Get into the 4th of July mindset with Fashion Nexus’ top picks for all that is fashionable in red, white, and blue! HAPPY 4TH OF JULY TO ALL!!
FOR THE LADIES
New Yahzi Two Silk Jersey Maxi Wrap Dress
Sweetheart Dress — Navy Floral Impressions
MENSWEAR
ACCESSORIES
Cardan Necklace Red Chalcedony
Navy linen wide-brim fedora with white silk twill band
SO ONCE AGAIN, HAPPY 4TH OF JULY FROM FASHION NEXUS!!
B-2 bomber jacket in calfskin. Donegal flecked silk and cotton windowpane trouser in deep navy. Sport shirt in washed chambray.
Hickey Freeman debuted its F/W 2015 collection at NYMD, held at Industria Superstudio and presented by Cadillac. David Hart, creative director, found inspiration in the early days of American aviation. References include the modernist photojournalist, Willi Ruge’s, iconic imagery of parachuting and skydiving in the early 20th Century. The collection is built around today’s modern man and his evolving needs.
M-1943 field jacket in deep navy reverse slub twill with soft donegal trousers. Dress shirt in blue oxford cloth.
With Hickey Freeman’s 110-year history, Hart’s collection expands on the brand’s current pillars – tailoring and dress shirting – and introduces new items into the modern luxury vernacular. Today’s man no longer wears a suit on a daily basis and needs transitional wardrobe staples to take him from the office to the gym, social activities, travel, and beyond. You can see that in this collection with a vast array of textiles and types of apparel. The collection provides this important capability to take the man from work to streetwear to more formal wear.
Oxblood 2 ply cashmere saddle shoulder sweater with French terry sweatpants in oxblood. Cotton dress shirt in deep navy thick and thin fleck.
The collection features nods to military decoration from leather and shearling bombers, to a reverse twill field jacket. The palate is based around rich neutrals, accented with vibrant colors in the Irish Donegal fisherman’s sweaters or with the texture of the twisted slub yarn sport shirts. The colors and tones are quite appealing – great mix of neutrals in navy blue, brown, and black, to vibrant pops of color in yellow or burgundy.
Peacoat in Donegal Tweed with Cowichan zip front sweater. Selvedge denim in raw indigo. Knit shirt in cotton slub jersey.
Hickey Freeman was founded in 1900 by Jeremiah G. Hickey and Jacob L. Freeman, and has stood for excellence in the men’s tailoring category for over 110 years. David Hart joined the Hickey Freeman legacy in November 2014, and has been tasked with introducing a modern sportswear collection with a youthful expression of luxury for the Hickey Freeman man. Hart is a New York luxury menswear designer who founded his eponymous label in 2009 as a tie business. Hart has since introduced ready-to-wear, showing his collection at New York Fashion Week. Hart has shown how versatile he is as designer between these 2 menswear brands.
Selvedge denim jacket with Irish fisherman’s sweater in antique gold. Deep navy merino knit polo shirt with gaberdine trousers in deep navy.
The Hickey Freeman Sportswear collection will feature sweaters, knitwear, sport shirts, outerwear, soft coats, casual trousers, and denim. There is a great deal of layering and the capability to mix and match pieces. Both of these are admirable and desired qualities for a menswear brand and collection.
Waxed canvas pilot blazer in jet black. Selvedge denim pants in raw black. Brushed twill sport shirt in jet black multi plaid.
Show credits –
Logo sweatshirt in heather grey French loop terry. Cargo pants in faded lichen reverse slub twill with cotton dress shirt in white oxford.
Shirt Jacket in silk and wool Donegal windowpane. Trousers in deep navy cotton twill with French loop terry sweatshirt.
Waxed cotton canvas English raincoat with cotton and silk plaid hunting jacket. Washed selvedge denim in faded grey. Cotton sport shirt with flecked yarn.
NYFW is here! One always fun-filled day for me is NYMD, a packed day with lots of designers showcasing some bold, dynamic menswear presentations. NYMD is held at Industria Superstudios, and is presented by Cadillac. One brand I always look forward to seeing is Ernest Alexander. And for F/W 2015, the concept is “A Wandering Traveler.”
Plaid gingham trousers & scarf, waxed jacket, ash leather messenger bag
For F/W 2015, Ernest Alexander celebrates the exploration and discoveries of a curious voyager. And with a great reminding message — it’s the journey itself that truly is the reward! And trust, this collection is very much a reward in and of itself!
Printed work-shirt, dark navy blazer, brown wool topcoat, dark navy trouser, silk necktie, & block print scarf
The inspiration for this collection stemmed from a cabin retreat in upstate NY. The cabin house environment was a huge source of inspiring ideas — sculptured pieces, southwestern photographs, lots of Aztec motifs, rich colors found in both the cabin and the outdoors. The color story here is vital to the collection, giving us lots of deep olives, warm browns, and pops of vibrant reds and blues.
White oxford shirt, ombre peacoat, dark navy trousers, ombre envelope clutch
From the colors and concepts, the perception of a man’s life, conjuring up ideas of travel, what he may have owned or collected, how he dressed, all started to come together. There is a lot of versatility here, the ability to mix and match. The collection offers a lot of separates and special pieces many men would definitely want to incorporate as part of their wardrobe.
White oxford shirt, olive waxed field jacket, dark navy trousers, ombre scarf, black waxed gear bag, & black waxed zip-top tote
Again, the F/W season tells a story about a romantic, wandering traveler interested in the world around him. The introduction of an ombre pattern pays homage to the traditional palette of fall foliage, while the addition of earth tones ground the contrast between crisp whites and rich navies.
Printed white shirt & blue wool cargo pant
These are some great, intriguing pieces, with a clear inspiration here. And each look in the collection goes perfectly with this story. I’m always impressed by Ernest Alexander and am very much eager to see more and more from them every season!
Blue wool bomber & blue wool cargo pant
Special thanks & credits for the presentation —
Striped cotton shirt, navy wool trousers, burgundy waxed car coat, & taupe leather belt
So wrapping up my recaps with Nolcha Fashion Week, let’s take a look at this catchall post. There are accessories to check out in the form of fashionable hats and some athletic or sportswear. But first, a little something for the men with Schuyler 4, a collective of menswear brands including: pants by Alberto, knitwear by Codice, shirts by Haupt, and sports jackets by Carl Gross!
Stylish casual suits, poppin’ pants, bold prints, and more, that is what the Schuyler 4 collective brought with this S/S 2015 runway presentation! With Alberto Pants, you aren’t going wrong with fit, so it’s great to see an addition of style added, such as with this vibrant floral print seen above. The brand has very much stuck true to its signature & vision — high quality, exciting fabrics, attractive buttons, harmonious yarn colors, beautifully produced lining and great craftsmanship.
Lots of menswear brands give you the basic, staple suit, which you need, but you are also going to want more relaxed or casual suit options as not every occasion calls for a suit & tie vibe. You will always need to start with your basic undershirt, and with that, there is no better than Haupt. Their shirts are understated & wearable designer shirts — high quality & casual elegance.
You might want a bit more pizzazz in your suited look, so Carl Gross is right there to again provide modern & fashionable twists for men with suits. This brand is also about a relaxed elegance, but also fashion, quality, & comfort. You are not going to go wrong with any of these looks!
There is a lot of versatility amongst these pieces, the ability to mix & match, go even more casual with a basic pair of chino shorts.
Another great aspect with versatility, is the ability with Schuyler 4 to add in layering with light to medium-weight outerwear. Codice is right on hand for the perfect knit to match modern pants and shirts. It’s contemporary “tops” with a modern fit, “fashion” but wearable.
There is a vibe to all of these pieces that would definitely catch my eye as a single female. I would see a fashionable man, who is able to dress well, pick out his own stylish clothes, and at the end of the day, look cool, be modern.
I love this leather jacket above. It is my most fave piece in this collective presentation!
Next up, let’s go back to Nolcha’s Ones to Watch series of presentations, and check out some bold, dramatic hats, custom millinery by Monstruosité.
Monstruosité is by Dolly Donshey, with a creation of pieces focusing on the traditional art of millinery with a modern unconventional twist. These pieces for this current runway presentation are so exquisite, immaculately conceived, & simply put, BREATHTAKING!
The details are what sells these pieces. YES! You will want to just don one of these as you walk down the streets of NYC, Paris, or London! There is nothing basic about these intricate hats, the colors, the clear inspiration, the passion!
The hats even blossom to full on pieces such as this lavender floral lace piece seen below — GORGEOUS!!
There is no way to not be captivated here. Donshey’s craftsmanship and quality work with the materials, carrying out her inspirational designs, it’s magical. I love this shades of blue moon design below, it’s high fashion at its best!
The element of art coming to life in these pieces is definitely present.
The various pieces adorned with flowers look amazing. The twist with the skulls incorporated is a great eye-catching twist. Donshey knows no creative boundary and that is a huge plus for her and putting out some highly unique, distinctive pieces!
REMEMBER, THOU SHALT BE MONSTRUOUS!!
And finally, touching on fashion of all types, let’s look at some comfy chic sports attire from Oiselle!
Oiselle made use of runners, not models for this runway presentation — BRILLIANT!! They stepped barefoot onto the catwalk, wearing sports bras and spandex, with ponytails and abdomens shredded & fully exposed. Instead of look books and go-sees, they were cast based on their portfolios of race times and medals. It was great to see such inspiring and real women donning these looks, truly conveying the pieces are made for the average, everyday woman, no just a model!
One woman was a 45-year-old doctor with three sons and a degree from Yale who had just run a 5 minute, 13 second mile. Another was Olympian Kara Goucher, 36. Leading the group down the runway was Lauren Fleshman, 33, an NCAA national 5-kilometer champion at Stanford.
Oiselle’s vision is to create practical feminine fierce athletic apparel for women who love to run and race. That is exactly what the brand has done with these pieces. Who says athleticwear can’t also be fashionable!
There is a range of styles & options with this collection. If you want the pops of color or more stylized pieces, there is that. But if simplicity is more your style, there are tons of options!
In addition to spandex, leggings, tanks, shorts, sports bras, there is also outerwear and accessories by way of warmers.
This brand is all about bold lines, high design with it’s pieces, creating fashion sportswear. The intricate line designs are a modern styling to basic activewear pieces. It’s great to be able to hit the gym in style, but also have practicality and function with what you are wearing!
Great job Oiselle!
