Oh hai! Just taking a break between show reviews and thought I’d report on what’s happening inside the Bryant Park tents and beyond!
- Things are buzzing backstage at Diane Von Furstenberg in preparation for her 4 p.m. show. All the in-house girls are wearing the colorful spring 09 dresses thanks to our “warm streak.” Diane arrived about an hour ago with her adorable grandchildren in tow and Whitney Port was spotted backstage as well.
When budgets are tight, beauty is the easiest way to embrace a trend and update your look. A frontrunner for the statement-making beauty trend of fall 2009 is the dark black/plum lipsticks at Catherine Holstein, pictured, and Rachel Roy.
This isn’t the trend for girls who like to pick a flattering shade of lipstick and stick with it in different incarnations throughout the seasons. But adventurers, please do visit sephora and test out some shades!
Max Azria went somber and sophisticated with his BCBG line for fall 2009. While there was lots of eveningwear, it wasn’t really the stuff that dance and bar night dresses are made of – BCBG’s usual niche. Beautiful draped velvets and modern silhouettes seemed made for an older customer than BCBG usually designs for. Perhaps Azria’s plan is to shift BCBG a bit upmarket and hold onto the girls who wore the line in their younger days to make room for BCBGeneration’s younger customer.
Malon Breton unveiled his Fall 09 collection at Eli Klein Fine Art last night in Soho in leu of Fashion Week. Models stood like statues giving guests a close up look and feel at fabric, color and craftsmanship. Breton, a Project Runway alumni showcased a ton of soft silk and shantung fabric- adorned with mesh overlays and loose draping. My favorite piece was a feathered high collar ballero jacket in black. It was a real joy to see in person. You can only adore him more for the time that went into this piece! Other hot items include a bright red shantung high collared jacket paired with glossy leggings and red patent leather heels. Breton is popular in Hollywood and has dressed a ton of celebrities including Minnie Driver, Martha Plimpton and Jody Whatley. You can learn more about Malan Breton by clicking here.
The scene: Stark bright white light and falls, with the bright colors of the Janet Kim’s designs standing out like jewels.
The fashion: Wavy patterns on flowy fabrics – grays, fuchsia, tangerine and black mingled with lace tights and high heeled T straps. The dresses were a sweet mix of tank dresses and doll dresses, some with sheer inlays.
“I wanted fun, surprising combinations- bright colors with lace and knits that show off a woman’s body in a subtle and feminine way,” Kim said.
Shoes by Kathryn Kerrigan Shoes, and necklaces by SISU, by Sarah Johnson.
Unfortunately, her famous family (and their significant others) remains the best thing about Charlotte Ronson’s fashion line, as far as I can tell. Samantha Ronson and Lindsay Lohan were on hand for the fall 09 collection, as were Mark Ronson and The Like drummer Tennessee Thomas. The clothing was sort of amateurish styling of Marc Jacobs parodies. I did like the floral print used, and the floral shirt dress after the jump was one of the pieces I enjoyed from the show.
My favorite was Carmen Marc Valvo’s dress, too bad Katie Couric puts on such an annoying show of “OMG, like I can’t believe I’m DOING THIS! I’m a serious journalist!” Yeah, right. Joining Ms. Couric were Jenni Garth in Badgley Mischka, Brittany Snow in Marchesa and Tori Spelling in Betsey Johnson, among others.
Check out our gallery of the fashions by clicking on the image below.
Halston decided early on, before the economy went bottoms up, that it would forfeit a runway show at New York Fashion Week for a video presentation instead. Later today the full video will be sent via email showcasing Halston’s A/W 2009-10 line, which will shortly be followed by a look book and an invitation to see the collection at their showroom. But for now, you can check out this sneak peek of the video starring model Dree Hemingway running through the streets of New York. Click play to watch above.
Fall 09 New York Fashion Week is here! We’re excited, and we hope you are too. The first show on the official schedule is happening right now – The Heart Red Truth’s Red Dress Collection – and we’ll have pictures for you asap. For some stray fashion week gossip/observations, keep reading.
As the international fashion weeks roll out, we’re still processing everything we saw in New York – especially as a lot of it has shown up in London and Milan.
From bluemarine to seafoam, colors inspired by the sea are big for spring 2009. While blue and white are often used in combo, it’s anything but nautical – much more chic and streamlined.
Above are some of the more innovative blues we saw on the runways – from Jonathan Saunders, Tuleh and Peter Som. Tuleh took the colors of a seaside sunset straight from the landscape for his skirt suit and Som’s design captures all the colors of the ocean.
Now that the madness of New York Fashion Week has ended, I have a bit more time to contemplate what I saw walking down the runways. Florals were big again for spring, but there were fewer romantic gardens and more modern, artistic looks. I loved the long brushstroke stripe-y feel of the prints at Rodarte, Michael Angel and Diane von Furstenberg, above. While Kate and Laura Mulleavy used their swirling colors to create movement and add shape to stunning effect at Rodarte, Michael Angel’s watercolors were my favorites. The fluidity of the print gives the fluidity of the fabric an extra oomph, making it more chic than boho. Sure, a hippy-chick might wear these shapes, but she’s no flower child living in a van. She has a more meticulous, cultivated look. Diane von Furstenberg’s prints were just perfect for a party, they look fun and easy. Just what you want after being released from winter’s layers.
To see how desigers rethought florals for 09, keep reading. Also, to see more pics and a review of each collection, click on that designer’s name.
Tadashi Shoji’s Spring 2009 collection was perfect for the girl who wants to look beautiful without standing out too much. With the exception of a few pieces done in sunburst yellow (a very nice shade that is in between lemon and fluorescent yellow) and ultramarine, most of the pieces remained in a neutral color palette and without too many frills.
Carmen Marc Valvo’s Spring 2009 collection was aptly titled Plain Geometry. Though there was nothing simple about CMV’s intricately overlaid fabrics and seemingly effortlessly draped gowns, the collection had a clear emphasis on basic geometry. A handful of looks utilized satin ribbons woven to create a checker board of squares — a black silk ribbon basket woven strapless cocktail dress and an ivory basked woven one-piece swimsuit stood-out from the bunch.
Michelle Smith’s Milly collection was a complete throwback to the 1960′s. The models strutted down the runway in yellow, purple and green. The flowy dresses and tops were made of chiffon and tie-dyed to reflect an era that designers seem to replicate often.
From:Trend Alert: Grecian style dresses