Ladies Who Lunch: Zang Toi Fall 2013!

Glamour, romance and high fashion all come together in New York designer Zang Toi’s Fall 2013 collection presented at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.

I look forward to Zang Toi’s runway shows with great anticipation, knowing that he always delivers collection’s that are visually stunning with a dramatic flair that is truly captivating.  Zang knows exactly how to draw the audience into his fantasy of fashion with the perfect music, elegant models and a carefully staged pace that proves him a consummate showman.

For Fall 2013, Zang Toi was inspired by a trip to St. Petersburg and his take on Imperial Russia creates that luxurious era and opulence while remaining modern and relevant to today’s customer.

Zang Toi approaches his inspiration with a subtlety that is conveyed through the collection without falling into the trap of becoming costume! 

Zang Toi channeled his Russian inspiration into a Fall 2013 collection that is carefully crafted, elegant and above all, totally Zang Toi!

Video Photography Cassandra Past & Mariana Leung

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Ladies Who Lunch: Delta Air Lines & Single Edition Media!

Good news for JFK travelers going through or as a a final destination, Delta Air Lines will be opening a new state-of-the-art terminal on May 24th.  Delta poured 1.4 billion into creating the new high tech terminal, supplying all of the things that modern travelers need today: lots of electrical outlets for charging our devices, USB ports, free WiFi, luxury lounges and foods for the discerning palate.

In preparation for the launch of Terminal 4, Delta created a pop-up space in Soho at 376 West Broadway.  The T4X space replicates the experience of the new terminal, complete with a baggage claim with boxed lunches, a club lounge where you can unwind and plug in and even a vending machine where you can purchase fun items!  

Charming flight attendant Lisa Cohen, who flies the JFK/LAX route was on hand to demonstrate the vending machine and to talk to us about the new Terminal 4 and everything it had to offer.  Since I do the East Coast/West Coast trip regularly, Ms. Cohen is an excellent spokes person for Delta, convincing me to perhaps change my ways and fly into JFK in my future travels.

Accompanied by Mariana Leung of MsFABulous.com, I attended an event at T4X hosted by Single Edition Media.  Founded and run by Sheri Langburt, Single Edition Media reaches out to Singles and aligns them with companies that would be of interest to them.  With the single population in the US being a major purchasing force, businesses are very interested in tapping their market and Single Edition Media helps them to do that!

For this event, Elizabeth Arden, Completely Bare hair removal specialists, Foot Petals, Blue Print juices, Glo teeth whitening system and fashion great Nanette Lepore set up stations to give information about their products.  Tying in how their products were important to travelers and to the single market, each company gave presentations that gave brand awareness and even enticed me into wanting to try their products.  Over the next few weeks, I will post about each of these companies to let you into their worlds as well!

In the mean time, if you can make it down to Soho, pop in to the Delta T4X Terminal and experience what 21st Century travel should be all about!

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Ladies Who Lunch: Vivienne Tam Fall 2013!

Born in Guangzhou, China and raised in Hong Kong from the age of 3, designer Vivienne Tam takes her inspiration from Chinese culture and design, mixes it with modern western influences, creating collections that are truly East meets West.

Vivienne Tam launched her eponymous label in 1982 and her creativity continues to evolve and engage her clientele each season.  With celebrity fans from Jennifer Love Hewitt and Julia Roberts to Madonna and Britney Spears, it is obvious that Tam’s recognizable style appeals to a broad audience.

 

For Fall 2013, Vivienne Tam took her inspiration from a combination of pop art/culture and punk fashion, resulting in a bold graphic collection.  Tam created prints with references to Obama and even utilized a letter written by Chinese leader Mao Tse Tung.  Sticking to a color palette of mostly black, white and red emphasized the clean lines and bold graphics in the collection. Presenting her collection on Chinese New Year, it was fitting that red was the most important color in the collection, reflected in the lighting and on a red runway as well.

 

But Vivienne Tam wants her collection to be more than just beautiful fashion.  Using images of Obama and the writings of Mao are also meant to start a dialogue with the public, commenting on our present day cultures. 
  

As part of that dialogue, Vivienne Tam partnered with Save Love Give.  Save Love Give is an organization that allows you to analyze your phone use, find out the amount of money that you are wasting on unused texts, minutes and data.  Once you implement their recommendations for cutting your waste, you can pledge some or all of your savings to philanthropic projects, donating to your favorite charities!

Vivienne Tam’s Fall 2013 Collection does exactly what the designer intended, sparking dialogue and creating awareness.  To be able to do that within a collection that is wearable and chic, proves that Vivienne Tam is still a powerhouse to reckon with!

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Ladies Who Lunch: epic Animated Costume Design!

When I think of animated films, I don’t usually think of them in regard to fashion.  However, when you think about it, even animated characters require costumes to aid in conveying who they are as characters.  In most instances, the costume design for animated characters is quite simple.  But in others, the costume design can be quite integral to the make up of the whole film.  In the upcoming animated film epic, from 20th Century Fox, the costume design is integral to the entire make up of the film.  In preparation for the release of the film, Michael Knapp, art director of epic spoke about the complexity of designing the costumes for the characters.

The story centers around a teenage girl who is magically transported into the lilliputian world of the forest floor, where a battle between the forces of good and evil takes place to keep the natural world alive.  Mr. Knapp explained that in creating the costumes, they had to change their perspective to that of how the tiny characters would view their world.

The epic costumes take their inspiration from all of the elements of nature surrounding them, from the plants and flowers, to patterns on the wings of moths and butterflies.  According to Mr. Knapp, this was the most complex attention to costume he had ever worked on for an animated film, with minute details becoming of the utmost importance.

One of the most complex designs in the film is for the Queen Tara character, played by Beyoncé Knowles.  in the animation process, they had to test and retest to make sure that in the finished film that the gown would flow naturally.  No mean feat, considering the multitude of layers that comprise the gown.

Since the film has such an emphasis on costume, New York designer Chris Benz presented his epic inspired gown.  Part of his Spring 2013 Collection, the gown is inspired by elements in nature such as the color green and the textured feel of the fabric!  Mr. Benz spoke about how he was inspired by nature and how he translated that inspiration into the gown.

I’m not usually a big fan of animated films, but with the emphasis on costume in epic, I will definitely be going to see this one!

epic will be in theaters May 24, 2013

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Ladies Who Lunch: Q by Pasquale Fall 2013!

As we welcome a gorgeous Spring and an exciting Summer,  it is only a few short months until Fall Fashions will once again be beckoning us!  During Shoe Week in NY, we popped by a showroom perched high above Fifth Avenue to get a sneak peek at Q by Pasquale Fall 2013, a shoe line that has become one of our top faves for style, glamour and artistry.

Raised in a family with a rich heritage in shoemaking, Pasquale Fabrizio is at the helm of the family run business that has been expertly crafting shoes for over 50 years.  The Fabrizio family gained a world wide reputation by making made-to-measure shoes for the stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood like Cary Grant, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra to name just a few.

With a passion for his craft and for the shoes that he creates, Pasquale Fabrizio launched his own line of ready to wear shoes, Q by Pasquale.  The 100% Italian made shoes combine old-fashioned craftsmanship with todays cutting edge technology to produce a line of shoes that are not just beautiful shoes, but wearable pieces of art!

So check out Q by Pasquale Fall 2013 for the IT shoes you MUST have!

Video Photography by Cassandra Past

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Ladies Who Lunch: Homo Consommatus Spring 2013!

Russian fashion designer’s are not very well known in the USA, but that is something that the stylish Depesha, a bilingual Russian English lifestyle magazine would like to change!  

At New York Fashion Week last September, Depesha presented the Spring 2013 women’s wear collection Homo Consommatus by St. Petersburg designer Alexey Sorokin, one of Russia’s most innovative designers.

A graduate of the Saint Petersburg State Art and Industry Academy, Alexey Sorokin is the youngest Russian Designer to do a solo show in New York and one of the very few to present during New York Fashion Week.  

Homo Consommatus, latin for “consuming person” was created by Sorokin in 2008 and the young designer has been steadily honing his craft and gaining attention in Russia.

Sorokin’s highly conceptual collections have pushed him to the forefront of design in Russia and the time is now right for his artistry to take its place on a global stage!

Video Photography by Cassandra Past

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Ladies Who Lunch: Katie Gallagher Spring 2013!

We spoke to Katie Gallagher after her Spring 2013 presentation at the Standard Hotel to find out more about her newest collection!

Hailing from Western Pennsylvania, New York designer Katie Gallagher began her design career at the Rhode Island School of Design, and interned with Anna Sui and threeASFOUR during her school years.  By her Senior year, she had already captured the attention of fashion magazines like Interview and Vogue Italia and from boutiques in New York and Hong Kong.

Launching her own line with a well received Spring/Summer Collection for 2010, Katie Gallagher has not only continued to evolve as a designer, but has also continues to inspire fashion magazine editors and stylists for the likes of Daphne Guinness and Lady GaGa.

  

Video Photography by Natalie Kaufler

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