Rodarte Catwalk Fashion Show New York SS2011

The audience went bananas after the finale of the Rodarte ss2011-show. Again the sisters Mulleavy delivered a piece of artwork and handcrafted creations. Although this collection was inspired by nature too (wood, paper, reptile-skin, stone) it felt totally different than before, less magical. Maybe it were the stiff fabrics,or the  items that looked as if they were made of shifting plates ore maybe the dresses made of blue and white patterns that sometimes looked like china, delfware or wallpaper. Gone are the good witches, it’s hello to the goddesses.

It certainly was a step forward, since their signature handcrafted macrame-dresses were copied a lot lately. And the clear lines and layers definitely added a modern, contemporary touch to their style. Somehow the use of the colors – brown, copper, gold, gray, white and blue – and the wood-patterns made me think retro-American architecture and interiors. But the best part was the wearability, these are actually clothes women can wear. Well, some women.

Jason Wu Catwalk Fashion Show New York SS2011

Jason Wu presented a strong collection focused at tailoring. He opened the show with a sleeveless top-with-bow and a pair of high-waisted pants. Smartly cut lean trousers appeared in several different colors and were paired with ladylike blouses or neat striped knits. Jackets, too, were elongated.  His evening-wear was colorful and had lots of sex-appeal. His lady like woman likes to play it loud in the evening!

Donna Karan Catwalk Fashion Show New York SS2011

You can leave it to Donna Karan to make a theme like ‘Raw Romance’ into a beautiful, strong collection in just one color (sand) and a contrasting mix of crumpled jackets and sensual dresses and skirts.

This time, Karan left masculine influences behind and just focused at femininity. Even de crinkles looked sensual, and they sometimes reminded of old Issey Miyake-collections. The silhouette was long and lean. Filmy dresses and skirts cut on the bias added a delicate sensuality, fabrics were airy and seductive without being to obvious.

And in all its simplicity it was more personal and emotional than all the other minimalistic collections we saw in New York so far.

Malandrino Catwalk Fashion Show New York SS2011

It rained before and after the presentation of catherine Malandrno’s collection, outside the Lincoln center. The models shivered on their platforms, but at least they were dry. Malandrino’s Spring collection was an exercise in handcrafts: leather macrame, patchwork, stitched beads and lots of drapery.

Diane von Fürstenberg Catwalk Fashion Show New York SS2011

Frenchman Yvan Mispelaere is the new right hand of Diane von Fürstenberg. He brings along the experience he’s got working at Gucci, Chloe (when Phoebe Philo was in charge) and Louis Feraud. For his first DvF-collection he got inspiration from an Isadora Duncan retrospective  in Paris and he dubbed it Goddess.

But the collection was not about Grecian draping, the theme referred to empowered, intellectual beauty. The dominant look was clean, crispy sportswear in major graphic prints and bold, subtle colors (mint, melon, sky-blue, peach, purple)): light weight silk separates – fluidly tailored shorts, shirts and jackets – and the houses signature dresses. Hooded jumpsuits and flowing caftans added a hint of summer. And yes, there was some draping and even a golden Goddess-dress, but van Mispelaere knew were to stop.

DKNY Catwalk Fashion Show New York SS2011

The DKNY collection had the perfect summer feeling to it. The fresh-faced models walking the show looked happy, playful and very girly, all aspects you’re looking for in summer.

Donna Karan obviously went for a commercial collection this time. All of her design, in shades of turquoise, beige and pink, seemed wearable and will be easy to mix and match into any woman’s wardrobe.

The short ruffled skirts, the boyfriend jackets with the tucked up sleeves, the easy going pants, the bathing suits and the floral printed dresses were items almost any young woman would love to wear.

Then again the items were not very renewing or distinctive. They could just as well be hanging in a ZARA store.

Yet Donna Karan gave the items her own twist by adding bright red heels, black bows (around the models’ waists) and small scarves (around their necks). In combination with the red lips and tidy buns all models looked incredibly sexy. So distinctive or not, these clothes will surely sell fast next year.

Pictures of this show will follow soon.

Goodiebag!? Claes Iversen Catwalk Fashion Show SS2011

At the Claes Iversen fashion show we saw a lot of butterflies. They were there on the clothes, the models hair and they even ended up in our goodiebag. Other products in that bag were from L’oréal, the sponsor of the show and Martini, who served some nice cocktails during the night.

Useful

Key ring – Martini
Shampoo – 250 ml – L’oréal
Hairspray – 300 ml – L’oréal
Mascara – Maybelline
Lipstick – Maybelline

Spam

Folder – Vondel Hotels

Estimated value: 20,-

Rating: 7,5

Catwalktrend FW2010: Pencil skirts

Since Christian Dior introduced the pencil skirt in the late 1940s the item has had several popular periods. A few years ago it’s popularity increased again. Victoria Beckham, who – at that time – seemed to be a pencil skirt-ambassador, might have started the trend then. And now the skirt is still hot.

For fall Italian fashion houses like Dolce & Gabbana, Moschino showed many pencil skirts. Domenico and Stefano made theirs less stiff. They looked more comfortable than the average pencil skirt and they’d probably be much more easy to walk in too. At Moschino the skirts ended above the knee.

We’re not quite sure if they’d count as pencil skirts, but we did spot some ruffled pencil-shaped versions. Both Moschino and Nina Ricci came up with those, one in black, one grey-shaded with flowers.

Other brands that made the pencil skirt work were Dior, Dsquared, Etro and Paul Smith. Some looked more comfortable than others, but overall the skirts appeared elegant and made the models look sexy and feminine.

Catwalktrend FW2010: the Olsen-look?

Oh what a waste it will be. Designer skirts and dresses sweeping all over dirty floors and streets. Yet if we believe the grand fashion houses floor-sweeping fashion is certainly going to be a trend.

Especially long skirts for daywear are ‘new’ in fashion. They have this kind of grungy feeling to it and, to be honest, not a lot of people can pull this off.

On the runway the long skirts were very diverse; transparent, sequined, layered and knitted. Quite often they were combined with the most unexpected tops.

D&G combined Norwegian printed knitted sweaters  with transparent floral printed skirts. Marc Jacobs matched his shiny skirts with heavy cable knitted jumpers and Michael Kors & Dries van Noten let their bottoms and tops clash as well.

Glamour meets grunge you could call this look and the Olsen Twins may just have set the trend.

You might have to buy a few extra skirts, cause the bottoms will wear out so soon. But hey, think about all the money you’ll save on shoes. ‘Cause since they won’t be visible you can just wear one of your old pairs.

Catwalktrend FW2010: Cape it!

For fall a cape is the ultimate fashion accessory. No, we’re not talking ‘bout the super heroes capes, we’re talking trendy capes in all kinds of styles.

Originating from medieval times the cape is the perfect fashion item to keep you warm and classy at the same time. On the runway any imaginable kind of cape was presented.

Fur (Celine, Chanel, Dsquared, Etro), woollen (Kenzo, Yves Saint Laurent, Antonio Marras, Missoni), water-resistant (Issey Miyake), silk (Yves Saint Laurent) and camel-colored (Carolina Herrera, Alexander Wang).

Even a lot of the coats resembled capes. They were worn, hanging over the model’s shoulders and some of them looked exactly like capes, yet had small arm wholes at the bottom.

The cape is regularly discussed as a substitute for the trench coat. And we actually think it’s the perfect alternative. By wearing a cape you are partly covered, so you can still show off the outfit you’re wearing underneath it. It’s great for wearing to a special party and you can even face the rain in it.

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