Being out on the daily for fashion week, there is really just sooooooo much to see. The result is for sure a jam-packed filled day of fashion, which is of course not a bad thing! It’s great to see a vast array of design talent. Here are a few examples of some designers I ran across on my fashion week journey that run the gamut of exotic appeal to extreme design to truly inspired pieces!
LIBERTINE
Libertine’s S/S 2015 collection for MBFW bore an image of the witty and famously acerbic socialite Pat Buckley. “I was so obsessed with Pat in the ’80s that I made scrapbooks of her!” gushed L.A.-based designer Johnson Hartig. “I had thousands of inspirations,” said Hartig, exaggerating only slightly. “Like, I saw these ravers at a music festival with a bunch of bead necklaces. I immediately decided I had to have that, too.” So he did, as well as hippie-girl patchwork, randomly placed decals, comic-book prints, decorated Wayfarers, and little clutches doused in silver glitter. Meanwhile, the Libertine MO—mixing newly produced items with reworked, BeDazzled vintage pieces—remains the same.
The show started with delicate chiffons and vibrant furs that soon gave way to explosive allover embellishments, crazy candy colors, and what looked like bold designed collage artwork. This was a full on, to the extreme presentation, full of zeal, drama, and passion — looks for both men and women!
There was a lot going on in this collection, but so much that was truly stunning and eye-catching. The spattered tights were a must-have. All of the looks would no doubt make you the center of attention and make you vibrant and full of life!
The bold, daring beauty look was provided by CND Cosmetics. Special guests included — Teen Vogue style & features director Andrew Bevin, Nick Cannon, TV personality Kaitlin Monte, journalist & TV personality Tom Murro, stylist James Aguiar, photographer Andrew Werner, Linda Fargo of Bergdorf Goodman, and co-founder of CND Jan Arnold.
FRANCESCA LIBERATORE
As one of four winners of the DHL Exported contest, Italian designer Francesca Liberatore was granted the opportunity to introduce her collection at New York Fashion Week. Her spring lineup, which was mostly women’s apparel, but also some menswear, had a very specific point of inspiration: a bird in polluted surroundings that becomes transformed by the litter it encounters.
Taking a break from spring florals, Liberatore chose to enchant viewers with a focus on understated, refreshing bird prints that were inspired by Asian design. Her collection featured sheer-backed blouses with effortless volume, as well as flowing silk bird prints that combined with long, clean graphic button-downs.
Beauty look was courtesy of Patricia Yankee nail color, Tresemme hair by Matthew Curtis, & make-up by Vincent Longo. Special guests included Canadian actress Serinda Swan, teen actress Lilla Crawford, Canadian model Andi Muise, actress Eku Edewor, actress Cassie Scerbo, blogger Nicole Effendy, blogger for Excessories Expert Elizabeth Savetsky, designer Nicole Miller, & Bill Heaney.
TAORAY WANG
International designer, Taoray Wang launched her first namesake collection for Spring 2015 in New York City at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, the global crossroads where fashion meets business and lifestyle. Taoray merges Asian culture with European influences, resulting in unique, elegant designs with global appeal.
This collection emphasizes the style and power of successful women in all walks of life. It pairs that with a soft artistic message inspired by the movie Black Swan and ballet of the same name. The designer explains, “I respect and appreciate how difficult it is for busy women to excel in today’s fast-paced environment. My clean, simple and elegant designs express the innate sense of sophistication one notices with powerful women such as my muse Natalie Portman.”
Clean nails for a natural beauty look was provided by China Glaze. Special guests in attendance were Marri Bucci, Nellie Park, and actress Dong Jie.
In efforts to show Angolan fashion to the world, style visionary and fashion show producer Dinelia Da Silva of Dinelia Productions and Events (Luanda, Angola) has partnered with StyleWise International (NYC), to carefully curate a selection of designers to implode the New York City fashion week scene. The Angola International Fashion Show, also known as AIFS, is a fashion experience established to push the boundaries of creativity, while nurturing the connections and profitable relationships between designers, models, buyers and stylists.
On September 8th, AIFS will platform eight (8) designer collections exclusively for the spring/summer 2015 New York Fashion Week season. All runways shows will take place at the illustrious Helen Mills Event Space in Chelsea. Here are a few of the designers who showcased!
LISETE POTE
Pote, an Angola native, presented her renowned collection as dressed by international dignitaries, celebrities and socialites.
ALLEX KANGALA — known for impeccably tailored menswear.
FEELO’JE — designed by Janay Reymond (Anguilla, Caribbean), is the youngest designer among the ranks. At a mere 17 years old the designer presented a swimwear collection inspired by world travel, family and deeply-rooted culture.
Lucrecia Moreira, one of Angola’s top designers, creates “modern style” with roots in tradition.
