Jose Duran – Fall 2011

Duran’s vision is a clever play on these historical themes. His designs included chunky layers of woolen tartans, split jackets, twisted turbans, and pooling silken transparent gowns. His monochromatic use of grays and blacks recall the historical black and white images of these unsung heroines.

story by Carmella Bella McDonald
photos by Charles Beckwith

Dominican Republic-born designer Jose Duran returns to New York Fashion Week with a historically-inspired show that deals with gender and androgyny, based on the mid-Victorian Pit Brow lasses; women who dressed in mannish attire and flaunted traditional female roles in order to support their impoverished families during the Industrial Revolution. During this period, women were prohibited from working in the coalmines of Great Britain. In order to support their families, women camouflaged their gender, wearing such non-traditional clothing as trousers, short skirts, mannish boots, and caps, they forged a life for themselves and their families.

Duran’s vision is a clever play on these historical themes. His designs included chunky layers of woolen tartans, split jackets, twisted turbans, and pooling silken transparent gowns. His monochromatic use of grays and blacks recall the historical black and white images of these unsung heroines.

Continue reading “Jose Duran – Fall 2011”

10 Designers To Watch In 2011

modaCYCLE recently hosted a showcase party for a group of emerging designers whom we believe showed the most promise during the most recent New York Fashion Week back in September.

story by Charles Beckwith
photos by John Pringle and Adrianna Favero

modaCYCLE recently hosted a showcase party for a group of emerging designers whom we believe showed the most promise during the most recent New York Fashion Week back in September. It was a chill vibe affair held in the beautiful Italian furniture showroom Natuzzi Soho (101 Greene Street). Each designer who participated showed three looks throughout the evening. Our intention was to put emerging designers with viable collections in the same room with boutique owners and buyers from retail chains, and it seemed to go quite well. Continue reading “10 Designers To Watch In 2011”

Jose Duran – Spring 2011 – New York

The talented Dominican designer has proven time and time again that he possesses an incredible amount of talent, yet seems to sometimes have trouble with retaining coherency in his collections. Mr. Duran refrained from setting a theme or stating an inspiration for the show, so the audience had little idea of what to expect beforehand.

story by Rachel Gill
photos by Freda Henry

Jose Duran’s Spring 2011 collection’s public debut, held in the Time Warner Center, was highly anticipated. The talented Dominican designer has proven time and time again that he possesses an incredible amount of talent, yet seems to sometimes have trouble with retaining coherency in his collections. Mr. Duran refrained from setting a theme or stating an inspiration for the show, so the audience had little idea of what to expect beforehand. Unfortunately, the collection proved to do little to alleviate the ambiguity over the focus and theme. Continue reading “Jose Duran – Spring 2011 – New York”