Front Row — Page 71

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

Diane von Furstenberg Fall 2014

February 11, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

40 and fabulous; that was the happy theme of Diane von Furstenberg’s collection for fall 2014.

Of course, in case you haven’t heard, the DVF label is celebrating its 40^th anniversary. An exhibit currently mounted in Los Angeles through April 1 celebrates von Furstenberg, her label and its iconic wrap dress, an item that the Los Angeles Times said equaled the tee shirt and blue jeans when it came to cultural impact.

For her fall 2014 collection at New York Fashion Week, Furstenberg dubbed her show “Bohemian Wrapsody.” Despite the corny-clever title, this was actually a beautiful celebration, not just of the wrap dress that made von Furstenberg and her label famous, but of the DVF label and its particular brand of fabulousness.

More than many labels these days, the DVF label is most definitely a personal extension of the woman at the helm. The clothes evoke the luxe lifestyle that von Furstenberg lives—whether that means being on the right side of the velvet rope at the hottest club on the planet or jetting off to an exotic location while sipping champagne on a private jet.

The fall 2014 collection certainly continued to sell that story to its fans with clothes that not only celebrated the wrap dress—one dress actually featured the same darts as the original wrap dress, but showed how the label has expanded. Jackets and coats were especially noteworthy here, adding a modern touch to the classic pieces we’ve come to know and love.

And as much as the wrap dress is iconic DVF, the other part of the DVF oeuvre is the designer’s use of bold graphic patterns. The fall 2014 collection utilized some especially vibrant patterns including diamonds, scallops, and stars and stars. The combination of styling, color and pattern produced some of von Furstenberg’s best work. These were fashion-forward looks that were as contemporary as anything else being shown during New York Fashion Week.

Images courtesy of style.com

Adding to the celebratory atmosphere was a finale of shiny gold creations—from wrap dresses and a wrap shorts jumpsuit to halter styles and shifts with sexy, plunging fronts.

Now that’s the way to celebrate.

—Karyn D. Collins

Vivienne Tam Fall 2014

February 11, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

The 1970s is a strong point of reference this season. Just observe the collections of Betsey Johnson, Love by Diego Binetti, Jay Godfrey, and Desigual. From the glitter and glam of Studio 54 to the hippy/bohemian chic of the early 70s, designers were inspired by the decade that encompassed sexual freedom, women’s liberation, individual expression and the fashion industry’s first commercial foray into street fashion.

For her fall 2014 collection, Vivienne Tam drew inspiration from many of the cultural and political movements of the 70s. The stories around Tam’s collections are always multi-layered. From her fall/winter 2013 collection that combined a re-invigorated Punk aesthetic combined with cultural and political iconography to Tam’s fall 2012 motif of a world traveler in 1930’s fictional Shangri-La clothing updated to present time.

In this outing Tam saw her customer in re-imaged early 70s clothing. There was a definite nod to that post-Twiggy, post–Swinging London of the 70s, right before Carnaby Street turned Street Punk with Vivienne Westwood and Zandra Rhodes’s creations. Though Tam may have tried to pay homage in some respect to Studio 54 and American Hustle, this collection fit solidly in the Max Kansas City, boho chic mood of the early 70s.

Tam infused influences from the ancient Chinese cave frescoes of Dunhuang. The beauty of the Dunhuang cave murals was expressed in Tam’s color palette of sepia, amethyst, carnelian, lapis lazuli, jade green, metallic bronze and gold. This array of semi-precious stone and jeweled colors made for a dazzling spectrum of color on the runway. And felt more fashion-forward and current than Tam’s 70’s reference.

Images courtesy of Ken Jones

There were some great looks in this collection. Particularly, when Tam combined her take on 70’s peasant blouses with leather skirts. Still, the collection seemed at times too literal and safely ensconced in the 70s vintage clothing genre. However, there were some standouts which included Tam’s green t-neck dress w/ anthemia sandal print, the teal peasant top with applique front and violet anthemia print poncho, and rust deer print gathered top with orange hallo printed skirt.

—William S. Gooch

Katya Leonovich Fall 2014

February 11, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Fashion is both now and next, and for fall 2014 Leonivich chose to go with the next. Katya Leonovich pulled a page from The Jetsons, Forbidden Planet, Dune, and any sci-fi film, or animated series for that matter that combined the future with what humans or humanoids might be wearing for her inspiration for this collection. This futuristic projection was a hybrid mix of innovative textiles and textures infused with Victorian silhouettes, an 80s’ rocker vibe, as well as asymmetrical cuts and architectural construction.

There were some interesting combinations of color and construction that spoke to Leonovich’s growing mastery of textile manipulation. Standouts in the collection was Leonivich’s futuristic print dress with side shoulder strap and metallic pant with black top and oversized cuffs. And of course Leonovich’s Victorian-style sheer, hoop dress with structured jacket was a showstopper.

Images courtesy of johnsimondaily.com

Leonovich’s varying points of view could have made for an interesting collection. And at times it did, at other times it was too many ideas that trumped costume or retail viability. Still, Leonovich is starting where all great creative minds start, great ideas. Now Leonovich just has to crystallize all these interesting perspective into a cohesive collection that speaks to a critical mass more that the fashion adventurer.

—Earlean Suite-Henderson

David Tlale Fall 2014

February 11, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

David Tlale third appearance at “The Tents” during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week was his best. Previous appearances have been a combination of innovative concepts and fabrications that lacked cohesiveness and direction. However, Tlale fall 2014 collection was none of that.

The collection entitled “Elementary Metropolis” was well put together, for the most part, with a cohesive theme that ran throughout the entire showing. Though there were a few matronly looks that spoke to “Golden Girl” fashion mavens, overall the collection was current with a fashion-forward sensibility.

Though “Elementary Metropolis” did speak to the simple silhouettes that many urban city dwellers would want in their wardrobes, there was nothing simple about the construction of Tlale’s garments. Most simple silhouettes always require great skill and craftsmanship, and in this collection Tlale masterfully concealed the hours of labor and effort it took to create these looks.

Tlale even managed to incorporate some South African culture motifs that were neither heavy handed or literal. Tlale’s royal blue printed damask unstructured coat and tulip dress are prime examples of Tlale’s pairing of South African tribal prints and South African/East Indian sari silhouettes combined with a modern perspective.

Though Tlale stayed mostly with a neutral palette of black, beige and navy, he managed through the use of expert construction and Tlale’s unique take on embellishments and detailing to elevate this collection from what could have been a homage to the great French couture collections of the 1960s to a collection that spoke to the current needs of female consumers.

What was missing in this outing were separates that could be mixed and matched with wardrobe staples. This lack of separates did give the collection less versatility. Then again, Tlale has never been known for great separate pairings of his versatility.

Images courtesy of style bistro.com

Standouts in this fall 2014 collection were Tlale’s beige crepe shift flapper dress with fawn knit base dress, navy blue silk brocade high-waisted draped pocket pants with navy blue knit pleated three quarter sleeve, and beige crepe draped gown with beaded embellishment.

—William S. Gooch

ØDD Fall 2014

February 11, 2014 by admin 1 Comment

Designer Judson Harmon harnessed space-like sounds and water-textured visuals in order to personify his theme of “Water on the Moon” for his ØDD fall 2014 line.

The show opened up with a model wearing a light-up blue ring which provided a much more dynamic purpose to the show besides being your traditional accessory. The rings doubled as a real-time sensor and upon moving, they would activate sounds and would manipulate the video on the screen. This allowed a few of the models to be composers on the runway! One can only imagine how this technology will be used off the runway.

The color palette ranged from forest-like greens, deep blues, blacks, with an occasional transparent garment. All the colors represented images of space mixed with various colors of the sea, providing a relationship between space and water.

The most frequently used fabric in Harmon’s designs was leather. A design feature that utilized leather a lot during the show was an oversized dickie, which seemed to act as a cape from both the front and the back.

A luminescent, white highlighter blush was used underneath models eyes and brows which seem to give the face a heavily defined look. The luminescent make-up on a neutral face/look, exuded a futuristic feeling.

Images courtesy of nouveauPR

Harmon’s models and pieces were intertwined with themes of androgyny. Many of the pieces on the runway were worn by both male and female, indicating that the boundaries between genders were blurred. Making gender a less important theme or factor in this collection, allowed Harmon to focus more on design and concept. With a collection based around classic silhouettes with a glance toward the future, Harmon also in this outing was able to make a social commentary on the equality of both sexes.

—John Woody

Love by Diego Binetti Fall 2014

February 11, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Obviously, Diego Binetti is a man of the world. And his collections reflect that. All you have to do is consider the influences in his collections and there is no doubt, that Binetti is a well-traveled man.

For his fall 2014 Love collection, Binetti was inspired by a woman’s eclectic taste in clothes that is a result of her world travel. The Binetti woman has a love of life and a sense of adventure that is made evident in her clothes. Clothing that denotes her love of freedom, sophisticated tastes and modern lifestyle. She is a citizen of the world.

The Binetti woman is a nomadic urbanite. And this nomadic urbanite layers a lot of her garments because she is often whisked away to exotic locations and layering facilitates her ability to mix and match textures, color palettes and fabrics depending on her locale and the seasons.

There are lots of influences in this collection from American Western/Cowboy to Native American/tribal images to some bohemian 70s influences to jetsetter chic. And Binetti’s mix of silhouettes, fabrics and patterns, though reminiscent of Missoni and Cavalli, is styled in a way that is uniquely his own.

Still, the genius in this collection is in the layering. And Binetti has his finger on the pulse of the current quixotic global temperature changes which dictates being able to adjust clothing throughout the day.

Images courtesy of fashion360mag.com

Standouts in this collection were forest green guarda bosque long drawstring shirt dress, night polka-dot mélange trench coat with navy bowtie collared top and night silk jog pant, and white birch flamenco dress.

—William S. Gooch

Sheena Trivedi Fall 2014

February 10, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Sheena Trivedi who is inspired by both traditional East Indian cultural elements and the vibrancy of New York City always looks to create collections that combine cutting-edge fabrications with East Indian motifs while still honoring traditional western silhouettes. With Sheena Trivedi making a name for herself for the last couple of seasons with her vibrant women’s wear, Trivedi has decided to take the next step into brand expansion and tackle menswear.

Like most of Sheena’s collections, this fall 2014 collection featured accessories such as bracelets, headpieces, nose chains, body chains, and rings that have roots in East Indian culture. Those who follow Trivedi’s work usually find themselves falling in love with her use of color and the prints in her collections. However, this time around Trivedi relied heavily on the darker color palette of black, silver, grey, brown, magenta, and teal blue.

For the menswear portion of the collection Trivedi focused more on design, which was her way of saying she can do commercial menswear for the masses and still put her flair for intricate details and design into the looks. While Trivedi women’s wear stayed within the realm of what we’ve come to expect from her, there was a standout piece; her quilted leather pant that was belted around the waist which offered a chic but cool twist of the typical leather pant.

Images courtesy of Presley Ann Slack

Zippers, tassels, studs, fringe, feathers, and leather were a few of the textures and trims that made this collection pop. One thing that can be said about this collection was it is an absolutely great start into menswear for Sheena Trivedi and one can only hope that her design aesthetic breaks new ground in the market for men!

—John Woody

Tracy Reese Fall 2014

February 10, 2014 by admin 1 Comment

Tracy Reese just gets it. She understands how real women dress. That’s women, not girls. Tracy Reese dresses women.

Her fall 2014 collection was yet another chapter in a story of growing mastery of what dressing women is really about.

Increasingly, Reese has offered her women sophisticated options; this time around, one ofhte big focuses was on ways to wear a dress. While styling certainly played a role in Reese’s interpretation —dresses with cardigans, with pullovers, with shiny gold boots were just some of the options seen, Reese’s interpretation also extended to the variety of the dresses themselves.

Here, with a color palette of primarily black/white, goldenrod and maroon, Reese presented a rich variety of dresses and separates, seemingly one for almost every type of woman and occasion. A graphic black and white print, also seen in a cape (one of the trends for this season overall), looked boardroom perfect in a coatdress. A winter scene complete with bare trees and a luscious sunset went from arty to funky when seen in a skirt (topped by a cozy fringed pullover) and in a knit sweater dress.

Florals, long a Reese signature, appeared as well, the best of these in a classic sleeveless A-line frock. Twists on a classic herringbone tweed and dresses embroidered with bursts of color added to the sense of balance between the exuberant and more restrained sides of the Reese woman.

And the daytime separates, overall, were a particular strength whether in a comfy cardigan, a terrific pair of relaxed fit herringbone trousers, or a fringed color blocked sweater.

Images courtesy of style.com

For evening, there were several party-ready frocks including an elegant gold cocktail dress, a true statement piece for the Reese woman who is smart enough to know that all work and no play is no way to live life.

—Karyn D. Collins

Monique Lhuillier Fall 2014

February 10, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Pretty is as pretty does. And no one does pretty better than Monique Lhuillier, and she has a long list of celebs and stylists who thirst after her red-carpet gowns for all that pretty Lhuillier injects into her frothy creations.

This season Lhuillier took another direction. The pretty is still there, but distilled through the romantic lens of sumptuous shadow with a hint of glam and glitz. This perspective is made evident in Lhuillier’s use of diaphanous fabrics of tulle, organza, silk chiffon and sequined, embroidered lace layered over silk taffeta, silk crepe and silk canvas. These effects rendered a shadowy, almost spectral mood to the collection.

Also, by juxtaposing old world embroidery techniques with the modern fabrications of vinyl and neoprene, Lhuillier brought a sophisticated, but modern elegance that was missing from her spring 2014 collection; a collection that didn’t go beyond pretty.

Though the silhouettes were mostly simple this season, Lhuillier did employ some asymmetrical cuts and architectural silhouettes. And by mixing tweed prints with leather, vinyl and neoprene, Lhuillier added that hint of futuristic modernism that had been missing in some previous outings. Good fashion is always now and next, and Lhuillier’s ingenious combination of innovative fabrications with old world couture techniques helped this collection embrace retail viability while projecting toward the future.

Images courtesy of style.com

Standouts in the collection were Lhuillier’s fuchsia tweed-print vinyl trench coat with cashmere lapel, ombre pink skull embroidered tulle cocktail dress, noir strapless tulle gown with skull-embroidered bodice and noir silk taffeta bateau neck high-low gown with fuchsia baroque embroidery.

—William S. Gooch