Fashion Week Fall / Winter 2015: Iijin, Malan Breton

iiJin

This collection by Cassian Lau and Christina Minasian hit the head of the nail with its Fall/Winter 2015 show. Overall, the theme evoked the grunge rock/punk style of the '90s through red plaid, leather jackets, gray flannel, bomber jackets, combat boots, sneakers with femme dresses and, my personal favorite of the moment, dark merlot stained lips. The show also had a young feel to it, showcasing letterman jackets with asymmetrical materials and goofy patches of cartoon pandas and smiley faces.

With clothing for men, as well as women, iiJin designed a three-piece flannel suit for men. The pants are tapered and slightly short to give it a more edgy look and paired with sneakers. In the same vein a model walked in a navy tweed skirt with a hounds-tooth waist and matching jacket with white piping on the lapels, and a soft pink crew neck shirt. Also paired with sneakers, this time with a wedge.

I had two favorites from the show, the first was a tan knee-length vest with matching cropped pants in suede, a light black crew neck sweatshirt underneath and black patent sneakers. So wearable, so comfortable, so cool.

My second favorite was this oh-so-gorgeous multi-color sequin material, pictured below. iiJin made a few pieces out of this, including cropped sweatpants with a slightly dropped crotch and an over-the-knee pencil skirt. Pretty much anything made in this was fabulous, but if I had to choose it would be the first dress with slightly belled long sleeves and a deep v-neck. Perfecto!

 *All photos from mbfashionweek.com

Malan Breton
The show opened with a bang when Frankie Grande walked astronaut-like onto the runway in a shiny scooter helmet, removed it slowly (for effect) and then strutted buoyantly towards the photographers in a shiny raspberry suit with a metallic cummerbund. The crowd went wild, building up the energy for the rest of the show.

Inspiration seemed to be drawn from the swing era's zoot suits with wide ties, over-sized double breasted jackets and wide leg pants. There was even a wide brim fedora a la Tex Avery wolf. In contrast the materials were quite ornate, reminiscent of the Rococo era, but in some cases the colors were more flashy.

The women's pieces followed the same style, but were in more subdued whites, blacks, champagnes and lilacs.

While this seemed to be the cohesive theme, there we are few outliers, such as a man sporting tighty-whities with a large M on the elastic band and long gray sweater, and his counterpart wearing boxer briefs (with the same M) and white dress shirt with a gray print.

The biggest outlier of all was the final piece that came with it's own theatrics: an orange gown fit for a medieval princess accompanied by a fleet of men in equally orange suits. The dress has a long train, empire waist, and spiked gold crown outfitted with an orange tulle veil.

Fashion Week Fall / Winter 2015: Charlotte Ronson, Ricardo Seco

Charlotte Ronson
Charlotte Ronson has perfected the ready-to-wear runway look. Not only is she a celebrity favorite among notables like Nicole Richie, Diane Kruger, Kate Moss and Leighton Meester, but her looks appeal to the everyday young professional who is both on point in the office and ready to go out after work.

The overall palette was predominantly neutral sticking mostly to grey, black, olive green, blue, and pink. Ronson added some unexpected pops of deeper colors with a burgundy lace dress which stood out among the softer neutral colors. Although I could have walked away with the entire collection, the burgundy lace dress was one of my favorites.

Her pieces are not only stunning but practical. They are effortlessly chic and combine high fashion and sophistication with wear-ability. Ronson’s collection was inspired by the balance of nature in an abstract setting and the purity of 60’s sportswear and construction paired with very feminine and delicate details. Her collection featured military- inspired trousers, cropped jackets, jersey dresses, sheer tops and knit sweaters. The chunky sweater and slowing fabrics exuded a cool effortlessness that made me envy the woman wearing them. Charlotte Ronson absolutely knows what girls want right now.

   

  

     

     Photos from WWD

Ricardo Seco

Menswear with attitude is the simplest way to describe Seco’s collection. Effortless black and white pieces were selected for the Fall/Winter presentation at the New Museum. Leather, wool and cotton were some of the selected fabrics paired with impeccable and sophisticated fits. A pop of color was present on the on-going collaboration of the designer with New Balance, which complemented perfectly the monochromatic outfits. True to Seco’s Mexican origins, every piece had unique details inspired by traditional Mexican artisan’s work.

Above photos from Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

Joe Fresh: Two Outfits Under $60

Joe Fresh, known for its basics and fantastic price tag, is in the midst of switching over to their early spring line. This means that all of the winter pieces are on sale. My colleague Jenna and I stopped in to check it out. We were immediately drawn to the 5-pocket slim ponte pant and the regular slim ponte pant. They are perfect for work as they have a trouser-like quality to them, and are perfect for play because they are made with plenty of spandex.

To honor this diversity, we put together two fabulous outfits for both occasions. The ensembles are made entirely from sale items and total under $60 (when purchased in-store).

The first look is fairly typical for the working woman with a few updates using unexpected colors and materials. We wanted the outfit to pop a little more as an ode to the sunshine we are all waiting for with bated breath, so we paired the dark navy pants with a coral crew neck sweater, an airy button down in oatmeal, and some killer pointed-toe snake print wedges in oxblood. Who says you have to be drab in winter? If you want a little add-on glam, consider some shimmery studs or a long necklace with a cute bauble at the end.

For a more pared down, classic look we put together my personal favorite uniform: striped shirt, tight fitting pants, and ballet flats. In this rendition the ballet flats come in marsala which went very nicely with the deep navy in the shirt and pants (both the shoes and shirt are available in stores only). To spruce this up you could add a colorful silk scarf or a tan shearling vest. Maybe even do both?

Some words of advice from The Gospel of Charlotte's Fashion guide: red shoes are a neutral. They work with pretty much everything and add that extra bit of style to any outfit.

And maybe this sweater too...

Joe Fresh
215 West 34th Street just west of Seventh Avenue

Fashion Week Fall / Winter 2015: Parkchoonmoo, Ready to Fish, and Oudifu

Parkchoonmoo 

This presentation really illustrated the principle of less-is-more. A curated palette of blacks, grays, and ivorys set a stage upon which to showcase Park’s main talents; shape and texture. Each outfit at first seemed minimalist and simple, but this was beguiling; as you took them in you began to see beautiful details of folds, flanges, and layers.

Equally fascinating was the texture-trade-off; was it Persian Lamb or blistered nylon? Raw fur or intricately woven fiber from the test tube? This wonderful tension between natural and tech (all the while whispering ‘luxe’), was what set these clothes apart. 

Bonus features were the static-like gradient motifs and unapologetically functional ‘gravity-boot’ footwear that finished the look very well. 

Future met Fenimine here; definitely wear-of-choice for the [William] Gibson Girl.

                                                                     Photos from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

Ready to Fish

If you’re looking for the perfect outfit in which to lean casually against the wall of a penthouse, look no further than Ready to Fish. The collection is absolutely perfect for the woman who would rather forego fussy clothing and stick with impeccable basics. In this collection, the draping serves as embellishment and color as an accessory. The only actual accessory was solid-colored headscarves that recalled a posthumous Jacob Marley from A Christmas Carol (not to say that I wasn’t jealous of their warmth on that blustery February day). The minimal lines and perfect tailoring spoke to the designer’s training at Donna Karan. 

Photos from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

Oudifu

The elephant loomed large at Oudifu at the designer's first foray into the American market for fall 2015, and combined with designer Zhuliang Li's "all-in-one" styles for all body types, created an eminently wearable and classic collection. Keep an eye on this Chinese luxury ready-to-wear brand, and if you can, add one of his print dresses or flowing tops to your closet this fall.

Photos from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week