Sunday, February 13, 2011
PRABAL GURUNG...NEW YORK FALL 2011
I may have been slightly disappointed with this collection but that does not mean that Fall 2011 was still not wonderful. I have a great love of hard edged, clean lines and refined collection and Mr. Gurung still delivered what would be considered to be a fabulous collection. He chose his hard edges with stark contrast of black and white whether with lace print or with lace overlay, he flexed his tailoring muscle with a razor sharp grey trench and with a red one shoulder short dress. The degrade (ombre) jackets were superb not to mention that there was a fleeting nod to YSL with the bow at the neck looks and the red/hot pink combination. Take note of the evocative nature of the black long and the short version of what I called the Balenciaga tulip tunic dresses.
What suddenly struck me is that models of today are really no asset to the clothes; these girls clop down a runway devoid of any grace or class, they tend to all look the same. For years models like Dianne De Witt, Sarah Kapp, Billy Blair, Pat Cleveland and so many more lit up a runway as they glided its length, the “girls” of yore understood the clothes and acted accordingly which is totally absent in the circus like atmosphere of what we call fashion in today’s world.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Fashion Week NYC..NORMAN AMBROSE
There are defining moments during each season’s fashion collections, but it is rare that this fashion cynic is this impressed so early in the game we call Fashion Week Fall 2011. Today I was privileged to witness a relatively unknown designer achieve what I can will say is greatness. The name to remember is Norman Ambrose and his eponymous collection IS what a collection should look like for the cur
rent reigning queens of “society” or for that matter women of a certain taste level.
We Americans rarely can compete with our European brethren in the fashion arena as we tend to want to be trendy or young or hip which is why so many of what we call designers today are nothing more than glorified stylists…and that is with few exceptions, in particular Mr. Ambrose, Prabal Gurung and Jason Wu. This triumvirate is capable of bringing real fashion back to New York and being worthy of comparison to the Euros. They are the 21st Century Bill Blasses, Norman Norells and even Oscar de la Rentas.
Mr. Ambrose’s current Fall 2011 collection harkens back to a time when there were retailers like Martha in NYC or Grace Jones in Saledo TX or Giorgio in Beverly Hills and when department stores had salons rather than racks of clothes. The words that come to mind are slick, urbane, chic, grown up, sophisticated and luxurious. The materials employed in this collection can only be construed as luxurious; sable, fox, mink, alligator, sequin, bouillon and cashmere for starters. Even though we may not be enjoying the most robust economy my feeling is that since these clothes are for rich ladies, young and old, and those ladies will always have money for fabulous and distinctive apparel.
The photos were taken (by me) today at the Norman Ambrose tableau vivant which took place at Lincoln Center and my hope is that they do these incredible clothes the justice they deserve. Having seen countless collections during my career, I am unabashedly thankful to have been included today……Thanks to Brynne, Roger and Mauricio of Mao PR.
rent reigning queens of “society” or for that matter women of a certain taste level.
We Americans rarely can compete with our European brethren in the fashion arena as we tend to want to be trendy or young or hip which is why so many of what we call designers today are nothing more than glorified stylists…and that is with few exceptions, in particular Mr. Ambrose, Prabal Gurung and Jason Wu. This triumvirate is capable of bringing real fashion back to New York and being worthy of comparison to the Euros. They are the 21st Century Bill Blasses, Norman Norells and even Oscar de la Rentas.
Mr. Ambrose’s current Fall 2011 collection harkens back to a time when there were retailers like Martha in NYC or Grace Jones in Saledo TX or Giorgio in Beverly Hills and when department stores had salons rather than racks of clothes. The words that come to mind are slick, urbane, chic, grown up, sophisticated and luxurious. The materials employed in this collection can only be construed as luxurious; sable, fox, mink, alligator, sequin, bouillon and cashmere for starters. Even though we may not be enjoying the most robust economy my feeling is that since these clothes are for rich ladies, young and old, and those ladies will always have money for fabulous and distinctive apparel.
The photos were taken (by me) today at the Norman Ambrose tableau vivant which took place at Lincoln Center and my hope is that they do these incredible clothes the justice they deserve. Having seen countless collections during my career, I am unabashedly thankful to have been included today……Thanks to Brynne, Roger and Mauricio of Mao PR.
Monday, February 7, 2011
GRETCHEN
Ann –Christin Hoffman grew up with the smell of fresh leather as this was the family business in Germany. This was not about design; this was about the ”skin business.” Ann-Christin had other plans for herself as she had been born with a talent…drawing. Following her God given talents, she pursued her education in England and as luck would have it; her final project was to design as pair of gloves. The award winning 
design was then taken and applied to the family business and was to be the precursor of the Gretchen business of today.
The gloves were only the beginning of the burgeoning business, as with time, she expanded her product selection to include handbags and belts. Her products are a stunning testament to good taste and fine workmanship that is rarely found at these prices. The company, which was formed with Michael Georg Schmitt in 2004, has now become an international business spanning many of the international markets.
Ms. Hoffman has reached almost every age bracket with her diverse designs as well as with her diverse product categories. She makes sure that everyone can afford to own a wonderfully handcrafted piece of leather that will last many years and beyond just a trend.
Gretchen is literally an old German name meaning “little pearl.” The name clearly is demonstrative of the design philosophy of the company. In her own words, “To create precious and sensual accessories for ladies, each of them individual, unique and beautiful by nature….like a pearl.”
design was then taken and applied to the family business and was to be the precursor of the Gretchen business of today.
The gloves were only the beginning of the burgeoning business, as with time, she expanded her product selection to include handbags and belts. Her products are a stunning testament to good taste and fine workmanship that is rarely found at these prices. The company, which was formed with Michael Georg Schmitt in 2004, has now become an international business spanning many of the international markets.
Ms. Hoffman has reached almost every age bracket with her diverse designs as well as with her diverse product categories. She makes sure that everyone can afford to own a wonderfully handcrafted piece of leather that will last many years and beyond just a trend.
Gretchen is literally an old German name meaning “little pearl.” The name clearly is demonstrative of the design philosophy of the company. In her own words, “To create precious and sensual accessories for ladies, each of them individual, unique and beautiful by nature….like a pearl.”
Thursday, January 27, 2011
HAUTE COUTURE...Jean Paul Gaultier
Even though this event has been whittled down to a scant 3 days, there are still stellar moments that remind us why the Haute Couture still exists. Yes it is to keep the ateliers that do the embroidery, beading and special effects that can only be found in the Couture, but it is also a moment when designers can truly raise the bar for themselves as well as their colleagues. Consistently, there are 3 major forces of the couture…Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier and Dior all of which set the standard for the art of fashion and not the commerce of fashion.
Mr. Gaultier, who normally will let the theatrics and theme of his shows take precedence over the clothes themselves, showed an exquisite collection that was strictly rendered within the DNA and vocabulary of the house. The tailoring was superb, the ease and sheer beauty of the garments were shown with little fanfare, but the beauty was only to be found on the models.
Shown as it was once done, with placards and narrator announcing each style ( the voice of Catherine Deneuve ), one was allowed to see what the couture is about ……….it is in the details, fabrics, embellishments, craftsmanship and the fantasy of having superbly made clothes perfectly molded to your body at an expense few will ever be able to afford.
The upside of it all, is that we, the general public, can bear witness to fashion history ….at least twice a year
Mr. Gaultier, who normally will let the theatrics and theme of his shows take precedence over the clothes themselves, showed an exquisite collection that was strictly rendered within the DNA and vocabulary of the house. The tailoring was superb, the ease and sheer beauty of the garments were shown with little fanfare, but the beauty was only to be found on the models.
Shown as it was once done, with placards and narrator announcing each style ( the voice of Catherine Deneuve ), one was allowed to see what the couture is about ……….it is in the details, fabrics, embellishments, craftsmanship and the fantasy of having superbly made clothes perfectly molded to your body at an expense few will ever be able to afford.
The upside of it all, is that we, the general public, can bear witness to fashion history ….at least twice a year
HAUTE COUTURE...Valentino/Maria Grazia Chiuri, Paolo Piccioli
For the first time, since this duo took over the reins, I have never been unable to forgive them their trespasses when it came to this iconic brand….that are until now. This collection distills their take on the famous name and in doing so keeps them on track with their vision for the house.
There is a much more naïve, jeune fille, innocence and delicate feel to the clothes which has rendered them younger and not so over the top glamorous jet set society matron. The new look could use a bit of color, but I can allow one giant step at a time considering that Haute Couture is only judged by its sales appeal and not by its “trend” appeal or editorial coverage.
It will be interesting to see the path that this team will follow for ready to wear as well as for Couture….this is as good of a starting point as any.
There is a much more naïve, jeune fille, innocence and delicate feel to the clothes which has rendered them younger and not so over the top glamorous jet set society matron. The new look could use a bit of color, but I can allow one giant step at a time considering that Haute Couture is only judged by its sales appeal and not by its “trend” appeal or editorial coverage.
It will be interesting to see the path that this team will follow for ready to wear as well as for Couture….this is as good of a starting point as any.
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