Shows and Events – Page 4

A Détacher – Forget Me Knot

A Détacher designer Mona Kowalska has a reputation for pushing to the edges of fashion. Before coming to the United States and starting her own line, Kowalska designed for many small Italian labels, followed by a brief stint at Sonia Rykiel. Her work could be considered avant garde by commercial standards. The spring 2013 collection for A Détacher is both architecturally de-constructed and well-engineered.

story by Sia-Alika Battle
photos by Adrianna Favero

Reem Acra, Bridal Elevated

Weddings are a ceremony of immortality. They represent moments of transition in which responsibility for the continuity of life is passed from one generation to the next. Almost certainly second only to burial rites in the chain of human social imperatives, they are sacred and primal. The difficulty for any garment designer in rendering clothing appropriate for such a timeless ritual in our culture is to present fertility without vulgarity. In this, Reem Acra is a master beyond reproach.

story and photos by Charles Beckwith

Billy Reid – Dixie Cool

Billy Reid spins a lovely yarn… yarn as in a tale, not as in knitwear, though he does that too. His ability to create a collection that feels like a classic novel is truly impressive. His clothes have so much character that they create them. For Spring 2013, his take on Dixie dress was cool and comfortable, with the standouts being two lovely pelican print dresses and suits that echoed the sartorial splendor of the ’30s & ’40s with tipped and wide lapels, and bold tapered cuts.

story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Adrianna Favero

Mandy Coon – Nerd Noir

There’s a great deal for which Mandy Coon does not get much credit. People chatter about her quirkiness, or consistent experimentation with leather, but her actual skills as a designer are rarely discussed. Yet, this rising star designer possesses one of the qualities most critical for long term success: the ability to create designs that are subtly distinctive. With Ms. Coon’s Spring 2013 collection, this talent was on full display in what is probably her best collection to date.

story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Aeric Meredith-Goujon

Wes Gordon – Spring to Fall

Looking all of seventeen in a navy blazer, and blessed with the polite gentility of his southern upbringing, the Central Saint Martin’s graduate, Wes Gordon greeted each and every one of his women clients as if they were guests at his front door. I’m very certain he knows how to foxtrot. But clearly, what he’s best at is designing stunningly lovely clothes for those refined and privileged ladies. In a presentation reminiscent of the costume shows at the Metropolitan Museum, models stood still as mannequins on stark white platforms framed by a gauzy proscenium. Occasionally, owing to their being human and possibly in need of refreshment, they were fed little candies, which they nibbled discreetly, or they were brought water, which they sipped pristinely through bendy straws.

story by Lisa Radano
photos by Bonnie Rodríguez

Dean Quinn- Amplified

Dean Quinn’s Spring 2013 collection was a crystal clear expression of what matters to him as a designer. The clothes were clean and fresh, with the right amount of clever construction to make them distinctive. They did not overpower the women wearing them, but complimented and accented their beauty. The design touches echoed an intriguing mix of formality and allure creating clothing that was very attractive. After a bit of a drift the last two seasons, Dean Quinn is beginning to find his voice again, and use it rather loudly.

story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Aeric Meredith-Goujon

Dean Quinn‘s Spring 2013 collection was a crystal clear expression of what matters to him as a designer. The clothes were clean and fresh, with the right amount of clever construction to make them distinctive. They did not overpower the women wearing them, but complimented and accented their beauty. The design touches echoed an intriguing mix of formality and allure creating clothing that was very attractive. After a bit of a drift the last two seasons, Dean Quinn is beginning to find his voice again, and use it rather loudly. Continue reading “Dean Quinn- Amplified”

Blanc de Chine – Pinnacle Silk and Sequins

In much the same way that Western fashion spends a great deal of time updating classic looks, so to do other cultures. But, because the other cultures’ fashion history isn’t familiar to us, the designs often appear fresh and wholly new. So it is with Blanc De Chine, however add into the mix their minimalist construction approach, which creates large sections of clean, flowing, unbroken fabric, and their passionate use of extraordinarily high-end silks, cottons, and sequins, and the final result is elegant and beautiful and different.

story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Rachel Reneé

Lyn Devon – Detailing The Difference

Lyn Devon likes to sign her work in small print. It is her finer fabrications that elevate this award-winning artist’s work to the level of true designer fashion. For her Spring 2013 collection, the play in palette and her tremendous work in texture really put the native New Yorker’s collection of day dresses and sporty separates over the top. She is not drawn to wild shapes or crazy cuts. Her work fits nicely in a modern women’s life, but it is those inventive and eye-catching details that make you look twice, even though at second glance you’re still not really sure what you’re being drawn to.

story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Bonnie Rodríguez

Continue reading “Lyn Devon – Detailing The Difference”

Reem Acra – Heaven Bent For Leather

Reem Acra is one of those designers who always surprises. Season after season, some major part of what is sent down the runway is remarkably different from past collections in both form and technique, yet the same in passion, creativity and quality. It is like watching Iron Chef, every episode has a secret ingredient. This season she introduced laser-cut leather and went wild and wondrous with its deployment. Ms. Acra, ever the master designer, never pulls the same rabbit out of her hat twice, but you always know it will be a great show.

story by Charles Beckwith
photos by udor and Charles Beckwith

Reem Acra is one of those designers who always surprises. Season after season, some major part of what is sent down the runway is remarkably different from past collections in both form and technique, yet the same in passion, creativity and quality. It is like watching Iron Chef, every episode has a secret ingredient. This season she introduced laser-cut leather and went wild and wondrous with its deployment. Ms. Acra, ever the master designer, never pulls the same rabbit out of her hat twice, but you always know it will be a great show. Continue reading “Reem Acra – Heaven Bent For Leather”

Alejandro Ingelmo – “There is a new kind of sexiness here.”

story by Sia-Alika Battle
photos by Aeric Meredith-Goujon

“There is a new kind of sexiness here,” Alejandro Ingelmo said moments before his presentation. “You have to experiment and look at things at a different angle, because ultimately there are other ways to draw attention to feet without the shoes being super-high.” Continue reading “Alejandro Ingelmo – “There is a new kind of sexiness here.””