NYFW: Dur Doux Spring/Summer 2024

It is September and hot and humid as hell. It would take a stellar collection and event to get me to wander out in the thunderstorms. and the Dur Doux show Saturday night was it. Mother and daughter designers Cathy and Najla Burt presented "Sous-Marine" a collection that pays tribute to the delicate marine life of their native Florida. 

Dur Doux has been a label committed to sustainable practices and this season features eco-friendly Italian knits fabrics certified by OEKO-TEX.

The reds, pinks, and golds evoke the corals, flamingos and sunsets. The body-conscious silhouettes are the best of beach-worthy glamour. 

I will always be a sucker for any fashion label that brings family together. Just look at that hug from the finale!

All photos by Mariana Leung

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NYFW: NARDOS Spring 2024

Are you looking for Venetian-style couture by way of Northeast Africa, via Texas, then New York? Nardos Imam's gorgeous collection was presented at the St. Regis Hotel on Friday. Bright spring colors, like a vibrant garden of flowers, took center runway. Nardos is already beloved for her bridal collections. The luxurious gowns of Nardos Spring 2024 were inspired by Venetian architecture, Murano glass and large, luscious blooms. You could see this influence in the sculpted, expertly draped dresses. As an embroidery designer, I loved the dimensional embellishments from crafted appliques, beaded, sequined accents, 3D flowers and threadwork lemons. 

The bright pink is obviously a hot color still following the Barbie movie. Some of the silhouettes evoked iconic movie looks, like the pouffy dress that evoked Sabrina. 

I don't know why you don't see more color on brides; each look here would be lovely to get married in. More appropriately, Hollywood red carpets should be filled with Nardos looks. 

When looking at the accessories, how much do you love the floral crowns integrated into the hair? That puts all of the bows and other hairclips to shame.

Take a trip around the world in a gown from Nardos. Why not?

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Frederick Anderson Resort 2024 and Natasha Bedingfield

What a treat! Pop queen Natasha Bedingfield opened and closed Frederick Anderson's Resort 2024 collection with her top hits on his runway show. Midtown Manhattan nightclub Nebula provided the venue for the elevated catwalk. 

The collection was a sexy combination of intricate crochet pieces, lace and sequins. Rather than the bohemian, prairie vibe that many designers default to for resort, this collection leaned more cosmopolitan, accessorized with helmets, shades and an urban color palette. Let's face it, most of us don't necessarily hide away in the country somewhere over winter as most editorials would suggest. We dress to go out for a staycation right where we live. The "Take Me Away" theme was aspirational, and also a tribute to Bedingfield's biggest hits. 

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'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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NYFW: 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. The silhouettes were mostly iconic evening wear glamour, but the leather gave the dresses an edgier look, perfect for a rock queen hitting the red carpet. Here's to looking forward to a lot more in-person elegance, events and parties.

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NYFW: 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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