Pelusi began to hone his vision with Kati Stern, learning about her design process. Pelusi gets enthused through talking, sketching, magazines, and practice. “Spend a day in a magazine store,” Pelusi advises for inspiration, as he described how an elegant braid twisted in the back of the models’ head came to fruition. He starts with a dry shampoo, as models are usually coming from another runway show, and adds his new Potion product from the P2 line, which eliminates frizz. His biggest challenge? Getting all the models to match with different textures and lengths of hair. For this, he praises his team and the help of his organic beauty line.

- Ambika Makin

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[Images via Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week]

No matter what your personal style is, if you were at the Venexiana show you were impressed and entertained.  Not only were there 69 looks to absorb but the last two were so impactful that you heard an overwhelming, music-volume-suppressing audience gasp followed by a standing ovation.  This is not an easy task to achieve next to  blaring rock music.  The designer, Kati Stern, included fall must-haves such as plaid, tweed and fox fur, as well as beautiful golds and bronzes and this season’s floral trend, but all done in an almost aggressive approach to evening wear that makes us reconsider pastels and bringing back wide leg pantsuits.

-Kristin Hanne

[All images via MercedesBenzFashionWeek.com]

Venexiana

For F/W 2010, Venexiana envisioned an extravagant ball, where all the guests were dressed to bedazzle in glamorous gowns of several kinds. Firstly, she started off with classic black-and-white numbers; the looks were opulent with sequins and chiffon at floor-sweeping lengths – while some posessed a funky edge – a fishtail polka dot gown, for example. The collection then segued to the way more dramatic looks strutted down the runway – you didn’t think Katie Stern was going to turn to completely classi, did you? After broadening the color palette, the collection’s most unabashedly over-the-top pieces had the enchanting quality of fairy tales reminiscent of Venexiana’s rougher couture edge.

Academy of Art University

Every year, Academy of Art University selects several outstanding students to premier their collections at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. This year, they chose six, all with a distinct style and determined not to be forgotten among Fashion Week’s countless shows. First came Marina Solomatnikova, who put the dreamy and the strong together by pairing a suede suit with a silk dress tantalizingly tucked underneath. We saw silk in Bethany Meuleners’s collection too, but this time as asymmetrical tops over other textures like mesh and lace. Naomi Sutton was an entirely different matter altogether; inspired by farms in Minnesota, she sent down the runway dressed-up prairie aristocrats wrapped up to the neck in long lace dresses, black bows and hats. Hyo Sun An took us back to modernity, with structured jersey dresses adorned with strings. Steven Oo spices up his wool jackets and scarves with spikes and Sabah Mansoor Husain makes his otherwise plain strong-shoulder jackets and skirts dazzling with shiny, jewel-like studs. From the little we’ve seen from each designer – less than ten from each – they have all passed their finals with a magnificent A.

Ivy H

Fall, Ivy H. tells us, is the season of the samurai. Inspired by the ancient Japanese warrior, she displayed tops with kimono sleeves and outfits with structured tops and loose, high-waisted bottoms. Also inspired by Japan was a print evoking their national flag that could be found in Ivy H.’s invite, dresses and tops — against a white background is red paint spontaneously splashed across her canvas. Ivy H.’s second collection is a fine example of a unifying theme adapted for chic yet practical, often office-appropriate pieces.

- Justina Lee

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