Archive for February, 2007

Fall 2007 Fashion Week Notebook | Buckler

Buckler Fall 2007 Runway
Photo Credit: Omiru: Style for All

Key Takeaways: Futuristic with a science fiction edge, Andrew Buckler’s Fall 2007 presentation featured crisp, refined lines and a nod to the 80s rock scene.  Buckler showed body conscious cardigans, dress shirts, and jackets along with corsets, wifebeaters, and colorful boxer briefs.

Color Palette:  Key colors included jet black, graphite ebony, darker reds, boyish blues, and bruised purple.

Silhouette: Jackets and dress shirts were lean, with refined lines and a tailored feel.  Pants were cut skinny and exuded a punkish 80s vibe.

Accessories Report: Caps in the style of a British police officer.  Elbow-length gloves, Knee socks, and colorful thin scarves.  Simple silver jewelry with a Rock n’ Roll edge.

What’s Wearable: We’re digging the beautifully tailored jackets, cardigans, and dress shirts.

What’s Not Wearable: 
Underwear as outerwear–corsets and tight underwear don’t belong on the streets.  Uber-skinny pants also pose a fashion challenge for most men.

3 comments February 4th, 2007

Fall 2007 Fashion Week Notebook | Grey Ant

Grey Ant Fall 2007 Runway
Photo Credit: Omiru: Style for All

Key Takeaways: Designer Grant Krajecki (pronounced "G-r-a-a-n-t" and the inspiration for the line’s name) took us into a time machine back to the early 90s and the mid 80s.  Fabrics ranged from gauzy and light to shiny and slick to thick and bouclé. Key trends included: high-waisted silhouettes, ruffles, off-the-shoulder and asymmetrical tops, a focus on neutral colors, and metallics.

Color Palette: Greys of all sheens and shades featured in this collection along with strong blacks, maroons, a pale crème-beige and a moody black-gold lamé that puts our early childhood fantasies of being Madonna to shame. 

Silhouettes: The modern day version of "Dynasty" — if the women wore more tailored pants and were each a size 0.  Grey Ant featured highly tailored pants in charcoal, black, and medium blue denim with a high cut and an intriguing v-cut in the back.  Structure was repeated in a broad shoulder silhouette and discarded in a series of oversized sack dresses.  Basic off-the-shoulder and asymmetrical tops and dresses rounded out the collection.

Accessories Report: Waists were cinched a bit below the natural waistline with wide belts in a variety of neutral colors (and a high-gloss sheen).  Large gold earrings and chunky trapezoidal necklaces framed the models’ faces, while the oversized square eyeglasses overpowered those faces in shades of black, red and a funky clear.  Hair ranged from 90’s stringy and straight to a strangely attractive side hair poof, compliments of the innovative Rusk hair team

What’s Wearable: High-waisted pants work well for those of us with short legs–and we adored the slight v cutout in the back of the jeans.

What’s Not Wearable:
Avoid the overexuberant shirt ruffles unless you’re a world-famous flamenco dancer (or Jack Sparrow). 

3 comments February 3rd, 2007

Fall 2007 Fashion Week Notebook | John Bartlett

John Bartlett Fall/Winter 2007 Runway
Photo Credit: Omiru: Style for All

Key Takeaways:The Harvard alum stuck to his signature "preppy with a twist" style, showing sweatervests, fair isle sweaters, and turtlenecks fit for a slightly subversive prep school student.  Though his silhouettes remained pretty standard, John Bartlett spiced up his menswear collection with rich textures, ranging from velvet to cable knit.  Key trends included colorblocking (seen on both sweaters and jackets), sweatervests (a continuing trend), and wide cuffed pants.

Color Palette: Shades of beige, white, black, and greys overshadowed touches of olive green and a splash of red.  Colorblocking featured as a central theme in Bartlett’s collection.

Silhouettes: Both shirts and sweaters were cut slim, though Bartlett’s jackets and coats were more relaxed in fit.  Pants ranged from skinny-legged to wide-legged, with the most notable pant detail being the wide turned-up cuffs.  Sweatervests and turtleneck sweaters featured prominently. Coats and jackets included 3/4 length styles, aviator styles, (velvet) blazers, and mandarin collared styles.

Accessories Report: Three accessories trends to note: (1) brightly colored socks paired with neutral colored shoes, (2) the skinny tie (a continuing trend), and (3) scarves with a "cuff" detailing.

What’s Wearable: Textured sweaters, velvet blazers, and wide legged pants will keep you warm for Fall.  Our favorite look?  A sweatervest paired with a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. 

What’s Not Wearable:
What not to wear?  The plaid suit and the jailbird stripes.

1 comment February 2nd, 2007

Omiru Covers Fashion Week Fall 2007

Fashion Week Fall 2007We’ll be continuing Fashion Week coverage, straight from the tents at Bryant Park this season.  Check back often for our trademark show reviews and trend roundups!

While we gear up to start our Fall 2007 fashion coverage, check out our Spring 07 Fashion Week writeups, including our Top Five Trends from Fashion Week and our Comprehensive Trend Roundup.

February 2nd, 2007

Wishlist: Seven Trends for Fall 2007


Spring 2007 was all about continuing, not departing from, the big trends from Fall 2006.  Presenting the Top Seven Spring 07 Trends that we hope will continue through Fall.

Controlled Volume
"Controlled" is key–wear the garment, don’t let it wear you.
Mike & Chris Franklin Canvas Hooded Jacket
Mike & Chris Franklin Canvas Hooded Jacket | $374 at AzaleaSF

High Waisted Silhouette
A godsend for petite women and those with long torsos.
Marc by Marc Jacobs Elsie Striped Camisole
Marc by Marc Jacobs Elsie Striped Camisole | $198 at Net-a-Porter

Tuxedo Detailing
Suit up with a slim tuxedo jacket or ruffled button-down shirt.
BCBG Max Azria Knit Tuxedo Shirt
BCBG Max Azria Knit Tuxedo Shirt | $98 at Nordstrom

Oversized Collars
Frame your face with a dramatic oversized collar.
Nanette Lepore Paradise Cardigan
Nanette Lepore ‘Paradise’ Cardigan | $180 at Nordstrom

Nautical
Stock up on sailor stripes, rope detailing, and double breasted peacoats.
Rope Tie Tunic at Banana Republic
Rope Tie Tunic | $68 at Banana Republic

The Capelet

Wrap yourself in the season’s best cocktail party accessory.
Theory Josefa Forecast Capelet
Theory Josefa Forecast Capelet | $147.50 (sale) at Shopbop

Bows

Embrace femininity with oversized bows on tops and dresses.
BCBG Max Azria Strapless Taffeta Dress
BCBG Max Azria Strapless Taffeta Dress | $398 at Nordstrom


3 comments February 2nd, 2007

Grenade Necklace

Grenade Necklace A not-so-subtle way to express any anti-Valentine’s Day sentiment.

$95  at Elsewares.

February 2nd, 2007

Designer Profile: jack&marjorie


They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but in the case of
jack&marjorie designer duo Meghan Parsons and Manuel Opp, it also served as inspiration for a handbag and accessories line.  After coming across a box of old 1940s photographs, the pair was inspired to create a line made of military surplus materials. In each of their collections, you’ll find wool blankets, ground sheets, parachutes, and webbing paired with more feminine elements like vintage lace, silk, brocade and buttons. Meghan shared with Omiru the story behind the jack&marjorie name, why they chose to create with military surplus materials, and how living abroad has shaped their work. 

neck wrap

Omiru: Tell us the story behind the jack&marjorie name.

Meghan: Jack and Marjorie Allard were my grandparents on my mother’s side.  I came across a box of old photographs of them taken in the 1940s, and they inspired the line. 

O: Writers often experience writer’s block when they run out of ideas.  Do you ever experience designer’s block?

M: Yes, often we do for a short time, but it never lasts long.  As soon as we find some cool new army surplus materials, new ideas emerge.

O: Why combine military surplus materials with feminine lace and silk?

M: Not sure why, but I’ve always loved army surplus. I just love how it looks. It’s really utilitarian and practical, and I love that there’s often some sort of a history behind it.  As for the feminine elements, it’s fun to combine things that are polar opposites and try to make them look cohesive, like they were meant to be paired together.

O: From where do you draw inspiration?

M: A lot of random things inspire
us: cities that we’ve lived in and visited, Tokyo, Berlin, Barcelona,
old photographs, army surplus, buildings and furniture.


evelynO: You lived in Tokyo before moving to Toronto, Canada. How does the experience of living in Tokyo influence your work?

M: Though Tokyo has been and still is a huge inspiration to us, there weren’t any styles in particular that we adopted.  I guess it’s more of the aesthetic in general. There is just such unbridled creativity there.  More specifically, I think the attention to small details and finishing on our bags was really a result of seeing it on a lot of our favorite things in Japan. 

O: When it comes to handbags, do you think expensive equals good?

M: Really, it depends on your definition of expensive. In terms of the super-pricey high-end designer bags, I assume for the most part, they are of the highest quality and will last for years and years, so in this way, they’re good. Most of them don’t excite me design-wise, though. I don’t even really feel like we’re in the same product category- it’s a different universe. In our world, we really struggle with the balance of trying to keep our prices low enough to be accessible to many women, but at the same time keeping up a high standard of quality. We love to use unusual and unique details (like hand stitching, one of a kind vintage buttons and fabric, etc). Add to that the costs of producing a small line like this locally, it’s difficult. 

boy peterO: Favorite handbag you’ve ever designed for jack&marjorie? 

M: At the moment, it’s the Boy Peter (pictured left). Lately, I’ve been using this bag almost every day. It’s very functional, the perfect size for me, and I love how it hugs the body.  But I’m hoping it will be de-throned by one of the new spring bags coming out soon!

O: What type of women would you like to be seen carrying your handbags and sporting your accessories?

M: Just women who are carrying it because they love it. 


O: Little known fact about jack&marjorie?

M: I’m not sure much of anything IS known!  Hmm, maybe that our names aren’t Jack and Marjorie, it’s just the company name?  That is definitely our most-asked question.

O: Where can Omiru readers buy your designs?

M: At the moment, the stores that stock our bags are listed on the website.  Online, you can find us at Beklina.com.  It’s also possible to order bags through us.  We promise to get our webshop up and running by the time the spring stuff comes out. In the meantime, send us an email at info at jackandmarjorie dot com. We do sometimes have items in stock that customers can purchase.

Want more?  View the latest jack&marjorie collection at http://www.jackandmarjorie.com.

4 comments February 1st, 2007

Transglass Recycled Vases

Transglass Recycled Vases at Re:Modern Manufactured from recycled wine and beer bottles, these glassware vessels combine the environmentally friendly with high design.

Available in Polished or Satin finishes in three colors: Green, Clear, or Brown.

$38+  at re:modern.

2 comments February 1st, 2007

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