NYFW Preview - Fashion Designer Sketches

Welcome to another season of NYFW! Spring 2018 launched this NY Fashion Week. Here are a few fashion designer sketches to give you a taste of what the shows have in store for you.

Designer Taoray Wang's collection has the theme of Baroque in Shanghai. Her muses were musicians Purcell and Handel. Irina Vitjaz looks to have designed lots of body curve-hugging sleek silhouettes based on the sketches I have seen.

The design team behind Cushnie et Ochs were inspired by the painted flowers of Frida Kahlo. Also inspired by painted flowers was the designer Mijia Zhang who looked to the art of Marc Quinn. Both Pamella Roland and Adeam were inspired by recent travels. Roland with Monaco and Adeam with Hong Kong.

Bibhu Mohapatra and Han Chong both incorporated graphic stripes into their looks. Ji Oh took simple tailoring to redefine the woven shirt.

As you can see, there is something for everyone this NY Fashion Week for the Spring 2018 season. There were many changes this time around as far as format and location. I myself am only attending a few presentations as they are all over the city. Many designers opted not to show a full runway, preferring intimate presentations or appointments. Luckily, for every designer taking it easy, many up-and-coming designers will take their place.

Sketches provided by the designers.

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Dr. Sketchy - Drawing Dior's New Look

I took a break from myself to indulge in an evening of drinking and drawing at Dr Sketchy. The theme of the day was Dior's New Look. You could call it an art club. You can check out previous sessions of mine. These days, the meetups are hosted by champagne lounge Flute Midtown.

Themes often involve all manner of geekery like comic-book characters, Green fairies and sci-fi perversions performed by saucy burlesque dancers. Sunday was a tribute to post WW2 fashion. A big fashion history fan Mademoiselle Quaintrelle posed in her cherished collection of vintage Christian Dior suits, full skirted dresses and retro-styled skivvies. (Great tip from Ms Quaintrelle, you can buy vintage styles spiral stitched, bullet bras from the website What Katie Did).

Dior's New Look was a celebration of the end of fabric rationing and restraint. The signature silhouette was an exaggerated hourglass shape. Tiny waists from starving through the war were highlighted in the sculpted jackets. Big skirts with yards and yards of fabric defined much of late 1940's and 1950's fashion trends.

With a two-drink minimum, you give into Flute Midtown's menu of champagne, cocktails and nibbles to accompany them. I can't say my arm was twisted too hard. Even more fortunate that the gentleman sitting on the next couch over, ordered a bottle of bubbly for himself and found he could not finish it. I was the lucky person he shared it with. Thank you, Dude.

My goal when I attend a Dr Sketchy session is to try to win back my admission fee in the form of liquor or prizes in one of their contests. Sometimes they are sexy and silly, but this time it was to make your drawing into a tribute Vogue Magazine cover. As you can see above, I loved the old-school covers when they used a script font. My mutual fashion history nerdiness with the model won me that round so I can return to future sessions for free. I drew the iconic Dior Bar Suit, a look Ms Quaintrelle was obsessed with and also owns.

Anyone who loves style should try fashion sketching. If you can't commit to a class, Dr Sketchy is the perfect antidote. How can you resist champagne, DJ curated playlist and sexy models in various states of undress? It is the perfect outing!

Photos and sketches by Mariana Leung

Also on Ms FABulous:

Fashion and Food Diary of 1994

Spring 2017 Fashion Designer Sketches 

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#NYFW Spring 2017 Preview - Fashion Designer Sketches

New York Fashion Week Spring 2017 begins! Summer is over when I pack up my gear and forget what sleep feels like when I get into the NYFW grind. For the designers, they likely have not slept for the past two months in chasing samples, organizing looks, casting models, etc. just for your sartorial entertainment.

For a sneak peek into the fashion shows Ms. Fabulous will be covering this season, you just need to peruse the fashion design sketches above. Both Tadashi Shoji and Son Jung Wan had high contrast red and white on the brain. Tadashi Shoji's muse was the idea of "reincarnation". What that means specifically, I can only guess. Does his muse find herself reincarnated from a leopard based on that animal print? Son Jung Wan is also reliving the past with a 1970's look. She takes her inspiration from the dramatic silhouettes and glamor of the era.

Leanne Marshall (center) submitted a beautiful watercolor fashion illustration. Her theme was dance and the shimmering qualities of crystal stones. Desigual (top left) will be featuring sequin embroidery and other 3D graphic elements on top of tie-dyed denim. Below that is the look of "modern feminity" from sister designers Shaikha Noor Al Khalifa and Shaikha Haya Al Khalifa of Noon by Noor. Taoray Wang's soft, but tailored look was inspired by the smooth pebbles of Kyoto's gardens juxtaposed against the sleek urban edges of NYC's skyscrapers. On the right side, Nicole Miller mixes a different city with New York, Panama. She is blending the textures and colors of traditional Panama with the modernity of Gotham. The simple line sketch of Vicky Zhang is a romantic silhouette. Her inspiration this season was just to nestle into love.

So are you ready for the parade of spring 2017 fashion we will bring you? New York Fashion Week, here we come.

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NYFW Fall 2016 Fashion Designer Sketches and Inspiration

Are you ready for NY Fashion Week? I am excited for the fall 2016 collections at NYFW. Here are some of my favorite fashion sketches from designers I will be covering this season. Georgine Ratelband was inspired by the darker villains and heroes of Grimm's Fairy Tales. This muse is particularly timely with the new exhibition at the Museum at FIT. Pamella Roland continues her architecturally inspired streak this fall with sleek lines with a futuristic look. She is mixing metallic and linear motifs to echo Tokyo's modern structures.

Vivienne Tam's motifs for fall are based on mosaic dreams. While Rubin Singer is also working with shapes and dimension created through mathematics. Beijing designer Chi Zhang is designing with a combo of street style and elegance.

Nicole Miller was rebelling against the move towards seasonless dressing. She addressed winter with a rich Nordic theme for a cozy collection. Monique Lhuillier designed with layers of textures to reflect the complex layers of thoughts and emotions of the modern woman. Dennis Basso created fall 2016 in the same spirit. He wanted to dress the bold, romantic and brash.

So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed today's sneak peek at the fashion designer sketches for the fall 2016 NYFW collections coming soon to Ms. Fabulous!

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#TBT Fashion and Food Diary of 1994

I recently unearthed my precious Fashion & Food Desk Diary published by DIFFA as a fundraising project. I loved this calendar. It was my first year studying fashion at Parsons School of Design and my second year living in NYC.

1994's Fashion and Food Desk Diary was the perfect time capsule of 90s Fashion

The calendar was beautifully printed with a collection of the contributions from the top fashion designers of that era. Between weekly entries were fashion sketches from different designers with a culinary theme.

NY Fashion Week was called 7th on 6th then. That year, it took place in April for Fall 1994. The  ones I attended included Nicole Miller, Todd Oldham, Norma Kamali, Prada, Anna Sui and Bradley Bayou. Some names in the calendar and that year's NYFW lineup are still going strong. Some are no longer in the spotlight like they once were, like Richard Tyler and Pamela Dennis. Some took a step back briefly and came back with a roar, like Nicole Miller and Byron Lars. Some have gone on to become mega-brands. Some, like Carlos Falchi, have sadly passed away.

What is amusing to me is looking back at my personal diary entries of that time in my life. It reads  like the perfect time capsule of a fashion ingenue cliche in NYC/Paris during the 1990s.

Using a mix of student discounts and Times Square TKTS booth, I went to see Broadway shows Kiss of the Spider Woman and Angels in America. I had dinner dates at Gotham Bar and Grill and Lucky Cheng's. I went clubbing at Tunnel(studios), The Limelight (now a mall) and Club USA. I had movie dates with boys or girlfriends at Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Interview with a Vampire. I attended exhibition openings at Exit Art and dressed up for Wigstock. 

At the beginning of the calendar, there are photos of many fashion icons looking young and fresh. The fashion sketches represent an era when designers still had the time and passion for creating full sketches in the industry. Now, fashion illustration seems to be a pastime of elite artists and bloggers. DIFFA (Design Industries for Fighting Aids) was more involved with fashion then while they are more famous for their Dining By Design events now.

The recipes contributed by the designers in the book (it was also about food after all) also show a more innocent time. There are multiple dessert recipes, pasta, polenta and pizza entries. This seems unusual now in today's carb-fearing fashion climate.

Well, I hope you enjoyed today's lookback into 90s fashion and a personal, somewhat embarrassing glimpse of my life as a new New Yorker. Enjoy the fashion illustration and the history lesson my friends.

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Happy Holidays from Ms. Fabulous

Happy Holidays my stylish friends! It is my sincere wish that you are spending some time with the people you love most. I am fortunate enough to be doing that right now.

It has been an interesting year for the fashion industry and for myself. 2016 should be more fascinating still. My treat to myself this season is getting back to sketching and making stuff. I am back to creating embroidered fashion accessories for my fledgling label Weng Meng Design (new pieces will soon be up on Etsy). I took my love of a good craft cocktail to the next level by experimenting with making artisanal bitters and liqueurs. Those who attend my next house party will be subjected to tasting them!




I may not have posted quite as frequently the last two months as I have been busy knocking out style and entertainment stories for MODE. You'll find my geek-tastic take on your favorite pop culture trends and how they have taken over the fashion world.

I'm looking forward to finally watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens today and diving face first into my sister's culinary achievements tonight. Hopefully by the end of the day I will NOT have broken any limbs either skiing or skating, but I DO hope there will actually be enough snow to give me the opportunity to. (Should we in the Northeast be happy or terrified of this heat wave?)

May your holiday season be a great one. Thank you to all of my friends, collaborators, mentors and special people in my life that put the FAB in Ms. Fabulous. I hope you know who you are.

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#NYFW Spring 2016 Designer Inspiration

What are we in store for this NY Fashion Week? I will inevitably have shoulder and foot pain from rushing between the new venues with my camera equipment, but you don't need to hear that. The fashion designers created their collection around a wide range of inspirations this season.Some designers showed their fashion illustrations to express their direction. Other designers put together mood boards of their muses. A few designers let a very specific detail guide them in their season.

Daniel Silverstain cited the Exposition of 1967 in Montreal, Canada as his inspiration for spring. It seems ultra-specific or baffling. Based on the sketches, it looks like it the Expo67 inspiration was in the color palette of sporty colors.

Nicholas K. cited "free fall" as his direction, shown in the downward drape of his look. Son Jung Wan had an aquarian theme, specifically the Jeju Island of her home country of Korea. Mathieu Mirano's ombre sketch was a part of his "mega-morpher" muse. Tome's muse is Fiona Hall. The fabrics and colors reflect the ecological issues the activist was passionate about.

A Moi has textured fabric and retro glamour photos on the mood board. Zac Posen's collection looks like it will be very constructed based on the corset photograph. His theme was "Maximal Minimialism" which indicates a study in contrasts. Sandhya Garge put together richly colored and patterned mood board about the city of Jaipur. Think spices, palaces, prints and colors. Tanya Taylor loved the textures of cultures. Rita Vinieris studied the effect of light travelling through darkness for spring 2016. Zimmerman put together their mood board around vintage fashions of the 1800s inspired by the book "7 Little Australians".

Idan Cohen is promoting sunsets and seashells in his collection. Reem Acra is working her magic with Arabian Nights. Creatures of theWind focused on beaded appliques in nature motifs for their "Eclipse" theme. Zang Toi, who often designs his collection around a beautiful location has chosen the island of Santorini this season.

Hundreds of designers are showing around the city for NY Fashion Week. Based on everyone's different muses, it's clear that no two collections could ever be alike. Fashion is as diverse as the people who make it.

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New York Fashion Week Fall 2015 - Designer Inspiration

Are we ready for New York Fashion Week? The fashion designers certainly are. They have worked long and hard to put together the best collection yet for fall 2015. Here is a fashion week preview for the collections soon to be featured on Ms. Fabulous based on their lovely fashion sketches.

That moody yellow dress sketch comes from Angel Sanchez. For his show, he is “revisiting eveningwear, offering a fresh approach for today’s women.” 

One of my favorites  every season at Mercedes-Benz Fashion week is  the Desigual show. Christian Lacroix is working his signature color and silhouettes. For fall, the designer was inspired by everything from a travel photograph from Africa, fields of flowers and turning it all into an abstract work of fashion art. I can't wait! 

Vivienne Tam is the queen of contemporary Chinoiserie on the runway. For her upcoming collection though, she is interpreting it from the eye of when Europeans were first inspired by early Asian art and culture. I think I see some early century silhouettes in that black dress with Victorian fusion embroidery? You'll see soon enough.

Fashion sketches show a season of rich texture and color:

Cool chick Rebecca Minkoff is spotlighting rocker Patti Smith has her muse for fall 2015. I guess this means we are in store for a lot of 70s inspired bohemian looks on the runway. Project Runway all-star Christian Siriano is set to make more dreamy ballgowns. He's going for primal sexy with a collection filled with animal prints, python texture with inspiration from the Congo jungle. 

Based on this detailed purple dress sketch from Monique Lhuillier, there will be lots of gorgeous embroidery for fall 2015. She designed her collection juxtaposing strong masculine tailored shapes with fluid feminine silhouettes. Dennis Basso is offering another rich evening wear collection. This one looks romantic with the oversized red roses and intricately beaded bodice in his sketch.

I am very excited at what looks like a full season of richly textured fabrics and strong colors based on this group of designer fashion sketches. 

Leave me a comment below on which designer you are most excited to see and you might win an invitation to the show!
sketches provided by the designers

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#NYFW Preview: Designer Sketchbook for Spring 2015

Are you ready for New York Fashion Week?  I peeked at the designer sketchbooks at their fashion sketches to preview what they will be showing in the days to come…

Don O’Neill of THEIA took his muse from Brazilian architect Oscar Neimeyer, specifically the curvilinear lines of his buildings.  Christian Lacroix once again graces Desigual with his bold, graphic colors with the inspiration of "bloom".

Korean designer Son Jung Wan’s spring collection was all about “tangible dualities: rough-textured fabrics like hemp cross soft, sinuous silhouettes.”  Her collection always has a beautiful mix of colors and textures. Colleague Ji Oh simply stated that playing it safe was dangerous. I expect some edgy shapes and attitude from these models.

Angel Sanchez claims to have found a new woman as muse.  His spring collection will be playing on the effects of light.  Based on his sketch, it looks like bright white peeking through sheer fabrics will be on the runway. 

Zang Toi celebrates his silver anniversary this season.  That’s 25 years of aristocratic glamour.  Based on his sketch wall, sweeping, dramatic gown are in store… I saw one sketch with style details that included merino wool and 13 hand-beaded emblems.  I think everyone is in for a treat at this catwalk.

The team at Custo Barcelona described their muse as "skin".  From their colorful patchwork of sketches, I am guessing their spring collection will be about organic textures inspired by nature, but executed in their signature bright palettes.  Christian Siriano's sketch represents transparency.  I think we can look forward to more layers of sheer fabrics.   Dennis Basso described his spring collection as "sumptuous" with the Mediterranean as his inspiration.  I think we're in for rich embellishments and lush silhouettes.

Which designer are you most looking forward to seeing at New York Fashion Week?  
(Sketches provided by designer's representatives)

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Fashion Sketch Workshop with Renaldo Barnette

How relevant is fashion illustration in today’s design industry?  Fans and media love to see a fashion designer’s sketch, but is it really used in the process of putting together a collection?  Renaldo Barnette is the answer to that question.

Renaldo has been a professional fashion illustrator hired by brands like Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Nicole Miller.  While some designers sketch for themselves, others rely on more experienced artists like Renaldo Barnette to specifically express their collection ideas in detail. 

Take a look at his illustrations above.  Do you see the difference between these and the fanciful images you see in the media?  Fashion sketching for the purpose of clothing design is much more detailed.  If you ever studied fashion design at a reputable school, these principles are drilled into you for your entire portfolio development.  

Your proportions need to be accurate.  Even if the typical fashion figure is not realistic to the average human being, your rendering of the clothing needs to be correct to the proportions of the figure you have drawn.  An advertising illustration can have a 10” waist with a gigantic ballgown skirt that defies gravity made of mystery space fabric.   In the process of design, the drawing of the fabric texture needs to be clear.  The movement and weight of the fabrics intended must be accurate.   Could a technical designer, draper or pattern maker recreate your look from viewing the sketch? 

Almost every “designer” job posting I come across asks for Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator or InDesign experience.  Tech packs to factories at most major companies require detailed technical flat sketches drawn with mathematical precision (and no personality).  Even when I first graduated Parsons School of Design, being a full-time fashion artist was not a career path many could hope to aspire to as the industry made it clear that CAD would be standard.  The artistic prints that once were hand-painted in gouache are now completely cut from patterns with “brushstroke” functions in a computer program.

I am so happy to know that classic artistic talent can still result in a successful fashion career in the form of people like RenaldoBarnette.  While this may not be a priority in modern fashion programs anymore, the artist is teaching three workshops in fashion drawing starting with the upcoming Saturday.  Learn to sketch a collection like a professional.

So are you ready to draw with Renaldo Barnette? Register for his workshop today!

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NY FASHION WEEK: Fall 2014 Sketchbook Preview

So what is in store for us in the next 10 days for New York Fashion Week?  A quick survey of my designer colleagues shows that everyone is working their butts off to put together an amazing collection in time for the show.

I love looking at fashion sketches as they show more of a designer's creative process than just how pretty the garment will look on the model.

Desigual's Manel Jadraque found his muse in the magic and curiosities that are hidden within a city.  Son Jung Wan wanted to express emotions in colors like abstract artist Mark Rothko.

Byron Lars is all about seaming and shape in his mad dash party of sketches in the top left.

Angel Sanchez is exploring the duality, quoting Oscar Wilde,  "Every Saint has a past, and every sinner has a future."

Zang Toi was masterfully organizing his lineup this week.  The theme promises to be a glamorous interpretation of 1930's glamour mixing the Orient in Paris.

Don O'Neill of Theia showed some elegant ladies showing their wild side with a pretty leopard print in pre-fall.  The sneak peeks he has allowed us to see for fall 2014 proper are some ritzy gold  deco sequin embroidery and fabulous frocks to come.

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Costume Design - Persol Magnificient Obsessions

I caught this terrific exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Images. Persol Magnificent Obsessions show how 30 professionals in film pursue their craft.  I was particularly enchanted by the three costume designers featured; Eiko Ishioka, Julie Weiss and Theadora Van Runkle. 

You definitely know their work.  Actual costumes were on display as well as clips from their films.  However, what really gave me insight into their creative process was looking at the diversity in their sketches.

The exhibit showcases the creative process of costume designers Eiko Ishioka and Julie Weiss

Eiko Ishioka was nominated for an Academy Award for last year’s Mirror Mirror film.  She was the creator of the costumes on Bram Stoker’s Dracula in collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola.  She came from a production design background which shows in the architectural nature of her costumes. 

Instead of the cliché satin lined cape, she designed Count Dracul’s armor to resemble anatomic muscles and veins.  While this was a period movie, her ensembles did not adhere to strict period construction.  The silhouettes resembled the Victorian time period, but at close inspection, the pleats and draping had very structured, origami-like shapes that were their own fashion sculpture. 

Ishioka’s sketches were big, barely a pencil outline for hands or faces.  The illustrations were only partially rendered.  The areas that were illustrated were intricately detailed, like the starched lace ruff on Lucy, the embroidery on Mina’s gown or the individual muscle tissue on Dracula.

Julie Weiss was the costume designer on Twelve Monkeys and Frida.  What struck me about her sketches was that all of her thoughts, ideas and notes were scrawled directly onto the sketch.  You can see her references, changed details, fabric swatches directly on the illustration.  Based on traditional costume design education, this was exactly not what designers usually present to the director.  Her work was fascinating in “A Beautiful Mind” kind of way.  Onscreen, while the costumes were great, you almost didn't see them because they really just blended into who the characters were.

I first heard of Theadora Van Runkle watching “Troop Beverly Hills” as a pre-teen.  A judge compliments Shelley Long’s tailored suit and she proudly boasts “It’s a Van Runkle!”  It was the first (and only) time where I have ever heard a costume designer of a film actually name checked in the film.

Theadora was responsible for the looks of some of the most trendsetting movies in the 1960’s, like Bonnie and Clyde and The Thomas Crown Affair.

Her sketches were textbook examples of old school costume illustrations that accurately depict the look, feel and attitude of each character’s ensemble.  The polished drawings render the textures of the fabrics.  You can see that even without an exact depiction of the faces, you can clearly picture the actors in the poses right in the movie. 

The rest of the exhibit included everything from the research that actors like Johnny Depp did to portray author Hunter S. Thompson, the equipment and process of a sound editor, the puppeteer and writing behind Being John Malcovich.

This was a great show for creative people or are passionate about any craft in their profession.  Whether you are a costume designer like Eiko Ishioka, wiriter like Hunter S. Thompson or actor like Johnny Depp. Now how do you feed your obsession?

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Stephen Burrows: When Fashion Danced

When is the last time a major fashion designer made clothes specifically to dance?  The Stephen Burrows exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York is a retrospective of a designer inspired by nightlife.

Stephen Burrows was a pioneering African American fashion designer whose look was defined by slinky knitwear, metallics and movement.  The bright colors, lettuce edged fabrics and body conscious silhouettes were inspired by the popular music of the 1970's, perfect for dancing in clubs like Studio 54 and worn by celebrities of its day.  What struck me was how contemporary the outfits all looked, as if they were a department store display you would see today.

Stephen Burrows was also one of the American designers chosen to represent the country is the famous "Battle of Versailles" fashion exhibition in Paris in 1973.  French couturiers like Givenchy, Dior and Yves Saint-Laurent and American fashion designers Bill Blass, Oscar de la Renta, Anne Klein and Burrows staged an epic contest to prove which country deserved to take the style crown.  While the traditional French designers showed classic dressing with Josephine Baker performing, it was the Americans who blew away the elite crowd with Liza Minelli, modern fashion and a team of African-American models who until that moment, were not considered the mainstream face of luxury fashion.

I love the short film near the beginning of the exhibit showing scenes of 70's New York City with slices of flashy disco nightlife.  It was nostalgic for the gritty, edgy, dirty NYC and how fabulous it was for it.  Stephen Burrows' fashion illustrations were also displayed throughout the exhibit.  You can see how a certain rhythm moves through the figures, colors or not colors, all the fashion is dancing...

Let's raise a mirrored ball to a man who was well ahead of his time and rocking his style still today!

The exhibit runs until July 28, 2013 at the Museum of the City of New York.

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Fashion Sketch Meetup - Would You Rock This

Love fashion illustration?  It's an art that is both rare, but highly evolved over the past few years.  Would You Rock This is a website that celebrates amazing fashion artists of all styles.  The site lets you join a community where you are invited to exhibits and events for fashion illustration.  You can vote on whose style is your favorite or buy prints.

During NY Fashion week, artists were invited to create fashion sketches live during fashion shows.  I joined their Meetup group to take part in some of their events.  My first was this past Sunday, with a sketching session hosted by Steven Broadway, my beloved fashion portfolio teacher many years ago from Parsons.  (Yep, those are my little sketches from the session above).

His flair and encouragement made his class the one I always looked forward to each week.  He played club music to keep it festive.  This session was no different.  He had three different models on hand offering diverse looks.  Clothing-wise, he offered a wide range of clothing to sketch, from evening wear, punk, office looks or fur.

While in school, our class stuck to assigned media. The artists in this class had a large range of materials, from painting, digital tablets, charcoal to markers.  It was really good to sketch by hand with a model again.

Check out this video tutorial about using markers from Steven Broadway:

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Beyonce's Secret Weapon - Rubin Singer

Who was the MVP of last night's Superbowl?  In my circles, it was undoubtedly Beyonce Knowles and the sexy-as-hell leather lace outfit she wore designed by Rubin Singer.  

The designer was not well known before last night, but his dramatic look caught the  eye of the pop star's stylist, Ty Hunter several years ago.  Beyonce first wore a dress by Singer two years ago at a performance near the Statue of Liberty.

Rubin Singer, who came to New York via Paris, and parents who defected from Russia, is very grateful that the pop star chose him for this moment instead of a "major designer".  Humble words coming from someone who has already dressed celebs like Lucy Liu, Heidi Klum and Alicia Keys.

The designer takes his inspirations from cultural muses both classic and current.  For his spring 2013 collection, he was inspired by the John Everett Millais painting, "The Death of Ophelia".  The painting is a beautifully rendered image on the tragic end of Hamlet's heroine.    The looks below have a sculpted, watercolor look that is sexy and innocent...

Bravo Rubin for your night int he spotlight!
images from fashionbombdaily.com and rubinsinger.com

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NY Fashion Week Fall 2013 Preview

What do the designers of NY Fashion Week have in store for us next week? Check out some preview fashion sketches below...

 Pamella Roland's sketches show some sexy, dramatic evening looks.  The designs says she was "I was inspired by the ornate interior of the winter palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia."

Designer Son Jung Wan was also inspired by former Soviet Union, “This season I was inspired by two great Russian works of art: Kandinsky’s balance of color and the ornate lines seen throughout Catherine Palace.”

Monika Chiang however, took a more stark route,  “I’m fascinated by mechanics, the bold geometry and graphic shapes created through flight. It is that raw power and beauty that is at the heart of my Fall 2013 collection.”

Custo Barcelona looks like it has some cozy knits and textures in store for us for fall...

Misha Nonoo is taking a romantic take inspired by "War and Peace".  For Fall 2013, the designer says to “Think Edie Campbell takes a weekend trip to Russia to visit descendants of the Russian Romanov’s for a carefree weekend filled with Fabergé egg hunts and caviar. ”

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BOCA: Shooting Fashion and CFDA in Florida

Boca Raton, Florida may not be the fashion capital you are expecting, but the Boca Museum of Art has three stellar fashion exhibitions running simultaneously.  

The first, is Draw and Shoot: Fashion Illustrations and Photographs which shows a collection of images from artists and photographers like Rudolf Bauer, Carl Erickson, Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, and John Rawlings.  The show examines the evolving aesthetics of style and beauty in how different artists depict fashion through the decades.

Jody Culkin: Refashioned is a show dedicated to the quirky artist and her reinterpretation of iconic fashion items.

The big exhibit however, is IMPACT: 50 Years of the CFDA.  Surprisingly, this is actually the first museum retrospective of the organization and its members itself.  The Council of Fashion Designers in America, over the past 5 decades, has supported and promoted its roster of over 600 designers of the fashion trade.  In this show, living members of the CFDA like Geoffrey Beene, Diane Von Furstenburg, Donna Karan and Vera Wang have selected one item that best represented their contribution to fashion history.  

I'm ready to get out of the cold and immerse myself in some culture in a sunny location...How about you?

All three shows opened this week and will run until April 21, 2013.

photos from bocamuseum.org,jodyculkin.com,fitnyc.edu

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Celeb Stylist Kate Young for Target

Joining a long line of fashion notables like Prabal Garung, Jason Wu and Missoni, celebrity stylist Kate Young will launch her collection with mass market retailer Target this spring.

The stylist has worked on the red carpet looks with starlets like Michelle Williams and Natalie Portman.  While Kate has been in the fashion industry as a consultant to labels like Armani Exchange and Ann Taylor, this will be the first collection to bear her name.  

Job seekers, take note:  Kate Young has worked as a stylist in the past for Target.  In a tv interview last year, she actually voiced her fantasy of creating an affordable line for the retailer.  Low and behold, an executive soon approached her to do just that.  Lesson? Be vocal about what you want!

The first sketches for the collection has hit the internet.  I personally love her simple, clean, fashion illustration style.  The drawings clearly communicate the look, construction and details.  

Best of luck Kate!

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Happy New Year! Louis Vuitton Paper Dolls

Happy New Year my lovelies!  I am looking forward to a fabulous 2013.  The state of Spring 2013 fashion is one reason I am optimistic.   Louis Vuitton presented souvenirs of their collection in a whimsical collection of paper dolls.

The looks were put together by stylist Kim Hersov and beautifully illustrated by Kerrie Hess.  Kerrie is a Paris-based Australian fashion illustrator who has collaborated with everyone from Vogue, Kate Spade to Chanel.  The Louis Vuitton site has a fun video profiling this project.  To download the paper dolls for yourself, you can get them here!

Paper doll images from louisvuitton.com

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Josie and the Dragon

Wednesday nigh at the Openhouse Gallery on the Lower East Side. Designer Josie Natori hosted the launch of a beautiful book commemorating her label's 35th anniversary.

The limited-edition book is illustrated with gorgeous paintings by Andrea Byrne and printed on gallery quality paper.  The original artwork was flown in from Europe to be shown for the party.  The illustrations depict the milestones in Josie Natori's career, like her first meeting with Bloomingdale's where a buyer advised her to market an embroidered blouse she showed as intimate apparel.  This was a catalyst to her building one of the biggest international lingerie brands in the world.  Her story, "Josie and the Dragon"  is told in a folklore/fairy tale manner, which is a surprise and pleasant departure from the typical designer biography that most brands put out.  The book is signed and numbered, presented in an exquisite embossed box.

Other key moments include her inspirations in incorporating a pattern from a piece of China into a signature print of her collection and meshing her Filipino heritage with her life in New York.  A retrospective of her career was also recently celebrated at the Ayala Museum in Manila.

Pick up the book or one of her beautiful caftans as your personal holiday treat!

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