NYFW Spring 2014: Calla

Calla Haynes first caught my attention last season with her Tetris inspired 90s-esque collection. This season the young designer who was a finalist for France's prestigious ANDAM prize for 3 years continues her 90s love with a surf inspired collection. The designer's love for the decade could in part be stemmed from the fact that it was about the time in her life when fashion first held it's influence.

Fortunately the designer did not hold us hostage in the past and lent her youthful aesthetic to creating fresh fashion for the modern age. Sure there were crop tops, bat wing sweaters, bralets and matching skirt suits (Hello, Clueless) but the proportions have been modified to become a lot more flattering through full skirts, loose trousers and figure skimming sheaths

For most part just a peek of skin shows at a time making the cropped tops a lot more wearable. Items skim the body without being too oversized or too mini. 

  

Mixing prints seems second nature to Ms. Haynes and neon or bright pops were balanced with neutrals like black and white or white and warm grey.

The overall effect is that the Calla woman is feminine, cute but not at all saccharine or dainty.

NYFW Spring 2014: Costello Tagliapietra

The designers of Costello Tagliapietra have long been known as much for their personal style as they have been for their light handed approach to draping ultra-feminine dresses. This season they branched out of the their normal territory and made the collection a bit more personal by being inspired by their personal approach to dressing while introducing plenty of separates, handbags and shoes.

 

Naturally there was a nod to the plaid that they both love and have earned them the affectionate nickname of the Fashion Bears. However the plaid has been blurred out to it's most abstract form to create a softer print. The long cardigans they favor, button-up shirts, relaxed trousers and tailored jackets have all found their way into this collection. However this is not to say that this is a literal translation of the duos masculine style and there is no hint of hipster or 90s grunge present. It is more what the designer's vision of women borrowing from the boys might look like.

Don't think that this means the designers have given up on their first love of draping. There are feminine dresses a plenty. However this time around the silhouettes are less voluminous and more sleek.

The color palette of orange, aqua, baby blue, cobalt, olive, black and flame red lend a tropical feel to the collection. When it is layered and color blocked in many of the looks it becomes very striking.

Overall the results were successful in creating wearable, effortless, elegant clothing that is simultaneously modern and classic. I really appreciate how the designers have broadened their offerings, giving more choices to their customer and can't wait to see these pieces at retail.

NYFW Fall 2013: Louise Amstrupp

There are a couple of presentations that I stopped by that I never had a chance to get to so here is one more review for you. Louise Amstrup  is the London based designer who made her London Fashion Week debut back in 2009. Now to signify a new era Louise Amstrup presented in New York for the very first time at Milk Studios.

The collection was inspired by the 2004 documentary, Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea, that portrayed a ghost town in the Californian desert. The town was once lauded to become the new Palm Springs before ever increasing salt levels gave the area an odor of decaying fish.

Salt crystals, underwater sea creatures and coral became the inspirational elements that Amstrup drew upon.  The level of detail took a couture approach. The organza skirt shown above consisted of hundreds of hand-dyed organza flowers and took 850 hours to create.


My favorite pieces where those that were less worked and had a sporty edge with a net layer. The acid yellow and lilac prints looked great against navy, white, light grey and black. Softly rounded hips and rounded shoulders looked great as did the a-line silhouettes and youthful mini lengths. Marbleized nail polish, crimped hair, floppy hats and socks with silver ASOS heels finished off the look.

NYFW Fall 2013: Bellavance

Milk Studios was a buzz the other week as the most crowded of all presentations caught my attention. What was the buzz about? Why were people milling into such a small, hot room? Turns out that Bellavance who were winners of the MADE For Peroni Young Designer Awards, Ava Hama and Nolan Bellavance were showing their inaugural collection at Milk Studios. The award, which was open exclusively to select Parsons SoF graduates and alumni, meant $25,000 in funding, as well as production support and personal mentoring from London-based designer Antonio Beradi in the lead up to the presentation.


Guests sipped Peroni and snacked on tuna tartar and other treats while the clothes were presented. Silhouettes were simple - easy to wear tunics, dresses that skimmed the body but were nipped at the waist for shape, a-line skirts that hit below the knee and soft rounded shoulders. Fabrications ranged from silk satin, to nubby tweed, to denim, to pliable lambskin leather and fur (racoon, white mink, fox). Colors were muted and black and white were predominant save for a soft blue and red that made an appearance in addition to a caramel toned Finn racoon. The most architectural of  the pieces was the red dress with seams that highlighted the body in a way that mentor Berardi was sure to approve of.

The overall look was downtown cool girl visits a thrift shop and discovering some rather glam pieces. Wearable, chic in a not trying to hard way. Since these young designers had such a strong reception I can't wait to see what will happen as they grow.

NYFW Fall 2013: Alexandre Herchcovitch

I had the chance to return to Milk Studios for Alexander Herchcovitch's runway show on Saturday night to a full house. The room was packed as the lights dimmed. The looks sort of floated into the room as all eyes were fixated on the stage and a hush came over the bustling crowd. Sculptural skirts that had a surprisingly light quality to them in spite of being created in satins. There was a sense of romance yet modernity but simultaneously there was an underlying eerie quality to the designs as well.

The inspiration came from flowers but not in the way that one would typically think. Sure there were have done it. The models themselves became the flowers and you could see the flowers going through all the stages from young bud to the shedding of petals. The shedding was most interesting to me upon closer examination I realized that the shedding is actually not assymetry but how the garments have been designed to be deconstructed. She's come undone and is revealing some sexy lingerie inspired pieces.

My favorite creations were those that had the play of stripes and a strong use of assymetry that was unexpected but well balanced. Peplums, elbow length sleeves, soft hips, hemlines that hit just below the knee, tailored bodices sloped shoulders are some of the key elements of this collection.

Herchcovitch's strength comes from his signature pattern-cutting experiments combined with sophisticated fabrics and shapes for a striking collection that transforms women into blooms from an exotic garden. Delicate but simultaneously powerful.

NYFW Fall 2013: CALLA

Call me a bit of an 90s nerd but whenever a collection is inspired by Tetris or other video games it fascinates me. Calla Haynes the Canadian Paris-based designer behind CALLA was inspired by Tetris, Legend of Zelda and director Michel Gondry's The Science of sleep. The unique prints that resembled blurry pixel florals, while another has a cosmic blustery petal feel and let's not forget the Tetris tweed used. The designer partnered up with Austrian knitwear designer Michaela Buerger to create chunky hand-knit wool sweaters.  Fortunately the collection did not look anything like a 90s nerd.



The silhouettes were simple and the styles paired slim and straight with a fit and flare silhouette. boxy jackets contrast the fitted motorcycle peplums. Necklines were jewel neck or button down and I really had to appreciate that the skirts had pockets.

The sugary colors were refreshing and happy in a way that screamed Spring rather than Fall but seemed right for this collection full of whit and whimsy. Deep violet, peach, electric yellow, aqua, slate grey were the main colors used throughout the collection. The colors paired back to neutrals like navy, oatmeal and black to create well balanced combinations. Namesake embellished sweatshirts reminded me of cheerleaders in college and despite not being a logo type of girl made me want to add them to my wardrobe.

As for beauty hair was unfussy and in the kind of messy pony tails and half pony loops that you see women wear on a daily basis. Lips were neutral but eyes were where the fun was at with soft multi-colored pastel shades adding a fresh faced vibrance to the entire look.

Fortunately the designs themselves have nothing juvenile about them despite the youthful influence. These clothes are just too adorable for words and I find myself wanting just about every piece. Modern, wearable, feminine, romantic and charming - who doesn't want to be a CALLA girl? It is no wonder Haynes has been a finalist for the prestigious ANDAM award for the past 3 years.