have become Hartig’s trademark. The entire collection was like a DIY for popping up classic pieces, sweaters, cutoffs with paint, sparkles, and sequins, which was even on men’s cutoff pants.

Several ensembles were whitened up with what looked like paint. But the look created abstract energy and visual amusement. Two standouts in this series included a menswear beige wool coat and black pants, which looked as if the designer with paintbrush in hand, had momentarily stopped him and literally painted his outfit. This was repeated with a men’s black jacket, black shirt and black cutoffs. Two other standouts in the series were a women’s broad-shouldered black pants suit with a vivid red and yellow paint-look effect, and another was a red pencil skirt and jacket with a white paint-look effect.

Images courtesy of style.com

“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” was printed on women’s coats, a menswear jacket and even a menswear sweat suit. Libertine’s collection delivered a distracting Muhammad Ali punch with the juxtaposition of classic styles and sparkling cosmic symbols with jarring multi-color combinations, which was somewhat distracting like a bee sting—but fun!

—Francesca Simon

Lie Sang Bong Fall 2014

February 14, 2014 by admin 2 Comments

Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Lady Gaga, have all sung the praises of Lie Sang Bong. And his fall 2014 debut at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week has created a chorus of accolades for the “renaissance man” approach to fashion as an art form with nature as inspiration.

Bong set the runway ablaze with a volcanic vision, drawing from the color palette of Yellowstone Park’s majestic Prismatic Spring, which were transformed into an explosion of sizzling reds, blazing yellows, hot white, later cooled by deep oceanic blues and neutral tones.

Bong’s fall 2014 collection began with a black cocoon coat dotted with red circles, mimicking the beginning bubbling of a volcano. Then Bong sent a sizzling red dress long sleeved sheath emblazoned with a horizontal fiery design line of red, white and yellow flames ascending from a black hem baseline.

Influenced by the Bauhaus era, Lie Sang Bong applied geometric designs and vertical and horizontal lines of color. Using houndstooth, Bong utilized technology to enlarge the pattern, modifying it into a digital design that he blended with reds, blues or sometimes greens and yellows. Bong worked with the fabrications of delicate lace, smooth silk, fox fur, cashmere and wool.

A series of outerwear included reversible cropped jackets, and coat of lambs wool“tech fabric” that was printed, embroidered and then lined in black neoprene with leather pockets. A red cashmere and wool coat covered with embroidered lace, printed with a modified houndstooth and dyed was another standout.

Images courtesy of Presley Ann Slack

Lie Sang Bong, who spent five years preparing for his New York debut brought his Parisian precision in a series of evening gowns that were perfectly fitted. Lie’s fit was reminiscent of the 40s fit Rita Hayward had for her dance numbers in Gilda. The series of gowns included a traditional formal offering of a black tiered gowns and a black strapless gown with cobalt blue details. Bong incorporated the volcanic theme with an evening gown with swirling black and red interspersed with the houndstooth patterns.

Bong has created a collection that fits his philosophy that “fashion is defined by the lifestyle and culture of the people who wear it.” So this collection is not for Beyoncé, Rihanna, or Lady Gaga. “My goal is always to design in a way that pays respect to tradition while providing something that is relevant for the present, marrying art and commerce, craftsmanship and innovation. The confident, intelligent women of New York have an innate understanding appreciation for this balance.”

—Francesca Simon

Naeem Khan Fall 2014

February 13, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Red carpet alert.

There’s no question that pieces form Naeem Khan’s fall 2014 collection will turn up on the red carpet of upcoming Hollywood events. The only question is when and on whom.

Khan’s oeuvre has long been elegant evening wear. The designer recently launched a bridal line as well.

For his fall 2014 collection Khan said he was inspired by the cabaret world and boudoir. And when it came to sexy and dark with a touch of risqué and dramatic decadence, Khan more than delivered. What distinguished the collection is that Khan kept things classy and imbued with the elegance that has become his trademark.

The collection opened with looks that could have been inspired by the boudoir—a series in black embroidered with 24 karat gold filigree. From there Khan channeled the cabaret with a combination of cocktail dresses and gowns worthy of a chanteuse.

There was fringe that shimmied, beaded stripes that raced up and around body curves, and beaded flourishes that teased and tantalized. Two of the most intriguing creations were gowns—one in gold and another in black and white that teased with almost totally sheer panels from hip to ankle save for a scattering of horizontal beaded panels.

Image courtesy of style.com

Khan also worked his magic with leopard print with the spots created from stacks of sequins. One of the best of these was a cocktail dress and a gown with ostrich feather skirts dyed to match the leopard print. Done with Khan’s skillful hand, these looked spectacular. But we shudder at the prospect of seeing the cheap knockoffs that are certain to follow.

Still, Khan offered plenty of winners for those living the luxe life to enjoy including a picture-perfect series in red and black and a couple of beaded creations that had a honeycomb effect.

—Karyn D. Collins

Skingraft Fall 2014

February 12, 2014 by admin 1 Comment

Skingraft’s quest for world domination is looking better than ever. The brand has already amassed a following of celebrity taste makers such as Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, and Tyson Chandler. In May of 2013, they opened a store in New York City (adding to their LA location). For the third jewel in their crown, Skingraft showed their collection at “The Tents” of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, a first for the brand.

For Skingraft’s fall 2014 collection, designer Jonny Cota was inspired by the idea of drastic climate change and an inevitable return to a dystopian survivalist future. He wanted a collection that would feel as though it could survive in harsh climates, building the collection on a theme around Siberian, Mongolian, and Arctic tribal cultures.

Details and small intricacies are part of the design aesthetic of Skingraft’s brand DNA. Infusing fabrications of hand-quilted leather and mohair, shaved pony hair, ribbed nylon-fused fleece, and wool knit, Skingraft is not just your average streetwear brand.

Skingraft looks to also provide a touch of luxe to whatever they do—like incorporating silk twill or intricate embroideries detailed with leather and metal jewels. Able to handle the duality of a woman— the idea of hard and soft—while being able to cater to the preciseness of a man, this collection shows how well the brand is able to keep pace with the ever-changing industry.

A few standout pieces of the menswear portion featured men’s skirts with the word “Alpha” emblazoned across the front, leather drop-crotch pants, leather ALPHA bomber jackets that gave the illusion of almost being sculpted out of stone, and hooded wool wrap trench coats. While the collection was mostly in Skingraft’s usual all-black color palette, Cota did incorporate indigo, olive, and gold detailing.

On the women’s wear side, a beautiful gold embroidered Mongolian skirt was the standout piece that embodied Skingraft’s concept of tribal print. Another noteworthy creation was a gorgeous indigo leather hand-quilted hooded crossover coat. With much emphasis put on the wolf, one of the few animals that can have an “Alpha” male or female in their social group, Cota furthered the motif by incorporating wolf-like ears on both the men’s and women’s caps, hats, and beanies.

Images courtesy of wwd.com

As the collection marched down the runway with the final walk, you got a sense of a brand cementing a path that separates them from your typical run-of-the mill streetwear companies and establishes itself as a brand that is really pushing forward the idea of design, making for a well-deserved MercedesBenz Fashion Week debut!

—John Woody

Elie Tahari Fall 2014

February 12, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

There’s a reason why Elie Tahari has been around for 40 years. His fall 2014 collection was a beautiful example of how, in the right hands, a collection can find the right mix of being functional and fashion forward.

Of course in Tahari’s creative hands, functional seems too pedestrian a term for such beautifully made clothing. But for his fall 2014 collection, Tahari turned his focus to staples of a winter wardrobe, especially for city women.

The theme of “lightning through darkness” seemed to not only refer to the color palette of a winter landscape—grays, quiet blues, a couple of pops of red and pink as with a sunset—but also to the quiet elegance and seeming simplicity of the collection. There is a way to create a collection of fall classics and infuse it with creativity.

The creative touches were everywhere. Tahari’s version of the little black dress, for example, was done with calf hair and snake tweed and paired with a cozy-looking shearling biker jacket. A pair of pants were given an extra oomph of luxury when made from croc tweed and denim. Other luxurious touches included leather trims and inserts and intriguing combinations of neoprene with knits and leather.

Image courtesy of Elie Tahari

Knits played a major role throughout the collection. And Tahari also offered a wide assortment of coats with all manner of intriguing touches—an alpaca knit sleeve coat, several shearlings including a hooded shearling bomber.

—Karyn D. Collins

Karolyn Pho Fall 2014

February 12, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Every fashion season there is plethora of emerging designers hoping to make their mark on the New York fashion scene. Though some make a giant splash initially, most lasts about two to three season, fade into oblivion or end up on Project Runway or working for a name brand designer.

Hmm, or is it the other way around? In a nutshell, launching a fashion brand is challenging, but having staying power is a special feat unto itself.

Karolyn Pho may be a new to New York Fashion Week (NYFW), but she is not a novice to the industry. She has been costume designer in film for several years and stylist to some marquee actors—she once dated Shia LaBeouf.

That said; from the look of her first outing at NYFW, Pho, if she stays on track, will not be a one-collection wonder. “My girl this season is very boyish and androgynous. I like the idea this season of the girl that is very effortless and cool. She can walk into a room and be sexy and confident in menswear. There is nothing sexier than that,” explains Pho.

There is lots of layering in this collection and Pho really thought about how an urban woman dresses in today’s fluctuating climate. “A lot of layering [in the collection] really comes from how New Yorkers or people who live in colder climates dress. Well, you layer. You have your one great jacket to keep you warm and you layer from there,” elaborates Pho.

Images courtesy of MaoPR

Though layering was one focus of this collection the primary concept centers on kinetic energy and projections toward afterlife. “The original concept was kinetic energy which could act as a portal to transcend you to an afterlife and/or the unknown … I feel as human beings we are still obsessed with what is out there and what happens after you die … I like fusing ancient, and future and see what happens in the middle,” details Pho.

Hopefully, what happens in the middle is more collections from Karolyn Pho. And we can let the afterlife take care of itself, especially if we are all stylishly dressed.

—William S. Gooch

Kim Seo Ryong Fall 2014

February 12, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Kim Seo Ryong’s fall 2014 presentation was about falling back in love with the classic American menswear silhouette. This season the collection distanced itself from a European styled fit. This new direction may be a liberation of some sort for any man looking to reclaim comfortable clothes while being effortlessly stylish.

For this season’s color palette, Ryong decided to include a lot of black, as well as traditional neutrals with pops of lime green, purple, and red throughout the collection. These bold pops of color, that were somewhat reminiscent of a spring color palette could be real head turner for any man bold enough to wear these colors during colder temperatures.

Images courtesy of Presley Anne Slack

Though there were some suits in unconventional colors and prints such as a burnt green tweed suit, lavender suit, and a plaid suit, what stood out more was Ryong’s use of tweeds, houndstooth print, and the dramatically long sport coats. This more classic point view combined with Ryong’s use of bold color helps to establish Ryong’s signature voice and the brand’s DNA. Instead of trying it hit menswear consumer over the head with an avant-garde aesthetic, Ryong is relying on melding the two worlds of comfort and fashion-forward sensibility.

All in all this fall 2014 collection was upbeat and cohesive where it needed to be without establishing a dividing line between age demographics and style points of view.

—John Woody