fall 2011 – modaCYCLE

Diego Binetti Never Fears Fantasy

There is a long and splendid line of designers who create romantic and imaginative designs that spring from an idealized woman in their head.Very often this mythical muse has had a grip on their minds for a long time. When that designer is successful it is almost solely due to the fact that the woman in their head is whom the women of their time aspire to be.

text by Seth Friedermann
photos by Adrianna Favero
garments and styling by Diego Binetti
hair by Annie Reynor
makeup by Jacque Greco
model is Sima of Elite Model Management
styling assistants Zimir Hernandez, Sierra Baskind, & Ashley Roberts

modaCYCLE’s editors wish to express their
sincere thanks to Old Westbury Gardens
and its staff for the use of their spectacular
grounds in the production of this feature.

There is a long and splendid line of designers who create romantic and imaginative designs that spring from an idealized woman in their head. Very often this mythical muse has had a grip on their minds for a long time. When that designer is successful it is almost solely due to the fact that the woman in their head is whom the women of their time aspire to be.

Diego Binetti is precisely that type of designer and his shows at New York’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week are always a sumptuous and stylish feast for the senses.

Continue reading “Diego Binetti Never Fears Fantasy”

Timo Weiland – Designer Feature

“The three of us are going on about our creative choices every minute, about what works what doesn’t. We might even be working on another season and say this is great for next Fall or this is great for Spring.” The clothes that Timo Weiland, Alan Eckstein, and Donna Kang create strongly capture your attention whenever you see them, but it’s not always easy to pinpoint what has drawn your eye. Their distinctive designs are definitely a team effort.

story and styling by Seth Friedermann
photos by Adrianna Favero
makeup and hair by Claire Marshall
male model Jordan Ross from Commence Quest
female model Jill Chiu from Re:Quest

The clothes that Timo Weiland, Alan Eckstein, and Donna Kang create strongly capture your attention whenever you see them, but it’s not always easy to pinpoint what has drawn your eye. Their distinctive designs are definitely a team effort. Continue reading “Timo Weiland – Designer Feature”

Nanette Lepore – Fall 2011

There was a lightness and breath of breezy contentment to Nanette Lepore’s Fall 2011 collection. Creative and clever detailing provide a compelling complexity that once again points out, although Mrs. Lepore is justly famous for fun and breezy clothing, she is a serious thinker and designer. Each piece felt complete and fully realized. This season was laden with meaning for Nanette Lepore, as it was inspired by her late mother and in many ways felt as much of a celebration of her life as it did any sort of austere memorial.

story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Adrianna Favero

There was a lightness and breath of breezy contentment to Nanette Lepore’s Fall 2011 collection. Creative and clever detailing provide a compelling complexity that once again points out, although Mrs. Lepore is justly famous for fun and frilly clothing, she is a serious thinker and designer. Each piece felt complete and fully realized. This season was laden with meaning for Nanette Lepore, as it was inspired by her late mother and in many ways felt as much of a celebration of her life as it did any sort of austere memorial. Continue reading “Nanette Lepore – Fall 2011”

The Blonds – Fall 2011

Bejeweled corsets, cat suits, kimonos, silk dresses and fringed silk skirts caressed the bodies of anvil- tressed mannequins on the runway at Milk Studios in New York. Anna May Wong, eat your heart out, with golden chopsticks!

story by Carmella bella McDonald
photos by Ned and Aya Rosen

It’s true, evidently, that “Blonds” have more fun, especially when you’re talking about Phillipe and David Blond, the downtown dynamic duo of glam slam glitter couture. Their dazzling collaboration should be familiar to anyone who’s seen a music video in the last five years. There are no more stars in the heavens than have strutted their way on stage in their sparkling and spectacular masterpieces. Continue reading “The Blonds – Fall 2011”

Michael Angel – A Palette of Passion – Photo Feature

Michael Angel has literally been seeing colors in his head since he was a child.

story and styling by Seth Friedermann
photos by Ned and Aya Rosen
makeup by Laura Stiassni
hair styling by Marisa Bollman
model Jamie Gunns from Ford Model Management

Australian-born designer Michael Angel is building a substantial body of work. Heading now into his eleventh season, his play with colored prints has become a known signature to those in the fashion know. It’s impressive how season after season he creates clothing that bares his bold and beautiful stamp, yet each successive collection is infused with a freshness and feels unique and new. To some extent the cuts and treatments of his designs aid in creating that feeling, but it’s primarily the fact that he is solely internally inspired that allows him to do this. Michael Angel has literally been seeing colors in his head since he was a child. “I come from a very visual childhood. When I was younger I used to see colors in dreams, and I would always have the same kind of dreams, where I would see colors intertwined with each or meshed up together, and I would wake up and think what the hell was that?” His choices in how the colors interplay, or are shaped or focused, is part of the emotional impact of each piece from a collection. This is because he makes those choices based on how it hits him. “I’m very affected by color. It makes me happy, it makes me sad, it moves me, it makes me feel.” Continue reading “Michael Angel – A Palette of Passion – Photo Feature”

Sunghee Bang – Fall 2011

Sunghee Bang’s Fall 2011 collection one again put her different imaginative take on both form and function on display. The garments showcased complex knits and leathers that used a large grain but were traditionally treated and normally finished. This created a unique feel and look which serves as a fine example of what makes Sunghee Bang’s designs special.

story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Aeric Meredith-Goujon

Sunghee Bang’s Fall 2011 collection once again put her different imaginative take on both form and function on display. The garments showcased complex knits and leathers that used a large grain but were traditionally treated and normally finished. This created a unique feel and look which serves as a fine example of what makes Sunghee Bang’s designs special. Ms. Bang’s different experience with clothing and fashion has created a very distinct sense of fashion design. Continue reading “Sunghee Bang – Fall 2011”

Frank Tell – Fall 2011

The act of executing a fashion collection as primarily a display of art is a fearless undertaking. Frank Tell’s Fall 2011 collection was primitive, a stripped down show of the purest forms and functionality. The raw skins and heavy layers mixed with loosely constructed dresses and blouses to project a raw and visceral impact.

story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Freda Henry

A’Detacher – Fall 2011

story by Aya Rosen
photos by Ned and Aya Rosen

The name A’Detacher means to be detached, or to detach things from one another. It fits perfectly with Mona Kowalska’s style, which every season manages to be very true to what she chooses to express rather than the current trends or any seasonal style. However, this year, many of A’Detacher’s signature motifs seem to be almost trendy– big shoulders, buggy pants, high waist lines, and color blocks which the designer has been including in her garments for years, these things were pretty high up in other shows, some of the very major labels. Continue reading “A’Detacher – Fall 2011”

Jose Duran – Fall 2011

Duran’s vision is a clever play on these historical themes. His designs included chunky layers of woolen tartans, split jackets, twisted turbans, and pooling silken transparent gowns. His monochromatic use of grays and blacks recall the historical black and white images of these unsung heroines.

story by Carmella Bella McDonald
photos by Charles Beckwith

Dominican Republic-born designer Jose Duran returns to New York Fashion Week with a historically-inspired show that deals with gender and androgyny, based on the mid-Victorian Pit Brow lasses; women who dressed in mannish attire and flaunted traditional female roles in order to support their impoverished families during the Industrial Revolution. During this period, women were prohibited from working in the coalmines of Great Britain. In order to support their families, women camouflaged their gender, wearing such non-traditional clothing as trousers, short skirts, mannish boots, and caps, they forged a life for themselves and their families.

Continue reading “Jose Duran – Fall 2011”

Odyn Vovk – Fall 2011

The bad boy, the rebel, the loner living by his own rules. This great icon of culture needs a serious wardrobe, a different type of wardrobe to fit that very different style. Enter the designer Austin Sherbanenko and label Odyn Vovk.

story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Stephen F. Bodi