Shecky's Girl's Night Out!

Girls night out usually happens every Saturday night. Spending the night in with your closest friends, sharing the week's gossip over specialty cocktails, beauty pampering, good music, snacks and the occasional movie. Rarely do these girl’s nights last all day, complete with a bouncer, a red carpet and hundreds of other ladies, but at Shecky’s, their Girls Night Outs do. Where “you and your fabulous entourage will discover unique designers, sip our delectable drinks, and cap your night off with some pretty pampering and glorious Goodie Bags,” according to the event throwing...

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Jenny Packham Spring 2014

The 1970's hit the NY Fashion Week runways for spring 2014.  Jenny Packham, a favorite of Kate Middleton and many red carpet celebrities brought the decade of nightlife to her evening wear.  There were many long silky skirts and off-the-shoulder styles that echoed the easy peasant look.  There were also the short, sleeveless jumpers I remembered from childhood.  However, they were interpreted in luxury fabrics and delicately embroidered. The easy silhouettes almost reminded me of elegant nightgowns at times, and the over sized clutch handbags looked like teddy bears....

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Behind The Scenes: Byron Lars Spring 2014

So here is a sneak peek at one of my favorite designers of all time.  Byron Lars allowed the Ms. Fab team to hang out for their Spring 2014 lookbook photo shoot.  The next few months will be difficult as I saw many pieces that I can't wait to buy and wear. There was a great group of dresses with a candy colored tweed print by our own Mdivani Monroe. This was paired with a pieced argyle top, corset-like patent belts, metallic basketweave fabrics and lasercut details.  Other dresses mixed brocade and spikes, embroidered tulle, chains and an ironic/pretty moth print. I love...

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Zang Toi's Ballerina Babes

This show is always the one I look forward for NY fashion week.  The inspiration of Zang Toi's Spring 2014 collection was the grace beauty of ballet.  The fashion show opened with Cory Stearns, the handsome star of the American Ballet Theater gracing guests with a performance. The collection that followed was a parade of silk fantasy looks. There were ballgowns of ruffled tulle.  There were elegant silk crepe suits.  There were long fishtail gowns embroidered with beads, platinum thread or delicate silk flowers.  The color palette was a dark charcoal paired with...

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Emmy Embroidery Red Carpet Stars

 Ah yes, my round-up of the best embroidery design from the Emmys Red Carpet.  My first group are my picks for pure glamour.  Connie Britton wore Naeem Khan's regal silk velvet and gold embroidery from the Fall 2013 collection that I loved from the runway.  She went from Diva to Queen the minute she stepped on the carpet.  Heidi Klum was stunning in Versace's "pomegranate" beaded dress.  The seams, beaded style lines and patterns added even more oomph to her formidable shape than she could possibly need.  Julianne Hough's pastel Jenny Packham dress was very...

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Artisan Embroidery at Naeem Khan Spring 2014

 Latin love was the aesthetic inspiration for Naeem Khan's gorgeous collection at NY Fashion Week.  The rose floral embroidery was a nod to the peasant blouses of Mexico, but embellished with a bit of luxury crystals and beads.  The jungle motifs from South America were also alluded to in the bright palette of the painted stripe dresses and wild leafy embroidered sequin dresses. Naeem Khan is still Naeem Khan though, so the sweeping gowns, red carpet stunners and elegant sheaths that dress royalty are still the key silhouettes of this runway.  They just happen to be...

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Mordekai by Ken Borochov Spring 2014

Overt glam and oversized-everything ruled the cream carpet runway for Ken Borochov’s Mordekai Spring 2014 collection at Milk Made Fashion Week. The clothes were the accessories to the ‘accessories.’ Models strutted barefoot in lingerie, cutout one pieces and velvet bikinis. Pastel pinks and yellows set the color mood, while whites and purples grounded the collection’s palette without a hint of black. Sometimes accompanied by feathered Mohawk headpieces, secured under the neck or over the model’s face, most looks incorporated large block letter slogans, of the “Queen”, “God” and “Trill”...

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Carolina Herrera Spring 2014

original photos by Mariana Leung It's amazing how effective good old optical illusions can be.  The simple techniques of Carolina Herrera's Spring 2014 collection wowed the guests and photographer's  pit at NY Fashion Week.  The effect was layering graphic prints on sheer fabrics on top of each other so that the patterns looked like they were moving as the models walked down the catwalk. The geometric patterns and graphic lines looked very high-tech but it was such a great, easy look.  The designer also used embroidery design sparingly.  There were cut circles...

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By the Book: Michael Kors Spring 2014

 When I attended Parsons School of Design, it was all about "7th Avenue Sportswear".  The king of this was Michael Kors.  His collection for spring 2014 was the textbook presentation of the well edited, merchandised, buyer-friendly groups that our professions always wanted to see. What does this mean? When my class had to present our groups of "croquis" (fashion sketches on a figure) the teachers were always looking for cohesive  groups mixing prints, coordinating solid colors, diversity of separates, etc.  Exactly what department store buyers would buy, consistent...

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Vera Wang Spring 2014- Relaxed Chic

The queen of sheen? The reigning maven of bridal showed a subdued collection for NY Fashion week.  Vera Wang Spring 2014 was about easy, relaxed sheer silks.  There was black on black of transparent and solid.  Neutral beige color-blocked with yellow or red.  Royal blue and black was the other combination with some white on white towards the end. Vera Wang used some of my favorite luxe embroidery designs in the late 1990's and I looked to this collection to show me what the next red carpet knockout was going to be.  Unfortunately, I didn't find it.  The silhouettes...

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Darkly Printed at Nicole Miller Spring 2014

 This is definitely shaping up to be the season of the print.  Nicole Miller's Spring 2014 fashion show mixed pretty ribbon or sequin embroideries with wedges of colorful patterns for a stained glass window effect. For a designer that many women used to turn to for prom dresses, the brand put out a sleek, mature sportswear collection with a bit more edge.  On a more subtle, more subconscious note though, did anyone see a tribute to Tim Burton here?  Maybe I'm crazy, but some of the asymmetrical pieced print dresses looked a lot like Sally's outfit from A Nightmare B4...

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Embellished Badgley Mischka Spring 2014

Anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis knows that I love good embroidery.  Some of the prettiest embellishments on the spring 2014 runways came from longtime design duo Badgley Mischka.  Their NY Fashion Week show was a parade of ruffled chiffon and vintage crystal beading that looked at home right in the sets of Downton Abbey or the Great Gatsby.  The jeweled motifs looked rich and intricate.  I love the engineered placement of the beaded fringe on one particular skirt (rather than the cliche rows of flapper fringe).    Dainty hard frame clutches...

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Cyber Princess or Punk at Falguni and Shane Peacock Spring 2014

These guys are rapidly coming up the list as one of my favorite shows at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.  Once again, the husband and wife duo of Falguni and Shane Peacock has created an edgy, but luxurious collection made for pop stars to drool. The intricate digital prints were already high impact.  Then, the florals and kaleidoscope patterns were layered with metallic trim or elaborate embroidery.  Dyed feathers or crystals further embellished some pieces.  This was all interpreted into very sexy dresses or skin tight pants. Accessories included hardcore black leather...

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NY FASHION WEEK: Ralph Rucci Spring 2014

Ralph Rucci’s commitment to detail is obvious. His Spring/Summer ‘14 collection’s intricate construction and luscious fabrics left my senses high with allure and delicate charm. The show began with the slight dimming and subsequent revival of bright lights, setting the tone for Rucci’s increasing intricacies in pieces throughout the show. Rucci introduced the collection with slimming and relaxed fitting black and white ensembles. Tuxedo pants, python jackets and semi-sheers tops called for the classy woman with no absence in style. Leather jackets and detailed cutout broadtail coats...

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NY FASHION WEEK: Monique Lhuillier Spring 2014

Summer is for sorbet.  That was the color palette for Monique Lhuillier's collection for Mercedes-Benz Fashion week.  Frothy chiffons in tangerine, raspberry, peach and ombre shades like vanilla blending into chocolate.   Monique has always used pretty embroideries (including some of my own designs).  This season, the textile designs I loved the most were the three dimensional laser cut flowers and fringed flowers that looked they vines creeping all over a gown.  They both looked very fresh and bright.  They were perfect for those red carpet events that take...

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