Marc Jacobs

Jacobs' show never fails to bring out the celebrities, and this season was no exception. Jennifer Lopez, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Mandy Moore and Lil' Kim along with Jacobs' fashion/art crowd mix (Helena Christensen, Terry Richardson, Chloe Sevigny, etc) were among the many packed into Pier 54 on the West Side Highway. Jacobs did not disappoint with a happy, sunny collection.

Loose, swingy skirts and baggy cuffed pants were topped with tweed jackets in oversized patterns, short sleeve sweaters were decorated with bows and gingham, and trench coats were shown belted and loose over skirts and dresses. For evening, he shows fresh and bright ruffled dresses, strapless and with spaghetti straps, layered with contrasting tulle underneath and bow detailing in back.

Donna Karan

Karan took the biggest leap of any designer with her spring presentation, eschewing the colorful, carefree spirit of the season, and moving into a post-industrial futuristic look. She cut her signature suits razor sharp with mesh panels and off the shoulder tops with sleek cropped pants, pencil and pleated skirts. Leather blouson jackets offset beaded skirts with transparent panels, dresses had corsetry trim and unique draped hems. The color palette was mostly grays and whites, except for shots of cobalt and fushia.

Oscar De La Renta

De La Renta is another designer that caters to the "ladies who lunch" crowd, but with the addition to his daugher Eliza Reed Bolen to his team, his designs have recently had a slighter younger and hipper feel. If the front row at his show yesterday is any indication (Ashley Olsen, Mandy Moore, Eva Mendes, Jessica Simpson), he's on the right track.

His spring presentation was filled with bright dresses, and ladylike separates and suits. He mixed all of the exotic locales he frequents: South American aztec prints, Rue de Cambon nautical trims, and St. Tropez caftans and string bikinis. And of course, no one does evening like Oscar: long beaded sheaths, satin spaghetti straps with ruffled skirts, lace bustiers and skirts, ribbon tied waists, and taffeta ballgowns. Perfect for girls young and old.

Diane von Furstenberg

von Furstenberg is best at developing clothes that reflect her and her lifestyle as an avid traveler. For spring, she did bohemian pieces without the trendy trappings--green silk leopard print dresses and tops, tiered white skirts with peasant blouses, aztec print silk jersey tube dresses and wrap dresses, mixed in with more tailored pieces like fitted blazers, cuffed trousers, and silk safari shirts.

Luella Bartley

Bartley started her show doing classic looks: polos, casual crisp khakis, slim white jeans with a blazer, and referee striped shirts, then flowed into adding the Luella twist: the same skinny jeans with oversized mens shirts in bright colors, string bikinis with a cropped snakeprint motorcycle jacket, and flouncy minidresses. And it wouldn't be a Luella show without accessories, which this time around included stacked heel spectator shoes and canvas bags in an apple print.

Behnaz Sarafpour

Sarafpour's spring presentation was held at the Tiffany's flagship store on Fifth Avenue, and it was a fitting setting for the collection. The clothes, with an Asian influence, included A-line skirts in cotton and stamped silk, kimono-like tops with satin sashes, short floral print dresses and chinosere print dresses and tops. The end of the show featured her signature trenches in metallic fabrics, drape neck dresses with beaded fringe hems, jersey wrap dresses, and long red carpet-ready columns in gold, silver and lilac paillettes.

Tuleh

Designer Bryan Bradley and creative director/main muse Amanda Brooks of Tuleh create utterly pretty clothes for high society. This season, Tuleh kept the lady like fashions but added a bit of an edge to all that sugar.

Along with empire waist chiffon blouses, boxy jackets, snakeskin print satin dresses and skirts, and long trumpet satin skirts, there were rubber raincoats worn over a lace dress and sharkskin vests over striped sweaters. This collection was also more revealing than those in the past, with a small tank dress over a longer lace and lots of see-through chiffon. Colors were in the Tuleh mix, where yellow goes with brown and blue, peach works with olive and pink clashes with brown.

Zac Posen

Posen's show, sponsored by Cartier, was themed "Trinity," after one of the jeweler's signature lines. The show was divided into three distinct sections, but there was a disconnect between them, and each section could have been a show all its own.

The first part was an airy group of white separates, ranging from loose pantsuits, paneled silk skirts, and georgette blouses to shirtdresses, coats with satin piping and slim sheaths. Part two had similar silhouettes, but in shades like seafoam, cream, stone, charcoal, then segued into mosaic patterns with a Missoni influence, dresses with ruffles and strategic cutouts. The last part of the show was a dark study of black and gray satin dresses, plunging neckline short dresses, and Herve Leger-line long dresses with body conscious piping. This last section would have worked very well into his FW05 presentation, but seemed a bit out of place here with the other light, summery pieces.

Posen, last year's CFDA Perry Ellis award winner for new talent already has the press and starlets on his side, now he needs to develop his aesthetic and create a look that is his alone.

Matthew Williamson

Williamson's look has always been about color, color, color, and this season did not disappoint. White capri pants, denim cutoffs and flowy khakis mixed with floral chiffon tops and cropped tees, sherbet striped sweaters, and fitted blazers. The second half of the show featured colorful dresses in cotton with smocking around the arms, slim feather weight tees, and dresses dripping with metallic strips and crystal beading.

There's a piece in today's New York Times about the return of the model. With both US Vogue and Bazaar placing models on their big September issues this year, you knew this statement was bound to be made. Too bad Vogue is going back to celebrities for October, with Charlize Theron the rumored cover girl. Personally I'm tired to celebrities on covers because they keep using the same ones (Nicole, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Jessica Parker, etc.) There are tons of actress out there...let's have some diversity!!

more lovliness for SS05...today's shows include:

Vera Wang
Chado Ralph Rucci
Benjamin Cho
Monique L'huillier
Matthew Williamson
Cynthia Rowley
Zac Posen

Hot shows this weekend include Baby Phat, Behnaz Sarafpour, DKNY, Tuleh, Luella Bartley, Roland Mouret, Catherine Malandrino, Derek Lam, Diane vonFurstenberg and Luca Luca. Stay tuned for more reviews and pics...

Proenza Schouler

Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough created a softer silhouette for Spring 2005 than their previous seasons. Their signature bustier was still scattered throughout the collection, but it was joined by print chiffon gowns, loose sequined tanks, trapeze woodblock print jackets and feather trimming. The color palette was very neutral (khaki, stone, cream, brown) with hints of plum, magenta, sage and lilac thrown in. The end of the show featured a gold satin sheath with a bustier top and sequined skirt, feathered trapeze coat with a cream pencil skirt, and four chiffon dresses in tonal leaf prints with satin waist wraps and straps. These guys know their customer and how to make a woman look and feel comfortable and sexy.

Tommy Hilfiger

After a season away from the runway, Hilfiger returned with a nautical themed collection. Cream and navy striped suits, sweaters, and dresses mixed with eyelet strapless dresses, and silk pareos. Later pieces included graphic print skirts and swimsuits in melon, lime, hot pink, bermuda shorts, and silk sailor pants. The problem with the collection was that seemed more like Michael Kors than Tommy Hilfiger. With the debut of his better collection, H Hilfiger, the main collection needs to find its own message and look.

Bill Blass

Bill Blass designer Michael Vollbracht did away with the older models (like Karen Bjornson and Pat Cleveland) this season, saying, "the editors got my point." The point being that he, like Carolina Herrera and Oscar de la Renta, was not going to forget Blass' standby older customers by drastically changing the house towards a more younger look. The collection he presented today was much more developed and improved than the one shown in February, but it didn't seem signature Blass. Instead it seemed a mish-mash of other designers. It also had a much younger slant than previous Blass collections. There were many short dresses and suits, with frills, ruffles, bows, and lace, and in candy colors. I haven't heard much about the sales of the line, so I wonder how well it's doing, and if the tried-and-true "Blass woman" likes Vollbracht's interpretation of the house.

Tracy Reese

Reese's show featured her feminine, embellished designs with a modern twist. Tapestry print jackets and coats over slim linen pants and pencil skirts, floral chiffon tops with tonal floral cardigans, lace skirts with satin waistbands, elaborate tunics over striped cigarette pants, and lots of interesting accessories (diamonds, wood, pearls). The color palette included gold, rust, cornflower blue, citron and lilac.

Carolina Herrera

Carolina Herrera delivered her signature brand of American sportswear, starting off with separates, swimwear, and short dresses in white and brown, with shots of emerald, orange and teal blue. Print dresses featured motifs of 50s swimmers, slim tattersall suits were accessorized with red sandals.

After this, the dress show begins and this is where Herrera shines. Twisted and shirred silk skimming the body in shades of melon, emerald and white, ruffles lining the straps and waistline, sequined bodice tops with flowy chiffon skirts...all signature Herrera.

More SS05 Fashion Week stuff coming up...some heavy hitters grace Bryant Park today:

Carolina Herrera
Jeffrey Chow
Bill Blass
Esteban Cortazar
Proenza Schouler (one of my personal faves)
Samanatha Treacy
Nicole Miller
Tommy Hilfiger (returning to the tents after missing FW04)

stay tuned for more reviews...

Imitation of Christ

Tara Subkoff's line used to be the coolest of the cool. Now it seems like it's a ripoff of a bunch of designers that did it better the first time around. The first half of the show was the Imitation line, grecian shorts and minidresses with sequins, loose capris and worn with gladiator type sandals, part of her collaboration with Easy Spirit. The last half featured the Imitation of Christ collection, a more limited edition. These pieces had influences from Chloe, Versace, Gucci, and even some Callaghan (that breakthrough collection designed by Nicolas Ghesquiere in 2001). It was a mess of ideas all played against a backdrop of images from the war in Iraq (there was even a George W. Bush inpersonator in the front row). Will these clothes actually sell? Only time will tell; IoC was set to open its first retail store yesterday.

Kenneth Cole

Kenneth Cole was channeling a bit of Narciso Rodriguez in his spring presentation: lots of white, clean lines, skinny silk skirts with fitted tanks, retro cut swimsuits. After the white intro, he delved into neutrals like sand, navy and steel gray, with a bit of pale aqua thrown in. Silhouettes were slim, with fitted suits, pencil skirts, and elegant sheaths for women, and skinny suiting for men. There was also a touch of suede jackets and chunky knits thrown in for good measure. The models had stick straight hair with red lips and a slight glow.

Perry Ellis

Perry Ellis' show for men and women was absolutely stunning. Patrick Robinson showed delicate and feminine pieces for women, featuring ruffled hems, metallic sashes, satin bustiers and flowing sundresses. He accessorized all the looks with vintage-y chunky pearls and satin ribbon used as bracelets.

The mens looks were vintage PE, featuring striped sweaters and polos, slim trousers, silk print shirts, and oversized metal sunglasses.

today is the day...yippee!!

Spring 2005 Fashion Week kicks off today with the following shows:
Kenneth Cole
Perry Ellis
Imitation of Christ
Tracy Reese
John Bartlett
Sass & Bide
Heatherette

New York magazine has an interesting article on the rapid downfall of IOC, once the hot indie label, it's now going mainstream by opening a store and collaborating with Easy Spirit on a shoe line. No wonder Chloe Sevigny jumped ship to Vuitton.

must
get
this
book.

The Real World Philadelphia premieres tonight at 10pm on MTV. TV's longest running reality series finally makes a stop in my hometown. The cast of seven is tasked with working in a bar, meaning everyone is over 21. The last time this was true was the Las Vegas cast, and we all remember that season. I just hope Philly is shown in a favorable light.

side note, redesign of mtv.com = yuk

The Spring 2005 Fashion Weeks are almost upon us, kicking off in NYC on Wednesday. The schedule has been announced with Kenneth Cole, as usual, getting things started. I, unfortunately, won't be at this go round, but will have daily reports, so don't fret. I'm looking forward to Perry Ellis, Proenza Schouler, Tracy Reese, Marc Jacobs, Narciso Rodriguez, and Peter Som, and of course, seeing who the breakout faces are. Hopefully there's a little color in there.

One of my favorite magazines, V is losing it's co-editor-in-chief, Alix Browne. Browne is leaving the mag to explore her options. She's helping finish up the Nov/Dec. issue and she also worked on the book, V Best, coming out early next year. I am very afraid for the future of V; Stephen Gan, the other EIC, has taken V down a more commercial route as of late, and not anyone can replace Alix. She will be missed.

In other mag news, Sofia Coppola will be guest ed. of the Dec/Jan issue of French Vogue. Rest assured, Marc Jacobs will make it in there somehow.

Lots and lots and lots of lots of people have already covered the trainwreck that was the MTV VMAs in Mi-Am-E, so I won't even bother, but...

when did Vivica A. Fox become a video-ho? Did I miss that episode of "Made?"