Naeem Khan’s s/s2011 Collection: Collectible Fashion

TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY

Many of the world’s best fashion designers are men. That’s always puzzled me as they can never actually try on the clothes and truly know what it feels like to wear them. It’s an argument Donna Karan made years ago when she brought out her iconic “five easy pieces” collection of black basics she felt all women needed for their busy lives. Obviously, there is a way around this problem, as there are some very talented male designers, such as Naeem Khan, who know just what their female clientele wants and have loyal followings as a result of getting it right.
In lieu of trying the clothes on for themselves, male designers rely on muses and feedback from the women they design for and retailers such as Neiman’s Ken Downing. Ken’s “girls”, he told us, [pointing to his blackberry] consult and confide in him, and tell him – really tell him – what clothes and accessories they love.

As far as muses go, Naeem has his wife, jewelry designer, Ranjana Khan,
to draw inspiration from on a daily basis, and perhaps, his show stylist, Mary Alice Stephenson. Ranjana is gorgeous and exotic and Mary Alice
is blonde and beautiful in that classic Old Hollywood way. Both women look very different, but both look fantastic in Naeem Khan.

The smart designers listen to “their girls” and deliver strong fashionable collections that move women to faithfully buy every season. Some clients even become collectors. Fashion design is like pulling off the perfect recipe in that there has to be a perfect balance of ingredients.
In our backstage chat, Naeem spoke about his philosophy. “My formula” he stated, is very simple: it’s classic, it’s glamorous, and I keep tweaking, every season. I want to deliver classic, wearable glamour that is so wonderful that it is worthy of collecting. I have lots and lots of women who collect me. People have been collecting these [pointing to a rack of the s/s2011 collection], maybe since the day I started, six or seven years ago.”

As I first replayed our interview, I considered Naeem’s philosophy. The words “classic” and “wearable” do not often go with “glamour”. Classic and wearable are in one camp, and glamour, falls in another. Right?
Naeem Khan, like Oscar de la Renta, is one of those rare designers who have made their careers by consistently delivering drop-dead head turning glamour that’s not even remotely vulgar.
Naeem is very aware of curbing any tendencies of excess. “In my case, because of the clothes being so intricate, you have to be really careful. You can really overdo it. Overdo it – really. When you keep cooking for 30 years, though, you become a master chef. I have to make sure that I give my customer newness every year, and that it’s to the time.”



You need self-confidence to wear one of Mr. Khan’s creations. The list of celebrities who wear Naeem Khan is diverse but all of these women have self-confidence oozing from their pores. Angie Harmon, Elizabeth Hurley,

Michelle Obama,
and Kim Cattrall all project extreme femininity and self-confidence whenever you see them in photographs. Put them in a Naeem Khan dress and the result is that classic glamour that all women look for when they tune in to watch their favorite celebs walk down the Red Carpet. If you’re a basic black girl who’s happy with her five easy pieces, you may want to look elsewhere. If though, you decide that you really are a Naeem Khan woman, rest assured that you will in no shape or form resemble a walking Christmas tree in one of his creations.
Naeem is extremely in tune with his clientele’s horror of looking foolish. “When you make fashion, you have to make clothes for the real woman. I make very very intricate clothing. When you are doing my kind of clothing, my philosophy is clothing has to be real, It’s going to land up in the store, and it has to sell.”

He concluded our interview by saying that one-day, he hopes to have a retrospective of his work.
Maybe in a few decades, the MET’s Costume Institute would have one dedicated to the “Best Oscar Dresses, 1990-2020, featuring Naeem, Oscar, Armani, and Marchesa as some of the period’s top looks.
In the meantime, Naeem’s clients continue to buy and his presence on the Red Carpet continues to grow.

The Monique Lhuillier s/s2011 Collection

TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY

As I sat looking at one of the best collections of this NYFW, I found it hard to believe that Monique Lhuillier started out as a bridal designer. I saw my first Monique Lhuillier collection, over three years ago, on a wet NY Bridal Week, somewhere downtown, on the lower West Side, probably Eyebeam Studio. Listening to the retailers in the row in front of me, I suspected that what I’d see was more RTW that straight-on bridal. The gowns that came out were like something out of a little girl’s fairy tale dream crossed with a knock-out Red Carpet gown. No veils, no extra bling, just beautifully constructed gowns that were flattering and romantic, all at once.
This September, at the RTW shows,
the white jersey dress Monique showed was drop dead gorgeous and fit for a modern day Grecian goddess.

Many designers reference + aspire to create a “goddess gown” [and there’s one on just about every line sheet], but most often fall short of the mark.
While Monique’s gowns are certainly Red Carpet material, she also designs gorgeous cocktail dresses that have just enough of a vintage reference. There were fifties floral A-line chiffon dresses
and a beautiful cream wool tailleur (suit)
with decorative paillettes. Other confections to wear for cocktails included dresses with delicate lace overlay and feather detailing that somehow never looked over the top. When you wear one of these dresses, do as hairstylist Rudi Lewis of Bumble and Bumble did, and go with a classic ballerina chignon, and accessorize as stylist Tina Laakonen did for the show. Tina, one of my favorite editorial stylists from across the pond, and a longtime British Vogue staffer, wisely kept the accessories to a bare minimum. There were gold sandals by Bruno Frisoni and diamond earrings by Fred Leighton. The green silk
shantung trumpet gown accessorized with Fred Leighton, [of course], screams, "Wear me to the Red Carpet!". The only question is, which lucky star will be wearing it to the Oscars?

The Farah Angsana and Mara Hoffman s/s2011 Collections

TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY
In the last few seasons that FARAH ANGSANA has been showing at NYFW, she has evolved into an eveningwear designer to be reckoned with.


I've been following Farah since the days when she and Kevan Hall were the star attractions at MBFW [Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week] LA. With the right Public Relations Firm, Paul Wilmot, at her side, Farah’s realizing her potential. Now that she’s got the right representation behind her, she continues to hone her craft while staying true to her signature look, which she told me post-show
is also her mantra, " sexy, elegant, NEVER vulgar".


Like nearly every designer out there, she’s got an eye on producing some Red Carpet looks, but she’s also got some great day looks for the soigné woman who as Tom Ford pointed-out, is willing to put time and energy into looking great.

Farah had lots of cocktail looks to choose from. There was a gorgeous pink and green chiffon print that's stunning, in both the long and short versions. The Red carpet bid came when she showed the gold lame Oscar statuette gown.
My favorite though, was the finale mini dress I’d like to see the likes of Natalie Portman or Carrie Mulligan in. The green draped silk chiffon Kebaya mini dress embroidered with gold thread and Swarovski crystals was a feat of craftsmanship, and earned her a well-deserved round of applause.




I then shifted gears from an evening wear mind set to day wear, and went a few miles South, down to Pier 59, to go see what one of my favorite daywear and swim designers, MARA HOFFMAN, had in store for s/s2011. While Farah clearly designs with the Red Carpet in mind, Mara Hoffman's demographic is something entirely different. You see a diversity of stars as different as Jennifer Lopez
and Lauren Conrad,
rocking their respective Mara Hoffmans, but even more importantly, you see a lot of non-celebs wearing it too.
The true barometer of a brand's success is if the question, "are people (other than the models, celebrities and public relations team) wearing it?” Looking around the crowded presentation space, I glimpsed over a dozen cool women, some tall, some short, wearing Mara Hoffman. They weren't celebrities who were paid to attend and to wear Mara Hoffman. They were real women wearing these clothes because they love how they look in them.

Upon entering the Pier 59 space, we were treated to vacation-themed vignettes
complete with calypso music, palm trees and Mara’s bright batik prints. It’s tricky to design a good print, and Mara’s one of the best when it comes to creating a winning print. As ‘Ari’ of Entourage is won't to say, "it's all good".
I fixated on the stunning red batik print.
Wanna wanna! I left, mentally planning-out how I’d coordinate that piece with other items in my wardrobe for my spring break trip to the Mexican Riviera post the fall 2011 NY shows.

ENDNOTES
To view the gallery of looks from the Farah Angasana s/s2011 show, visit www.exposay.com

Backstage Beauty at Marchesa s/s2011

TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY

Yesterday, I got lucky. A few days ago, I met the Red Door’s Publicist, Michelle Sabari-Wrubel, at Robert Verdi's LUXE LOUNGE. As they say, “one thing led to another”. The “other” I this instance was that she arranged for a phone interview with ALISHA BOTERO, the Red Door Spas National Training Director, Nail Services. Talking with Alicia yesterday, pre-show was like having my very own woman on the inside. Alicia was doing nails, but she makes an excellent reporter too. She of course, told me about the nails, but in addition, provided descriptions about the hair Fredric Fekkai stylist, Renato Campora did that was so accurate, that when the images hit my computer hours later, I already had a very good idea of what I’d see.

“Nails, Alisha explained, should NOT compete with the clothing, Marchesa clothes are the stars. These are soft and glamorous Oscar looks that need nails that should compliment the gowns, not compete with them.”

Alisha used a sheer creamy baby pink polish that at this point is unnamed by Le Metier de Beaute. After looking over the pictures, I remembered reading that the late Gloria Guinness –one of the most elegant of all fashion icons – did not polish her nails, preferring this same clean and soft glamour. In today’s HD world, unpolished nails are just not an option for the Red Carpet, so Alisha’s take is the closest thing, and unlike an unpolished nail, looks finished.
She continued with a description of the hair, which was “braided and twisted on top of the head”, followed by the makeup –“which had a highlight around the face that gave it a glowing look, and a heavy white liner on the lid”. The white liner’s a great trick Bobbi Brown shared with me years ago, that saves you on days you’re super-tired. The white pops open the eye, giving an instant lift.

If you want to attempt the hair at home, you’ll need to work Fekkai Essential Shea Tame & Style Pot de Crème through your hair. Next, as Renato did, flip your head over and braid the hair out so that it will fall perfectly on top of the head, and secure it into a bun at the crown.
Finish-up by smoothing your hair with Fekkai Essential Shea Ultra-Rich Mask and Fekkai Silky Straight Smooth Finish. THAT, you can accomplish at home.

If it’s a special event, and you’re having a stylist do your hair, do as Renato did and place a gorgeous embellished accessory to the finished look.
Bellisima!

ACCESSORY TREND: Bracelet Bonanza, Armed and Fabulous. Bring on the Arm Candy!

TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY


Since last summer, I’ve been noticing THE RETURN OF THE BRACELET. I’m not talking about a discreet gold bangle or one or two CARTIER LOVE BRACELETS. WHAT’S ON FOR FALL AND MOST LIKELY SPRING 2011 IS THE CONTINUATION OF THE BRACELET BONANZA. IN SHORT – THE MORE, THE BETTER, AND THEY DON’T ALL HAVE TO BE MATCHY-MATCHY.
Rather, IT’S ABOUT INDIVIDUALITY, MUCH AS A CHERISHED CHARM BRACELET IS. THINK OF IT AS YOUR SLEEVE [not the tattoo ink kind] MAKING A STATEMENT ABOUT THE THINGS THAT YOU FIND ATTRACTIVE.
AN ARMFUL OF BRACELETS IS SOMETHING WE CAN ALL SPORT ON A DAILY BASIS. IT WORKS FOR JUST ABOUT ANY SITUATION - WHETHER IT’S TO ATTEND AN ART OPENING, FASHION SHOW, GO TO WORK IN OR TO JUST WEAR WHEN ON THE RUN DURING THE WEEK.


Here’s an opportunity to mix it up: you can combine rubber bracelets such as the black/red rubber "CURE SMA" [Spinal Muscular Atrophy"] I bought at my Aveda-Shine Salon, or my vintage MONET CHARM bracelet, or the diamond and platinum pave ones by Leslie Greene.
TAKE A PAGE FROM THE FABULOUS SHARON STONE. TRY SOME HIGH-LOW ACCESSORIZING. IT’S RELEVANT BECAUSE THIS IS HOW THE MOST STYLISH WOMEN AROUND HAVE BEEN DRESSING FOR THE PAST DECADE. SHARON made a “bold” statement by daring to wear a generic BLACK TEE with an ARMANI COLLECTION COAT and VERA WANG SKIRT to the 1996 Oscars, when she was up for an award for her role in “Casino”. Fashion folk couldn’t stop talking about it, and before you knew it, everyone was out in the open, proudly going “high-low”.

Fast-forward to the recent 62nd ANNUAL PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS. Some of the season’s most beautiful gowns were on display but what hit me were THE MOUNTAINS OF BRACELETS. Some of the best on the Red Carpet were wildly different. Below, a few of my favorites.

EMMY LOOK #1: BREEZY, EASY, + MODERN

KYRA SEDGEWICK’S stack of monochromatic beaded bracelets by SYDNEY EVAN, which complimented her cranberry pleated gown to perfection.


EMMY LOOK#2: HOLLYWOOD GLAMOUR
Nail this always-right look with stacks of DIAMOND BRACELETS. LESLIE GREENE makes some great ones, as worn by KIM KARDASHIAN and ELISABETH MOSS.
For some less pricey options, you’ll only have to wait until September 12, when TARGET UNVEILS THEIR “TUCKER FOR TARGET” collection. I’m looking forward to picking up their GLAM STUDDED CUFFS. Another good piece to add-on is Jewelry designer CYNTHIA GALE's bronze and recycled silver ECO SECRET SECRET GARDEN CUFF, Inspired by the famous novel, The Secret Garden.


STYLE TIP: HAVE FUN – THE LOOK YOU’RE GOING FOR HERE IS “MODERN AND EFFORTLESS” IE: IF THE PIECE SPEAKS TO YOU, PUT IT ON. The possibilities are endless.

Shopping
LESLIE GREENE jewelry is available on www.lesliegreene.com and on www.QVC.com
GEO ART is available at www.store.geoartnyc.com