Fresh New Talent at NYFW – Samantha Pleet’s s/s2012 Collection

Samantha Pleet – a Brooklyn Family Affair- one to watch

Text, Laura Wood & Vivian Kelly

“When you put it [a SP dress] on, it drapes and conforms to your body. It’s all about the designs conforming to peoples’ bodies and working with their figures.”

- Designer Samantha Pleet -

We obtained the above quote after Laura attended  Ms. Pleet’s s/s2012 NYFW event; a cross between a show and a presentation in a loft space. The models came out and posed on cubes for a while  to be replaced by a new group for the crowd to study and snap some pics.

From a human-interest angle, we loved the “family affair” aspect of this collection. The designer’s Father enthusiastically greeted guests. It was obvious that this young designer has her Dad’s unconditional support. That, paired with the flowing champagne gave the whole thing a fun, bubbly upbeat vibe, which suits the clothes we saw to a T. The family theme goes further. Samantha’s husband designed the fabrics, all of these original prints are exclusive to the Samantha Pleet line.  Our favorites were pieces that used the unique prints with traditional silhouettes.

The trompe d’oeil prints made the already small model’s waist look as if it were two inches wide in the “feather suit” – a stylish one piece maillot. Other favorite were the sleeveless fly away dress, immortal dress, shadow cape and the chronical blazer and novel shorts. The overall effect was eye-catching without being costume-y.

Shortly after NYFW, we walked the Capsule Trade Show and got to meet Samantha, who was showing the collection to an enthusiastic crowd of buyers. Despite the non-stop pace she’s been keeping over the past few months, she took some time out to talk to us one on one about her design aesthetic and unique fashions.

Click on the Video below to hear our interview.

For more information on this exciting new designer and her designs, visit her stylishly indie website, Samantha Pleet.

Tadashi Shoji Spring 2012 Show at Lincoln Center

Text, Vivian Kelly

This collection’s floral theme was in evidence before the show even started. I had enough time pre-show to inspect the head of the runway, which usually just has the designer’s name and/or logo projected onto it. That’s basic but a bit ho-hum after about 10 shows, so it was refreshing to see the green sprig and floral backdrop, which had us thinking, “spring, flowers”.

From the preview, I already knew that the tulip was a focal point of inspiration, but  the preview sketch didn’t prepare me for how beautiful the tie dye short sleeve bellskirted dresses would be and how the colors so closely mimicked  the pigmentation of an actual tulip bloom.

This was the strongest grouping, but there was a lot more for both day and evening dressing that was also noteworthy. The multiple tiered chiffon and tulle dresses  were simple, beautiful, and simply beautiful. Next came dresses in marigold yellow, carnation, peony pin and one sublime print – a kind of broken-up floral. Designers such as Shoji, Mara Hoffman and Custo Dalmau have been using these digitized prints for a while now to create prints that suggest a specific flower or object and make an interesting alternative to a straight-forward print. It’s no wonder that young stylish celebs such as Blake Lively wear Tadashi Shoji to events where they know they’ll be photographed from every possible angle and have to look perfect. I’d like to see her in this yellow one-shoulder dress.

Touches such as ruffled necklines that imitated crushed flowers further attested to the Mr. Shoji’s creative prowess and technical skills. There were one shoulder designs that were both pretty and refined and not the least bit Eighties retro. The designer departed from floral at the end and showed gown after gown in the season’s nude for evening, which demonstrated his shirring and draping technical skill, as they defined the models’ busts and waists in the most flattering way possible.

The finale floral gown though, took the cake. It was a combination of  everything that was right with this collection:  the floral print. draping, ruching, one-shoulder and flowing fabric that looked as light as air.  Thanks to this collection, spring/summer 2012 NY is a season that I won’t be forgetting any time soon.

>Mark Indelicato aka “Justin Suarez” of Ugly Betty was backstage at Duckie Brown

>

var addthis_config = {“data_track_clickback”:true};
Text, Vivian Kelly

Mark Indelicato aka “Justin Suarez” of Ugly Betty was backstage at Duckie Brown, gamely posing for the photogs and video crews who pounced on him once they realized who the slight extravagantly dressed boy was.

Mr. Indelicato is a perfect example of someone [man or woman – does it even matter?] who “does his own thing”. He looked great, but what he was wearing would have looked just as good on a woman, the right woman, one who is secure in her own style.

This is pretty much the point. Why can’t a man wear women’s clothes and vice-versa? Duckie designers Steven Cox and Daniel Silver ponder the question in our pre-show interview, which will run next week.

In the meantime, here’s a short clip of Mark Indelicato talking about his personal style and his thoughts on Duckie Brown.

Weight-in on this post! It is:

amusing

informative

snarky

Makes me want to buy it

>Jeweler Ranjana Khan, Backstage at the Naeem Khan s/s2011 Show

>

var addthis_config = {“data_track_clickback”:true};

A great fashion show is memorable because of the clothes, the hair, the makeup, the styling and the accessories.
I’m dedicating this post to one of the supporting players who helped make the Naeem Khan s/s2011 show a memorable and fitting end to NYFW.

Like her husband, Naeem, Ranjana creates beautiful, high-end products, which are sold at top retailers Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Harrods.
Around two years ago, Ranjana made a career change and shut down her Phoenix Hand Embroidery Company, which worked with some of fashion’s top houses including: Stella McCartney, Jean Paul Gaultier and Lanvin. Remember those tulle-covered pearls at Lanvin? If you never got one of those wonderful bib Lanvin necklaces, don’t despair, Ranjana RK for HSN black ribbon bib necklace
at $229.90 qualifies as “fashion” for about one zero less at the end of the higher end version.
Before you wrinkle your nose at the name “HSN [Home Shopping Network] have a good look first. Her lower-priced RK for HSN represents the “low” end of the equation – but it, unlike Rachel Zoe’s faux coyote vest for QVC, looks anything but down-market.
On the “high” side of the spectrum is the Leather-trim bib with black lava rocks with marble and onyx stones in various shapes and sizes, available at Neiman’s for $950.
These two necklaces, and the crystal silk drop earrings
exemplify how Ranjana has successfully straddled high-low accessorizing. And finally, at the very tip top of the high-end side are the unique pieces she collaborated on with Naeem for his latest collection. I got to see the ones that didn’t make it onto the runway and each and every one of them was a stunner.

Weight-in on this post! It is:

amusing

informative

snarky

Makes me want to buy it

>The Academy of Art University s/s2011 Show

>

var addthis_config = {“data_track_clickback”:true};

TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY
Photos by Randy Brooke
This season, the Academy of Art University student show 2011 show premiered six women’s wear and one men’s wear collections. The AAU show is one of my favorite shows on the bi-annual NYFW lineup. It’s not just because I’m an online instructor for AAU’s Fashion Department – it’s much more than that.

People in fashion tend to be jaded, to great or lesser degrees, which comes from constant rejection and the risk of “putting yourself out there” when you present your creative body of work, whether it be your modeling, writing, PR, styling, or design talent.
What’s different at the AAU backstage scene is the sense of “feels like the first time” excitement that just can’t be duplicated. The atmosphere is stressful, of course – what backstage scene isn’t? but I stayed far longer than I’d intended, caught-up in the festive atmosphere, and arrived late at the Assouline Book Party uptown at the Plaza.
Being late was worth seeing the little girls dancing and posing about in the brightly colored dresses that were inspired by a number of British influences including cricket, the television series “Brideshead Revisited,” British interiors, and the uniforms
of Oxford University.
The eclectic dresses were a collaboration between textile designers, a group of Technical Designers, Fashion Designers and Textile Design students all working together. As Oprah so famously said, “It takes a village”.

After stopping to chat with AAU’s Dino Ray Ramos, he took me over to meet
Maria Korovilas, M.F.A. Fashion Design. On the way there, I stopped to admire Cara Chiapetta‘s Helmut Newton-y black dress, thinking how professional it looked. No wonder, Cara’s won the Fashion Group Foundation Scholarship, and participated in an LVMH Creative Briefing Design Challenge, interned for N.I.C.E. Collective, as well as for Michael Kors. Her muse for this collection was Bridget Fonda’s character Nina in the film “The Point of No Return”.

A small gaggle of photographers and I were transfixed by the incredible tambour beading coat
Maria was applying some final touches to. Simultaneously working and speaking, she explained that she was resewing some of the nuts and bolts “just in case” to avoid a disaster on the runway [like the metal bits falling off - that did not happen]. Tambour Beading is a specialty which originated in 1770, and was established in Paris by Charles de Saint- Aubin.
There were workrooms dedicated to making beadwork for the French court, who prized these intricately worked garments.
After completing classes in Tambour Beading at AAU’s School of Fashion, Maria incorporated metal encrusted pieces and details into her collection. The hand beading took her over 600 hours to complete. The starting point of her inspiration was the Jenny Lewis song “You Are What
You Love” from which she pulled visual and conceptual references for her collection.

Weight-in on this post! It is:

amusing

informative

snarky

Makes me want to buy it

>The Joanna Mastroianni and Elene Cassis s/s2011 Collections

>
var addthis_config = {“data_track_clickback”:true};

TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY
The last lap of NYFW ended nicely thanks to the highly wearable retro inspired dresses we saw the last afternoon of shows. Once we arrived at the Mastroianni studio, I was happy to have braved the drizzle.
There was a definite sixties vibe at
Joanna Mastroianni’s s/s2011 collection, which she unveiled as a laid-back presentation at her Manhattan atelier. The atmosphere was more akin to a swank cocktail party at an art gallery, rather than yet another presentation. It was the chicly cozy white space, the designer’s adorable Pomeranian, Natasha, and house mascot, and above all, the clothes.

Twentieth century English potter,
Clarice Cliff, was Ms. Mastroianni’s muse for this collection. Cliff was known for her cheerful patterns, vibrant colors, and bold outlines. The pottery’s collage effect
works well with Mastroianni’s signature, mixed-media treatments that combined embroidery, patent leather and a palette of sunshine yellow, tangerine, chartreuse, lapis and black and white. The run of show notes made further reference to the role of pop culture in this collection. “Some sculpted shapes reference the Sixties to satisfy our current fascination with midcentury modern aesthetics escalated by “Mad Men.”
There was a definite sixties reference, particularly when it came to the black and white bracelet sleeve collarless jacket and a YSL Mondrian style colorblock mini dress with patent leather detailing. Modern of the moment accessories such as Lucite sandals and the popular runway hair [Barbie doll updos] made it look updated rather than just a straight blast back to the past.

Right after, we made our way West in the rain to see
Elene Cassis’ s/s2011 collection show.
Elene Cassis was the perfect show to go to after seeing Joanna Mastroianni’s collection. Both designers referenced the sixties, but each did it in their own way. While Joanna showed an orange strapless chiffon dress,
Elene Cassis countered with a long sleeved one in linen. Joanna’s color blockdresses juxtaposed black and white with pops of color and Elena’s played black and white off each other with interesting detailing
such as colored pentagon shapes and pointed collars.

Both versions looked great. Best at Elene Cassis was her pretty “Lauren” peony print dress
meant for a romantic night in the Caribbean.

Weight-in on this post! It is:

amusing

informative

snarky

Makes me want to buy it

>Neiman Marcus’ Ken Downing: Fashion V. Clothes, post #4

>var addthis_config = {“data_track_clickback”:true};

TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY, w/ Contributions by Mark Behnke of www.fashiontribes.com

We caught up with Ken Downing, Neiman Marcus’ SVP and Director for Stores, to get a retailer’s perspective on Fashion V. Clothes outside the Catherine Malandrino presentation. I say “outside” which made it all the more frustrating, even for heavy-hitters such as Ken. The crowd of onlookers was so thick, that even Ken had problems getting into the cordoned-off viewing area. Once I secured a spot, it seemed that the media-genic Malandrino, who’s been tapped to design Lacoste, over-indulged her inner hippie. Much of what she designed appeared to be mostly crochet garments that looked…odd, even on the sub-size zero models posing in the Lincoln Center courtyard.

Ken made the droll comment, “Women do not want to look like they just dipped into a vintage trunk to get dressed.”

He went on to say that his customers text and email him constantly, asking him what he thinks is new and great, and most importantly, is there something for them he’s seen? They’re very conscious of what designers are showing, but they rely on him – heavily – to make sure they look trendy, but not like foolish fashion victims.
Ken’s experience at Neiman’s is similar to the one Ballietes’ co-owner, Bob Benham,
has but on a somewhat smaller scale.
Bob told us he also gets texts and calls on his phone about special pieces his best clients want after they’ve viewed the latest styles on sites such as www.style.com. He hedges his bets by collaborating with similar high-end specialty stores. Lela Rose is one of the biggest sellers in his Oklahoma City based boutique.

Fortuitously, right after our chat with Ken, I was able to get a good look at one section of the Malandrino presentation. What I saw was dismaying – crochet sweaters that were a way too literal take on the “flower power”
years, and frayed leggings

that looked like something a Bon Jovi groupie might have worn back in the eighties. It is extremely hard to believe that sophisticated women in New York, Boston, D.C., Chicago or Dallas would want to blast back so literally to the past. A reference is just that, a reference, not a straight-out reinterpretation of the past.
While it’s commendable to try something different, the risk is that a designer [as we witnessed at Sinister] can fall flat on their face doing so. This brings to mind joke about the “cutting-edge” sweater with three arms. Why?? Who is actually wearing that?

Vintage can be done right. Fashion has been preoccupied with vintage and many fashionable women have worn vintage pieces with pride and looked great. I’ll be discussing that some more in a post later this week, which features Joanna Mastroianni and Elene Cassis. The Look On Line’s Marilyn Kirschner
always looks amazing and I can’t remember a day I haven’t seen her wearing something vintage. She is one of The New York Times Bill Cunningham’s favorite subjects to snap because of her highly individual style. The word “something” is key. Marilyn’s look works because she incorporates vintage into her look and does not wear it literally, or look like she fell into the vintage bin. In the end, if the women reject it [the collection], it’s clothes. If they accept it, it’s fashion.

Weight-in on this post! It is:

amusing

informative

snarky

Makes me want to buy it

>Dick Page for Shiseido, Backstage at United Bamboo s/s2011

>var addthis_config = {“data_track_clickback”:true};

TEXT, Vivian Kelly
Video, Lisa Johnson

Dick Page, Artistic Director for Shiseido is the man when it comes to doing polished makeup with one distinct element that has you looking again at the model’s face.
That was the unifying thread between the different looks he created for these NYFW shows Zero + Maria Cornejo, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Narciso Rodriguez
Michael Kors, United Bamboo and Band of Outsiders.
I first became aware of Dick and his work in the late nineties, when my boss, Michael Kors, hired him to do the spring show. Michael had decided to show at Bryant Park and wanted some edge to the look. Show Producer Alex de Betak thought it would be interesting to do something on the dangerous side [a departure from the beautiful glamazons Bobbi Brown used to help create in the prior seasons.].
He referenced Brian de Palma’s 1984 thriller, ‘Body Double’, starring a dangerously somewhat punk Melanie Griffith,

“A well built woman who strips with her window open each night” who tempted ‘Jake”, who was house sitting for his actor-friend, ‘Frank’. Jake becomes obsessed with meeting her and gets caught in a bizarre web of murder and intrigue.

These days, Dick is still doing Michael’s show, and is among the most sought-after editorial stars for runway shows, and he’s added commercial and theatrical projects to his body of work. Add to that, his job as Artistic Director for Shiseido, and doing the makeup for a Broadway Play. His collaboration with Shiseido started way back in 1997, when he worked on the Japanese-based INOUI line, which he helped to relaunch in 2002 as Inoui ID. In 2007, he was named Artistic Director of Shiseido The Makeup, in which he’s a color creator and Product Developer for the brand- worldwide. The best part about this is that now we can go to the counters in the USA and pick-up the shades he’s created rather than begging a friend to ship it to us from Japan.

In our interview backstage, pre-United Bamboo, Dick showed us a gorgeous new color he was excited about,Dragon Red [a best-selling Shiseido lipstick] with some gold flecks in it”. On the other side of the spectrum, is a beige-gold color that is pretty, and anything but “EMU”. This nude-ish color is perfect if you’re looking to channel a look seen in the Michael Kors Collections ads, in which Carmen Kass looks natural and polished, each and every season. The ideal lip color to achieve this look is Shiseido Rouge Perfect Lipstick in Dune [BE310], which he used later that week for the Michael Kors s/s2011 show.
Another great look is the bold, fun one Dick created for Marc by Marc Jacobs. The eye-catching red lip at Marc Jacobs – Shiseido Makeup Perfect Rouge Lipstick in Day Lily (OR418) is on my fall makeup buy list.

The atmosphere at United Bamboo was decidedly more mellow than backstage at a Marc or Michael show, so we had time for some fun questions, in addition to the usual, “So, what’s your inspiration?” ones.

I found-out a few things about Dick that I didn’t’ know before our informal pre-show chat.
#1: Dick is a Pilates Fan.
#2: Dick was a butcher, in a previous lifetime, before he began his second career is being one of the world’s top makeup artists.
#3: He’s got one foot into his third and fourth careers –
doing photography, and working on the makeup for a Broadway Play.

Weight-in on this post! It is:

amusing

informative

snarky

Makes me want to buy it

>Molly Grad’s s/s2011 Gottex Collection

>

var addthis_config = {“data_track_clickback”:true};

TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY

I first met Molly Grad at Mercedes Benz Swim in Miami last year, when Lou Iacovelli introduced us, telling me she was stepping-into Gideon Oberson’s shoes at Gottex. I wondered if she shared Gideon’s point of view – that one should dress for the pool.
I was dubious. Gideon Oberson was the Karl Lagerfeld of swimwear. I wondered if Molly [or anyone for that matter] could live up to his high standards. My guess was that Molly would go for a harder, more avant-garde take on Gottex. I envisioned lots of shiny latex, something Helmut Newton-esque, perhaps. This, I based on research, in which I discovered that the Central Saint Martins grad had some beautifully edgy demi-couture collection under her belt. The collection dated from London Fashion Week 2006, but the exaggerated silhouettes and glam factor were already in place.

After viewing Molly’s first Gottex collection at NYFW, I stopped doubting.
The first show she did featured just such a Newton-esque suit, and I loved it, as did every editor I spoke with post-show. While more “modern”, like Gideon’s Gottex, Molly’s Gottex was about suits made for posing and partying- not do laps – in. In that sense, she’d succeeded, on her first outing, but I wanted more of those sexy suits. They fit the Gottex brand, but they were younger, more modern.
My wish was granted at the s/s2011 show.
The models looked as if they were on their way to a night of parties, in which they’d hop from yacht
to yacht, moored on the Pointe Croisette.
Maybe the night’s festivities would include stopping-off at the bar at the Hotel Majestic Cannes, for drinks and then finish-up at someone’s fabulous villa for some pre-dawn
partying. The music at the show, [watch video], the gorgeous red sun at the top of the runway, the done hair all added to the louche fantasy.

Weight-in on this post! It is:

amusing

informative

snarky

Makes me want to buy it

>The Siki Im s/s2011 Collection

>

var addthis_config = {“data_track_clickback”:true};

TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY
Our first stop during NYFW, that is, our first real show, was to see the Siki Im Men’s Collection. Like in the old days, just getting to the West 25th Street show space was an adventure onto itself. The scary taxi garage cage elevator ride to one of the floors upstairs was worth it though.
Even if the collection had been a dud [it was not], getting to admire the vintage silver Jag preshow a colleague pointed out was worth the haul.

Sitting on the dirty windowsill, I felt as I’d been thrown back to the late eighties when the coolest clubs were those with no sign on the door – you just had to know where and when the party was going on.
This was a well-executed presentation – the models were posed like mannequins, holding their poses so long I almost forgot they were live human beings. It was impossible not to get a good look.
The clothes were of the “whiteout”
variety Fashion Tribes Editor/Writer, Mark Behnke, and I had predicted we’d be seeing a lot of earlier this week, when we were packing-up our bags to go to the City for the eight days of shows. The collection was more than just a grouping of white tops and pants. The s/s2011 Siki Im collection presented a daring alternative take on menswear. There was a white Jesus of Nazareth linen tunic, and a gray coat with Karate Kid
style stitching for lapels.
When a designer goes in a more avant-garde direction, there’s bound to be a few things that don’t work so well. What could have been left out was the black matte/sheer jacket
that looked too much like Vera Wang’s famous bridal “illusion” panel and the awkward HAZMAT style oxfords.
We gave our vote for “best in show” to the slim black linen suit accessorized with a backward baseball cap that had black leather strips hanging down, giving it a vaguely Lawrence of Arabia

feeling.
This is the kind of collection, like Duckie Brown and Petrou Man that is designed for men who dare to step outside the box and take their clothes and fashion seriously.

Weight-in on this post! It is:

amusing

informative

snarky

Makes me want to buy it