Theia Fall 2013

Don O'Neill's Fall 2013 collection was inspired by opulence, Breakfast at Tiffany's and Belle Du Jour.  The elegant, coquettish chic that cinema stars like Catherine Deneuve and Audrey Hepburn was translated into pretty day dresses and luxurious gowns.

 Always a realist, gowns had stretch panels for super flattering fit.  There were some beautiful embroideries and richly colored floral prints.  If pre-meditated embellishment is not your thing, Theia was also behind the amazing silver silk gown that Carrie Underwood wore at the Grammy's.  Animated patterns were projected all over the skirt for one of the most memorable fashion moments in Grammy history...  

Collections images Mariana Leung, Carrie Underwood images Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com; Kevork Djansezian/Getty

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Hot Flavors - Cool Style

Can you believe it is November? For fall 2012 fashion trends, it means it is time to turn up the heat!  Designers for New York Fashion Week brought out a palette of fiery colors.  Designers also kept you cozy with the big fuzzy trend of using fur.

This has been the year of the Girl on Fire.  It only seems appropriate that a hot color palette for fall ignites your wardrobe.  How gorgeous are the flame-like silk prints of Theia’s gown and Monique Lhuillier’s day dress?  Anna Sui brings out the fiery hues in different patterns while Pavoni, Josie Natori and Monique Lhuillier create heated silhouettes from flared chiffon, silk crepe or shiny leather 

Fur can be super luxurious if you have the budget.  If you don’t, accessories make a dramatic statement, like a big fur hat or shrug from Pamella Roland.  Do certain fashion choices weight on your conscience?  It doesn’t have to be real fur to rock this trend.  Designers Betsey Johnson and BCBG Max Azria strike a dramatic look without harming animals.  The quality and colors of faux fur are fantastic these days when accenting a fabulous coat.  Of course, a great furry texture works too.  Creating volume with loops, fringe or even feathers can pimp out the most basic silhouette.  Anna Sui’s great fall coats and sweaters make the artsy crafty technique work very well.

Photos by Mariana Leung and David TW Leung

So has fall 2012 fashion got your mercury rising? The only chills here are the ones of stylish excitement when I flip through the runway collections.  When the temperature drops, I am so ready to shop!

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and use it to plan your outfit


Disclosure: Compensation was provided by General Mills via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of General Mills”

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NY FASHION WEEK: Theia Spring 2013 Photoshoot

NY Fashion Week starts officially today, even though many designers were already entrenched in their presentations.  Theia Couture started the week with a gorgeous photo shoot of their spring 2013 collection.

While the designer went dark and strong for Fall 2012, Don O'neill's spring collection continued with the strength, but lightened it up.  The big story for this season was about the graphic painted floral prints that contain gold, solar orange, sky blue.  The designer looked to Hera, Goddess of the sky, with ferocious strength.  Beautiful embroideries were also part of the story with cerulean blue with stones and pailettes.  Even in the neutral colors, the designer used crystal embellishment with iridescent coatings that  picked up all of the colors of the prints.

While this is just a preview of the collection to come, check out our interview with the design and a behind the scenes peek at the process of a high fashion photo shoot...

Check out the final lookbook produced from this shoot here.

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NY Fashion Week Preview

Excited for NY Fashion Week yet? Just thought I would share some sneak peeks from fashion designers and their fashion illustrations for their upcoming runway shows.

Top, we have Custo Barcelona.  It looks for spring 2013, it will be a candy colored palette and of course, lots of texture!  Then we have Don O'Neill's sketch of a blue gown for Theia, and Norisol Ferrari's dramatic red dress.  Fierce and elegant.

In sportswear, VLOV looks like it is doing sedate but crisp suits for spring.  Jenni Kayne is working the variegated stripe and flirty skirts. Tracy Reese is rocking skinny pants and bright colored jackets with a high low hem.

Libertine has some bright colors and interesting silhouettes ready.  Rachel Roy's sketches show some flattering seaming details for spring and a continuation on the trend of color blocking.  Vivienne Tam drew upon inspiration from the 5 elements and Christian Siriano was inspired by the American Ballet.

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Theia at the Saratoga Fashion show

 Dapper Don O'neill of Theia Couture sent fantastic models down the runway at a Saratoga Fashion show benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities last week.  The annual event raised money and honored longtime supporter Natalie Sillery of Saratoga Trunk.

The gorgeous event took place at the famed Saratoga Race Track. Stylish ladies displayed elaborate hats in the tradition of racing fashion.  Dresses from Theia included his shimmering daywear, laser cut petals and sunset gown.  Models include local Saratoga women who are affectionately called "Trunkettes" who celebrated the 50th anniversary of the organization.

Don recently gave Hello La Mode a fantastic interview about his personal favorites of designer fashion.  He also tells Hello La Mode exactly why an organization like Ronald McDonald House means so much to him.   "It’s an incredible house and it’s an amazing facility".  He continued, "to realize the benefit of being able to stay in a facility that’s a home away from home, 5 minutes from the hospital, where your whole family can be together.   There are kitchens and there are meals and you’re being taken care of so that you can focus on the person that’s sick. And I knew how important it was but I never realized exactly how much until I actually experienced for myself how truly important it is. I realized how proud I am to be part of helping people have this amazing facility when their family members get sick." 

The designer donated several Theia dresses to be sold to benefit the RMHC .  Shop, volunteer or donate to this wonderful organization!

Photos by Erica Miller of the Saratogian 

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Hot Flavors of Summer Fashion

 Memorial Day is coming up, so you had better be ready with your summer style!  I'm looking forward to warm weather cocktails and bright breezy frocks!  The top shades this year seem the align perfectly with the top flavors this season...

Tangerine Tango was named Pantone's color of the year.  Designers Vivienne Tam, Carlos Miele and Derek Lam certainly knew that.  They worked the color into elegant and flirty frocks perfect for a garden party or Hamptons gala...The perfect accessory?  How about a Citrus Squeeze?  Recipe here.

 Remember having a lemonade stand when you were a child?  It was my first foray into entrepreneurship.  You can give the ultimate summer beverage a nice upgrade by making a Pucker vodka-infused Lemonade Lust.   Dress for success with a printed dress from Diane Von Furstenburg, jewelry from Lulu Frost, or swish gown from Cesar Galindo!

Throw a Raspberry Rave! There is a flattering shade of berry pink for everyone.  Naeem Khan has a bright shade with a lot of movement in his ruffled skirt.  Theia has multiple colors of pink in his crunchy cocktail frock and Farah Angsana has a deep raspberry concentrate in his dramatic gown.

What flavor flatters you?  Discuss on Facebook. 

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Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Pucker Vodka via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Pucker Vodka.

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Regal Glamour at THEIA Fall 2012

Strong, powerful women of mythology.  Designer Don O'Neill has always looked to iconic female figures as muse.  For his Fall 2012 collection (and first runway show), he went darker and more mysterious.  Some in the audience called it the Morgana or Snow White's evil queen collection.  What I saw were gowns that were luxuriously embellished and sexy. 

Black and silver were the dominant colors, with some rich amethyst looks in between.  Shoes were made by Q by Pascuale Fabrizio.  Exquisite heels from Italy that were also delicately crafted.  Beaded headpieces gave the evening wear their magical slant.  

The makeup consisted of smoky, smoldering eyes.  The hair was inspired by Athena, Goddess of weaving.  It was pulled back into long ponytails, with  long hair strands wrapped around and interwoven down the tail.

Theia is fast becoming the go-to favorite of celebrities for the red carpet.  Most recently, Amber Riley of Glee at the NAACP awards and TONY winner Donna Murphy at the Drama League Awards wore his flattering gowns.  Maybe they know that they can count on Don to make them look their best.  Maybe the stars know that they sparkle like the Goddess of Light that inspires the collection.  Either way, this is a label not to be missed!

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Irish Fashion Night and Artist of the Light - THEIA & Roisin Fitzpatrick

The next capital of style?  The Consulate General of Ireland hosted an evening to highlight the creative accomplishments of their own.  Don O'Neill's collection THEIA was highlighted.  He has often drawn from stories of his native Ireland in his work. The fushia gown at the top was embroidered with intricate Celtic patterns inspired by the Book of Kells.  THEIA, the collection's namesake was the Goddess of Light.  Fans now include the First Lady of Ireland, Sabina Higgins. 

To complement the stellar gowns of the night, the work of Roisin Fitzpatrick was featured.  Ms. Fitzpatrick is known as the "Artist of the Light" after surviving a near-death experience.  Her canvases consist of natural silk embroidered with Swarovski crystals with vortex and celestial patterns.  

Guests of the event enjoyed Irish treats, with Lily O'Brien's chocolates a particular favorite.  Celebs like Angela Bassett and Melyssa Ford looked terrific in Theia dresses and admired the show.

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Theia Spring 2012

Romanced on a bed of roses?  I can't imagine a lovelier way to present a Spring 2012 collection.  With Goddess Chloris as a muse, designer Don O'Neill showed a meticulous collection of gowns and the debut of the Theia day dress line.

Chloris was the Goddess of flowers.  For Theia, this mean light, petal-like transparency. This inspiration was also translated into high tech digitally printed floral fabrics to hand-embroidered blooms on bodices.  A dimensional technique rarely produced in modern textiles was incorporated into an all-over gown.  

The day dresses included flattering seaming, prints, a sorbet color palette, as well as black and white.  Another innovative technique was Mr. O'Neill's use of laser-cut paillettes.  Instead of hard, shiny sequins, fabric was laser-cut into delicate, soft shapes embroidered onto cocktail dresses and gowns.  This resulted in an elaborately textured dress without the heavy weight of typical beads and jewels.

There were gowns of Theia's signature "crunchy" sequins (a mix of over 10 tonal colors giving a rich, dimensional effect), and light-radiating crystal embroidery.  No wonder the siren call of Theia has attracted the likes of Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester (she wore a Theia wedding gown), Taylor Swift and Emmy Rossum.

The designer gave the Ms. FAB team an exclusive interview to describe his work on this season's collection and access to the full show:

photos by Mariana Leung, video by Nicholas Waickman

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THEIA Fall 2011

Red carpet favorite, handsome and charming Don O'Neill gave the Ladies Who Lunch team and Ms. FAB an exclusive interview about his journey to create THEIA.

The designer started designing with Christian Lacroix and evolved through Carmen Marc Valvo and Badgley Mischka before starting his own Goddess-inspired collection THEIA.  Celebrities like Taylor Swift and Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester love his dresses.

Oprah Winfrey recently wore one of his glamorous dresses on the cover of O magazine...You can win the dress via their Facebook contest right here. 

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Theia Resort 2012 - Helios Rising

Don O’Neill is the thinking woman’s designer.  He presented his collection for Theia Resort 2012 by making his entrance precisely at the moment of Summer Solstice.  Why? His collection was inspired by Helios, the God of Light.    

Mr. O’Neill used his muse to interpret the mythical elements into the fabrics themselves.  There were cocktail dresses using a technologically advanced fabric that was cross woven with contrasting colors to reflect light brilliantly.  In blue, it conveyed the rippling of the ocean, in gold; it looked the rays of the sun. 

He used his signature sequin mix in a few of the dresses.   By combining up to ten tonal colors in beads in sequins, Don achieves a richer texture and color. 

For all the cerebral design behind the mythology and fabrics, the silhouettes work on a practical level.  Don O’Neill is the rare gentleman that understands how real women wear clothes.  The unglamorous aspect of dealing with the need for ‘bra-friendly’ dresses and flattering non-model figures is addressed with each collection.  Gowns are draped to flatter actual curves.  Shirring is strategically placed not only for dramatic effect, but also to hide tummies (real or imagined by celebrities).   

The Theia Resort 2012 collection was designed for the smart, elegant jetsetter in mind.  On the red carpet, or a carpet of beach sand, these are the gowns for me.

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Giveaway Monday! Theia, Thom Dolan, Katherine Kwei & Mattese!

Sales are great, but free stuff is even better... Get ready for spring with a bunch of fashion goodies around the web.  Style blog Refinery29 is hooking you up with a bikini and bracelet from new label Thom Dolan.  

Dress up your nails for NY Fashion Week with a collection of Mattese Elite sparkles from Ricky's NY via Fashion Indie.  

The elegant prize is the $595 cocktail dress from red carpet favorite Theia.  Don O'neill's gowns count Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift as fans...

Handbag fetish?  Katherine Kwei's Donna Snake Tote is up for grabs via BagSnob's sweepstakes.  

Claim your goodies and get glam!

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Textile Design: Digital Printing vs. Old School

The fashion crowd has traditionally been criticized for their slow embrace of technology. Old masters deplore the loss of hand-drawn sketches, couture sewing techniques and artisan craftsmanship in today's mass market world.
Where does textile design fit into this debate? The Wall Street Journal recently ran an article on high end designers who have incorporated the use of digital fabric printing into their collections. Zac Posen and Helmut Lang were able to translate photographic images into dresses. Recent technology has allowed for sharper, crisper images that were not possible in the years before.
Theia designer Don O'Neill took advantage of the speed of this tool by combining the new and the old. He translated an original piece of art into a custom digital print fabric in time to be worn by Carrie Underwood for an awards night.
Does this technology take away from those who still illustrate patterns by hand and use silk screening as a couture art form? Not according to Catherine Malandrino, who vows to continue employing artists specifically for this purpose.

In my own experience of design, there is no technology that replaces hand appliques and embroidery as a technique.
The most recent season of Project Runway, designers worked with Vivienne Tam to create a digitally printed fabric. This is also the show where the talent is asked to create each outfit by hand and employ Haute Couture skills for the runway. It's about making finding new mediums to express creativity.
What is your favorite medium for design? Does digital open up new possibilities? Need to explore it more? Craftzine has a great guide to break it down.

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Fashion Inspiration Benefit for Leukemia & Lymphoma

A little north of Manhattan in Saratoga Springs, a champagne celebration was held to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Organized by Kristina Krawchuk and Natalie Sillery,the event showcased the work of Theia designer Don O'neill ( a favorite of Carrie Underwood) and millinery artist Kokin in a fabulous fashion show at the town's Preservation Hall. Based on the photographs, everyone looked beautiful partying to benefit a good cause. To donate or volunteer, click through here.

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