FASHION BY THE RULES

NYC fashion; Fall 2012 Fashion Week ...Sally Lapointe

2012-02-12T18:27:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; Fall 2012 Fashion Week ...Christian Siriano

2012-02-12T16:54:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; Fall 2012 Jason Wu

2012-02-10T17:53:00.000-05:00

NYC style; Inquiring minds need to know Style Icon ... the Duchess of Windsor

2012-02-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; Inquiring minds need to know .....designer focus Gene Meyer

2012-02-09T14:13:00.000-05:00

NYC style; Inquiring minds need to know .....The editorialist..Peter Davis II

2012-02-08T13:10:00.000-05:00

NYC style; Inquiring minds need to know; designer focus..Joel Woodard

2012-02-07T13:02:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; Inquiring minds need to know .....designer focus Ivan Crivellaro II

2012-02-06T12:30:00.000-05:00

NYC style; 25 Style tips for men from George Zaharoff

2012-02-03T12:35:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; Don't overlook them ..Spring haute couture 2012

2012-01-29T14:19:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; Haute Couture spring 2012 ..Elie Saab

2012-01-28T15:58:00.002-05:00

NYC fashion; Haute Couture spring 2012 ..Alexis Mabille

2012-01-27T16:13:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; Haute Couture spring 2012 ..Valentino

2012-01-26T17:31:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; Haute Couture spring 2012 ..Jean Paul Gaultier

2012-01-26T12:07:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; Haute Couture spring 2012 ..Prive by Giorgio Armani

2012-01-25T20:42:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; Haute Couture spring 2012 ..Chanel / Karl Lagerfeld

2012-01-25T12:16:00.002-05:00

NYC fashion; Haute Couture spring 2012 ..Giambattista Valli

2012-01-24T16:41:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; Haute Couture spring 2012 ..Versace

2012-01-24T12:35:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; Haute Couture spring 2012 ..Christian Dior by Bill Gaytten

2012-01-23T16:30:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; what's in store...Fall 2012 Paris men's...Thom Browne ..LE FIN!

2012-01-23T11:56:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; what's in store...Fall 2012 Paris men's...Hermes

2012-01-22T16:07:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; what's in store...Fall 2012 Paris men's...Dior

2012-01-22T12:09:00.002-05:00

NYC fashion; what's in store...Fall 2012 Paris men's...John Galliano..sans John

2012-01-21T13:10:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; what's in store...Fall 2012 Paris men's...Jean Paul Gaultier

2012-01-20T11:50:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; what's in store...Fall 2012 Paris men's...Rick Owens

2012-01-19T16:14:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; what's in store..Paris Fall 2012 Men's... Mugler

2012-01-19T11:34:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; what's in store..Milan Fall 2012 Men's... Ports 1961

2012-01-18T13:44:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; what's in store..Milan Fall 2012 Men's... Giorgio Armani

2012-01-17T15:51:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; what's in store..Milan Fall 2012 Men's... Gucci ...Etro

2012-01-17T11:55:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; what's in store..Milan Fall 2012 Men's..Prada

2012-01-16T13:00:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; what's in store..Milan Fall 2012 Men's..Salvatore Ferragamo

2012-01-16T12:18:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; what's in store..Milan Fall 2012 Men's..Jil Sander..Dolce & Gabanna

2012-01-15T09:28:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; what's in store...Milan Fall 2012 Men's... Ermengildo Zegna

2012-01-14T20:16:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; what's in store...Fall 2012 Men's Italian Collections...Hardy Amies

2012-01-12T17:54:00.002-05:00

NYC fashion; Stylish reads of 2011

2011-12-29T12:57:00.000-05:00

NYC Fashion; Christmas Fashion "Don'ts"

2011-12-23T16:11:00.002-05:00

NYC fashion; Inquiring minds need to know .....designer focus Bonnie Strauss

2011-12-21T13:54:00.000-05:00

NYC-fashion-inquiring-minds-need-to-know-designer-focus-Dragan Mrjda

2011-12-18T10:22:00.000-05:00

NYC-fashion-inquiring-minds-need-to-know-designer-focus-Edith Head

2011-12-18T10:20:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; Inquiring minds need to know .....designer focus Yotam Solomon

2011-12-13T14:24:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; Inquiring minds need to know .....designer focus Yves St Laurent

2011-12-02T17:23:00.000-05:00

Portrait courtesy of Tim Otte www.timotte.com

NYC-fashion-inquiring-minds-need-to-know-designer-focus-Leon-Klaassen-Bos

2011-12-02T11:07:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; Inquiring minds need to know .....design focus Diana Vreeland

2011-11-30T13:25:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; Inquiring minds need to know .....designer focus Antonio Gual

2011-11-28T18:47:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; Inquiring minds need to know .....designer focus Mary Jo Pane /Miracle Icons

2011-11-26T10:48:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; Inquiring minds need to know .....designer focus Douglas Hannant

2011-11-22T14:00:00.000-05:00

Hermes Timepieces

2011-11-18T06:29:00.000-05:00

PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK AND FLIP THROUGH TO PAGE 16

DESIGNER TALK ..Michelle Boor/Vouelle

2011-11-18T05:55:00.000-05:00

DESIGNER TALK ...Robert Stock for Robert Graham

2011-11-17T14:58:00.000-05:00

DESIGNER TALK ...Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel

2011-11-16T19:15:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; Inquiring minds need to know .....designer focus Federico Piaggi (Gianfranco Ferre)

2011-11-14T12:18:00.000-05:00

read the Q&A from Federico Piaggi..one half of the design team for GIANFRANCO FERRE

DESIGNER TALK ...MARK BELFORD

2011-11-12T07:22:00.000-05:00

DESIGNER TALK...WENDY BRANDES

2011-11-12T07:20:00.002-05:00

DESIGNER TALK ...RALPH RUCCI

2011-11-12T07:18:00.002-05:00

DESIGNER TALK ...STEVEN OO

2011-11-12T07:16:00.002-05:00

DESIGNER TALK ..CYNTHIA WOLFF

2011-11-12T07:14:00.000-05:00

DESIGNER TALK...GEORGE ZAHAROFF

2011-11-12T07:11:00.000-05:00

NYC fashion; Inquiring minds need to know .....designer focus Norman Ambrose

2011-11-05T09:49:00.002-04:00

NYC fashion; Inquiring minds need to know .....designer focus Steven Oo

2011-11-05T09:47:00.000-04:00

NYC fashion; Jeffrey Felner's designer talk..Cynthia Wolff

2011-11-05T09:46:00.000-04:00

NYC fashion; Inquiring minds need to know .....designer focus George Zaharoff

2011-11-05T09:43:00.001-04:00

Updated list Ocober 1..designers who have been forgotten

2011-10-01T08:07:00.002-04:00

Abbijane -Adolfo -Adri -Adrian -Aghayan, Ray-Aimbez,Gil-Akira -Albini Walter-Alaia Azzedine-Aldrich, Larry-Alfaro,Victor-Allard,Isabelle-Amey,Ron-Andre ,Adeline-Andrevie, France-Androver, Miguel-Ann, Lucie-Antaya,Maurice-Anthony ,John-Arbeid,Murray-Ashpool, John -Aspeci, Alberto-Assatly, Richard-Atkinson, Bill-Audibet, Marc-Aujard, Christian-Aurientis, Dominique-Azzaro, Loris-Balenciaga -Ballestra, Renato-Balmain, Pierre-Banks, Jeffrey-Banton, Travis-Barnett, Sheridan-Barocco, Rocco-Barretta, Anne Marie-Barrie, Scott-Barthelemy, Claude-Barthet, Jean -Bates, John-Beamon, Eric-Beene ,Geoffrey-Beaudry, Diane-Bennet, Russell-Bennis,Susan-Benson,Dianne-Beretta, Anne Marie-Bergere, Eric –-Bet, Xuly-Biagiotti Laura-Blair, Alistair-Blass,Bill-Bohan, Marc-Bolan, Barbara-Bonavitacola, Kenneth-Bowlling, Lynn-Brevard, Lee-Bricjel, Vesna -Bricken,Barry-Brooks, Donald-Bugnand, Bob-Burrows, Stephen-Caesarani,Sal-Cameron ,David-Canovas ,Isabel-Capraro, Albert-Capucci -Cardin,Pierre-Carnegie,Hattie-Carr,Zach-Cartmell, Adrian-Caruschka-Cashin, Bonnie -Cassini, Oleg-Castillo,Edmund-Castelbajac ,John Claude-Cerrutti , Nino-Chapman, Ceil-Chase,Tony- Chun,Eva-Cipullo, Aldo-Clark, Ossie-Cleaver, Alan-Cole, Anne-Colonna ,Jean-Composto, Frank -Conrad, Bern -Conran, Jasper -Connoly, Sybil-Cooper, Charles-Copeland,Jo-Coreggiari ,Giorgio-Coringer,Cara-Costa, Victor-Courreges, Andre-Coveri, Enrico-Crahay,Jules Francois-Crystal,David-Dache, Lilly-D’Alby, Pierre-Daumas,Jean Remy-Deal, Donald-De Mourra, Giovanni-Dell’Olio, Louis-del Pozo, Jesus-de Premonville, Myrene-de Senneville, Elisabeth-Dennis, Pamela-DeRibes, Jacqueline-Desses ,Jean-Dessio, Mark-d'Estanville, Kim-Di Camerino,Roberta -Dianos, Katherine-Dimitri -Ditford, Bill-Dominic D.D.-Douet, Jacques-Duke, Randolph-Ebker,Tarquin-Edelstein,Victor-Eisen, Mark-Edwards,Warren-Ellis, Perry-Emanuel,David & Elizabeth-Epperson -Esterel, Jacques-Estevez -Estrada, Angel -Evins, David -Ewing, Gene-Fabiani-Fabrice -Fath,Jacques-Feraud, Louis-Ferrandis, Phillipe-Feith, Tracy-Ferre, Gianfranco-Fiandaca,Alfred-Fielden ,David-Finis -Fiore,Frank-Fogarty, Ann ,-Fontana, Sorel-Fortuny -Forquet,Federico-Fowler ,Timney-Fox,Peter-Friedman,Marcia-Fries, Diane-Frizon, Maude-Galanos James-Gallitzine, Irene-Gamba, Jimmy-Gell,Wendy-Geller,Andrew-George, Jennifer-Gernrich, Rudi -Gertz, Geoffrey-Ghinnea -Gibb, Bill-Gigli Romeo-Grateau,Muriel-Gres, Alix-Guidicelli ,Tan -Haire Bill & Hazel-Halley,George-Halpern, Joan & David-Halston-Hamnett, Katherine-Hansen ,Betty-Hardwick, Cathy-Harp, Holly-Hawes, Elizabeth-Hayes, David-Head, Edith-Hechter, Daniel-Heller, Nancy-Hempl,Anouschka-Henderson, Gordon-Herman, Stan-Hitchcock, Jonathan-Holt, Henry -Horn, Carol-Hornby ,Judy-Horton, Susan-Howard, Chuck-Hulanicki, Barbara-Hyatt,Lester-Inaba, Yoshi-Issiah-James, Charles-Jean Louis-Jin abe -Jitrois, Jean Claude-Joris, Victor-Jourdan,Charles-Jovine, Andrea-Julianelli, Mabel -Julio -Kaiserman,Bill-Karesh, Lance-Kasper -Kastenberg,Jeanette-Kelly, Patrick-Keiko-Kelly, Orry-Kenzo -Kerr, Patt-Khan, Emanuelle-Kirk, Alexis-Kirkpatrick,Gayle-Kline, Don -Kloss, John-Knot, Jean Paul-Knox, Nancy-Kobayashi, Yukio-Kolodzie, Ronald-Koschino, Hiroko-Lacroix,Christian-La Marca, Arlene-Lars,Byron-Lamy,Michele-La Viola, Claudio-Lancetti -Lapidus Ted-Larissa -Laug, Andre-LaViola,Claudio-Leal,Ron-LeGaspi, Larry-Lempica, Lolita-Leonard -Leser Tina-Lester,Patricia -Leva, Michael-Levine Beth-Logan Joshua-Loper Don-Lowe,Ann-Madame Gres -Magid Marion-Mainbocher -Malave -Malta, Silvano-Manolo -Masandrea Frank-McFadden, Mary-Matsuda -Mattiolo, Gai-McCardle, Claire-MicMac -Miller, Nolan-Mills, Tracy-Miyake, Issey-Moises, Debra-Molina,Fabian-Molyneux -Montana, Claude-Mori, Hanae-Mortenson, Eric-Moschino -Mr.John -Mugler ,Thierry-Muir, Jean -Mulqueen, Jack -Muto,Anthony-Myles ,Morton-Neuville, Charlotte-Nippon, Pearl&Albert-Nivelais, Roland -Noble, Danny-Nolan, Charles-Nolder, Terrance-Norell, Norman-Novarese,Michael-Nye ,Matt-Nyeboe,Jasper-Odicini -Oldfield, Bruce-Oldham, Todd-Olive, Frank-Oliver, Andre-Oppenheimer, Helen-Orrier -Ozbek ,Rifat-Pacquin-Pallant, Jean & Martin-Parnis, Mollie-Partos,Emeric-Pasquali, Guido-Patou, Jean-Paulin, Guy-Pernet, Diane-Perris, Bernard-Perteguy-Pfister, Andrea-Piccione,Robin-Platos ,Stanley-Poe,Michael-Pomodoro, Carmelo-Porter Thea-Price, Anthony-Pucci ,Emilio-Quant, Mary-Rankin, Isaia-Rebecchi, Massimo-Rech, Georges -Restivo, Mary Ann-Rhodes, Zandra-Ricci, Nina -Ricci, Todd-Richards, Kenneth-Robinson,Bill-Rochas, Helene-Rodgers,Shannon-Roehm,Carolyne-Rogers, Jackie-Rojas,Roberto-Rose, Helen-Ross,Martin-Roth, Christian Frances-Ruffin, Clovis-Rykiel Sonia-Sachs,Gloria-Samen, George-Samuels, Leslie-Sanchez, Fernando-Sanchez Rafael-Santos, Edwin-Sax,Gunther -Sayres,Don-Scassi, ArnoldSchiaparelli,Elsa-Scherrer, Jean Louis-Schon ,Mila-Scott, Ken-Sebiri,Celia-Selwyn,Harriet-Shamask ,Ronaldus-Shariff, Irene-Simonetta-Simpson ,Adele-Sloate, Stella-Smith, Willi-Soprani ,Luciano-Sprouse, Stephen-St. Angelo, Giorgio-Starr, Malcolm-Stein, Frances Patiky-Stravropoulos -Sturgeon,Sara-Sung, Alfred-Suppon, Charles-Sybilla -Takahashi, Masako-Tam,Richard-Tarlazzi ,Angelo-Tassell, Gus-Tatterachi, Marie Pierre-Thimeister, Joseph-Thomas, Chantal-Tice, Bill-Tiel ,Vicky-Tiffeau Jacques-Tiktiner -Tignino,Frank-Tilley, Monica-Tivioli, Carlo-Tomkins,Susie-Traina Teal-Trell ,Rosabianco-Trigere, Pauline-Tyler, Richard-Ungaro ,Emanuel-Valentina -Valentino, Mario-Van den Akker ,Koos-Van Wrunkle,Theodora-Vanderbilt,Gloria -Vannozzi, Giambatista-Vass,Joan-Venet, Phillipe-Veneziani, Jole-Venturi,Gianmarco-Verna,Levino-Versolato,Ocimar-Vider, Ricky-Vollbracht,Michael-von Pier,Andre-Wacs,Ilie-Walker,Andre-Weinberg,Chester-Weitz ,John-Werle -Whitcomb,Laura-Winter,Harriet-Wolman,Pinky-Worth -Wragge,BH-Yamomoto Kansai-Yorke & Cole -Zoran

Observations...New York , London, Milan...Spring 2012

2011-09-28T10:14:00.001-04:00

After having been through New York, London and Milan, once again what seems to be most annoying is the quality of the reportage and reviews which we read from the so called reliable news outlets.Yesterday WWD reported which Italian collections were the so called favorites of retailers from around the world. This is all well and good as everybody has an opinion, except for WWD who seemingly likes or loves everything. The 4 collections which were in the most favor were Marni, Prada, Bottega Veneta and Jil Sander. What happened to the collections that they actually sell?I defy any retailer or reviewer to find me 6 stores worldwide whose businesses depend on any of these collections as a measure of their successes. What is even more bothersome is the lack of knowledge that reviewers have when writing their seasonal assessments of any fashion brand anywhere, let alone that buyers are bean counters these days.It is disturbing that reviewers have no storehouse of fashion knowledge, their experience spans the last 20 minutes and that buyers are no more than accountants these days. When attending a show, there is an extreme shortage of “stores” yet there is an overabundance of “reviewers” and “fans.” Call me old fashioned but I think that the media hype surrounding a kid like Tavi is just disgraceful and what’s worse is that that her written word is taken seriously. I mean really, the child isn’t even finished with puberty and she has gravitas in the fashion world!It appears that no knowledge is a requirement for reviewers and buyers as past designer references within collections cannot be seen or attributed correctly, “inspirations” outweigh the end product, and ugly seems to reign supreme. The system and/or the players need to go back to school and figure out what this business is really about. At present, we have a “bible” which strictly panders to the wealthiest designers(who are really stylists), manufacturers and retailers and tons of young talent who go undiscovered while the cadre of “it” designers continually turn out ugly clothes for an invisible customer and are far happier selling perfume and handbags and loaning samples to celebrities rather than bolstering the business that made them famous.Speak up!

CATCH UP OM SPRING 2012

2011-09-18T18:16:00.002-04:00

http://www.examiner.com/aging-style-in-new-york/jeffrey-felner

AUG 24 ..DESIGNERS WHO HAVE ALL BUT BEEN FORGOTTEN

2011-08-24T16:11:00.003-04:00

-Abbijane
-Adolfo
-Adri
-Adrian
-Aghayan, Ray
-Aimbez,Gil
-Akira
-Albini Walter
-Alaia Azzedine
-Aldrich, Larry
-Alfaro,Victor
-Allard,Isabelle
-Amey,Ron
-Andre ,Adeline
-Andrevie, France
-Androver, Miguel
-Ann, Lucie
-Antaya,Maurice
-Anthony ,John
-Arbeid,Murray
-Ashpool, John
-Aspeci, Alberto
-Assatly, Richard
-Atkinson, Bill
-Audibet, Marc
-Aujard, Christian
-Aurientis, Dominique
-Azzaro, Loris
-Balenciaga
-Ballestra, Renato
-Balmain, Pierre
-Banks, Jeffrey
-Banton, Travis
-Barnett, Sheridan
-Barocco, Rocco
-Barretta, Anne Marie
-Barrie, Scott
-Barthelemy, Claude
-Barthet, Jean
-Bates, John
-Beamon, Eric
-Beene ,Geoffrey
-Beaudry, Diane
-Bennet, Russell
-Bennis,Susan
-Benson,Dianne
-Beretta, Anne Marie
-Bergere, Eric –
-Bet, Xuly
-Biagiotti Laura
-Blair, Alistair
-Blass,Bill
-Bohan, Marc
-Bolan, Barbara
-Bonavitacola, Kenneth
-Bowlling, Lynn
-Brevard, Lee
-Bricjel, Vesna
-Bricken,Barry
-Brooks, Donald
-Bugnand, Bob
-Burrows, Stephen

-Caesarani,Sal
-Cameron ,David
-Canovas ,Isabel
-Capraro, Albert
-Capucci
-Cardin,Pierre
-Carnegie,Hattie
-Carr,Zach
-Cartmell, Adrian
-Caruschka
-Cashin, Bonnie
-Cassini, Oleg
-Castillo,Edmund
-Castlebajac ,John Claude
-Cerrutti , Nino
-Chapman, Ceil
-Chase,Tony
- Chun,Eva
-Cipullo, Aldo
-Clark, Ossie
-Cleaver, Alan
-Cole, Anne
-Colonna ,Jean
-Composto, Frank
-Conrad, Bern
-Conran, Jasper
-Connoly, Sybil
-Cooper, Charles
-Copeland,Jo
-Coreggiari ,Giorgio
-Coringer,Cara
-Costa, Victor
-Courreges, Andre
-Coveri, Enrico
-Crahay,Jules Francois
-Crystal,David
-Dache, Lilly
-D’Alby, Pierre
-Daumas,Jean Remy
-Deal, Donald
-De Mourra, Giovanni
-Dell’Olio, Louis
-del Pozo, Jesus
-de Premonville, Myrene
-de Senneville, Elisabeth
-Dennis, Pamela
-DeRibes, Jacqueline
-Desses ,Jean
-Dessio, Mark
-d'Estanville, Kim
-Di Camerino,Roberta
-Dianos, Katherine
-Dimitri
-Ditford, Bill
-Dominic D.D.
-Douet, Jacques
-Duke, Randolph
-Ebker,Tarquin
-Edelstein,Victor
-Eisen, Mark
-Edwards,Warren
-Ellis, Perry
-Epperson
-Esterel, Jacques
-Estevez
-Estrada, Angel
-Evins, David
Ewing, Gene
-Fabiani
-Fabrice
-Fath,Jacques
-Feraud, Louis
-Ferrandis, Phillipe
-Feith, Tracy
-Ferre, Gianfranco
-Fiandaca,Alfred
-Fielden ,David
-Finis
-Fiore,Frank
-Fogarty, Ann ,
-Fontana, Sorel
-Fortuny
-Forquet,Federico
-Fowler ,Timney
-Fox,Peter
-Friedman,Marcia
-Fries, Diane
-Frizon, Maude
-Galanos James
-Gallitzine, Irene
-Gamba, Jimmy
-Gell,Wendy
-Geller,Andrew
-George, Jennifer
-Gernrich, Rudi
-Gertz, Geoffrey
-Ghinnea
-Gibb, Bill
-Gigli Romeo
-Grateau,Muriel
-Gres, Alix
-Guidicelli ,Tan
-Haire Bill & Hazel
-Halley,George
-Halpern, Joan & David
-Halston
-Hamnett, Katherine
-Hansen ,Betty
-Hardwick, Cathy
-Harp, Holly
-Hawes, Elizabeth
-Hayes, David
-Head, Edith
-Hechter, Daniel
-Heller, Nancy
-Hempl,Anouschka
-Henderson, Gordon
-Herman, Stan
-Hitchcock, Jonathan
-Holt, Henry
-Horn, Carol
-Hornby ,Judy
-Horton, Susan
-Howard, Chuck
-Hulanicki, Barbara
-Hyatt,Lester
-Inaba, Yoshi
-Issiah
-James, Charles
-Jean Louis
-Jin abe
-Jitrois, Jean Claude
-Joris, Victor
-Jourdan,Charles
-Jovine, Andrea
-Julianelli, Mabel
-Julio
-Kaiserman,Bill
-Karesh, Lance
-Kasper
-Kastenberg,Jeanette
-Kelly, Patrick
-Keiko
-Kelly, Orry
-Kenzo
-Kerr, Patt
-Khan, Emanuelle
-Kirk, Alexis
-Kirkpatrick,Gayle
-Kline, Don
-Kloss, John
-Knot, Jean Paul
-Knox, Nancy
-Kobayashi, Yukio
-Kolodzie, Ronald
-Koschino, Hiroko
-Lacroix,Christian
-La Marca, Arlene
-Lars,Byron
-Lamy,Michele
-La Viola, Claudio
-Lancetti
-Lapidus Ted
-Larissa
-Laug, Andre
-LaViola,Claudio
-Leal,Ron
-LeGaspi, Larry
-Lempica, Lolita
-Leonard
-Leser Tina
-Lester,Patricia
-Leva, Michael
-Levine Beth
-Logan Joshua
-Loper Don
-Lowe,Ann
-Madame Gres
-Magid Marion
-Mainbocher
-Malave
-Malta, Silvano
-Manolo
-Masandrea Frank
-McFadden, Mary
-Matsuda
-Mattiolo, Gai
-McCardle, Claire
-MicMac
-Miller, Nolan
-Mills, Tracy
-Miyake, Issey
-Moises, Debra
-Molina,Fabian
-Molyneux
-Montana, Claude
-Mori, Hanae
-Mortenson, Eric
-Moschino
-Mr.John
-Mugler ,Thierry
-Muir, Jean
-Mulqueen, Jack
-Muto,Anthony
-Myles ,Morton
-Neuville, Charlotte
-Nippon, Pearl&Albert
-Nivelais, Roland
-Noble, Danny
-Nolan, Charles
-Nolder, Terrance
-Norell, Norman
-Novarese,Michael
-Nye ,Matt
-Nyeboe,Jasper
-Odicini
-Oldfield, Bruce
-Oldham, Todd
-Olive, Frank
-Oliver, Andre
-Oppenheimer, Helen
-Orrier
-Ozbek ,Rifat
-Pacquin
-Pallant, Jean & Martin
-Parnis, Mollie
-Partos,Emeric
-Pasquali, Guido
-Patou, Jean
-Paulin, Guy
-Pernet, Diane
-Perris, Bernard
-Perteguy
-Pfister, Andrea
-Piccione,Robin
-Platos ,Stanley
-Poe,Michael
-Pomodoro, Carmelo
-Porter Thea
-Price, Anthony
-Pucci ,Emilio
-Quant, Mary
-Rankin, Isaia
-Rebecchi, Massimo
-Rech, Georges
-Restivo, Mary Ann
-Rhodes, Zandra
-Ricci, Nina
-Ricci, Todd
-Richards, Kenneth
-Robinson,Bill
-Rochas, Helene
-Rodgers,Shannon
-Roehm,Carolyne
-Rogers, Jackie
-Rojas,Roberto
-Rose, Helen
-Ross,Martin
-Roth, Christian Frances
-Ruffin, Clovis
-Rykiel Sonia
-Sachs,Gloria
-Samen, George
-Samuels, Leslie
-Sanchez, Fernando
-Sanchez Rafael
-Santos, Edwin
-Sax,Gunther
-Sayres,Don
-Scassi, Arnold
Schiaparelli,Elsa
-Scherrer, Jean Louis
-Schon ,Mila
-Scott, Ken
-Sebiri,Celia
-Selwyn,Harriet
-Shamask ,Ronaldus
-Shariff, Irene
-Simonetta
-Simpson ,Adele
-Sloate, Stella
-Smith, Willi
-Soprani ,Luciano
-Sprouse, Stephen
-St. Angelo, Giorgio
-Starr, Malcolm
-Stein, Frances Patiky
-Stravropoulos
-Sturgeon,Sara
-Sung, Alfred
-Suppon, Charles
-Sybilla
-Takahashi, Masako
-Tam,Richard
-Tarlazzi ,Angelo
-Tassell, Gus
-Tatterachi, Marie Pierre
-Thimeister, Joseph
-Thomas, Chantal
-Tice, Bill
-Tiel ,Vicky
-Tiffeau Jacques
-Tiktiner
-Tignino,Frank
-Tilley, Monica
-Tivioli, Carlo
-Tomkins,Susie
-Traina Teal
-Trell ,Rosabianco
-Trigere, Pauline
-Tyler, Richard
-Ungaro ,Emanuel
-Valentina
-Valentino, Mario
-Van den Akker ,Koos
-Van Wrunkle,Theodora
-Vanderbilt,Gloria
-Vannozzi, Giambatista
-Vass,Joan
-Venet, Phillipe
-Veneziani, Jole
-Venturi,Gianmarco
-Verna,Levino
-Versolato,Ocimar
-Vider, Ricky
-Vollbracht,Michael
-von Pier,Andre
-Wacs,Ilie
-Walker,Andre
-Weinberg,Chester
-Weitz ,John
-Werle
-Whitcomb,Laura
-Winter,Harriet
-Wolman,Pinky
-Worth
-Wragge,BH
-Yamomoto Kansai
-Yorke & Cole
-Zoran

AS I SEE IT.....THE ICONOCLASTS

2011-08-13T10:42:00.002-04:00

THE ICONOCLASTS.....

2011-07-26T12:48:00.002-04:00

SEE THEM HERE ..... http://jeffybruce.tumblr.com/

SAVAGE BEAUTY.....Alexander McQueen

2011-05-10T11:26:00.000-04:00

Metropolitan Museum of Art....N

ew York City

Hermes 57th Street

2011-04-09T07:26:00.000-04:00

The current auction (for the benefit of the Japanese earthquake victims)of Jane Birkin’s signed Birkin bag from Hermes got me thinking to times gone by when the name Hermes was whispered and not shouted. There really was a time when the name was revered beyond all others as it had a panache that was much more rarefied than Gucci or Louis Vuitton.
Imagine that there was no Louis Vuitton store and there were only 2 stores in all of NYC where you could buy it…Saks Fifth Avenue and Crouch & Fitzgerald which was a luggage store on Madison Avenue. Gucci was better known for shoes and handbags that for apparel and Hermes was the king of luxury leather goods. Hermes was for many years a place where it was only about quality and not about style. In fact the merchandise rarely changed and was just modified from season to season by changing a color or fabrication.
One of my many experiences in Hermes happened in the store on 57th Street when I ordered the “H” belt in red. Note that the belt was only offered in black and brown and reversed to one or the other. I asked to have it in red, the reply was “we don’t offer it in red” to which my reply was “well I didn’t ask how you offer it, I want it in red.” After much fussing I was “permitted” to order the belt in red and I can proudly say that mine was a first ...alas just not named for me. (Like Ms. Birkin’s handbag)
In those years, shopping was an experience; you dressed for the occasion or wore the symbols which silently signified good taste and status. A friend and I went to purchase a beach towel at Hermes…yes a beach towel which was at that time over $300. We were asked to take a seat and our salesperson proceeded to show us an array of terry cloth towels as if they were sable coats.
The moral to the stories is simply that when you purchase this “particular” Birkin bag, you are buying a piece of what catapulted the brand into an even more stratospheric phenomenon than its original incarnation as when it catered to the “horsey” set.
Many moons ago, shopping at Herms, even Gucci or Bergdorf Goodman had an almost reverential charisma that is long gone. Imagine the customer was treated like royalty and the sales people were beyond knowledgeable about their products, not to mention ace profilers when it came to figuring who was a buyer and who was a looker.

MONTANA....CLAUDE, that is

2011-04-01T14:17:00.001-04:00

http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/review/claude-montana-fashion-radical

Mad Ave. (PHOTOS & TEXT)

2011-03-21T17:14:00.001-04:00

There is nothing quite as luxurious as a stroll on Madison Avenue on the first Spring like day of the season. The windows are filled with the most expensive and exclusive collections all ripe for buying.
What stands out during your stroll is that “Mad Ave.” has become a veritable who’s who of the “haute joalliers” whether it is Graff, Chopard, Fred Leighton or Solange Azagury-Partridge. Then there is the endless amount of apparel stores which include Ralph Lauren, with 2 of the most exquisite mansions devoted to his collections, and just about every other designer you have ever heard of or thought of or imagined including Gucci, Hermes, Cavalli, Chloe, Tom Ford, Zanotti and many many more.
Today was given to the exploration of the new Ralph Lauren women’s store which was assembles across the street from the Rhinelander location which houses the men’s collections. This new store was built to echo the feeling of the Rhinelander but was really created from scratch with dazzling end result. There is no detail left out, no luxury overlooked and one cannot be anything but overwhelmed by the extravagance of it all.
Once you arrive at the location, you cannot help but be impressed by this masterpiece which has made Mr. Lauren the sole purveyor of fashion from 71 St to 72nd street on Mad Ave. I was lucky enough to have not been stopped from photographing the interior as wisely used no flash and am very pleased to share with you the opulence and vision that is uniquely Ralph Lauren.
The other photographs which prove to be equally arresting are those of the jewelers who are unequaled without including the big names of Bulgari. Tiffany, Harry Winston or Verdura and more but I cheated and included a Van Cleef (5th Avenue) “zipper necklace” which is beyond fabulous.
The rest of the stroll can only be considered to “swoon worthy” but there are few places where you can stroll along and pass “Mr. Big” and Tom Selleck doing the same thing you are…enjoying the first taste of Spring and the sights of Mad Ave.

Mad Ave.----PHOTOS ONLY

2011-03-21T17:10:00.001-04:00

LOEWE by Stuart Vevers

2011-03-06T14:38:00.000-05:00

Loewe
Stuart Vevers offered up a particularly wonderful and tasteful

collection filled with what else…leather. He served it up every way possible and cut it and sewed it as if it was cloth. I am a fan of his and of the collection although it has a rather rocky track record as being desirable. Nevertheless, I always have to have a look at it and this season certainly proved to be worth my attention.

Vionnet fall 2011

2011-03-06T14:35:00.000-05:00

Vionnet
This is a collection that is in its nascent rebirth and as of this collection, has gained one more fan, well at least of the critical variety. I found the collection to be very refreshing and very appealing, even with the plethora of prints and the “busy” background. The silhouettes were good and as a whole it was hard to find fault with …see if you agree.

BALMAIN by Christophe Decarnin

2011-03-05T16:05:00.000-05:00

This is another collection which fits into the “I don’t get it” category, but this season I do get it. Unfortunately, it seems that Mr. Decarnin had little to do with this collection due to “his unfortunate incarceration.”
At any rate I wish him well, and I think this season the collection has become more approachable, if that even applies to a collection such as this. Somehow, commercial is not on the menu here, but they need to sell clothes to stay in business and judging by the activity I have seen around these clothes at Bergdorf Goodman, I would have to say they have an audience.
I know that the clothes have been stratospherically expensive for the rock star style that Mr. Decarnin has adhered to for the collection and it appeared to me that he was a bit of a Johnny One Note. I cannot exactly say that for fall, the collection has a universal appeal, but I can say the door has been opened a bit wider which should be beneficial for the house. The dresses are still dangerously short and the pants and jackets require very thin, think skinny to emaciated, bodies but there will be more activity than when the main attraction was highly embellished jackets.

Rick Owens Fall 2011

2011-03-05T15:29:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I need some space so I can learn to like a designer and sometimes it takes time for the designer to distill his or her image/look, nevertheless, time has passed and I have become a fan of Rick Owens. This is not what I am generally attracted to but there is a clean line and a definite point of view which, in my opinion, is refined to a tee with this collection.
The clothes look perfectly crafted with hard edges, which is the vocabulary and DNA of the collection. This is a designer who is certainly fluent with the use of leather and fur and uses them to maximum effect for each look. I am very taken with the leather gauntlet like gloves he uses to achieve a totally finished look.
These are not supermarket clothes nor are they the perfect little throw on to head out to dinner, but with an acquired taste, these are clothes with a long life crafted by a designer who is certainly an artist amongst designers in the fashion business.

Chriistian Dior by John Galliano

2011-03-05T12:26:00.000-05:00

When I first saw the collection there was something that bothered me other than all the drama of the past week. I felt a somewhat uncomfortable feeling about this collection which may or may not have been influenced by the most current events. With a little research I was able to figure out that the runway itself was different as the surface of the actual runway was flat and dark as opposed to r

eflective and glossy which cast a certain pall over the collection. Maybe it was like looking in a mirror and seeing no reflection.
Yes there were all the Galliano touches of pirate attire, knickers, skyscraper stilettos and boots, the filmy dresses amongst all the other unwritten language that the designer had created for the famed house. Galliano created a vocabulary which had no dialects…there was only one and that was Dior by Galliano. As sad as I may be about this whole affair, I found the collection to be a halfhearted attempt at another season of more clothes and more forced drama. Yes, the makeup was toned down yet that didn’t jive with the clothes which were not toned down and yet there seems to be tedium present.
In essence, Mr. Galliano is a master story teller and a master of the spectacle and he achieved it at least 4 times a year for the last 15 years at Dior. For whatever the reason and whatever the circumstances of the not so distant past, I do know that he will be missed as showman and designer and can’t help but have a feeling that there was some sort of divine plan, bigger picture involved which caused this enormous upheaval for an individual, a brand and an entire industry .

BALENCIAGA by Nicholas Ghesquiere

2011-03-04T18:09:00.000-05:00

It appears to me that this season, more than any other, one is in need of a doctorate in philosophy in order to write a review on many of the current Fall collections. Somewhere there is a university that has graduates who are able to expound on the philosophical design aspects of a collection yet never consider the salability or wearability of any items or maybe there is a debriefing process that one must attend before the shows. Oh yeah and they never really give an opinion, they seem to avoid that at all costs, especially if the review sounds scholarly and knowledgeable except here is a new flash …..these are clothes, this is not a cure for cancer, this is not solving the issue of global warming and new seasonal collections should be reviewed within the parameters of the apparel business and not on some existential theory of beauty!
With all that said, who can say that Balenciaga is beautiful? Yes I think that Mr. Ghesquiere is fabulously talented, yes I believe he raises the bar on the technology that is involved in fashion but there is way way too much blah, blah, blah involved. The collection as a whole is relatively ugly, relatively ungainly and most certainly unbecoming. Why are people raving about collections which are much less than the words would imply. If the media and goddesses of editorial are in such need of stars, why can’t they find one who has some validity? Part of it appears to be that editorials are no longer photographed in a straight forward manner in which you might see the article of clothing which culminates in a sometimes totally unrecognizable image. These clothes will fit right in since anyone who can afford or dares to wear these concoctions will be met with shaking heads and quizzical expressions.
So, yes the collection is directional, I guess, and it certainly tears a page from the Prada Marni book of unattractive and maybe this is the heroin that true fashion addicts/victims crave on a seasonal basis. It is hard to believe that I stand alone with these observations and I really must question how anyone who unequivocally raves about these blah, blah, blah collections. Tell me that reviewers really understand what they see or are they just pawns of the advertising dollar and pandering to the tabloid mentality that has invaded all forms of the media.

Zac Posen Fall 2011

2011-03-04T12:38:00.000-05:00

It is just as easy to show unattractive clothes in NYC as it is to show them in Paris and it is cheaper to do it at home so why does Mr. Posen insist on bring his roadshow to the city of light. Actually he does himself a great disservice as the competition is far stiffer and he stands out as the “ugly American.”
He provided a few pretty moments, a few pretty ugly moments and then he finished off

with a few Morticia moments. Last season he was the wardrobe t=for the Folies Bergere or some might say for the ladies of the night and this season he is not sure who he is and who his customer might be. Someone needs to get with the program here and decide who is your client base and what exactly do you want to stand for and hopefully that will not be ugly collections. Time’s a wasting and the dollars keep adding up and there is not even editorial material here to work with. There seems to be a lack of direction, a lack of guidance and like I said when I saw the ZP department at Bergdorf’s, a lack of clothes to sell!!

Brioni...Allesandro Dell'Acqua

2011-02-28T13:55:00.000-05:00

Alessandro Dell’Acqua continues to stretch the limits of the Brioni customer. He has softened the edges, only slightly, and still retains the clean lines for which the brand is known. He has added the color that is always needed now and again and is slowly broadening the appeal by altering the DNA ever so slightly. Brioni at its most shining moment is an acquired taste and only for those who can afford to look this understated at highly overstated prices. One does wish that he had styled the clothes with a bit more élan as that would have only enhanced their presence on the runway. My suggestion would have been to use a high end jewelry brand to drive home the luxe factor of these clothes.

Emilio Pucci / Peter Dundas

2011-02-28T11:48:00.000-05:00

If one waits, one will see things happen that they never expected. Peter Dundas has now taken the style he created for the house and brand and really transformed it into a 21st Century vision of Pucci. He has done this carefully and he has done it successfully with this season’s presentation.
With his rock star and over the top sexy take on an age old prestige brand, he has not brought back the

prints which the house is famous for since its inception. Mr. Dundas has previously flirted with the prints but has not given them a starring role until now. The clothes are modern and sexy and without question bear the stamp of Peter Dundas. If nothing else, he has restored my faith that not all designers are solely interested in reviving a brand by defying all that the brand stood for and ignoring it. BRAVO to Peter Dundas and here’s to hoping some others will follow his lead.

Jil Sander

2011-02-27T14:00:00.000-05:00

At the outset I thought that this was going to be another groundbreaking season after a spectacular Spring collection, but alas how quickly things can change. Yes there were vibrant colors, yes, there were prints albeit not as fabulous as Spring, and yes there was a continuation of the “egg” shape but not with as much success as Spring. There is something oddly retro 60’s about the collection with

the chin strapped helmet headwear but it seemed like there was something missing as a whole in the collection. Where were the high points or the memorable moments of how fabulous Raf Simons has made Jil. The collection seemed more like a study in proportions and silhouettes as if it were more tenuous rather than definite. The floral prints were weaker and the choices seemed to be odd and out of place. It is possible that with Mr. Simons contract being up this year that his heart was not in this collection which is sad as he has done so much to propel the collection to great levels of acclaim and great salability.

Bottega Veneta

2011-02-27T13:58:00.000-05:00

Happily, I surprised to see this collection infused with color and then on the other hand, I am perplexed with who is the target customer for these wildly overpriced creations. Some of the clothes were pretty, some were pretty ugly, some arty, some artsy craftsy, some prim bordering on matronly and then some downright trashy. There is some sort of undercurrent in the collection that is reminiscent o

f a Prada collection with some very unflattering colors and some very unappealing silhouettes leading me to believe that Miuccia had some sway in the inspiration department. Mr. Maier is like Ms. Prada when it comes to the esoteric “inspirations” which once again leads us to the same destination ...ugly clothes.

VERSACE ..Donatella Versace

2011-02-26T12:49:00.000-05:00

The show might have moved back to its original venue, Via Gesu, and Donatella may have reimagined some of the hallmarks of the brand but the show proved to be without a punctuation mark. One kept waiting for the exclamation point at the end of the sentence but that never happened.
The clothes had a distinctly Versace viewpoint but yet they lacked the polish that Gianni always made possible. Thi

s show might have been vastly improved if it had been styled differently. The open toe bootie was a major distraction and not really a style match to the clothes. One has to think that had she used a simpler shoe, polished the outfits with pantyhose and even used some accessories that these clothes would have taken on a totally different attitude. Part of Gianni’s genius is that he walked the thin line between over the top and hooker clothes and to his credit, most of the time; hooker lost out and over the top fabulous won out.
Rather than let the brand die a horrible slow death, it might be time for Ms. Versace to step aside and breathe some new life into the clothes with some fresh new talent who can take the Versace brand to the next level. Donatella has tried but one has to really think that she is ill equipped to accomplish the task.

BLUMARINE ...Anna Molinari

2011-02-26T12:46:00.000-05:00

What happened to all my wild leopard girls? camo girls? Ms. Molinari abandoned the patterns and replaced them with a spectrum of color. The palette will no doubt be attractive to retailer but the collection has lost a lot of its wow factor.
The collection is certainly full of wearable pieces and certainly was presented flawlessly with the matching boots but very little can replace the excitement that Ms. Molinari elicited by using leopard with such a deft hand.
The biggest question will be –does the retail customer relate to color rather than pattern…my guess we will find out when the nest season rolls around and my take is that there will be a return to the beloved ‘spots.”

Prada Fall 2011

2011-02-25T13:07:00.000-05:00

As always, when there is too much explanation and too much chat about a collection, there is inevitably a problem with the clothes. As is usually the case with Miuccia Prada, she loves to expound about the whys and hows of her collections and most of it is just gobbledygook for this is what I want to do so I did it. This season is absolutely not an exception.
So, we have Ms. Prada’s take on “in

nocence” which equates to a lot of very unflattering unaffordable clothes with few exceptions. Yes, there is an YSL homage to his Mondrian shift and if one were to thinly stretch references, one might say to Norman Norell and his fish scale sequin mermaid gowns. The difference being is that Ms. Prada exchanged sequins for pailettes in almost translucent tones and the Mondrian reference took on a more somber if not plaid effect. Now, combine this loveliness with dropped waists, trompe l’oeil snakeskin boots and add the 1960’s references and what have you got …..nothing too pretty. Somehow, the very first passages were deceptively encouraging while conjuring up Jean Shrimpton in a chin strapped helmet and over the top movie star sized sunglasses, but that image was quickly obliterated by what followed.
Sticking to my own discoveries, if the clothes need an explanation, then how will they sell when they are just hanging there on a rack ….Ms. Prada will not be pitching them and I highly doubt that your salesperson is that well versed in the inspirations and references that Ms. Prada used while designing said collection.
If one thought that this past Spring was difficult, well then they hadn’t even imagined what was dreamt up for fall.

GUCCI ..Fall 2011

2011-02-24T15:52:00.000-05:00

Well if this is any indication of what’s to come, PETA is going to be very busy this coming fall season. The latest from Ms. Giannini is luxe without being dreadfully over the top and also a bit of a nod to the eternally fashionable YSL. That is to say, yes it is over the top but in a more sedate way rather than the usual bells and whistles that accompany a Gucci collection.
The keys are color, fur, leather, wearable and all with a polish and swagger that has been missing for a long time. The collection has a 40’s type of Hepburn glamor with the fuller pants and the defined waists, jabot blouses and the softer filmy evening wear. Even the shoes and handbags have been tamed…no major platforms or major stilettos nor any outrageously ridiculous bags. Don’t get me wrong, they are there just not front and center as in the past, after all, accessories are the bread and butter of the brand.
I really do like that so many of the daytime looks are finished off with a fedora which also adds to that soigne city sophisticate look as well as possibly a nod to Frida’s favorite decade(70’s).. As I said, there is plenty of fur, whether it is collars or cuffs or detail or coat and this part has not been tamed as the fur shows up in a kaleidoscope of colors which only drives home that color statement more emphatically.

MARY KATRANTZOU....Princess of Prints

2011-02-23T12:28:00.001-05:00

The business of prints in fashion is a risky one at best and yet Ms. Katrantzou has built a business and a reputation based on prints. She continues to employ the digital image prints that Alexander McQueen had begun to popularize before his untimely demise.
This season her inspiration, a subject which rarely holds any gravitas when looking at a collection, was based not on style icons but possessions of style icons. Here we can include items from Faberge, Ming Dynasty, Meissen or cloisonné, all of which have been translated into the prints she uses and then in turn reimagined into the collection she showed this week. These are not the clothes of Babe Paley, Gloria Guinness or Marella Agnelli but the collection does reflect their possessions.
The collection is in the constructed more rigid style that has defined Ms. Katrantzou’s work up to this point but this season she opted to include some softer silhouettes which will guarantee her a wider audience. The more constructed pieces are wonders of the art of fashion design and construction while these newer softer styles suddenly open up a much wider range of possibilities while still retaining the prints which are so linked to the eponymous collection.

MICHAEL KORS

2011-02-19T09:15:00.000-05:00

On his 30th anniversary, he presented a collection which has been billed as his greatest hits which I find rather demeaning unless it is qualified by saying that each of those hits went double or triple platinum. The show was the ultimate illustration of why Michael Kors has had a successful 30 year career and business. He shows us that he indeed has a brand DNA and a brand identity and a vocabu

lary that can associated with him and his designs. He makes and displays classic American clothes which are wearable and relatable without being banal or boring.
Michael takes a classic palette and makes it his own and makes it uniquely identifiable and continually produces excitement with apparent ease. Nothing about his collections seem forced or experimental as he is one with his collections and his outlook and views of what good clothes entail.
Slick, simple, urbane, classic, understandable, modern, commercial, memorable and sexy are just a few words that come to mind when one conjures the collections of MICHAEL KORS…………any season.

Ralph Goes to China

2011-02-18T13:30:00.000-05:00

What can one say about a designer who has the magic touch? Whether he is translating the iconography of American history or F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mr. Lauren takes the hackneyed and turns it original while under his masterful hand.
The Chinoiserie or Orientalia of this collection is rendered without ever looking cheap or tired and most certainly while retaining all that has become Ralph Lauren. He takes the typical dragon embroideries, cheongsams, mandarin collars, kimono like garments and turns them modern with his touch. Trim them in fur and then, turn them into a tuxedo and all the better to offer up some glamor of an Art Deco Shanghai where there is news to be made.
Mr. Lauren takes poetic license and therefore infuses his DNA into the theme and turns out just one more wonder for Fall 2011. There are enough pure “Ralph” moments to keep registers singing starting almost immediately when I am sure there will be a trunk on Madison Avenue within weeks of this presentation.
Particular favorites include the long purple coat with lush huge shawl collar, the Dragon tux and the beaded pieces. He manages to evolve his look while never causing a revolution and therein lays the genius of Ralph Lauren.

BLOND(S) AMBITION

2011-02-18T12:41:00.000-05:00

There is such a phenomenon as fashion as spectacle and if you need any proof of its existence then you need to attend a show by THE BLONDS. These 2 have singlehandedly, well 2 of them so I can’t say what the term would be, turned their shows into the highest of drama mixed with an adoring throng of friends, media and admirers who not only arrive to see but to be seen. The 30 minutes or

so before the show begins turns out to be this enormous photo op for the denizens of NYC nightlife who live for that moment of the photographers’ flash and maybe that elusive 15 minutes.
What amazes me is not the hoopla that surrounds these shows but that the design team is endlessly inventive, imaginative and unfettered by the constrictions of conventional fashion wisdom. Not only their limitless imagination, but they have the wherewithal and the knowledge to turn their visions into reality. This particular grouping focused on China and we were transported to the Far East via the glamor route which strutted down the runway in sky scraper heels leaving an indelible memory of each creation put before us. Let’s say these were all from Column A and no column B.
Beads, sequins, jewels, glitter, fringe, macramé and shiny satins took us back in time to a China we know from Charlie Chan movies, opium dens, Fu Manchu and maybe even those Chinese restaurants we knew as kids. The bottom line is that the clothes/costumes are marvels of construction, ingenuity and creativity that reassure us that there is still some fun, humor and untapped talent in this business. The Blonds took us all on a vacation to their China and what a trip it was!

JUDGING FASHION

2011-02-17T14:52:00.003-05:00

THIS IS A REPRINT OF A NEW ARTICLE THAT APPEARED IN QLIX
.......CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR AN ENLARGED VIEW

Oscar de la Renta..Marchesa Fall 2011

2011-02-17T13:41:00.000-05:00

Being a fan of both collections, more Oscar than Marchesa, this season I must have taken a stupid pill as I fail to see the beauty in either collection and I feel cheated by their presentations.
Okay, so Oscar looks very rich and very luxe and that’s the way it is supposed to look. He has dedicated his career to that woman and now her daughter and he has done it more successfully than most. Th

is collection, while I find it to be appealing, is up to his normal standards of excellence. It seems to be more hodgepodge and “what she couldn’t wear she carried” meaning that even if there was a more restrained presence the collection seemed so busy that one didn’t know what to look at first. There seemed to be a missing element which could have been the raffine rather than the over the top.
Marchesa is a case in point where there is too much chat about the inspiration and too much spin on the why when there should have been fabulously beautiful gowns. The designing duo have made a name for themselves doing tasteful and occasionally over the top confections but this season either their esthetic has changed or I am clouded by the technology that it must have taken to create this season’s collection. Yes, they are entrance making, yes they are spectacles to behold, but I fear that is all for the wrong reason. In my opinion, these clothes are more costume than anything else and beg for attention in a too obvious way.

RALPH RUCCI.... Fall 2011

2011-02-16T12:05:00.000-05:00

One comes to expect excellence after so many near perfect collections and this fall 2011 is no exception. This season Mr. Rucci not only breathes some color into his normal somber wearable palette, but very successfully brings a more playful and even maybe youthful element into the brand’s vocabulary.
Mr. Rucci is nothing if not consistent with his vision not to mention his consistent method

of flawless construction and purity of silhouette. He proposed the question as to why his clothes are usually associated with “older’ women to which I can only reply a few possibilities. Most evidently, the collection bears a financial aspect to which only women of a certain age may be able to afford, the taste level of each collection is stratospherically above the taste level of most 20 or 30 somethings (celebrities certainly not withstanding) and that Mr. Rucci does not bend to the trend of the moment nor chase said trend.
This season, the clothes are sumptuous; slick as usual, extravagant, exquisitely constructed clothes. Mr. Rucci also told us that his is not fashion but style, a statement i would like to elaborate on. In order to wear clothes like his, one needs to be self-assured with no need of ‘bragging” and most certainly a woman who knows what she looks best in and how to wear it. He might be considered correct if one looks at it only from the point of view…the latest and the greatest. He most certainly is incorrect if you view fashion as an art form and that fashion can be more than the look of the day. The clothes harken back to a time when there was great pride in the finished garment and greater pride in selling to a retail clientele rather than loaning a dress to some starlet of the moment celebrity. Ralph Rucci upholds taste and style and fashion in a business that seems to want to forget that fashion is a craft and an art.

"Our lady of Sleeves" ....Carolina Herrera

2011-02-15T15:05:00.000-05:00

It’s been many, many years since she was referred to as “our lady of the sleeves” and she has definitely transformed herself into a major player from that time. What I find a bit disturbing, among the designer cult, is the constant change in focus as to who is the customer. Ms. Herrera started out in the league of Blass and Oscar and Pauline and Geoffrey and then somewhere in the past 15 years, the collection took a 180 and was aimed at the so called new crop of society ladies who happened to be in their mid 20’s rather than their mid 40’s and older. For a while, the clothes found a look and I am assuming an audience and this season all bets are off.
Fall 2011, while still retaining its slick and urbane character, the collection has taken a decidedly plain and unadorned look which is not helping the bones of the collection. The clothes look a bit “triste” which might be a polite way of saying tired and dowdy. There are some memorable pieces but I found that for the most part, this season is highly forgettable. No drama like last fall with the high reaching feathers and hats, fall should be a time of excitement and a time where the clothes will beckon the ladies and call them to the fitting rooms.

Marc Jacobs...Fall 2011

2011-02-15T14:45:00.000-05:00

I am always hesitant to review a Marc Jacobs collection as I always feel I am in the minority with my assessment. This season, however, I find this particular collection oddly appealing. I believe that some of the reason comes from how the show was styled. The season appears to be much cleaner, less bells and whistles, which may have allowed me to look at the clothes and not all the superfluous stu

ff that surrounds them as a rule.
Having seen so many MJ collections, I suddenly had this epiphany that he only designs clothes for the season…he has no specific look and yet most of the clothes are emblematic of Mr. Jacobs. Hard for me to wrap my head around the idea that he doesn’t associate himself to one look or silhouette or line and yet the clothes are recognizable. The polka dots, the fitted shapes and the overall clean lines appeal to my sense of fashion regardless of the “look” of each particular outfit.
Mr. Jacobs is nothing if not the provocateur, whether it is his eponymous line or Louis Vuitton. He is one of the bad boys of fashion who grew up right in front of us and became synonymous with fashion on an international scale.
For no other reason than to keeps this business exciting and fresh, I hope that he never alters his M.O. and just goes on his merry way of shaking up everyone and everything that we seem to know about the rules of fashion.

DONNA KARAN ..Fall 2011...Sheeeeee's Baaaack!

2011-02-15T14:15:00.000-05:00

It’s back to being a full-fledged collection again and it’s about time that Ms. Karan abandoned the all dressy format that she has been literally clinging to for several seasons. Back are the coats, back are dresses that do not require a specific occasion, back are PANTYHOSE and back are pearls.
The clothes remain softly draped, but not overly done and the silhouette is slim and not totally unforgiving. The palette is soft, yet not boring, the coats are stunningly sharp, yet not over wrought and the accessories stunningly simple, but not dowdy.
Ms. Karan is a great designer and really should allow herself to present “MORE COMMERCIAL” collections such as this one which would only bolster her standing in the retail designer hierarchy. After all, if these clothes don’t make cash registers ring, then it doesn’t really matter what your inspiration or fashion theory might be.

VICTORIA BECKHAM FALL 2011

2011-02-14T16:09:00.000-05:00

I have been a hesitant fan of the collection since its birth but I am finding that Ms. Beckham has remained true to her vision and produces a beautifully made and presented collection for women of a certain taste level. The clothes are not tricky; they are what they appear to be, albeit with a bit more élan than the usual fashion fare.
These are dresses, for the most part, that require no inspir

ation but do require a design discipline that is very refreshing in today’s world of fashion. The discipline is in its apparent simplicity which requires great craftsmanship in order to be successfully rendered. The edges are sharp, even though they have been softened this season, the line is clean, even if the lengths have been elongated this season and the color range is limited, yet not boring.
It is possible that the newer silhouettes have been influence by Ms. Beckham’s forthcoming child birth, but they are not out of control and hardly of the maternity genre of ready to wear. Hopefully, this collection will remain on the limited side as there are so many possibilities for error if the collection increases in size.

JASON WU FALL 2011

2011-02-13T07:50:00.000-05:00

HAIL THE CONQUERER!! Mr. Wu has shown the world that he is no fly by night, one hit wonder. This fall collection clearly puts him in world class position for a place in the 21st century fashion hall of fame. He deftly worked his theme with grace, with art, with craftsmanship and with a decidedly sure hand. He took lace and he dissected it in every way and when he trimmed a hoodie with it …and d

id it successfully, then we know he is at the top of his game.
One could say that there was a YSL undercurrent and that the collection was a bit prim, but I say bring it on. Many of the younger generation of designers are discovering what made great collection even greater by delving back to when clothes were not solely based on their youth factor or their trend factor. Good clothes should withstand the immediacy of a season and Mr. Wu has found that chic, slick and urbane clothes are the remedy to too many collections that try to be uber hip and uber young and thusly yield a few too many “me too” collections.

JASON WU FALL 2011

2011-02-13T07:48:00.000-05:00

SOME PHOTOS