Every season, designer Mara Hoffman takes us on a magic carpet ride to a new destination, her clothing inspired by the landscape, architecture, culture, and lifestyle of that locale yet sprinkled with a sense of fantasy and whimsy that removes the garments from the literal realm and elevates them to the chimerical universe.
When I heard a tornado had touched down in Brooklyn and Queens yesterday, then looked out the window and saw a torrential downpour, I almost called it a day and dove head-first into my bed.
Since the 16th century, toile du Jouy, or simply “toile,” has held a special place in design and fashion.
For the second day of New York Fashion Week, I tried to create a look infused with a bit of ’70s funk, a statuesque and classic femininity reminiscent of ancient Greece, and a modern emphasis on asymmetry and seemingly discordant elements arranged in a harmonious way.
Yesterday, the design duo behind the nascent Noon by Noor label, Shaikha Noor Al Khalifa and Shaikha Haya Al Khalifa, made their official Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week debut — and, in so doing, amassed a group of fashion devotees that would spread Noon by Noor’s own brand of couture gospel and trumpet the Spring 2013 show as an operatic masterpiece.
Anyone who has been to a show during New York Fashion Week — whether at Bryant Park or Lincoln Center — knows that, while the official runway shows happen inside the venue, there’s plenty of strutting happening right outside.
Minimalism was the overarching theme of the Richard Chai LOVE Spring 2013 collection, showcased on the morning of Thursday, September 6th, the first day of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City.
When I think of the late fashion photographer Helmut Newton, my mind wanders to this iconic black-and-white image of Linda Evangelista, her short dark hair curled in a style channeling a 1950s pinup; her eyes directed upward attentively, as if observing an object in flight; her eyes accentuated and made all the more feline with thick winged liner; one hand facing the camera and holding a cigarette in between the index and middle fingers; her bosom accentuated by a long-sleeved, V-neck shirt with bustier-like stitching and conical-style breast cups.
With the September Equinox looming ahead, schools going back into session, and fall fashions being displayed in store windows, you might be feeling a bit deflated, discouraged by the notion that summer is coming to a close.
I had a blast today at the Bronx Terminal Market’s Back-to-School Event, which featured an impromptu fashion show presented by Burlington Coat Factory and emceed by yours truly.
