In Spades

Style... in abundance

Fashion Friday

NYFW wrapped this week.  This is the second season of fashion month amidst a pandemic and the majority of shows were digital or sans guests.

Some designers sat out entirely, begging the question of whether fashion week as we know it will ever return.

Personally, I don’t see myself returning to the shows until 2022.  And I do think they will look a lot different then.  The core system will always remain, but I think more and more designers will do their own thing on their own calendar.

Let’s jump into my favorites from NYFW Fall/Winter 2021.

3.1 Phillip Lim

3.1 Phillip Lim F/W21 3.1 Phillip Lim F/W21 3.1 Phillip Lim F/W21

This was my favorite RTW collection of NYFW.  Each look stands strong on its own, but when you look at the collection in its entirety, you immediately recognize how strong it is.

The colors, the silhouettes, the prints, the styling, the SHOES.  I loved it all.

Aknvas

Aknvas F/W 21 Aknvas F/W 21 Aknvas F/W 21Aknvas is a new line from Danish designer Christian Juul Nielsen (who also designs Herve Leger).

I always judge a collection by a “take my money” meter and after seeing this, it was off the charts.  The colors, the bralette detail, the layering.  I.  WANT.  IT.  ALL.

Veronica Beard

Veronica Beard F/W 21

The advanced contemporary designers were really strong this season.  I adored every piece of Veronica Beard’s collection.  It was practical and versatile while also giving me enough of an elevated feel to be excited about getting dressed post-quarantine.

The entire collection is available for pre-order here.

Staud

Staud F/W 21 Staud F/W 21 Staud F/W 21Staud was another favorite.  These leather pieces and colors!  And talk about a smoking LBD.

Victor Li

Victor Li F/W 21 Victor Li F/W 21

Victor Li is a menswear and womenswear designer and I loved his take on suiting and denim.  Several of his looks contained original sketches on fabric.  Finishing most looks with cowboy boots sealed the deal for me.

What were your favorite NYFW collections?

Images via IMAXTREE

Fashion Friday

NYFW Then and Now

It’s pretty crazy to think another NYFW is around the corner.

This year, of course, will be MUCH different.

I haven’t attended NYFW since September 2019.  For someone who never missed a season in 5 years – even while extremely pregnant or with a newborn – I feel like the tides have finally turned.

NYFW SS19 OOTD The Vampire's Wife

Before the pandemic, my goal for this year was to skip NYFW and attend Copenhagen fashion week.  I adore Scandi style.

Even though I live and die for NY and all it has to offer by way of fashion, it was starting to feel a bit “been there, done that.”  I craved something new.  That newness will have to wait another year.  In the meantime, let’s talk about what the heck is actually going to happen with NYFW in September.

NYFW SS20 OOTD 1 The Vampire's Wife

NYFW S/S 2021

The typical 7-day schedule has been whittled down to 3 days.  But here’s the kicker.  Not ONE runway show is confirmed.  Every major brand has pulled out and those that will show have yet to lock in their plan.  Fashion week is always chaos, but this?  I’ll be watching through tightly closed eyes (with a quick peek).

Conversely, Milan has 28 confirmed runway shows.  Including Fendi and Prada!

Jacquemus coat & No 21 Motel Skirt

The Future of the Fashion Show

This is a long debated question with no clear answer.  Boston Consulting Group dubbed the fashion calendar broken almost 4 years ago.  While we saw designers experiment with see-now-buy-now collections, on the whole, the model didn’t change much.

Will this finally be the turning of the tides?  The minimum cost to host a runway show is $200,000.  The big shows cost upwards of $1 million.  All of that fanfare for clothes that won’t be available for 6 months after you see them on the runway?  No wonder experts think it’s broken.

Ih Nom Uh Nit Stranger Things t-shirt

Moving forward I see a huge emphasis placed on pre-orders.  I see smart brands engaging their customers even more to outline their strategies.  I see conversations, open-dialogue, performance art and intimate gatherings in place of the large-scale show.

Fashion conglomerate brands will always have the money to host what we know as “the norm.”  And I think they’ll stick to that model for the foreseeable future.  Afterall, they can afford to stage a multi-million dollar runway show that will leave people talking for seasons to come.

But for the indie designers, the industry disruptors, I predict a new revolution.

Time will tell.  T-minus 3 weeks.

Fashion Friday

My First NYFWToday’s Fashion Friday begins on a sad note.  I had to cancel my trip to NYFW.

While I’m very happy with my decision to stay home (I have a sick baby that needs caring for), I am really bummed that I will be missing my favorite time of year.

I’ve been attending NYFW every season (February and September) for the past 6 years.  The ritual has not only become something that I cherish, but it’s a part of my vernacular.  It’s in my DNA.  It’s what I do.  So to not have it, is well… sad.

Last year I wrote a post about how NYFW has changed over the years.  You can read it here.  While the fanfare and peacocking has evolved, the core message of the week has remained.  It’s about the clothes.  It’s about the creative expression of visual geniuses.  I just LOVE it.

I’ve said before that NYFW is a lot like summer camp.  You see the same friends, do the same traditions and make new, everlasting memories.  There’s a camaraderie and bond that is unparalleled.  THAT is what I will miss the most.  Experiencing beautiful chaos with my peers and digesting it together.

Not to worry.  I will still recap the shows.  It will just be from my couch.

I’ll still share what inspires me, confuses me and what street style makes my eyes light up.

I’ll still shoot and share all of my NYFW looks, even though they contain heavy winter coats.  Putting my outfits together for NYFW brings me so much joy.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Here are some of my favorite NYFW recaps from the last 6 years.

My first NYFW
The first NYFW designer I interviewed
The biggest show to date
NYFW Video Diary
Attending NYFW pregnant & the day the stars aligned
The first time my baby attended NYFW
The NYFW outfit that landed me in multiple magazines
Attending NYFW during 9/11
My fave NYFW outfit & the day I met Aimee Song

What was your favorite NYFW moment from over the years?

As always, thanks for following along!

 

NYFW F/W18 Day 1

Day 1 of NYFW is always the busiest.  It’s as if the fashion gods know they need to start strong, because the cyclone of creativity that’s about to unfold cannot be contained once it gets going.

In other words, release the hounds.

Last February I acquired my first Jacquemus pieces and this year I knew it was time to pad my collection.  This stunning black coat has a romantic 1940s vibe.  I knew it needed dramatic accessories, so a velvet turban headband and extreme cat eye sunglasses did the trick.

If there’s any way I can describe how much I love Jacquemus, I’ll simply leave you with a quote about his FW17 collection of which this coat is comprised.

“It was about this Parisian girl who wears couture who falls in love with a gypsy in the south of France. She tries to be like a gypsy, but she cannot—she is too couture!”  If I can somehow be a part of that world, you know I’m all over it!

NYFW FW18 OOTD Day 1NYFW FW18 OOTD Day 1

Shop the Post

Noon by Noor

As in seasons past, our first show of the day was Noon by Noor.  Known for balancing softness and strength, the FW18 collection featured oversized coats and wide shoulders paired with feminine silhouettes like pencil skirts and sleek day dresses.  I adored the use of faux fur sleeves and pleated silk peeking out the bottom of tight skirts like petticoats.

Inspired by the starry nights of Bahrain, celestial patterns were found on closing looks, while “to the moon and back” was embroidered in Arabic on peekaboo sleeves and knitwear.

Color was used in unexpected ways for fall.  While the palette was grounded in black and navy, atomic yellow and hot pink were potent through-lines.  This made for a refreshing take on what is normally a “dark” season.

While I had yet to realize it at the time, this would mark a trend throughout the rest of the week, making FW18 the most fluid of seasons I’ve seen in the past five years.

Get ready world, fashion is serving up season-less collections.  And hard.

FW18 Noon by Noor FW18 Noon by NoorFW18 Noon by NoorFW18 Noon by NoorFW18 Noon by NoorFW18 Noon by Noor

Collina Strada

It was my first time attending Collina Strada, the New York label helmed by designer Hillary Taymour.  Going in, I knew to expect dramatic statements, and sure enough, we were treated to part performance art, part fashion.

Amidst the #TimesUp and #MeToo movement, Taymour wanted to express notions of love.  Not romantic or brotherly love, but the love of oneself.  Expressing the importance of feeling safe to be who you are, she staged a wedding.  There was no groom.  The bride married her higher self.

As models of all ages, shapes and sizes descended the runway, we saw reminders of strength.  “Within Us” and “Self Value” were written, front and center, on models’ faces.

The collection used classic prints and fabrics – crushed velvet, deadstock leopard print – in modern ways.  Organza capes, gloves and overlays were used in several looks with beautiful, dreamy effect.  Every well-rounded collection needs juxtaposition, and an influx of edge was present too.  Nipple piercings on mini dresses and see-through bodysuits drove home the message of ‘love me for me’.

Bunny Michael closed the ceremony with a spoken word poem before the bride said her vows.

Once again, NYFW served up the unexpected, with its beautifully chaotic, creative expression.

FW18 Collina StradaFW18 Collina StradaFW18 Collina StradaFW18 Collina StradaFW18 Collina StradaFW18 Collina StradaFW18 Collina Strada

PH5

From the peek of modernity, to retro cool we went.

PH5 takes its name from the pH scale.  Measured from 0 to 14, the 5 represents almost middle of the road neutral, with a slight lean towards femininity.  Known for their expert knitwear, they served up pastel stripes with scalloped edging, glorious sock boots and hi-lo hem and necklines that were sexy without being overt.

Staged in the Samsung gallery space, the retro cat eye sunglasses, bad ass gloves and tight bang curls were oh-so-fun.  I was thrilled to see the exact earring I wore to NYFW in September used in the styling of PH5’s show.

FW18 PH5FW18 PH5FW18 PH5FW18 PH5FW18 PH5FW18 PH5

Tadashi Shoji

When it comes to NYFW, it’s a fabulous feeling to know that you have mainstays.  Those shows you can count on to deliver the goods, while making you feel right at home.

For me, Tadashi is one of those designers.  Give the man a swath of fabric and he can drape a gown with his eyes closed.

While I know what to expect – extreme glamour – I enjoy walking into his shows slightly unhinged: not knowing what he’ll throw at us in terms of color, styling or inspiration.

Like his counterparts, Tadashi was also inspired by the #TimesUp and #MeToo movement and served up a bold collection featuring more black statement pieces than I’ve seen in 5 years of attending his shows.  Some were lingerie inspired, with lace bodices and nightgown-esque silhouettes, while others evoked elegant masculinity.  His lace tuxedo jumpsuit and sequins power suit took no prisoners.

The FW18 Tadashi woman wears what she wants and dresses for no one else other than the reflection looking back at her in the mirror.

FW18 Tadashi ShojiFW18 Tadashi Shoji FW18 Tadashi Shoji FW18 Tadashi Shoji FW18 Tadashi ShojiFW18 Tadashi Shoji

Pamella Roland

In seasons past, I’ve always missed the Pamella Roland show due to scheduling, so I was thrilled to be able to attend this year.

Or so I thought.

NYFW shows start notoriously late (at least 30min), so when I had to get from Tadashi’s 3pm show in Soho to Roland’s 4pm show in Chelsea I thought we’d be fine.

After checking in with PR and racing up the stairs of Pier 59 in my 4 inch stilettos and growing baby bump, I made it to the entrance only to have the curtain close right in front of me.  It was 4:14pm.

No (fashion) soup for you.

As a theatre kid, I know how rude it is to enter the performance space once the show has begun, so I completely understand what happened.  Was I bummed?  Of course.  But luckily I got to witness the models take the catwalk from backstage.

Check out my Insta Story Highlight of NYFW for the full scoop.

After running like a little Tasmanian devil in heels all day with nothing to eat, we promptly nabbed an egregious amount of food at one of my fave restaurants, The Dutch.  Belly full of fried chicken, I met my girls Cathy and Dawn for dessert to recap the happenings of the day.

Stay tuned for NYFW FW18 Day 2 on the blog tomorrow!

Photos by Matthew Passiglia

NYFW S/S18 Video Diary

A couple weeks ago I shared my NYFW experience by recapping Days 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. While I love photos and text recaps, sometimes there’s nothing better than seeing the action with your own eyes. Check out my video diary of our time dashing through the streets of New York for the S/S18 shows!