ARISE to the Occasion
Posted by Zadrian Smith | Filed under Fashion, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 10/11, NYC
“We’ve got a great story to tell,” proclaimed Deola Sagoe, one of three designers debuting their collection for the ARISE Magazine African Collective Part III. Although the clothing of Loin Cloth and Ashes, Black Coffee and Deola Sagoe was ‘almost couture.’ Wait, let me explain. As I was interviewing Deola Sagoe and talking about her collection filled with couturesque aesthetics I accidentally said, “Your collection is almost couture.” I am not sure if she took this as an insult or a compliment, but I could only hope that she understood it was meant to be the latter.
Deola Sagoe
A magazine backed by African royalty brought out the royalty of African Americans in the American fashion industry. Liya Kibede, Chanel Iman, Sessilee Lopez, Arlenis Sosa, June Ambrose and Harriette Cole are just a few of names that came out to show their support for the motherland, for Africa.
The production of the runway show by Karen Lee was whimsical and confusing. It proved to be a bit too challenging for some of the runway models who could not figure out which of the two glitter littered platforms to take to start their walk down the runway.
However, there were three models who would never let the intricacies of a runway downplay their time on the catwalk. Hanging backstage and speaking with Chanel, Sessilee and Arlenis was truly the highlight of the show for me. All three ladies are so down to earth and simply ravishing. I don’t think it’s fair that God gave so much beauty to one person…what about me.
Being at this show meant so much to me on a personal level, because not only does it bring African American culture and influence to the forefront of the fashion industry it supports a nation that has been pillaged and raped of so much. It showcases to the world the beauty that has always been and will always be AFRICA!
Take It Back to the 50 Yard Line
Posted by Zadrian Smith | Filed under Fashion, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 10/11, NYC
Is it a good sign or a bad sign when Terrell Owens is the highest profile celebrity to attend your show? Let’s just say it means that the collection won’t be making any major touchdowns. After seeing the menswear collections of Miguel Antoinne, Calvin Klein and Custo Barcelona, Perry Ellis was a bit disappointing.
John Crocco, creative designer described himself as a Jekyll/Hyde designer. He is constantly thinking of the business side of fashion when he creates…this I believe accounts for the lack of creativity in his collection. Here is a designer more concerned with making the dollar than pushing the envelope. The most provocative piece on the runway was an embossed leather waistcoat, but when you’re designing for Owens the only time you can get him in tights is on the football field. Maybe Crocco should create a line of football uniforms so he can tap into his Hyde and get more creative.
Furrrrocious!
Posted by Zadrian Smith | Filed under Fashion, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 10/11, NYC
It’s definitely a good sign when the Voguettes line the front row of your show. As a designer, this means you’ve built a reputation making them want to see what’s new up your sleeve. In FIT alum Basso’s case it’s one sleeve, a gunmetal fox and alligator sleeve…that’s all.
Inspired by Venus de Milo, Basso created a collection fit for his ideal upper west side client. Besides, only a woman with stature, class and A LOT of money can pull off Basso designs. This season no animal was safe as Basso incorporated fox, chinchilla, bird feathers, alligator, sable, broadtail and raccoon into his collection. This might explain Ingrid Newkirk’s absence at the show.
As each piece was ejected to the runway I kept thinking to myself how great these pieces would look on me…or the woman next to me. There was one piece I could take home though, get into that bag!!!
There’s a lesson to be learned from Basso, to be successful you must understand your niche market and provide them with what they want and need, no matter what fashion journalists or PETA say. Ultimately, the $$$ comes from your consumer. The Basso client wants to be the center of attention when she walks into the room and thanks to Basso this winter she will surely be placed at the top of every guest list.
Splenda is not Sugar
Posted by Zadrian Smith | Filed under Fashion, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 10/11, NYC
Some of the hardest collections to see during fashion week are run by the sharks, KCD. If your last name isn’t Wintour or Coddington and your business card doesn’t have a connection to Conde Nast, the struggle begins.
This season a media revolution began, live streaming of runway shows. Initially, I was quite excited for this endeavor and literally rushed to a computer to capture the stream of Naomi Campbell’s Fashion for Haiti Benefit Show. Much to my disappointment the hype was not all it lived up to be, not to mention one of my favorite models, Agnyess Deyn, fell twice on the runway…I think it’s because she could feel that everyone was watching.
Even though like the Voguettes I was now able to sit front row…no one could see me and I could barely see them. I was not a part of the rush of standing viewers running in seeking to fill empty seats or of the paparazzi flashing D list celebrities.
Is it a substitute, yes, but as we all know, nothing beats the real thing. Rodarte, Alexander Wang, Prabal Gurung and Tommy Hilfiger are just a few of the names that joined this revolution. All following suit to Alexander McQueen, who in McQueen fashion was one of the first to stream a collection live last season.
Most people will never get to see a fashion show and more than most will ever have the opportunity to warm a seat during the couture collections. So, go ahead power up that MacBook and pray your Wi-Fi connection holds up long enough for you to indulge in the sweet taste of fashion.
Just in case you didn’t get to see some of the top American fashion designer’s collection, the cyber world has you covered: www.showstudio.com
PETA Approved
Posted by Zadrian Smith | Filed under Fashion, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 10/11, NYC
I am not a fan of faux fur, but maybe it’s because Custo Dalmau showed his collection on Valentine’s Day that won my heart for his fall/winter collection for Custo Barcelona.
I am still on a fashion high from his spring runway show that opened with eight beautiful and intense African American models. This season was no different, backstage there were several familiar faces, including Dalmau’s daughter who always walks his shows.
Now on to the clothes, what to say about the clothes…one word, extreme! Psychadellic prints, tribal print leggings, long hair faux fur coats, dresses and skirts. Thank God Dalmau used faux fur because a lot of species would now be extinct.
What may become a trend or I’m hoping a fad this season is the shiny suit for men that looks like it is made from patent leather. A similar look was also spotted in Italo Zucchelli’s collection for Calvin Klein.
As look after look paraded down the runway I overheard someone say, “I love that dress, but I’d never wear it.” What happens when a designer designs pieces that are beautiful to look at, but no consumer is daring enough to wear them? Does a designer compromise creativity and innovation to make a sell? (Perry Ellis) If you were a designer would you rather design clothes that only looked good in a costume museum or clothes for the everyday boring consumer?
A Will You be Mine from Calvin Klein
Posted by Zadrian Smith | Filed under Fashion, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 10/11, NYC
How many people spend Valentine’s Day alone? I happen to know of three individuals, myself included whose Valentine’s Day was spent meeting deadlines and devouring a ‘midnight snack’ of calamari, buffalo wings and mozzarella fries. Happy Valentine’s Day.
Italo Zucchelli gave a special treat to all the lonely hearts in the media riser anxiously waiting to reveal to stylish men everywhere what he had been working on for the past five months.
A full run through of every male model, shirtless…Happy Valentine’s Day. (video courtesy of Lauren Wadkins)
In an in industry where many menswear designers always try to play it safe, Zucchelli picked up the remote and pressed the fast forward button and took us to a place where basic men’s silhouettes are brought to life by implementing funky fabrication and prints.
There was not one tie in the collection. The CK male this season is heading straight from the office to a savvy lounge where he will fit right in with his leather blazer and ring collar t-shirt or ribbed hoodie.
Instead of depending on accessories to complete the look it was the innovative use of fabrications like leather, mylar and holographic pewter optic square prints that gave this collection its futuristic feel.
I still am not a fan of the post marathon race trench jacket (it looks aluminum foil, way to be sustainable). However, I do appreciate the innovation.
PS: Has anyone seen the new CK ads…
No comment.
Touched by an Angel
Posted by Zadrian Smith | Filed under Fashion, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 10/11, NYC
Anyone who has done research should know that not only was Christian Siriano the winner of the fourth season of ‘Project Runway,’ he also interned while attending American Intercontinental University in London for Vivenne Westwood and Alexander McQueen…enough said.
Maybe it’s pure luck or maybe he just has the ‘it’ factor, but at a very young age in one of the hardest times to emerge as a new designer and be successful Siriano has done just that. His list of collaborations includes Starbucks, Victoria’s Secret, Puma and Payless…don’t turn up your lips too soon, label SNOBS, because you might find yourself in Payless near you sooner than you think.
Ever since Daphne Guinness and Victoria Beckham made the platform heelless shoe a necessary scarce drug designers have been coming up with their own versions of the heel, but at a cost that most people wouldn’t dare spend for such a cutting-edge shoe. However, Siriano has a soft place in his heart for middle-class America, because he has designed a shoe line for Payless that should have everyone stepping out in style. (NO UGGS, mortal sin of footwear!)
The collection was perfectly pieced together with just the right combination of studded rocker glasses, ornate heel details and of course just a dash of fierceness.
Siriano’s collection was for the girl who loves glamour, edginess and commands the attention of all when she walks into the room. I’d like to think of her as the retro-business woman, who by day commands her committed fleet in a leather zip front jacket and wool pencil skirt:
and shows up at the company Christmas gala in this:
FIERCE!
Up Close and Personal with Antoinne
Posted by Zadrian Smith | Filed under Fashion, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 10/11, NYC
There was a time when dapper gentlemen scheduled an appointment with a skilled tailor to ensure that all their clothing fit their svelte bodies perfectly. That time is no more, but FIT alum and menswear designer Miguel Antoinne is trying to rekindle a flame that desperately needs to be relit.
Instead of showing his collection on the runway, Antoinne opted to personally guide his guests through each piece as they arrived eager to see the follow up from his spring collection filled with eccentric prints and a twist on the basic male woven.
I’ve never grasped the concept of why a man would want to wear pants that sagged to his ankles or an ‘arab’ and ‘fitted’ in an attempt to look…macho? Or ridiculous?
This season Antoinne designed a line for the sexy bad-boy. Think Tyson Beckford meets Prince William, what a combination. The collection has only one requirement for its wearer, a full gym membership and as Beyonce would say, ‘a big ego.’ From distressed knits to slender tights Antoinne is on a mission to rejuvenate the menswear industry. Gone are the times of Rocawear and Timbs, even Jay-Z has stepped it up a few notches. Now often seen in three-piece suits and top hats with cashmere scarves and bow ties.
Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to your personal tailor, Miguel Antoinne, redesigning who you are one piece at a time.
All Hail McQueen
Posted by Zadrian Smith | Filed under Fashion, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 10/11
Bzzzzzzzzzz……..BZZZzzzzzzzz……BZZZZZZZZZZZZ…it was Wednesday morning and my iPhone was in quite a fit…it would not stop buzzing. I inconspicuously tried to calm its nerves, but after one glance at the screen I understood it’s rage. A text message from Luis Ramirez would inform me of the tragic news that has drained the spirits of the fashion industry.
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN FOUND HANGING IN HIS APARTMENT!
McQueen was a living fashion genius. His creative innovation is comparable to none other and his loss will surely dampen the already struggling houses of couture. Many wonder what was next for McQueen, because in an industry that has been usurped by lackluster collections that lack originality and creativity McQueen gave us a glimpse into the future. A future that left many eminent fashion contributors in awe at how a human mind could conceive such unworldly ideas.
To write McQueen’s story would require more than a blog entry. His story deserves the full attention, which I am sure it will get, of a writer knowledgeable enough to completely tell the story and possibly provide an answer as to why someone at the pinnacle of success would want to tragically eject themselves from the lives of many.
What is success? According to hip-hip artist Drake, it’s the money, cars and clothes, but I’d have to say I disagree. Success for every person is different. For instance, for my grandmother success meant raising her three daughters in a Christian home and providing them with the necessities they needed to grow into the confident women they are today.
On the flip side, for me success is…well, I don’t know. At one point I envisioned success to reflect something like that of the life of McQueen. A couture designer, coveted by all and respected by many, but I realized that when you are as successful as McQueen in a league of your own you no longer compete with your peers, because quite frankly their work does not put an indent on the caliber of your ethic or product. You compete with yourself…and McQueen has proven like many other geniuses that the competition to constantly outdo yourself so that you live up to the expectations of a society more concerned with their need to be entertained than your well being…can be deadly.
Rebuilding the Fashion Nation
Posted by Zadrian Smith | Filed under Celebrities, Fashion, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 10/11
It was five years ago that a ferocious hurricane tormented the spirits that inhabited a city well known for spicy crawfish, beignets, Mardi Gras and my personal favorite…Popeye’s. Many thought this city would never be able to find it’s soul and have life again, but with a recent Super Bowl victory, New Orleans has shown that despite government neglect, despair and downfall there is hope for an optimistic and bright future.
Now fast forward to 2010. The tremors of a deadly earthquake claim the lives of thousands of Haitians in Haiti. Reading and watching the news is painful, because you see a people desperate and in need for help, but helpless. It’s been predicted that it could take up to ten years for Haiti to rebuild itself, (the country was already in governmental turmoil and this added element only made things worse). However, optimism is far stronger than the pessimistic attitude that can bring a nation down. We are optimistic!
The third quarter of 2009 for many fashion companies was devastating. Flag ship stores in New York turned into prime real estate, legendary couturier Christian Lacroix stitched his last couture dress and more fashion publications than one can count folded leaving many devils in Prada jobless and aspiring fashionistas skeptical about their transition into the fashion industry.
Anna Wintour said, “Now is the time to intern and partner yourself with people who have a promising future.” Easier said then done, because as we all know internships don’t pay the bills. However, there is a surge of optimism streaming through the fashion industry. The fourth quarter showed an increase in net profits for many companies like Victoria’s Secret and Bloomingdales, who just expanded internationally in Dubai. Despite a decrease in numbers, Bernard Arnault of LVMH remains positive and strongly believes things will turn around by July…for everyone’s sake let’s hope he’s right.
The collections shown thus far in Europe all seem to be singing the same song, “Target the Asian consumer and make clothes that a younger generation can appreciate even if your house is built on tradition and heritage (Lagerfeld’s new take on the legendary Chanel suit is a perfect example sans tweed skirt and replaced with Bermuda shorts).
In spite of all the odds fashion still thrives. Even in a whirling blizzard emerging designers still showed collections and hosted presentations on the eve of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. This season is a historical one, because the tents that have discovered and put many fashion moguls on the tongues of many and backs of others will pack up permanently and relocate to Lincoln Center. It has not been clarified if the move was solely based on finances, but New York without Fashion Week is no New York at all. What better way to give the industry a much-needed jolt of anticipation and energy than by completely moving to a location world renowned as a hub for culture and the arts. Already home to the Metropolitan Opera House, Juilliard, Koch Theatre and New York City Ballet I wonder if the yuppies will welcome the fashionistas with open arms to their haven. Only time will tell and I’ll be sure to let you know!
There is already buzz for the shows this season…fashion baby Prabal Gurung, recent recipient of the CFDA/VOGUE Fashion Incubator Award, will show for the first time in the tents, Elie Tahari will also bring his collection to Bryant Park and of course everyone is waiting to see what production concoction Jacobs will create and if the Rodarte girls will open their show with smoke and mirrors or let the clothes speak for themselves this season. Secretly, we’re all praying for a Gaga sighting on the front row!
I have my personal favorites this season, for the first time I will cover the Calvin Klein men’s collection, but my heart is really set on getting backstage again at Custo Barcelona (the show that opened last season with a horde of African American models)!
Face beat, camera ready, 3…2…1….”This is Zadrian Smith for WFIT, reporting to you from Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.”