Fabulous Headpieces of the Chinese New Year Parade

It's the Year of the Dragon.  Look out for a baby boom from those who celebrate the Lunar New Year.  On Sunday afternoon, NYC's Chinatown was host to a glorious display of cultural pageantry to celebrate the big holiday.

While you can usually count on colorful processions of dancing dragons and confetti canons, most people don't looks to the streets as a runway for great hairpieces and hats.  Some spectators wore  classic embellished chopsticks.  While riders on the floats donned millinery made from flowers, pearls, fur and jewels.

The Easter parade in New York has always been a showcase for flamboyant chapeaux, but this is street fashion with a little more depth. The accessories here were worn in tribute to the tribes and performing arts of China.  A fortuitous occasion indeed.

Photos by Mariana Leung

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Rebecca Taylor Spring 2012

Have you had too many grey skies this fall and winter?  Getting ready for a wet spring? It seems Rebecca Taylor thought about that too.  There were several laminated hooded jackets that seemed designed to deflect precipitation.  

The color palette also had a mottled, watercolor blue tinge.  Knits had a certain fishnet quality, sequins made tops look wet.  I'm just waiting for the weather to warm up to jump in the pool...

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General Idea Spring 2012

I find Geek Chic hot on a man.  Give me a smart, funny, quirky guy any day over a dumb muscle boy.  The General Idea customer looks like a creative type, artsy, cultures, possibly was raised or spent time overseas.

The spring collection had a mix of stripes and patterns together.  Pops of color that were masculine, but brighter than earthy.  Cable knits, graphic ties, relaxed pants made the looks comfortable the American guy who is a little outside the box.  I really appreciate this label for striking that fine balance for guys to look fashion forward without having to be flamboyant.

Oh, and glasses, I love guys with glasses.

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Tadashi Shoji Spring 2012

 Take a stroll though an exquisite Japanese garden for Spring...Tadashi Shoji's collection had a bunch of pretty frocks that reminded me of elegant orchids.  The ombre pastel shades and artful use or ruffles must have done it.
Another trending pattern for Spring were stripes, though I usually see them in graphic prints in casual sportswear and not elegant dresses like these:

More on the garden theme...Dreamy transparent painted blooms...

We only had one actual snowstorm so far in 2012 in NYC, and I am already feeling the effects of seasonal effective disorder...Sigh.  Thanks for the peeks of sunshine Mr. Shoji.

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Win a Trip to NY Fashion Week! - #NYFW Survival Kit

Mariana, aka Ms. FABulous in the photographer's pit at Lincoln Center

Gird your loins...NY Fashion week is almost here.  Anyone who is working in some capacity can say good-bye to sleep for the next few weeks.

Designers are biting their nails waiting for their samples, praying models won’t be naked on the runway.  Publicists are swimming through tens of thousands of egos and invitation requests.  Photographers, journalists and bloggers are gearing up and sorting itineraries of conflicting shows…And I love it!

I have worked on all sides of the runway in my career.  This season, I will be going as blogger and photographer.  I am culling my looks together for events where I need to be chic (particularly excited about Kohl’s Rock & Republic Launch Fashion Show and Party!)  

Alternatively, I am also stocking up on hard toe boots, layered clothing and memory sticks for shows where I'll duke it out in that pirate's crew they call the photographer's pit.  

My Fashion Week survival kit: 

-Water and raw almonds (counter balance those cocktails and lack of meal times)
-iPhone with my essential NYFW apps: Fashion GPS, Yelp, Instagram, HootSuite 

-Foldable slippers (only non-humans can wear platform heels for 16 hours a day)

-Compact for beauty touch-ups (ok, realistically, blotting when you sweat in the photo pit) 

Have your invite yet? Glam Media is sending Fashionistas to NY fashion week with a full-on makeover at Rock & Republic, tickets to the big runway show, airfare, hotel and spending money.  RSVP through their sweepstakes right here. 

Kohl's provided compensation to me as an incentive to blog about the Rock & Republic launch event.  The opinions expressed herein are those of this author, and they have not been reviewed or approved by Kohl's in advance.

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Naeem Khan Spring 2012

Awards season is in full swing...That means lots of gowns down the red carpet.  Do you have enough frocks lined up?  Naeem Khan is one of the more regal designers out there.  He dresses royalty from all reaches of the planet.

For Spring 2012, he had a mix of sexy, bright, pastel and floral.  The best gowns had dramatic silhouettes or intricate beaded flowers.  The body hugging sleek dresses that were the most simple were also the most sexy.

Some of the looks were too long and too covered up, giving an impression of suffocation (though I suspect those are for princesses of more conservative religious countries).  There was a small group of printed floral looks, (pants on a one piece, dresses with a Bo-peep shape) that didn't work for me either. They just left me scratching my head as they felt out of place among such elegant creations. Then again, Mr. Khan probably has a more diverse clientele than most designers, so he has more divas to please.

Whichever look you choose, you are guaranteed to make a grand entrance.

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Nicole Miller Spring 2012

Stripes, stripes or stripes?  Nicole Miller is a designer known for graphic prints.  In the 1980's, she blazed a trend for signature "conversational" prints of novelty motifs that was copied by brands all over the industry.  

For Spring 2012, she gave us stripes in all forms, in many directions.  Some were chevron, some were turned into graphic color blocks as a playful take on the trend.  Black and white are classic, and they were  available.  However, if you want to go bold, go for the bright purples, fushia, yellows and oranges that popped the graphic dresses.  The models were accessorized simply.  Some sunglasses and flat leather sandals to show that the Nicole Miller girl loves the sun and casual chic.

On a frigid day like today, who doesn't need some warm inspiration?

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Kara Ross Spring 2012

Need more bling in your life?  Jeweler Kara Ross has gems on her mind this spring, along with exotic leathers, metals and style.  All shades of turquoise, lapis and amethyst dominated this seasons' collection.  You could see it in the shades of painted skins on the envelope flap bags or embedded in the jewelry.  

Some of Kara's signature touches are the faceted finishes resembling the closeup view of precious stones on rings and cuff bracelets.  The other is the jeweled clasps on her purses for that extra luxury touch.   Some of the rarer skins used in the handbags are then set in metal like a jewel for a truly symbiotic design process across categories.  Is that an artists' perogative? Thrifty or an eco-minded creative process?  Either way, Spring's blue skies will be beautiful.

Mdivani Monroe interviews Ms. Ross to discuss her baubles in depth:

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Lela Rose Spring 2012

Can you do ladylike and still be young and fresh?  Lela Rose has mastered the elegant garden party look for girls who just like to party....(Just ask the Bush daughters).  Eva Mendes, Sofia Vergara and other red carpet regulars also love the designer.

For her Spring 2012 collection, the designer had all the hot colors (according to Pantone) like tangerine, pale gold, blue, sand and cream.  There were bright prints that incorporated all of them as well (just in case you couldn't decide).  The sunny colors are what you would expect from a Texas-born designer.

The dresses were wearable and sexy, with floral embellishments on one, swiss dots on another, embroidery or transparency to make it extra special.  They strike a great balance between elegant, but not stuffy.

The front row contained enthusiastic editors as well as celebs like Rose Gowan and Susan Sarandon:

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Sales Alert! Cynthia Rowley, AllSaints, Barneys, Manolo Blahnik...

In NYC:
AllSaints Spitalfields is having an amazing warehouse sale right not through to January 16th.  I am ashamed to say I have spent a ridiculous amount of money on this brand in the past two weeks.  Their regular stores have current stuff 50% off and now this warehouse sale is 70% or better.  I went a little nutty on their edgy, (but more comfortable than they look) shoes.  They were around $75 (down from $250).  I picked up a few dresses that were all under $80.  If you're looking for outerwear, there was plenty of stock in different sizes.  There was one floor for women's, one floor with men's stuff (one of the few sample sales where the hipster guys actually equal or outnumber the girls).

Where: 76 Wooster Street, New York NY
When: Now through January 16th, 12pm - 8pm.
Credit cards accepted, but the shorter line was for those paying in cash.


Cynthia Rowley's current Fall 2011 and Resort 2012 collections are up to 80% off retail prices downtown. For a preview of what might be at the sale, check out the Fall 2011 show.  I remember a lot of rich velvets, silk, pretty pretty stuff.

Where: 376 Bleecker Street, 212-242-3803
When: Thursday, January 12 - Sunday, January 15, 10 AM - 8 PM

Haven't stopped partying since the holidays?  Need new cocktail frocks?  Rosa Pusher is making a soiree out of their sample sale.  They will be serving up cocktails and cupcakes to shoppers at the end of month while they shop sexy dresses.

Where: Roger Smith Hotel, 501 Lexington Avenue
When: January 27th, 12:30 PM - 6 PM

Online:

 

Barney's New York has added further reductions to many of its sale items, including gifts from the Lady Gaga Workshop.  A candy bow ring is now $9 (down from $28).  Manolo Blahnik shoes are down to $309 from $775, 

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Vivienne Tam Spring 2012

The Queen of Pop-Art Chinoiserie.  Vivienne Tam created a niche of contemporary designer sportswear inspired by traditional Chinese motifs reborn as ironic design.  She first made waves re-interpreting images of Mao in a Warhol-esque palette.  Since then, she has introduced delicate embroideries into cutting edge looks and high-tech digital printing for her signature pop prints.

For Spring 2012, these trademarks were translated into pretty, ladylike silhouettes, but at sexy lengths.  Miniskirts were paired with embroidered or transparent print blouses.  Appliques and more embroidery framed necklines and bodylines in a flattering way.  The colors were tonal shades of celadon, blues, greens or violet, coral, cream and pinks.  They looked like a bolder, more cosmopolitan idea of pastels for the urban girl who really doesn't do pastels (like me).  

Ms. Tam's shows during NY Fashion Week are one of the favorites I look forward to every season, and I'm there with my nose pressed up against the glass at her Soho boutique and sample sales.  

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VLOV - China's Menswear Hope

China was where designers were knocked off, now they are luxury brands fastest growing market.  With all of those resources, where are their mega-labels?  VLOV, which stands for Victory & Love is the award-winning menswear brand by Qing Qing Wu.  Priced to be affordable to a middle-class rice point, he aims to compete with Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss on his turf.  

The designer presented his vision at NY Fashion Week in Lincoln Center with an easy palette of black, charcoal, light grey and pops of bright blue.  There were some 1980's references of wet-look nylon jackets mixed in with zipper details and edgier jacket/shorts combos.  I don't know if the looks here will be too forward for middle-America, but they did get compliments from the more fashionable International fans in the audience.  

It's a longshot, but wouldn't it be a coup for a Chinese designed label to outsource to the USA for production? Just imagining.  But hey, NY designers, Save the Garment Center and keep manufacturing on your home turf!

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Nicholas K Spring 2012

No sibling rivalry here...Brother and sister team Nicholas & Christopher Kunz put out a nomadic chic collection that was a mix of zen, Moorish and evening blues.  The fashion show looks had an edgy, dreamy quality about them, but still looked perfectly Downtown.  

The guys looked equally comfortable, yet urban.  The designer duo somehow achieved on the runway what so many of us New Yorkers wish we could find in real life.  Looking or feeling completely put together for a tough city day, yet somehow, completely relaxed in your own skin...Am I projecting too much?

 Nicholas honed her design chops at almost every major American designer brand (Calvin Klein, DKNY, Coach, Polo...) before her namesake collection.  Brother Christopher is the business whiz with the MBA who specializes in strategy and competitive marketing.

I don't know what your family reunions look like, but I bet the Kunz annual picnic is better dressed than yours... 

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Pantone Tangerine Tango - Charlotte Ronson Spring 2012

It's the color of the year!  If any abstract concept needs a pageant, Pantone's naming of the annual color winner is it.  This year, Tangerine Tango is the It-Girl of the palette.  Based on the Spring 2012 shows, most designers already knew that.  Here, Charlotte Ronson showed flowing, pretty pieces in ombre and embellished styles in the sunny shade.

Ms. Ronson of NYC's famed socialite/partying Ronson family also sent neutral beige and navy relaxed pieces down the runway.  Stylish, but it looked effortless.  Kind of what you would want for Spring.  

Does a strong focus on the named color of the year result in your being taken more seriously as a designer?  Or does that just sound silly?

For those who think a simple color is the made-up drama of fashion's frivolous world, (and I have heard  uninformed opinions to that), consider the case of Ann Taylor.  In 2011, Honeysuckle pink was deemed the most important color.  Wall Street analysts actually downgraded the financial outlook for the sportswear giant due to what they perceived as a lack of the hue in their current offerings. Shortly, the company's shares dropped 5.3%.  

Was that fair?  Doesn't that go against the point of creativity, design and the desire to separate yourself from the pack?  How can you be a trendsetter if you're judged by the percentage in which you follow a corporate numbered color?

Is Tangerine Tango a color you'll be wearing this season?  Who's collection did it best?  

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