Taoray Wang and Tiffany Trump Fall 2017

Sorry I have been MIA for awhile. With everything going on in this country, I was having a hard time writing. Taoray Wang's Fall 2017 fashion show at NY Fashion Week was an example of how fashion can transcend politics.

An up-and-coming designer from China, Wang presented a sleek, sexy collection of tailored looks, bridging suits and evening wear. She took classically constructed jackets and gave them fashion-forward closures and silhouettes. The jackets were paired with asymmetrical dresses, mixing lace, zippers, for a sexy look.

Tiffany Trump, despite all of her father's anti-China rhetoric, chose to sit front row and show her support. She wore the designer's work prominently at major events. Most social climbing politician's daughters would choose to wear more famous labels for prestige. Tiffany Trump chose to attend several shows of unknown designers, despite the unwelcome reception she received from other guests.

I am NO fan of the current president or his administration, but that does not carry over to the entire family. While I can't say I am a particular fan of Tiffany either, I do respect that she supported designers of color and chose talent over prestige in her wardrobe choices. Whoopi Goldberg, also no fan of the president reached out to make Tiffany feel welcome when she saw her being poorly at a different show.

We like to think of fashion as art and not political, but this season, more than ever, proved that this is not true. Many designers made a political statement with their presentations. Some were subtle, in their music choices or support of social causes. Other more outright with models carrying protest signs or wearing clear statements on their body.

On the flip side, Tiffany Trump, as a political representative, official or not made hers by supporting the fashion industry underdog, regardless of the designer's country of origin.

Interesting, for a collection that was a stark color palette of black and white, would prove to be a showcase for situations that were neither. Let's see what Taoray Wang brings us for the upcoming NYFW season...
Photos by Mariana Leung

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Vivienne Tam Fall 2017

Who is ready to go out tonight? Vivienne Tam brought Fall 2017 back to Hong Kong and its legendary nightlife. The city celebrates the 20th anniversary of its handover back to China. Their festivities are centered around youth and the generation that came of age in this era.

Vivienne Tam paid tribute to the 1990s of the turnover with a nod to the fashion silhouettes of that time but with her signature twist. Ruching details were popular in the late Nineties, and she worked them into unusual placements on skirts and jackets. 

There were some dazzling prints depicting the neon lighting and signs that define the Hong Kong nightlife scene. These were juxtaposed with tailored menswear plaids and metallic brocades. There were some fantastic crochet knits in chunky textures combining black and bright primary colors.

If you are ready to party on a global scale, Vivienne Tam has your wardrobe ready!

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Haute Couture: Guo Pei Fall Winter 2016/2017

Being in Paris for Haute Couture is the life goal of any fashion fan. I attended Chinese designer Guo Pei's stunning Haute Couture Fall 2016/2017 show at the Bourse de Commerce near The Louvre. Like NYFW, I embedded myself into the photographer's pit to shoot these works of art.

The inspiration for this season was the theme of "Encounter", dreams and karma. The central motif was her signature dragon. You could see this running through in the serpentine silhouettes. There were long, slinky embroidered gowns that were tailored tightly to the body and ended in an exaggerated train. The massive train is one detail that fashion fans Stateside recognize from this designer. Rihanna wore one of the biggest trains in red carpet history at the 2015 Met Gala in Guo Pei's yellow dress. 

The other silhouettes were equally dramatic. From the sharply built up shoulders to the innovative pleating details that emulate the folds of a Chinese paper lantern. There were ballgowns to elaborate; it would make Cinderella drool with envy. If you were a Disney princess, the glittering headpieces would make you proud. These pieces were sculptures unto themselves. These looked like crystals and feathers that grew up and out organically to frame the face. The intricate embroidery deserves close-up examination. It is incredibly detailed. Each sequin and jewel were hand-sewn. The gold dress at the top along took over 20 000 hours of manual labor to complete by artisans. There were a few dark, almost Gothic dresses with a bit of 1930's film noir looks contrasted with the sparkling gold dresses and white gowns. 

This was a historical show as Guo Pei is the first Chinese designer recognized by the Chambre Syndicale in Haute Couture. She was also named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people. Her gowns in the Met Gala exhibit, China Through the Looking Glass (one of the few by an actual Chinese designer) revolutionized how people viewed Chinese fashion as a whole, rather than a manufacturing hub.

As fantastical as many of the looks were, there were cocktail dresses and evening wear that was quite wearable for a special evening. Many of Guo Pei' fans were attired in her work in the audience. I absolutely expect more celebrities to wow in these looks at next year's red carpet. Bravo on a stunning show!

all photos by Mariana Leung

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#NYFW: Vivienne Tam Fall 2015

Happy Chinese new year!  Vivienne Tam's Fall 2015 collection brought the opulence of Chinoiserie as seen through the eyes of Europeans when they first encountered Asian culture. So what exactly does that mean?
You see high-necked silhouettes popular in the Victorian era. Nature illustrations were popular in the 1700's and 1800's in Europe. In this collection, there was a fusion of those illustrations mixed with traditional Chinese motifs of cranes and cherry blossoms in  beautiful prints on the fabric (always loved Vivienne Tam prints).

photos by Mariana Leung

The sexiest looks were the cocktail length dresses with A-line skirt with the bodice framed in lace applique. The lace motifs echoed baroque furniture lines popular in the Victoria era. The other Asian Euro fusion combo? Grey wooly tartans were paired with soft silk printed dresses. Proper British peacoats were a part of more tailored looks.

Vivienne Tam continued her use of high tech fabrics like power mesh and neoprene to execute classical cultural motifs. I have always loved her aesthetic of taking traditional elements of her heritage and breaking them out to contemporary pop art fashion trends.

Now, if I get enough red envelopes today, Vivienne Tam's boutique is where I will be spending them!

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NY FASHION WEEK: Vivienne Tam Spring 2014

Vivienne Tam took the city out of the girl and placed it right on her back. She opened the show with a city silhouette backdrop. Possibly Shanghai, home of Tam’s inspiration for this season’s collection?

Tam begun her 40 piece collection with crisp, simple forms, balanced by intricate lotus flower patterns, thoroughly evident in each incorporated look. The first few looks’ black and white palette leveled the detail of patterns.

This collection was all about delicate subtlety, the barely-there cutouts whose existence takes a second glance to confirm. From printed lotus shirt to short pleated skirt, the A-line cut dominated most looks.

What I’ve also noticed trending in other shows is the conservative top form. Straight or horizontal, high necklines and collars covered up what the midriffs and short skirts reveal.

Colours evolved from simple black and white, to pastels, to loud blood orange, to a blue and green hue, with a return to the black and white in the last two looks. The well executed color gradation allowed a successful progression and change without overpowering the elaborate cutout flower patterns, free form slash lines and the occasional  (one time) sheer top print image.

Tam’s success came through her collection sequence, I felt I evolved with the collection, moved from day to night with the exquisite color movement.

I loved the simple structure of the pieces, free flowing and fitted. Simple shoes and lack of accessories helped propel and focus the eye towards intriguing colors and slick cuts. Remember, less is more!                                      - Niko Nelson

original photos by David TW Leung

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NY FASHION WEEK: Vivienne Tam Fall 2013

It's the Year of the Snake!  Vivienne Tam presented her fall 2013 on Chinese New Year at Lincoln Center.  The striking red and black collection had me drooling for the upcoming season.  

The centerpiece print was an Obama inspired print with QR codes embedded as part of the artwork.  As the pioneer of the East Meets West aesthetic, a smiling Barack Obama seemed the ultimate symbol of both.  The rest of the prints also had high-tech graphic looks that drew on highly stylized Chinese characters.  The Chinese calligraphy was also cleverly embedded in the style lines and pieced seams of the dresses. The bold red on black and white made every piece pop on the runway.  Super dark lips and punk ponytail hairstyles gave the models a bad-ass  serpentine look.  

I even loved the shoes, which were shiny red or black patent leather with contrast straps.  

Ms. Tam is not just about fashion.  She does aim to do good with her brand.  This season, she partnered with Save Love Give, an organization that turns your overpaid wireless waste into funds that mentor and provides micro-loans to underprivileged women to become self-sufficient.

The only thing that would have made this show better?  If the runway started raining red envelopes...

Check out the full show photos here

Photos by David TW Leung

Watch our interview with Vivienne!

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VLOV Spring 2013

How do you like the new year so far?  I felt like I had neglected the guys for a bit.  VLOV is a menswear label from China looking to make a splash stateside.  Their spring 2013 collection at New York Fashion Week was relaxed but elegant.

The pieces consisted of easy, shorter jackets, linen blazers, leather jackets with asymmetrical zippers.  Shorts and longer pants with a slim, but relaxed fit.  Light knits looked really comfortable.  The color palette had a lot of cool greys, neutral beige, black, blue and dark olive.  A few of the proportions looked a little off to me, and that might be because the fit was tailored to the Asian market.

Footwear was a simple leather sandal.  Large man-purse totes were the bag of choice on this runway.  I'm not sure this will catch on with the gents in this country, but I personally would love one for myself.

Happy 2013 guys!

photos by Mariana Leung

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NY FASHION WEEK: Vivienne Tam Fall 2012

Rich colors of crimson, purple, brown and teal gave the Vivienne Tam collection a warm coziness this season.  Known for incorporating Asian motifs into her work, the fall collection was more subtle in its influence. 

 There was a dragon embroidery, some scrolls and a diagonal neck finish for references to Eastern style.  More striking, were the different scales of chevron patterns and ombre stripes.  As was the big trend for Fall 2012, fur collars were a major part of this collection.  For Vivienne Tam, they were often Mongolian lamb, dyed in complementary colors to the rich palette of the season.

Vivienne Tam is a designer I often buy for myself for their witty use of traditional images in pop colors.  I am a fan of her colors, her silhouettes and especially her prints!  I can't wait for this collection to hit the stores.

Spotted in the front row: Russell Simmons, Russell Kwong

Photos by David TW Leung

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Eastern Style of Josie Natori Fall 2012

Ancient art met modern zen for the Josie Natori presentation at the Rubi Museum of NYC.  The designer known mainly for intimate apparel brought out a retro Mongolian-inspired collection with deep black, cream and red colors.

The kimono was clearly a muse, as variations on the silhouette were interpreted in several ways.  Soft and built around the shoulder, or as an exaggerated jacket to accentuate sleeves.  While the looks clearly referenced traditional clothing items of Chinese and Japanese origin, Ms. Natori drew from that to create a fresh sportswear collection with bold Asian prints on chic black backgrounds.

Dark vamp lipstick was paired with 1920's waves or 1930's curls.  Accessories included feathered fans and fan pleated clutch handbags.

The presentation of having coiffed models saunter down a spiral staircase really helped to create drama.  It was like watching 1930's screen goddesses materialize out of an opium daze into daylight.  Beautiful!


Photos by Ching Leung
 

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Vivienne Tam Spring 2012

The Queen of Pop-Art Chinoiserie.  Vivienne Tam created a niche of contemporary designer sportswear inspired by traditional Chinese motifs reborn as ironic design.  She first made waves re-interpreting images of Mao in a Warhol-esque palette.  Since then, she has introduced delicate embroideries into cutting edge looks and high-tech digital printing for her signature pop prints.

For Spring 2012, these trademarks were translated into pretty, ladylike silhouettes, but at sexy lengths.  Miniskirts were paired with embroidered or transparent print blouses.  Appliques and more embroidery framed necklines and bodylines in a flattering way.  The colors were tonal shades of celadon, blues, greens or violet, coral, cream and pinks.  They looked like a bolder, more cosmopolitan idea of pastels for the urban girl who really doesn't do pastels (like me).  

Ms. Tam's shows during NY Fashion Week are one of the favorites I look forward to every season, and I'm there with my nose pressed up against the glass at her Soho boutique and sample sales.  

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VLOV - China's Menswear Hope

China was where designers were knocked off, now they are luxury brands fastest growing market.  With all of those resources, where are their mega-labels?  VLOV, which stands for Victory & Love is the award-winning menswear brand by Qing Qing Wu.  Priced to be affordable to a middle-class rice point, he aims to compete with Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss on his turf.  

The designer presented his vision at NY Fashion Week in Lincoln Center with an easy palette of black, charcoal, light grey and pops of bright blue.  There were some 1980's references of wet-look nylon jackets mixed in with zipper details and edgier jacket/shorts combos.  I don't know if the looks here will be too forward for middle-America, but they did get compliments from the more fashionable International fans in the audience.  

It's a longshot, but wouldn't it be a coup for a Chinese designed label to outsource to the USA for production? Just imagining.  But hey, NY designers, Save the Garment Center and keep manufacturing on your home turf!

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NY FASHION WEEK: Vera Wang Spring 2012

The queen of all things bridal, Vera Wang showed a breezy spring collection at Lincoln Center this week. I meant breezy in a literal sense.  A fan blew the chiffon tails of the multiple short/long hems of dresses on the runway.  

The collection was very pretty, more avant-garde than one would expect from this designer known for classic elegance. There was an interesting use of seaming and bound edges.  The colors and fabrics suggested daywear, but the silhouettes definitely cried out for eveningwear.  The were a lot of prints that looked like a melting painting that was edgy for Vera Wang.  Variations on the bubble skirt and the leg revealing hems with flowing trains came up again and again.  If you were not a fan of the prints, you had your pick of bright sun yellow, pistachio, raspberry and neutrals of taupe and cream.

  

The front row notables of this show were one of the most diverse of the week...Top fashion editors Grace Coddington and Joe Zee were in attendance.  Kim Kardashian was on the other side.  Right before the show started, a hush came over the audience as a team of guards escorted Beyonce Knowles into the tent.  Most impressive for me however, was former Secretary of State Madeline Albright.  (Her granddaughter Ellie won tickets and chose grandma as her date). 

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