Ralph Lauren's runway show was the perfect way to kick off the last day of New York's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Skylight Studios was transformed into the quintessential American drawing room compete with crown moldings, a black and white diamond tiled floor, massive onyx crystal chandeliers, and black velvet tufted cushions on the custom-built bleacher style seating. Upon entering, one had the distinct feeling of being in a rarified atmosphere, the perfect setting for the most aspirational of American brands.
The pre-show milling was a gentle waltz of fashion's top editors and arbiters of style. Teri Agins chatted with Ebay's Constance White. Kate Lanphear and her signature platinum hair cut through the crowd as she dashed for her seat. Stefano Tonchi of T Magazine looked as distinguished as always. Carine Roitfeld of Vogue Paris leaned in conspiratorially with Purple Magazine'sOlivier Zahm. Signature tresses dotted the audience, including Lynn Yeager's crimson bob, Allure's Linda Wells perfect blond part, and the unmistakable tresses of Vanity Fair'sGraydon Carter.Glenda Bailey of American Harper's Bazaar held court while opposite her the full Vogue contingent both Grace Coddington and Anna Wintour, Sally Singer, Virginia Smith and the boys, Andre Leon Talley and Hamish Bowles, sat serenely.
The show opened with all the signature style that makes Ralph Lauren famous as a lifestyle brand. Layered knits, iridescent velvets, tweeds and chiffon all conspired to create timeless looks that fit the city-to-country lifestyle. The earthy color palette included moss, slate, black currant and espresso, the perfect complement to any manicured lawn or hunt club.
The collection then progressed into silhouettes that were perfect for the young American woman just back from her first Grand Tour of Europe. Flirty, Parisian-style ruffled skirts under English country tweeds were shown with a dash of American style, with wide belts and fur trimmed crocodile embossed high-heeled leather booties. Lauren used featherweight suede where other designers would only dare to use chiffon. The ruffled blouses and tunics in suede were strikingly chic and sophisticated.
Variety may be the spice of life, but for the Ralph Lauren woman it rules the day. Lauren presented riding pants in all possible variations, but most notably with cropped shearling vests. Lauren also offered his customer all manner of structured shoulders from '80s power-shoulder to the utterly romantic leg-of-mutton version. No collection would be complete with Little Black Dress options and Lauren did not fail to present several amazing options. The ones you'll be sure to see in all the magazines and party pics are the loose fitting Deco era dresses with Erte style beading and sequins as well as the graphite floral beaded slip dress. Deceptive in their simplicity, these dresses are effortlessly beautiful.
Mid-show, to the strains of Michael Jackson's Billy Jean, Lauren presented a romantic puff-sleeved garnet silk velvet evening column that seemed to float as gracefully as rose petals as the model glided down the runway.
Floral prints lent a touch of jeune fille to the collection. The Parisian influence continued in looks that featured classic ruffles and airily draped silk georgette and were named for the famous districts of Paris – the Marais, St. Germain and Montparnasse. As the final look of the model parade marked the end of the show, the applause was deafening. Lauren took his designer's walk as the Europeans do – to the very end of the runway, smiling and clasping hands with old friends and new – the very model of the lifestyle that every Ralph Lauren women either already leads or aspires to.
Summary: On a different day, Naeem Khan's fall collection could have looked more Upper East Side than rocker-chic: gilded, fur-laden and heavily adorned, it had all the fanciful, over-the-top trappings of a lady who lunches. But somehow—by way of the models' over-the-knee boots and dominatrix shoes, teased-top hair, or perhaps simply the 80s rock music blaring in the background—it all looked incredibly tough and enviably posh all at once.
Like many others this season, this was not a PETA-friendly show: fox fur, ostrich feathers and crocodile were just a few of the textures thrown into the mix, layered with chains, studs, brocade and pailette patterns. But what could very easily have been much too much ended up looking just right, the luxe and tough details counterbalanced in exactly the right amount. Vests were everywhere: thrown atop skirts, dresses and gowns; both cropped and oversized; in materials ranging from leather to feather.
Supremely confident, very sexy and—dare I say—inspiring, watching this collection reminded me of trailing after that cool older girl that I always wanted to be, and demonstrated again that it's not just what you wear, but how you wear it.
Color Palette: Black, cream, navy, red, metallics, gunmetal
Key Looks: Circular metal paillette long-sleeve trumpet gown with crocodile brocade motorcycle vest; Circular mirror and bullion beaded sleeveless sheath with open back; Pebbled silk chiffon halter gown with necklace detail and high front; Chenille and gunmetal embroidered gilet with fox fur trim and grey flannel trumpet skirt; Crystal and filigree floral strapless tulle gown with ostrich and marabou beaded hoodie vest; Diamond pattern distressed gold bead slip gown in nude tulle; Sleeveless organza ball gown with abstract beaded skirt and crystal beaded v-back bodice
Happy Post-Fashion Week! The SCS team has returned to our respective cities after surviving another fabulous run of shows, parties, and presentations at New York's glorious Fashion Week.We braved the snows, the crowds, (and some some serous fashion mishaps) to bring you coverage of the runways as soon as we saw it ourselves. But every fabulous minute was worth it, and as soon as the smoke clears from one fashion week, we're gearing up for the next. But before we jump too far ahead, it's time to stop and digest all the gorgeous looks we watched stalk down the runway. This season was particularly special as the last run of shows to be held at the Bryant Park tents. And though we're sad to see Bryant Park go, it was a reassuring week since designers both in and out of the tents proved (with one amazing fall collection after another) that no matter where its held, fashion week is here to stay! And in case you missed some of the play by play last week (though really, what ELSE could you have been doing??), here are Second City Style's picks for Fall '10 trends:
Cozy Knits: Michael Kors; Military Jackets: Tibi, Liquid Lurex: Luca Luca
Trends in Clothing and Fabric Military Coats Bustiers Cold Weather Shorts Jumpsuits Boyfriend Jackets Pleated Pants Cozy Knits Neutral Leathers Liquid Lurex Velvet
Ombre Colors: Narciso Rodriguez; Deep Purple: Donna Karan; Cool Blues: Christian Siriano
Trends in Color
Metallic (gold, silver, and bronze) Green Purple Red Orange Pink Blue Neutrals Ombre (A lot of) Black Plaid: Adam; Animal Print: Malandrino; Abstract Print: DKNY
Summary: When I watched Joaquin Trias's show last season, I saw promise: Although there seemed to be an unbridled zealousness about playing with technology and construction techniques, I knew he was a designer with vision. I was excited to see that I was right, and for fall of 2010, the designer—and the line—is coming into his own.
For fall '10, Trias continued to play with technological fabrics and architectural structure in a show themed "Vertical Strength." It was hypermodernism on display, and I got the sense that a series of 1940s housewives had time-traveled to the year 3015. Hemlines on the housewife-esque dresses were modest, and high-waisted, paperbag trousers were evocative of Katharine Hepburn. At the same time, clothing was stark and unadorned, and the angularity had a futuristic quality about it.
Coats in the latter part of the show bore too close a resemblance to graduation gowns for my taste, but overall, the collection showed strong direction and creativity, a big win for a young designer who is hitting his stride.
Color Palette: Ocre, brown, green, grey, red titanium, black, lichen, deep blue, lilac
Key Looks: Double line, sleeveless, Deep Blue silk-mikado dress, grey hand-knitted ombre tights, green leather belt, grey leather stiletto sandal; Long sleeve New Marengo gomatto top, straight double pleated Red Titanium jacket, gathered at high waist Deep Blue mikado silk trouser, grey hand-knitted ombre tights, green leather belt, grey leather stiletto sandal
We though that perhaps Kelly Osbourne wore herself out by attending (and walking in) too many runway shows, but this girl was a close, close second and she did it, looking stylish in every single one.
Leigh Lezark is not a household name but she is a DJ and one half of the musical trio, the MisShapes. She's also a model with piercing blue eyes and dark hair, pretty well known on the celeb circuit, and stylish to boot.
A fixture on the New York Fashion Week runway front row from shows past, it wasn't surprising to see Leigh at this season's events looking as stylish as usual.
Alice + Olivia
Leigh showcased many of the trends that were popular among celebs at this season's NYFW, among them fur. At Alice + Olivia, she made her LBD pop with a big red shrug
Alexandre Herchcovitch
Baggy doesn't do a body good, and although I like the unique ruffles and drapey vest of this number, it does nothing for her figure.
Andy & Debb
A textured black dress and cropped bolero suited her at the Andy & Debb showing.
BCBG Max Azria
I do like this blue dress with sculpted sleeves and ruched sides. Leigh was a winner at BCBG Max Azria.
Costello Tagliapietra
Another fur, this time in purple at Costello Tagliapietra but the top half of this dress is intricate and interesting which make the fur stand out despite being just a tad lighter shade. It was also funny to see Leigh pose next to the two designers that make up the team at this label. They look like old country folk in their plaid shirts, beer bellies, and suspenders, while she was a glamorous princess.
Diesel Black Gold
Leigh is rocker chic at Diesel Black Gold and the leather jacket definitely plays up the quilted dress
Narciso Rodriguez
The MisShapes DJed at Narciso Rodriguez's after party and Leigh was definitely it's star. This brightly hued skirt had the audience nodding in fashion approval.
Proenza Schouler
Here next to Rachel Zoe and both in classic colors, Leigh is divine in a black and white spotted polka-dot print dress
Y-3 and Herve Leger
Leigh is a stunner in this black piped cobalt blue bandage dress that is just as striking as her eyes.
Call it a carpet dress, or all over fringe, but Leigh Lezark can truly pull off any look or any thing she wears! Don't try this at home!
Fashion is fun, but fashion as a vehicle for charity is even better. Sometimes, though, the charity is stellar but the clothes are lackluster. Other times, the opposite is true. But at Macdella Cooper's Fashion Week Finale, both the cause and the clothes were worthy of standing ovations.
Hosted by American’s Next Top Model and True Beauty judge, Nolé Marin, along with Project Runway Season 6 winner Irina Shabayeva and a host of high profile magazine editors, the event raised money for the Macdella Cooper Foundation project, the MCF Academy, a tuition-free school in
post-war Liberia, providing free
education, room and board to 200 orphans and abandoned street children.
Cooper provided the passion that fueled the event. She came to America in 1993 as a refugee of the Liberian civil war, and has become a (very fashionable) high-profile activist for Liberian children.
The fashion was provided by new designer Melani Von Alexandria (pictured above with Cooper). Her runway show had both the professionalism of a major fashion show and the creativity and
innovation of a young designer, which made it a treat to watch.
In another fashionable twist, Irina Shabayeva has agreed to design the school uniforms for the MCF academy—no dowdy duds for these students! The MCF Academy is scheduled to
open in the fall of 2010.
Maybelline New York, the Official Makeup Sponsor forMercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2010, created looks for this year's hottest shows. From Vivenne Tam to Tracy Reese, Maybelline New York gave models picture perfect skin, lush lashes, and bold lips. Here are looks Key Artist Charlotte Willer and Maybelline's Artist created from the first day of Fashion week to the last!
New York Fashion Week for Maybelline started Day 1, at RVCA x Erin Wasson with Maybelline New York's Global Makeup Artist, Charlotte Willer. The makeup here followed the lead of the lines playful mood with ungroomed feathered brows, and heavily line lips which gave a "tribal" feel .
Day 2 at Michael Angel, again Charlotte Willer lead the looks, for Michael Angels mesmerizing collection, with eye popping bright lined eyes. Lime greens and deep jeweled blues added the perfect balance and intensity against the fresh bare faces. Lips were kept nude against the colorful bold eyes.
At Vivienne TamDay 3: Charlotte Willer created more of a classic look with bare eyes and cheeks with the daring bold red lip, at Vivienne Tam. This very feminine look looked great against the highlighted porcelain complexions and natural brows.
The look at Custo Barcelona on Day 4, lead by Maybelline New York Makeup Artist : Ruben "Gato" Zamora, paired the makeup look against the lines bold clothing, with ultra feminine makeup where models skin was kept clean and flawless. Brows were arched for more definition, but lips were kept bare with just a neutral shine, which balanced the bold fashions.
Backstage at Tracy Reese on Day 5: Makeup Artist Charlotte Willer used intense color and texture for a "masculine-feminine" look where highlight and illuminated faces were the focus. Eyes were smokey and dramatic, with hues of chocolate and beige shadows were used, and paired with black mascara. This made for ultra glam faces!
Day 6: at Max Azria, with Charlotte Willer color was back with bright orange, used specifically for the show, on the lips of the clad models. This color against the pale, dewy complexions and bare eyes, looked fresh and new for fall. Brows were naturally touched up, and lashes were long, and black.
For the final day at William Rast, Charlotte created an edgy, yet modernized 'Brigite Bardot' look with fresh flawless skin, and thick mega-lashes that were built up with layers of black mascara. The paired nude lips left the look soft and sexy.
Beauty Editor for Second City Style, Kelley Epps-Woods
Summary: An old-fashioned circus theme was a perfect choice for the elaborate majesty that is Marchesa. Inspired by the vaudevillian stateliness of Lola Montez, Marchesa's fall '10 collection was a dramatic display of courtesan-like confections. Like a classic circus-tent exhibition, models were placed in vignettes of twos and threes, set against a black, curtained backdrop for the fully stunning effect of the exquisite silhouettes. Curlicued folds of tulle, silk chiffon and organza cascaded in every which way,, making each model the most decadent installation of living art. Styles ran the gamut from wispy and flirty—adorned with feathers and bows or cinched in soft tumbles—to sexy with nude mesh panels and glittering black lace embroidery, to jaw-dropping glam with three dimensional pinwheels unfurling down a gown like colored smoke. Some of the looks, like the column gowns with cascading pastel chiffon or metallic silk, answered the question that many fashion critics have been asking on the whereabouts of true red carpet fashion. Clearly, Marchesa aims to remedy the currently tepid tone of Hollywood since any one of his show-stopping looks would greatly help the red carpet back to its beloved status.
Key Looks: Crimson duchess satin strapless dress with pinwheel tulle accents and cascade rose petals, embroidered cream duchess satin carousel cocktail, lilac kissed nude ruched tulle dress with ribboned waist, black crepe tuxedo dress with black shooting star top, draped one shoulder sky chiffon dress with ruffle cascade detail, black and white embroidered ombre organza cascade swirl dress
Summary: Designer Michelle Smith's inspiration for her 'young-luxury' Milly Fall '10 collection was from the Nouvelle Vague films of Jane-Luc Godard. In her mind it was sixties French city chic meets modern sensibility. In mind it was the perfect collection for my 14 year-old daughter…assuming I had one and an unlimited budget. The looks consisted of ultra mini skirts, cropped wool jackets, rosette ruffles and distracting mismatched dayglow bright tights. Would I wear any of this collection? No. I'm too old. But would I appreciate it on a Gossip Girl? You bet.
Color Palette: ivory, ecru, almond, shocking pink, orchid, crimson, gold, navy, black
Key Looks: ultra short mini;s bright hued Milly for Hue tights; black/crimson link jersey print dress; almond silk/gazar rosette ruffle dress; black couture wool eyelash tweed ruffle collar coat with a shocking pink silk tuileries print ruffle dress; black Rex rabbit luggage lock jacket; black and gold silk medallion jacquard one-shoulder dress
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