As a nearly 20 year Fashion Industry Vet, I've made TheFE my place to cover and discuss everything fashionable from books, to designer ready-to-wear to couture. All aspects of a fashionable lifestyle are included. BIG NEWS: I'VE MOVED TheFE TO WORDPRESS to take advantage of their superior publishing platform.
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Text, Carey Zamarriego, Contributing Writer Edited by Vivian Kelly
Toni Francesc
GARUDÀ AW 11
*Cute anecdote: One of the security guards at the front mentioned that Toni Francesc tried to enter the show through the front entrance, saying “look, that’s me, there is my name” (pointing to ‘Toni Francesc’ written on the wall) and had to be told to go to the backstage area.*
Our general impression of Toni: very warm, friendly, playful and gracious.
The Backstage pre-Show Interview:
The Fashion Examiner: The inspiration for your collection was the mythical Phoenix (a bird which, every 500 years, rises from its ashes anew), where did this source of inspiration come from? A trip to India? A story? A photo
Toni Francesc: It can be said to be Indonesian. It does have its roots in Asia, but this is not an Asian collection. It is inspired by the idea of rebirth, of coming back from ashes, from fire.
TheFE: Your collection is about renewal, is it also a commentary on the state of the world now after the crisis?
Toni Francesc: Exactly, mainly for me, because it is something I am living and experiencing. I refer to everything that surrounds me in my clothes. Spain is in a tough situation and all of us need to emerge and experience a rebirth, a renewal, from these moments of ash.
TheFE: At the time of creating your collection, do you think about trends and Pantone colors, or do you do whatever you want?
Toni Francesc: I believe that inspiration comes from other places. I don’t search out trends. If anything, I need to create them. Generally, I look at things outside of the world of fashion; that is where I am inspired more. Everything around me is reflected in my clothes. For Artificial Life, two collections ago (AW 2010), I met with a group of friends through Facebook, while we were having dinner, everyone wasn’t interacting with each other, but with others via technology, we didn’t experience the moment. It’s this; playing with simple moments and arriving at their complexity that I like to do.
TheFE: This is your fourth time showing at NYFW, how does it feel compared to the first time?
Toni Francesc: Ah, yes (giggles). I feel the same as the first time; really THIS is the first time. The nerves are always there, usually I appear to be very calm, but the nerves and my stomach are turning on the inside. But everything is under control and I hope it goes well.
TheFE: You and Custo are two Catalan designers showing at NYFW. Do you find any similarities in your designs? And are you two friends?
Toni Francesc: Friends-friends, no, but we do know each other and I really admire the work Custo does, he has been working hard for a long time. But our styles are very different.
TheFE: Finish these sentences:
What I like most about NY is…(the city and the people).
What I miss most about Barcelona is…(my family, but I brought them to NY, that little boy who just ran up to us is my son).
*Toni also brought along his wife and mother.*
The Collection/Show- Highlights
Started with a striking redhead wearing a trench, skirt and animal print top.
Animal print cocktail dress with a wrap leather belt (my favorite!!)
Elaborate backless silk jumpsuits in gray and orange.
Mixing silk with wool and leather. (ie: silk orange top with gray pants)
Silk pieces that looked like watercolors with splashes of deep reds, maroon, oranges and gray.
Trends:
Wide leg pants (black with backless high neck silk top)
Bright red lipstick on the models (also gave the crowd L.I/P Cream from Mehron in Big Apple red).
Wool jacket, trenches and dresses with bottons to bring in a bit of a military feel.
Gold leaf belts with gray wool dress and also skirts.
If you were a young working professional in the Eighties, you knew all about The Limited. Back then; it was a great place to buy clothes for work that fell into John T. Molloy’s Dress For Success formula.
Most would have described it as "sensible". If you'd asked the girls if there were outfits there that were inspired and fashionable enough to wear to party at Area, the answer would be, "no".
There were “appropriate” and decently priced skirts, jackets, blouses and tops to get you through the 9-5 day whether you were a secretary at a Big Eight accounting firm on Sixth Avenue or a Sales Assistant on Wall Street, like me. If you were an Assistant at Conde Nast though, you probably wouldn't have shopped there.
Today’s Limited has split from the Mother Ship Company business [The Limited Brands] retail titan Leslie ["Lex"]Wexner established back then which also includes Victoria’s Secret. Lex, if you’re reading this – Vickie’s Secret was an absolute stroke of genius!
The NEW Limited that I was invited to preview by Paul Wilmot Communications, took place at a chic Chelsea space just off the Westside Highway. From the moment I stepped in, it was obvious that the merch that is now "The Limited" is the much cooler younger sister to her rather stuffy older Baby Boomer sister from the Eighties.
The new Limited targets “the young, professional woman” who needs great basics for work but wants the fashion from top tier designers who retail at stratospheric prices.
PR Paul Wilmot said, in a chat we had a few months earlier about what being "well-dressed", stated, "a black pant is a black pant, as long as it’s well made.”
After thinking about that, I agree with Paul. WHY spend hundreds for a pair of black designer slacks if you can get a nice pair for under $200?.
Of course, there’s nothing like actually trying the merch on yourself, so I went to the SALE area on www.thelimited.com and order two pairs of leggings to wear to power yoga class. [The review on this to come].
Back to the preview -
While there, I inspected the groupings of the latest designs, touched the fabrics, and best of all, spoke at length with Elliot Staples, SVP of Design, The Limited.
Elliot’s an industry vet who’s got 20 plus years of design and fashion under his belt. This FIT grad, began his career at Adrienne Vittadini, followed by a ten year run at The Gap designing for the men’s division, as well as women's and women's accessories.
He’s spent the last nine years at The Limited, first as a Design Director and later as Sr. Vice President of Design. He and his team’s job is to “conceptualize and create the product and look for The Limited client. Elliot has been instrumental in defining the brand image through consistent and innovative design. He's working hard to gain her trust and becomethe ‘trusted editor’, who she can count on to provide her with the latest trends translated for her lifestyle."
In our 9-minute video, Elliot talks about what he and the company are doing to become the go-to resource for today's working women and suburban Moms. He makes a lot of good points such as “A great outfit starts with great pants. And great pants start with great fits.”
He understands that his women want a little bit of the glam they see on the pages of Vogue an Harper’s Bazaar at a price that won’t break their budget. As important as fair pricing, is that The Limited is doing a good job sourcing their fabrics. The fabrics felt nice and that in itself puts The Limited on a level over “masstige” efforts at retailers such as Target. It's well worth a visit to the website www.thelimited.com and to the store if you find yourself in the Chicago area.
About a year ago, I was digging around on yet another HUnt, this one at the Cromlix Antiques Barn, on Barrack Hill in Ridgefield, with the intent of maybe leaving with a print of a King Charles Spaniel or a Greek Key Cachepot. That time, I never made it upstairs as I stopped in my tracks when I spotted a red cape. Prior to this encounter, I'd dismissed capes as something that only worked if your name was SuperMan, Sherlock Holmes or Little Red Riding Hood. All that went out the window after my Dutch Mother-in-Law surprised me and bought said cape, presenting it to me as a wedding gift later on that weekend. As soon as I tore the gift wrap off, I started wearing it during the relatively balmy November month, and it's a permanent fixture in the backseat of my car.
This simple item was a novel addition to my trusty but tired Michael Kors car and pea coats that were as the Stones sang, "A Little Worse for the Wear and Tear". Rather than being given odd looks, to my surprise, I got complimented. It seems that the erstwhile theatrical cape is now a fashion item. Just recently, I lapsed and succumbed to my form of junk food - a copy of STAR Magazine - I wanted to read about Angelina Jolie's "Heroin Shocker! WASTER! REHAB FOR ANGIE". While flipping through, I found my way to p.60-61, a spread titled "Crazy for CAPES". STAR showed some cute styles by TopShop, Esprit and Guess by Marciano Linley, all under $240, less than you'd pay for a decent coat. Best of all, my red vintage [$75] find resembles the best of the four shown on the chosen stylish starlets: Kate Hudson, Kim Kardashian, Kristen Bell, and Sienna Miller. The winner: Sienna Miller. The STAR doesn't say who hers is by but the Topshop cape at $170 makes for a nice substitution. Other places to look for some well-priced options are Lord & Taylor [near the hats and gloves] and on www.qvc.com
The highlight of the week of November first was a late afternoon visit to the Duckie Brown studio, on West 13th Street. I had been invited for a studio visit, and looked forward to revisiting the Fashion V Clothes argument, now that the dust from NY Fashion Wk s/s2011 had settled. Not only did I get to spend some quality time, but I also got an exclusive.
The minute I walked into the studio/apartment [they lived there for years before moving to Brooklyn], I felt the Downtown meets Brit vibe, that air of “cool” that umpteen stylists and designers strive to create. Few get it right and their efforts to be “original” [“Preppie with a Twist”] usually fail. The Duckies however, fall into the category of fashion iconoclasts. They’re in a league with Grace Coddington, Alber Elbaz, Kate Moss and Stella Tennant. All of them constantly surprise you because you never know just how they’ll style themselves or their collections. One thing they all share- whatever they come up with is always interesting.
Over the years, sitting in the audience, watching Duckie Brown shows, I’d find myself wondering how that really slim fitted coat would look on me. I usually have trouble paying 100% attention at a men’s show, as I won’t ever be wearing those clothes. Duckie though is different. I could actually envision donning the dropped crotch trousers, little caps and sharply tailored coats. I was happy when they started the Florsheim collaboration, especially when they announced they’d be doing women’s shoes and I looked forward to treating myself to a pair. I’d always envied the sharp oxfords Wall Streeters such as the mythical “Gordon Gekko” wore on “Wall Street”. Clothes, though, really? Going into women’s usually signals a stab at going for “the world of”. Daniel and Steven just don’t strike me as the sort to crave world domination, so I never really seriously entertained the hope that one day, there would be Duckie for us women.
Daniel casually threw-out the bomb in the first few minutes of our chat and said that The Duckies are going to break into women’s wear. What?? Yes, that’s right. Women’s. The line is called “Mrs. Brown”. Thinking more about it, going over to women’s makes a lot of sense. Everyone knows that the big money is in women’s wear and there have been some designers who have successfully bridged the gap and made the transition from menswear to women’s’ wear. Ralph Lauren, the undisputed king of branding, whom we discussed later in our chat, created a “world of” that though redundant, [some old stand-bys: “Safari”, “Prairie]continues to strike a chord with consumers world-wide. Ralph made a humble start, when he managed to sell a few of his ties to Bloomingdales’ and later opened a necktie store using his “Polo” label in 1967. He started women’s three years later and really got in the public’s radar screen when he was hired to make the costumes for “The Great Gatsby” in 1974. The late great Alexander McQueen, began his career apprenticing on Savile Row, for Anderson and Shepherd and then Gieves and Hawkes. While there, he learned the art of tailoring which would become a key part of the celebrated McQueen design DNA.
Pretty little dresses such as the ones Rebecca Taylor and Nanette Lepore make are a staple of the New York runways, and yes they sell to the cute twenty-something crowd. A McQueen suit though, is in a whole different league; it’s a masterpiece of tailoring and technical skills. Most women’s wear designers just don’t possess that level of talent. The McQueens of the world are few and far between. I felt privileged to be sitting on a leather sofa with two guys in his league when it comes to tailoring, and imagination. Steven, like Lee McQueen, is a crack tailor in addition to be being a visionary designer. His problem, he supposes, is that he is not “a show-off” like the suavely handsome Tom Ford. In typical British self-effacing style, Steven recounted how devastated he was after attending a pattern making class at FIT.
Steven: It’s about feeling that you’re good enough. Years ago, I went to FIT and came back to the studio and cried and told Daniel, “They were so good”. I didn’t think I could do anything as good as I thought they would. When I went back with my thing, it was amazing to see how good mine was and how shit theirs was.
Steven held up the blazer for us to inspect. It was a reproduction of the one he’d whipped up for that long ago class.
Why do this arduous tailoring exercise again? “Because I needed to know that I could,” Steven said, holding up the piece, smiling.
From there, we dove into the subject of “putting yourself out there” and “show-offs”. Tom Ford, Steven declared, “is a huge show-off”. Steven and I are obsessed with Ford, his public persona and his stab at trying to make fashion exclusive again and his jump-back into women’s.
After leaving Gucci, Tom started over, founding Tom Ford International in 2005 with longtime collaborator, Domenico De Sole. The latter runs the business end of the brand as he did while he and Tom were at Gucci. In the preface written by W/WWD Editor, Bridget Foley, in the 2004 coffee table book, Tom Ford: Ten Years, Tom stated that he did not want to do women’s again, was burnt out, wanted to go into film. Of course, no one really believed him, and everyone was certain there would be another women’s collection. When he started his Tom Ford label by launching with menswear, I was…disappointed. Maybe, he really had had his fill with all of those Gucci collections, and that was really it. In retrospect, it was yet another brilliant marketing move by Tom and De Sole. When he finally did debut Tom Ford women during s/s2011 NY Fashion Week, the show people generated a hailstorm of controversy. His decision to do an old-fashioned fifties-style salon show, in which he narrated the looks to a select audience of 70 caused many fashionistas angst, miffed as they were at not even getting to see an image [forget seeing the actual clothes] of this VIP room show.
Steven, in an oracle-like fashion, had said only two days earlier, that he wished that fashion would go back to being more exclusive. He’d argued animatedly with Daniel, who feels that fashion should be democratic and stated, “I disagree, call me a snob, but fashion should be aspirational. There’s sportswear, and there’s fashion. Think back to those shows at Dior, in the fifties. Entry was limited only to the select few, and there was a sense of ceremony to the whole thing, versus what we have now - which is this. Although they applauded Tom for his risky show, Steven feels that it was just going back in time, not moving things forward. “How though,” Daniel mused out loud, “do you make a fashion show new and interesting? What hasn’t been done and is unexpected?” Daniel shouldn’t worry about this as he manages to surprise us every season, whether it’s by putting on the infamous “back to silence” show that kicked-off with a cacophony of sound and abruptly cut into utter silence, or the latest show that used a full half of the space intended for seating to the models rather than to fill them with show goers.
Daniel says that they do ham it up a bit while taking their victory lap post show, they do it “because it’s expected”. “How strange it would be” says Steven, if we just stood at the foot of the runway and didn’t smile? That’s not us, we have a sense of humor and that’s just taking yourself too seriously.” Unlike Tom Ford, [at least his public persona], the Duckies are not big show-offs, haven’t even written a press release about Mrs. Brown. “ I guess we should do a press release to WWD about Mrs. Brown” laughed Steven.
The decision to do women’s started when Milwaukee-based Florsheims offered the Duckies a deal to design men’s shoes for them. It was a marriage between David and Goliath. Florsheim’s is a giant brand that’s been around since the late nineteenth century. After some financial difficulties, the Weyco Group acquired it in 2002, with the idea of putting it back on track. Weyco’s Chairman and CEO Thomas W. Florsheim, happens to be the grandson of Florsheim’s founder. Weyco is upscaling the brand’s profile, thanks in part to its collaboration with the Duckies. This deal has given “the Budweiser of men’s shoes” designer edge. On the flip side, it’s put money in the Duckies’ pockets so they can keep doing what they love – designing cutting edge fashion in limited quantities. The Duckie-Florsheim deal continues to expand. Women’s shoes and socks are coming soon. Socks will retail for around $25 and the shoes top out in the $300’s. All of this was the result of Daniel’s knack for recognizing the right product placement.
TheFE: You do your own PR, that’s one of Daniel’s big roles, right?
Steven: Daniel is as good as KCD. KCD did not get us a cartoon of me pinning a kid’s trousers in the New Yorker www.newyorker.com that ran in the “Talk” section of the April 6, 2007 issue.
Daniel: It was the most advantageous piece because Lizzie Widdicombe, who wrote the article, mentioned the Florsheims Robert William Asch wore with our suit to the prom. They saw it, and they called. That was one of the top five editorials we’ve ever had.
Ms. Widdicombe’s piece features a sketch of Steven tailoring a high school boy in Duckie Brown for his prom. The teen, Robert William Asch, had written the Duckies an email titled, “A Not So Ridiculous Proposition”, asking them to dress him for his prom. When it was all over, Steven decided to gift Asch the $3,800 outfit and happened to accessorize it with a pair of black Florsheims.
TheFE: Now that things are growing, with Mrs. Brown and Florsheim women’s will you be taking on a power PR firm?
Steven: If we had a very specific goal in mind, but Daniel really does it all. He produces the show. He’s got a background in television and a flair for production and the drama of presentation.
Daniel: I like to do it. We say “no” More often than not. We lend out to stylists we know or like. You have to make the effort. I love it when Deborah Watson comes in. She’s highly edited, she picks four pieces, and you get four fantastic pages. There are less than 5 images in 10 years that I love, that Florsheim cartoon was one of them. I’ll do it [the PR] for as long as I can. I can still answer my own phone so I just do. We show at the tent because that press pit is jamming. All press is good press. If you believe the good stuff you have to believe the bad stuff.
Steven: Tim [Blanks] said to us after our last show, “Now you’ve hit the ceiling, you have to go to Paris”, but we’re New York designers, this is where we live.
TheFE: So your end-goal for Duckie Brown is…
Steven: We want to go forward, to work with new shapes, and see how they break the rules. We question why things are the way they are.
Daniel: You have to pay attention, look for good collaborations; we like to do collaborations that enrich us. At the end of the day it’s about the work. I’d rather have someone do a diffusion line – let’s call it “Just Duckie”. They set up all of the infrastructure and we design it. We’re different than many designers in that we don’t have that sense that ‘it’s not enough’.
Duckie Brown is the sun, and everything emanates from there. We just want to sustain what we have, to see what happens to the body when you make a shift. It’s about doing something that is interesting and indulging our curiosity. It’s not intellectual, as in Hussein Chalaian intellectual. I like being conclusive, not exclusive. What we do is fashion that’s from our gut.
Yesterday, as I thought back to my IM conversations earlier in the week with friends PR maven, JONO WAKS, and CASI DENSMORE COON, Editor of www.cupcakemag.com, it hit me. I LOVE THE PRE-SHOW ASPECT OF FASHION WEEK BECAUSE IT REMINDS ME OF BEING A KID AND GETTING READ TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL. ALL OF A SUDDEN, I WAS 14 AGAIN, AND THE MOST PRESSING THING ON MY LABOUR DAY AGENDA WAS TO ORGANIZE THE OUTFITS [AND ACCESSORIES!] I'LL TAKE WITH ME ON WEDNESDAY A.M. when I check into the Cornell Club and officially start s/s2011 fashion week. THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF THE VERY ENTERTAINING ASPECT OF BEING A FASHION WRITER/EDITOR, IS THAT I'M WEARING FALL, BUT I'M PREVIEWING SPRING DESIGNS I WANT TO WEAR RIGHT NOW.
AFTER VIEWING THE SUPERLATIVE s/s 2010 PREVIEW ARTICLE in www.nymagazine.comFASHION TRIBES FRIEND, WRITER MARK BEHNKE EMAILED ME AS A "MUST READ" - I'M EXPECTING A FASHION WHITE OUT FOR SPRING. BY WHITE, THOUGH, DESIGNERS ARE EXERCISING A LOT OF CREATIVITY WITH IT, NOT JUST THROWING A BORING WHITE LINEN SUIT YOUR WAY OR WHIPPING UP DRESSES THAT YOU'D HESITATE TO WEAR FOR FEAR OF BEING MISTAKEN FOR A BRIDE. TAKE BINETTI. Buenos Aires born Diego Binetti tenured at Bulgari and Jill Stuart, and later founded his eponymous line in 2001. The Benetti bohemian chic collection is sold in over 60 storefronts across the United States and 22 countries worldwide. His upcoming collection will feature an "air" print, white chiffon infused with black china ink, and "the Bodice" mixes textures of metal beaded work and organza cutouts of fish scale shapes, all over delicate white tulle. After flipping through the 100 preview images from NY Mag's "The Cut" [referenced above], it seems that white + nature inspired detailing = a novel and romantic approach to wearing white and banishing black come spring.
One of the beauties of being “a fashion veteran” is that I can with all honesty say, “Oh, I’ve seen THAT before” – at least another version of whatever “that” is. TAKE THE MILITARY LOOK THAT’S ALL OVER THE PAGES OF SEPTEMBER’S HARPER’S BAZAAR. It pops u on pp. 308, 320, 396, 481, and 508. Flip through your issue or visit www.harpersbazaar.com, and it will pop right up at you. . I’M USING THE PREVIEWS I’VE BEEN SEEING AS AN INDICATOR THAT THE FALL MILIARY TREND WILL EXTEND INTO SPRING. MILITARY HISTORICALLY POPS BACK UP ON THE FASHION RADAR SCREEN IN TIMES WHEN THE ECONOMY IS IN A SLUMP. THE LAST WAVE WAS IN THE EARLY NINETIES, when I started out as a part-time PR Assistant to Michael Kors, reporting to the exotically gorgeous LEYLA BASAKINSKI.
My knee-jerk reaction was to run upstairs to my huge attic and pull-out my long black vintage Michael Kors coat. I still have and cherish it. The long sweeping coat was the first important piece I received as part of my clothing allowance while I started there, at the West 24th Street Studio, around the corner from the infamous BILLY’S TOPLESS. After mulling it over, I brought it down to take to the dry cleaner’s and started trying to figure out how I could make it current. For inspiration, I scanned the PEOPLE’S REVOLUTION preview pics for the upcoming s/s2011 NICHOLAS K Collection. Designer Nicholas Kunz, will be showing a “strong utilitarian inspired collection [which] takes on a rugged but avant-garde military vibe infused with dusty, earth color tones and a modern spin on classic looks.” Ms. Kunz’s latest effort implements a military color palette of rich army greens and browns, creams and navy blues. She updates it by adding striped checks and combinations such as woodland and fog camouflage. Little touches like the smoke colored aviator glasses and the high heeled lace-up booties help make a statement. The olive drab outerwear she'll be showing at her LINCOLN CENTER SHOW at the MERCEDES BENZ S/S NY SHOWS highlights the MILITARY FEEL of her spring collection. FEEL IS THE KEY HERE. JUST AN ELEMENT OR TWO WILL DO IT. Ms. Kunz's collection is interesting because it suggests that we'll be moving into UTILITARIANISM. If there were ever a time to be practical, this is it. Pundits and experts on www.cnbc.com are now predicting two more years of recession.
This is NOT a combat boot moment, which is a little scary, and too literal by far. You do NOT want to look as if you belong in the cast of the 1981 German Art house flick, “Das Boot” from the early nineties. THE SOLUTION TO UPDATING MILIARY LIES IN FOCUSING ON BORROWING THE COLORS ASSOCIATED WITH MILITARY. Michael Kors hits squarely on it with a soft olive sweater and skirt in his fall 2010 collection show accessorized with little cashmere cap and sexy brown leather sandals. Your take on military COULD BE A GREAT SHOE, LIKE THE CUTOUT CESARE PACIOTTIS FEATURED ON p. 508 of Harper’s Bazaar, or OLIVE AND BRONZE NAILCOLORS, IF YOU’RE THE CAUTIOUS SORT. If you’re stuck for ideas, have a look at www.netaporter.com. They’ve joined forces with Harper’s to teamed up to bring you some must-haves items, many retailing for under $500. THE BOTTOM LINE: TRY FOR A FEMINIZED VERSION OF THE LOOK. Atten-hut!
TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY Yesterday, at the Mall, I stopped into H&M to see if there was anything there that I could pick-up for under $40 that with my genius tailor’s nimble hands, could be elevated to be worthy to wear to the upcoming Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week. It took some time, but it was there – a safari dress, not in the usual khaki, but in the still fashionable gray. As I rubbed the fabric between my fingers I had visions of UBER-MODEL, LAUREN HUTTON, AT THE TOP OF HER GAME, CIRCA 1975. Transfixed on the floor at H&M, I was transported back to the age of that effortless “all-American dressing” that HALSTON and then RALPH LAUREN, did so well. [I still maintain that one of Ralph’s best-evers was his SAFARI COLLECTION, and those fragrance ads still hold-up, years later. Back home, while trolling galleries of images of Lauren, I came across a wonderful article on her life in this period, by Lee Wohlfert on www.maryellenmark.com
In May 1975, Lauren was an “IT GIRL”, and anyone who was anyone, raved about her style and specialness. She was on of then VOGUE EDITRIX, DIANA VREELAND’S DISCOVERIES. Said, Ms. Vreeland, “"She is the best of America," says Diana. "She is the person people want to look at. I am always amazed at how many moods she can project. Sometimes she has the eyes of a baby, the questioning look of a child. Then she has this very special electricity. Her reactions are so fast. I like her speed, her timing." This all leads back to the big question: WHAT can we expect to see at the spring/summer 2010 NY shows? Will designers go back to all-American dressing? There are hints in the September Vogue and Harper’s issues that just hit my doorstep, that we may be going back to that uncomplicated “American” look. TOMMY HILFIGER JUST INVESTED IN 6 PAGES OF JUST THIS LOOK – SEVENTIES TAILGAITING – in the front of the September book. A few pages before, there’s a spread for MICAHEL KORS. Long-time model, CARMEN KASS is in a classic camel coat and has a yummy brown satchel bag on the crook of her arm. The year could be 1970, and if you reverse the models’ hair color, they couple could well be ALI MCGRAW and RYAN O’NEIL in LOVE STORY.
I’m circling back tomorrow, and getting this dress and dropping it with Kaitlin at R&E Cleaners and Tailors. I'll be sporting my $39.95 find at Fashion Week, channeling a little bit of Lauren Hutton.
I won’t make any bones about it – when it comes to hair, I am the ultimate lazy girl. A year ago, I went over to visit Oribe and Zaki at the Oribe Salon in SOBE. When Oribe asked me what we were doing, I replied, “whatever you think will look good and require the very least amount of work.” He laughed and directed a member of the team to cut it really close and really cropped [think Jean Seaberg]. I loved the cut, and it's smashing on Madonna's ex-girlfriend? Ingrid Casares. Ingrid can pull it off in her androgynous pant suits, but I'm not longing for this mannish look - a little too Helmut Newton for my sensibilities.
A few months ago, after watching yet another installment of ‘MADMEN’, I decided to embrace retro – when it came to my hair. My goal would be to grow my no-particular style hair into the shape that looks great with a basic set, some teasing and serious hairspray.
To get there, I had ERIN SIMMONS, the owner of the AVEDA SHINE Salon, and an Aveda “Master Stylist” start shaping it in that direction. Amazingly, though there wasn’t very much of my hair on the floor, when she was done, my hair had the right shape. One more inch and a half, and I will have arrived. In the meantime, it’s all about “pushing the hair into place” and since I refuse to handle a blow dryer, I’ve had to investigate some new products. Just in time, Kaplow PR contacted me about some new NEXXUS products that would do just this. Erin and I tried 4 squirts of the clear, slightly sticky VERSASTYLER ARTISTIC DESIGNING LOTION. Like a miracle, it shaped my newly trimmed hair into the shape I wanted. The key is to let it dry for 15 minutes or so and then brush it with a rubber styling brush. Once done, spray it down with NEXXUS COMB THRU NATURAL HOLD DESIGN AND FINISHING MIST. Nothing is forever, so yes; it will fall apart in a Bikram yoga class or when you go running. The process is so easy thought, that it’s not a big deal. Now, if you don’t want to redo the process after a workout, there’s what I’m tagging as “the Hermes/guy option”. The model in the Hermes ad shown merely tied a scarf around her slicked-back hair and she’s ready to go out to dinner. The only styling product you need for this is your man’s MENSCIENCE Androceuticals ‘Styling Pomade’, which you can work though your hair, wet or dry. While Hermes is any fashion –loving girl’s first choice, I’m happy with my Jones of NY scarves. Should they get stained or wet from an unexpected rainstorm, my heart wouldn’t be broken as it would be if my Hermes got wet and the dye ran. Don't forget the finishing touch, two coats of NAILTINI Nail Lacquer in 'Bordeaux' with a coat of SALLY HANSEN Insta Dry, and you'll look as if you're off to Capri, ready to jump on a Vespa with a handsome Italian playboy.
TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY Images of the Resort Collection, Courtesy of Douglas Hannant As I settled into my seat in the blogger section [3rd row, section B] I read Douglas’ inspiration message and I too, was inspired. “Think Palm Springs California in its heyday and its sleek mid-century modern linear architecture…the paintings of the abstract expressionist…a pool party right out of the Slim Aarons photograph of Neutra’s famed Kaufman House. Cocktails anyone?”
Once the show kicked-off I kept an eye out for the above referenced ABSTRACT IMPRESSIONISM. There it was, in a white paillette beach bag with a black paillette Greek key motif splashed across it. – brilliant. Also relevant to the theme were the white/black splattered cocktail dresses. I loved the flow and ease of these draped pieces, black and white is forever elegant. If you prefer structure, you can wear the black and white, but as a sequin column gown with the same Greek Key motif as the beach bag. Next, came the midcentury part, covered by sharp little pink, turquoise and mint jackets and dresses. “That Girl” came to mind, well, if she blew her month’s salary as a secretary and splurged on that one special dress.
My favorite moment came when Sonia walked out in a white organza ruffle top worn over a white pique flared trouser. It is with items such as these that Douglas really shines. There was woman sitting front row who wore another of Dogulas’ looks from a previous collection, accessorized with a wide brimmed hat. That woman, in her white pleated pantsuit stole the show. While the arty dresses are interesting, and I love the color orange, it’s pieces such as these deceptively simple ones that make Douglas a Class A fashion designer. Soniia’s top and pant would have looked perfect on icon LIZ TAYLOR, when she was at the height of her berauty, as she appeared on the cover of this month’s Vanity Fair., on set while shooting ‘Suddenly Last Summer’ in 1959. THIS outfit is what Liz would have worn to a cocktail party at the Kaufman House.
