In Spades

Style... in abundance

Giulietta S/S16

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Anticipation ran high prior to the debut of Giulietta’s S/S16 collection. Held at Pier 59, the front row included notable fashion veterans and mysterious glitterati alike. The collection featured a futuristic blend of athleticism and geometric prints, resulting in a mass of robotic tennis players. Transparent visors and box pleats gave way to a sporty feel, while jeweled necklines and sexy cutouts kept things innovative and fresh.  Giulietta stuck to a blueprint of bold colors, stripes and triangular necklines and it worked.  I especially loved this formula on her jumpsuits, long dresses and high waisted culottes.  The entire collection was totally wearable and will translate perfectly for a fresh, playful springtime wardrobe.

Betsey Johnson S/S16

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Exuberant. Vivacious. Effervescent. Betsey Johnson’s S/S16 collection was FUN. Dedicated to her childhood dance teacher, The Curious Case of Betsey Button celebrated 50 years of Betsey’s career as a fashion designer. 50 years!

The show began, Benjamin Button style, with her most recent work first, featuring her signature bold color palette and voluminous silhouettes. As each mini collection took us back through the decades, Betsey narrated in between each set, evoking the trends of the time with her own unique twist and cheeky commentary. The entire run was like a dance party you never wanted to leave. Her models amped up the already lively show by dancing and twirling down the runway while assuming alter-egos of each decade, from punk, flower child, rocker to tiny dancer. The final nine looks were all inspired by Betsey’s childhood dance costumes, marking the perfect end to a fantastic walk down memory lane.

Ending the show with a parade of balloons and her signature cartwheel into splits, Betsey Johnson truly is a living legend.  Earlier this year she was awarded the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award. I don’t know what’s next for the designer.  Her S/S16 collection was equal parts celebration and bittersweet.  What I do know is that it was truly an honor to be a part of such a monumental collection.  Betsey is a designer that tells a story, invokes a feeling and does it all with her own special dash of theatricality.  I thoroughly enjoyed the show.

Kithe Brewster Collection RTW Fall 2015

To spend an hour with Kithe Brewster is akin to spending an hour at fashion fantasy camp.
A few days after debuting his Fall 2015 RTW line, I met with the designer to talk about his creative process and walk through the collection. Brewster had set up shop at Industry DTLA, a stunning space in downtown Los Angeles that houses a salon, retail boutique and concept studio. In between meetings and fittings with clients, we talked about his 15-year career as a celebrity stylist, his early love of fashion and his incredible ability to “make it work”.
The Fall 2015 collection is Brewster’s sixth season designing and features an impressive array of transformative pieces. Almost every garment can be worn multiple ways – a boyfriend blazer belted and worn in reverse transforms into a minidress, a silk-gazar blouse inverts to form a shawl, a billowing dress made of three “kites” sewn together re-wraps to feature a floor length cape. This level of design is not only ingenious – every stitch, seam and cut is deliberate – but also advantageous for the wearer who can achieve three looks in one piece.
As with most F/W collections, Brewster kept his color palette mostly dark, featuring black and shimmering gold, reminiscent of the New York City skyline where he designs and manufactures. To infuse a dramatic flair, he added pops of vibrant blue and canary yellow using luxurious lambskin and delicate lace. One of my favorites is his yellow lambskin dress shown with a reptilian embossed blue belt. To touch, the leather is so supple it practically melts through your fingers.
The Kithe Brewster Fall 2015 collection is as interesting and multifaceted as the man behind it.
Growing up, Brewster was drawn to vintage pieces rather than contemporary ones. He recollects never wanting to wear the polo shirts his mother bought him and preferring to search for treasures thrifting instead of shopping. This discerning eye would go on to serve him well as a stylist. With an encyclopedic mind for eras, the famed make-up artist Kevyn Aucoin asked him to style 60% of the looks in his book, Face Forward. In it, Brewster transformed Julianne Moore, Celine Dion and Gwyneth Paltrow into icons of decades past. The book would go on to become a best seller and is still considered to be a fashion and beauty bible today.
One of his first celebrity clients was Julianne Moore, during her indie queen days. It was a time before stylists were the phenomenon they are today and the two made a fantastic pair. Prior to the 2000 Oscars in which Moore was nominated for Best Actress, the two travelled to Paris to meet with Karl Lagerfeld, Valentino and Tom Ford. Moore would eventually decide on Chanel, but Brewster recalls the frenzy of meetings and secret fittings that sometimes included disguising the designers to maintain anonymity before the big reveal.
One thing that becomes abundantly clear after spending an afternoon with Brewster is that his relationship to clothing is visceral. Like the great designers of our time, he has an innate understanding of the way a woman’s body moves. Known for his expert draping, I believe the ingenuity and tailoring of his multifunctional pieces will become his signature. They celebrate what it means to be a woman, allowing for a personalized interpretation, ensuring she always stands out from the crowd as an individual.
So what’s next for Kithe Brewster? His line will soon be carried in Atlantis Resorts’ Escape boutiques around the world, and he’s gearing up to show a resort presentation in June and a runway show of his A/W15 couture collection in July. Below are some of my favorite looks from his Fall 2015 RTW collection. For the entire collection, click here.
Photos by Katie Jones

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Donna Karan A/W15

Today marks the end of Fashion Month and how better to celebrate it’s closing than with a review of Donna Karan, a designer whose work embodies the very place where it all began: the City of New York.
Long is the love affair between Donna Karan and New York City. Her A/W15 collection was influenced by the architectural landscape of the city skyline at night – dark colors were illuminated with shimmering metallic accents. Silhouettes were lean with clean, geometric lines. Some looks showed us her mastery of asymmetry, others gave a subtle nod to Asian influence with obi belts and floral brocades.
Karan’s ability to juxtapose masculine and feminine is practically unparalleled. Tuxedo jackets, pinstriped trousers and wing-collared shirts were in harmony with bustiers, sheer paneled skirts and organza evening gowns. This sartorial synchronization epitomizes the Donna Karan woman as strong and independent while also incredibly graceful.
I especially loved the asymmetrical folds in her bustier tops and dresses and the rich auburn leather jacket lined in a lush shearling. Each piece glimmered like a beacon guiding you towards an elegance within reach, completely achieving the balance between otherworldly and functional.
Bright lights, big city glamour.
Below are some of my favorite looks from her A/W15 collection. View the full collection here. 
Photos Courtesy of Donna Karan

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Katty Xiomara A/W15

One of the great challenges surrounding the design of feminine ready-to-wear is the tendency towards ultra girly or frilly. It’s difficult to strike the perfect balance between playful and sophisticated, but Katty Xiomara hit the mark with her A/W15 collection.

Hailing from Portugal, Katty Xiomara was my favorite designer to show at Nolcha Fashion Week. The first thing that caught my eye from her 40+ piece collection was the expert tailoring. Whether it was a ball skirt with a full silhouette or a cocoon coat with angled edges, everything maintained an impressive and cohesive structure. She used a broad spectrum of prints and fabrics that for most would be impossible to marry, but she completely nailed it. Eyelet and silk florals, geometric embossed sheen with crisp cotton, lace overlay on chiffon – the results were spellbinding.

Take a look at the detailed shots below of her beautiful shirt collars and cuffs. The scalloped edging and intricate geometric details are so unique and have become her signature. And those boots! I love both the flat and heeled styles and will definitely be getting my hands on a pair as soon as they’re released. For more inspiration and to keep up with Katty Xiomara’s work, check out her website.

Photos by Matthew Passiglia
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