Junya Watanabe Spring 2012: A Rare Romanticism

Long Nguyen is the Co-Founder/Style Director of Flaunt.

PARIS–Over the sounds of Argentinian music evoking the atmosphere of a morning in the Gaucho plains, Junya Watanabe sent out a stunning collection of romantic and emotional clothes early Saturday morning. The show started with deep colored lace transparent dresses with black spaghetti strap slips and ended with the most elegant transformation of the trench coat seen on any runway.

But if there were any references to Argentina and its southern mythical plains so romanticized in literature, it was just the coming and going of the Spanish vocals on the soundtrack throughout the show, rather than any literal translation in the clothes. There was a sensuality in the opening series of lace dresses–green and rose florals and a blue embroidered large leaf pattern–that is rarely seen from Mr. Watanabe. His talents for innovative fabrics and renovating classical garments often leave human emotion out of his shows, but not this time. The feather headdresses by Kamo heightened the simple elegance of the textured work on the lace.

Midway through the show came a blue and red leather cropped bolero jacket with layered ruffle short sleeves and a navy trench, as the designer introduced elements of outerwear. The red and light purple lace dress with a black single-breasted trench was superb. So were the next series of coats: a cape coat, an open sleeve dress coat, and a sleeveless coat with attached cape sleeves.

If the rhythm of this emotional show on occasion seemed slightly repetitive, it may be intentional rather than haphazard. That is because the designer slowly introduced outerwear into the show, one piece at a time over the base layers of lace double dresses. These outerwear pieces will surely be a commercial success for the designer.

**All photos via Imaxtree

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Comme des Garçons Spring 2012: Confusing Brilliance

Long Nguyen is the co-founder/style director of Flaunt.

PARIS–It has been a very long time since I sat through an entire fashion show and afterwards I was still trying to figure out what the designer was really up to. That happened late on Saturday afternoon at the Comme des Garçons show, which was a much different show than the stunning collection presented by Junya Watanabe for his eponymous line earlier in the day.

“White drama” was the theme to this puzzling but absolutely beautiful and meditative show from Comme des Garçons where a model wearing a white duchess satin knee length dress with a puff skirt and a bow that seemed to tie her hands together (not to mention the large headdress) opened the procession. This led to an all-white collection that displayed not only incredible workmanship in tailoring and embroidery with sumptuous coats and short dresses, but a show that stirred varied emotional reactions from the audience.

Each outfit was so distinct from the previous one that the show felt like a slow evolution where a cut-out caged skirt worn with a lace long sleeve t-shirt morphed into a full flared cage coat. There were looks that seemed purposely like heavy stage costumes–like the hooded long dress with an opening for the model’s face. But then came two versions of slim fitted single-breasted jackets worn with a sheer lace dress and shorts respectively, each with molded sculpted hats created by 3 different artists: Gary Card, Kohei Nawa and Christian Astuguevieille (none of whom has ever made hat before).

What is one to make of all this? If staging the show at the Palais de la Femme is any indication, one would tend to think that the designer is lecturing about the conditions of women through a narrative of clothes done in calculated exaggerations. It may be a reflection of the conditions of women around the world played out in duchess satin outfits–from the bound hands of a bride in the opening to the fully covered heads that ended the show when the lights were suddenly turned off, leaving the audience bewildered in the darkened hall.

It could also have another meaning altogether. In Asia, white is the color for funerals and for mourning the dead. Perhaps in showing all these types of clothes that have constrained and bound women throughout history, the designer seemed to say that we have now arrived at a moment when we can mourn some of the loss of these constraints. That’s the sense I got from seeing this “white drama” played out. The show was also the antithesis of the fast fashion that’s omnipresent now. Here was meaning and emotion attached to fashion rather than just another minor and fleeting trend to be tweeted and retweeted. A Tweet from this show would be hollow without the prerequisite understanding and would be meaningless.

But never for a moment think that Comme de Garçons isn’t about business. The majority of these garments will be available in CDG’s stores in February since there isn’t a parallel commercial collection attached to the show pieces. The few difficult pieces like the floral hooded long dress with slit pockets may find room at the recently opened Trading Museum Comme des Garçons stores that sell limited editions, one of a kind garments, fragrances and accessories amidst displays of art collaborations. The Paris Trading Museum store opened the evening before the show with a video work by Katerina Jebb entitled “Simulacrums & Hyperbole.” A bit of hyperbole is sometimes necessary to get one’s point across.

**All photos via Imaxtree

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YSL Spring 2012: A Confident Collection Unshaken By Rumors

PARIS–Every fashion season a few things are guaranteed: a model will fall, Anna Dello Russo will change outfits approximately 647,329 times, and a rumor will circulate that Stefano Pilati is out at YSL. This season was no exception. After the IHT’s Suzy Menkes implied in an article that Jil Sander designer Raf Simons might someday be headed for YSL, Twitter and then the blogosphere (yep, that’s us) buzzed with news that Simons was taking Pilati’s place at YSL. YSL subsequently (this is old hat to them now) issued a statement disclaiming the the report.

Last night, Pilati presented his spring 2012 collection for YSL through several ornate salons at the lavish Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild. It was a strong, confident, collection–firmly grounded in YSL’s DNA, particularly in the jewel-toned color palette–and one that didn’t hint at a designer shaken by rumors, or worse, on his way out. These were clothes for a lady of means, one who is maybe a little bored with her fancy life and who might be nasty to her waiter. She keeps her hair in a tight, low bun, cradled by a gold clip, and never lets her hair down. Her clothes are structured, especially in the shoulders, and voluminous; her pants are unforgivingly straight and skinny; and her skirts are stiff and flared, except, of course, when they’re to the floor, paisley printed, and paired with a simple white blouse.

But the thing that everyone was gushing about immediately following the show was the shoes. And with good reason because they were awesome. Especially the courtly heeled loafers with oversized golden buckles and the mint-colored platforms with golden caps on the toes. Expect to see them on every editor, and perhaps attendee Alexa Chung (the loafers for sure), come spring.

**All images: Imaxtree

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Sacai Spring 2012: Hybrids, Simple in Their Complexity

Long Nguyen is the co-founder/style director of Flaunt.

PARIS–The past few years, Sacai, designed by Chitose Abe–an alumnus of Comme des Garçons–has been on an expansion course. Last season’s mini-showings have blossomed into a full runway show this time. Three weeks ago the company opened a flagship store in the Aoyama Minato-ku shopping district of Tokyo about a block down from the Prada mega building. And Sacai menswear is emerging from its underground cult status and has been presented in Paris during the men’s shows.

While Ms. Abe’s signature and innovative work with knits remained the foundation for today’s collection–shown at the back of the Hotel d’Evreux near place Vendome–the spring clothes indicate an evolution in her masterful recombinant techniques marrying one element of a garment to another. This spring collection continued to feature her skilled combinations of different types of fabrics onto one garment and her ability to alter the forms of skirts, dresses, or cardigans–or mixing elements of each–to arrive at a new garment like a dress with a ribbed cotton front.

However, this season Ms. Abe also rendered the collection more feminine with billowing shapes and sexy broderie anglaises with white cotton eyelet trench coats that revealed the skirt underneath. A navy ribbed short sleeve sweater with cotton short collar and flare back dress, a white cotton shirt with a cowl neck knit cardigan sewn on top, and an attached white cotton pleated poplin micro-skirt were her signature all-in-one outfits.

One of the best looks was a navy cardigan with an attached folded khaki skirt back and a navy knit skirt with a white cotton tutu. A simple long navy short sleeve knit dress with embroidered shirt collar and an open back with an attached flared khaki skirt were also standouts. This description doesn’t adequately protray the simplicity of construction and the beauty of this look on the runway as the model turned around to reveal the backside. I loved the white double-breasted coat and white satin/ yellow lace dress combination.

It’s clear that Sacai’s customers adore that attention to small detail in each of the garments; either they are a hybrid top or an all-in-one variety garment. There’s a great deal of workmanship involved in many of her creations. You almost have to appreciate this kind of workmanship to really appreciate the clothes. It’s another example of the antithesis to fast fashion today.

*Photos: Imaxtree

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Yohji Yamamoto Spring 2012: To Thine Own Self Be True

Long Nguyen is the co-founder/style director of Flaunt.

PARIS–On a divided stage–one side covered in red fabrics and the other in black–a model emerged from backstage onto a raised runway inside the Marcel Cerdan at Bercy. The model was in a purple tank dress with a long train that fell to the side and a massive circular top hat with bow. As she came towards the end of the platform, she pulled on the long train that fell to the side, posed, and turned and walked back. These gestures and her long flowing dress recalled memories of past Yohji Yamamoto shows, particularly those held at the Sorbonne in the late 1990’s.

At Friday night’s spring show, Mr. Yamamoto explored familiar territory with a collection of beautifully made clothes that at times seemed less demanding for his customers than in recent seasons. His signature draping work and his tailoring–like the mannish black jackets with cotton ruffled shirts–were the strength of the collection that towards the end of the show veered off into end-of-the-18th-century territory. Along with a French song evoking Liberté on the speaker, this transported us all back to the era of the French Revolution. Somehow these were distractions to an otherwise polished collection. In between several outings of French revolution-era dresses, was a two button single-breasted jacket worn with pleated short pants. That, I am sure, will be what’s in stores next February. But then again had he shown just these kinds of looks–the wearable ones or the commercial clothes–it would no longer be a Yohji show.

There is something to be said about Mr. Yamamoto’s perseverance in the face of adversity. A few years ago his company went through a bankruptcy reorganization and the company closed many of its boutiques around the world. Yet in the midst of all this, the designer continues to subscribe to his own course of action and his designs reflect not a theme or trends people tweet about, but how he wants to make clothes. I am not sure how many designers working today have this level of confidence and perhaps courage. In the current fashion system with all its challenges, let’s cheer for a designer who believes in making clothes, not trends.

**All photos via Imaxtree

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Bernhard Willhelm Spring 2012: Um, It’s Mexico?

For those of you who haven’t heard of the German designer, forget everything you expect from a fashion show, and be ready to welcome gaffer tape and coconuts into your sartorial lingo. Known for his taste for nu-rave and home appliances, Bernhard Willhelm held a presentation in a gallery by the Marais–or rather, a tiny sweatbox where beer and shots of tequila were generously handed out.

It seemed like the show had been excitedly thrown together the night before: the décor consisted of roles of scotch tape and string hanging from the ceiling, holding together bits of painted cardboard and fruits. Girls marched down topless with painted nipples, in football jerseys converted into dresses. The models held giant paper tubes (like oversized, erm, cigarettes) and blew out flour onto everyone’s clothes, while strutting, dancing and sticking their tongues out.

As for the designer, looking not an inch out of place in swimming shorts, a straw hat and a coconut tied round his neck, he explained in a deadpan tone, “As you can see, the influence is Mexico.” When I inquired about the empty tubes of glue sticks stuck directly onto the walls, he simply replied, “Oh weeeell. This is my Mexico.”

Upon closer inspection, I detected–under the photos and plastic slips pasted directly onto the models bodies–baggy tie-die dresses and headscarves mixed with sportswear, Lady Gaga-esque sunglasses, creepers-meets-sneakers, and football shorts with a giant rip at the crotch.

After Dries and Gareth, this certainly came as a breath of fresh (sweaty) air.

*Photos: Helene Bozzi

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Gucci Spring 2012: Twenties Bling

MILAN–Like Hermès, Gucci’s mission (or fate) is to forever reinvent horseback riding chic. This season, it did so by introducing a clear, precise palette: black, white, green, bling.

Like a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde collection, the line seemed split into two opposing personalities. The daywear consisted of masculine silhouettes, mainly composed of suits–cropped jackets, green geometric motifs, gold buttons, and side zips that flared out at the trousers’ otherwise straight ankles. As for nighttime, the decisively more girly looks made a straightforward reference to 1920s flappers: fringed hems, drop waists and loose sleeveless tops.

The retro allusion was modernized by injecting a dose of subversive sexiness: splits in the middle of the back revealed strips of skin, patches of transparency flashed body parts through a recurring use of organza, and the indulgent use of sequins was evident everywhere.

There was, quite literally, a golden thread throughout Gucci‘s collection–or rather, a golden chain. Thick plaited gold ran through the whole show, in the form of bag handles, embellishments, and buttons. Midway between Ab Fab and bondage, this modernized the picture perfect 1920s dresses. “I was inspired by Art Déco architecture but also the jewelry, its sheen,” said Frida Giannini, explaining her choice of pairing geometry with lots of shine.

The moral of the collection is: if you’re going to do bling in the middle of a recession, it’s fine as long as it looks like it belonged to your grandma.

**All photos via Imaxtree

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NY Fashion Week: Anna Sui Spring RTW 2012 Collection

The atmosphere of glow was everlasting throughout Anna Sui Spring 2012 Collection at New York Fashion Week. No matter what everyone else had thought about her creations, it was something she’d wanted to do for ages.

Anna Sui 2012 Collection was like reinvention of one remarkable and transformative stage in fashion history: the early 70s when illustrator Antonio Lopez moved from Paris to NYC with a number of gorgeous young things, among them a 16-year-old Jerry Hall, Donna Jordan, baby Grace Jones, Jane Forth and others. Their suitcases were full of vintage clothes along with irresistible taste in dance and club music. They openly attracted attention of many Parisians, among them Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld. It was the time when impressionable Anna Sui saw the new arrivals, and during her Spring  ready-to-wear 2012 Collection she tried to evoke this club atmosphere.

From the very second when Karen Elson appeared on the catwalk with the torrent of curls, richly lacquered lips, and in a great forties-style dress wrapped in chubby marabou, the audience was transported into atmosphere of playful, flippant era when the search of pleasure could become a career opportunity for youngsters like Hall.

Anna Sui also offered a playsuit with a toothbrush print of Art Deco style and a cap-sleeve, flared-pant outfit in a Liberty-like print. Then, the attention was on Sui’s black tulle kimono floating over silken shorts, which was appropriate for 40 years ago Paris glamorous kids. And those retro looks together with modern woman’s search for fantasy in style brought Anna Sui her success.

As she said, she wasn’t trying to fit in what was going on, she’d just done, what she wanted.

Tags: Anna Sui, Anna Sui 2012 Collection, Anna Sui Spring RTW, New York fashion week

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Tibi Spring 2012: A Refreshingly Luxe New Direction, Plus Olivia Palermo’s Stamp of Approval

Five years ago we never would have said this, but: we were actually really excited to see what Tibi’s Amy Smilovic had up her sleeve this season. Really.

Lately, the designer’s cast her fourteen-year-old line in a new light, abandoning its hold as a Milly or Rebecca Taylor competitor. Instead of collections that are perfectly pleasant though always predictable, Tibi’s stepping into new territory: sharp blazers and strikingly full skirts, rendered not in flimsy fabrics, but luxe materials that merit a rising price tag (last season, a more lavish cocktail dress neared $800). The brand’s aiming for a different niche: stuff Olivia Palermo might wear, or at least, the kind of stuff that looks like it. Which makes sense, as the socialite, fashion darling, and soon-to-be website mogul is now the face of the brand.

Palermo sat pretty in the front row with Emma Roberts and Sophia Bush, stars with style more saccharine than that of both Palermo and this new, reinvented Tibi. This season, leather looks gave the line some edge, most notably in a perforated black sheath, and a cobalt and black color blocked dress with mullet hem. But perhaps most serendipitous for Smilovic were the pants she sent down the runway: silk, wide-leg trousers in both monochrome and print. A surefire way to grab Tommy Ton’s or Scott Schuman’s attention, these pants have popped up on some of the mostly stylish industry insiders this week (Natalie Joos, Barneys’ Amanda Brooks), making us wonder if they’ll have a trickle down effect. If these are the new maxi skirt of last season, Similovic will have much to celebrate. But if not, she still needn’t worry; there was much in this collection to sate the new Tibi customer, who wants to be girly without any of the previous frill or fuss.

*Photos: Imaxtree

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Hervé Léger by Max Azria Spring 2012: Masters the Formula

Before we even got inside the tents we knew we were at a Hervé Léger show from the bevy of ladies sporting the label’s signature skintight dresses–probably not the most appropriate attire in the daytime, but then again, it’s hard to tell during Fashion Week. Actually, we’ve never seen more Hervé Léger dresses in the daytime before since…well, ever.

But there’s a reason so many attendees (non-industry, it should be said) showed up wearing the label’s duds–something, much more rare than say, at a Proenza Schouler show. Hervé Léger has stumbled on a formula that works, or should we say, a formula that sells–and the label, designed by Max and Lubov Azria, has never strayed far from it, producing season after season of skintight bandage dresses.

Along those lines, Spring 2012 saw the addition of bondage-inspired details, laced-up cutouts, and subtle ikat prints. While the collection may have been otherwise formulaic, the gold and silver frocks, with their body-hugging silhouettes and sleek cutouts will no doubt be a hit on the red carpet. And, as the Fashion Week crowd proved–as well as the woman sitting next to me, who appeared to be on the verge of tears and began clapping at random moments during the show, saying “He really knows the body!”–his dresses will continue to be a hit amongst regular consumers, looking for their own red carpet moment.

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Reed Krakoff Spring 2012: Simple Cellophane

The runway at the Reed Krakoff show was a circuitous maze in an all-white room, through which models had to walk a complicated route, often crossing paths and barely avoiding collisions. But the clothes they wore weren’t complicated. Minimalistic ease was represented to maximum effect.

The season’s fave new colors (yellow and orange) were in abundance, anchored by pieces in nude, black and white. Many dresses had a drop waist, as did jackets shown over skirts. A bit Prada fall 2011? Maybe, but that’s where the similarity ended. The overall result was the body as a column; look elsewhere this season if you want body con or a bit of cleavage. Many of the dresses and separates were done in a “cellophane” finish that gave them a fine sheen and an illusion of sparkle–and also proved that simple does not need to be boring. The last looks were done in black and white, and a double layered jacket had me drooling.

I have to admit that I wanted this collection. I don’t like a lot of frippery, and this line was simple, yet rendered in gorgeous fabrics and colors. The only pieces that didn’t speak to me were the Reed Audobon print pieces (no one wants to be left out of the print party this season), which featured an enlarged bird print that would have been better in the abstract. But if you don’t mind an avian eyeball in the middle of your sternum, you may love the print.

Yellow and orange ladylike python handbags stood out in the accessories department, an area in which Krakoff is obviously well-suited, thanks to his ongoing tenure at Coach, a brand that knows a thing or two about accessories.

Krakoff gets better and better each season, and I’m looking forward to seeing how he evolves.

*Photos: Imaxtreey

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Vera Wang Spring 2012: A Sporty Alice in Wonderland (Plus Beyoncé and Madeleine Albright the Front Row)

Photo: Getty

There’s no doubt about it–Vera Wang boasts major star power. By the time I took my seat at yesterday morning’s show, Kim Kardashian was already settled at her front-row perch, chatting away with Rachel Roy and sporting one impressively glossy topknot. The photogs, predictably, were going wild over the Kardashian kameo–but once I heard snippets of a nearby security guard’s conversation (there’s no mistaking the name “Beyoncé), I knew the flashbulb-popping best was yet to come.

Minutes before the runway’s plastic was stripped back, in walked a radiant Beyoncé and her posse (including sister Solange), instantly stealing Kim’s thunder. The golden-voiced goddess looked just as glowing as you might expect–although in her champagne cinched-waist Vera design (apparently a Spring 2012 number, as I later saw similar ensembles come down the runway), there was nary a hint of a baby bump. Such a shame–I was sort of hoping for another exaggerated tummy-rub moment.

At any rate, Vera’s collection was exciting, bold, and beautiful. The designer, like many others we’ve seen this week, mined the sports world for inspiration, pairing gossamer gown with perforated neon peplums and sheer maxiskirts with techno-cotton vests. There were many pieces in spring-appropriate white eyelet–though worked into edgy, sexy bustiers, the embroidery lost its demure connotations. Vera even included a number of hoodies–yes, this from the master of wedding-day elegance–in textured gauze and stretch cotton. The color palette, meanwhile, was far more vivid and vibrant than we’ve come to expect from the designer, who famously favors soft neutrals and moodier dark tones.

In addition to the electric violet and lemon yellow utility vests and gowns, Vera experimented with a psychedelic marbleized print, which she splashed over leggings, peplums, and sculptural skirts. The collection was titled “Alice in Wonderland,” according to the show notes, though the only parallel I was able to draw with the Lewis Carroll tale was the anxiety-inducing ticking noise that opened and closed the show. The clothes were airy and dreamy, yes, but these looks were more sporty-strong than damsel-in-distress.

P.S. Yes, that WAS former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright sitting alongside Kim K and Beyoncé. Talk about a style wildcard.

**All photos: Imaxtree and Getty

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Karen Walker Spring 2012: Prints, Peplums and Poise

Karen Walker has softened back up since last season’s Northern England working class-inspired collection, but there was still a borrowed from the boys/working girl vibe to this season, albeit a cuter, quirkier one who does not shy away from prints.

This collection was all about florals–tropical and ’60s flower child-esque daisies—and oversized picnic plaids and stripes. Although Walker was apparently inspired by the 1976 film Taxi Driver, many of the dresses and blouses had 1940s feel. There were peplums and buttoned-up collars. They were wearable and very chic–but not too chic. The silhouettes were loose, the prints off-beat and the hair a little bit messy. Still, they were a bit more ladylike than is typical of Walker, at least that’s how it started.

As the show went on, the menswear-inspired suiting came out (I especially loved the polka dots mixed with stripes seen above), as did more casual options like sundresses, super thin cardigans, shorts and loose-fitting cropped trousers. Then came fun accessories like mini purse necklaces (so cute), floral baseball caps and Walker’s big moneymaker: sunglasses. They were huge, round, sometimes transparent, and all one color, from black to bright pink to neon yellow. In fact, they almost looked like goggles.

While Walker’s signature quirk and off-beat charm was definitely there, so were more refined, formal options than we’re used to and it made for a well-rounded collection with lots of things I wanted. Click through for all the looks!

**All photos: Imaxtree

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Michael Kors Spring 2012: ‘Afriluxe’ (An Icky Word for a Not Icky Collection)

Michael Kors went on safari for spring. He called his collection “Afriluxe” which made me cringe a little since much of Africa is decidedly not luxurious. Beautiful, yes, but luxurious? No. The parts that are luxurious are more often than not available only to rich tourists and a very small sliver of the population. Kors said in his line sheets he was inspired by the “rustic modernism of the Lebombo Lodge,” which the Times‘ Eric Wilson notes is $1,500 per night, per person.

Wilson also said the collection looked like “hillbillies on safari.” Ouch. I wouldn’t go that far. While the line sheets might have read a bit cringe-y the collection did not. In stark contrast to the bright grass greens and hot pinks of last year’s collection, this one was done in earth tones with the occasional bursts of sunset hues and set to a version of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” mixed with drumming.

There were caftans and blanket skirts and many variations on an adorable structured trench, one version done in python. A safari collection wouldn’t be complete without animal prints and the big five were well represented on little sheath dresses, sexy cut-out maillots, and caftans. But the pieces I liked best were the hand-dyed tops and flow-y bias dresses in olive and amber. Makes me want to go on vacation…like now.

The only “hillbilly” aspect? Distressed cashmere. I get that it was supposed to be raw and rugged in keeping with the safari theme, but why would anyone want to buy full price cashmere with holes in it? Still, I’m a Kors fan through and through, so I’ll overlook the hole-y cashmere and dream of those hand-dyed maxis.

**All photos via Imaxtree

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Diesel Black Gold Spring 2012: Rock N’ Roll, All Grown Up

Diesel Black Gold shows in the same warehouse as Alexander Wang, but lately, that’s not all the two houses have in common. Since Sophia Kokosalaki took the helm four seasons ago, Diesel’s ditched distressed denim for sleeker fabrics, while keeping the brand’s rock & roll beat alive. Voilà: this season’s leather jackets, corseted harness dresses, and boyfriend trousers, all rendered in luxe metallics.

Stepping away from jeans steers Diesel closer to brands with a different gene, that of the refined tough girl (Wang, Rag & Bone, etc). Boxy lamé tops were bold, not sweet, while oversize Oxford shirts lent a menswear vibe both strong and confident. The result was utilitarianism more sexy than gritty, a look few brands can master. With last season’s front row Hollywood stars (Vanessa Hudgens, Chace Crawford) replaced this time around by fashion demigods (Carine and Julia Roitfeld), it seemed industry veterans have noticed the change afoot. As they should: Kokosalaki’s effort to revitalize but not reinvent the brand is as attention-worthy as the shimmering silver flares she sent down the runway.

**All photos by Imaxtree

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Rachel Zoe Spring 2012: The Stylist-Turned-Designer on Her Brigitte Bardot-Inspired Collection

Rachel Zoe presented her second collection for her eponymous line today at at the Starworks showroom in midtown Manhattan. It was a hot-ticket show with a line snaking around 39th St. onto Broadway. And, ever the perfectionist, Zoe delivered. The showroom was abuzz (and aTwitter) with praise for Zoe, and before we got a chance to talk to her, stylist Mary Alice Stephensen gushed that she “LOVED IT” three times.

The collection of effortlessly sexy summery separates was inspired by “Brigitte Bardot in the south of France in the late ’60s early ’70s” Zoe told us. “It’s when she was running around being glamorous without ever trying to be glamorous.” Which is quite a thing to aspire to. But Zoe’s collection might just get you there.

Check out a few more snaps I took of the presentation. We’ll post the full gallery, review, and the deets on what Skyler Morrison Berman was wearing, later.

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Tommy Hilfiger Spring 2012: Warholian Prep and ‘Floral-flage’

I’m not a whiz when it comes to the rules of physics, but if that whole “like attracts like” theory truly applies, then it should come as no surprise that the king of prep’s evening show was highly attended by, well, other mega-moguls. Russell Simmons was there, as were Anna Wintour and Anna Dello Russo (who I suppose could claim the Queen of Quirky Fascinators title by now, if nothing else). Actress Abbie Cornish and model Petra Nemcova showed as well, which made plenty of sense considering the twosome’s penchant for clean, chic clothes. More puzzling was the presence of singer Corinne Bailey Rae, who is inching dangerously close to earning what the Fug Girls have termed “The New Sophia Bush Award” (for ubiquitous presence at any and every show at NYFW).

On to the fashion. Titled “Pop Prep,” Tommy’s spring collection aimed to merge traditionally buttoned-up silhouettes with colorful pop-art hues and patterns. The show kicked off with a smattering of looks in colorful glen plaid, from maillot-style swimsuits to a zip-front hoodie. Far more to my liking were the leather separates and dresses that followed, however–particularly a long-sleeved lambskin shirtdress in sunny yellow and a similar button-up oxford done in cranberry leather. There was something wonderfully fun about seeing these simple, borrowed-from-the-boys classics elevated with such a luxe material.

This being a Tommy show, there was obviously a group of striped pieces; here, the classic pattern was splashed not only on silk field jacket and zippered jeans, but also reworked as multi-tonal, colorblocked panels on voluminous caftans. More unexpected, however, were the camouflage pieces–though these were anything but olive drab. Done in lush feminine shades of plum and cornflower blue, the army-inspired pattern almost looked like layered blossoms–”floral-flage,” if you will. The Warholian inspiration was certainly made loud and clear here, if not quite as much in those aforementioned plaids. Fans of Tommy’s statement-making footwear, meanwhile, will be excited to learn that the designer’s brought back those covetable stacked-heel penny loafers once more–and this time, they’ve got striped insteps.

**All photos via Imaxtree

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Jen Kao Spring 2012: Dangerously Beautiful Flora (and She Tells Us Why Leo DiCaprio Inspired the Collection)

In a departure from last year’s outer galaxy runway show, Jen Kao was firmly on planet earth–more specifically, Hawaii–for her spring 2012 collection. It was nice to see the esoteric designer lightening up a little bit, too. Well, sort of.

While the visual references to her show were obvious allusions to the sunny flora and fauna of the islands, there was a deeply tragic lost love undercurrent to the collection, too. Set to a backdrop of a hazy sherbet-hued beachfront sunrise, a paper art fascinator-wearing model opened with a sun-ray orb projected onto her chest, which then grew to full-blown daylight in the room. Cue the gasps from the audience.

The color palette of the collection was based on sunrise pastels: lush pinks, soft blues, cheerful yellows, and calming creams. The details were abundant: ornate embroidered lei flowers, Hawaiian shirt-patterned flouncy skirts and flowing dresses, sky-like ombre prints, fine checkerboard knits and Japanese-Hawaiian references, like obi belts and kimono silhouettes. There were editorial-friendly piled-on looks with lots of lacy, fringe-y, flowery layers, but there were definitely pieces that could find their way into our closets.

The models all wore side knots with untucked ends and Jen Kao-designed mismatched poison flower inspired earrings, with ethnic print drawstring rucksacks. The shoes were a casual streetwear mix of cork soled wedges, high-tops and beachy sandals. Oh, did we mention the arty cut paper and origami-reminiscent fascinators, cuffs, belts and capes peppered throughout the show?

After the show, we spoke to the designer backstage. Here’s what she had to say about her show notes, Asian models, and Leonardo DiCaprio as inspiration:

Fashionista: Each season, we really look forward to your extensive show notes. Do you write them yourself?
Yes, I write them all myself. They’re actually really important to me. I know some people might think it’s a long drawn out story, but I like every collection to be personal and emotional and it comes really from me.

The notes are really beautiful, but could you maybe give us a CliffsNote version and talk about your personal inspiration for the collection?
There are so many inspirations in this collection, but it really started out when I was having a conversation with a friend about lucid dreams. It’s something that I used to experience every day when I was younger.

The last line of your show notes reads, “And finally, credit to Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo Montague, and to Tank Girl” (there are tops in the collection named “Chasing Leo”). You have to tell us what that means.
(Laughs) Those also came six months ago, too. I don’t know…I had this vision of Leo in his Hawaiian shirt and the beater and I love that idea of something so kitschy and someone being able to make it look really cool and chic. And Tank Girl is the same thing, so those were the two styling inspirations for me.

What was your thought process in the model casting ?
I wanted to pick girls that weren’t obvious. So I tried to cast girls that are grown. They’re women that know their body and they’ve been through life a little bit.

Speaking of models, we’re seeing more Asian faces in the ads and on the runway lately. As an Asian American designer, do you think this is more of a trend or an actual watershed moment for Asians in fashion?
I think yes and no. I do believe the model “trend”…some people are over-blowing it and thinking “cast an entire show this way” and whatnot, but I think maybe designer-wise, Asians are just coming into their time.

Today is a very momentous and emotional day for the country. What is your feeling on the importance of showing today?
Every time I tell someone that my show is on September 11, they always have this “oh….” sort of reaction to it, but I think it’s a great thing to have a positive moment on a memorial like this. I was excited actually.

**All photos via Imaxtree

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Tracy Reese Spring 2012: Lighthearted Frocks for the Girly Girl

Tracy Reese undoubtedly knows how to do flirty and feminine, and that’s what her Spring 2012 collection was all about. “It’s a very romantic collection, very colorful and lighthearted,” she told us backstage. “I think that’s important, especially today,” she said referring to her 9/11 show date. The collection did serve as a happy distraction, offering pretty floral patterns and pops of bright neon colors. Romantic lace umbrellas and chic hats by Jennifer Oullette—slightly reminiscent of Kate Middleton— added to the cheerful aesthetic.

There were plenty of wearable pieces including two stellar palazzo jumpsuits (one in pearl, the other in a pink tulip pattern), flouncy floral dresses, and several bright, retro-looking one piece bathing suits. Separates came in the form of lightweight shorts with laced edges, bright and airy blouses and a pastel sequin tee topped with a khaki anorak. It was difficult to nail down a specific, unifying theme, but one thing is clear: if you want to channel your inner girly girl, Reese has you covered. “Every time I put on one of her dresses I just feel adorable,” Aisha Tyler told us post show. “It’s always very feminine and girly. It makes you happy,” Jamie-Lynn Sigler added. And if you ask us, the feel good fashion couldn’t come at a better time.

**All images: Imaxtree

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