Ladies Who Lunch: Toni Francesc Fall 2011

Toni Francesc, a designer from Spain, presented his collection for the fourth season at New York’s Fashion Week.  Mr. Francesc, a native of Barcelona, grew up surrounded by fashion where his mother was a dressmaker.  After studying design at Instituto de la Moda in Barcelona, he began working in the family business.  His devotion to family is still evident, with his wife, child and mother accompanying him backstage for his shows.

In 1992, he created his own label, which he now presents first in New York and then in Mexico City.  His collections are derived from very personal and sometimes abstract inspirations, like his previous collections “Feelings” or “Water’s Mood”.  Possessing a European sophistication, Mr. Francesc’s collections stand out amid the mostly American Sportswear collections shown in New York.

For Fall 2011, Toni Francesc takes his inspiration from GARUDÀ, an eagle-sized bird with red plumage that burns in its own flames every 500 years only to rise again from its ashes: the Phoenix.  Mr. Francesc interprets that inspiration into fashion with shimmering silks in flame-like reds, oranges and golds.   Balancing his focus on Fire, the collection mixes in wools in grays and blacks, representing the ashes that the Phoenix rises from.  Silhouettes are a mix of sleek body conscious shapes combined with plays on volume and Mr. Francesc manages to achieve a look of simplicity that belies the complicated drapes and attention to cut.

A departure from Toni Francesc’s usually sobre color palette, GARUDÀ is a collection that brings the designer to a personal new level.

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Ladies Who Lunch: Josie Natori Fall 2011

Josie Natori, the wall street mogul turned fashion designer, is best known for her lingerie and loungewear designs.  But don’t let that fool you.  Ms. Natori also designs a ready-to-wear line that stands with the best of them.

For her Fall 2011 collection, Ms. Natori drew her inspiration from “the art of the Geisha and the spirit of the Samurai”.  In the spirit of the inspiration, the collection was presented in the Josie Natori Corporate offices as a Japanese Tea Ceremony theme, with tea, spring rolls and sushi being served.

The Geisha/Samurai inspiration takes form in a collection that blends Western style with an Eastern sensibility.  Silhouettes had an emphasis on drape, exploring the flow of fabric on the body, producing chic yet easy to wear garments.  As a designer also of lingerie, Ms. Natori’s intimate knowledge of the body is apparent in how the garments work with the female body.  Rusching, gathering, kimono sleeves, and soft folds are all part of this exploration of drape, with very zen earth tone colors of browns, beiges, moss greens and ochres highlighted with intense red and deep blue.

Abstract prints with a very earthy quality infuse the collection with a luxurious depth, as do textured knits and subtle beadwork.  All of the textures, beading and prints flow together with ease, one element not distracting from another, but complimenting each other for an almost Feng Shui of dressing.  Outfits were accessorised with belts. bracelets and jewelry of hammered metal in a nod to the armour details of the Samurai.

Admittedly, I too have mostly thought of Josie Natori as a lingerie designer.  After this collection, I will not make that mistake again.

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Ladies Who Lunch: Sergio Davila Fall 2011

For Fall 2011, Sergio Davila presented a combined men’s and women’s wear collection at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.  Taking his inspiration from “the style of the Two Americas”, Mr. Davila, a native of Peru, combines his South American heritage with his life experience designing and working in North America.

The winner of Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Award for Best Menswear Designer 2009, Sergio Davila ventured into women’s wear in his Spring 2010 collection.  Mr. Davila utilizes fabrics from Peru, including wool flannel, camel, pima cotton and alpaca, with an emphasis on natural textiles.

The Fall 2011 collection is a line of sophisticated sportswear shown in a color palette of earthy tones of browns, greys, black and white with touches of warm color such as purple and red.  Sergio Davila has created a line that hits the mark for wearable garments that  posses an international chic style.

Photos & Video by Ritika Wahal and Mdivani Monroe

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Ladies Who Lunch: Marchesa Fall 2011

Every New York Fashion Week, I attend as many shows as humanly possible.  Some designers are past favorites and some are designers new to me.  In all of these cases, I am looking for designs that will excite me and in turn be able to share that excitement with you.  Sometimes the shows are good, sometimes forgettable and sometimes they are true revelations.

One label I seek out season after season is Marchesa.  It is hands down THE show that I look forward to every season.  I wrote to them requesting an invite for their presentation, despite not knowing if and when it would occur.  I did not hear back from them and several of my colleagues told me that they didn’t think they were showing this time around.  Then almost last minute, I learned that the presentation WAS taking place at the same venue in Chelsea as last season.  Needless to say, I high tailed it down there on the afternoon of the event, determined not to miss it.  I was relieved to find that my advance request had landed me on the guest list. Lucky me!

Once inside, I was greeted by a collection that was everything I had hoped it would be.  The level at which they consistently produce amazes me and has my utmost respect.  I wandered through the presentation awestruck, my head buzzing with a sensory overload of beauty.  In describing the outfits, I struggle in calling them “gowns” or “dresses”, as these are so much more than that.  Each one is a divine piece of art, taking fashion to it’s highest level and creating wearable masterpieces.  This is truly Haute Couture.

For Fall 2011, designer’s Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig took their inspiration from Charles Dickens Great Expectations, imbuing the collection with a Dickensian Era romanticism.  Miss Havisham’s wedding gown played a key role, with yards and yards of lace evident throughout the collection.  Except that not all of it is really lace.  The designers created their own “lace” by applying embroidery and beading onto tulle for a visually stunning effect.  Crystals, jet beads, pearls and metallic threads give this handcrafted lace a stunning richness.

Fine silks, velvet, organza, tulle, feathers and reembroidered lace create a richness that is further emphasized by meticulous draping.  Fabric is painstakingly draped to create 3-Dimensional forms and floral motifs which wrap around the body.  The skilled drape and imaginative construction of each piece is a testament to true artistry and craftsmanship.

I wouldn’t say that Marchesa tops itself each season, because that would imply that the previous collection was somehow less spectacular than the current collection.  Rather, it is more accurate to say that they continue to produce collections that inspire wonderment and awe, each collection equally brilliant.  I hesitatingly pulled myself away and strolled out onto 22nd Street in the dreamy state of a somnambulist, not wanting to awake from the beauty that had surrounded me.  Marchesa had done it again!


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Ladies Who Lunch: Byron Lars Beauty Mark Fall 2011

Many years ago, more than I would like to admit to, I was fortunate enough to nab an internship with designer Byron Lars.  Presenting collections that were creative, fun, feminine and technically challenging, he had been at the top of my list of designers I wanted to intern with.

While interning with Mr. Lars, I totally immersed myself in the patterns and drapes, trying to learn as much as I could from them.  His influence is probably one of the reasons that I have always been a very technically minded designer, wanting to know personally how to make those paper sketches into reality and to push the boundaries of drape and construction. 

Not always a glamorous job, I spent a week and a half during July in a sweatshop with no air conditioning, sizing zippers for a jacket shipment, when it was discovered that the zipper manufacturer had shipped them unsized.  For years afterward, I would find zipper teeth in my apartment, as they had become trapped in my clothing and transported home! Even with zippergate,I wouldn't have traded that internship experience for the world.

Life and jobs carried me off in different directions and after a few years, Byron Lars stopped presenting full collections and I kind of lost track of him other than to admire his yearly Byron Lars Barbie creation.  So when I got an invite to a presentation of Byron Lars Beauty Mark for Fall 2011, I was intrigued.

Upon walking into the presentation, I saw immediately that he still had it!  Byron Lars Beauty Mark Fall 2011 Collection is focused, feminine, flirty, playful and just plain pretty.  The theme for this collection was Native Americana and in keeping with the theme, outfits were accessorized with feathers, faux shearling, mohawk styled hairdos and makeup that was inspired by war paint.  Mr. Lars was always a master at presenting a themed collection (I still think of the Heidi Collection and the Get Christie Love Collection)  and this one did not disappoint.

 

A true collection that spans day through evening wear, fabrications run the gamut from bouclés and textured tweeds to metallic brocades, chiffons and laces.  Outfits combined knits and wovens in  perfect harmony along with a melange of textures and patterns.

But behind all of the drama are the elements that have always left me in awe of Mr. Lars: intricate construction and tailoring coupled with design for real women with curves.  Granted, his designs look hot on the super thin models, but they also look hot on a more voluptuous figure.  The intricacy of the drapes and construction make me want to examine each garment closely to discover how each was made and I went back to each outfit again and again, each time discovering something new.

All the while, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of joy and kept repeating to myself, “This is why I went into fashion design in the first place”.  Thank you Mr. Lars for reminding me!

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Ladies Who Lunch: TSE Cashmere Fall 2011

TSE Cashmere has always been a label that I have followed.  The soft luxuriousness of high grade cashmere is in itself alluring and  when created by a house that is a master of cashmere, it can almost become an addiction.

The company's two previous collections were presented along with capsule collections by Jason Wu, which brought more attention to the line and pushed it into the high fashion arena.  This season, TSE is once again flying solo and the results are phenomenal.

Presenting a collection that focuses on the knit wear, TSE proves itself once again at being a master of its trade.  To be sure, the collection has those classic pieces that we all want, but it also is heavy with fashionable pieces that are modern, sophisticated and easy to wear.  Impeccably made, each piece speaks volumes on quality of materials and construction, creating a true Luxe experience.

Taking inspiration from Pierre Cardin’s sleek designs, TSE has translated that inspiration into a modern wardrobe of to-die-for knits that is as flattering to wear as it is comfortable.  A whole range of mix and match separates, chunky textured knits paired with slim pants, two-toned double faced brushed cashmere capes and jackets, business-like dresses and cardigans, and even long sleek gowns make this a multifaceted collection that is about lifestyle dressing.  The colors are classic Fall: beige, brown, greys, forest green, ivory and black with some accents of blue.

Having spent a good deal of my career working with knits, I truly appreciate what this line is all about and I am sure you will too.  It also has me looking forward to hitting the store in the Fall to see what the TSE men’s line will have to offer for me!  You can’t have too many beautiful knit pieces.

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Ladies Who Lunch: Silvio Liu Fall 2011

Last September, I went to the presentation of a new line called Silvio Liu.  Debuting its Spring/Summer 2011 collection, the line made an impression on me for its feminine silhouettes, colors and fabric choices. Impressed enough to want to see what future collections would bring.

Designer Brian Wood presented the Silvio Liu Fall 2011 Collection in a downtown space that getting to required several flights of stairs.  The collection was well worth the climb.  Mr. Wood has taken the line in a natural progression, building on experimenting with different fabrications, an almost architectural approach to construction, and exploration of silhouettes.

The Silvio Liu line for Spring 2011 was primarily about pretty party dresses with a few jackets and a beautiful pleated trench thrown in the mix.  For Fall, Mr. Wood has blurred the line between day and evening dressing, making it a richer more varied collection.  While some of the pieces are quite obviously geared towards cocktail wear, there are an equal number of pieces that are true daywear pieces.  What I love about the majority of the pieces is that they fit into that much sought after category of “day into evening”, with outfits easily being worn for either occasion.

Mr. Wood has continued with his exploration of fabrics, mixing silks, jerseys and woolens with fabrics such as a jacquard neoprene.  I was most surprised by the neoprene, since when I hear neoprene I think wet suits, but the jacquard neoprene utilized in this collection doesn’t read as “neoprene” and worked beautifully in the line.  The subtle jacquard was especially of note, giving the fabric a true richness.  Another fabric of note is a black and white wool oversized plaid used to make a wonderful cape, a cropped jacket with contrast patent leather sleeves, and a full skirt.  The patent leather was also put nicely to use as a chic cropped motorcycle jacket that gave a chic edginess to the tiered skirt it was paired with.  Colors are suitably Fall with a range of navies, deep blues, black, white, cream and a soft platinum.

Mr. Woods explained that this season was a little darker than spring, taking inspiration from the image of the dominatrix: strong, empowered, a little aggressive, but still having a softness and femininity.  The aggressiveness comes out in the bold hues, blending textures and the mix of unorthodox fabrications in the creation of elegant silhouettes.  Also, because of his beginning in menswear, Mr. Wood continually plays with the construction and tailoring of garments, acknowledging the gifted pattern makers he works with that help him in this exploration.  The complicated drapes and construction are especially appreciated by me and my designer’s eye.

With a line that is modern, feminine and a little edgy, Silvio Liu Fall 2011 is right on track and positions Brian Wood as a designer to continue to keep an eye on.

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