Loden Dager F/W 2012: The Contemporary Man!

 

Sporty, functional, yet undeniably Sophisticated! Loden Dager's contemporary aesthetics is clear and full of life in its Fall/Winter 2012 collection. Clearly when a designer steps out of the box and presents skillfully tailored suits and separates in hues of blood orange, palm tree green, regal purple and burgundy in textures like tweed and wool it commands the attention fo the fashion industry.  

Young celebrities such as Kellan Lutz and fashion's biggest name like CFDA's Steven Kolb were some of the attendees seen in front row- friends and admirers of the designer and his phenomenal work. One couldn't help notice that male supermodels like Sean O'Pry and David Agboji sported 2 of my personal favorites of the collection. Sean wore a hand-tailored tuxedo jacket, hand-tailored vest, L/S formal shirt, and complemented by a hand-tailored suit trouser. On David a double zip shawl sweater, work shirt, and selvedge biker jeans.

Overall, I do appreciate a collection that infuses youth and exuberance in an old age sophistication- I would love to label this as a "Contemporary Dapper Don". 

FalguniShane Peacock F/W 2012: Love, RocknRoll, Fashion!!!

Plunging necklines, sheer fabrics, and slim body fitted silhouettes accentuated with intricate beading, sequins, precision laser cuts, and layers of exotic feathers all came together to create a sexy combination of rock and roll and tribal inspired Fall/Winter 2012 collection.
From its debut runway show in New York Fashion Week in September 2011, Falguni and Shane Peacock has stirred the attention of fashion's elite and editors with its rocker chic inspired aesthetics. Sensual, Sexy, and Sultry describes every ensemble coming down the runway; a vision of a powerful warrioress woman.
It's no surprise that celebrities such as Ashanti and former Destiny's Child member Michelle Williams were spotted in front row (with me directly behind the gorgeous ladies) taking in every sensational piece with a smile and eager anticipation for the next model to enter. After last season's amazing runway show, I too waited in anticipation and barely contained my excitement to see what the duo designers have in stored for Fall/Winter 2012.
'FashionGasm' is one adjective that fairly describes the collection, and still the word is an understatement. From the intricate detailing, precision cuts, and to the eye-catching sequin beadings- from one piece to the next the runway came alive with colors and textures. My personal favorites were the electric blues and the regal purple color pallettes. Specifically, the deep V longsleeve cat suit in the electric blue, and the finale look the lue and purple cat suit with the long feather train just too my breath away.

Hyden Yoo F/W 2012: Classic Americana

Inspired by the classic tale of a young man and his love for that 'unattainable' beautiful woman, Hyden Yoo's Fall/Winter 2012 collection transforms classic Americana from the gilded age of "Great Gatsby" into a sexy, refined, and modern story.

Using color pallettes of muted browns, greys, blacks, and punched with royal blues and florals, with a slim and modern silhouette, Hyden Yoo marries that c;assic "old world money" society with the young movers and shakers in today's social scene.

Fabrics like suede, leather, fannel wools, cotton twills, corduroy, silks, crepe, and jerseys all combine making a young and almost effortless classic style. If one started at the right point during the presentation, one can clearly see that the story was told in such a sequence that reflects one's day to day activity- from a chic rendezvou with friends, to a day at the office, and then to a night time gala.  I must say that one piece caught my eye instantly for its classic cut and subtle understated drama. The olive wool suit with the sherpa collar was my favorite of the collection. The suit was clean, the wool fabric was perfect for fall, it had amazing tailoring with a contemporary silhouette, and it had that added drama factor with the sherpa collar detailing.

Overall, the success of the collection is within it wearability and classic tailoring. Quality definitely supercedes any fringe and frills specially considering today's economy!     

Brandon Sun F/W 2012: "Silent Assassins"

 

A thin layer of fog envelops the show space, and the mood dark and mysterious. As one walks into the venue one is greeted by statuesque models in luxurious furs and 'to die for' knits, and that amazing vision is only a taste of the entire Fall/Winter 2012 collection by Brandon Sun. This season was the young designer's first presentation during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and was well received by many fashion critics. The venue was a buzzed with excitement discussing the soft pallettes and stunning chunky knit sweater; all layered in gorgeous furs.
Mentored by one of the most prestigous design house, Brandon Sun used his experience from J.Mendel and its creative director Gilles Mendel, to create a collection layered in signature fur- "Brandon offers clothing to women who are today's initiators, leaders, and innovators." Brandon Sun's F/W 2012 collection was inspired by 'peaceful ferocity' and hence the story of 'Silent Assassins' was born.
Personally, I love the simple, clean look of the collection, it is the layered pieces and luxurious textures that gives it that 'wow' factor. I also intrigued by this top layer of sheer fabric that gives the look just another layer of elegance. One of my favorite ensemble was look # 8 : anthracite serpentine hand knitted cashmere pull-over with sable cuffs; with anthracite cashmere gauze and storm grey crinkle chiffon wrap.One can surely appreciate the juxstaposition of feminine and masculine played in several ensembles, it's elegance with some edge!
If Brandon Sun continues to produce spectacular works like this season, he has a bright future in this industry and one surely to watch. I look forward to another season and anticipate a wonderful creation to come.

Badgley Mischka F/W 2012: Gothic Glam!

With Joan Rivers, Kelly Osbourne, Angela Simmons, Ann Shoket (Seventeen Magazine's Editor in Chief), and countless other fashion stars and celebrities, Badgley Mischka's Fall/Winter 2012 runway show is one of the most anticipated for New York Fashion Week. Pre-show the mood for the venue was dark and mysterious undoubdtedly a fitting pre-lude to what's to come.

For the next 20 minutes a packed audience was treated to a beautiful Gothic Glam inspired collection that both exude 'old money' of New York's Upper West Side, and the fashion youth of Soho. Using from both their Badgley Mischka and Mark+James RTW line, the runway was a spectacular mix of crepe, tweed, mink, brocade, satin, silk, and shearling; all tied in together in metallics, black, and gold color pallettes. The combination of antique gold and black with a hint of shimmer and metallic was so elegant and luxurious and yet never once felt aged. Every piece was so modern and youthful that any woman whether 25 years old or 65 can look stunning and most importantly age appropriate. Though the collection lacked color, it surely wasn't lackluster. I enjoyed the dark color pallete as it added that air of mystery to a Gothic Glam story. Some of my favorite pieces were the antique gold lame` pajama top and pants (Look 19), the jet shearling jacket with black chiffon & jersey maxipant (Look 22), and the gold tulle & winter fox vest with mist lace and winter fox gown.

Badgley Mischka's success can clearly be summed up in their unwavering dedication to quality and luxury. Every season celebrities and and fashion elites crowd together to catch a glimpse of what the duo has to offer for the upcoming season. I for one have tried for the past four seasons to press cover a Badgley Mischka runway show, and this season fortune smiles on persistence and it was worth every minute; swimming through a sea of people was all worth it just to catch a few minutes of such a spectacular show.

(apologies for the picture quality..a bit hard from 4th row to focus)