Aptly named MARITIME, designer Luis Antonio’s Spring-Summer 2015 Collection draws inspiration from the island waters of his San Juan, Puerto Rico homeland and his love of graphic designs in bold nautical colors. Presented on September 6 at The Pavilion at Lincoln Center during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City, Antonio’s dresses, skirts and pants popped and sashayed down the runway.
OK fashion lovers, I must vent for a few minutes. This past New York Fashion Week was a absolute mess. Here’s why:
Weeks prior to fashion week, rumors were swirling that IMG would not approve credentials for a lot of bloggers. Slowly but surely a few of my fellow bloggers said they were denied credentials.
Reem Acra fall ’14 took us on a journey to “midnight in Paris,” with a complete collection of dresses made for the next round of A-list award season and red carpets. The Reem Acra brand has continued to sit with the creative giants and produce beautiful designs that push fashion to the next level. Voluminous mid-calf silhouettes, as well as elegant columns, create a great range for today’s diverse women.
This winter has been one of the roughest in years. Piles of snow weekly winter storms and frigid temps did not keep the fashion world from gathering at Lincoln Center and other venues to peruse next years looks. Timo Weiland and Nautica offered menswear looks designed for comfort as well as style. The looks offer Men a stylish way to brave the frigid temps. Wools , knits and all weather materials made up both collections. Nautica’s looks offered a playful mix of textures and hues. The bulk of the Nautica looks featured an outerwear piece.
Fall 2014 collection presentations tend to coincide with Valentine’s Day, and Tadashi Shoji’s new collection is geared toward a woman seeking the intense romance of yesteryear. Designed for an au courant woman, Tadashi Shoji is filled with luxuriant textiles, ornate architectural details, and palatial soundscapes.
Elegant and sophisticated, all standout pieces are worthy of upcoming black-tie galas. Women can look forward to a flame and nude corded embroidery on tulle long sleeve gown, an ivory and nude wooly lace sleeveless column gown, mystique blue silk chiffon and corded embroidery on tulle applique gown with tulle insets, a navy and black Rachel lace banded sweetheart neck strapless gown, and black velvet strapless gown with velvet palette insets and frayed-edge silk chiffon detail.
Other great looks include a flame and black crewel embroidery on tulle cape worn over an ivory and petal corded embroidery on tulle long sleeve gown, as well as, an ivory and petal corded embroidery on tulle cap sleeve mini-dress.
Mongolian designer Katya Zol presented a stunning runway collection part of the Fall/Winter 2014 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week on Sunday, February 9. The show opened with a performance Cirque du Soleil style with a singer in a native head dress, vocalizing to the sounds of the Mongolian region, followed by an acrobatic gentleman who held various poses upside down, sideways and otherwise using a small chair on the runway. Zol certainly set the stage for her collection that followed – a glorious array of colors, fabrics and styling, evoking the Mongolian spirit throughout.
From her very first runway show in 2001, Katya Leonovich has implemented a signature “beautiful garbage” and this year’s show has been no exception. Her staple garment patterns – a chic criss-cross in effect, bubble dresses, and unique incorporation of prints – all made a welcome appearance in her F/W collection. In a largely gray color palette, the show had an air of rock glam – shimmering garments with metal details, paired with perfectly coiffed faux-hawks and killer thigh-high boots, the line embodies an aesthetic fit for a modern-day, imperial Russian Princess.
Volume was the star this fashion week. It walked pretty much all the runways.
Ruffian was no anomaly. Designers Brian Wolk and Claude Morais provided fashion week with arguably one of its most voluminous and bold runways. Playing with shape and tackling wearability and femininity in the same breath, Ruffian was for the most part successful.