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Milan, Umbrellas, and The Color Yellow

So here I am, sitting in my Italian hotel room in Milan’s Piazza Diaz, two blocks from Il Duomo, flipping through a book on French fashion by an American, and thinking about my green German umbrella that I bought to take to India, its black British replacement, and their tie to the color yellow.

by Charles Beckwith

Barneys Holiday Windows

photos by Jhane Hoang

It is the 50th anniversiary of the creation of the ubiquitous peace sign, and Barneys has put together an array of wild window displays celebrating the occasion (“Have a Hippie Holiday!”) with the help of Volkswagen, a slew of major designers, and some kids from East Harlem Elementary.

Tom Brokaw cut the ribbon.

All the outfits in the windows were designed specifically for the 50th anniversary event, and use sustainable materials in accordance with the Earth Pledge FutureFashion initiative.

Tumi

by Charles Beckwith with photos by Freda Henry

Freda and I had the opportunity to preview the Spring 2009 Women’s Collection from Tumi.

Tumi has long been known for producing some of the best functional luggage int he world. What I found particularly interesting in this new collection was a line of locking purses, where the zipper pull locks into the side of the bag for security.

This is available on several mid-sized hand bags and on some smaller accessories in their white and salmon-pink Villa travel line. They have made the function of traveling with your belongings secure a less obnoxious and more beautiful part of the accessory.

Tumi Creative Director David Chu is known for starting Nautica. When he moved to Tumi he did a lot of masculine pieces in functional black ballistic nylon. In 2007 the women’s collection was added. These pieces are mostly in the classic Mediterranean color range.

The Voyager collection is dark blue with turquoise lining.

Plenty by Tracy Reese

by Charles Beckwith

This season’s Plenty by Tracy Reese will be released in three phases. They are named Acrobat, Scheherazade, and Where The Wild Thing Are. Not a lot of innovation or passion on display in this collection. The clothes are made solidly, but there isn’t much exciting about them design-wise. There was a great sense of “I’ve seen this before.”

Three things did stand out for me. One was a blue lace over grey corset top (and dress) from the Scheherazade set.

Another was the black and bronze pattern in the Wild Things set.

In the back of the store was the frock! by Tracey Reese collection, divided into Fully Amused, Dreamland, and Mermaid Parade. I saw an undersea vegetation-looking lace strapless dress in green, which also comes in blue and purple. The layering of the lace was fun, but not much of a leap.

With this journal we are looking for sparks, and in this presentation there weren’t really any sparks at all. Perhaps we should stick with designers’ main collections.

Reebok

by Charles Beckwith

I was at Reebok’s big launch party for their new season collections, when I noticed some unusual sneakers. When I inquired further, I was told they were the result of a collabloration with street style label Orchard Street.

They’re called Re-Up Pro Luxe and feature what Reebok calls “alternative lacing.”

Such a departure from everything else on display, everything else on the street. Very cool.

New Balance

by Charles Beckwith

I was recently in the New Balance showroom to look at their new collections. Not much revolutionary in the sneaker world, but I found their new Aravon line very interesting. Apparently a large number of podiatrists recommend New Balance sneakers to middle-aged women who were having foot problems, so the company created a line of more classical casual non-athletic shoes called Aravon for active people who need a bit more support from their footwear. The line is all womens, and various models are designed for daily routines in the workplace, being around the home, and for traveling. I think my mom needs a few pairs of these.

New Balance has been doing a lot of research into creating sustainable athleticwear. Their lightning dry fabrics are starting to incorporate a lot of recycled materials. A major component is cocona, a carbon residue that comes from burning coconut shells, which they mix with polyseter to provide UV protection, water wycking, and anti-bacterial properties in these new highly-resilient materials. Their NBX lightweight shell jacket is made from recycled soda bottles mixed with polyester. They aren’t quite off petrolium-based products, but seem to be gettign close.

I like this thumb-secure point on the mens jacket, which prevents the sleeves from working up your arms while jogging:

Ports 1961

story by Charles Beckwith
photos by Freda Henry

Ports 1961 by Tia Cibani is an interesting brand. It is a sort of perpetually phoenix-reborn brand.

The company was founded in 1961 by a man interested in yachts, and revitalized in 2003, by a woman interested in the places where they tie up.

Tia and her team make each collection a reflection of something visually exotic. A time, a place, or a culture is selected, and then merged with interesting bits of others. The design team forges an icon lens through which they focus their creations for the season, often in the form of a hypothetical girl who has a romantic life in exotic places, and they design the pieces for her to reflect her surroundings. This nameless girl with her faithful steamer trunk full of fabulous clothing and accessories has been to Egypt, New York, Prague, Tanzania, Argentina in 1936, and many other visually exotic locales. She has been a reflection of many women from many eras, both fictional and real, such as Lulu Mae Barnes (Holly Golightly) and Lucille Ball. Last year, one collection focused on the latitude N63, where one finds Iceland on the map, and the pieces reflected the Icelandic culture and natural beauty. The current Fall 2008 collection was inspired by Scotland, with Linton tweeds in prominence. This creative rebirth process in the Spring 2009 collection is based on a number of elements, including a large number of references to the Haida Nation of British Columbia, the Native Americans who still build totem poles near Cibani’s home town of Vancouver.

The Ports team does not work alone, striving to incorporate the work of freelance designers and artists whose work fits with the season’s given icon aesthetic. The assembly of the collection is inclusive, rather than exclusive, and leads to a rich diversity of looks from season to season.

Right now the work of German artist Mathias Hornung is on display in their New York studio and showroom, and reflected in the clothing.

In January 2009, Ports 1961 plans to open a new flagship boutique with an open-air courtyard in an exquisitely renovated 150 year-old space on cobblestoned historic Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District, New York City.

7 For All Mankind – Spring 2009 Collection

by Charles Beckwith

I recently had the opportunity to preview the 7 For All Mankind spring collection. I noticed lots of color, detail, and good pockets. Definitely saw some earmarks of a trend following brand, but then… they do it so well. Great detail on the pockets, well-executed lines, and design director Larissa Noble’s team seems well aware of what really works with denim. Tops, purses, and light outerwear are on the way. They seem especially adept with small leather items.

The company makes a lot of jeans, but this season a select few of their highest end pieces will be specially numbered, with only a limited series of 777 being produced. Sure to be collectors items, but not for the faint of wallet.

I was prodded to feel one specific pair of “summer jeans,” and the material was very airy, almost as light as silk, but still possessing the durable material strength one expects from jeans. Surely something many women will be interested in for the warmer months.

As always, looking forward to another of their Patrick Demarchelier-shot campaigns.

Fratelli Rossetti – Spring 2009 Collection

by Charles Beckwith

photos by Sandy Ramirez and Charles Beckwith

Fratelli Rossetti, producers of Italian leather shoes and accessories, recently premiered a new line at the Italian Consulate on Park Avenue, anticipating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of their New York Boutique, established in 1949. All their products are made in Italy, about 20 minutes drive outside Milan. Shoes and handbags of impeccable quality are produced and expected.

Although they come out with new shoes each season, their products are rarely something you would discard after one year. Their design team seems to not chase or try to make short term trends, preferring to make timeless pieces that will be as attractive this season as next, and perhaps equally 100 years from now.

“One” is the newer active womens’ collection, with comfortable yacht shoes, running shoes, and other more casual footwear.

Standing out in the main Fratelli Rossetti womens’ line was a distinct pair of masculine-form oxfords.

Look how elegant the shape of the heel is on the white shoe pictured below. These are works of art.

They are accompanied by a large number of other strong casual and formal footwear silhouettes, and a lot of fun warm colors.

Less fun was on display in the mens variants, but still shoes I think people would look forward to putting on and walking about in.

Caroline Hedaya – Spring 2009 Preview

by Charles Beckwith

The Caroline Hedaya Spring 2009 Preview at the Red Market Salon on Gansevoort Street was well attended by a friendly fashion-forward crowd.

Designers Caroline Hedaya and Donna Baxter were well dressed themselves, and presented an interesting collection. Continue reading “Caroline Hedaya – Spring 2009 Preview”