In Spades

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

Attending the Tommy Hilfiger A/W15 runway show was nothing short of magical. Held at the Park Avenue Armory, a sprawling 4-acre gothic revival building opened in 1880, the collection was an American love story inspired by Ali MacGraw. Using silhouettes from the late 60’s and early 70’s, the looks featured American sportswear infused with a vibrant game day spirit.

Only the most gifted artists invoke this feeling, and I experienced it during Parkchoonmoo A/W15.

Demi Park was inspired by the impermanence of life and objects while creating this collection. She took us on a journey of dissolution to renewal, using a variance of fabrics like foil-printed wool, alpaca fur, mohair and felt that were constantly interchanged to give way to new patterns and lines. Her pieces are shape-shifters; as the wearer moves the silhouette transforms and becomes undefined taking on a life of its own.

Park is a designer that operates in a monochromatic spectrum. Both her S/S15 and A/W15 collections barely deviated from two tones – black and white – the only “pop” being beige or camel. I find this especially impressive because she is able to create so much out of seemingly so little. A master of mixing textures and creating multiple layers, it’s the small details that I relish. The way a sleeve starts as a chunky wool blend and then continues as silk chiffon in the last few inches. The peekaboo draping of her cowl necklines and the pairing of culottes with over-the-knee knit boots. The styling options are limitless and evoke a sense of freedom in the wearer. It’s completely appropriate that the A/W15 collection is named “un-bound”.

Now that the runway show is over, I’m left with just the film we captured. While editing, I just wanted to sit with each image. The unbound feeling of the collection is still very much alive.

Photos by Matthew Passiglia

New York Fashion Week was very busy for Leanne Marshall. The winner of Project Runway Season 5 showed not once, but twice – at Lincoln Center and as part of Fashion Gallery New York Fashion Week. I had the pleasure of catching her ready-to-wear presentation at the latter, which featured pops of orange and lavender amid a sea of elegantly draped black gowns.

Known for her bridal line, Marshall utilizes an ethereal approach to design, which often translates into diaphanous garments with beautiful fluidity – she is an expert at creating clothing that knows how to move. I found myself picturing her models walking down the runway in slow motion. From capes to high waisted trousers, her pieces celebrate femininity and I love that she chose to use bold colors and plaid in this special presentation. It was a wonderful compliment to her A/W15 collection at Lincoln Center, inspired by the film L’histoire d’Adèle H. To view her Mercedes Benz Fashion Week presentation, click here.

Every now and then you come across a designer that is doing something so incredibly different you can’t help but to stare, swooning in wonder and amazement. Laurel DeWitt is one such designer. A master manipulator of metal, she hand crocheted 17 looks for her A/W15 runway show. Each piece was just as stunning as the next, from the golden flowers made of layered metal leaflets cascading down a jacket, to the chain linked fringe that glimmered on dresses, skirts, tops and shorts, to a slinky 70’s hood dress and floor length coat. This is a designer that understands drama.

Every aspect of the production exemplified her talent not only as a designer, but as an artist, sculptor and appreciator of intricately constructed apparel. Her models walked so slowly, the crowd held their collective breath between each step. The gold and silver makeup elevated mere mortals into Greek muses and Roman Gods. Amber Rose made an appearance. Even the venue, Church of the Holy Apostles, solidified the collection’s essence as otherworldly.

At the end of every runway show, I pause to reflect on what I’m feeling mentally and emotionally. What I took away from Laurel DeWitt’s collection was a righteous elegance beholden to an ancient demagogue. Like being shrouded in metal, I felt empowered and protected, ready to face the icy New York City climate that was ready to confront me the moment I stepped outside the door.