Tagged: New York
Bag Lust; Nathalie Trad
Its hard for words to describe how in awe I am of Nathalie Trad clutches. I think her designs are some of the most unique on the planet with such an intense mix of textures, patterns, structures and general amazingness. Trad was born in Lebanon, raised in Dubai and has lived in Paris and New York, studied at Esmod and Parson’s, and I can imagine that such a rich and diverse cultural background has without doubt fostered her extreme talent. Fans include Olivia Palermo, Whitney Port and Amber Le Bon. She takes inspiration from nature and art history which explains the versatility of her creations. Her philosophy is to ‘smell with your eyes, hear with your nose, see with your ears and taste with your hands’. Her bags can definitely excite the imagination and take you to a dream world where you engage all the senses. They are full of surprise and mystery in addition to being simply stunning.
New York Fashion Week AW15; Best of the Best
Rosie Assoulin
Glitz and glam + New York go together like peanut butter and jelly but the former combination is definitely 1000 times better for me personally. New York Fashion Week AW15 did not disappoint and glam was taken to the extreme with excesses of sequins, feathers and luxurious fabrics. Some ingenious designers managed to infuse some quirkiness within their bold glamourous pieces and as I think more about NYFW I consider it to be the more wearable fashion week with something to suit everyone from the most timid person to the more eccentric.
Zac Posen started with understated chic leading onto full blown glam. My fave model Maria Borges did her thing strutting next to the Naomi Campbell.
Maria Borges
The award for quirky factor goes to Rosie Assoulin who I forever love for incorporating an afro into a high fashion showcase (its probably been done before but is rare). I’m fascinated by her bold sculptured shapes which are oddly very feminine and flattering.
Milly also had an interesting mix of exaggerated shapes, bold colours but there was also a simplicity about the collection which incorporated more classic with slightly edgier designs.
The floaty fabrics with delicate floral prints of Lela Rose’s collection made me feel serene and at peace with the world. Who said fashion is frivolous!
Words can’t quite express how much I loved everything about Naeem Khan’s collection from the colour palette to every last detail on the extravagant ball gowns. This is glamour at its finest.
I had to give a shout out to one of my fave Brit fashion designers doing her thing in NYC, Jenny Packham (Victoria Beckham can’t get all the glory). Not that Jenny Packham needs much help – she’s only dressed the likes of royalty, with Kate Middleton being a fan. This collection proved that she is without a doubt a designer fit to dress princesses as the level of detail in the embroidery on her gowns was mesmerizing.
(Photos from Vogue.com)
Now just one more sleep til London Fashion Week and I’m more than ready!
New York Fashion Week AW15; Best Of
Herve Leger
With all the celebrity hype I sometimes forget that New York Fashion week certainly contains its fair share of talent. Whilst most designers tend to offer more wearable garms than their wackier counterparts over the pond, here in London, creativity is not lacking and designs are interesting enough to provoke curiousity and at the same time can be pictured in the wardrobe of your average girl, like me. I actually pictured and dreamed of having every one of the following in my wardrobe so am taking my hat of to the formerly underrated (in my mind) NYFW.
Thakoon’s collection made me feel warm and cosy with its Autumnal hues and beautiful geometric and other intricate patterns and prints. I love the fact that the wearer of this collection can turn heads and still be in the utmost of comfort- a rare feat!
Prabul Gurung mixed class with sex appeal. The perfect tailoring of the collection was more noticeable than the high thigh splits and deep plunge necklines and it was definitely a sophisticated display of flesh.
I always imagine how pissed of Herve Leger must be at the billion (often tragic) copies of his iconic bandage dress. With this collection he has jumped 100 steps ahead of the fraudsters and shown that the original bandage dress indeed deserves its place in the world of high fashion. I’m completely mesmerised by the wonder of this collection, the bold detailed patterns, the flattering curve enhancing shapes, I could go on forever but to sum it up I’ve fallen hard for this one.
DKNY’s collection was a perfect representation of new York and was urban chic at its best. I loved the mix of rigid lines mixed with floaty chiffons and topped off with chunky black platforms. Oversized jumpers and bombers added the sports and casuals mix which is always expected from NYFW and it was done perfectly.
My appetite has been whetted and I’m counting sleeps til London Fashion Week!!!
London Fashion Week SS14; Show-stoppers
I’ve attended London Fashion Week on and off over the years and each time it seems to get better and better. Dolce & Gabana model David Gandy recently expressed his view of London as the most important fashion capital of the world and Tom Ford bluntly said that us Londoners have even conquered the French in the style wars. Having lived in Paris for a year I did notice the difference in the sartorial preferences of the two cities and must admit that London definitely has that je ne sais quoi (even though French fashionistas can master chic blindfolded). As I’ve previously mentioned in this blog being a Londoner just makes me biased towards the fashion of my city which I believe to be more diverse and bold than the other main fashion capitals (Milan, New York and Paris). Whilst Japan definitely steals the global crown for adventurous fashion with its Harajuku girls, whilst I admire their fashion and culture I know I couldn’t pull it off. London fashion has just the right level of edge not to be boring but to stand out from the global crowds. This couldn’t be more clearly demonstrated than by the delights that were showcased by the plethora of designers at London Fashion Week SS14. The following shows in particular really blew me away and left me yearning for more. Luckily there were so many more visual (and culinary) treats that I will share in my next posts.
Conchita Perez (above)
Conchita Perez and Mark fast both celebrated the punk and grunge revival which is especially a la mode since the Punk exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum (New York). Fast’s collections are usually uber sexy so the dark hair and clunky boots were a departure for his signature glamour puss vibe, plus the models had particularly boyish shapes (part of me was hoping plus sized model Crystal Renn would make another appearance in his show as I truly believe his dresses are somewhat better suited to curvier women). Conchita Perez took punk to another level and models walked down the catwalk with attitude and one even did a diva like dance/walk which was cool. As always there were very structured shapes especially in the jackets and cryptic phrases written on pieces in graffiti style. This was hands down the best show venue despite getting lost in the rain to find it. The railway arch / tunnel added to the striking visuals of the collection and was the perfect backdrop.
Swedish School of Textiles Degree Catwalk Show
The Swedish School of Textiles degree show and Fyodor Golan were both light and airy compared to the former two shows. These shows were full of colours, luxurious silk and chiffon fabrics and left me with a warm feeling. The Swedish School of Textiles show lasted for a full hour but I was mesmerized for every second and only realised the show was that long after a PR told me after it had finished. The show had what Scadinavia is known for, effortlessly cool minimalist pieces but I was also pleasantly surprised by some more complicated designs with intricate cut out details and unusual shapes. Golan’s collection had a similar simplicity to what is usually expected of Scandinavian design combined with perfect tailoring and beautiful rich colours and fabrics. I can imagine how any woman could be transformed into feeling regal when wearing pieces from the collection. You may think it doesn’t get much better than this but there was even more of this calibre of talent that I will share in my next posts.
Poignant Beauty; National Museum of the American Indian
My trip to New York in 2011 had to include a trip to the Museum of the American Indian, and since I shared Savage Beauty from the Met I thought I’d also share this equally fascinating (if not moreso due to my personal connection) permanent exhibition. I’ve always been obsessed with Native Indian culture possibly because I know they were the original people of my mother islands, the Caribbean. Theres a possibility that I have Native ancestry as do a significant number of islanders, so whilst most Native Indians on my land of sunshine were sadly almost completely wiped out, their spirit is mainly being kept alive by their somewhat diluted blood running through the veins of the very mixed up population. I was lucky enough to see Native Indian tribes living in the traditional way as their ancestors did, when I lived in Brazil so I jumped at the opportunity to learn even more about their mysterious culture which is still very much alive in parts of South and North America. Even after visiting the National Museum of the American Indian in New York, which includes pieces from the the islands, I didn’t find enough information to conclude how their influence can be seen in the modern day Caribbean, though I am now inclined to research further. It was still a stunning collection with artefacts dating back to the 15th century (probably before, it was a while ago). I also couldn’t help but get excited by the clothes and jewelry, but they provoked poignant reflection when thinking of the hardship that led to some of the people who wore them to become almost extinct and also the hardship of the people who replaced them- my main African ancestors. They were beautiful nonetheless as was the entire museum.
My Fashion Hero; Alexander McQueen
As a fellow East Londoner (he was raised in Stratford before the Olympics were even thought of), its no surprise that Alexander McQueen was one of the realest people if not THE realest person in fashion. He was never one to hold his tongue or waterdown his often controversial opinions and even went as far as dissing Armani and Versace. Fortunately unlike most people Lee Alexander was one of the few people who could get away with such critique due to his immense level of talent. Am not one to usually listen to hype but Alexanders’ legendary status in the fashion industry is definitely not down to a clever PR strategy – his PR probably spent a lot of time dealing with crisis communications! He was a true innovator, pioneer and whilst he often shocked I believe he was genuinely expressing his complex mind rather than aiming to get attention grabbing headlines. He is definitely the only high profile fashion designer to use a double amputee on the runway, Aimee Mullins, and then refuse to invite Victoria Beckham to the show lest she detract attention from the Paralympian. This decision secures his position as one of my fashion heroes. So I was lucky enough to be in New York at the time of the exhibition, Savage Beauty, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2011. It was two years ago, but as the name of this blog suggests I have moments where I like to take my time and reflect before acting. Plus I’d like to share the snaps I took with my readers instead of simply going over them from time to time in my own little moments of admiration. I also found some snaps of some my fave Mc Queen catwalk shows and his crazy armadillo shoes. At a time when I’m facing my own personal loss I can imagine how hard it is for his friends and family to have lost such a strong character. May his spirit continually live on through his creations. RIP.
To get a glimpse into the real character of the one and only Lee Alexander McQueen I reccommend reading these precious interviews with his mother on the Guardian; http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2004/apr/20/guesteditors , and with David Bowie in Dazed and Confused; http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2004/apr/20/guesteditors .
The Last Straggler 