First time showing at Milk Studios, third time showing during NYFW, designers Koon Lim and Catrine Thé presented their spring 2015 collection to press and buyers. Ever since I wore Koonhor to  the El Museo Gala, I became a fan of their slick, edgy, print-loving, cool looks.

This collection boasts an eclectic  mix of a harsh urban environment softened and feminized with tactile fabric, play of proportion -- especially of voluminous silhouettes - and, exaggerated geometric patterns in pop hues.

Loved this collection so much. So many options you can explore! My favorite one yet from the talented duo.

Photography by Christine Shepherd

Emily presented her cool lady chic collection at the Hub inside the Hudson Hotel during NYFW.
I became aware of Saunder, the contemporary ready-to-wear line by Emily Saunders-----last season when I pulled a shirt from their spring 2014 collection for Lucky Mag community.  

It was then, I checked out her prior work and became a budding fan.

Emily won me over with the bone shirts.

Now, she clearly won me over with the NYFW collaboration with Erin Dana, who designed the cute miniature bags the models was wearing and Megan Isaacs provided the custom jewelry, this is Megan's third time collaborating with Emily Saunders. 

Kiki Rowe provided the music while the staff at Seventh House PR gave each guest a copy of her CD.

The SAUNDER spring/summer 2015 collection is inspired by the Iron Butterfly song 'Inna Gadda Davida'. It was released in 1968, during what is known to be, the beginning of the heavy metal era. This season's  collection explores the concept of a rock n' roll Garden of Eden and is loaded with bright floras, prescription pills, and deconstructed snake prints.

                                                                  My favorite looks from the Spring 2015 collection

For the spring 2015 Collection, À MOI designer, Alejandra (Alex) Alonso is inspired by her ancestral past.

Alonso reflects on her richly textured lineage, as seen through a kaleidoscope of family stories and events, thus naming this season’s collection Reflections.

“The creative intention this season is constructed to reflect the many layers of growing up within a landscape of rich, European, traditions and transforming them in an abstract and subjective way” says Alonso. “My collection is about rejecting the conventional and creating new realities.”

With a summer tradition of family getaways in Biarritz, this spring’s palette references the sophistication of the majestic French landscape, combining the coastal colors of cool white, blue and navy, and naturally contrasting them with the mystical hues of the regional sunsets. 

Going alongside Alonso’s overarching Reflections theme, iridescent tones are contrasted with neutral undertones, in combination with strong shades of blue ranging from powder blue to a luxurious navy satin. Texture and hues are furthermore amplified by the exquisite use of crisp organza and soft Italian cotton.

“Growing up in Spain, Biarritz was one of my favorite neighboring towns, and so I pulled many of my palette choices from the seaside town’s natural beauty,” explained Alonso. “The iridescent oil slick leather seen throughout my collection really plays on the Reflections theme, lends its mirrored light to my color scheme, and reminds me of the fish scales seen in the Biarritz waters.”

Launched in 2013, À MOI is a luxury women’s ready-to-wear and accessories brand that embodies femininity and experimentation with an artisanal edge. For more information on À MOI, visit www.amoinyc.com. 

Photography by Ian Tong

The Original Penguin spring 2015 collection was presented on September, 3rd at Industria Studios.
For spring 2015, Original Penguin takes inspiration from the energetic and glamorous Magic City itself: late 1950’s Miami.

The color palette blends chromatic blues and vibrant greens with a splash of aqua and soft pinks, providing a contrast reminiscent of the saturated colors of beachfront homes set against the soft pastel colors of Miami’s art-deco streets.

As the heat begins to build, the collection moves poolside and emulates a tone of modern preppiness, mixing chambrays with vintage-floral prints. For the guy who embraces more refined style cues, a seersucker suit keeps him sophisticated yet cool before retiring for an evening of casual rooftop games.

Photography by Keith Morrison

Carlos Campos presented his spring 2015 menswear collection on September, 3rd at Industria Studios.

I was in love with Carlos Campos Fall 2014 collection in which I first discovered his work. I am a fan of his cool looking sweatshirts.

Even though this collection screams more fall appropriate than spring/summer, I like the versatile option of wearing both for the two seasons.  Carlos showcased the great transition from the last days of summer into the incoming fall weather.
Here, you can combine the cool breeze with the sweatshirt & trousers or wear dress shorts with a blazer if it's nice out.

Great transition in to fall and wearable for spring is my overall conclusion.

Photography by Marko Kalfa

David Hart presented his spring 2015 collection on September, 3rd at Industria Studios. As I mentioned in the Lucio Castro post, I foresee more menswear designers becoming confident in using more color and bold prints on masculine shapes and silhouettes.  Hart is definitely leading the way. I love this beach  summery-esque collection which Hart based on Palm Springs and modernist architecture.

Photography by Ben Ferrari

On September 4th, I attended the Mathieu Mirano spring 2015 presentation held at Location 05 studios.
Upon arrival, I took notice of the impressive large space that had several rooms filled with people working.
As I made my way in, I checked in with the  pr team and received an engraved Mathieu Mirano USB flash drive
with images from the lookbook and press materials. 

After checking in, I was greeted by a staffer who then led me to the open space---where the models decked in the spring 2015 collection; sitting and posing. Snapping away, I didn't realize the designer standing near me. Ever so laid-back and very approachable, I walked to where Mathieu was sitting with a man from his staff and introduced myself.  We happily chatted and discussed his collection, inspiration and my favorite items from his spring 2015 collection.

I casually mention Lady Gaga (Gaga famously wore his custom designs in her music video and showcased his work to a new level)  and if he was  making clothes with her in mind to which he gave a refreshing answer & not the cliché celebrity muse bit.

                                                          Check out my interview with Mathieu Mirano below:

What was your inspiration behind the spring 2015 collection?

M: My main inspiration as with every season is kind of bringing this odd bouquet of pieces together from all over the world. So,  we're actually looking into the Mathieu Mirano woman's  mind and understanding that she's a traveler and that she is a worldly woman. That is one word I can use to describe  the Mathiue Mirano woman would be worldly.  She will take these influences all over and put them together as one in her wardrobe because women these days are so multidimensional.

Now I know Lady Gaga is a fan of your work. I am assuming you are going to send some pieces to her.

M: Absolutely! I mean this top is going to her (laughs) and then it's going to you.

(laughs) Definitely. That is my favorite one! Oh god, I would love that. I mean, this is remarkable.

M: This is all her style.

I can tell you had her in mind.

M: A little. Sorta. I used less so of those sorts of inspirations. I am actually more inspired by the customer and all the influences from around the world: Natural wonder and Architecture.


Refreshing that you said customer and not a celebrity. Most designers would say, "Oh, I design for this person in mind!" Which is normally a celebrity, but thankfully you said your customers.

M: Well because there are real women who are buying real clothes.

(laughs) Exactly!

M: No, it's really important. We have the dream--for instance the beaded number right there. (pic below)

M: That's the fantasy.  That's the dream, but then we're also designing for realistic woman who has realistic taste. That would also go to a store and say, "I would love to wear that!"

I love that you design for a variety of women. I can see someone who is middle age older and also young wearing this as well. (pic below)

M: Absolutely.

When I look at this--I feel that it's not just for one specific person.

M:  Multidimensional.

Agreed.

M: You know it's interesting  the way you could even look at it and from my POV -- it is one person.
 It's the girl that takes that dress and buys it when she is 20 and then wears it again when she 65.

That is beautiful.

M: Which is such a cool thing. The craftsmanship that has to do with Mathieu Mirano is so on point. All of our craftsmanship doing everything the best possible way.

I agree. Look at this! This is so remarkable, the detailing.

M: A beautiful, precise way. It's polished.

It is. Mathieu this is gorgeous!
 
M: Thank you!

I mean if I can afford you (laughs) I would!

M: (laughs)

This is a splurge you will save up for. Like, I want this skirt! So, I am going to save up for it.

M: Well, you know I love that attitude, but there are some affordable pieces like the knits. (not shown in collection)
So this sweater and this top (not shown) is 395.

It's worth the money!

M: Yeah, at the end of the day you're getting good quality and you're going to get a piece that you can wear forever.

Very true! I agree. Thank you, Mathieu for taking the time.

M: Thank you.

You're so humble and so approachable!

M: You know they are too many that are not humble. Do you know what I mean?

Oh, God. Trust me, I know a few.

M: Yeah you just got to be nice to everybody.

Yeah and humble.

M: And just have to understand that you're working too (the media).

Exactly! (laughs) Oh, God. Exactly! This is not  a vacation even though I love what I do.

M: And this is not dress up! (laughs)

Yeah! Not at all (laughs)

M: Yeah and I like lovely people like you.

Aww, thank you Mathieu. I will definitely keep in touch!

M: Thank you,  Absolutely!


Thank you for being so approachable, for being real and honest.
It was nice meeting you.

M: Aw, You're very kind. Thank you! Nice meeting you.

One of my favorite collections from Spring 2015. I really admire Mathieu's attention to detail.

Below is more additional info about Mathieu's Spring 2015 Collection:

For his Spring 2015 Collection, the 23 year old designer has placed a heightened focus on the silhouette; creating forms, for the sake of modernity, that accentuate the woman’s body beyond her shape. In playing with asymmetry and volume, Mathieu has managed to reintroduce classic details such as pleats and peplums in an entirely different, modern way. The artistry of the 31 look collection serves as an expression of the Mathieu Mirano woman’s impeccable taste and individuality.

“The Mathieu Mirano woman is not the sexy secretary. She’s the boss,” says Mathieu Mirano. “This is a woman who is extremely thoughtful in regards to her fashion choices. She pays attention to the detail; to the cuts; to the treatments; and to the high level of craftsmanship. The Mathieu Mirano woman isn’t living every day to work. She’s living every day to live. But most importantly, she has a sexiness that is never vulgar.”

Offering a restrained elegance, Mathieu’s 2015 Spring Collection features never before seen fabrications such as rubberized cotton in laser grid patterns and other manipulated materials. It also transcends from casually sophisticated to traffic stopping glamour. Daywear is sharply tailored, yet playful; complete with silk plated cotton floral knit A-line dresses, summer shorts with pink tuck detailing and khaki stretch twill top and bottom separates. Crinkle chiffon day dresses with cotton belts are lighthearted and effortless, while a jet black knit cocktail dress with gazaar wave detailing makes the flawless transition from office wear to evening wear. This season places an even greater emphasis on the silhouette from the formfitting to the architectural as depicted in this season’s coral iridescent beaded bustier bodice and gazaar A-line evening gown with petal peplum construction.


                                        My other favorites from the Mathieu Mirano Spring 2015 collection

On September 3rd, I attended the WHIT Spring 2015 presentation held at the Onishi Gallery. The WHIT Spring 2015 collection is inspired by designer Whitney Pozgay's teen years and is influenced by the Girl movement of the 1990's. The collection explores the dichotomies of adolescence  - the desire to be both feminine and tough, thoughtful and reckless, womanly and girly - all at the same time.

The 2015 collection spins the inner conflict of youth into sophisticated textures and shapes. Graphic florals, a painterly check, abstract spin-art and a Kathleen Hanna-Inspired "Girls to the Front" print are among the season's custom prints. The color palette features bright primaries against a strong backdrop of black and white graphics.

Continuing their tradition of collaborating with  emerging artists, Whitney Pozgay and WHIT Creative Director, Parker Argote, have curated WHIT space,   a four-day exhibition featuring artists whose work speaks to the youthful energy of this collection.

The Whit Gallery Project is in partnership with Cointreau, a company with a long-standing history of supporting the arts.

The Gallery which will run from September 4th-6th will feature the works by: Jill Galarneau, Gordon Holdon, Amanda Jasnowski & Mary Matson


Photography by Christine Shepherd

WATER ON THE MOON: For his Fall 2014 show Judson Harmon, model, store owner and designer behind the namesake ØDD. men’s and women’s collections is using the metaphor of “water on the moon” as an illustration of the prevalent dilemma between natural and manmade, past and future, masculine and feminine, smooth and rugged. With the help of audio visual artist duo, sound artist Adriano Clemente and Videographer Jason Akira Somma who is in residency at the Park Avenue Armory this year this first show of the ØDD. men’s and women’s collection is going to be a tribute to visual art, sound and technology, creating a participatory environment in which the collection will be a “mise en abyme” of the relationship between masculine and feminine, rugged and smooth, formal and casual, proceeding through the evolutionary stages of the lunar cycle. In this collection the phases of the moon reflect the stages in one’s life from rebellion (the rough surface of the moon) and fluid ( water on the moon) both casual elements, to tailored, refined, and definite.

This is represented through a mixture of structured and flowing silhouettes, moldable fabrics, and textiles that have both a soft and more textured hand, featuring a combination of synthetic, manmade fabrics as well as natural textiles, cashmeres, wools and dense cottons. The casual element will also be prevalent in the sporty silhouette which is the reflection of an active lifestyle that calls for clothes that can transition easily from day to night, and that give room for self expression, through elements of personal style. The masculine and feminine opposites melt into a collection in which both elements subsist in a neutral way. For example dropped shoulder seams can easily transform an originally designed men’s jacket into a softer, casual yet fitted women’s blazer. The idea of genderlessness will be embodied through famed Elliott Sailors who will open and close the show, appearing dressed in men’s wear as well as women’s wear.

A participatory environment, the space will be equipped with a new sound mapping technology:  sensors being worn by models will control musical tones as they walk about the space. The sound then also reflects and combines the opposite aspects, of the image of water on the moon: the movement of the models will be modulating the pre-existing smooth sound scape, expressing yet again the playing field of yin and yang, corner stone of this collection. Judson Harmon moved to New York City from San Diego, California in 2010.  After his studies of music and dance, and his discovery of fashion as a more suitable means of self expression, ØDD. was born from the idea of taking theatricality and dance to create a welcoming and experimental retail environment.  ØDD. was launched on Harmon’s 20th birthday in January 2012, and the physical store location opened in October of the same year and served to debut the first namesake collection.  Now, five seasons in, Harmon continues to design men’s and women’s wear from a genderless perspective and shows every season at New York Fashion Week.

Adriano Clemente has worked with MGMT and RCA Records but is best known for his unique approach and pioneering of interactive sound installations with the Kin-Hact Project in which a body’s movement orchestrates the composition.  His work has been featured in Rolling Stones Magazine, and in numerous publications in Europe.  Clemente is a frequent consultant on new musical technology including such prestigious companies as Korg, Ableton Live, Dubspot, Walt Disney Imagineers, and Google.
“Jason Akira Somma is a visual art anomaly who has done some pretty revolutionary things in the space of performance and technology.” (The Creators Project -Intel, Vice).  

Known for his unique hybrid of numerous aesthetics which he calls “Past-Modernism” Somma’s work has been featured in the Guggenheim Museum, MoMA, New Museum, Center of Contemporary Art (Glasgow), Chaillot National Theater of Paris, and Lyon Opera Ballet,.  Theories on Somma’s work have been presented at Yale, Princeton University, and MIT.  He has consulted projects for Marina Abramovic, Walt Disney’s Imagineers, Robert Wilson, and the Glasgow University of Neuroscience.  Somma was a recipient of the Rolex Arts Initiative Award in 2008.

Together Adriano and Jason premiered the very first  free-floating-interactive holograph gallery show at the Location 1 Gallery in SoHo which received international accolades. They continue to explore and engineer new technology that merges audio and video “that defies categorization” (Rolex).

Images from Zimbio.com

First time showing during NYFW, Douglas and Odile Benjamin, owners of the Raoul label presented their F/W 2014 collection at Stanley H. Kaplan penthouse.

I immediately  was captivated by their accessories line. Their official accessory launch during the present ion according to the designer Odile where I briefly interviewed her on the collection. Since we established that designers and their love for warm weather is not going anywhere no time soon, I could not help, but notice how gorgeous the details are. Up close? Stunning. Take a look.

I cannot wait to get my hands-on the printed blouse and skirt. New Yorker chic!

Photos by Christine Shepherd