archive – Page 30

Jenni Kayne – Fall 2011

The designer said that her Fall 2011 Collection was designed for “the coolest girl in the middle of nowhere.” That young lady is well dressed by Miss Kayne.

story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Ned & Aya Rosen

A designer’s clothing doesn’t have to be loud or flashy or revolutionary to be attention grabbing. Many, many fine designers are perfectly happy and suited to work inside of the structure of traditional shapes and “normal” pieces. Shirts, pants, jackets, skirts etc. Back in the mid twentieth century they called anything that wasn’t a dress or a suit “sportswear.” Well, if Jenni Kayne is a sportswear designer, I need to to learn how to play whatever sport she designs for. The designer said that her Fall 2011 Collection was designed for “the coolest girl in the middle of nowhere.” That young lady is well dressed by Miss Kayne. Continue reading “Jenni Kayne – Fall 2011”

Copperwheat – Fall 2011

story by Dana Varon
photos by Hamza

Copperwheat is known for their tapered tailoring and pattern-splashed pieces creating a unique juxtaposition of fine men’s clothing and fun streetwear. This season they uphold their aesthetic but their Urban Warrior is even more ready to take on the street in their mix of interchangeable pieces. Maroon, black, army green, some purple and dusky greys and blues dress the palette. Wool pants colored with the slightest tint of stripe (think black and blue), charcoal tweeds with thin leather pocket detailing and navy drop-crotch, tapered bottom pants were topped with printed long sleeved tee’s, hip fitting printed armed sweatshirts, vests, material collared/cuffed leather jackets, lightweight military ones and perfectly fit blazers. The latter featuring a navy cropped one with a shadow of their large pig prints. Also featuring the unique print is their trench. But there is something for everyone with their slightly quilt-like black and white suit in a map print, which looked marbley from a distance, and one in a take on camo creating a new warmer way to wear them. Real traditionals can don the dark brown pin striped suit. Ben Copperwheat, the line’s print designer, noted that their pieces are a take on the traditional with a rebellious edge-much like the English vibe where he is originally from and like their amazing tartan from former seasons. Lee Copperwheat, his tailor designer counterpart cousin, touched on their message that this season is about it just being real for the real man, melding their roots with New York City, and it looks like the duo achieved that. Continue reading “Copperwheat – Fall 2011”

Nima Taherzadeh – Fall 2011

What a designer sees and focuses on when they look at women defines quite a bit about the looks and silhouettes they create. Everybody has favorite bits of a person, the curves and crannies of the human body hold endless fascinations for people. For some designers it changes from season to season. For some it even changes from garment to garment. Nima Taherzadeh likes playing peek-a-boo with the loveliness that is a woman’s body.

story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Ned and Aya Rosen

Fratelli Rossetti – Fall 2011

Put a Fratelli Rosetti pump next to a cheaply made heel and it’s a stakes grade thoroughbred next to a donkey.

story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Freda Henry

Endurance is not out of style. In today’s disposable world, convenience and price matter more than permanence on a cultural level, and its amazing that labels like Fratelli Rossetti thrive. Passe notions such as familial tradition and a commitment to craftsmanship are at the core of this classic Italian shoe company. Season after season Fratelli Rossetti creates breathtaking examples of the cobbler’s art. There is always a classic nature to their shoes. Distinctiveness in their shoes and boots comes from subtle detail and the almost spiritual ability of high quality leather and construction to stand out. Put a Fratelli Rossetti pump next to a cheaply made heel and it’s a stakes grade thoroughbred next to a donkey. Continue reading “Fratelli Rossetti – Fall 2011”

Mimi Plange – Fall 2011

Hailing from Rancho Cucamonga California designer Mimi Plange has all of the tools to create a very strong career.

story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Freda Henry

It is unfair to use the same standards when discussing a designer in her fifth season that you will use in her tenth. That said, fashion has a step learning curve and you need to mature very quickly as a designer to stay in business. Hailing from Rancho Cucamonga California designer Mimi Plange has all of the tools to create a very strong career. She understands fit, fabric, and finish very well. She creates interesting concepts and uses clever construction techniques to carry her inspiration and message into the garments. Continue reading “Mimi Plange – Fall 2011”

Temperley London & Alice – Spring 2011

story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Ned & Aya Rosen

Alice Temperley seems to be a woman of many worlds. She creates clothing that evokes myriad eras and multiple geographies. What really makes her multifaceted garments exceptionally interesting is that there is no attempt to blend the diverse elements she uses into a congruent whole. Rather Mrs. Temperley takes design details and combines them in a way where one is aware of the contrasts, but they work together so as not to seem forced and ungainly. She doesn’t tone things down to get them to function as both compliment and contradiction. The clothes from her Spring 2011 collection exhibited both a classic elegance and the stamps of modern life. Frills, ruffles, and lace met chains, bolts and leather. Urban and rural, romantic and punk, all at once. It is the spirit of Ms. Temperley’s clothes that is the glue that binds the distinct elements together. Continue reading “Temperley London & Alice – Spring 2011”

Odyn Vovk – Spring 2011

Austin Sherbanenko’s label Odyn Vovk explores one of the most interesting areas of fashion as iconic expression, the tough guy. Rough around the edges, and far from refined, the allure of male toughness never fades. Odyn Vovk uses the familiar symbols of leather, raw cottons, and rough denims to create modern versions of the hard working, mysterious handsome stranger that has occupied our collective conscious and collective art since writers began creating characters.

story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Adrianna Favero

Dream To Seam – The Ralph Rucci Interview

There are often glimpses of innovation or the potential for greatness in any collection, but rarely do we see one come down the runway that is replete with magnificence. And yet, every time we see this man’s work we are in complete awe.

hosted by Seth Friedermann
videography by Stephen Bodi and Daphnee Fortunate
produced by Charles Beckwith and Adrianna Favero
edited by Charles Beckwith

modaCYCLE has been dedicated to a search for exceptional design since it was started in 2008. There are often glimpses of innovation or the potential for greatness in any collection, but rarely do we see one come down the runway that is replete with magnificence. And yet, every time we see this man’s work we are in complete awe. Continue reading “Dream To Seam – The Ralph Rucci Interview”

Jeremy Laing – Spring 2011

Many forward-looking designers seem to create pieces that are very hard-edged or hyper-structured. Amongst their contemporaries though, there are just a handful of designers who have a softer and more natural view of the future. This is where Jeremy Laing fits in.

story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Adrianna Favero

Inventive, innovative, and imaginative Jeremy Laing’s Spring 2011 collection showed that in his twelfth season he is still committed to expanding his repertoire. His love of geometry was still evident, and that is his signature, but his work with knits in the collection was new and bold. The show for the most part was more draped flow than structure, which worked perfectly with his fabric choices and the shapes he wielded them into. Continue reading “Jeremy Laing – Spring 2011”

Monique Lhuillier – Spring 2011 Bridal

story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Sandy Ramirez

The runway at Monique Lhuillier’s Spring 2011 bridal collection show was framed by white branches that referenced a grove of birch or sycamore trees. A fitting setting, displaying a deep understanding of the mythology of woods. Those patches of pillars of white that shine out in a forest have long been believed to be home to magic and spirits unseen. The 27 looks that shone out on the path that emerged from that thicket of pale wood were perfect for the marriage of dryads or sprites. Lhuillier’s looks ranged from cocktail to classic train, but all of the dresses maintained the air of fantasy that hung around the room. One of the many brilliant things about her as a designer is a talent at creating a delicateness in some of her garments that borders on fragility. The impression of fantastical softness is so strong that it makes the wearer seem dreamlike or almost ethereal. This is spot on for wedding gowns. in which many women want to appear to have descended from the heavens or walked out of a mythical realm. And, what man doesn’t want to marry a goddess? Continue reading “Monique Lhuillier – Spring 2011 Bridal”