Author: merelda

Custo Dalmau toned it down for Fall 2013. That in and of itself is saying something. Known for his vibrant colors and rejection of establishment, Dalmau continued with the latter and dropped the former. You could still see hints of his leaning on unique color combinations, but this wasn’t Custo Barcelona Fall 2012. What Custo wearers will see for Fall 2013 is a darker, richer collection consisting of a mix of furs, complex prints, simple denim and pants with multiple angular prints and designs. It’s as if Dalmau is toying with his audience. You know he can create the outlandish, fun completely off the rails collection, but not this time. This time it’s sophisticated, it’s smart and it’s a force to be reckoned with for good or bad. And that’s what really gets to the heart of the matter of the collection. Has Custo Barcelona turned a proverbial corner and gone from Euro clubwear to complex sophistication? Custo Dalmau will keep fans guessing but I’d say tune in for Spring 2014 for further judgement.

It’s always a treat to go to a Nicholas K show. The designer makes it hard to call the game as an umpire especially when the feeling is it’s going to be a good show. K’s collection this season first brought to mind a post apocalyptic wasteland filled with highly fashionable models and accessories to boot. Think more along the lines of Book of Eli set off somewhere in the desert. His strong urban inspired themes came through with a hooded eggshell colored sleveless pieces that draped in many folds on the female model. This set off the collection because I knew personally I wouldn’t see anything like it again for the remainder of fashion week (this includes Milan, Paris and London). He followed up with a fur lined neck and patterned shawl/throw that is a luxuriously indulgent must have. His skinny leather pants with fur lined hooded coat won’t make any friends at PETA but again was another winner. K went with the much darker hues that we’ve been seeing for the season. It’s as if the New York uniformed color of black is being sung from the mountaintops at fashion week. We’re not letting it go.

A very worthy effort from Nicholas K.

I couldn’t quite place my finger on it, but this was not the typical Max Azria collection you see during fashion week. I can think back maybe 5 fashion weeks and know that this was a different Fall collection. Typically that’s stating the obvious, but you can see similar design hues and at the very least some sort of evolution. Azria’s Fall 2013 collection wasn’t so much an evolution but more a departure from previous seasonal forays. For example, Azria mixed vibrant prints with darker colors. He had embroidered leather work in a color block, a beautiful sheer black full length short sleeve piece draped over sexy leather pants. He also had a strapless puffed cocktail dress that fell just at the knee that was simply stunning.

Azria started Fall 2013 with the right notes and chances are it will carry on with the Herve’ Leger and BCBG showings later this week.

Alina German is a bit of a contradiction to us. In one instance she can create a mini-dress with geometric shapes with a sleeveless shoulder-cut design, and in that same breath she can design a handmade ruffled skirt with acrylic lining. Does this signal a greater contradiction happening within German’s own mind? One can never know. But we do hope that if it is a contradiction, it continues, as her Spring/Summer 2013 collection is pleasing on the eyes and creates a distinct look not found elsewhere.

It seems Jackie Fraser-Swan listened attentively to wishes that designers bring something entirely unique to fashion week, and especially fashion week Spring collections. Fraser-Swan debuted the Emerson Spring/Summer 2013 collection with muted fan-fare, and ended up delivering a collection that ranged from impressive to could-do-without. That in itself is enough to have a good season. Fraser-Swan showed exceptional skill in creating beautifully constructed gowns. They were unique, intricately detailed and created aesthetically pleasing forms on the models. As an example, this 20s era influenced dress:

Where she faltered ever so slightly was in the day dress category. Some of the pieces from the collection seemed to lack strong direction, as if they were put together not for a coherent look, but just because. That works in certain instances when performing an abstract feat in design is the intent, but in this scenario it hurt what was otherwise a strong collection.

Still there were favorites in day-dress category, for example this fiery piece below. It screamed seductive temptress without saying slattern.

So is Emerson worthy of a second look? With strong pieces in the collection, you won’t get that far. A first look might be all that is needed.

Walk into a room wearing Rafael Cennamo and you will get noticed. No, you will get more than noticed, people will start musing and or asking themselves what you’re wearing. Most likely that’s the intended effect behind Rafael Cennamo’s Spring/Summer 2013 collection. Cennamo creates a melange of gowns, dresses and formal wear for a look found no where else during fashion week in New York. One of the editors stated that the collection reminds her of collections that you see during London Fashion week. It easy to pan the collection without understanding the approach. Some items have accents that are placed awkwardly and create a look that breaks continuity with the eye. As an example, this dress below with asymmetric accents, black fabric that overly compensates the left side of the dress over a shear piece of chiffon that’s added to even the side of the dress. Some circles would declare this garish:

But in the same breath you have a well constructed dress with visually striking accents, excellent color selection and even better lines.

It’s this unsteadiness that can make one love and dislike parts of Rafael Cennamo’s collection. You love parts of the collection for what it is. You dislike parts of the collection because of what it could be.

Max Azria is the James Brown of the fashion industry. He is one of the hardest working designers in the business with no less than 4 imprints. One would think that with all of this work, he would be stretched thin, but season after season, Azria innovates. The Spring 2013 season for his namesake line is no different. Azria shows a mastery of the feminine form with collection consisting of lace, shear fabric with a combination of long dresses and nearly equally long slits. Azria shows just enough to keep the collection from veering off into overtly sexy. It’s more flirty than sexy. There’s a youthful appearance done in an intelligent manner that’s enough to say, “I’m confident about my age, but I love to be playful.”

What’s interesting is the amount of dresses and tops that combined a near diamond-shaped form with shear, light fabric and lace interwoven throughout. There’s genius in Azria’s approach primarily because the pieces are exactly where they want to be and not necessarily where they should or need to be. There’s a distinct difference. See the image below as an example. As a whole or item by item, Max Azria’s Spring/Summer 2013 collection is a strong one that no woman should be without.

Richard Chai went entirely futuristic for his Spring/Summer 2013 collection. A full on visually striking melange of mixed prints, slick fabrics and sharp cuts, Chai’s collection embodied a futuristic shift for men and a mixture of strong and soft hues for women. Chai exposed midriffs, bared arms just enough and created looks that were comfortably airy and light. Mixing mens and womens, it was easy to infer that there was a progression that the designer wanted to demonstrate. Chai’s created a Spring season that was all his own displaying pieces in an order that started with mixed prints and then sharper cuts then stronger colors. He essentially built up to a crescendo and paid it off with item after item. There are must haves from his collection this season including a silver futuristic tennis-styled dress that came up about an inch above the knee. I wanted to reach out and grab that and head for the exits. There was also a provocative shoulder baring white zipper dress that was just too beautifully edgy.

When the summary of fashion week is written Chai’s collection should easily be placed in the top ten.

Christina Minasian is a name in fashion you may hear of repeatedly in the coming years. The designer debuted her recent Spring/Summer 2013 collection during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. The collections was a pleasantly surprising mix of urban hipster chic with a smattering of contemporary thrown in. Minasian went the installation route and displayed to New York city via open windows her collection. It garnered a good amount of looky loos because it did have some degree of eye candy involved. Highlights from the collection include a vibrant mix of print dresses and jumpsuits, a monochromatic wrapped skirt with matching top, a provocative floral dress with sides exposed in a triangular cut. It wasn’t an eye-opening wow factor kind of ensemble, and maybe that was purposefully so. The designer’s press material states that the collection “is inspired by the chic bohemia and beloved by the international Gypsy. Pencey appeals to a street smart, fashionable girl who can fit in with every crowd.”

The hipsters will love this. The girl looking for something a little different for her closet but not glaringly so, will love this as well.