CE Week's FashionWare Wearable Tech Runway

Fashion from the future made its way to the Metropolitan Pavilion this week.  All forms of wearable tech were showcased in a collaborative show at CE Week.  They ranged from functional gadgets to interactive fashion accessories.  There were illuminated embellishments that spanned LED lighting, pulse sensors, optic cables and digital screens.

Can tech fashion express love?  There was a couples outfit by the designers of Sait Radlab that displayed the electricity generated by the attraction between two people using an RFID readers, addressable LEDs and WiFi dongle to respond to another person's proximity.  To complement, the other person wore a wristband that monitored everything from stress levels, sleep and pulse waves.

The wedding gown featured everything from fibre optic cables, laser cut panels, addressable LEDs and pulse sensors.

There were shoes and accessories made from 3D printing techniques.  Earphones had a programmable skin that could be printed to match a person's outfit.  There was a vintage inspired pink silhouette by the designers of Make Fashion.  Using audio circuit technology that pulses to music, the embedded lighting succeeds in the wearer creating a spotlight for herself.  The fan contained gyroscope and programmable LED lights that corresponded to the model's movements.

Zazzi was a jewelry collection made of sterling silver that was tuned into your phone.  They had the capability to notify you of your texts, calls and social media notifications.

Two of the models wore a square accessory called the Narrative Clip.  this dainty accessory could hold 4000 photos, letting you project your life live...

I loved that wearable tech and true fashion designers collaborated to put together full looks.  Often the "tech" people trying to sell the idea are painfully clueless of the fashion element of wearables.  The fact that the gadgets and technology were seamlessly incorporated into the looks was proof of its progress.

I can't wait to try out some of the functional wearable tech in my own wardrobe.  Hell, I'm a fan of anything that makes my handbag lighter.

Read more >>

Byron Lars Fall 2014 & Giveaway

It is the most stylish summer ever.  Designer Byron Lars presented his fall 2014 collection to editors and fans in an intimate event at the Pratt Institute gallery Tuesday night.  Models Ashley, Minyoung and Sheila J. modeled some of Byron’s favorite looks from the season. 

Most of the stylists and editors who attended were already big supporters of the designer judging by the number of women who wore Byron Lars to the event.  Author Lauren M. Bias wore a metallic pieced sheath and director Sidra Smith wore a twist front laser cut coral dress to the party.

Julep and Bluffa Jo cosmetics provided some rich hues in nail lacquer to complement the colors of the collection, while Mizani hair products helped to glam up the models’  do’s. 

The Byron Lars team truly pampered party guests as they nibbled on Pop Chips and gourmet bits from my new Garment Center favorite, Café Kabila.  The Moroccan influenced fare had mini bastilla pastries, sliders and brie tartlets with cool mint tea.  Make My Cake bakery from Uptown Manhattan provided rich cupcakes and brownies in the gift bag.  There are certainly a lot of cupcake makers in this town, but I watched a model (whom I have never seen eat, let alone touch sugar) inhale two cakes in about 30 seconds.  If that’s not a testament to their tastiness, I don’t know what is.

Are you looking for post-party indulgence? The Upper East Side spa Sphatika offered guests pampering services with a special discount.  If you love Byron’s designer glasses, you can shop for your own with a 3D virtual try-on experience from DITTO who gave out give certificates. 

A personalized gift from Byron Lars was a soft scarf made especially for the fashion party that was printed with his sketches of the collection. 

Now, I wouldn't tease all of you with these goodies if you didn't have a chance to get them for yourself!  Byron Lars is offering up the VIP gift bag from the event in his “Designer for a Day” Challenge.  Style the paper dolls with your version of his looks and submit by noon on June 26, 2014.  Good Luck!

 Photos by Mariana Leung

Read more >>

Independent Handbag Design Award Winners 2014

 

Congratulations to the talented winners of the Independent Handbag Design Awards 2014.  While the CFDA honors designers of multiple fashion categories, the IHDA is the only internationally known competition that celebrates the purse.

This was the 8th year that the awards were held, championed by accessories professor Emily Blumenthal.  The designers from over 100 countries around the world over the years consider her a Godmother of independent design.

Yes, these awards focus on labels that do not come from the same few corporations that run the industry.  Designers that win receive major pushes to their careers, such as partnerships with huge brands, photo spreads in InStyle magazine, launches at Bloomingdale's...

This year, the winner of Best Handbag in Overall Style and Design as well as Instyle.com's Audience Fan Favorite was John Edwards of Florian London.  His gorgeous wife accepted for him and humbly thanked everyone for their support.  She expressed his dream and sacrifices to get there.

That's what I love about these awards.  There is so much heart in the design, from the personal stories behind the makers to the good intentions in the handbag itself.  The winner for Timberland's Best Green Handbag was Carolina Riffi Ollite-Hopman of Carat23.  This was a category for bags made of renewable, organic or recycled materials.  The FEED sponsored the most Socially Responsible Handbag.  Monica Frisbie of Mondrina won for her Peru-made bag.

I loved Morgan Richard's story behind his winner for Optitex Best Student Made Handbag.  He dedicated his work to his uncle, who believed every piece should tell a story.  He made that directive literal, but telling the story of his uncle in a script-printed leather used on his bag.

Designers flew in from all over the world to attend the ceremony.  One of the few who did not make it was winner of Bernina's Best Handmade bag Gili Rozin Tamam.  She just had a baby.  Her MeDusa bag was a fun embossed and spiked clutch made from plastic.  MeDusa means "jellyfish" in Hebrew.

Guess Handbags sponsored a category asking for designers to sketch a bag using denim.  Finalists had their designs made and the winner, Tika Kuchukhidze of TIKA won an opportunity to work with the team in Italy.

Monica Botkier was this year's recipient for the Iconoclast award.  The Independent Handbag Designer Awards always honors a successful designer who also started independently and built a brand from scratch.

Get a jump on the next "It" bag from one of these designers and you can say you knew them when...

Read more >>

Blogger Love: Adore What You Wear

When it comes right down to it, what do you REALLY love to wear? Not the stuff you think you're supposed to love, but the things you really love and actually do wear. Hmm... In this internet age we've gotten carried away with the lightning fast trends, and somehow need to find a way to get back to what's real. What we really love. This week, it's all about getting back to the essentials. What we really want from our wardrobes. That... and a couple of trendy things just to keep ourselves in the know.

Here is the Blogger Love round-up of my fellow bloggers sharing the style they love most:

• Adorned in Armor: Miss Un-America?
• Attire Club: Mainstream Mens' Fashion of the 1960s
• Breakfast at Vogue: Should Bloggers Repeat Outfits?
• Charlotte Lucy: 5 London Menswear Collections to Watch
• Dresscode:HighFashion: Top 10 Dresses for Spring 14
• High Heels in The Wilderness: Investment Dressing: My 5 Rules for Not Wasting Money
• Miss Monet: Behind the Painting of Dido Elizabeth Belle
• Ms.Fabulous: Jazz Age Street Style
• NOVXVI: Your Guide to Wardrobe Essentials
• Lolie Shopping; Breaking Up With Your Hair Stylist
• Rolala Loves: Sun Safety Facts You Should Know
• Saturn Satori: Edgy to Mainstream: Wild Charm of Colored Hair
• Style Curated: Meet the Milliner: Jess Collett
• Style Sizzle: 12 Gorgeous Ways to Wear a Midi Skirt
• The Coveted: How to Chose Your Timeless Colors
• The Daily Luxe: 5 DIY Wardrobe Updates with Scissors
• The Stilettosaurus: Dear PR People, Let's Talk!
• TLV Birdie: The Good Luck Eye
• Trend Survivor: Trend Focus: The Haute Hippie Fringe Bags
• Wild Beauty World: Beauty Archetype: Villianesses

SPONSOR: Shopbop Bottega Veneta, Volley Australia, Jennifer Behr, Hipchik, Les Coquines, Chie Mihara, Kurt Geiger, Phaidon, Puma Select, Men's Sneakers & Fashion

Read more >>

Coach's Summer Bash on the High Line

My former employer Coach definitely knows how to party.  They threw a fantastic summer bash at one of my favorite places in NYC, the High Line park.  The best of New York designers, entertainers, artists of all mediums came out to dance to throwback tunes of De La Sol.

Fans Kate Mara and Chloe Moretz carried some of Coach's new Rhyder messenger bags and fringe cross-body bag while they chatted with friend Keri Russell.  New creative director Stuart Vevers mingled with many of the longtime supporters of the brand.

It was a great partnership to support non-profit group Friends of the High Line who were behind the building of Manhattan's coolest public park... The new Coach headquarters are close neighbors. In a company of jaded fashion industry vets, I have never seen a crew so excited about moving thei offices.

Chloe Sevigny wore the red and black houndstooth silk dress for the upcoming fall season that I loved when working on it in development a few months ago.  That collection changed up my idea of what Coach sportswear could be.  It was a modern twist on classic patterns and shapes.  Actually, that sentence pretty  much sums up all the cool things they are doing across the entire company.

Shout-out to the ladies in technical design!
Photo Joe Schildhorn / BFAnyc.com

Read more >>

Jazz Age Street Style

It's the bees knees! Vintage style was in full force for the Jazz Age Lawn Party the past weekend.  Governor's Island was overrun with gorgeous groups of people in 1920s inspired looks picnic or dance to the Michael Arenella Dreamland Orchestra.

The bright sun made parasols a hot accessory.  I saw a few antique lace umbrellas, some painted Chinese paper parasols and a few pagoda umbrellas like my own (that's me in the bottom left corner).   The other must-have embellishments included a flapper headband and long beads or pearls.

The clothing varied a bit.  There was a mix of beaded dresses.  Some were truly vintage, while some only vaguely resembled the era, but projected the brassiness.  Ladies adorned themselves in silky boudoir looks from the era with a Louise Brooks flair or daytime looks with draped sleeves and tea length dresses.

Of course there were a few of the exact same cheap fringed frocks that the drugstore bags as "flapper girl" costume.  I can only imagine how sweaty those poly costumes must have been.  They get points for effort.

I love to see the guys involved in dressing up.  Most went the "Newsies" route, with bow tie, suspenders and newsboy hat.  Some dressed in 20's summer attire of light suit and straw hat. Entire families dressed up to picnic and dance.

If you needed to augment your look, there were plenty of vintage fashion purveyors.  Everyone from Screaming Mimi's to the talented milliner Gretchen Fenston displayed goods with a 1920's attitude.

There is a second lawn party in August.  If you are ready to get dressed and do the Charleston, you can buy your tickets for the Jazz Age Lawn Party here.
Photos by Mariana Leung

Read more >>

Summer Beauty Needs Aqua Sparkle

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Caress® via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Caress®.

The coolest shades this season for summer beauty are a mix of blues and light purple.  I have seen bight and light shades of aqua on the nails of every one of my designer friends and fellow bloggers.  The pretty shade of pastel lilac and radiant orchid dominates every editorial and accessory when the sun is out.  

What is the easiest way to incorporate these colors into your own look?  My personal favorites are a bit of sparkle in my eye shadow.  You can mix a few shades of blue to create a dramatic look on your eye lids or add some lilac glitter for some pop.

Do you have a lawn party or beach soiree to attend?  You can elevate your outfit with a good piece of statement jewelry.  A big cocktail ring with amethyst colored jewels can look striking.  I like a turquoise studded bracelet myself.  If you want something more whimsical, you can incorporate a flower shaped piece around your neck or finger.

Before I head out for my day, I want to start my look fresh.  A hot shower with Caress® Aqua Sparkle™ lets you indulge in the trendiest scents before you even get dressed.  The rich body wash is a mix of clean water and lilac fragrance.  It’s cool and leaves my bathroom smelling like a spa.  I can’t think of a better way to begin a beautiful day.  Can you?

The Caress® Fresh collection wraps your skin in vibrant scents and hydrating lather, leaving it revitalized and delicately scented. Try the new Caress® Fresh Collection and revitalize your skin like never before.   

Read more >>

Academy of Art University - Fall 2014

The Academy of Art University premiered their thesis collections by 13 student designers during NY Fashion Week. Since 2005, the institution has debuted the collections of their students and recent graduates. Five of the collections shown were collaborative efforts between students from the Fashion and Textile Design program. Eight collections were presented, both in womenswear and menswear.

Each collection had a unique point of view, representing the designer’s personal esthetic.

The first collection to hit the catwalk, and my personal favorite, was the design collaboration of the Dynamic Duo of Jaci Hodges (Fashion Design) and Nisha Hanna Btesh (Textile Design). Jaci was inspired by the prints and fashions of the late 1960’s. She credits the television show, “The Brady Bunch,” for the patchwork style in which she mixes quirky patterns and textured fabrics in the collection. Nisha was inspired by the Japanese felting technique called Shibori. This technique is used to create sculptural effects on fabrics like wool adding just the right handmade touch to the 1960’s inspired collection.

Superb collaboration…BRAVO ladies!

The mood and emotion of the photography collection, “Beauty in Decay” was the inspiration for the menswear collaboration by Frank Tsai (Fashion Design) and Andrea Nieto (Textile Design). Andrea created printed textiles for the collection inspired by personal struggle and raw emotion. The result was  head to toe layered looks in distressed fabrics printed to appear tattered & worn. The design collaboration was a perfect balance of artistic interpretation in wearable designs and fabrics. 

Arijana Kadjdic’s, Fall 2014 collection was a balance of masculine silhouettes and designs peppered with feminine details in elegant fabrics. Arijana who was inspired by the women in her family, particularly her grandmother, which have nurtured her through out her life. The coats were constructed in luxurious wool fabrics like mohair and alpaca. Pants, constructed using the finest silks, and, dresses in french lace, were hand dyed and beaded to perfection. A color palette of muted pale blue & grey, embellished with beads, and crystals, sparkled under the lights.

The next womenswear collection was the design collaboration of Flora Cervantes (Fashion Design) and Lori Solem (Textile Design). Flora’s designs come from her fascination with the environment, specifically, the sites, sounds, and gritty textures of the city. Lori found inspiration for the fabrics from twisted shapes in nature and industrial textures. The collection was filled with oversized coats, printed maxi dresses, and skirts, and latex treated cotton canvas rubberized jackets. The collection was modern and fresh, while staying true to the original inspiration. 

Earnest Haung (Fashion Design) and Hong Ni (Textile Design) collaborated to create a womenswear collection, inspired by the city of Hong Kong, travel maps, and Ariel photography. The collection was modern and clean. Leather and wool coats were shown over printed pants and shirts. Oversized mesh tanks, vests, and jackets, added texture and dimension to printed pieces. The standout piece of the collection- (Look #6) Leather and wool green printed coat, layered over a long printed shirt, paired with slim pants.

Elizabeth Castellon’s (Fashion Design) Fall 2014 menswear collection was inspired by sculptures, futuristic architecture, and sportswear themes from the 1930’s. She chose to work with leather, wool, and traditional upholstery fabrics for her collection. Her color palette consisted of dark mahogany, various shades of browns, beige, and navy jacquards. The overall look and feel of the collection, can be best decribed as Howard Hughes (Aviator) meets Gordon Gekko (Wall Street).

Jasmine Gonzales (Fashion & Knitwear Design) Fall 2014 womenswear collection, was inspired by the idea of peoples and cultures coming together and joining as one. Jasmine’s collection was all her from start to finish. The designer hand-made the yarns, hand- dyed the velvet knits, and hand-knitted many of pieces in the collection. Jasmine’s hand-knit oversized pieces were influenced by the design on the famous Faberge´ Egg.

The last collection to be presented was the last designer collaboration of the show. Mingyu Du (Fashion Design) and Joseph Khawane (Textile Design) collaborated for their Fall 2014 womenswear collection. Mingyu was inspired by the mod fashions of the1960’s and chose unique materials like army tents, parachutes, and cotton canvas to create the garments. Joseph was inspired to develop textured fabrics with dual purposes. The color palette of the collection was influenced by military camouflage. Shades of green, brown, and grey, were dominant through out the collection.

Well-done students…I am sure we will be seeing great things from you in the future!

Article by Elaine Fioravanti, publisher of bestdressedginger.com, Photos courtesy of Randy Brooke

Read more >>

Ace Hardware Gives You an OPI Manicure

OPI Nail Laquer just launched a collaboration with Ace Hardware with their Clark + Kensington interior paint.  They created complementary palettes for your manicure and walls with the themes of romance, the Artist and Wild Heart that were gorgeous.

House paint and nail polish. Interior design and beauty. This should have been a no-brainer, but this is the first time I have seen this combination of brands.  Paint is the cheapest, easiest way to change up your home for style and update for trends. The same goes for nail lacquer to modernize your personal look.  

The event had fully designed rooms showing your a lifestyle fantasy in each color palette.  The designers were on hand to chat about the styling and their inspiration.  Guests got to test-dive the new hues by getting manicures on site.  Nathan, a designer from the Wild at Heart theme gave the best tip for using dark or bold colors on the walls.  He said to complement the color by using artwork with a lot of white space, or a lot of bright white in your furniture.  My manicure was from this color palette included the Lilac and pale blue Where's My Czechbook colors.

So, what OPI nail polish will YOU shop for on the next trip to the Ace Hardware store?

Read more >>

Custo Barcelona Fall 2014

Do you see fur in your reflection?  Custo Barcelona's Fall 2014 collection at NY Fashion Week was an abundance of both.  Bold reflective fabrics in loud artistic prints were paired with brightly colored fur, also in patterns and color blocked.

Custo Barcelona has already proved season after season that they are the leaders in the pattern and mixed fabric mash-up.  They went for the extreme this season with the shiniest and furriest.  The runway looks aren't for everyone, and they do hint how to pull their louder pieces off in every day life.  The looks were worn with solid black tights or solid black tops.  Urbanites who normally wear a lot of black can easily incorporate one bright statement piece for the day without feeling self conscious.

The vintage wayfarer-style shades many of the models wore seemed to indicate they knew exactly how bright or reflective their outfits were.  Blunt bangs and straight cut hair had a futuristic, utilitarian vibe. Custo Barcelona girls are no wallflowers in any century.

Read more >>

Vivienne Tam Fall 2014

I absolutely love Vivienne Tam's Fall 2014 color palette.  The blue, dark red, steel, teal and purple are all the hues I want to see when the weather starts cooling down.  The inspiration for this season's collection was a mash-up of 1970's glamour the cave paintings in Dunhuang, China.

Can you see it?  The Chinese medallion embroidery and crocheted dresses echos some of the afghans of the 1970's but in much more sophisticated colors.  The plunging necklines and sexy slim gowns had their roots in the disco chic dresses of the decade.  Smocked peasant blouses were given a contemporary interpretation by being made in rich bold colors and more tailored placement in the smocking.

The cave reference is a little tougher to discern.  There was a cream ground print that at first glance looked abstract, but you see that has highly stylized, ancient motifs with a painterly effect.  The old frescos in the caverns had animal imagery, which were blown up into bigger graphics in some o the bolder prints as well.  There were a series of marbleized patterns that looked they took their muse from Italian marble papers popular as liners for posh leather-bound books of the era.

Handbags were an important presence this season.  Several of the purses had a structured, square shape that reminded me of my own mother's handbags in 1970's.  They had the shaped handle or colorblocked details.  Some had the square shape, but softer, shinier finish.  Some had a shaped flap that reflected the Chinese motifs in the clothing embroidery.  This was a great collection of bags that complemented the clothing well, but still stood on their own.  

I love that Vivienne Tam always executes the modern East meets West aesthetic in a fun, not-literal or cliche way.  There are too many non-Asian designers who cop to stereotyped, tired Chinoiserie ideas.  Vivienne Tam has shown us a more evolved, much more interesting way to go.

photos by David TW Leung

Read more >>

CFDA Award Winners 2014

All right! The CFDA, Council of Fashion Designers of America honored their own last night.  I can't say I agree with every choice, but I will say I have never met anyone who didn't work their butt off to be here. 

Rihanna was honored with being the Style icon of the year.  While her stylist-assisted looks have been interesting at times, my personal belief is an "icon" should be someone who has crafted their own individual style.  A look that goes against popular trends, is so distinct that just their signature accouterments would be recognizable (think Anna Wintour's glasses and hair bob, Audrey Hepburn's pearls and cigarette holder...).  A flashy, carefully composed concert and red carpet agenda does not individual style make.  To me, a style icon should look striking on the way to the coffee shop when no one is looking.   More ironic, Rihanna showed up at the fashion awards by not wearing any (well, except for a fur muff to hide her muff).  That's like a top chef winning the James Beard Award and going on a hunger strike n'est-ce pas?

New Yorkers through and through, the dapper casual boys of Public School NYC Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow won Menswear Designers of the year.  They won last year's Swarovski Award for Menswear for new talent and were also the Vogue Fashion Fund's darlings before that.  Their collection is a great mix of casual looks executed in high end luxury fabrics.

Joseph Altuzarra won Womenswear Designer of the Year.  Like his counterparts, he also followed a trajectory of winning awards for new talent all the way up to this highest award by winning the Vogue Fashion Fund then Swarovski Award.  His collection is a reflection of his multi-cultural background.

For those of us in a certain generation, they will always be the Olsen Twins of childhood TV.  Accessory Designers of the Year Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen have since created a lifestyle empire with their luxury label The Row as their signature.  They work intensely on each collection themselves and vendors love them for their dedication to using the best quality materials, whatever the cost.

A new award this year went to Patrick Janelle for Instagrammer of the Year, showing the CFDA Awards are a little more progressive, if not a few years behind the times.  They only started inviting or recognizing bloggers a couple of years ago.  Tom Ford was recognized for Lifetime Achievement, which seems premature, considering he is in the prime of his career.  I think they just wanted to guarantee his handsome presence on the red carpet.

All of the winners last night are extremely talented and worked hard to be where they are.  Every professional that survives year after year does.  However, when it comes to these and other high profile awards, I see the same handful of names pop up every time.  What does it take to cast a wider net and view a true range of designers in the industry?  Can the public see a label that Anna Wintour didn't handpick and direct the rest of the world to celebrate?

What unrecognized designer would you nominate?
Photos from the CFDA and Getty

Read more >>

Juicy Summer Trends - Citrus Style

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Caress® via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Caress®.   

Woo hoo! I am on vacation and my style outlook is bright and sunny! The juiciest fashion trend from the runways is to heat things up in yellow.  I found a bunch of designers during NY Fashion Week and Miami Swim Week who showcased the hue in solids or bold prints mixed together.

I am enjoying my summer holiday on the West Coast where citrus is everywhere.  I am seeing orchards of orange and lemon trees all along the roads.  The summer catwalks were full of breezy yellow dresses, long printed gowns and cheeky bikinis.  More sophisticated sportswear collection paired knitted patterned sweaters or textured jackets with tops and skirts in a different scale of motifs.  Some were embroidered or boldly accessorized. 

I am staying in a gorgeous inn right now with a claw foot tub.  After a scenic hike, I was able to indulge myself in a soak with Caress® Fresh Collection’s Juicy Escape™ Body Wash.  This scent fits in perfectly the season’s trends.  The grapefruit, fresh lily and citrus notes echo my surroundings perfectly this week.

There are Ojai Pixie oranges being juiced for breakfast and there are fragrant flowers hanging in vines outside of my room.  I will be devastated when I have to leave and return to New York.  I have my Caress® Fresh Collection Juicy Escape™ to take with me to prolong this paradise, at least in my tiny bathroom.

Summer is for relaxing and dressing up in your brightest colors.  Have your day in the sun!

The Caress® Fresh collection wraps your skin in vibrant scents and hydrating lather, leaving it revitalized and delicately scented. Try the new Caress® Fresh Collection and revitalize your skin like never before.   

Read more >>