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Michael Angel is a smart man who does things smartly. A designer who has a known signature in his play with multi-hued prints, he constantly challenges himself to retain that calling card while staying fresh season after season. It is a tribute to Angel’s imagination and his talent that he succeeds.
story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Freda Henry
Michael Angel is a smart man who does things smartly. A designer who has a known signature in his play with multi-hued prints, he constantly challenges himself to retain that calling card while staying fresh season after season. It is a tribute to Angel’s imagination and his talent that he succeeds. Continue reading “Michael Angel – Spring 2011 – New York”
Victor de Souza’s third collection continued the development of the construction techniques and fabric choices that are quickly becoming recognizable as his personal signatures.
story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Nico Iliev provided by the designer
Victor de Souza’s third collection continued the development of the construction techniques and fabric choices that are quickly becoming recognizable as his personal signatures. His love of beautiful rich fabrics and pairing the freedom of long flowing cuts with very stiff shoulder pieces continued in this Spring 2011 collection. It is a very promising sign from this young talent that he even has signatures at this point, as often it takes young designers a few seasons to find those touchstones that they cleverly reinvent yet consistently revisit again and again. However, Mr. de Souza did not simply trot out a bunch of pieces from his past that he knew were winners. There were very definitive attempts to experiment and grow inside of his established aesthetic. Continue reading “Victor de Souza – Spring 2011 – New York”
It’s not easy to combine old school glamour with the more recent appearances in fashion of wedges and multi-strapped stilettos without getting lost in the contrived and, well, the overly trendy.
story by Sarah Patterson
photos by Adrianna Favero
Alejandro Ingelmo’s spring 2011 footwear presentation, which also marked the official opening of his 51 Wooster Street store, was a coolly modern, yet undeniably heated display of rounded toe platforms and slick men’s sneakers. It’s not easy to combine old school glamour with the more recent appearances in fashion of wedges and multi-strapped stilettos without getting lost in the contrived and, well, the overly trendy. Nevertheless, Ingelmo’s ability to creatively layer materials for dimensionality, such as patent leather over suede or alongside stretch nappa leather, as well as his commitment to the artisanal aspects of shoemaking, keeps this collection right on point. Continue reading “Alejandro Ingelmo – Spring 2011 – New York”
Warrior priestess, meet summer goddess of sun and sand.
story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Adrianna Favero
Zoe Twitt had unfinished business. The sexy warrior “high priestess” concept which inspired her Fall 2010 collection hadn’t packed up and left her imagination. She felt that collection only told half the story. Her solution? Finish the job with the Spring 2011 line. Warrior priestess, meet summer goddess of sun and sand. A softer and very sensual style pervaded the collection. “The aesthetic has changed in the way that now I’m using all light colors and pastels, where as last season I was all dark and very linear.” That wasn’t the only way that Ms. Twitt had grown, however. With the move from rawness to sophistication came a definite increase in complexity, and her talent appears to have elevated her work significantly. Continue reading “Zoe Twitt – Spring 2011 – New York”
It was very apparent from the show notes that the Guli Spring 2011 collection was designed in many ways to be an apparel ambassador for Uzbek culture.
story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Freda Henry
The Material is The Message
Gulnara Karimova is a known figure on the world stage but an unknown quantity as a fashion designer. Her Guli brand is making its first appearance at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York after only three shows total worldwide. It was very apparent from the show notes that the Guli Spring 2011 collection was designed in many ways to be an apparel ambassador for Uzbek culture. The brand explained in detail the history of Uzbek textiles, subtle regional differences, and the techniques used to create them. The detailed explanation of Uzbek weaving whetted my appetite for the collection to come (I admit to “geeking out” reading about their variations on weft and warp). Continue reading “Guli – Spring 2011 – New York”
Ruffian’s Spring 2011 collection was a treatise on the warrior female. The dynamic duo of Brian Wolk and Claude Morais looked specifically to Susan Tavers, the only woman who served in the French Foreign Legion. Military and safari abounded, with huge square-pocketed cropped jackets with strong shoulders and muslin silk leopard-print tops that hearkened back to an era when Annie Hall roamed Manhattan.
story by Michael Fragoso
photos by Sandy Ramirez
Ruffian’s Spring 2011 collection was a treatise on the warrior female. The dynamic duo of Brian Wolk and Claude Morais looked specifically to Susan Tavers, the only woman who served in the French Foreign Legion. Military and safari abounded, with huge square-pocketed cropped jackets with strong shoulders and muslin silk leopard-print tops that hearkened back to an era when Annie Hall roamed Manhattan. Gold-buttoned crisp white shirts, lots of strong high waisted billowy pants and a few cocktail dresses worthy of the chicest military gal (complete with her strappy heels courtesy of Manolo Blahnik). Continue reading “Ruffian – Spring 2011 – New York”
In every Bond film there is a moment when 007 sees the leading lady for the first time. It was that moment that Mrs. Bowen seemed to be trying to capture in this collection.
story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Adrianna Favero
You had me at “Bond, James Bond.” Not to give away my secret weaknesses but when I read the show notes for Anne Bowen’s Spring Summer 2011 collection and saw the words Aston Martin and Casino Royale I knew I’d like at least some of what I would see. Continue reading “Anne Bowen – Spring 2011 – New York”
Logan Neitzel doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. His desire to create precisely what he sees in his mind’s eye leads him to deep involvement in almost every aspect of his work. Of course at this stage of his career he still must do most things by himself.
story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Freda Henry
Logan Neitzel doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. His desire to create precisely what he sees in his mind’s eye leads him to deep involvement in almost every aspect of his work. Of course at this stage of his career he still must do most things by himself. As we viewed his collection together I got the sense from speaking with him though, that might not change all that much as he moves up the ranks of the fashion industry. “Its hard because I can’t hit minimums with factories, so right now I’m just building that until I can hit those minimums and get exactly what I want, but its definitely frustrating.” Yet his choices in fabrics, skins, and textures are so integral to his designs that he hand selects and treats each piece of leather he uses, even using the placement of imperfections as a design element. A designer who does not accept the trap, because I can not do things precisely the way I want I won’t do them at all, usually ends up staying very committed to the critical details when they can finally create everything they dream up. Continue reading “Logan Neitzel – Spring 2011 – New York”
Traditionally, spring is understood as a season of great renewal, a revival of spirits and a warming of temperaments, another chance to start anew. The collection presented by Nary Manivong for Spring 2011 is an excellent combination of the designer’s past reflections and present hopes: in Manivong’s case, a point to grow forward as well as a look towards his past. This harkening towards past and future presents itself as a cohesive, thoroughly wearable and elegantly youthful spring line.
story by Sarah Patterson
photos by Ned and Aya Rosen
Traditionally, spring is understood as a season of great renewal, a revival of spirits and a warming of temperaments, another chance to start anew. The collection presented by Nary Manivong for Spring 2011 is an excellent combination of the designer’s past reflections and present hopes: in Manivong’s case, a point to grow forward as well as a look towards his past. This harkening towards past and future presents itself as a cohesive, thoroughly wearable and elegantly youthful spring line. Continue reading “Nary Manivong – Spring 2011 – New York”
In just her third season as a designer, Mandy Coon presented quite a collection for Spring 2011. A graceful blue shimmering water projection added movement behind the ethereal models. Makeup was minimal save for a bluish highlighter, and laurel-braided hair was reminiscent of ancient Greek idols. Ms. Coon’s collection featured textiles of sheer silk, linen, leather and burlap. Unlikely combinations indeed, but somehow she made it work.
story by Rachel Gill
photos by Freda Henry
In just her third season as a designer, Mandy Coon presented quite a collection for Spring 2011. A graceful blue shimmering water projection added movement behind the ethereal models. Makeup was minimal save for a bluish highlighter, and laurel-braided hair was reminiscent of ancient Greek idols. Ms. Coon’s collection featured textiles of sheer silk, linen, leather and burlap. Unlikely combinations indeed, but somehow she made it work. Continue reading “Mandy Coon – Spring 2011 – New York”
