Category — New York Fashion Week

Diane Von Furstenburg is all about woman empowerment so there was no surprise to see her collection entitled; “American Legends” reflecting this very theme. The collection featured wide-brimmed hats, fringed suede boots, silk button-downs with contrast tipping and gaunchos with gold snaps. Furstenburg really pushed the envelope with this collection which really emulated the fearless and confident woman. Eccentric prints and bolds were the front-runners of this collection. So to all you ladies who adore the minimalist look – this collection is not for you! One of the most eye-popping pieces in this collection was the aloe green vest paired with a misty green charmeuse blouse and green pants – here’s that for color!  But the finale piece was truly the whole collection summed up into one — confidence! The last piece was a sequined dress which not just any woman could wear; this dress is for the confident woman who is not afraid to hold her own. Great job, Ms. Furstenburg!

For this fall season Marc Jacobs decided to mix in a bit of seventies and forties trends; the show steered away from Marc’s original persona which is usually flamboyant to a more grown-up edge. Some of the eye catching looks in this season were Marc’s fox-collared trench and an A-line blanket coat which would have done wonders on an actress in an old vintage Hollywood film. The feeling of the forties era came on full force when chevron-patterned velvets, a corduroy suit with a belted jacket, a sweater dress, and satin shorts with a matching top came staggering down the runway! Ankle socks paired with heels also brought out the forties feel for the upcoming fall season.

The Marc by Marc Jacobs fall collection wouldn’t be complete without adding a little more edge to the collection and so it was done. The collection highlighted the fierce 70’s by featuring a metallic leather jacket and culottes, a jade green silk dress, and a printed silk jumpsuit – that’s the Marc by Marc Jacobs brand we know and love! But as usual, Jacobs designed a collection that appeals to the masses including the younger generation. This is astounding because when the younger generation, hear “40’s” they automatically think a boring conservative look! And for “70’s” it’s usually, this look has been done! But Jacobs found a way to make these looks fresh, chic, and classic like only he can.

Since first seeing Thakoon’s designs in VOGUE’s “September Issue” documentary I knew that Thakoon was onto bigger! It is no surprise to me that Thakoon really pushed the envelope with this collection and pulled out all the stops. The inspiration behind his fall collection was the costumes of Versailles and clothes worn by the Kenyan tribe – interesting, huh? These two juxtaposing terms are extremely different, but somehow Thakoon made it all work. His first runway look was a puffer jacket with detachable panniers – channeling Marie Antoinette; but with red and blue plaid fabric inspired by African warriors. Another captivating piece from this enticing collection was a short-in-front, long-in-back ball skirt inspired from yellow floral batik. A fitting vest in the buffalo plaid was worn over cropped pants in an African paisley print. Reading this review may give you the impression that this collection is filled with pieces that people won’t actually wear. If you think this way, you have thought wrong! This collection actually has a very sporty feel to it, Thakoon describes the collection as being, “fanciful, but pavement.” Style.com calls this collection Thakoon’s most freshest and most alive collection in a while.

While I was in New York for fashion week, I had time to slip in a visit to Furi Design’s NYC showroom. This was probably one of my favorite parts of the trip, because I got to preview their Fall 2011 collection up close and personal. Everyone I dealt with was so nice, considering I was late because I went to a completely wrong location at first and had to backtrack to the Garment District. Oops!

Furi Design is a fairly new, Montreal-based label, designed by Susan Gauvin and Steven Lee, that originally focused on making outerwear but has since branched into creating everyday RTW separates. The Furi aesthetic is minimalist and for the fashion and quality conscious, but not for those who need to keep up every trend the minute it’s introduced. Each piece can easily be dressed up or down to according to your personal style. These pieces are timeless, the kind that you keep forever. Furi emphasizes clean lines and silhouettes, and their knack for detail rivals no other. I wish there was a way I could convey in words how amazing the fabrics and colors are, but my pictures will have to do. In fact, my pictures don’t even do these pieces justice. The folks at Furi let me try on some outerwear samples, and let me tell you, it was hard to take them off. They were so comfortable and flattering and luxuriously soft. The jackets and coats are made out of a pure virgin wool and have linings like the inside of a man’s suit jacket. The tops, dresses and skirts are made out of a cotton wool blend, which Furi describes “as soft as a sweatshirt, but as stylish and classic as a little black dress.”

These are the pictures from my visit to Furi’s showroom, and yours truly attempting to rock the outerwear.

Below are images from Furi Design’s Fall 2011 lookbook, courtesy of Furi.

While I was in New York City last month for New York Fashion Week, I had the extreme pleasure of meeting up with singer, former personal assistant and FIDM fashion student/intern, Indigo Charlie. She was an absolute doll and we chatted like old friends over dinner at my hotel, The Bentley Hotel (which was beyond chic). So much so, that I almost forgot we were there for an interview, haha! After I snapped back into reality, Indigo & I touched on her first music video (very cinematic and fashion forward), her upcoming second music video, how she became Solange Knowles’ personal assistant, her excitement and experience working for BCBG & Max Azria at New York Fashion Week F/W 2011 & much more.

Check out the Youtube video of our interview..

Photo Credit: Carmen Chan/Last Photo Credit: Teena Leone

The third and final show I had the pleasure of attending was House of Versatile Styles (HVS) by Bukola Are. Instead of a traditional runway show, Are opted to show her collection in the ever-popular “presentation” style. More designers are catching on to this method, as it allows the attendees to really see the clothes up close and personal. This worked in Are’s favor because this collection was all about details and texture. Are used fabrics that were inspired by her travels, such as satin lame, swiss lace, and sequence prints from West Africa. I can also see subtle influences from decades past, namely the 60s and 80s. Much like Keo, this collection is dripping with bold colors and is also not for those who want to play it safe.

For this presentation, HVS partnered with FSL cosmetics and Olas Handbags. The models wore a shade of FSL lip color created exclusively for HVS inspired by the fall collection dubbed Purple Goddess. All handbags used in the show were made by Olas Handbags and were meant to compliment the clothes and accessories in the presentation.

Unlike the previous shows I attended, I was able to take more photos at HVS due to the style of presentation. Here are the highlights: