Dennis Basso Spring '13 Presentation

Nancy transports to Deauville, France with Dennis Basso's Spring 13 Presentation. 

Dennis Basso's exquisite Spring '13 presentation took a viewer to a different realm and time period; one never would have guessed they were in the midst of New York Fashion Week. The St. Regis Hotel Rooftop was the most appropriate setting, dripping with crystal chandeliers, draped gold curtains, and a heavenly painted sky ceiling. Inspired by the prestigious Deauville resort in France at its peak in the 1960's, Basso evoked a time when fashion was reserved for the upper classes, and fancy galas were attended with elaborate gowns, furs, and lace.

      

      

The colors in his spring collection were inspired by the views from the seaside: shades of champagne, blues, black, and pearl all conjured the ocean and night sky. I was completely awed by the craftsmanship of each beautiful gown. Each piece was perfected with incredible details like hand-stitched embroidery, beading, and lace. The luxe, delicate fabrics included silk organza, chiffon, and soft chinchilla furs. 

      

      

Below are my personal two favorites.  If I didn't have another show to go to, I truly believe I could have just spent the whole day wistfully gazing upon these stunning gowns. 

  

All photos from stylebistro.com 

Kithe Brewster Spring '13

Nancy ends her Spring '13 Fashion Week experience with Kithe Brewster's spring collection.

By the last day of fashion week, my patience wears thin from standing in lines and waiting for shows to start. Luckily, Kithe Brewster kept his guests distracted with champagne and delicious snacks as we waited patiently for the show to begin. The Johnston Room in the Nomad Hotel was a peculiar venue, but Brewster managed to creatively utilize the space in a labyrinth-like manner. I enjoyed being up close and personal with the models as they walked down the aisles.

      

      

One of Brewster's strengths is how he manipulates fabric and creates unique dress shapes. He focuses on the view from behind, making the backs of dresses stand out with cut outs and drapery. The delicate texture on the coffin-tulle chiffon dresses were strikingly contrasted with the dark make up and fluffed bobs. 

      

      

These four looks were my favorite from the show. The blazer suit dress is not a particularly new look for the runway, but its tailored well and I loved the belt. The sea foam silk chiffon strapless gown with box pleat detail flows gorgeously and is a great color for spring. I've always been a fan of Ikat print, so this caftan-mini is a yes for me, perfect for lunches by the beach next summer.

Highlight of the night? Spotting Wyclef Jean looking sharp in a Kithe Brewster suit.

All photos from zimbio.com  

Farah Angsana Spring '13

Nancy reports on Farah Angsana's spring show.

There are almost too many things to say about Farah Angsana's Spring 2013 collection. While she most certainly didn't seem short on inspiration, as a whole the collection didn't quite fit together. Angsana's major influences, the Amazonian culture and Brazil, brought many beautiful colors and patterns to her runway, as seen in the floor-grazing gowns below.

        

   

        

But how do these black and white pieces fit into the collection? As gorgeous as these pieces are, it appeared as though another designer was presenting a separate collection entirely. 

           

Farah Angsana's shorter mod dresses stood out with unique bold patterns and bright colors. The bottom dress (below, left) may be a touch too Barbie doll, but I love the clean lines and simplicity of the neutral beige dress to its right. 

      

     

The silk black and white gown below was my favorite of the collection. The lace detailing is perfect and the train makes an unforgettable statement. The show closed with the brightly feathered, crystal tulle gown on the right, but again. how does it relate to the entire collection? 

             

All photos from mbfashionweek.com and zimbo.com

Norisol Ferrari Spring '13

Once you walked into The Studio at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week for Norisol Ferrari, you could already sense that the show would be different. The raised platform that allowed visibility from every spot in the room, standing or sitting, was just one of the signs that Ferrari is attentive to her audience. This ready-to-wear collection focused on channeling the energy of "strong, confident women who command attention, desire, and respect," and was inspired by Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth, and Rita Moreno.

      

      

      

There is a certain sophisticated and chic essence of the French that Norisol Ferrari tried to capture for spring. As the models sashayed down the runway to classic French tunes, it was obvious they had been instructed to walk with more emphasis on the sway than speed. The beautiful structured hats, fine tailoring, and curve-hugging clothing were all pieces designed to enhance the confident woman.

      

      

What better way to display the strength of women than to have fashion icons strut the runways themselves? Norisol demonstrated that beauty and age is not an inverse relationship, as supermodels Carol Alt, Carmen Dell'Orefice, Karen Bjornson, and Alva Chinn all owned the runway. 

      

Norisol adhered to a neutral color palette with beige, black, white and grays, and used luxurious fabrics like satin and leather to produce a timeless and elegant line. I loved that she used a variety of figures and age on the runway to reflect a confidence attainable for all women.

All photos from mbfashionweek.com and WWD.com

Carlos Miele Spring '13 Collection

Sometimes, at a fashion show, one dress can save a whole collection.

When this dress came down the runway, I was in awe of its yellow, animal-print perfection. And I then breathed a big sigh of relief, because before yellow animal-print I was kind of freaking out. I'm a big Carlos Miele fan. I have been raving about his shows since 2008, so it pains me to admit I can't rave about Miele for Spring '13. It's OK, I'll recover as I'm sure in February I'll be going on about how much I love Carlos Miele for Fall. It's just that spring felt too '80's hair metal.

But there were some perfectly done animal print looks and a gorgeous green gown. Also, I loved the shoes.

Perfect, flawless, and perfect. So perhaps I should say sometimes four looks can save a show. 

All photos from mbfashionweek.com