Rugged Sophistication: That's the 'General Idea'

Whether trekking through the Alps, getting lost in the Alaskan wilderness, conquering Everest, or simply walking through New York City's Central Park on a cool Autumn evening- General Idea by Korean designer Bumsuk Choi makes the rugged outdoors look AMAZING!! From wool knit shorts, color infused fur hooded jackets, varieties of modern leg warmers, and body fitting outdoor vests- who knew being outdoors could look so CHIC?

By infusing inspirations from both military and mountain outdoors, Bumsuk creates a functional and practical yet undeniably trendy collection for General Idea. Most male consumers often wrestle with the conundrum of finding something that keeps the 'masculine' look but at the same time do still look aesthetically AWESOME!! I must admit I was more than eagerly anticipating this show after I saw Bumsuk, (or at least I think it was him) in the lobby of the Hotel Empire wearing my favorite piece of the collection (camel colored wool knit shorts) - Not even a 9am show time in frigid weather could keep me away, and I surely WAS NOT disapppointed! Every piece, from hat to jacket, to leg warmers, backpacks, and boots; I wanted it ALL!

You Never Forget Your First!! NYFW F/W11

Sure enough the Victor De Souza runway show was definitely a memorable experience. Although it was a bit hard to see pass rows of people, (had to stand in the back) REAL talent truly shines thru. It's definitely a refreshing breath of air to see pops of color: vibrant, exciting, and alive on runway for FALL/Winter. Usually designers reserve strong colors for Resort or Spring lines, and typically stick to dark and muted pallettes like gray, black, cream, chocolate. Victor De Souza breaks the conventional mold and sends forth a rich pallete of colors down his runway. From Yellows, Aqua, Green, and my favorite this rich royal blue, an array of beautiful colors.

My personal favorite during the show was this royal blue and beige lace embroidered dress with a high collar sleeveless moto jacket and lace high gloves to match, exudes such a 'Rock-n-Roll Elegance'. During Mercedes Benz Fashion Week NYFW11 F/W runway, Victor De Souza was the first runway I attended, and it sure was a great open for my week. Surely, De Souza is the designer to keep an eye on and I myself is eagerly anticipating what's next to come from this visionary.

Mercedes Benz FashionWeek FW2011

One must wonder why in the business of fashion, (where everything must be new, NOW, and fresh) I have the audacity to post my fashion week coverage 6 months later. Simple, with millions of blogs, magazines, and television coverage talking about fashion week and its events, another blog would seem redundant amongst all that saturation. I decided to wait until the dust cleared and the fashion world is ready for the next season, while anticipating WHO's going to wear this season's hottest trends shown on the runway 6months ago.(note that fashion is always 1 season ahead) There is definitely a method to my madness!

Before I go into the shows I covered during fashion week, I have to mention that one of the most memorable moment I had was being fortunate enough to see Betsey Johnson during an interview. Being only 2 feet away from such an iconic and vibrant figure of the fashion world, it surely was an honor for a stylist who's just starting out in this crazy business. Although Betsey Johnson never noticed me, to be in her presence was inspiration enough!!!