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Wednesday, January 30
GQ and CFDA Present The Best New Menswear Designers in America And Their Fall 2008 Collections
GQ and CFDA kicked off their latest joint endeavor by recognizing the best new menswear talent in America with a boozy mixer on Wednesday night, just a few days before the official start of Fashion Week. Magazine editors and buyers arrived in a typical midtown lobby near Rockefeller Center only to emerge from the elevator into a raw, industrial space. Inside, models were lined up against an expansive wall offering a full view of recent wares from the designers being honored--Engineered Garments, Gilded Age, Obedient Sons, Rag & Bone, Spurr, and Steven Alan. Other designers such as Thom Browne (who jetted early to get back to his studio) and the boys from Shipley & Halmos joined GQers Jim Moore and Jim Nelson in celebrating the latest round of gentlemanly talent.--Piera Gelardi
For more on the GQ/CFDA shindig, please go here.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
BAND OF OUTSIDERS AND BOY
The Show
Last season, designer Scott Sternberg went topside with boating themes and a show on the river. Today, he continued to represent the new, refined wave of West Coast design with wintry post-WWI outerwear and leisure styles. Woolen grays, double-breasted vests, and reams of plaid suggested English hunting parties and '50s dinner clubs. Tartan trousers and jackets for men and women, including a stunning blue hunting jacket and a pajama-like sack dress, stood alongside a surprising pair of snug-fit corduroy cargo pants. The high-set, trim eveningwear echoed recent Dior Homme collections without airtight fits or pomp.--Gabriel Bell
Just days before his show, we caught up with designer Scott Sternberg in a mad mix of castings, fittings, and putting lots of layered looks together with his stylist, Tina Chai. Sternberg, who is based in Los Angeles, switches coasts every season to show both Band of Outsiders and his new womenswear line, Boy, at New York Fashion Week.
The Scene
Smoke, bows and arrows, ivy and middle-school--it was a conscious nod to Jumanji as overhead projectors played up the outdoor looks and sharp eveningwear. Set in the middle of a warehouse space in Chelsea, the showcase was more of a mixer than a typical presentation. Carlos D breezed through and Barneys' Simon Doonan kept a low profile in a parka and wool cap.
A minute with: Mickey Boardman, Paper Magazine
What do you think of the Band of Outsiders/Boy presentation?
"I love it. You can take a piece here or there and pass for normal, or you could style it up. It can be as freaky or as laid back as you want it to be. I'm from the Midwest, so as freaky as I might be, I still love a little corduroy."
What are you wearing today?
"A good friend of mine, Danni, is a jewelry designer for Lia Sophia, and he created this great chain I've got on. It's so fucking heavy though, my neck hurts--but I just love it."
How much have you spent on cab fare today?
"Well, only $25 or so, but I've got a lot of shows left today. Ask me tomorrow."--Gabriel Bell
RACHEL ROY
The Show
All images from Style.com
Inside a blindingly sunny Peter White studio (even Anna Wintour's signature shades were a necessity) high up in the Starrett Lehigh Building, a fresh-faced Rachel Roy held court during a presentation of her latest finery--an ultra-glamorous mix of Deco-inspired cocktail dresses, feminine curve-hugging knits, and loads of luxe jewel tones all accented with some beautifully cool Native American prints and beading. Roy is a genius at turning girls into ladies, but she made sure her modern sophisticate always has a little bit of edge, pairing party-ready fare with a cowboy hat or long equestrian-style gloves. Top looks: A pumpkin-colored satin cocktail dress and an Apache silk print blouse with silk skirt.--Christene Barberich
CATHERINE HOLSTEIN
The Show
All images taken from Catherine Holstein look book
"When I was younger, whenever I would see a Miró painting, I would want to jump right into it," says designer Catherine Holstein. "So I thought, why not translate that to a collection?" Miró may have been the chief inspiration for Holstein's biggest and most impressive collection to date, but a playfully swank boy-meets-girl vibe stretched way beyond just surrealist T-shirt illustrations. Holstein, whose previous collections topped out at 14 styles, turned out 45 big bright looks that had this editor (and others) wanting at least half of them. Top looks: Slouchy Jack-the-Ripper-style capes, pleated minis in canary yellow and a burnished gold, and lots of easy, must-have separates like long lean cardis and '60s-inspired jackets felt grownup and polished but still young and quirky--much like Holstein herself.--Christene Barberich
SAMANTHA PLEET
The Show
It's Fashion Week, do you know where your children are? Samantha Pleet's sexy delinquents would surely frighten parents with their (prettily) mussed hair, torn stockings, and occasional teardrop gang "tattoos." Pleet's preoccupation with Victoriana and antiquity carried over in this season in the Elizabethan ruff-collared shirts paired with onesies and thigh-grazing jumpers, creating a sexy, 'Hamlet's secretary' look--an update from the pirate wench of yore. Top looks: A late '50s, early '60s vibe of bow-necked blouses and dapper flight attendant coat-dresses were roughed up with towering studded platform pumps. High-waisted, yoke-front trousers and a sheer floral printed blouse was accessorized with white crackled leather oxfords and a crushed black chapeau to create one of the standout looks, which distinguished itself from Pleet's repertoire of scandalously short dresses.--Erin Wylie A minute with: Samantha Pleet
Tell us about the season's theme...
"Criminals. We shot the look book as mug shots: How people look after getting arrested. We used real people, mostly friends, and gave them looks that described their character. Shooting it was the most fun weekend of my life."
What's new this season?
Samantha: "This is our first season doing menswear..."
Patrick [Samantha's partner and husband]: "There's always an element of menswear to Samantha Pleet..."
Samantha: "...but we wanted to make clothes that Patrick wanted to wear. We design for ourselves."
What else are you excited about?
"We hand-made all of the jewelry. It was so easy! And we got married three months ago!"
For more Fashion Week coverage, please click here.