Carlos Miele's Brazilian Delights

Lilting Brazilian music set the stage for Carlos Miele's Fall Winter 2010 Fashion Show at the Promenade at Bryant Park Tents in New York during the last fashion season there. Miele used remnant pieces of fabric to create rosettes "fuxicos" on a gold silk charmeuse mini skirt and a bright red silk charmeuse evening gown.

The designer's socio-environmental consciousness included the development of a fabric known as Bio Denim, produced of excess denim and biodegradable, as well. A Brazilian fruit-butter was used to soften the fabric, giving a sophisticated appearance to light grey belted trousers.

Miele used looping chains in zigzag patterns on cocktail dresses and silk tops. Fabric chain appliques on fushcia, purple, and gold gowns along with vertically pleated and beaded panels, and lace provided an eye-opening sensation as models strutted along. A grey wool vest was stunning with a silver fox applique, as were a grey astrakhan coat and black fringe leather vest.

Models wore suede ankle boots in black and light gold with metallic leather strap detail to complete the look. Asymmetrical and geometric abstract prints also added lightness to this tropical fashion adventure.

Twinkle by Wenlan

On Saturday, February 13, 2010, Twinkle by Wenlan showed forty-seven looks in a "Dark Fairy Tale." Chunky knits, that usually fill the show, were included as a chunky knit dress, a fine gauge striped sweater dress, a cropped turtle neck sweater, and a tweedy short coat. Colors reflected mossy woodlands, with mustard yellow, mauve, and royal blue, purple, cream and snow, as well.

Sheer chiffon blouses and feminine silk dresses in bright "city lights" colors reminded viewers of the birds and felines that enter the forest with their cinnamon, red, and metal tones. Longsleeved and strapless dresses were shown with ruffled lapels and ruched bodice, respectively. Chain belts and zipper details were included on many dresses, while blouses were studded with playful beads and beautiful necklaces.

The most enjoyable aspect of the show was seeing the models' pleasant demeanors and knowing that this favored designer truly has "something for everyone" in her Fall line.

God Save McQueen//RIP

 

Image of McQueen from Harper's Bazaar

 We are absolutely devastated to report that beloved designer and tailoring genius Alexander McQueen has taken his own life, as we first learned this morning from the Daily Mail.

Alexander McQueen was set to debut his McQ collection at Milk Studios during New York Fashion Week, and we were greatly anticipating his new offerings for Fall/Winter 2010. If you are attending shows at The Tents today, please take a moment to pause in his memory. We will be wearing black to mourn the loss of a true light in fashion and the entire creative world.

WSR's Fall/Winter 2010 Fashion Week Schedule

Tomorrow's the big day...see below for all the exciting coverage you

should expect in the next week! 

We will be saying goodbye to Bryant Park in style, with live reviews, streaming video, instant photos, daily trend reports and more.

Bottega Venata's Pre-Fall 2010

Washington Style Reporter's
Fall/Winter 2010 Fashion Week Schedule- New York City 

Thursday, February 11th
9am Mackage (Salon)
1pm Duckie Brown (Salon)
2pm Toni Maticevski (Altman)
3pm Ports 1961 (Promenade)
4pm Unreserved (Bryant Park Hotel)
7pm The Heart Truth
8pm Mik Cire by Erik Kim (Promenade)
10pm Patricia Fields//Keith Haring Party (353 W 57th Street)

Friday, February 12th
2:30pm Callula Lillibellee (423 W. 43rd St)
4pm Gilded Age (Angel Oresantz)
6pm Alexander Berardi (Altman)
7pm Edwing D'Angelo (Waldorf Astoria)
10pm Seven 10th Anniversary Party (Tribeca Grand Hotel)

Saturday, February 13th
11am Georges Chakras (Promenade)
6pm Twinkle by Wenlan (Promenade)
6-8pm Vivienne Tam (40 Mercer)
7pm Irina Shabayeva
7pm Manuel Del Cruz (Altman)
9pm Style 360

Sunday, February 14th
11am Luca Luca (Promenade)
2pm Rebecca Taylor (Salon)
8pm Custo Barcelona (Tent)
9pm Vassilios Kostetsos (Salon)
Monday, February 15th
11am Carlos Miele (Promenade)
12pm Jill Stuart (Astor Hall)
5pm Tadashi Shoji (Salon)
6pm Ecco Domani (Tent)
7pm Perry Ellis (Promenade)

Tuesday, February 16th
1pm Pamella Roland (Salon)
2pm Max Azria (Tent)
3pm Dennis Basso (Promenade)
5pm Diesel Black Gold (128 W 42nd)
7pm Tibi (Promenade)
7pm G-Star Raw (Hammerstein)
9pm The Blonds (Altman)

Wednesday, February 17th
4pm Milan Breton (508 W 37th)
7pm Brian Reyes (Promenade)

Thursday, February 18th
12pm Isaac Mizrahi (Tent)
10pm Brooklyn Royalty Closing Night Party (Kingdom)

A Designer's Evolution

Photo Credit: Jennifer Graylock/Associated Press Photo

In September, 2009, Christian Siriano debuted his Spring 2010 Collection in New York City.

After having won the New York "Project Runway" several seasons earlier and launching his brand with winnings from the competition, Siriano became quite popular. He wrote a book, Fierce Style, describing the fashion industry, and performed freelance work designing shoes and handbags for Payless brand to fund his modest collection.

Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images North America

Robin Givhan, writing "On Fashion" for the Washington Post on December 20, 2009, suggested that Siriano had evolved from an overconfident reality show star using sarcastic speech to vanquish opponents, to a hesitant and thoughtful force willing to accept constructive criticism regarding his designs. He had adapted his focus to create wearable designs with signature colors and prints inspired by photographs of the Italian coastline.

Many of Siriano's Spring 2010 garments were cotton and silk linen blouses, men's style trousers, shorts and above the knee skirts, and halter dresses of layered and two toned fabrics draped at the waist or neck. Classic and pleated trench coats, zippered jackets of metallic linen with oceanic or volcanic print piping, carried the look. Siriano's Spring colors included beach, aqua tones, blush, khaki, stone, the white, blue, and black oceanic print and the rusty volcanic print. Crocodile embossed belts and insets evoked excitement for the runway show. Most of the garments appeared well constructed with matching handbags, platform pumps, or booties. Several ensembles featured over sized, feathery hats.

Friday, February 12, 2010, Christian Siriano will present his Fall 2010 Ready to Wear Collection in the Tents at Bryant Park in New York. His admirers and patrons will be anxious to view his imaginative designs, colors, and patterns for the coming Fall fashion season.

Karen Sabag Debuts Spring Evening Gown Collection

Designer Karen Sabag with Model

WOW! A Brooklyn designer, Karen Sabag, introduced a line of elaborate evening wear inspired by the elegant streets of Barcelona. Barcelona is known for its extraordinary marble and stone streets, and Karen Sabag was able to transfer that elegance to her amazing creations. Daytime dresses and cocktail wear were adorned with bows, lace and and crocheting, many in black and white, some with pastel pink or mint green. Her more elaborate evening gowns of Italian and French lace featured embroidery, hand beading, Swarovski crystals and delicate pearls, with gold and silver threads. Well crafted corsetry added glamour to the designs, so that each model looked alluring and sensuous.

The Scandanavia House on Park Avenue, with its open second floor terrace, provided a delightful setting for the runway. The wedding gown at the finale was so wide that it filled the entire runway. The audience could scarsely contain their delight! It was obvious that Karen Sabag has a loyal following.

Her 2010 Bridal Collection will be featured in the Wedding Channel Bridal Couture Show in October. We wish her well.

Zhari & Kimberley Chetrit

Poleci - Spring 2010

Drastic improvements from last season at Poleci. From construction to aesthetics this season was many steps in the right direction. The color palate was a little bleak - washed out purples, deep river blues, and dull camo greens. There were some interesting textures created by layering sheer fabrics and gathering. The two standout pieces involved a fun blue sequin fabric which was a sparkling relief amidst the drab matte silks that permeated the collection. The shoes were as clunky as the color choices. There are a lot of interesting and wearable pieces but as a whole there is still some room for improvement at Poleci.

Pictures to Come….

Christian Siriano - Spring 2010

This kid really needs to give up on these hats – oversized even for the Ascot opening day scene from My Fair Lady… Beyond that the clothes were stylish, well tailored, and elegant. Warm silvers and rosy beiges paraded up and down the runway. Ranging from snug and sleek dresses and suits to billowy and soft blouses and skirts, everything seemed to take a minimalist and monochromatic tone. A detailing of blue piping finally accenting the sea of beige hinted at the color splash to come. Then finally, midway through the show, an abstract print of a variegated blue and grey appeared. The print is bold and interesting but can be somewhat aggressive as an 80’s style propelled ruffle or – pushing it even further - a skin tight jumpsuit. I pause. Was Mystique just on the runway? The deep aqua chiffon that grounds the print is calm and serene. Suddenly the palette warmed up with a red top standing out from the rest and we got hotter golds and a red print cocktail dress with petal pleats - apparently Christian is watching reality TV? Super aggressive ball gowns in reds and rose shut down the show, although my favorite was the blue evening gown which he showed before the color shift. Very typical of Siriano’s reputation as a showman to end by hitting you over the head with a bunch of big statement pieces; maybe if I wore one of those ridiculous hats I would be a bit more protected. Nonetheless this was generally a very solid collection you will definitely see around Manhattan this spring and the shoes were to die for!

ADAM - Spring 2010

Casual and soft, these slouchy loungey clothes are perfect for a sunny day in any locale, not just Lamu – a small island in the Indian Ocean off the Kenyan coast which inspired the Spring 2010 collection. The prints of flowers and butterflies scattered throughout were fun and girly without being overbearing. Ostrich feathers glammed up the runway a bit making appearances with metallic detailing as skirts and a dress. I loved the color palate of pale blues, lavenders, and a punch of turquoise all complimenting a buttery cream base. The super soft tissue-weight jerseys are not unexpected from a clothier who always has the finest fabric selections. The pieces adorned with metallic beads brought in some sparkle in an earthy organic way – although occasionally a bit heavy-handed. The palliate skirt is bound to grab everyone’s attention as it walk down the street. My favorite piece was a silver metallic dress that is ethereal and gauzy in contrast to some of the chunkier metallic beading work. Welcome back from vacation Adam and thanks for bringing New York this breath of fresh air.