Posts filed under 'Women'
Background on Cari Borja:
This Gen Art San Francisco Fresh Faces alum started her collection
while getting her doctorate in anthropology in Berkeley. After her
collection — a compilation of more than 40 outfits — was presented at
fashion week, a very pregnant Cari stepped out to receive an
overwhelming round of applause.
Photo Credit: Ling Kong
Key Takeaways: "I
was inspired by my daughter," Borja told us after the show. "She’s two
years old and she dresses herself in [different] shapes and colors."
Borja captured youth through her choice of colors for the collection,
as well as with the playfulness of ruffled hems.
Silhouettes: Tiered ruffle babydoll dresses, ruffle cardigans with ruffled sleeves, hooded, ruffled camisoles. Did we mention ruffles?
Photo Credit: Ling Kong
Accessories Report:
Gold sandals on every model, dangly earrings, bunches of tangled
necklaces and bracelets, gold necklaces with tassles. We also saw
various-sized pom-poms made of yarn and worn in the manner of flower
pins.
What’s Wearable: A gold babydoll dress with tiered ruffles.
Photo Credit: Ling Kong
October 27th, 2005
Photo Credit: Cary Wun
Background on Elena Vasileva: As a child in Russia, Elena Vasileva learned to knit. A degree from FIDM and many years later, she proffers a line of knitwear made exclusively with yarn.
Photo Credit: Cary Wun
Key Takeaways: This was by far the most creative collection we saw in the Fresh Faces show. Knitting’s obviously not just for grannies anymore!
Color Palette: Space-dyed fabrics and burnt orange, pewter, lavender, burgundy, cream and taupe.
Silhouettes: Exaggerated puffy sleeves, super-short skirts, and, for once, a new take on enhancing the bosom: Rather than doing the traditional low-cut top, Vasileva decided to make full use of undercleavage.
Photo Credit: Cary Wun
Accessories Report: Medusa hair and superlong extensions; knitted leg warmers; separate neck adornments
What’s Wearable: Shrugs.
Is this the vision of a space-age cowgirl?
October 25th, 2005
Background on Rachel Mara: Rachel Mara, which debuted in Spring 2002, looks to rare fabrics for inspiration. The result: a very wearable collection that feels both organic and feminine.
Key Takeaways: The most wearable collection of the entire show. Indeed, we loved the fabric, most of which we couldn’t identify from the audience–its texture added dimension to some of the otherwise ordinary clothing.
Color Palette: Neutrals, and the basic black and white.
Silhouettes: We spotted lots of bermuda shorts. (A possible trend for Spring 2006?)
Accessories Report: Long beaded necklaces, pearl chokers, string belts, gloves.
What’s Wearable: Everything.
Is there too much going on here? You decide:
October 25th, 2005
Background on Hengst: Susan Hengst’s innovative line of clothing hails from the Mission district of San Francisco.
Key Takeaways: As
sexy mood music played, models sashayed down the runway in everything
from pantsuits to pleather hot pants. Designer Hengst enjoys combining
designs with unexpected fabrics–a windbreaker made of silk taffeta,
for instance.
Color Palette: All colors–the bolder, the better.
Silhouettes: Arabian-inspired pants and culottes; shirred jersey separates; sporty windsuits.
Accessories Report:
Belts in gold rope or leather, cinched with a geode belt buckle;
aviator sunglasses. Our favorite was a random gold-and-pewter stuffed
pleather ball that looked like it might have been a pet’s toy before it
made the show.
What’s Wearable: White wide-leg pants.
We definitely noticed these green pleather shorts, held together by a bow-tie:
October 24th, 2005
Out of LA Textile comes four major trends for color and fabric:
Tundra
Colors: Greyed out colors, browns, blues.
Textures: Silky smooth fabrics, metallic finishes, brushed cottons and wools for a frosted look, botanical and crystal motifs for fabric prints.
Winter Blooms
Colors: Apple and emerald green, combined with blues and both light and dark purple tones.
Textures: Boucles and tweeds, especially in wool/silk and wool/mohair fabrications. Paper-like cutouts are achieved through laser cutting. Appliqués are botanical inspired, with leaves and flowers.
Indian Summer
Colors: Rich, autumnal tones of reds, golds, oranges, and leafy yellows are juxtaposed against dark smoky blues.
Textures: Folkloric prints are color yarn-dyed, patterned, and ombred with stripes. Patchworks and wood block prints will be seen along with subtly pinstriped denim and oversized lumberjack checks.
Woodland
Colors: Dark greens and blues combine with teal, ash grey, and a warm bronze.
Textures: Spongy surfaces reminiscent of moss, botanical-inspired fabric irregularities, and veining reminiscent of leaves, bark or wood grain show up in prints. Velvet is huge.
October 24th, 2005
Background on Paala: Former graphic designer Janna Stark created Paala, inspired by the idea that the same dresses can function for day as well as night.
Photo Credit: Cary Wun
Key Takeaways: While feminine, the collection was not overtly sexy. Stark focused on girly details such as poufed and ruffled sleeves, flowy skirts made of printed chiffon and tie-neck tops.
Color Palette: Yellows, browns, greens, pinks and purples, many in used ombre patterns.
Silhouettes: Ruffled dresses made of chiffon with high-neck collars or styled off-the-shoulder; tie-neck silk tops with gaucho trousers. Many of the dresses had rows of button detail on the side and back.
Photo Credit: Cary Wun
Accessories Report: Wild hair extensions.
What’s Wearable: An off-the-shoulder dress made of sheer silk with a debossed floral print in crushed velvet. Who wouldn’t feel pretty, oh so pretty?
Our favorite top from the show:
Photo Credit: Cary Wun
October 18th, 2005
Background on GENES: Combine
San Francisco native Genes Sotto with former Zang Toi assistant
designer Fleur Lidwine-Louis and what you get is GENES. The clothing
line, which is based in New York, is designed with the sexy, urban
woman in mind.
Key Takeaways: This
collection, created by Genes Sotto and Fleur Lidwine-Louis, was a bit
retro, a bit classic, a bit urban, and rather youthful all at the same
time. Classic shapes make Genes highly wearable, while colorblock
designs evoke an element of retro youthfulness.
Color Palette: Canary yellow, teal, turquoise and gold.
Silhouettes:
Most of the collection was dedicated to lustrous silks, which weighed
flatteringly on models in the form of circle skirts, ruched dresses and
blouson tops.
Accessories Report: Side ponytails, dewy faces and lace-up stilettos.
What’s Wearable: Dresses covered in pailettes.
The latest way to show off a toned midsection:
October 17th, 2005
Trend Importance Factor: Medium.
Wearability Factor: Medium High.
How to Wear It: Grommets, metal zippers, D rings, snaps, and buckles have found their way to traditional garments ranging from dresses, sweaters, and blouses to pants and skirts. The hardware look gives a bit of an edge to otherwise conservative (read: normal) looks, and really turns up the heat on more risqué garments.
For maximum wearability, keep the metal pieces small and on sections of the body that you want to highlight. If you have a great waistline, for example, wear metal on your belt. And if you love your shoulderline, look for hardware trimmings on or near the shoulder area. For a fresh look, try D rings and buckles in unexpected places.
Where in Trend Lifecycle: This trend has been bubbling up for at least a year. We even made note of hardware detailing at Armani Exchange back in April. And hardware studded bags were a ubiquitous accessory this past season. Look for this trend to continue as a counter to the pretty, overly feminine look dominating the runways.
October 17th, 2005
Trend Alert: Printed Bags
Trend Alert: Oversized Bags
Trend Alert: Mini Messenger Bags
Trend Alert: Man Messenger Bags and Oversized Bags for Women
Trend Alert: Hardware Detailing on Bags
October 14th, 2005
Trend Report: Plaid Shoes, Oversized Bags, and Colorful Umbrellas
Trend Report: Fedora Hats and Belts with Hardware Detailing
Trend Report: Sport Sneakers and Belts with Hardware Detailing
October 13th, 2005
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