blendnewyork…Fashion.Art.Style.Inspiration.Love

September 9

2pm

Christian Siriano

Christian Siriano began designing at just thirteen years old and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts and the American Intercontinental University in London, where he interned with punk legend Vivienne Westwood, and with Alexander McQueen. Upon returning to the United States and moving to New York City, Christian’s break came when he earned a spot on season four of Bravo’s hit program Project Runway. He became the show’s youngest winner, fan favorite, and a rising star in the fashion industry with his clothing sold in Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and stores around the world.

Christian shows a full collection every season at New York Fashion Week, with past shows being sponsored by LG, Sprint, Victoria’s Secret, Cibu International, and Aveda. He has designed for many celebrity clients, most notably Rihanna, Heidi Klum, Victoria Beckham, Lady GaGa, Vanessa Williams, Christina Hendricks, Pink, Estelle, Mena Suvari, Kelly Rowland, Becki Newton, Kat DeLuna, and Whoopi Goldberg in her role as host of the 2008 Tony Awards. He has signed on to design a full couture collection to appear in the upcoming film Eloise in Paris, starring Uma Thurman. Alexis Bledel, dressed in Christian’s designs, was named to Vogue’s “Ten Best Dressed” list in September 2009. Oprah Winfrey calls his designs “works of art.” Tim Gunn calls him “a prodigy” and “the next great American fashion designer.”

Christian’s current additional projects include joining the likes of Isabel Toledo, Alice + Olivia, and Patricia Field in creating an ongoing line of shoes and bags for Payless which first became available in September 2009. He also created a line of makeup for Victoria’s Secret for stores in the fall of 2009, a limited edition design collaboration for Starbucks for the 2009 holiday season, and a collaboration last year with Puma. Between his design projects, Christian has also written a style guide titled Fierce Style: How to Be Your Most Fabulous Self, available now, and he embarked on a book tour in the fall of 2009.

In the contemporary market, a designer’s strength is measured by an ability to distill the season’s key trends into something the customer will want to buy. That sounds obvious, but it’s not always easy to pull off. With her latest effort, Nanette Lepore was solidly on the mark. “I looked at a Renaissance portrait and bumped up the colors,” she said backstage, casually explaining her Fall inspiration. What distinguished this from any number of other “romantic” collections? Military detailing and prodigious use of velvet—two big motifs this week. A sturdy wool coat benefited from the addition of cargo pockets, an olive anorak was cut in silk and velvet, and a series of colorful draped velvet gowns closed the show. Lepore was heavy-handed with frills at times—an explosion of ruffles weighed down another wool topper—but buyers looking for price-friendly variations on Fall’s top looks will find much to choose from here. (by Romney Leader – style.com)

What’s the reigning queen of artsy dressing supposed to do when fashion starts heading in a cleaned-up, spare, decidedly un-artsy direction? If she’s astute, and Vera Wang is nothing if not that, she starts making cleaned-up, spare fashion of her own. The first look out was a black wool pantsuit with a narrow, slightly elongated jacket, its shoulders trimmed with organza corsages. (Hey, no one becomes a minimalist overnight.) Tailoring was a focus of this show, but Wang put her luxurious, ultra-femme stamp on it: cutting the sleeves off one of her coats at the elbows so it can be worn with opera gloves and affixing sequins to the mesh pockets of a charcoal felt double-lapel jacket.

A pair of her easy paper-bag-waist tuxedo pants, worn with a draped one-shoulder top in white linen voile or an ivory silk faille tucked bustier, would make fabulous alternatives to the little black cocktail dress—though Wang showed quite a few of those, too. Among the best was a simple twisted and draped jersey frock that fell to just above the knee. Others, with their mosaics of metallic sequins and swags of black tulle (accessorized with piles of pearls), erred on the fussy side. “Less is more” is not a concept that feels entirely natural for Wang. Still, she nailed it with a scalloped black organza gown that looked practically weightless as it glided down the runway. (by Nicole Phelps – style.com)

Whoever does Marc Jacobs’ research for him is a genius, with an ability to nail a mood that is pure gold. The new Marc by Marc Jacobs collection perfectly captured the moment when stylish boys and girls were picking up Iron Curtain army surplus after the Wall came down. It was all spookily close to the source, which was kind of in keeping with the theme of Jacobs’ signature show on Monday night: There’s no place like home. In that case, “home” was a serene, almost dreamlike reminder of timelessness and enduring value. Here, it was a distillation of the thrift-shop spirit that has shaped the Marc by Marc collection from day one.

It could seem a little listless, except that everything about Marc Jacobs is a package, so the soundtrack was a relentlessly upbeat modern surf sound (the Drums were featured). That shoved the energy levels skyward and underscored Marc by Marc’s fundamental charm and prettiness, both assets clearly highlighted by the fresh-faced and bed-headed cast of models. The pie-crust frilling on blouses and pants might have been a little obvious, but a blanket-striped sweater dress over leggings was girlishly cute. And the military references were artfully tweaked – all reasons to like this collection more and more each season. (by Tim Blanks – style.com)

Twinkling embellishments and stardust beading were a big part of the Badgley Mischka story. The reason for all the shiny finery, James Mischka revealed a few days before the show, was that he and design partner Mark Badgley (like a clutch of other designers this season) had been stargazing. Literally: They were poring over images captured by the Hubble telescope. “There’s a galaxy feeling to our beading,” Mischka remarked. Indeed, a short V-neck tank dress covered entirely with densely clustered gemstones had a river of citron running down the front and back like the Milky Way. The show opened with 15 gala looks. A fluid jersey jumpsuit in navy represented the pants portion of the program; the rest were gowns, gowns, gowns. A long-sleeve, high-neck black matte jersey dress had starry epaulets, and the bodice of a pale mauve gown cascaded with quicksilver stones. Most designers would be content to call it a day after a dozen-plus high-wattage frocks, but Badgley and Mischka took advantage of their captive audience to show a full collection from their contemporary line, Mark & James, too. Over-the-knee boots and second-skin pants in liquid mercury marked the demographic shift; skip the boots and wear the pants with one of the semi-destroyed bouclé knits for a debutante-goes-clubbing look. There were plenty of round-the-clock options in this act of the show, but it was hard to focus on the more familiar and workday pieces when the memory of so many stellar dresses was still hanging in the ether. (by Alison Baenen – style.com)

A recent New York Times article put the spotlight on Zac Posen’s recession-induced financial woes. It hasn’t been easy for a still-smallish business like his to survive the great retail panic of the last 18 months. In that, of course, he’s hardly alone. Today, Posen was back at the modest Altman Building for a second season in a row, and clothing-wise he seemed to be cutting back still further for Fall. There wasn’t a single gown on the runway. That must be tough for a designer in love with ball skirts and shoulder flourishes, but in their absence, he injected more than a fair bit of showmanship into the sportswear.

Posen gave his pantsuits a forties flair, putting contrasting cuffs and lapels along with strong shoulders on cropped jackets and pinning a brooch to the waistbands of his full-legged, fluid trousers. There was also a sweet little ice-skating dress in dove gray jersey with a silk wool skirt. If he’s still trying to establish an identity for his daywear and not exactly succeeding, Posen is much more confident when it comes to evening. This season he’s thinking short and pink, because, hey, wallflowers aren’t his type. In New York, at least, the recession hasn’t really managed to put a dent in the late-night scene. His corseted minidresses will find happy homes indeed with the party-hopping set.

(by Nicole Phelps – style.com)

Victoria Beckham started her presentation by personally greeting each and every one of the 25 or so editors and retailers assembled in the Upper East Side town house to see it. Most designers, of course, prefer to hide out backstage. “When does that ever happen?” someone asked after shaking hands with her. As has become Beckham’s style over the last three seasons, she narrated as the models glided out in her dresses, discussing fabrics, color, cut, and construction. She sounded like such a pro, you almost forgot that she was once a pop superstar, until, pointing out a buff-colored draped silk jersey gown with a grosgrain ribbon sashed around the asymmetrical bodice, she told us, “I’m going to wear this one to the Oscars.” A cloudlike gazar confection with couture-esque hand-tucking and a blurred pixel print lifted from the Dick Tracy comic came with another anecdote, this one about what a nightmare it was to put together.

Well, all the hard work paid off; there wasn’t one bad dress in the bunch. The best of her signature hourglass sheaths came in a brilliant emerald stretch felt for day, and for evening in an antique gold metallic jacquard with an asymmetrical neckline. Where she pushed herself was with draping and looser-fitting shape—relatively speaking, of course. A strapless sapphire double-crepe column gown with a tuck at the bust and a draped back was as Martha Graham as things got. More often Beckham married the fluid with the structured, as she did with one fabulous dress that was nude silk jersey on top and densely ribbed nude jersey below the waist. The most exciting development, though, was a wool crepe long-sleeve tunic dress. Cut on the bias so that it felt like wearing an oversize sweater—or so Beckham described it—the frock had an everyday kind of sexiness that will win her a whole new class of fans. (by Nicole Phelps – style.com)

Catherine Malandrino’s Fall collection picked up where her Spring Nomads show left off. Named Khan and inspired by an image of the Earth as seen from above, it was a densely layered, richly textured melting pot of influences. The show was also long on the kind of crafty details that the French-born New Yorker has made the calling card of her designer-priced Malandrino label. Among all the fringing and embroideries, there were scads of leather either laser-cut into racy strips and feminine eyelet or stamped with graffiti hieroglyphs. At times, you could get the feeling that you were on a Sunday afternoon stroll through a tribal costume exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History. That’s a dangerously literal path for a designer to follow, but Malandrino was unabashed: She said she was thinking about our communal ancestors and our modern nomadic life. In any case, take the looks apart and there were plenty of timely, sellable pieces here. (by Nicole Phelps – style.com)

“I always wanted to live a man’s life in a woman’s body.” That quote, which appeared at the top of her show notes, is something Diane von Furstenberg has said before, so it’s perhaps surprising that men’s suiting is something she hasn’t explored much in the past. Its appearance helped make for one of the designer’s more satisfying shows in a while.

To start things off, von Furstenberg threw a bolero densely embroidered with chiffon rosettes over a heather gray felted wool double-breasted pantsuit with short, cuffed trousers. It was a novel concept that she repeated later with an ivory silk cord cardigan worn over a satin black tuxedo jacket and matching evening jumpsuit, though it’s not as believable a look as, say, a corduroy jacket with leather elbow patches slipped on top of a ruffled chiffon minidress.

But it wasn’t all about playing the hard against the soft. Frocks, the wrap dress in particular, are this designer’s bread and butter, and there was no shortage of feminine frills here. Some of the more interesting offerings included a simple black shift with chain mail inset horizontally below the hips, a twenties-ish belted chiffon tunic dress worn over cropped pants, and a vibrant panne velvet number embellished with a giant glittering beetle, not unlike the dress von Furstenberg wore to take her bow. This was her right-hand man Nathan Jenden’s last show; he’s leaving to focus on his signature collection. No doubt they were both pleased to be ending their relationship on a positive note for their victory lap.
(by Nicole Phelps – style.com)

Since his Spring show last September, Prabal Gurung has seen his profile rise and rise. Demi Moore, his number one fan, and Thandie Newton wore his cocktail dresses on the red carpet, and he made a red gown for Oprah Winfrey to wear on the cover of O magazine. His Fall collection, the first one he’s put on the runway, won’t slow his upward trajectory one bit. On the contrary, it shows that Gurung is just as savvy a tailor as he is a dressmaker. (by Nicole Phelps – style.com)

Gwen Stefani won’t let a little last-minute emergency—as in, half of the Fall collection getting stuck in transit due to the blizzard—get her down. “We’ve had to scrape together what we can,” she said in a preview the day before her L.A.M.B. presentation, “but it’s actually forced us to be even more creative.” Case in point: a “vest” she strung together on the fly by linking up several leather belts.

Explaining the mood this season, she ticked off a checklist of tried-and-true Gwen references: “vintage, boudoir, military, fifties, sexy, and futuristic.” Making it all work might sound like a tall order, but the mash-up was signature Stefani, right down to the models’ pinup hair and scarlet lips. Among the more successful looks was a tailored military jacket worn with skinny houndstooth jeans, a twill and boiled-wool trenchcoat, and a chic black Ponte-and-leather body-con dress. If the collection wasn’t exactly concise, the variety and uniqueness of many of the pieces will get them noticed on the sales floor. And, no, you don’t have to be a ska punk to pull them off.
(by Romney Leader – style.com)

Entering a BCBG Max Azria show, you’re never entirely sure what you’re going to see. Designers Max and Lubov Azria have given themselves the creative license to take their big-business contemporary line in whichever direction they might be feeling, whether that’s avant-garde, bohemian, or ladylike.

But this season found the Azrias in practical mode. Backstage, Mrs. Azria explained that the Fall collection was her answer to the recession. “It’s made us realists,” she said. “It’s not about our fantasy. It’s about the customer.”

On the runway, there were endless variations of a simple, sellable, and yes, chic idea: color-blocked silks in clean geometric silhouettes layered with whisper-thin black knit tops. Dresses had a T-shirt-level ease and often came cinched with wide elastic belts. The layering of lightweight pieces was another customer-centric strategy. These dresses, as Mrs. Azria explained, can be worn right away when the Fall delivery goes into stores—i.e., in high summer—and then can transition into chillier months.

All in all, a smart play for the bottom line. The Azrias did allow themselves to dream a little, though, with occasional lashings of sequins and pieced-in panels of sheer pleats. After all, all practicality and no panache would make fashion a dull industry.

By Meenal Mistry (style.com)

Brilliant and controversial British fashion designer Alexander McQueen was found dead in his London home Thursday after anguished Internet postings that revealed his deep sorrow at the death of his mother. He was 40 years old.

The circumstances pointed to a possible suicide but there was no official confirmation from police or McQueen’s publicists. Police said the death was not suspicious, apparently ruling out foul play, and did not give any immediate indication of how the death was discovered.

The Sun tabloid on Thursday cited an anonymous source on its website who said an ambulance was called at 10 a.m. and workers found McQueen hanging in his apartment. The newspaper gave no further details.

McQueen’s sudden death robbed the fashion scene of one of its most innovative and successful young designers. His clothes were sexy and distinctive, dramatic and different, perfect for red-carpet presentations and late night rock gatherings.

He made his name first in London, then wooed audiences in Paris, New York and Milan to take his place in the upper echelons of the design world.

Yet recently posted comments on his Twitter page showed that McQueen was distraught over the Feb. 2 death of his mother. He said he wanted his mother to rest in peace “but life must go on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Using an obscenity, he added that he had had an “awful week” and said he had to “some how pull myself together and finish.”

Little was immediately known about the circumstances surrounding his death, which came as the fashion elite was gathered in New York for a series of catwalk shows.

A presentation of McQueen’s secondary label, McQ, had been scheduled for Thursday’s opening day of New York Fashion Week. McQueen had never been expected at the show, which was quickly canceled.

Acclaim and honors came pouring for the talented, bearded man favored by celebrities like Madonna, Lady Gaga and Naomi Campbell and named British Fashion Designer of the Year four times.

McQueen was also responsible for designing the infamous costume that came apart during Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl appearance in one of history’s most noted “wardrobe malfunctions.”

Despite the accolades, McQueen clung tenaciously to his privacy, turning down most interview requests and shying away from the post-show limelight other designers craved. He was the youngest of six children born to a taxi driver and a teacher, his representatives in New York said.

Known for his dramatic statement pieces and impeccable tailoring, he helped raise the profile of British fashion and was recognized by Queen Elizabeth II in 2003 when she made him a Commander of the British Empire for his fashion leadership.

His pieces were coveted and treasured by stylish women across the globe.

“McQueen influenced a whole generation of designers. His brilliant imagination knew no bounds as he conjured up collection after collection of extraordinary designs,” said Alexandra Shulman, the editor of British Vogue.

Hal Rubenstein, a fashion director for InStyle magazine said McQueen started out tough and angry — in his work and attitude — but softened over time as he felt more appreciated by the industry.

McQueen, he said, was a master of integration of technology into fashion.

“He changed the way so many of us see shows,” Rubenstein said.

Vivienne Westwood, perhaps Britain’s most revered designer, said she was “incredibly sorry” to hear of McQueen’s death.

The designer received his early fashion training at the Central St. Martin’s College of Art and Design, long recognized for its fashion-forward approach and encouragement of Britain’s talented young designers.

He learned the finer points of traditional men’s tailoring at two famous, conservative Savile Row houses: Anderson and Sheppard and also Gieves and Hawkes.

“He was 16 when he came here,” said John Hitchcock of Anderson and Sheppard. “He was a boy from Essex, he wanted to learn tailoring. He was a little bit different — he was very ambitious.”

He said McQueen’s success had inspired the next generation of designers.

After his Savile Row stint, McQueen started to develop his trademark, more theatrical designs, working with several other brands before first starting his own label in 1992.

He quickly earned a reputation for innovation that lasted until his death. His last name soon entered the fashion lexicon and become synonymous with new and cutting edge.

The company he founded was purchased by the Gucci Group, and he retained creative control of his own brand.

His runway shows — more often like performance pieces because they were so dramatic, and sometimes, bizarre — were always a highlight during the Paris ready-to-wear fashion week.

One of his previous collections included a show built around the concept of recycling, with models donning extravagant headwear made out of trash. His last collection, shown in October in Paris, featured elaborate and highly structured cocktail dresses. Critics raved.

His edgy creations have been seen on numerous red carpets, worn by A-list actresses, including Sandra Bullock and Cameron Diaz.

Lady Gaga recently made waves when she wore McQueen’s spring 2010 lobster-claw shoes in her “Bad Romance” music video.

McQueen’s death came days before London Fashion Week, an event McQueen had skipped in recent years.

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Associated Press Writers Raphael G. Satter and Sylvia Hui in London, Jenny Barchfield in Paris and Samantha Critchell in New York contributed to this report.

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