NYFW — Ladies & Kids

Posted on February 24, 2016 by SMM

DEMOO Parkchoonmoo

Entitled Warmth, For A/W 16, Demi Park sought inspiration in Korean traditional garb. The collection is an homage to the designer’s mother, whom she would only see for important holidays as she was growing up. Then dressed in more traditional Korean attire, such as the banbok, a popular Korean dress, her mother exuded warmth and strength at the same time.

So for A/W 16, Demi translated her joy of these rare moments into a very rich collection that pays tribute to tradition, as well as family and togetherness, which is expressed in the warmth of the color palette and the precious materials.

Park’s interpretation of the traditional, typically colorful motives in Korean attire sees a rather saturated appropriation here, playing with nuances of grey, gold, burgundy, camel, and eggplant, that compliment the black and white themes she is so well known for.

Makeup — Colleen Rune; Styling — Sarah Ellison; Hair — Kien Hoang for Oribe; Casting — Barbara Pfister Casting; Music — Ben Brunnemer; Production — Omen PR; Front of House/PR — Nouveau & Omen PR

Isossy Children/London

Designer Amanda Rabor presented Isossy’s A/W 16 collection at the Affinia Hotel for New York Fashion Week.

The brand offers children style and fashion reflecting a truly global culture as it enters into its 10th season. “In times of change and diverse living, fashion can reflect diverse cultures for up and coming generations to own, to claim and to wear in everyday life. It’s for the new global citizens of the world” says founder Amanda Rabor

Isossy Children offers bold, quirky, vibrant and global collections for kids. Amanda’s vision is creating a global fashion brand for children that will inspire the confidence, creativity and self belief of children growing up and living in diverse, global cultures.

Photography by Shanise Gibson

This is for sure some chic, highly fashionable childrenswear — my first time seeing the brand. Needless to say, I was vastly impressed, and it was more than an overhaul of the cuteness factor. The pieces were trendy, right on level with what’s hot today!

Nika Tang

While not a gigantic collection, Nika Tang still managed to deliver a huge, resounding impact. The outwear was phenomenal to view, but was all astoundingly well-made. The color palette offered a lot in terms of basic pieces, as well as some more unique options.

If I’m not mistaken, this was Nika’s NYFW debut, my first time seeing the designer’s pieces, and overall, I think Tang did well for herself. I look forward to seeing what she has in store next season.

Casa de Moda by Jessica Lynn

I thought Jessica did a great job last season with her chic, super trendy presentation, and this recent showing has certainly led to consistency from the brand, Casa de Moda.

I enjoyed the color palette, specifically the ice blue/serenity, which is actually one of the 2016 Pantone Color’s of the Year. I also was intrigued by the variety of silhouettes, all very fashionista-worthy and chic.

Ohlin/d

For fall, Öhlin/D creative director Jacob Park portrayed the evolution of a woman’s style — from sweet and girly to more mature and urban.

To deliver a more grown-up look, Park darkened the color palette — which ranged from sorbet tones to shades of black and brown — and kept the silhouette more graphic.

ÖHLIN/D is a contemporary women’s Ready-To-Wear brand founded in September 2013. The ÖHLIN/D woman approaches everything with a clear mind. She never thinks too hard about what she wants to wear and loves effortless, cool, and lasting fashion. She is inherently stylish.

NYFW — All the Shimmer & Shine!

Posted on September 22, 2015 by SMM

Fashion Week is definitely at times about the glitz and the glam. You will see a great deal of RTW, but the shows with that WOW factor, the extra shimmer & shine, are definitely worth being in attendance at!

Rootstein Launch of the Phillipe Blond Mannequin

Rootstein, the iconic mannequin company who has been the leader in groundbreaking mannequin manufacturing and changed the standards of the retail display industry for almost 60 years, is proud to announce the release of a visionary new collection of male and female mannequins based on the visage of internationally famous fashion designer Phillipe Blond. This was a super exhilarating presentation. I was totally mesmerized!

Rootstein representatives elaborate, “In partnering with The Blonds, Rootstein continues its legacy of embracing individuality that captures, reflects and communicates the brilliant transience of fashion at its most beautiful and thrilling.” Throughout the decades, Rootstein has sought out celebrities who have embodied the spirit of their times and sculpted mannequins based on Twiggy, Pat Cleveland, Joan Collins, Susanne Barstch, Erin O¹Connor and Jade Parfit to name a few.

The event featured an exhibition of the mannequins wearing an archive of The Blonds most memorable runway pieces. Phillipe is beaming with excitement and adds, “The whole process is surreal and magical, like a dream. It is such an honor to join the ranks of so many inspiring icons that have been sculpted for mannequins by Rootstein.”

Pamella Roland

Dream come true, that is what I would call attending this show. I was honored to receive an invite. In awe, that is what I felt after seeing these stunning looks grace the runway. This collection was inspired by what was dubbed in the 50s as Post-painterly abstraction by Frank Stella, but not just the visually striking paintings, it was the cultural context in which they were created.

There was a ton of unorthodox materials used here, plexiglass, PVC Nebula lace, reflective taffeta, and LED fibers, all as a nod to the wave of futurism prevalent in Stella’s early works. The unusual elements are paired with a foundation of gorgeous couture fabrics in streamlined silhouettes, creating a contemporary balance.

Show credits —

Stylist — Danielle Nachmani
Makeup — Rick DiCecca of Artistry by Amway
Hair — Ted Gibson
Nails — Patricia Yankee
Jewelry — Chopard
Production Design — The Gathery
Lighting — Prospect Lighting
Music — Javier Peral
Casting — Edward Kim of The Edit Desk
Front of House — LaForce & Stevens
Location — The Whitney Museum of Art
Photography — Nigel Barker
Production — B Productions

Once again, this was just such an amazing show to be in attendance at. The magnificence of these various formal and evening wear looks were beyond my expectations. I could see so many as future red carpet contenders and I’m sure we will see a few in the coming latter 2015 award season, as well as the award season for 2016.

Zimmermann

Titled “Master and Mischief,” the show mixed the conservative — high, ruffled necklines, corset-like bodices and Victorian bib collars — with the disobedient, in the form of impossibly short, flouncy hemlines. Nicky Zimmermann derived inspiration from Ethel Turner’s 1894 novel “Seven Little Australians” about a group of mischievous siblings.

The lineup was very youthful, with lace-up backs and sheer embroidery, showing plenty of skin. It was a strong vision executed boldly. I thought this collection had a modern vibe, but still with a vintage appeal. I had a lot of faves that came down the runway!

Leanne Marshall — Modern, Breathtaking Beauty

Posted on March 1, 2015 by SMM

Forest green silk wool tank gown with hand painted ivory silk organza skirt

In Leanne’s own words — “This was a dream come true!” There is likely no better way to describe the debut presentation for Leanne Marshall at MBFW, Lincoln Center than her own words. Presenting for her first time at Lincoln Center, The Pavilion, I’m sure was nothing short of a dream come true, an unimaginable experience! Leanne’s show was my 1st ever, and I’m happy I was able to be at her 1st showing at Lincoln Center, a very momentous and memorable occasion.

Ruby silk chiffon gown, plunging neckline, hand painted silk ivory organza detail

Forest green silk wool empire waist gown with silk chiffon draping

Tea length white double crepe wool skirt with sheer black chiffon blouse

For her A/W 2015 collection, Leanne was inspired by director Francois Truffaut’s 1975 tragic film story, The Story of Adele H. The film was based on memoirs of Adele Hugo, daughter of Victor Hugo. It follows a young woman across the globe as she pursues the love of a man who doesn’t return her affections. As this man continuously rejects her, love turns into obsession, which slowly drives her insane.

Sheer black organza silk arapea short dress

Hand painted ivory silk organza gown with forest green asymmetrical velvet detail

Hand painted sheer silk ivory organza dress with draped details

Staying true to the film, this collection is segmented into 4 sections.

Le Voyage — The Voyage

The woman is making her passage, journeying for love. She is full of dreams, that the love she awaits for will to be waiting in return for her. The color palette here is black, with pops of olive green and gold. I can see a free-flowing vibe here with the silhouettes though, suggesting hope, openness. A woman here is carefree, unbeknownst of any negativity or trouble around her.

La Chasse de l’amour — Love’s Chase

Next, the woman is actively pursuing her love. She will stop at nothing to win the affection of her dream lover, even if he says no. The color palette her is deep, emerald greens mixed with taupe and ivory. We also get to first experience some lovely dye treatment from Leanne. The theme here is pursuit and what I’m seeing is a mix of purity, lots of white, representing this woman’s pure, clear vision of her love. But some of the pieces, the ones working with dye, show that this vision, upon closer inspection, is clearly a bit muddled. The woman’s vision is blurred.

La Obsession — The Obsession

Love turns to obsession. She can think of nothing but one man and her determination to have him. As she is haunted, day in and day out, her grip on reality loosens. There is a lot of red and deep burgundy in these pieces, clearly representing a lustful, passionate love. The silhouettes are very loose, not as pulled together, showing a woman who is in shambles.

Handpainted burlywood and wine silk chiffon gown with spaghetti straps & asymmetrical draping

Rust silk chiffon gown with spaghetti straps & draping

Sheer rust silk chiffon tank gown

La Demence — Madness

For this woman, all logic and reason is now gone, leaving her a total mess and in tears. Thus, her descent to madness begins. There is still such a beauty to these pieces, but structure and form are not by the book. Colors are void, very deep and dark.

Sheer navy long sleeve silk organza gown with textured skirt

Navy silk wool strapless gown with hand-painted textured silk organza skirt

White & navy silk organza gown with asymmetrical hand painted bodice detail

Navy blue long sleeve silk sheer chiffon gown

Strapless navy blue gown with silk chiffon organza skirt

I am in love with this collection. Her work with hand-painting and dye treatments have created pure magic in these pieces. You can see this crazed woman represented in these pieces, yet there is still elegance and glamor. The pieces here are truly stunning, very eye-catching, and I love that there is such a focused story here. Leanne presented 2 collections this season, a RTW, and more upscale as seen here. With so much work on her plate, she clearly could have let some pieces slip, but she has not done that. She has stuck to her high quality, ethereal signature, but has still evolved and created some very modern pieces. CONGRATS LEANNE!