Sabtu, 01 Maret 2014

Paris Fashion Week 2014: Junya Watanabe's fabric symphony


PARIS -- For Junya Watanabe, a collection is never about a single reference point or theme. It's about the work--rigorous technique--which evolves before our very eyes on the runway.


The designer's powers were on full display Saturday morning at Paris Fashion Week when he presented an incredible lineup of what were essentially fabric assemblages-- careful constructions, collages and patchworks of lace, tulle, tweed, ribbon and fur, painstakingly put together and wholly elegant.


The collection was all black, which allowed the differences in texture and shine of the fabrics to really sing.


And the way the show was orchestrated (because it really did feel like a musical riff) revealed the evolution of the creative process from collection's beginning to end.


It started before we even arrived, with the invitation, a patchwork of glossy squares mounted on flexible paper.


On the runway, the show started similarly, with dresses and skirts made of overlapping fabric cutouts. The 3D sculptures in lace, leather, tweed, glittery boucle and sequins were worn over sparkly leggings and lace-up brogues.


The technique evolved into a patchwork effect on black pants, button-down shirts, sweater knits and an incredible toggle coat. And then the fabric pieces narrowed to vertical ribbons and strips on long skirts, tail coats and dresses, some of which had tiny ruffles, rows of crystals and fur.


It was something to watch. And the technique and artistry didn't overshadow the functionality of the clothes. There were cardigan sweaters, patchwork pants and parkas that will be fabulous to wear.


ALSO:

More Paris Fashion Week coverage


Paris Fashion Week 2014: Hussein Chalayan nails it Dazzling Paris exhibit explores Dries Van Noten's design inspiration booth.moore@latimes.com

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Paris Fashion Week 2014: Hussein Chalayan nails it


PARIS -- Designer Hussein Chalayan, o ne of fashion's biggest thinkers, never ceases to amaze. On the runway he's shown remote-controlled dresses, collapsible wood coffee-table skirts and many more innovative designs.


And on Friday he surprised us again, albeit in a much more banal way, by showing a dress with a front panel covered in rows and rows of colorful fake fingernails. It was genius in a lowbrow way -- and guaranteed to make sure everyone was paying attention at the morning show. There were double and triple takes.


The rest of the collection was sportswear with an avant-garde twist, including leather jackets with zip-off panels, hybrid culotte-skirts (just one pants leg!) that somehow managed to look chic not weird, worn with boxy jackets that buttoned low.


Dresses were embellished with panels of draped velvet or lame in architectural-looking prints, which created a modern yet feminine look. The collection was commercial but interesting, and that's a magic combination.


ALSO:

More Paris Fashion Week coverage


Alexander Wang finds his groove at Balenciaga Dazzling Paris exhibit explores Dries Van Noten's design inspiration booth.moore@latimes.com

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Spring Fashion in the Canfield Building

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With the snow piled two-feet high in mid-February, our spring fashion shoot was forced to come in from the cold. We found a warm, chic location in the Canfield Building, a 120-year-old warehouse in Midtown Kingston that architect Scott Dutton has rehabilitated from an extreme state of disrepair since he bought the building in 2000. Dutton and his family live in a duplex loft apartment in the building, the site of our shoot. Dutton, like photographer Kelly Merchant and models Aemen Bell and Luis Mojica, is part of the Hive Event Collective ( Hiveevent.com), a new collaboration of local professionals creating boutique-sized events with an artisanal flair. The Canfield Building will be one of the Hive's featured event settings.


The clothing for our spring shoot was furnished by de Marchin in Hudson, D'vash in Woodstock, Evoke Style in Rhinebeck, Gwenno James in Beacon, and Zephyr in Rhinebeck. Lexi Damico was the make-up artist. Erin Scoville provided the hair styling. To see more images from our spring fashion shoot, visit Chronogram.com.



Spring Fashion 2014


This season's stunning local spring fashions for women and men.


By Kelly Merchant


Click to View 14 slides


Paris Fashion Week 2014: Isabel Marant goes big for fall


PARIS -- Isabel Marant's fall fashion memo to cool girls everywhere? Skinny jeans are out and baggy pants are in.


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Spring fashion: Designers look to the world of travel for inspiration


In the words of Times Fashion Critic Booth Moore, 'we've dedicated our Spring Fashion Issue to the idea of travel as muse.'


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Spring Fashion Issue: Travel as muse


Beckoning warmth, longer days, the open road. Wasting time, getting lost, letting curiosity be your guide.


You dream of a getaway to Tahiti (or perhaps it's just a day trip to Topanga). You conjure visions of sun and surf, swaying palms and fragrant blooms.


Burning sand dunes, piercing sun, big sky and endless horizons. Whether you are trekking from Marrakech to the Sahara on a camel or taking in the sunrise at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley, designers have got you (barely) covered.


Taking an urban excursion to the Museo Soumaya in Mexico City or a public art tour in downtown L.A.? Not only can you appreciate art but you can also wear it.


Imagine a Baja hoodie, the ultimate in surfer slouch wear, done in the softest sand-colored suede; a baseball cap rendered in sleek snakeskin; or a pair of sweatpants made of the most cush cashmere, paired with a designer T-shirt emblazoned with the low-brow term, 'drug rug.'


Every journey tells a story, whether it's a weekend road trip up Pacific Coast Highway or a yearlong, round-the-world jaunt. And Tumi hopes that with its new Santa Monica collection of bags and accessories, your luggage will tell a tale too.


It wasn't Windansea Beach itself but a detour taken while trying to find a parking spot there that led to the mother lode of inspiration for Jonathan Cohen's spring collection.


It used to be that when a skateboard had shredded its last empty pool or hopped its last handrail, it took a one-way trip to the great halfpipe in the sky.


In today's creative scene, where art, fashion and design converge, Santa Monica fragrance designer Haley Alexander van Oosten is adding scent to the cultural mix. Collaborating with everyone from style maven/photographer Lisa Eisner and designer and artist David Wiseman to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Maxfield and Commune design, Van Oosten is making a name for herself by challenging traditional notions of fragrance.


The laid-back chic of the spring runway collections begs for a warm, sun-kissed beauty look. And there is an array of new products to help achieve that vacation-refreshed magic, even if your next getaway isn't on the horizon.


Opening the door of Rene Holguin's RTH store on La Cienega and stepping into the piƱon incense-scented space is like stumbling upon the souvenir shop of your dreams.


We all know that celebrities spend much of their public lives going from one chauffeured car to the next. But at times what they turn up wearing on the red carpet makes you wonder if they know where they are or what season it is. A gossamer-thin gown in New York in January? Not OK. Neither is velvet in L.A. in springtime. Enter the art of site-specific dressing.


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Baker Motor Company Charleston Fashion Week® Announces Model ...

February 28, 2014 --



CHARLESTON, S.C. (PRWEB) February 28, 2014


Baker Motor Company Charleston Fashion Week (CFW), has selected finalists for its sixth annual Rock the Runway Model Competition. CFW 2014 will take place March 18-22 under the tents in Marion Square. The Rock the Runway Model Competition will be held Fri, March 21. CFWs model search and competition is designed to provide aspiring models a platform to gain the attention of media, photographers, press and the top model scouts and agencies in the country.


CFW provides training, mentorship, professional experience and exposure to the industrys top leaders. Former CFW models have gone on to land contracts with IMG, Elite, IKON and Ford. Many have also appeared in Paris, London, Milan, N.Y. and Miami Fashion Weeks, and secured highly prestigious jobs with Womens Wear Daily, GQ, ELLE, Rolling Stone, Americas Next Top Model, Gossip Girl, Oscar de la Renta, Mercedes-Benz, Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs, among others.


CFW 2014 boasts a total of 200 models who were cast in August from a group of 800 applicants. These 200 men and women, under the training of renowned model coach, Michelle Wood, will walk throughout the weeks 45-plus runway shows. One male and one female winner will be selected on Fri, March 21 by CFWs VIP Model Panel including Karen Lee Grybowski, Sebastian Smith and Christina Zapolski.


This years male finalists competing for the grand prize are: Zachariah Collins, Mason Gepp, Eric Massar, Tyler McKeever and Jake Mercer. The women finalists are: Mikayla Bryant, Jaclyn Carroll, Paige Daniels, Lauren Ellison, Rachel Friese, Summer Hendley, Cheyenne Hostetler, Emily Odom, Jade-Alexis Samatha Smiley and Taylor Sullivan.


For more information on CFW, including the full schedule and tickets, visit charlestonfashionweek.com. Find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @ChasFashWeek.


About Baker Motor Company Charleston Fashion Week® Showcasing fashion designers, retailers and models, Baker Motor Company Charleston Fashion Week® has fast become one of the premier fashion weeks in North America. Named the Biggest Style Event in the South by The Daily South and profiled on CNN, this multimedia event presents high-end runway shows, interactive entertainment, chic after-parties and press events. The 2013 event held under the tents in Marion Square in Charleston, S.C., featured more than 45 runway shows, Charleston Weddings Magazines Spring Bridal Show, Emerging Designer Competition: East presented by Benefitfocus, and Rock the Runway Model Competition. Baker Motor Company Charleston Fashion Week® 2014 is scheduled for March 18-22. For more information, visit http://ift.tt/18OlHFq.


About Karen Lee Grybowski Karen Lee Grybowski has discovered, coached and promoted many of the fashion industrys top models, such as Carolyn Murphy and Oluchi, at the onset of their careers. She served as the director of scouting for Wilhelmina, Pauline and Elite Model Management and spent 15 years travelling the globe, looking for new faces and empowering young women by helping them develop a sense of health, wellness, style and confidence. In 2009, Karen went out on her own and started the Karen Lee Group (KLG), a scouting firm that places the models it discovers with major model agencies around the world. KLG also offers consultations and workshops for those who desire or need coaching in modeling or who wish to pursue other career opportunities within the modeling industry.


About Sebastian Smith Born in Biloxi, Miss., and reared in cities throughout Europe, Sebastian Smith has continued his travels into adulthood, always with a keen eye in search of beauty. His extensive portfolio includes work for clients such as Valentino in collaboration with Saks Fifth Avenue, Victorias Secret and Diesel for Zoot magazine out of Lisbon. He has photographed a number of celebrities, including Stephanie Szostak for Details, Kim Kardashian for Socialite Style and Yara Martinez and Gillian Jacobs for B/W/R and ID public relations firms, and shot a campaign for INGLOT cosmetics that will be featured in Times Square this spring. Sebastian recently moved to Charleston and now divides his time between Brooklyn and the Lowcountry.


About Christina Zapolski After walking for Charleston Fashion Week® 2012 as a top-10 finalist in the Rock the Runway Model Competition, Christina signed with Ford Models. Since then, she has worked for clients including Chloe, Lanvin, Chanel and Bluefly; walked for Mercedes-Benz Swim Week in Miami and Fashion Week in New York; and been featured on the pages of Fitness and Self magazines, among others. The Charleston resident is also a part-time student at Fordham University, continuing her studies toward a degree in communications. Last November, Christina was crowned Miss South Carolina USA 2014.


Read the full story at http://ift.tt/1pFmm6A.


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