'Shrooms + Blooms With Yelp Hudson Valley

Happy spring! We're taking a trip Upstate to celebrate National Mushroom Day and the gorgeous spring flowers of the region. Wicked Finch Farm, together with Yelp Hudson Valley and Caravan NYC collaborated to host an event that brought together the most creative of local makers and growers.

For the "Shrooms" part of the event, Sunflour Bakery served up gorgeous mushroom cupcakes and cookies. 4Wall Farm showed us how to grow mushrooms on compostable blocks. Popadelics kept us munching with crispy truffle mushroom snacks while we hydrated with Odyssey Elixir's cordyceps mushroom energy drinks. Art studio Nature's Impact guided a mushroom art session of sculpting and painting your own figurine.

For the "Blooms" there was a DIY flower bar from Bittersweet Floral. Arber taught a session on nurturing and caring for planting your own veggies. I led a boozy jam and ricotta board demo with edible flowers on behalf of Wicked Finch Farm. The Foccacia Flourist blew us all away with beautiful floral bread art. 

It was so much fun learning and creating with so many local businesses for a getaway to the country for the weekend! Now I'm on a foraging kick for the season. 

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Malan Breton Fall 2023

I'm so glad to see more and more designers return to in-person showings of their collections at NY Fashion Week. Malan Breton brought his dreamy collection to the ballroom downtown. The theme was "Fantome", inspired by dark and light, hope, dreams, and desire, understandable for many people going through lockdowns and uncertainty but also being inspired to be creative.

This manifested itself in luxurious furs, leather, ballgowns, and his signature tailoring. The runway presentation brought the return of iconic model Irina in the finale, one of his many muses. 

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Richerette Fall 2023

 

Do you have nostalgia for 1990s nightlife? Richerette debuted at NYFW in Brooklyn.  Former Club Kid Richie Rich was the prince of NYC after hours decadence. He parlayed that to a coveted fashion label, counting celebs like Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian as ambassadors. The spectacle around his fashion shows changed the culture of "celebrity fashion label" in making the designer the focus over the clothes.

So now, almost a generation later, what does this once notorious figure do to make a comeback? Do you produce the same thing, hoping to chase a scene that no longer exists? Is there a demand for club nostalgia? Who are the fans and customers for the new collection? 

Naming Richerette instead of reviving Heatherette, Richie Rich is bringing in name recognition while letting you know the brand is more personal and not exactly the same.

As someone nostalgic for 90s club culture, I was selfishly a tad disappointed that the brand and the man matured (even if I didn't LOL). The clothing paid tribute to the nightlife icons of who inspired Richie Rich. Think Bianca Jagger, Debbie Harry lounging about at Studio 54. However, 1990s fashion nods like lacy babydoll dresses, neon pop colors and iridescent sequins were all over the runway. The clothing itself, when they were skimpy thongs, was merchandised well for the real customer, one who are the designer's contemporaries now. The collection is far from corporate, but imagine those original club kids, now adults, still looking for a party.

Does the Richerette brand have what it takes to go the distance? I would love to see where the label takes us in the next few seasons and who the customer base ultimately will be. After the pandemic, everyone is looking to head out again, and this collection, is what you want to wear.

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NYFW: A. Potts Spring 2023

The A. Potts collection for Spring 2023 was the perfect mix of what Brooklyn, NYC and modern urbran style should be right now. Each look was fabulously fluid. By fluid, I don't mean androgynous, they had a relaxed comfort, that looked elegant and detailed. Each outfit could look masculine or feminine, depending on the personality of wearer. I loved the mix of darker neutral popped with bright citrus yellow or violet. The diversity of the models, in age, in ethnicity, was ideal in showing how versatile this collection was.  

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NYFW: NOBIS Spring 2023

 
Canadian winters are cold, trust me, I lived through several decades of them. Canadian outerwear designers are particularly good at creating stylish pieces for the chill because they spend so much time outside and like to look good.

The NOBIS collection strikes a great balance between chic and practicality so the fashion-conscious dude can always look good without worrying about salt and ice. 

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NYFW: In Earnest, Byron Lars Spring 2023

 Welcome back to NYFW! Starting off with In Earnest, Byron Lars Spring 2023. Designer Byron Lars brings things back to being an independent atelier with partner Sheila Gray. His beautifully textured fabrics mixed artfully with floral prints, and corset detailing with comfort make this collection so crave-worthy. 

In a post-pandemic world, we are all still trying to figure out what our personal style is now. There are sporty, leisurely elements in this collection for those who are still clinging to the work-at-home wardrobe. However, the athletic components are there for comfort, but the execution is very glam. Embroideries, sparkling embellishments, lace, but all with some stretch and flare. Each individual garment was a statement garment. Every dress, skirt, short, and top had a romantic element for spring but could be worn with practicality. 

The muse for this season was vintage Harlem glamour. You can see the inspiration in the silhouettes and styling. All you need now is to listen to the jazz as you dress.

For an accessible piece that displays their artistry, I always love the fashion illustrated t-shirts. If you're not ready for that dramatic dress, their tees are a canvas for their style that you can pair with jeans.

Anyone who is a longtime reader already knows how much I love this brand. Byron and Sheila are the best of this industry and I'm so happy to see the collection thriving.

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