s/s 2010 new york: banana republic.

in stark contrast to the gloomy and chilly weather the east coast is having right now, simon keen, the creative director of banana republic, showed a spring collection yesterday in new york that was nothing but blue skies and a clean palette. the show was divided into two parts, both of which were rooted back to american workwear. the first was all denim, featuring denim-on-denim looks, blue-based madras plaids, chambray boyfriend blazers and trench coats, and tie-dyed maxi dresses. keen said the blue was inspired by american blue skies, and that banana is even working with an american denim manufacturer to make the pieces this particular shade of pool blue.



the second part of the show was based in chinos, from rumpled to pressed and using the chino color as a base for workshirts, breezy silk capris and patch pocket shorts, drawstring waist skirts, and day dresses. besides stone, khaki, gunmetal and white, there were accent colors like lemon, pink and teal, and great use of texture like sequined or nubby linen cardigans, or mother of pearl discs at the neckline of a vest. overall, the collection felt modern and true to BR's heritage and very californian, even if it was shown in new york city.

pics from coutorture

s/s 2010 milan: jil sander.

you can't just look at pictures of the jil sander spring collection, you have to study, look closer, get right into the heart of the fabric to really see the genius of what raf simons has done. there is movement, there is texture, there is depth, but even with all that there is simplicity.



all the pieces a working woman wants to wear and has come to expect from sander collections were still there--loose trousers, pleated shorts, tiered minis, belted blazers, simple day dresses, and long vests--in a palette that doesn't call attention to itself (cream, black, khaki, navy with a little bit of red and blue). but what will get people's attention are the details, like frayed edges, fabric flaps (looking like they were randomly sewn on), tulle trim, and knotted pieces. rounding out the collection were the shoes and bags, rough hewn wooden platforms with sculptural metal heels and rope straps, and nubuck frame bags with gold handles. for me, this collection was a gorgeous breath of fresh air in a season that so far has been heavy with trendy rehashes.







pics from style.it and style.com

go/see/buy: rachel rachel roy.

rachel roy made an appearance tonight at macy's in union square to show off her new rachel rachel roy (RRR) contemporary collection. the collection, meant to be the younger interpretation of roy's main line, is more fashion and trend forward pieces, like zippered miniskirts, chunky knits, faux fur vests, plaid blazers, and studded cocktail dresses, plus shoes, handbags, jewelry and other accessories. rachel rachel roy is set up in a cool "shop within a shop" on macys' impulse floor (where you'll also find marc by marc jacobs, nanette lepore, and denim). unlike many of the other brands, the presentation is like a small boutique, with unique fixtures, signage, and props. in addition, the clothing and the accessories are merchandised together, so you can either put together a full look or pick up some earrings or a bag to go with an outfit you already have.



models showing off fall looks

the turnout for the event was great--women of all ages and sizes and men came to see the collection and to have the chance to chat with rachel personally. as opposed to other trunkshows i've been to where the designer will mingle with the crowd, roy sat and met with guests one-on-one, took pictures and signed her lookbook. i had the opportunity to chat with rachel about this line and her mainline (which had a great spring show during fashion week). growing up with not alot of money, she said there weren't many fashionable yet affordable options for younger women, and she really sees RRR as the more youthful extension of her mainline. and while she doesn't see herself as the target market for RRR, she did feel that the line has pieces that would appeal to an older consumer (as did i).


earrings and other jewelry

i loved many of the dresses, including the printed red trench dress (shown in the top pic, center) and the gemma bootie (which rachel wore with a dress from her main line). mostly everything in the collection retails for under $300 with many under $100, so you can be chic on the cheap. it was a true pleasure meeting rachel and chatting (actually, the associate from macy's had to move us along, as the line was quite long), and i look forward to seeing her again, possibly at her fall 2010 show.

in the meantime, check out rachel rachel roy at macy's union square in san francisco and select stores nationwide, or online at rachelroy.com.

s/s 2010 new york: proenza schouler.

when it comes to designing clothes that cool girls want to wear, jack mccollough and lazaro hernandez of proenza schouler almost have the market cornered. just like narciso rodriguez, they looked to their resort collection as the starting point for spring, picking up on the scuba vibe and taking spring in a surf and skate direction. the hyper acid colors like lime, chartreuse, cobalt blue provided the perfect backdrop for scuba t-shirts, futuristic tie dye minis, weathered poplin shirts, bra tops, feather skirts, and colorblock track pant. the real stars of the show were the cocktail dresses--all short--in all different silhouettes and decked out in feathers, sequins, plastic fringe, or sequins. the accesssories were equally cool: yarn tied wristlets with suede trim and colorblock strappy elastic wedges. mccollough and hernandez have yet again created pieces that are not only on trend (eighties, neon) but are pushing the trend forward.



pics from coutorture

s/s 2010 new york: narciso rodriguez.

in the span of my five days in new york, i saw shows that were good and bad but none that really blew me away until tuesday night when i hit the tents for the narciso rodriguez show. i wasn't as thrilled with his fall collection, but i did see some promise in resort, as he did not only more structured pieces but also looser shapes. for spring, he followed down the same path, showing elegant sheaths and pantsuits with exposed zippers and nipped in waists, coats in silk or cotton mud cloth, and floaty dresses with loose hems or with multicolor silk chiffon skirts. i loved the color story--natural tones like jute and pale blue combined with fuchsia, violet, red, and green--felt right on point for the season. the showstoppers had to be the closing section of gowns that looked like parachutes billowing as the models walked past...the white version on freja would make an elegant choice for a modern bride.




from the color to the silhouettes to the execution, rodriguez hit a home run and by not following the others down the path of the neon-ed eighties, he immediately jumped to the head of the pack.

pics from coutorture

s/s 2010 new york: sunday.

it made sense that the spotlight of sunday's show was the lady, even when the lady wants to go on vacation or be a bit more sexy.

derek lam looked to summers on the east coast--rehoboth, key west, asbury park--as the place to start for his spring collection. the looks were all-american, classic sportswear: star print dresses, leather shorts, crepe dresses, floral day dresses, and beaded cocktail numbers. the most interesting part of the show were the "swimsuits:" draped chiffon blouses in candy colors of pistachio, turquoise and lemon yellow worn with briefs. clearly more for lounging than swimming.



herve leger continued with what max azria does best: bondage dresses, but this time, some were laced, some had mixed print panels, some had mesh in between, and others were frayed. azria even strayed from the bands with a denim moto jacket, flirty skater skirts, and zip front scuba jackets in sand.



diane von furstenberg was looking to exotic islands and african safaris for her spring collection. there was an abundance of dresses in macrame, fringed hem, knotted front, and flippy dropped waists. there were a few solid pieces and suiting, like a foil cropped jacket, sequin harem pants, and LBDs, but this collection was clearly for the woman who wants to make every day a holiday.



rachel roy's collection had some soft, sensual tailoring as opposed to the sharper focus she had in previous seasons. the draped pencil skirts, double hem blazers, wrap dresses, delicately beaded tops and loose blouses were in a gorgeous palette of chartreuse, deep teal, cobalt and raspberry, with pewter, cream and black. the looks were full of day-to-night options as well is beautiful evening looks like a one sleeve draped LWD and a beaded bustier under a charmeuse strapless dress. overall the show was a fresh, modern take on sportswear, done in more feminine way.

all pics from coutorture

s/s 2010 new york: saturday.

day 2 was quite a whirlwind, from my first mac and milk experience (not good) to my second one (much better) and everything in between.

i was supposed to see adam for my first show of the day. the milk experience seemed great in the beginning, complete with girls handing out wwd and the daily and fiji water while i was waiting in the standing room line. our security guy, joe, was equally nice, telling everyone that if they remained professional that he would do his best to make sure everyone got in to see the show. no such luck. as i was waiting, the music started playing and joe promptly told us there was no more room. at this point, it was already 2:30, and i needed to head back to the tents for my next show, academy of art. too bad...i heard (and read) that it was a gorgeous collection.



after going to the past few runway shows held in san francisco, i was very excited to see the collections of the recent aau grads. there were seven designers total, but three really stood out to me. richelle valenzuela was inspired by a gem-cutting diagram, and his pieces of pieced organza "petals" were elegant and beautiful. jie pan mixed materials like horsehair, linen, chiffon and organza into very architectural dresses with bold shoulders and draping details. finally sawanya jomthepmala found inspiration in origami, and her looks of folded jackets, skinny pants, and printed skirts reminded me of balenciaga's s/s 2008 collection, but it was much more wearable.



i then trekked to the west side highway for alexander wang. inspired (possibly) by his recent collaboration with the gap, wang collection felt very all-american in a "hip" way. the looks included sweatshirts with corsets, boy "briefs" and one shoulder bra tops, sleeveless army dresses, rugby striped polos and cutout sweaters. don't think wang abandoned his body-con looks altogether: the last section of the show featured some great dresses--with double necklines or built in waistbands or like the black one on frankie (above, right) with racing stripes. as with fall, wang gave us the shoes to covet now: a spotted haircalf bootie with or without the wedge and an old-time football boot, reinvented in leather and canvas with a stacked heel.



i finally ended the day back at milk for joseph altuzarra's presentation. i was excited to see his work, as it was a cool mix of sensuality and realism. for spring, he strayed from the eighties and did more of a hipper 70s prairie look, with perforated slinky suede, thin henleys, ruched waist or fringed skirts, and swiss dot blouses. it wasn't as groundbreaking as his previous collection, but it did represent a departure from what everyone else was doing, in a positive way.

academy of art and alex wang pics, coutorture; altuzarra pics, style.com