new york fashion week spring 2011

September 20, 2010

New York Fashion Week Spring 2011 Collections: PARKCHOONMOO, DIEGO BINETTI

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[Images via WWD.com]

PARKCHOONMOO

Heads this year will have no choice but to turn with the inability to ignore Spring/Summer 2011 line designed by Korean avant-garde mastermind, Choonmoo Park.  Each  piece included in the ensembles shown were brilliantly adorned with intricately sublime details preciously worked into not only the front, but also the back of each look. These details ranged from diagonally crossing demure lines stretching across translucent opaque white tops, to an extra divine back-drape innovatively created to give the look a luxurious flounce. Although the theme and name of next spring’s line is entitled “d’air,” the fine-quality materials and ethereal thought process behind the art gave the line a water-like rippling effect of success.

The soft yet dramatic range of colors varied from ivory white, to beige, to deep denim blue, and to satiny black. The softness and lightness of the color of these fine-quality materials are reflected into their construction of loose yet attractively form-fitting outfits that show off the naturally elemental curves and structure of a woman’s body.  The only sense of density stemming from this line came from the sophisticated utilization of well-tailored denim tops and jumpsuits, detailed with zippers and hook-and-eye trimmings.

[Images via Rose Lou]

DIEGO BINETTI

In a single, pure word: Stunning.  This time around, Binetti really outdid himself with fantastically dramatic, yet demure romantic looks that ranged from gowns that only previously existed in dreams, to wearable day-to-day outfits meant still for luxury. Each complete look was perfectly topped off with tasteful touches of beaded, jeweled, and sequined (metallic) embellishments. The forefrontal gown presented first instantly set themood for the rest of the line with a shock-factor caused by a branching display of metallic flowers etched onto a beautiful floor-length white tulle skirt, topped off with a well-structured metallic silver cut-out sweetheart top, with jeweled double-racer back straps. The main theme of earthly elements and flowers clearly shone through the production of Binetti’s twenty-two looks, each reflective of the origins of its inspiration.

–Rose Lou

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September 17, 2010

New York Fashion Week Spring 2011:The Glitz of Jenny Packham, the Organics of Toni Francesc and Lulu Frost’s Modern Pioneers

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[Images via Elle.com]

Jenny Packham

No stranger to the red carpet, Jenny Packham brought a new twist on old Hollywood glam at her Spring 2011 show. Sequins, shimmer, sparkle, and soft shades swayed down the catwalk, evoking opulent Grecian goddesses paying Earth a visit. Mere mortals with nary a paparazzi-flocked event to attend can nonetheless enjoy Packham’s creations. Her gowns were interspersed with gauzy jumpsuits and tailored trousers, perfect for when you want to make lunch with the girls an occasion.

[Images via Kaci Hamilton]

Lulu Frost

Laid out like an exhibit at the Museum of Natural History, the models at the Lulu Frost Spring 2011 presentation were far from the dowdy, frantic-looking pioneers you envision hitching a ride west on the wagon. Instead, they channeled Christina Hendricks’ “Joan Holloway” on a Mad Men business trip to New Mexico. Turquoise meshed with pearls and Native American-inspired headpieces were given a contemporary feel with crystals and chains. Could designer Lisa Salzer set a trend if Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce opens an office out west?

[Images via Zimbio.com]

Toni Francesc

Spanish designer Toni Francesc has translated the light and feel of the forest into an earthy, organic assembly that he fittingly called “Urban Forest”. Wooden jewelry that curved around necks and wrists like the bouts of a violin served as ideal accents to the ethereal, liquid dresses. Francesc concentrated on largelt natural colors such as beige, gray, and white, which he then infused with the brights – the blues, the yellows, and the corals — much like what nature will offer up in the spring.

-Kaci Hamilton

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September 14, 2010

Mara Hoffman Spring 2011 Collection

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For her vibrant “military gone native” Spring/Summer 2011 presentation, Mara Hoffman created an island scene viewed through a kaleidoscope lens with models assembled among palm trees and clad in tribal printed garments. Inspired by Hoffman’s own personal style, the collection featured flowing maxi dresses, fringed and crocheted
blouses, and an array of army green pieces paired with fedoras and colorful chunky beads. We lusted over a pair of teal leggings with a psychedelic black and pink pattern that are sure to garner the attention of anyone passing by.

-Sarah Feguson

September 14, 2010

Anne Bowen, Christian Siriano, Cushnie et Ochs, and Concept Korea Spring 2011 Collections

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Anne Bowen

Guests of Anne Bowen‘s show were treated to a lot of  leg, super-high heels, and tight dresses with flowing trains and sashes at her Spring 2011 collection. The theme was “deconstructed formality;” uber short, uber sexy pieces with both soft and edgy masculine elements, like a delicate sash billowing off a taupe one-shoulder or a blue pinstripe short suit. The designer kept the color palette muted, with a majority of silver and nude. Known for her bridal wear, Bowen did not disappoint, as the finale piece was a Swarovski crystal beaded asymmetrical one-shouldered number. Daring brides who are ready to show some skin and leg on their big day now know where to look.

[Images via Elle.com]

Christian Siriano

There were 4o reasons to celebrate at Project Runway sensation Christian Siriano’s Spring 2011 collection. The king of “fierce”  maintained the impeccable craftsmanship and returned to the drama that made him the winner of PR Season Four, with pieces inspired by his travels in  Africa, Asia, and the Mediterranean. The travel inspiration was evident from the first look:  white slim fit pants and a cognac “safari chic” leather jacket, right through to his last creation —  the fiery red tulle concoction was wonderfully impractical, yet consistent with Siriano’s over-the-top elaborate aesthetic.

[Images via  Elle.com]

Cushnie et Ochs

Design team Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs know how to put on a show. From the eerily wafting fog to the ethereal trip-hop soundtrack, the Cushnie et Ochs show was a cohesive experience, seemingly less about the glaring-lights-go-go-go routine of other shows and more about a sultry method of displaying the much more fluid collection this season. Less evident were some of the skin-tight, monotone mini-dresses, replaced with looser shifts in solids and the collection’s signature gray, peach and white floral print. Nevertheless, for the strong, empowered Cushnie et Ochs woman, the usual suspects — sheer elements, sharp cut-outs, and surprising pops of leather – are here to stay.


[Images via mbfashionweek.com]

Concept Korea

Three designers, three shows within a show, three very different visions. Kwak Hyun Joo, Juyoung Lee, and Lee Jean Youn came together to create a show that was fun yet serious and crafted, with mixed media (videos kicking off each designer’s collection on a huge plasma screen at the head of the runway) and mixed sexes. Pucca by Hyun Joo featured pop art —  comic book-like prints that were a flirty, free cascade down the runway, with playful additions like ruffles on skirts, fluorescent mesh and tassels on strategically-placed shirt zippers. Lee’s men’s collection, Resurrection, was like an homage to Scottish Military Goth, if such a thing existed, with a sea of black punctuated by cargo pants under kilt-like pleated skirts and strappy, military shirts and jackets. Youn’s collection was an ending full of contrasts, mixing leather and feathers, snake skin and organza, salmon and black and throwing in a little bridal at the end for good measure.

-Kaci Hamilton

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