NYFW: Nicole Miller Fall 2016

This weekend had the coldest Valentine's Day on record in 100 years. Nicole Miller didn't want people to feel miserable in winter fashion. She was determined to put out a "happy" Nordic style collection to beat the cold.

photos by Mariana Leung

Instead of the usual pointelle sweaters and skiwear references, Miller played around with trompe l'oeil prints on fabrics with a metallic sheen. Embroideries included alpine and Nordic motifs all over long dresses. Deep color flower prints were printed on black ground fabric in line with her signature brand look.

With the cold weather, I had to restrain myself from snatching the big fur hats, stoles and vests right off the models as they walked the runway. Speaking of the walking the runway, it looked like the ladies were walking on a frozen sheet of ice with the faux fog rising up from the ground. It was a simple effect, but highly effective.

Cozy up to Nicole Miller's Fall 2016 in front of a fire and bring that hot chocolate.

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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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#NYFW: Nicole Miller Celebrates Street Art

This was a fun show, Nicole Miller was one of my favorites as a student at Parsons.  I love seeing how her brand has made a big comeback as a trendsetter rather than being the prom dress staple in recent years.

To me, she was always the Queen of fabric prints. She single-handedly owned the "conversational print" category back in the 1980s and 1990s. At her Spring 2016 show, Nicole Miller is still killing it. This was a street art inspired collection. The clothing patterns ranged from graffiti to more intricate mural patterns to a subtle monochromatic dripping paint. More red carpet worthy were the fully beaded and sequined gowns head to toe street art colors. The more casual sportswear included flowing tops and slim pants. There were long maxi skirts and sharp dresses. Graphic prints on short shorts were cute with a great solid top.

Nicole Miller brings out lots of celebrity fans of course, but it was a particular treat to see the ladies of Orange is the New Black glammed up and having a great time together.

All photos by Mariana Leung

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Nicole Miller Spring 2015

Is it time for a vacation? Nicole Miller’s spring 2015 collection at NY Fashion Week gave us all an escape to a tropical fantasy.  The backdrop was full of palm trees.  The runway itself was a black and white geometric print that echoed the graphic patterns of the collection.

Mixed prints were clearly the main theme of the collection.  Pineapples, bananas, botanical motifs brought out an island atmosphere with colors of bright yellow, red, orange, blue and green.  Meanwhile, black and white was presented in bold stripes of different scales, waves and palm trees.  The striking patterns were often paired with a sheer insert on dresses or tops.

There were short shorts and slim cigarette pants.  However, the most popular silhouettes were knee length skirts that were fitted, flirty or full, as a separate or a dress.   There were a few cotton blazers in either white solid cotton or one of the floral prints.

Intricate embellishments of the same tropical motifs were embroidered onto more elegant pieces.  Large-scale pineapples were knit into a complex intarsia placement on the body. 

Handbags were in the form of old-school travel suitcases, complete with destination stickers.  Fruity charm jewelry mirrored the prints and gave a whimsical vibe.  Shoes were custom matched to the clothing with the same tropical or black and white prints.  They were chunky heeled sandals with wide straps.  The shoes that happened to be solid leather were actually embossed with the running pineapple motif. 

My guess is that Nicole Miller’s message for spring 2015 is to welcome them to paradise…

photos by Mariana Leung

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Darkly Printed at Nicole Miller Spring 2014

 This is definitely shaping up to be the season of the print.  Nicole Miller's Spring 2014 fashion show mixed pretty ribbon or sequin embroideries with wedges of colorful patterns for a stained glass window effect.

For a designer that many women used to turn to for prom dresses, the brand put out a sleek, mature sportswear collection with a bit more edge.  On a more subtle, more subconscious note though, did anyone see a tribute to Tim Burton here?  Maybe I'm crazy, but some of the asymmetrical pieced print dresses looked a lot like Sally's outfit from A Nightmare B4 Christmas.  A black leather outfit with grey stitch detail was reminiscent of Edward Scissorhands.  The black and white stripes and green wild hair?  Beetlejuice.  I can't have been the only one to pick up on this?

The hair was up, but messy.  The lipstick shade was a dark mulberry.  The shoes were often a mix of contrasting colors and hardware.

Whether you think my theory is correct or not, I have to say this was a very pretty group with a good balance of sleek leather and feminine florals with some luxury embellishments thrown in.  The crowd pleaser works for both the young rebel and the established lunching lady who keeps on trend.

So do you agree?  Do you see Tim Burton haunting this collection or am I insane?

original photos by Mariana Leung

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Nicole Miller Spring 2013

Nicole Miller's spring 2013 collection was one of the best I have seen from her in years. The runway at New York fashion week had pretty, feminine floral prints put together with artsy watercolor prints in bright colors.

The collection was kept from being too sweet by pairing the soft with more cosmopolitan black and grey leather. Multi seamed dresses and tops had a stained glass window effect.

The prints translated into the shoes, along with metallic versions of some of the print colors. Sexy, strappy platform heels were paired with transparent geometric shapes in the jewelry. The hard edges were a complementary look with the soft fabrics.

In the 1990's, Nicole Miller practically owned the category of "conversational" prints... Black backgrounds with cute, colorful motifs of girly motifs. Then, the designer became the go-to for prom dresses. A few seasons ago, Joe Zee's show, "All on the Line" spotlighted how this savvy designer struggled with a brand identity crisis to be recognized as a fashion forward sportswear designer.

I'm happy to say that this designer is over that hump. I would be happy to shop anything from the runway. The clothes were very wearable, but with a bit of an edge. It was as off they were designed for the girl of the 1990's in school who grew up into today. (Okay, I might be identifying a little closely).

I did have a makeup case with the famous "Nicole Miller" print that I unfortunately had stolen years ago. In the '90's, I almost broke up with an ex when he shrunk my favorite cashmere sweater dress from the designer. Perhaps I never had closure (no loss on the ex), but maybe I always felt like i was left there was a fashion void that needed to be filled.

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Nicole Miller Spring 2012

Stripes, stripes or stripes?  Nicole Miller is a designer known for graphic prints.  In the 1980's, she blazed a trend for signature "conversational" prints of novelty motifs that was copied by brands all over the industry.  

For Spring 2012, she gave us stripes in all forms, in many directions.  Some were chevron, some were turned into graphic color blocks as a playful take on the trend.  Black and white are classic, and they were  available.  However, if you want to go bold, go for the bright purples, fushia, yellows and oranges that popped the graphic dresses.  The models were accessorized simply.  Some sunglasses and flat leather sandals to show that the Nicole Miller girl loves the sun and casual chic.

On a frigid day like today, who doesn't need some warm inspiration?

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