Tadashi Shoji for S/S 2015……Your Dreamscape Awaits!

Posted on September 13, 2014 by SMM

Tadashi Shoji for S/S 2015 — “It is the moment just before the sun sets, when the light dances upon the Grand Canal. The light is softer now, illuminating the shimmering waterway, reflecting the facade of the Ca’ d’Oro. Built on water and steeped in beauty, the Golden Palace of Venice is our destination.” So as my title states and with the promise of an evening of enchantment, a Venetian dreamscape awaits. ENJOY!!

LONG-SLEEVED BLACK/NUDE EMBROIDERED TULLE AND CHIFFON PANELED GOWN

For MBFW/NYFW, high fashion designer brand Tadashi Shoji showcased at Lincoln Center’s Salon. For this alluring and stunning collection here is what’s in store! There is intricate detailing, paired with playful transparencies. Insets of chain mesh on tulle ornament on the bodices/sleeves & multi-colored jeweled embellishments are inspired by Millefiori glass. The intricate & eye-catching details are what truly set this brand and this collection apart; it was such an honor to be in attendance!

GOLD METALLIC EMBROIDERED TULLE FLOOR LENGTH CAPE WORN OVER SLEEVELESS GOWN WITH CHAIN MESH INSETS

SILVER METALLIC EMBROIDERED TULLE LONG SLEEVE GOWN WITH CHAIN MESH INSETS

Sheer mesh necklines give the illusion of floating dresses. This detail was seen amongst many of the dresses in this collection. And it was one detail I was happy to see — a great way to give Tadashi Shoji’s classic aesthetic of lovely lace a modern take.

GOLD METALLIC EMBROIDERED TULLE SHEATH DRESS WITH CHAIN MESH INSETS

Dresses, cut from bonded spacer mesh, are both structured and airy. While softly sculpted silhouettes are introduced with unexpected twists. And with so many eye-catching details, really every dress seemed to have an unexpected twist to grab one’s attention!

FROSTED JADE EMBROIDERED TULLE AND CHIFFON LONG SLEEVE SHIRT WAIST BLOUSON GOWN

Floor-length gowns are constructed with capes attached.

IVORY CORDED LACE FLOOR LENGTH CAPE AND IVORY SUNBURST PLEATED GEORGETTE BATEAU NECK GOWN WITH CHAIN MESH INSETS

Going back to the area of Venezia, Italy, the architecture, the streets, the intricacies, of course all serve as such a huge inspiration for this collection. But the colors of the city also inspired the color palette for this showcase. Glowing pastels of frosted jade, pink shadow, and blue stone are built up in translucent layers.

DEEP LAGOON CORDED LACE SPACER MESH BATEAU NECK DROP WAIST DRESS WITH SHEER INSETS

PINK SHADOW LACE OVER EMBROIDERED TULLE BELL SLEEVE TUNIC DRESS

The brilliant ultramarine blues of Venetian lagoons are paired with ivory and navy. And I’m a huge fan of blues so I’m loving this periwinkle and shades of blue hues!

BLUE STONE CORDED LACE SLEEVELESS BLOUSE WITH JEWEL EMBELLISHED INSETS AND PENCIL SKIRT

DEEP LAGOON/IVORY ROSE-MOTIF EMBROIDERED TULLE CAP SLEEVE A-LINE DRESS

Fabrics are custom-designed & I’m a huge fan on the new takes with the lace and the use of florals — all very interesting and intriguing takes.

IVORY CORDED LACE SHIRT WAIST BLOUSON GOWN WITH JEWEL EMBELLISHED COLLAR AND INSETS

BLACK/PETAL CORDED LACE CAP SLEEVE GOWN WITH JEWEL EMBELLISHED INSETS

Motif-embroidered tulles are inspired by Gothic architectural details of the Ca’ d’Oro.

PINK SHADOW COTTON EMBROIDERED TULLE AND CRINKLE CHIFFON BATEAU NECK BLOUSON GOWN

Floral motif lace is hand-tinted by bonding chiffon pieces to the back of lace.

MULTI-COLOR FLORAL LACE LONG SLEEVE DRESS WITH SHEER BANDED INSET

Attending front row at this amazing presentation was June Ambrose & Mr. Jay Manuel!

Additional runway show details —

PR — HL Group
Production — Judith Rice & Associates
Casting — David Milosevich Casting & Consulting
Music — Kevin Edwards
Lighting Design — Prospect Lighting

Styling — Tina Chai
Hair — Rodney Cutler for ULTA Beauty, Cutler NYC — Alexandra Ciraldo
Make-up: Pep Gay and MAC Pro Team — Aimee Frost, Alessia Pelistri
Nail Lacquer & Design by — butter London
Make-up Prep & Skin Care — Eileen Harcourt with PATCHOLOGY

Shoes — Enzo Angiolini
Lingerie — commando
Jewelry — Debra Shepard
Videography — B Productions
Photography — Maria Valentino — MCV Photo

Desigual is in Bloom for S/S 2015 & Wants You to Say Something Nice!

Posted on September 10, 2014 by SMM

And as the brand would say — What better way to say something nice than with flowers?!?

Looks, left to right — (1) Collarless tulle shell jacket with metallic zipper, luxe jogger pant with sailor-style closure & smocking gathered cuff in colorful floral prints; (2) Tank dress with horizontal pleating details at empire waistband in Mexicana floral print; (3) Loose-fit tank jumpsuit in kaleidoscopic peacock feather print with drawstring waistband, wide leg pant in ethnic print. A collection all about some florals — flowers freshly cut from an imaginary garden — daisies, tropical hibiscus, & Mexican dahlias. The kaleidoscopic effect is representative of blossoming, to help in inspiring happiness, one blossom at a time!

For this recent MBFW/NYFW, Desigual & designer Monsieur Christian Lacroix presented a S/S 2015 collection to a very hyped & energetic crowd in The Theatre at Lincoln Center. The show is definitely one you won’t forget! Not only are the pieces refreshing, but the crowd’s energy is at an all-time high, and the models are doing more than working the runway — they are exuding radiance and positivity with each strut! And to kick off this phenomenal runway, Desigual brought on board Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima!

And she looked great in every look!

Loose-fit floral Hawaiian print top & shorts in die-cut floral print

Florals were a huge part of this collection. And were so in order to celebrate the season’s warm weather such as the desert roses seen above.

Sleeveless trapeze dress with beaded applique design on decolletage in crinkly chiffon, colorful shoulder bag with iconic Desigual galactic prints

Draped bodice minidress with asymmetrical hem, dropped shoulder & organic mandala motifs on a black background, shoulder bag in black & colorful galactic print

Maxi with princess seamed fitted bodice, pleated at the waist for a full skirt in a colorful floral print

She was right on trend when it came to showcasing the brand’s inspirations for this presentation — nature’s flora & fauna, a true multi-cultural bouquet.

I also gotta give a shout-out to another familiar face for myself, top model & winner from ANTM cycle 6 — Dani!!

Fit & flare tank dress in romantic prints with tulle yoke and hem. Embellished shoulder bag with contrasting top-stitching

Deep v-neck sleeveless dress, fitted bodice to lowered waist & bubble skirt in galactic motif prints. Patchwork fold-over clutch

Jade, white, & onyx tones serve as the backdrop to this collection.

Varsity style jacket in Jacquard weave w/ double layer raw edge open front, top in embroidered tulle & flowy mini shorts, with hand embroidered design.

Each piece is lush with poppy red, saffron, or teal. All in all creating looks that are reminiscent of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Tropical floral print, lightweight crepe dress with beading at the neckline. Semi-structured leather shoulder bag in sunset ombre tones.

or, the underwater vegetation of Atlantis.

Lightweight crepe tank jumpsuit in colorful Mexicana flower & Mediterranean stripe print

Additional amazing aspects for this collection — a cool Mediterranean spirit combined with South American motifs

Maxi tribal print tank dress with beading on a v-neckband with gathered waist. Patchwork fold-over clutch.

classic English garden blooms meeting the Iberian Peninsula’s landscape

Sheer Indian inspired dress in organic hues with floral motifs, crew neckline, and satin trim above dropped shoulder. Leather crossbody bag with floral & galactic motifs.

& a western countryside influenced by sweeping European geometry.

Sleeveless playsuit in blue transparencies and galactic printed satin w/ gathered waist, French pockets, and straight-leg cropped pants.

There were plenty of high profile guests for the front row —

Sin City 2 star Rosario Dawson
French model Camille Rowe
Supermodel Poppy Delevingne
Socialite Olivia Palermo

OITNB star Laura Gomez
Breaking Bad star RJ Mitte

Miss USA 2012 Nana Meriwether
Vanderpump Rules’ Pandora Vanderpump

Additional show details —

Stylist — Jess Monterde
Hair — Marco Santini for Amika, pictures below — I will take that sign!
Make-up: Gordon Espinet and the MAC Pro team

Casting — Maurilio for MTC Casting
Lighting — IMCD
Staging — Bernhard-Link Theatrical
Music — Javier Peral

Producer — Jay Arcos for Moda Tech, Inc.
Front of House/PR — Deborah Hughes
Nails — Keri Blair for MAC

Nail discussion creates the perfect segway into looking at some of the stunning accessories for the Desigual runway presentation — handbags, totes, clutches, headpieces, jewelry, & more!

This was a mind-blowingly amazing show. I can’t wait for next season’s presentation!!

More from NYMD for SS 2015 — Suits to Sporty!

Posted on September 9, 2014 by SMM

With 10 designers presenting for NYMD there are of course will be several posts on Fashion Nexus detailing this major NYFW event. Check out my most recent piece here! So again, NYMD is held at Industria Superstudios and is presented by Cadillac. For my next 2 designers, they run the gamut, suits to casualwear to more sporty looks – it’s David Hart & Gents!

Purple English Mohair suit with an aqua silk atomic printed camp shirt

For Spring/Summer 2015, David Hart was inspired by all things Palm Springs – the natural landscape, as well as the Modernist architecture by greats such as Alexander, Neutra, Frey, Wexier, and Lautner.

The color palette was drawn from Julius Shulman’s color photography –

English Mohair suit in baby blue with pink silk atomic printed camp shirt

Further color inspiration from the prints & patterns captured from Shulman’s images –

Atomic printed shorts suit in cotton linen

This collection for men is bright & fun, full of life and energy. It’s for a man who wants to be fashionable and is not afraid to be just that — a fashionable man!

Additional presentation details –

Casting, Styling, & Production – Jahn Hall
Hair – Oribe, lead by Kien Hoang
Grooming – Aveda, lead by Janessa Pare
PR – Agentry PR

Electric blue English wool hopsack suit with Italian silk atomic printed camp shirt

Music – Work TVK, Xavier Ames
Lighting – Aion
Models – Request, NYMM, Q Models, One Model Management, Soul Models, DNA, & Wilhelmina

Italian silk jacquard tuxe jacket, black mohair tuxedo trousers, cotton pique tuxedo shirt, atomic printed cotton bowtie, & cotton pocket square

Hats – Rod Keenan for David Hart
Footwear – Teva
Eyewear – Moscot
Watches – Analog/Shift

Italian silk camp shirt, completely encompassed by a rust atomic print with Irish linen trousers in sand

Additional Event sponsors — hint water; Trask; Need edition; & Johnston and Murphy.

Next up Gents — a S/S collection inspired by the athletic and masculine elements of boxing as well as the clean lines and colors found in Formula 1 racing. The blending of both aesthetics makes for a strong collection of sporty and casual separates, caps and accessories.

The collection is rooted in minimalist design, classic silhouettes, and timeless sophistication. The brand started out with luxury caps and has since expanded into a complete lifestyle brand. What growth!

Sky blue linen cap, indigo raw stretch denim shirt, white/grey cotton baseball shirt, sangre lambskin leather trim pant

So what’s in store with the Gents color palette — bold reds, as seen above, but also seasonless undertones, greys, navy —

Gray/black microfiber ‘haystack’ cap, midnight/charcoal snow jersey cotton s/s henley, heather grey french terry sport pant

also blacks & white —

Aurelien: salmon linen cap, white/black dual color dress shirt, ‘dean’ raw selvage denim street leg jean

The brand also plays around with geometric patterns and prints, referencing the uniforms worn in Formula 1 races. Gents offers a great deal of dynamic menswear options for the brand’s male consumers, ones that will make him fashion-forward and insanely eye-catching!

Nikolai: black lambskin leather ‘g’ cap, midnight brushed tricot track jacket, black french terry sport short

Additional Show details —

Footwear — Tretorn
PR — Agentry PR

Launched in 2012 by industry veteran, Josh Reed, Gents is a men’s lifestyle brand offering consumers the highest quality product with a fashionable and sophisticated design aesthetic. Gents can be found at retailers ranging from Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, SCOOP and Saks Fifth Avenue, as well as its e- commerce site.

Leo: black brushed cotton/spandex cap, white/black snow jersey cotton s/s henley, ‘jagger’ slim japanese raw jean

Maison Jules F/W 2014 — Chic Looks for Every Fashionista

Posted on September 8, 2014 by SMM

NYFW is ongoing and the main focus is showcasing for S/S 2015. However, Maison Jules set out to present early, on Sept. 2nd, and the brand was presenting for Fall/Winter 2014. Macy’s Parisian-inspired brand teamed up with Betty Autier & Mathieu Lebreton, French style bloggers of Le Blog de Betty, for the presentation of this campaign. The collection was showcased at ArtBeam and truly was a great time — memorable looks, cozy atmosphere/environment, cocktails, appetizers, music, & more!

The collection encompassed looks of light layers, comfy sweaters, subtle fall tones/hues, and numbers that are perfect for any fashionista, NYC & beyond!

Soft pink feather leopard cardigan & sequin top pleated dress
Ivory studded lace dress & Animal boyfriend cardigan
Stone cowl neck poncho & “Frankie” black super slim pant

All of the looks just had such a great vibe, one that is cool, eccentric, and unique. Many of the pieces can be mixed and matched, dressed up or down. It’s great when a collection provides its consumer with lots of versatility!

Ivory metallic dotted dress & denim jacket
Leopard sweater & “Sophie” washed indigo pant

Every aspect of this collection and presentation was well thought out — the pairings/styling, the set-up, the lighting, and more. It was truly eye-catching and not only was a great experience, but the best way I could think of to kick off my NYFW journey!!

French Striped boxy tee; White foil cable pullover; & Black skinny pant
Lurex waffle cardigan & Deep forest paperbag dress

Additional presentation details —

Stylist — Gabriela Langone
Make-up lead — Erin Van Anglen of Aveda
Hair Lead — Michelle Combs of Aveda
Manicurist — Kelly Taylor of Priti NYC
Illustrator — Ian Sklarsky
Photopraphy — BFA

Casting — Factory PR, also PR & Event Production
Lighting & Sound Engineer — Josephy Cady
Set Design & Props — Shop Studios
Performance — Chargaux
DJ — Leslie Kirchoff
Accordion Player — Mary Knapp
Catering — Sonnier & Castle

Striped Sweatshirt Combo dress
Cat Cashmere sweater & Shadow striped dress

Wildfox for Fall/Winter 2014 — Jane Austen, Florals, Romance & More

Posted on February 26, 2014 by SMM

WILDFOX‘s Creative Director Kimberley Gordon presented the label’s Fall 2014 collection, Sense & Eccentricity, which was inspired by “Jane Austen, England and sisters.” This was the brand’s first runway show at New York Fashion Week. How EXCITING & WOW what a show! When you think about the collection, remember these inspirational words from Austen — “There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.”

Words that certainly come to mind with this collection are cozy, romantic, & dramatic. The looks are ones you might find yes, while lounging around at home. But you could also find it for streetwear casual chic style, out for the day with the girls (lunch, shopping) or really anywhere you want to invoke an easy breezy vibe.

Romanticism comes about in the soft color tones & bright florals. There are certainly some bolder prints & colors, but also intermixed are soft greys, blush pinks, sky blues, nudes, & whites. No collection is complete without a little bit of drama. And for WILDFOX that includes the textual messages, the flowing long skirts, and the imaginative figures on some of the blouses, such as a swan or drummer.

So what can be seen in this collection — gorgeous wooly knits, super-soft thermals, sets & separates, rich/dark/lavish colors, florals, fun prints, stand-out texts, & more! The brand listed it’s own stand-out styles, but here are some of mine!

The show featured music by Hannah Bronfman and Brendan Fallis, hair by Jorge Luis for PRIVE, make up by Sarah Lucero for STILA, nails by INCOCO, location being Pier 59 Studios, set design by Andrea Huelse, and Production & PR by People’s Revolution.

VIP attendees included Nicky Hilton, Barron Hilton, Skylar Grey, Diane Guerrero (Orange is the New Black), Jackie Cruz (Orange is the New Black), Jasamine White-Gluz (Musician), and Connor Hanwick (Musician, The Drums).

WILDFOX also gives a shout-out to a few VIP Bloggers –Arielle Nachmani (Something Navy), Courtney Trop (Always Judging), Alexandra Spencer (4th and Bleeker), William Yan (William Yan), Aimee Song (Song of Style), Natalie Suarez (Natalie Off Duty), Danielle Bernstein (We Wore What), and Olivia Lopez (Lust for Life) and many more.

Some background on the brand — it’s a Los Angeles-based women’s label founded in 2007, known for their iconic campaigns, dreamlike quality, and clothes that tell a story. There is also WILDFOX Kids, which launched in 2009, and is an adaptation of the women’s line.

The brand can be found in retail boutiques nationwide including Ron Herman, Planet Blue, Akira, and Shopbop, along with select department stores such as Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. Internationally, Wildfox is distributed in over 30 countries worldwide and can be found in such stores as Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Harrods, Matches, and TSUM.