And it's paisley. Thom Browne used the design for a head-to-toe look (left), John Varvatos showed both a suit jacket and trousers (center) with it, and Marc by Marc Jacobs put it on sneakers, cummerbunds, and even a hoodie (right). Country singer Brad Paisley, however, has yet to make a fashion week appearance.
A daily collection of snapshots from fashion week's occasionally enjoyable evening obligations
Pictured: Zac Posen and Sean Combs at the after-party for Posen's Spring collection.
The thick black frames that have made every LES and Echo Park hipster look as sage as Kissinger? Their days may be numbered. Translucent plastic was one of the materials of choice for spring eyewear, opening the show at John Bartlett with Selima Optique (right), turning up at Marc by Marc Jacobs (center), and appearing in a slight champagne tint at 3.1 Phillip Lim (left). The message? Lighten up. And given the mood of many of the week's presentations (scuba vacations, anyone?), we heard it loud and, well, clear.
An ongoing series of posts celebrating those magical moments when a young man puts on a designer look and models the shit out of it.
A daily collection of snapshots from fashion week's occasionally enjoyable evening obligations
Pictured: Visionaire founder Stephen Gan with photographer Inez Van Lamsweerde at the Mini Rooftop to celebrate V magazine.
The cummerbund was used to dress up some decidedly nonformal looks in this week's runway shows. Diesel, for instance, paired it with a V-neck tee and slouchy pants (left), while Phillip Lim offered a bedazzled version alongside a (for lack of a better word) blouse (center). More palatable was the cream one in Shipley and Halmos' presentation (right)—look for it, perhaps, at hipster weddings next spring.
Obviously, zippers never really go away, but evidently some labels still can't get enough. Namely, Rag & Bone (who put them on the outside of a pair of trousers, left), Michael Kors (who put diagonal and horizontal versions on the breast and hip pockets of a jacket, center), and Diesel Black Gold (who used them as pinstripes on a bomber, right). Interesting, if potentially embarrassing: After all, no one wants to leave their right knee's fly open.
Memo to Brooklyn hipsters MGMT: We're ready for a break. It's not you, guys, it's us—or rather, them (the fashion brass that has its iPod dials stuck firmly on "Time to Pretend"). The band that was on-trend has become near inescapable in the style world: Their songs were used in two women's shows last February, and lately have appeared on soundtracks everywhere from the men's runways to the after-parties. Below, a list of where we've heard them recently:
- 3.1 Phillip Lim S/S 2009
- Prps S/S 2009
- Dazed & Confused NYFW S/S 2009 party
- Gucci F/W 2008
- Orthodox F/W 2008
- Karl Lagerfeld F/W 2008 (women's)
- Peter Som F/W 2008 (women's)
Wasn't there some promise to move to Paris? No time like the present—after all, we'll probably be seeing you out there for the next round of men's shows in January.
As you might expect, plaid, stripes, and gingham dominated the spring collections. But the polka dot experienced a bit of a comeback, too—we, er, spotted a few versions, including a shirt from Michael Kors (left), a bag from 3.1 Phillip Lim (center), and denim from Henry Holland and Levi's (right). One bit of advice: Do not attempt to sport all three at once.
An ongoing series of posts celebrating those magical moments when a young man puts on a designer look and models the shit out of it.
The designer's latest collection was (to be reductive) another reflection on, as Tim Blanks put it, male powerlessness. So it's strange that our favorite item was that old phallic symbol of masculine virility: the necktie, particularly the versions in either thick stripes or plaid (each in a boisterous red, white, and blue). Guaranteed to match your (very optional) tutu.
Our favorite aspect of last night's opening party for Y-3's new Soho store? The Sigg water bottles emblazoned with cartoons of designer Yohji Yamamoto. (They're new for fall.) We love the design (if not the price), and so it's no wonder a line developed when Y-3 staffers started giving them out for free. The only downside? They weren't filled with Olde English, but that wouldn't have been brand-appropriate anyhow.
$90, available at y-3store.com
On the feet of Max Minghella and Charles Hamilton during Band of Outsiders' spring presentation: the latest iteration of Scott Sternberg's collaboration with Sperry Top-Sider. While the all-rubber version debuted on Valet, here we present the first shots of the shoes in all-Velcro (above) and with a safety pin (below). Look for them (alongside the entire Glenn O'Brien-inspired collection) next spring.
A daily collection of snapshots from fashion week's occasionally enjoyable evening obligations
Pictured: Kanye West with Dsquared²'s Dan and Dean Caten at the Fallen Shadows party at Prada.
Marc by Marc Jacobs' Spring show was an essay in casual cool, so it was surprising to see that the shades ambling down the runways were of a slightly fussier disposition. But the round frames were a welcome complement to the unstructured ease of the rest of the collection (which, as Tim Blanks notes, extended even to the hats). The goggle-eyed look—which even turned a pair of aviators into something unexpected—refreshed last spring's Hockney fix with a dose of Cobain. (All these years after turning Perry Ellis grunge, Seattle's still on Marc's mind.) They'll be available this spring, though presumably not in heart-shaped boxes.
Because fashion shows have more to look at than the clothes, here we present to you our seasonal tribute to the lovely young women charged with herding unruly editors into their seats.
Pictured: Emily Bungert at Alexandre Herchcovitch.
An ongoing series of posts celebrating those magical moments when a young man puts on a designer look and models the shit out of it.
A daily collection of snapshots from fashion week's occasionally enjoyable evening obligations
Rag & Bone's David Neville and Marcus Wainwright at the Vogue party for Maria Sharapova and Cole Haan at the Gramercy Park Hotel.
Maria Cornejo is a womenswear designer, of course, but for her 10th anniversary collection, she sent two menswear looks down the runway—not the biggest stretch, since she's known for playing with dualities (among them: gender). The looks were comprised of hooded anoraks paired with soft-knit V-neck shirts and cotton pants (pictured), and could just as easily have been modeled by women, although the inverse sadly wasn't true. Still, the flowing hood-cum-lapel of the Mac coat and gauzy knits had the same energy that's given Zero Maria Cornejo such a rabid following among her female customers. We're not foaming at the mouth quite yet, but these two certainly whetted our appetites.
Given the athletic theme underscoring many of Spring's shows, Tim Hamilton's collection felt totally of the moment: At once mannered and aggressive, the point of reference seemed to be Weimar-era schoolboys, ready to break into their requisite calisthenics. Leave it to Hamilton to go a step further and complement the look with beautiful, sporty duffel bags. You'll want to keep your sweaty shorts elsewhere: These bags, made for Hamilton in Italy, are of distressed suede. Inspiration, like exercise, is best taken lightly.
Well, if this fashion thing doesn't work out—though we think it will—Sam Shipley can always fall back on music. He's recorded an album on his laptop (under the nom de rock The Quiet Woman; that's the cover, pictured), and used some of the tunes for last week's Shipley & Halmos show. We found ourselves tapping along to the songs' lo-fi, T. Rex/Spoon vibe, particularly "Sweet Little Lady," a rollicking love stomp with hand claps and lyrics like "We ain't getting any younger/so let's rub a little longer." Download it, and the Bowie-esque "Finding a Second Stop," below.
-"Sweet Little Lady"
-"Finding a Second Stop"
After his show last night, Marc Jacobs told Style.com's Nicole Phelps that "it's about the joy of dressing up." Seems he took that message to heart: He wore, well, a skirt. Another instance of shamelessness? Or just one more example of the designer being right on trend?
While the dude in a skimpy bathing suit taking a shower was an, um, interesting visual, we were far more interested in the sunglasses at Michael Bastian's presentation last night. So we asked his rep, Eugenia Gonzalez, where she got them: "From the street for five dollars," she told us. Nice—considerably lower than MB's usual price point, and disposable enough for his "sexy lifeguard" collection's ideal setting: the beach.
An ongoing series of posts celebrating those magical moments when a young man puts on a designer look and models the shit out of it.
Let's face it: When it comes to beachwear, guys don't have a wealth of options. But for Spring/Summer '09, a slew of New York runways have featured loose-knit beach sweaters, including those from (left to right) Obedient Sons, John Bartlett, and Shipley & Halmos. Consider them a stylish, breathable alternative to the T-shirt, but don't expect them to do much for your tan.
A daily collection of snapshots from fashion week's occasionally enjoyable evening obligations
Pictured: Waris Ahluwalia at the party to celebrate the fall/winter issue of Purple magazine.
In Spring '09, expect your outerwear to be black and white, and striped all over—vertically (as seen in Robert Geller, left), diagonally (Patrik Ervell, center), or a combo of diagonally and horizontally (Tim Hamilton, right). Not into black? Try a pale blue stripe from Shipley and Halmos (below left), Ervell again (center), or Band of Outsiders (right).
The clothes were sweetness and light at Patrik Ervell yesterday, and so, appropriately enough, was the soundtrack, a collection of songs by New York's Violens (whom we previewed here). Sunny, Beach Boys-style melodies accompanied the show, but Ervell wouldn't be Ervell if he let us off without a hint of something a little darker—which, sneakily enough, was hidden in the album versions of the songs that were gifted to attendees. The models marched to specially commissioned instrumentals, but the missing lyrics—like "Laughing out loud as you run for your life/ I may be laughing too, but baby/Baby, not if I were you"—paint a different picture. (Way to twist the knife, Patrik.) There's one way to make an indispensable loot bag.
Violens' tracks from the show (with vocals) are available for free download at cantorarecords.com/patrikervell
Separating the men from the boys is one thing; how about the boys from the girls? With the man-dresses sent down the catwalk by Y-3 (left), Duckie Brown (middle), and John Bartlett (right), it wasn't quite as easy as usual. And while we appreciate the styling advice, it ain't convincing: Pair it with a sporty cap and track pants all you want, Yohji, but you won't catch us in that cap-sleeved tulle number at the gym any time soon.
An ongoing series of posts celebrating those magical moments when a young man puts on a designer look and models the shit out of it.
