Trends From Milan Spring 2010

When times get tough, designers know better than to dictate. This is why the spring/summer 2010 is a season of options.
Although the over-all look is shorter than in recent seasons, there is still a lot of room for choice. Trousers can be tight or loose, skirts can be skinny or bubbled, jackets can be long or cropped, colors can be bland or bright, styles can be sweet, sporty or sexy.
Roberto Cavalli epitomized these options by wrapping his signature sexy style in demurely printed aprons, which covered all his `sins' from super tight trousers to plunging necklines. The result was a new found romanticism underlined by the models who sported demure single braided hairstyles and by the oriental tea house set up on the runway.
Giorgio Armani, for his second line Emporio collection, opted to combat the current economic gloom with a playful collection featuring bikinis and swimsuits, a summer must which many designers showing their wears during the current fashion week seem to have forgotten about.
Armani's beach wear is decorated with brightly colored plastic discs which give the suits a dressed up look.
Other fun summer options in the collection include round sunglasses and multiple fabric threaded necklaces.
Straying from his traditional somber palette of beige and urban gray, Armani offers a range of colors as bright as a box of crayons, for extra summer cheer.
Bottega Veneta's `top drawer' dresses in straw-colored cotton, and closed with Gucci's 2010 sexy version of the little black dress.
BOTTEGA VENETA
The Bottega Veneta collection is pure chic.
Each outfit looks effortless and just perfect for the occasion, from garden party to beach club to gala event.
Based on a simple boxy silhouette, the mainly straw-colored outfits come in a combination of cotton and light chiffon. Often the dresses are made without seams to give a wrapped-around-the- body effect.
The tunic dress is the favorite look and tucked at the waist with cotton belts. Pants are cut square and comfortable in a variety of lengths. Maier makes the sport short, the star of this round of Milan fashion look like couture fare.
GUCCI
Remember the little black dress? Gucci's Frida Giannini has brought it back with a contemporary edge for next summer, replacing pearls and pumps with metallic beading and ankle-buckled platforms.
A tight body-conscious silhouette combined with bold cutouts, bondage-like strapping, big buckles and heavy metal sequins combine to create an aggressive look that is never vulgar.
Aside from the many black dresses, Gucci's creative director puts the same contemporary edge on ultra slim trousers, zippered pencil skirts, sporty shorts and fitted barebacked jackets. Gleaning from the horsey tradition of the Gucci label, Giannini comes up with harness vests and horse-bit embroidery, which further accentuate the caged-in effect of the outfits. When the styles are not black they are candid white, but either way the `catch me if you can' message is clear.

Isaac Mizrahi Puts the Show in Fashion

After a long hiatus, Isaac Mizrahi was back in the tents at Bryant Park, the glitziest venue in New York during fashion week, for his Spring 2010 show on Thursday, Sept. 17. And put on a show he did, creating a mini-movie set featuring a staircase, a wind machine, a live jazz band and the most stunning effect of all, an actual spring shower that rained a curtain of water in the middle of the runway.
The clothes - well, they were pretty spectacular as well. Titling his show "Astaire Case or Obstacle Course," it was a Fred Astaire-in-to-the-country-club romp with soft, swirling dresses composed of cascading silk, tuxedo-inspired boleros and sleeveless dresses and inventive jackets with triple lapels standing on end or with deliberately ripped off sleeves, sassy sixties-inspired sequined shifts and Jazz Age multicolored beaded fringe flapper dresses.
And in a week largely devoid of pants - most designers in New York focused their efforts on dresses and, occasionally, shorts - Mizrahi showed a fair number of pants, albeit very glamorous ones. Exaggerated Katherine Hepburn trousers, clownish pantaloons in opalescent lurex and strapless jumpsuits with fitted bodices were among the offerings.
All in all, the effect was a Technicolor free-for-all. Mizrahi said he was particularly inspired by Fred Astaire's 1950s films.

To that end, the color palette featured lilac, peach, pink, yellow, khaki and black and white - nothing that would be out of place in a preppy country club. Accessories included two-tone spectator pumps with cut-outs and gold sculptured spike heels, square wooden briefcases, wooden boater hats and a prosthetic arm-looking Lucite "cuff" that covered most of the forearm and bicep.

BLACK is the new Black

Fashion for spring is back in black.

Black never went anywhere, of course — it's a perennial favorite with the crowd at New York Fashion Week. But for spring collections, the look wasn't terribly sunny.
The nod to the spring/summer season was to offset the black with white and shades of nude, blush and stone, all part of the overall muted look that has dominated at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.
Yet the black wasn't severe, especially rendered in featherweight fabrics in sheer organza, tulle and black lace. A wave of black swept the runways of Rodarte, Vera Wang, Badgley Mischka and Jill Stuart on Tuesday. It was even at a tongue-in-cheek fashion show for the Snuggie — the blanket with sleeves.
"You've heard what the new black is? It's black," joked host Ross Matthews, Ross the Intern from Jay Leno's "Tonight" show.
RODARTE
The ravens rose at Rodarte. With a smoke-filled runway beneath them, models wore outfits resembling the contradictory symbol of darkness and survival.
Even with tiny asphalt pebbles on the ground, haunting music and the smoke, all the drama really came from the clothes. Every garment seemed a cobweb of leather, yarn, ribbons, lace and cheesecloth. Some of the pieces were adorned with crystals, feathers and leather made to look like birdskin.
When stripped down without all the effect, some of the major trends of Fashion Week where here: draping, banding and lattice-like leather, among them.
BADGLEY MISCHKA
Badgley Mischka, long associated with the socialite party-gown set, has made a clean break. Thank goodness.
The highly embellished, glitzy gowns that made them famous wouldn't seem right for the times, even if we may or may not be out of the recession. So the design duo of Mark Badgley and James Mischka have found themselves a new niche, showing some lovely, more sophisticated clothes — ranging from a black-and-white tweed sheath dress to a black shantung jumpsuit that had a gathered halter neckline as well as a gathered waist and palazzo-pant legs.
A strong day-to-night look was a lilac and gray-striped, satin and chiffon dress, and for a black-tie event, there was a white shantung tuxedo. A white capri-length jumpsuit wasn't as tempting.
Still feel like you saw shine on the runway? That was all baubles from their own costume jewelry collection.
VERA WANG
No wonder Vera Wang has moved her show away from the frenzy at the Bryant Park tents — that atmosphere wouldn't do the elegance of her spring collection justice.
In her stark white SoHo store, Wang presented sophisticated styles that she said were influenced by the late Paul Poiret, who left an indelible stamp on fashion in the early 20th century. He gave women the freedom to wear looser chemise shapes, and Wang picked up on that: There wasn't a corset style in sight.
Unfortunately Poiret also championed the harem pant; Wang translated that for modern times in a droopy jumpsuit.
She mostly went for sultry instead of overtly sexy with layers of smoky-colored tulle, sheer black organza and artful, not flashy, embellished jewel details. Metallic pieces were a bit stiff, standing away from the body, while the bike shorts underneath the see-through styles hugged it.
MAX AZRIA
There weren't a lot of bells and whistles in the spring Max Azria collection that debuted Tuesday at New York Fashion Week. It was mostly pared-down, pretty dresses in simple and chic shades of black, gray, white and nude.
A hint of rebel edge came from metal-chain "cage" dresses worn over silk sweater dresses. They sound more severe than they really were; they really just added shimmer and a little sex appeal.
Slashes in sleeves, bodices and backs also flashed a little skin — and continued a trend seen on many other runways at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.
BETSEY JOHNSON
Designer Betsey Johnson's signature item is the party dress, so on Thursday evening she threw herself a party at the Plaza Hotel.
There was no runway for her spring collection, just pretty young things wearing upbeat, youthful clothes while dancing and singing to Blondie cover songs by the live band Ida Marie.
The models, up on a stage, were just a backdrop to Johnson, who hammed it up for cameras. Oh yeah, they were wearing strapless dresses in candy colors, a black sequin cocktail frock with a frilly skirt, a blue metallic skirt suit and some lingerie-inspired styles.
MARC BY MARC JACOBS
If Marc Jacobs wasn't exciting enough with his first Fashion Week presentation, he certainly woke the audience with his Marc by Marc Jacobs show.
The spring collection's bright, sometimes clashing colors and crazy patterns could be a little jarring. Like a blue vertical striped skirt worn with a pink and purple checkered shirt, a red blazer thrown over the outfit and a pink Minnie Mouse-like bow adorning the model's head.
Even the menswear was a little out there: A red plaid trench coat was paired with blue vertical striped pants that were rolled to the ankle.
There were a couple of pieces you could wear without blinding someone. A strapless blue dress with a bubble bottom made for a fun, party dress.
JILL STUART
The models at Jill Stuart had to keep pulling down their very short skirts for fear they'd end up showing more than they wanted to an audience that included Rachel Bilson, Nicky Hilton and the "Real Housewives" of New York and New Jersey.
That tells you a lot about the spring collection previewed Monday at the New York Public Library.
But even if the styles weren't all to the taste of the finicky fashion crowd, that doesn't mean Stuart's increasingly rocker-girl clientele won't appreciate the black illusion bodysuit paired with an electric-blue leather mini, or the white leather jacket with pouffy sleeves.
And those pink and green foil dresses? Surely they'll be the hit of prom season.
KAI MILLA
Kai Milla presented her first collection since taking a break from designing full-time for mommyhood, deviating from her usual darker colors, mixing in orange and yellow.
"I wanted to celebrate," said Milla, who is married to Stevie Wonder and designed an emerald green silk chiffon dress worn by first lady Michelle Obama.
She used elements like beading and cutouts to bring a more modern look to old silhouettes. An orange silk jersey slim-fitting dress had side ruching and formed a diamond-shape in the back. A lightweight black silk jersey dress had cutouts on the side that were trimmed in beads.
J MENDEL
Who needs glitzy embellishment when you can achieve true special-occasion dresses with fabric?
For the new spring J. Mendel collection, presented in an art gallery Monday as part of New York Fashion Week, Gilles Mendel manipulates fabric in seemingly a million different ways to get both "elegant technicality" and "fluid emotion," his two goals, according to his notes.
A rouge-colored mousselline dress with curved draping, sculptured tulle and an organza sunburst was something to marvel at.
Mendel first made his mark in fashion as a furrier and he couldn't resist a few summertime furs, including a gray cocoon coat worn with a charmeuse shawl-collared shirt unbuttoned to the navel and a stunning smoky-colored paillette-and-organze skirt.
GOTTEX
Gottex presented a new interpretation of swimwear, with sequined one-pieces, plastic-looking bikinis and wide belts wrapped around the waist like the suits were superhero costumes.
There weren't too many "wearable" suits, unless you don't mind an off-the-shoulder bikini top with sleeves. A black asymmetric suit had crystal embroidery on the front and silk petal-like detail on the strap creating an evening look, if there's such a thing in swimwear.
But perhaps what was most stunning were the cover-ups that were like elegant caftans; a red abstract print with drapey sleeves touched the runway, flowing behind the model as she walked. And a blue and gold lame caftan added sophistication to a black corset-like suit.

VIVA OSCAR!

Leave it to Oscar de la Renta to save uptown fashion, in a challenging season for establishment chic. His spring 2010 collection presented this morning, was an impressive, options-packed tour de force, and a welcome reminder that classy dressing can also be innovative fashion.
De la Renta generously listed his six design assistants in his program notes, a rare piece of noblesse oblige in fashion. One understands why, after a series of superbly draped day dresses sauntered down the catwalk in the Park Avenue church in which the show was staged.
Silk gazar dresses in hues of teal or bark were also supremely well cut. Wrapped ever so slightly around the torso and gathered to give just the right sense of volume, they were mini master classes in the art of how to hang fabric.

His sense of the right accessory, whether some splendid cloche felt hats or snazzy suede belts with piping was also spot on. The show did sag a little midway through with one or two white lace passages that were far too insipid, but bounced back gloriously at the finale.
The designer's best moments were very much for evening, with a remarkable look on the Russian model Vlada Roslykaya, a blush colored chiffon column with scattered silver embroidery. This was followed by a series of gold embroidered tulle dresses or black lace Velasquez images that were ideal red carpet looks.
De la Renta finished with great flourish, a magnificent grand dame tulle indigo crinoline with luscious crystal bodice worn by model Arlenis Sosa, who, like the designer, hails from the Dominican Republic.

Christian Siriano Is All Grown Up

Designers from "Project Runway" have come and gone — sadly, mostly gone. But Christian Siriano has shown he plans to stay.

Siriano's spring 2010 collection shown Saturday was his third at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week following his stint on the reality show, and in that time he's made his way to the windows of Saks Fifth Avenue and to the shoe aisles of Payless.

The collection was a lush take on Mediterranean travel, concluding with three intricate ball gowns that elicited spontaneous applause from a crowd that included actresses Mena Suvari and Tori Spelling and model Alessandra Ambrosio. A satin-faced organza strapless gown in blush, elegantly draped and with a beaded bodice, cried out for a red carpet.

"I feel like a proud dad," said Tim Gunn, the "Project Runway" mentor. He said he knew Siriano would be a standout from the competition, and thinks he's evolved into something more: "I believe he's this generation's Marc Jacobs. I do."

Some of Siriano's most striking pieces were made from a fabric print created using an aerial photograph of the Italian coast line — "flipped, modified, repeated and saturated with Volcanic and Oceanic colors," as Siriano described in his notes. The result was a richly intricate pattern that looked almost animalistic rendered in reds and orange and like a deep ocean cartography in blues.


Siriano is a natural showman, so wearability seems beside the point. But his weakest moments came when he strived for it — as in a fitted khaki funnel neck dress with blue piping — and when he totally ignored it, as in an ocean print body suit that was unflattering on the model, who looked famished even by model standards.

But he showed a capacity to wow with some of his tamer pieces in shades of blush, nude and khaki — there was elegant draping, delicate pleating and gathered flounces at the shoulders and hips, two body parts getting a lot of attention at Fashion Week.

Also meant to be wearable: the sky-high shoes for his third Payless line with a curved, pointed heel and sometimes upturned toe. Just don't try walking too far. It wouldn't be fierce.






Nina Garcia, a "Project Runway" judge and fashion director of Marie Claire, said she agreed with Gunn's assessment of the designer, calling Siriano "pretty amazing."

"Go to the Saks Fifth Avenue third floor and you'll see him among all the big designers. So clearly it's not just us who think that way but I think also the retailers," she said. "Christian had just fearlessness about him, he just kept pushing the envelope. At the end of the day you have to have that to make it."

Alexander Wang Spring 2010

Already, on Day Three of New York Fashion Week, the trends are emerging. And Alexander Wang hit them all: the trench look, the eighties, and the Boyfriend look. Or is that actually just one broad trend? And by the looks of things, it won’t be a colorful spring next year. Rather than girly pinks and yellow, it’s beige and khaki that are the predominant colors so far – soft, but not dreary.

Busy, busy, busy: epaulettes, belts, pockets, pleats, zippers, cut-outs. The Wang show was full of youth – just like his avid customer base. Mr. Wang is one of the must-wear designers among the models. You know a look is hot if those reedy young things are wearing it. And there sat Diane von Furstenberg, who has confessed she is herself obsessed with the tastes of the young, front and center just down from Anna Wintour.

Pants were pleated at the tummy and narrow at the ankle, some sweaters were disco-ready, with frothy spangles. And those very-profitable accessories were in full view, from backless socks hoisted up with under-the-knee garters to boy-cut undies and matching jogging bras.

Rosa Cha Spring 2009: Back To The 1950s

Alexandre Herchcovitch's debut for Brazilian label Rosa Cha on Thursday, Sept. 10, in New York was spectacular. The usual glam swimwear line showed a dazzling array of bikinis, one pieces and cover ups that paid homage to the “beach blanket bingo” 1950s.
The collection featured black and white micro mini polka dots to a burst of sunshine with orange and yellow combinations that left you warm and fuzzy. They sound tricky, but they looked great and, worn on the right body, real sure-fired head turners.
While the collection featured barely-there bikinis, most of the collection was spare, but structured. Underwire bra tops and some swimsuits that reminded me of Annette Funachello frolicking on the playa, mixed easily with short sundresses, casual, rompers, jumpsuits, shorts and triangle tops that could easily be worn with a pair of jeans or out to lunch with friends. One technique that was particularly interesting was a woven fabric of yellow and orange that reminded me of a kaleidoscope. My seatmate said it reminded him of "Legos." No matter what the reference, the look was unique, and more interesting than the usual maillot.

This collection will be a delightful, multi-tasker for your next beach vacation, as long as you have the body to carry it off. The high platform wedgies were precarious and stunning. The touch of patent leather was audacious. Even more pops of color came from wide, plastic bangles and headbands.

Other looks to impress were crystal appliqué one-pieces, or a trio of basket-weave leotards in great hues of orange and canary yellow. Overall, we heard of echoes of Fifties Rio, with models donning lots of polka dot fabrics and Jet Set head scarves. Plunging V-neck blouses, black-and-white striped kimono looks and chambray bodies all showed Herchcovitch craftily moving the Rosa Cha brand ahead, without taking any too foolish leaps. Worn by a smartly cast selection of Brazilian and Eastern European models and styled by Mauricio Ianes with just the right amount of understatement, this was a laudable first-time at bat for the designer with a brand that had drifted of late.


Herchcovitch replaced founder Amir Slama this summer after the latter fell out with the label's key investors.

Fashion Week Minute By Minute

Spring 2010 Collection Shows
New York

Day 1
3:45 PM
As Ledsi blared in my Ipod, I could barely hear the security guard ask me, “Where is your pass or invitation sir”? I took off my sunglasses (standard issue for any Fashion Week) and the guard said, Byron! I was taken aback, because I didn’t recognize the guy. Byron, you son of bitch, how are you It’s been a while, go right in”.
I breezed in picked up my press bag filled with products, magazines and other goodies. Grabbed a few cocktails with some new best friends and then it sunk it, for fashion followers, Fashion Week is one of the high holy holidays.

4:30
We gather in line for the Rosa Cha show. Cocktails in hand, my new crew exchanged business cards and email addresses like all good fashion networkers. We also organized the nights parties and events for, Fashion Night Out.


4:55
The line for Rosa Cha closes and luckily we all got seats for my favorite swimwear designer. Twenty minutes later the show starts and 12 minutes later we were being herded out of the tents.

5:40
We taxi it up to Gucci, where I met my BFF, Jahida for the nights reveling. The line was around the block, but that did not deter us. We march to the front of the line and say press, and we are escorted right in.

6:10
We are now on our second glass of champagne and I am tempted to buy two pair of loafers, but Jahida said, “that’s your rent money”, so I put the loafers down and picked up another glass of champagne.




6:35
After picking up our Fashion Night Out t-shirts. We head up to Tiffany’s. I knew this was going to be a hot mess, when a saw customers doing the Thriller dance. The place was a like a nightclub. Again, the champagne was flowing freely like water.

7:15
I try on a pair of diamond studs worth $12,500. We eye-spy the exits for a quick escape. The salesgirl laughs and says you will never make it. I ask her to call my boyfriend and ask him to buy the studs for me. She does and he says, hell no.
8:10
Bergdorf Goodman was a wonderland. Sales. Beautiful people and vodka tonics. All the stars were out Andre Leon Tally of Vogue magazine, CFDAs Fern Mallis, designers Alexander Wang and Jason Wu. This was really a wet dream for me. I bought two merino wool sweaters in the seasons hot colors, red and violet. The top shelf vodka had my head swimming. So we headed downtown for some sushi and more fashion.



10:05
We arrive at The Chair and Maiden studio in the West Village to preview the Varcarcel line. The design team of Peter Varcarcel and Arianna Ward are old friends so it was joy to see them and buy some of their designs. I bought a few tops for Jahida, who looked stunning in them. The white wine was crisp and so was the crowd. I do love a young and gorgeous crowd.

11:30
We arrive at the Gansvoort for a nightcap. One last glass of champagne. We toast to a fabulous night. I take a look at my emails, I look up and Jahida is asleep. Well, another one bites the dust. Day 1 is in the books. Only 8 more to go.