Video: DVF, Through Google's Eye
Diane von Furstenberg shoots a fashion week film with Google's new smart glasses.
September 13, 2012
Who but Diane von Furstenberg would you expect to be at the forefront of spring 2013 New York Fashion Week's coolest marriage of style and technology? Sending her models down the runway wearing the latest Google Glass—a video camera and smartphone in eyeglass form—the designer continues her dip into the future of technology with today's release of a new short film, DVF [through Glass], on YouTube.
Including bird’s eye views of von Furstenberg’s spring show (both on the runway and backstage) and the DVF brand’s Meatpacking District homebase, the film is narrated by the fashion designer herself. Watch the video above and experience four minutes of New York Fashion Week through the eyes of DVF—quite literally at some points.
4 Favorites from Yesterday’s Shows
Bollywood beauties emerge, coral continues to trend, and Rachel Zoe does paillettes for days.
September 13, 2012
From left: Spring 2013 looks by Marchesa and Nanette Lepore
Marchesa
In February 1968, The Beatles trekked to India to study transcendental meditation with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. This psychedelic moment served as inspiration for Marchesa designers Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig’s spring/summer collection. The show gave a deep look at the beauty of India, from the colors to the fabrics to the ultra-luxe headings and embroideries. We loved the Mod-meets-glamour sensibility, and the bright separates and dresses that populated the first few looks.
Nanette Lepore
We always know we'll get great prints from Nanette Lepore, and this season she once again offered up looks that were fresh, a little zesty, and irresistible. Toiles seemed to draw Lepore's eye for spring 2013, and she played well with them so they didn't seem to busy or boring. Toward the end of her show she offered up a pair of muted coral dresses in those fab prints—but rather than do an allover look, Lepore opted to soften the idea, which only made the effect more artful. That's the confidence showing of someone who knows how to work with prints.
From left: Spring 2013 looks by Michael Kors and Rachel Zoe
Michael Kors
It was all about graphic-meets-classic for Michael Kors spring/summer. New York's quintessential designer of American sportswear kicked off his show with stripes—a trend we've seen in abundance this week. However, with Kors, it’s easy to imagine the moments one might work the look: in the Hamptons, say, or at Palm Beach Polo. This was a wholly unfussy collection, offering up super-crisp tailoring (woven through the finest thread of a Mod vibe here and there), all in a highly focused color palette of navy, red, and brilliant shades of green and yellow, punctuated with white or black (or both, in the case of all those stripes and a few houndstooth looks). Kors also mined the territory of digital prints. His cloud designs were particularly joyful, but we couldn't take our eyes off of all those coats and A-line skirts in primary colors. Like so much of this collection, you'll own them forever.
Rachel Zoe
Rachel Zoe referenced two late ’60s style icons, Jane Birkin and Talitha Getty, for her spring/summer collection. It was crisp yet breezy in that swinging London kind of way, and a group of paillette-embellished looks really captured Zoe's dazzlingly sophisticated sensibility. Our particular favorite was a slouchy gray knit top—covered in glistening paillettes—paired with a long skirt in the same knit for a combination that looked utterly glamorous and divinely comfortable.
NYFW S/S 2013 Front Row: Day 6
Florence Welch, Kanye West, Michael Douglas, and Olivia Palermo at New York Fashion Week.
September 13, 2012
Street Style: A Statement Tee
Man Repeller blogger Leandra Medine wears her opinions on her T-shirt.
September 12, 2012
We give Man Repeller blogger Leandra Medine props for taking the aggregating blogosphere with a grain of salt and a sense of humor. (We dig her Kirna Zabete bracelet, too.) According to New York magazine’s The Cut blog, W magazine editor Stefano Tonchi agrees with Medine: "A story about a story is not an original story," says Tonchi.
>>More street style photos here
Spring Brings Youth and Sex Appeal
NYC’s pretty young things will wear Tory Burch, Narciso Rodriguez, and Oscar de la Renta next spring.
September 12, 2012
From left: Spring 2013 looks by Tory Burch, Narciso Rodriguez, and Oscar de la Renta
Tory Burch
Tory Burch sent out a posh island fantasy of what a young socialite might wear on vacation to Mustique for spring 2013. A breezy, youthful A-line dress in a pampas grass print with, true to the Tory code, a killer matching bag, opened the show. After feeling the first fall nip in the air this week, this look (above, left) had us already longing for next spring's balmy days.
Narciso Rodriguez
People were raving about Narciso Rodriguez upon exiting his show last night. Decidedly without frills, spring/summer is a season rooted in cleanly simple architecture—and since that’s part of the Narciso DNA, why shouldn’t the designer shine? Fold in an amped-up sex appeal that always felt sophisticated, and it's no wonder Rodriguez has such a hit on his hands. Among the standouts, we loved a black and white slip dress that hit all the right notes: shapely, sexy without being too sexy, and inventive in a way that most definitely illustrates the Narciso Rodriguez signature. We have no doubt the smile he sported on last night's runway is still there.
Oscar de la Renta
On the way out of Oscar de la Renta's show, all anyone could talk about was how youthful the collection was, and that was meant very much as a compliment. For spring, Oscar is feeling young (check out all the cute shorts), fun (a vivacious color palette of saturated pinks, blues, and yellows), and maybe a tad mischievous (knee-length latex skirts for the socialite with an inner bad girl). Add up all of the above, and that accounts for the glint in Oscar's eye at show's end—or maybe he was merely admiring the stunning Karlie Kloss in his finale gown. Whatever the reason, we loved this fashionable fountain of youth.
Gilded Glory at Vera Wang
The rich culture of India inspired Wang’s new spring collection.
September 12, 2012
The fabrics we’ve come to expect from Vera Wang—tulle, Chantilly lace, organza, and chiffon—were all represented at the designer’s spring/summer 2013 show. However, that’s not to say there weren’t any surprises: A refreshing union of fluidity and structure made for Wang’s strongest showing yet. Taking into consideration last season’s critique that her clothes, though beautiful, lacked wearability, the India-inspired collection displayed modernity, restraint, and sophistication, with a nod to the inspiring country’s cultural beauty.
The show opened with white cotton canvas embroidered jackets, Bermuda shorts, and tulip skirts, transitioning to more romantic jacquard choli jackets with jeweled epaulettes and lace gowns with gold bullion bodices. A gold embroidered lace sleeveless jacket and white brocade tulip skirt felt both couture and contemporary, while exemplifying the collection’s brilliant mix of texture, print, and proportion.
NYFW S/S 2013 Front Row: Day 5
Kirsten Dunst, Odette Annable, Stefano Tonchi, and Jenna Dewan at New York Fashion Week.
September 12, 2012
14 Accessories for Next Spring
Color-block pocketbooks, sexy Mary Janes, and serpentine clutches are among the accessories we've spotted.
September 11, 2012
Street Style: Shirting Around
An oversize white men’s shirt is as good a dress as any.
September 11, 2012
Model Kate King outside of Thakoon on day four of spring 2013 New York Fashion Week.
>>More street style photos here
Animal Prints, Grunge & Stripes Trend for S/S 2013
Jungle girls at Carlos Miele, chain gang chic at Marc Jacobs, and more.
September 11, 2012
From left: 3.1 Phillip Lim s/s 2013 look; Carlos Miele s/s 2013 look
3.1 Phillip Lim
As the first model appeared on Phillip Lim’s asymmetrical runway, we were transported to the 1990s, an alternative era of plaid, patchwork, and denim. Inspired by a Dadaist literary technique—where a story is disassembled and then pieced back together at random—Lim’s spring/summer collection was unpredictably good fun. Each piece offered a new interpretation of American sportswear, while echoing the grunge trend with shirts tied at the waist, crop tops, and graphic T-shirts. This cut-up tank (above, at left) with an “I Heart Nueva New York” graphic, paired with terry pants and a shirt tied around the waist, speaks to all sides of Lim’s spring POV.
Carlos Miele
The phrase “hallucinatory jungle” jumped out at us as we were reading the show notes for Carlos Miele’s spring/summer show. Then, as the show opened and closed with bright animal-print gowns, Miele’s description of the collection made perfect sense. These are most definitely notice-me gowns, and you get a clear sense Miele had fun with this collection, which is always a joyful thing to see from a designer.
From left: Marc Jacobs s/s 2013 look; Zac Posen s/s 2013 look
Marc Jacobs
With all of the stripes on Marc Jacobs’ spring/summer runway, the designer could have outfitted the entire population of the world’s most fashionable women’s prison. Dresses, suits, jumpsuits—all were done in bold, stark stripes of black, brown, or camel against a white palette. However, the dress that caught our eye had no stripes at all, but rather called out another trend: the black-and-white statement. Sleek and structured, with a flirty white ruffle at the elbow, this is the dress (above, at left) we'd reach for again and again. It’s equally chic, ladylike, and modern.
Zac Posen
Zac always does a mind-blowingly beautiful show, filled with stunning, painstakingly crafted red-carpet gowns. For spring/summer he took craft and showmanship to another level with spectacular gowns—plus, he had Naomi Campbell, Coco Rocha, and Hilary Rhoda walking his show. All of the gowns were great, but we loved this tulle ballerina top paired with tuxedo pants (above, at right). It makes a statement about romance, sex appeal, modernity, and the unexpected—it’s just exquisite.
