spring 2012 – Page 4

Nanette Lepore – Spring 2012 Review- The Electric Ladies

View the full collection in our Photo Gallery.

story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Adrianna Favero

“We kept looking back at the colors from our past, and they just weren’t bright enough!” Nanette Lepore was hungry for color this season. Not just any color, but seared into your memory if you saw the woman for five seconds on the street color. This neon collection crackled with electricity and featured myriad cuts and finishes, which I am becoming tempted to refer to as “Leporeisims.” For example, a double level cascading wave pleat that peeked out from below a waist jacket, done in a thin pink and white lined print. The lapels owed something to the 20th century, and the cut and pleats to the 19th. Mrs. Lepore’s work is always full of such flounces, frills, and flights of fancy, but never even comes remotely close to tipping over into costume. Her designs are not affectations, they are for real women who are serious about having fun. This is, of course, because Mrs. Lepore herself is fun and serious at the same time. She is a passionate and committed woman, whether it is in her work with Save The Garment Center or in her own collections.

Her Spring 2012 collection is perfectly suited for the woman who, around early April, has gone a little mad from the winter and needs to explode in a rage of spring expression. Bright pinks, fiery oranges, and bold blues, mixed with stripes and fascinating multicolored layered fabrics, to create a jolt to the senses.

Bows, and shaped layers of lace added very effective three-dimensional elements to the pieces, which breathed just that much more volume into a collection which was already quite in full voice. There is always a sense of adventure present in Nanette Lepore’s work. She creates designs for the woman who understands that life is what you make it and that there is no such thing as an ordinary moment if you refuse to allow one to happen. It was by far one of Mrs. Lepore’s boldest collections of late and reinforced her stature as one of the top designers working in America today.

Carmen Marc Valvo – Spring 2012 Review – A Forever Summer

Carmen Mark Valvo brings the girl out of the woman. All grown-up, but not aged, forever playful. Daytime looks retain a sporty edge and nighttime looks have a casual flair. A cohesive collection of broad spectrum fun outfits.

View the full collection in our Photo Gallery.

story by Sia-Alika Battle
photos by Martin Bielecki

Blanc de Chine – Spring 2012 Review – Elegance of Eons Renewed

Blanc de Chine’s epigram, “so ancient, so modern,” is again clearly present in their Spring 2012 collection of flowing silk tops, sequined dresses, minimalistic blazers, and Chinese collars. Suggested by their line sheet to have been inspired by ink and wash paintings, the color palate of the ancient-inspired silk brand’s newest collection consists of black with faint use of pastel pink, elegant lavender, and rejuvenating blue jewel tones. It is intended to demonstrate “how the mood is articulated through the paintings by combining the ‘qu’ (life force) with the brush and the ink.”

reporting by Ashley Roberts
photos by Adrianna Favero

Blanc de Chine‘s epigram, “so ancient, so modern,” is again clearly present in their Spring 2012 collection of flowing silk tops, sequined dresses, minimalistic blazers, and Chinese collars. Suggested by their line sheet to have been inspired by ink and wash paintings, the color palate of the ancient-inspired silk brand’s newest collection consists of black with faint use of pastel pink, elegant lavender, and rejuvenating blue jewel tones. It is intended to demonstrate “how the mood is articulated through the paintings by combining the ‘qu’ (life force) with the brush and the ink.” Continue reading “Blanc de Chine – Spring 2012 Review – Elegance of Eons Renewed”

Reem Acra – Spring 2012 Review – She Dances, She Dazzles

When you’re viewing the work of a great fashion designer you cannot simply cast a cursory glance at the design and make a decision. The skill level and ability of the best of the best requires that you study and absorb to understand precisely what you are looking at. Reem Acra is certainly a designer of that caliber, and compels such a level of effort. It was particularly important for her Spring 2012 collection as she, like many designers this season, changed her design direction.

View the full collection in our Photo Gallery.

story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Charles Beckwith

Kaelen – Spring 2012 Review – Nymphs In Boho

Toronto native Kaelen Farncombe, recently married and now Kaelen Haworth, first introduced her eponymous line Kaelen in 2010 with signature bias hemlines and sharp pleats. These are found in the Spring 2012 set, but the collection as a whole takes our image of this designer in new directions. She uses fresh fabrics to express her clean silhouettes, saying she is inspired by touching the materials and letting the design flow from the feel of the fabric. This approach can be seen in an ethereal draped pocket dress in cream crushed velvet and a tie front dress in nude crinkle cotton.

View the full collection in our Photo Gallery.

story by Sia-Alika Battle
photos by Aya & Ned Rosen

Siki Im – Spring 2012 Review – Another Kind of Ritual

Siki Im’s Spring 2012 collection is an opposing one to his last, but it still holds the thematic of deep cultural influences. Possessing again an air of ritual, like his Native American-themed Fall 2011 line, this collection hones in on his love of Middle Eastern culture, and an idealistic feeling that the emotional/physical uproar there cannot be denied, and can effect the whole world coming together with strength, power and unity.

story by Dana Varon
photos by Aeric Meredith-Goujon

Siki Im‘s Spring 2012 collection is an opposing one to his last, but it still holds the thematic of deep cultural influences. Possessing again an air of ritual, like his Native American-themed Fall 2011 line, this collection hones in on his love of Middle Eastern culture, and an idealistic feeling that the emotional/physical uproar there cannot be denied, and can effect the whole world coming together with strength, power and unity. Continue reading “Siki Im – Spring 2012 Review – Another Kind of Ritual”

Sally LaPointe – Spring 2012 Collection – The Page Turns

Sally LaPointe’s growth as a designer has been a joy to watch. Season after season she’s produced increasingly refined and intricate work that expresses her vision and showcases her skills. One definitely gets a feeling of a designer driven by a need to find a way to express a deeply held ideal.

View the full collection in our Photo Gallery.

story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Ned & Aya Rosen

Sally LaPointe‘s growth as a designer has been a joy to watch. Season after season she’s produced increasingly refined and intricate work that expresses her vision and showcases her skills. One definitely gets a feeling of a designer driven by a need to find a way to express a deeply held ideal. She’s seeking a balance in something greater than just clothing. “I kind of wanted to challenge myself to see if I could do the same sort of architectural modern designs that I have been doing the past couple of seasons, but doing them in more of a feminine way. I loosened up a little bit.” Continue reading “Sally LaPointe – Spring 2012 Collection – The Page Turns”

Buckler – Spring 2012 Review – Boys On The Street

Bustling down the closed-off Gansevoort Street are Andrew Buckler’s boys for Spring 2012, a brooding bunch baring seasonal basics.The designer set out to “keep things very simple this season, and turned away from doing too much layering in summer,” adding, “you just don’t do that, it’s boiling.” Boiling it was, both on the temperature and clothing meters. The clothes fit right in on the hot September afternoon, with light linen, gauzy sweaters, just past the knee slim and droopy shorts, and drop-crotch pants with tapered bottoms and cuffs.

story by Dana Varon
color photos by Stephen F. Bodi
b&w photos by Dana Varon

Bustling down the closed-off Gansevoort Street are Andrew Buckler‘s boys for Spring 2012, a brooding bunch baring seasonal basics.The designer set out to “keep things very simple this season, and turned away from doing too much layering in summer,” adding, “you just don’t do that, it’s boiling.” Boiling it was, both on the temperature and clothing meters. The clothes fit right in on the hot September afternoon, with light linen, gauzy sweaters, just past the knee slim and droopy shorts, and drop-crotch pants with tapered bottoms and cuffs.

Lightweight tailored windbreakers and “summer-weight” leather jackets with stitched-on leather sleeves followed. Standouts on the street were the super-soft t-shirt and barely distinguishable matching vest, separate hood scarves, and sleeveless shirt with attached hood alike. Much of the softness of the fabric is due to, “a cotton viscose blend, ” that Mr. Buckler used, wanting this collection to be looser and feels his collections have become more so over time.

Though his inspiration was taken from Industrialization and stalwart structures in New York, they are paralleled by a refined easiness. Hence, the array of worn-in but well-made garments in washed out green, navy, black, grey white and stripes. Crinkled collared shirts, painted white denim, mixed brass and silver chains and zippers added a gang of grunge. A little gritty, a little graceful, the downtown dinginess derailed to decadent duds.

Logan Neitzel – Spring 2012 Review – Rock & Recluse

Logan Neitzel continues to refine his vision with his “Recluse Collection,” Spring 2012 ready-to-wear. Past collections have mixed leathers, feathers, silks and wools, and the mix of textures continues here with the addition of macramé and burnt-out silk dresses. “Confident, artistic, not afraid to take risks,” that is how Logan describes the women that inspired the Recluse style, and how many would describe the designer himself.

story by Sia-Alika Battle
photos by Aeric Meredith-Goujon
editing assistant Sierra Baskind

Logan Neitzel continues to refine his vision with his “Recluse Collection,” the Spring 2012 ready-to-wear. Past collections have mixed leathers, feathers, silks and wools, and the mix of textures continues with the addition of macramé and burnt-out silk dresses. “Confident, artistic, not afraid to take risks,” that is how Logan describes the women that inspired the Recluse style, and how many would describe the designer himself. Continue reading “Logan Neitzel – Spring 2012 Review – Rock & Recluse”

Nahm – Spring 2012 Review – A Beautiful Day

story by Zimir Hernandez
photos by Aeric Meredith- Goujon

The modest yet romantic silhouettes of Nary Manivong and Ally Hilfiger’s NAHM Spring 2012 collection give a sense of sexy innocence. The presentation displays a palette of diverse moods that one may interpret as a journey of growth. The angelic white dresses embellished with delicate detailing, flowing to purposeful silk prints of a mixture of indigo and ruby, that set the stage for its long and commanding lines, then advancing to a place of enlightenment, baring soft canary print dresses with pops of tangerine, and finally uncovering an impression of wholeness with calm caramel tone basket-woven dresses with exaggerated bows placed at its neck lines. Continue reading “Nahm – Spring 2012 Review – A Beautiful Day”