Marc Jacobs Catwalk Fashion Show New York ss2012

For a change, Marc Jacobs closed the New York Fashion Week. The Lexington Avenue Armory was decorated like a dance hall situated in the twenties.   As the Philip Glass opera Einstein on the Beach started, a sweeping gold curtain parted to reveal all the models waiting to hit the runway.

The collection was a cocktail of strange elements. Starting with the see-through plastic cowboy boots. And also: drop-waist flapper dresses, denim workwear, clear plastic sewn into skirts and dresses, sporty sweatshirts, and techno-checks.  Some of the silhouettes looked like last season’s narrow silhouettes, but there were also boxy, drop-waist shapes that reminded of the 1920’s. There was plenty of fringe,  bold-colored sequins and paillettes, and a lot of that clear plasticTextural experimentation was strong in this collection. To journalists backstage, Jacobs explained he didn’t want his collection “to feel real”.

 

First View New York ss2012: Tribal

Urban tribes stride the catwalk. Each designer driven by personal inspirations and motivations. ‘Afriluxe’ states Michael Kors, a more minimal tribal turn for BCBG, Haiti influenced Donna Karan where Proenza Schouler designers followed their feel for crafts. Roomy tunics, slouchy shifts and rompy sweaters shape this decorative and laid back look. Brush stroke prints, dip-dyed patterns in a Haitian inspired colour palette; earthy shades and shots with burning orange, deep purple, golden ochre and sea green. Superior craftsmanship is shown in beaded patterns, raffia weaves and tie-dye, batik and ikat patterns. From precise and traditional folk interpretations to expressive, graphic and large-scale tribal twists.

This third ‘Stylespot’, analysing the New York catwalks, is one more proof of the power of print.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

 

Hello streetfashion. Bye bye New York.

Just take a last look at the inspiring streetfashion in New York. Look at the bags (tiny), look at the shoes (high), and keep smiling. Maybe it’s you we’re catching with our camera the next time.

Proenza Schouler Catwalk Fashion Show New York ss2012

It was pure irony, the ss2012 collection of Proenza Schouler. But beautiful irony. Their inspirations included Fifties car interiors; Googie architecture, and the work of Morris Lapidus, the architect behind Miami’s  Fontainebleau hotel. Well, to put it simple: it was about questionable taste.

Key pieces were tight cropped sweaters and a cobalt A-line skirt in eel skin that formed one-half of one of the lineup’s best looks — but the collection was not so  serious and sophisticated affair. McCollough and Hernandez worked their references with originality, precision and craftsmanship. They were not afraid to use the so-called bad-taste elements, like tiger-print car interiors and the orange, green and gold palette from the Seventies.
What made the collection strong was the mix of pinup and sultry secretary. Bustier tops were paired with pencil skirts in neon and tropical prints. Yet there was a crafty undercurrent throughout. Raffia was woven into color-blocked knits and remarkable dresses that had cutout maillot tops and wide-weave cage skirts. For the finale, the designers embroidered  Hawaiian florals on tulle dresses with open backs and narrow skirts. Talking about modern retro.

A day in the life of a memory card in New York

Let’s follow this memory card of Peter Stigter on his journey through New York City. This digital memory travels from show to show and finally ends up in the hands of photo-editor Lisa Klappe.

3.1 Phillip Lim Catwalk Fashion Show New York ss2012

Just when you thought you couldn’t have any more rich, over-the-top prints and screaming colors, Phillip Lim moved in with a refreshing palette. His collection  was full of sorbet colors — icy peach, pink and yellow — served on silhouettes that were relaxed. There were loose, racer-back tanks and track pants with zippers at the sides, some that concealed or revealed a stripe.

It was a relaxed basis on which Lim layered and explored a-symmetric cuts. Lim started gently, with tanks and slipdresses outlined in fluttering folds designed to catch the breeze. His program cited kites as a source of inspiration, and the fly-away motif was pretty and serene in small doses. The message at large seemed to be sporty minimalism.

Narciso Rodriguez Catwalk Fashion Show New York ss2012

Narciso Rodriguez’s inspiration came from artist Kim Joon, whose large-scale, swirl-heavy tattoos make for fascinating and ponderous art. Rodriguez used it in a refined way. The result was an impressive collection that looked different in the midst of this print-heavy season.

Rodriguez opened with a black top over white pants, simple but powerful. He then increased the intensity of geometry, stripes, bands and squares going this way and that. Hard lines and gentle curves, black, white, sand and lovely water-colors.  When he went for pattern, it was subtle.

Anna Sui Catwalk Fashion Show New York SS2012

Antonio Lopez, an illustrator and photographer from the seventies, was Anna Sui’s big inspiration for spring/summer 2012. She got inspired by the way he introduced vintage fashion and disco music to Paris.

The disco was translated to strong rock n roll colors (pink and red), the vintage could be seen in some soft creamy shades. They were mixed with bold graphic prints in all kinds of colors.

Most of the designs were dresses, vintage looking ones in any kind of shape, mostly worn with a belt. The styling was over the top, very Anna Sui. The models wore turbans, sunglasses,chunky necklaces, headpieces, colorful socks and earrings, preferably all at once.

There was so much to see, there must have been a cool fashion piece for just about every woman in the room. And when styled a little more subtle each item on it’s own will immediately become very wearable.

Michael Kors Catwalk Fashion Show New York SS2012

Michael Kors ‘afriluxe’ collection wasn’t the most flattering we’ve seen from him. His models wore oversized djellebas, scruffy skirts, shredded tops and gladiator (which often and on the worst fashion item list) sandals.

Yet he did manage to give that African theme his own touch of glamour. He came up with some cute animal prints, feather dresses and his accessories upgraded the collection. He designed leather bags with crocodile belts, waist&chestbelts (2 in 1) and some snakeskin bangles and chunky chokers.

His animal printed dresses looked the most wearable and will probably be the hit of this spring collection. Also Kors’ bathing suits with sophisticated leather details will make his clientèle look swell on the beach. Yet the rest of the collection failed to impress and we seriously wonder who’d wanna spend a thousand dollars on a scrappy patchwork sweater and skirt.

Streetfashion New York Womenswear ss2012 Day 5

What are you wearing during the coming fashionweeks? Your Prada-boots, your latest Celine-dress or that vintage Chanel? Maybe we’ll spot you in Paris, Milan, New York or Amsterdam. During the fashionweeks we refresh our streetwear posts regularly. We don’t judge, we’re not the fashion-police, we just enjoy fashion and your own personal style. Next stop: New York  Fashion Week.

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