First View New York FW2011: Strict Lace

Retro revenge with a leading role for lace. Who mentioned retro was passé and that it is time to look ahead? There is no future without history though.

This retro-style looks truly inspiring and stunning in a lovely mixture of fabrics. Sober suiting, chaste high-collared blouses in pretty patterns and prints and lots of super positioned lace. The silhouettes are stern yet graceful, severe yet curvaceous. Where Prada fancied the 50’s for previous winter, Vuitton touched the frivolous edges of the 20’s and 30’s for summer. Now both Jason Wu and Marc Jacobs confirm this perpetual fancy for retro, both framing their looks in lace.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

An Anna dello Russo moment at Marc Jacobs

Thom Browne Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2011

Thom Browne’s first proper show of his women’s collection was a special kind of spectacle. He transformed the New York Public Library into a church with a convent’s worth of models dressed like nuns. Finally Browne found a way to mix his Catholic upbringing and his fascination for uniforms. His nuns marched in covered up except for the gigantic fake eyelashes peeking out from beneath their habits. One by one the girls were liberated from their cloaks by a pair of altar boys, only to reveal clothes that were the real cross to bear.

Underneath there were elements of Browne’s menswear vocabulary: checks, extreme proportions, difficult layering, and an absolute upending of red-white-and-blue tradition. Browne encased each woman in ultra-stiff, tailored layers done in exaggerated proportions with a preppy, varsity theme. There were shrunken suits in mismatched plaids,  blazers with giant peplums and layered maxi coats with shirttail hems, some of which will be wearable once the look is dismantled.

There was absolutely no sex in this collection, restriction was everywhere: the models walked without moving their arms, turtlenecks were pulled up over their mouths, and molded bubble skirts and tops looked about as comfortable as a straight jacket. That seemed precisely the point. One of the finale looks actually included a skirt made out of a cage of red and blue ribbon.

Donna Karan Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2011

Donna Karan loves to work with contradictions. Masculine-feminine, natural and urban, soft and rough, satin and fur. She continued last season’s pale palette, now  pearl gray and taupe instead of ivory-beige.

As for the clothes, except two pairs of high-waisted draped jersey pants, Karan showed dresses, skirtsuits, and coats, along with a few filmy blouses with draped necklines that sometimes doubled as head scarves. Every look, without exception, had a nipped waist. Karan was at her best in terms of cut, decorating the clothes not with extra stuff but with elegant drapes and folds. One dress was tucked on a soft diagonal and wrapped in front; another fell into a gently  cowl. The jacket of a slim suit had sleeves that tapered from wide, puffed shoulders. Another big hit of this collection were the shearlings and coats.

Often the looks were accessorized with flowing chiffon headscarves worn with a mysterious air of the runway variety, exquisite pearl necklaces and long gloves with deep, dramatic fur cuffs.

Marc Jacobs Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2011

It was all about polka dots and  looking polished at Marc Jacobs. Again, but now two decades later Marc Jacobs decided to use his favorite print again. It was a big step from his YSL/Seventies inspired spring-collection, but the designer couldn’t care less. He told WWD he’d thought about all things he’d done in the past and what he’d loved. He ran through all of his collections and presented his description of classic. From the trompe l’oeil to the polka dots to the glam collection that had the rubber, and the sweats that he’d done, all those crazy American classics. He just wanted to have fun.

We’re familiar with his mood-swings now, so it’s goodbye to gentle fluidity and hello to an austere line that was sliver thin and had a couture-like precision but also a girlish charm. The dots came small, medium and large; matt and shiny; flat and 3D and in an various fabrics: prints and embroideries, rubber and pailettes, fur and fake fur. Often Jacobs started with a white shirt as a first layer under  a boxy sweatshirt or curvy jacket over slim, sexy skirts. He also showed  sweaters, a men’s coat,  sailor pants and romantic lace dresses detailed with  jabots.

As for accessories, spotted socks, mini-berets and a range of slush-busting snow boots completed the collection. Plus handbags in vibrant car-paint.

First View New York FW2011: Mix Mash

It sure is a happy start of Stijlinstituut Amsterdam Stylespot. New York Fashion Week presented us during the first days a hyper-color riot of mixed expressive prints, contrasting textures and various techniques. And that’s quite a new trend we spotted.

Where Preen shows it modern and tech, Libertine goes for a more poetic spirit, Ragbone takes the craft route where Thakoon and DKNY go graphic and regimental. These combined patterns and colors in gentle conflict give a new creative and upbeat flavor to the season and offer a great inspiration for upcoming fashion developments.

It underlines the growing interest in creative crafts and techniques and expresses brave optimism.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

G-Star Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2011

The new G Star NY RAW-collection was a fusion between 3D, craftsmanship, the elegancy of 1920’s city life and outdoor. That sounds a bit weird, but somehow the designteam of G-Star made it into a modern, consistent collection with a clean urban vibe. The collection also showcased hidden functionalities, based on 1920’s explorers mixed with elegant tailoring. Heavy protection-wear is back into fashion.

Highlights of the collection were the New Charlie Pant for men, featuring a 3D-shaped leg and extreme high back, originally to protect from weather conditions at sea, and inspired by an over pant, which creates volume. The padded Jade Skirt for women featured an extreme knee silhouette created for protection, whilst looking elegant due to high tech tailoring. It was combined with the utility Selwyn Vest, featuring a waxed finish inspired by early North Sea fishermen, who would rub linseed oil into their smocks for waterproofing and windproofing.

Representation of this Metropolitan Explorer theme included the Launceton Coat for both men and women, featuring a storm collar and the natural insulating properties of wool to create a weather proof piece, whilst having a refined tailored silhouette. The city camouflage modern geometric print in the collection also underpinned the core theme, as expressed in the Mackay Jacket.

Prabal Gurung Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2011

Prabal Gurung got the inspiration for his romantic-with-an-edge collection from Miss Havisham, the rich, heartbroken bride that becomes mad in the Charles Dickens novel ‘Great Expectations’.

That explains the beautifully made and seductive dresses in scarlet or blush pink with dramatic flaws: a ‘wrong’ shoulder above a full skirt, a black leather jacket contrasting with a lacy chiffon skirt, harlequin patterned pants, a juicy mix of red with pink. But also fabrics that were washed so many times they almost began to break down. Fur and feathers worked into the surfaces also gave that disordered look.

It was a daring collection, since Prabal Gurung’s signature seemed more the American sportswear-style. But the designer explained he was in for a new challenge and it seems it worked out very well for him.

Team Peter Stigter in New York for FW2011 Fashion Week

Hi everybody, the fashioncircus has settled down in New York and so have we. We’re staying at the wonderful Holiday Inn, that is: Lisa our photo-editor, Joris our dr Dot and streetwear-photographer and off course Peter.  Here’s our view from the rooftop.

We are really looking forward to update you on the most incredible shows, street-fashion and atmosphere. Together with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam, our editors Tess and Jetty we will keep you posted on what’s happening here.

Goodbye Joe, goodbye New York

It’s time to say goodbye to New York. And to say goodbye to Joe Edward Cecala, the manager of the Holiday Inn. And thank him for taking care of us! We had a great time in the Holiday Inn and next time will even be better. Thanks Joe!

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