Zang Toi Spring 2019 - Vive Le Yves

I know sing designer Zang Toi's praises every season. For Spring 2019, I felt he created this entire runway show directly for me (because I am vain and narcissistic). Why? This beautiful collection incorporated a bunch of my favorite things.
First, the collection was a tribute to Yves Saint-Laurent. Granted, the late designer was an inspiration to most people in fashion so I won't assume this was picked for me. Zang Toi referenced the designer in several ways. First, the Mondrian-inspired prints were a motif in the flowing silks of the show. Some of Saint-Laurent's most iconic looks were also inspired by Mondrian. Second, the intense blue color is reminiscent of the hues found in the Jardin Majorelle, the gardens in Morocco founded by the designer. The hipster scarves worn by the models are also taking inspiration from the Bedouin women who live in Morocco.
Why else did this collection seem personal to me? I love butterflies. I wore tons of them on my head and wore the wings for the NYC Easter Parade. Now Toi has them fluttering all over the purple (my favorite color) and pink gowns in showstopper section of the show.
The soundtrack? It's like he stole my iPod. Grace Jones' Libertango played over the runway with the models sauntering out like the queens they are. One of his consistent star models, Georgie Badiel, was recently married and had her new husband sitting in the audience. Zang Toi himself walked her down the aisle during the wedding.
The reason so many photographers are so loyal to shooting this show when there are many other shows competing in the same time slot is how thoughtful Toi is to us. He collaborates with photographers on lighting and model staging rather than dictating the conditions like many other producers do, leaving photographers to scramble and hope for the best. He sent out care packages to the photographers, with a (much needed) snack and water, with the bonus of his gorgeous Papyrus couture greeting cards. 
Thank you Zang Toi, for gifting us another wonderful show for Spring 2019. It was extra special as you clearly custom designed the collection around me (ha!). Kidding aside, butterflies, blue gardens and Yves Saint-Laurent, how could you go wrong?

all photos by Mariana Leung

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Sales Alert: YSL, Club Monaco

Yves Saint-Laurent :
If you want handbags, this is the sale for you.  Of course, you'll be competing with many like-minded shoppers though.  It will be worth it, according to early accounts from various shopping blogs, clutch handbags are $200, boots are $350, etc.  Plus, they might be collector's items soon, if Hedi Slimane, the PR department and everyone else can't figure out their brand name.  Lots of clothes and shoes also available.
For a full price list, NY mag has a nice rundown on what to expect. 

When: Tuesday, October 23rd through Thursday, October 25, Tues & Wed 9am to 6:30pm, Thurs 9am to 4pm
Where: Soiffer Haskin 317 West 33rd St between 8th and 9th Aves , Credit Cards Only


Club Monaco:
For much more casual offerings at a very friendly price point, the Club Monaco sale has nothing over $65 (for leather).  Knits and polos are $10, accessories and jewelry are around $5.  Just keep in mind, there will be actual SAMPLES here, so make sure to thoroughly check your purchases for safety pins, missing swatches, visible marks, etc.

When: Tuesday, October 23rd through Thursday, October 25th. 11am~7pm
Where: 261 W. 36th St. (bet. 7th & 8th Ave.), 2nd Floor

photos from nymag.com and racked.com

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Yves Saint-Laurent & Renee Fleming Seducing Armida

Monday evening saw a stylish premiere of the Metropolitan Opera's Armida at the Lincoln Center. The house of Yves Saint-Laurent sponsored the gala, and succeeded in bringing out the trendy set along with longtime opera patrons. Chloe Sevigny and Ginnifer Goodwin showed big love to the designer, as did Maggie Gyllenhaal and Patricia Clarkson.
Renee Fleming played a seductive sorceress in an island prison in this lavish production. As YSL looked ravishing in the audience, costume designer Richard Hudson's designs.

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Fashion Exhibits Paris, NYC & London - Museum Roundup

Haute Couture week in Paris has just ended. The garmento glitterati are now bracing for upcoming NY Fashion Week and London Fashion week the storms to come. I invite those of you who are not attending the shows (or have lost too much sleep preparing for them) to take a break and get some inspiration from fashion’s cultural greats. (Remember those days when you weren't burnt out and had some creative drive?)


In Paris, check out the Mme Vionnet exhibit and the upcoming tribute to Animal print and motifs at Les Arts Decoratifs (Museum of Decorative Arts). Also in the City of Lights, pay homage to the great Yves St. Laurent at the Petit Palais.



In New York, admire "American Beauty" at the Museum at FIT. This exhibit explores the "philosophy of beauty" and how it applies to the craft of dressmaking by American fashion designers. Also at the museum, check out "Scandals, Sandals & Lady Slippers" for all the foot fetishists out there. Over at the Cooper Hewitt Museum, the work of the Mulleavy sisters is on display in a retrospective of the Rodarte Label.



In London, look for Grace Kelly: Style Icon at the Victoria and Albert Museum. After admiring the past, look ahead to Future Fashion Now, an exhibit of the graduating designers of the Royal College of Art. At the Fashion and Textile Museum, relive London's cultural revolution with the Foale & Tuffin: Made in England exhibit.

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