We know Rebecca Minkoff for her accessories (insert: beautiful slouchy Hobo bags, mini-chain purses, the one and only Morning After Bag) but now the designer has stretched her legs into designing ready-to-wear apparel and shoes. Her presentation during NYFW showcased billowy floral blouses, thin leather jackets over bright feminine dresses, sexy cotton cut-out jerseys and the shoes! The black leather bootie with gold studs was a winner, as was the nude and black heel with thick banded straps.
—Jeanie Kwak
Photos and Video by Stevyn Llewellyn
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Citing the cult-classic, French new-wave film Breathless as an inspiration point, designer Alexander Berardi captured the spirit of a young American in Paris in his Spring 2011 collection. This kind of look will always be timeless: crisp trench coats, striped boat neck tees, pegged jeans and gamine hair. Berardi gives the classic look his own characteristic twist: a sequin panel in a trench for instance, or a flowy, nautical tunic in navy stripes. A bib front shirt in French blue stripes looked wonderfully fresh and the vintage feel of swiss dots appeared on dresses that could easily go from lawn party day to French wine bar night. Gowns were long, floral and romantic, though, at times a bit harlequin when belted and voluminous with stripes.—Jeanie Kwak
Photos by Nari Kim
Tousled-haired models walked in pretty, lace-crotchet looks for Vivienne Tam’s Spring 2010 collection. Short, cream-colored dresses appeared at first but then the looks went decidedly denim and progressed to island batik prints. Deep navy blues and creams were the mainstay colors and scattered geometric patterns adorned billowy harem pants and tunics. The look was easy, made for island hopping and days in the sun. —Jeanie Kwak Photos By Stevyn Llewellyn
Whenever I experience tulle in its fragile, ethereal glory, I enter into a (and I kid you not) trance-like state of eye-opening rapture. There’s something about this material that elicits a heightened state of pleasure in me when I encounter it.
So, it comes to reason that the reaction I had, as I entered the dark, lit-up presentation Box to view Diego Binetti’s Spring 2011 collection, was one of amazement. There was tulle and it was everywhere, floating lightly off of the models bodies. The first dress, clearly the one they chose to greet the incoming, had a simple, satin bodice that fell into voluminous clouds of the airy, white material . Embroidered flowers and branches also rested on the gown, lending an earthiness to the ethereal. The rest of the collection was done in beautiful, soft colors of apricot, pale yellows, gold and white. The gowns, while quite stunning, either felt a bit too done in its sequin-ness or just spot on. The flowy, 70’s inspired apricot gown, which was delicately beaded in gold, was easily the most beautiful dress in the room. The gorgeous hue was a bit shy of a blush and it had a wonderful ease that felt luxe without the fuss. Designer Diego Binetti also proved to us that he can design accessories and adorned the models hands with pearl-encrusted nail rings. Sprouting like flowers off of their fingers, the attention to detail was impressive, the effect quite rich and imaginative.
Capturing the zeitgeist of the Bauhaus movement and the 1924 Olympics, Andrew Buckler’s Spring/Summer 2011 collection embodied robust free-spiritedness and a relaxed kind of ease and confidence. Some articles of note: Tshirts were long, soft and sheer, worn under structured day linen jackets. Cardigans bore thin, collegiate lines that ran vertically down the shoulder and felt like a subtle nod to prep-school yore. “Droopy longs” melange pants looked just right with crisp white button downs. An interesting/surprising plaid jumper was entirely at home paired with a dark jacket. I was happy to see the classic trench coat worn with a bit of color (red jeans!) and was giddy over the appearance of a backpack which felt fun and cheeky over a pale blue linen suit. This kind of dressing has a kind of old world romanticism/optimism that feels Gatsby-esque; it is a dressing down that is a form of dressing up. Looking to the past to reboot our sartorial ways can prove to be elegant, timely and refreshing, as evident in this collection.
