Michael Sontag Spring-Summer 2010 Collection, Berlin

Designer Michael Dominik Sontag, young winner of the most recent Becks Fashion Experience juried show, presented his small but vital spring-summer 2010 line on the third day of Berlin Fashion Week.

reportage by Boris Marberg
photos by Boris Marberg and Wolfgang Wöhrle

Designer Michael Dominik Sontag, young winner of the most recent Becks Fashion Experience juried show, presented his spring-summer 2010 line on the third day of Berlin Fashion Week. Continue reading “Michael Sontag Spring-Summer 2010 Collection, Berlin”

Eastpak Looks To The Streets for Inspiration and Models

Eastpak showed they’ve been doing their homework. This spring-summer 2010 collection of urban street wear and bags truly reflects the now in youth culture in Berlin and around the world.

reportage by Boris Marberg
photos by Boris Marberg, Alexander Palacios, and Wolfgang Wöhrle

Eastpak showed they’ve been doing their homework. This spring-summer 2010 collection of urban street wear and bags truly reflects the now in youth culture in Berlin and around the world. Continue reading “Eastpak Looks To The Streets for Inspiration and Models”

Disheartening Day One for Berlin Fashion Week

Berlin Fashion Week is only a few seasons old, and the industry there is still finding its global voice and international footing. Each year they seem to get better, but the first day of presentations for the Spring-Summer 2010 collections proved very disheartening for those of us hoping this will be the season where Berlin became relevant in the global fashion scene.

reportage by Boris Marberg
photos by Boris Marberg, Alexander Palacios, and Wolfgang Wöhrle

Berlin Fashion Week is only a few seasons old, and the industry there is still finding its global voice and international footing. Each year they seem to get better, but the first day of presentations for the Spring-Summer 2010 collections proved very disheartening for those of us hoping this will be the season where Berlin became relevant in the global fashion scene. The only coherent collection on the Berlin runway for Day One was by GANT, a US sportswear company (see the runway show video on their web site). Continue reading “Disheartening Day One for Berlin Fashion Week”

Burberry Prorsum Spring-Summer 2010 collection at Milan Moda Uomo

Burberry shows its colors, as hints and accents, in this diverse but uninspiring summer collection.

story by Charles Beckwith
photos by Alexander Palacios

Burberry shows its colors, as hints and accents, in this diverse but uninspiring summer collection. Continue reading “Burberry Prorsum Spring-Summer 2010 collection at Milan Moda Uomo”

Missoni, Spring-Summer 2010 Collection at Milan Moda Uomo

A blanched hardwood runway, like a long pier, is lit as if by moonlight, setting off the warm pastel accent garments in Missoni’s predominantly sky (comfort) blue Spring/Summer 2010 men’s collection.

story by Boris Marberg and Charles Beckwith
photos by Boris Marberg

A blanched hardwood runway, like a long pier, is lit as if by moonlight, setting off the warm pastel accent garments in Missoni’s predominantly sky (comfort) blue Spring/Summer 2010 men’s collection. Continue reading “Missoni, Spring-Summer 2010 Collection at Milan Moda Uomo”

CoSTUME NATIONAL, Spring-Summer 2010 Collection at Milan Moda Uomo

CoSTUME NATIONAL designer Ennio Capasa has said about his new collection, “I wanted to bring a symbolic jungle into a metropolis; a jungle made of emotions that would take us back to our deeper, more authentic side; recharging us with harmony and joy.” We read the words, but we don’t see the execution, unless that organic metropolis is supposed to be represented by the junior partners at a post-apocalyptic architectural firm.

story by Boris Marberg and Charles Beckwith
photos by Boris Marberg

CoSTUME NATIONAL designer Ennio Capasa has said about his new collection, “I wanted to bring a symbolic jungle into a metropolis; a jungle made of emotions that would take us back to our deeper, more authentic side; recharging us with harmony and joy.” We read the words, but we don’t see the execution, unless that organic metropolis is supposed to be represented by the junior partners at a post-apocalyptic architectural firm. Continue reading “CoSTUME NATIONAL, Spring-Summer 2010 Collection at Milan Moda Uomo”

NY Fashion Industry Pitches In For Good Causes

As part of Mayor Bloomberg’s Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan, nearly 100 retailers will keep the doors open until 11pm on September 10th. Also, Adam Lippes will open his New York City Meatpacking District boutique, ADAM, for one day of dog adoptions to help the many animals in need find homes. The dogs, ranging in breed and size, will be showcased in the windows of the boutique on Sunday, May 31st from 2-4PM.

story by Charles Beckwith
images provided by Fashion’s Night Out and ADAM

ADAM, CFDA, and Mayor Bloomberg have some special events planned.

Continue reading “NY Fashion Industry Pitches In For Good Causes”

Interview with Anna Molinari, legendary designer of Blumarine

“I would love to have a 25hours-day! I’m an early riser and I often work even 10 hours with only a quick break for lunch. This is a very hard job if you put your soul into it: I carefully study every detail and I follow each step of production. It takes a lot of time. Anyway, the need to create makes me feel never tired and gives me the same willingness to improve.”

story by Charles Beckwith
photos by Boris Marberg

My grandmother always had an interesting taste in clothing. She was a woman who wore color, who wore excitement. The last few years she was on oxygen for emphysema, always a little “out of it” since that started, and recently chemotherapy for stage 4 lung cancer. So, she slowed down, and wasn’t really the whole person I remember from my childhood. It has been a while since I felt like when I was talking with her, I was really talking with her.

So, a few months ago, when I saw a video clip of the last resort collection from Blumarine, it was a deeply personal jolt I felt. I saw a collection I knew my grandmother would have wanted to wear. Every piece that was coming down that runway was something she would have been crazy for. So, when I was in Milan in December, I made it a point to visit their showroom. There is an energy to these collections that you rarely see, where style and life meet and dance.

I’ve had this interview for a few weeks now and had not posted it because my grandmother was near the end, and the ideas in my head about her spirit and the Blumarine label are linked. She passed away two weeks ago, and I finally feel a release, because I know she is free to be herself again.

Here finally, is my interview with the famed Italian designer, Mrs. Anna Molinari, and select images from her most recent collection. Continue reading “Interview with Anna Molinari, legendary designer of Blumarine”

Zac Posen Fall 2009 – La Belle Nouveau

For the Zac Posen F/W 2009 Collection, accompanied by the the neoclassical pieces of Stravinsky and Holst, played live in a special arrangement with five full size Steinway grand pianos aligned down the center of the runway, the likes of Alek Wek, Chanel Iman, Natasha Poly, Sasha Pivovarova, Catherine McNeil, Lily Donaldson, Heidi Mount, Iris Strubegger, Hannelore Knuts, and Coco Rocha paraded out wearing clothing befitting the era in which this music was written, one of the greatest ages for fashion the world has ever seen, La Belle Epoque.

story by Sandy Ramirez
photos by Sandy Ramirez, Freda Henry, and Charles Beckwith

Thursday night, after a long week of relatively little fashion excitement, we were shocked by what was perhaps the best show we have ever seen during any New York Fashion Week in memory.

For the Zac Posen F/W 2009 Collection, accompanied by the the neoclassical pieces of Stravinsky and Holst, played live in a special arrangement with five full size Steinway grand pianos aligned down the center of the runway, the likes of Alek Wek, Chanel Iman, Natasha Poly, Sasha Pivovarova, Catherine McNeil, Lily Donaldson, Heidi Mount, Iris Strubegger, Hannelore Knuts, and Coco Rocha paraded out wearing clothing befitting the era in which this music was written, one of the greatest ages for fashion the world has ever seen, La Belle Epoque. Continue reading “Zac Posen Fall 2009 – La Belle Nouveau”

Mackage Fall 2009

story and photos by Sandy Ramirez

Wednesday night, Eran Elfassy and Elisa Dahan premiered their label’s Mackage F/W 2009 collection at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in The Salon at Bryant Park. “Mackage,” a named derived from a mispronunciation of the french “maquillage” (make-up) by Eran’s young niece, is a label that was itself born in school children’s day dreams. While in elementary school in Montreal, Eran and Elisa used to sketch together and dream of being fashion designers. They always hoped to show in New York. Now, that dream is normality. Continue reading “Mackage Fall 2009”