Ricardo Seco at Men's Fashion Week Spring 2017

Men's Fashion Week took guests all around the city from Meatpacking up to the burgeoning Hudson Yards area off of West 34th Street. We got a small peak at some Spring/Summer looks with a presentation by Ricardo Seco at the Hotel Americano in Chelsea.



Photo: Ricardo Seco

The roof of the Hotel Americano was packed. Upon entry to the upper terrace the presentation was pre-arranged with models standing on cubed pedestals fronting the Hotel’s miniature ‘La Piscine’ swimming pool. Throngs of photographers pressed their luck to try and get close enough for a good shot without falling in; secretly the crowd was waiting for it to happen.

Photo: Ricardo Seco

All of the male models wore matching extra-large pearlescent visors. These nicely complemented an immediate sense of palate: very deliberate summery hues of light pink and purple with baby blue all paired with monochromatic athletic wear, bomber jackets, and relaxed and oversized outerwear lending a Miami Vice meets urban contemporary feel. After listening to a brief introduction by Seco, the theme became more apparent. He wanted to interject a socially responsible angle into his designs and based his looks off of the island of Holbox, which lies northeast of the Yucatan peninsula. Seco, a native Mexican titled this collection LIFE, an apparent nod to his homeland as well as the variety of lifeforms that exist on Holbox.

Photo: Ricardo Seco

Home to many endangered species like the Carey Turtle and the American Flamingo, Seco wants to bring attention to the severity of environmental issues that threaten the island as well as highlight what precious nature could be lost. The flamingo comes through in the variety of pink outfits and also quite literally as a few outfits even feature flamingo prints. Suddenly the looks all conveyed a sense of urgency and concern. The bright vivid colors called for attention before burning out as the crowd looked for meaning in the various sand textures and patterns. The collection was very adept at weaving narrative into otherwise casual summer-wear.

Photo: Ricardo Seco

Fashion Week Fall / Winter 2016: Xuly Bët and Dan Liu

Xuly Bët

Newcomer to New York Fashion Week Xuly Bët presented a collection with largely exaggerated layered silhouettes, where baggy over-sized hoodies and jackets were paired with form fitting body suits and leggings. Most of the collection contained bold and vibrant pops of colors, playing along a theme of opposites in which lively colors were balanced with muted ones. We continue to see trends of faux fur, metallics, and knee high boots. Overall the collection expressed an oft-seen theme on the runway these days: the urban, street style feel.

      

      

      

      

All photos from Xuly Bët. 

Dan Liu

Dan Liu’s first NYFW show was set at The Space at Clarkson Square, a liberal amount of room for a debut show which led to awkward staging with three runways creating confusing zig-zag movements that had the models themselves checking to make sure they were on the right path. Outside of spatial considerations, the show had a playful flow with Liu, at times, taking the liberty of running two models in tandem with complementary outfits. Pulling inspiration from his Chinese and Japanese heritage, the designer paired onyx, ivory and nude base tones with colors pulled from traditional Japanese seasonal layering palettes. Rather than as overlay, Liu threw them into direct contrast in checkered, striped, or print stylings, making use of a standardized navy, pastel pink, burgundy, and an almost muted matcha green throughout multiple looks. Liu showcased a romantic flair through the use of heavy ornamentation in bows, floral jacquards, beads and lace and in subtle trim and pleats. All looks were very practical and workable and as a winter collection, took great advantage of the opportunity to showcase intricate coats and jackets.

      

      

      

      

All photos from Dan Liu for NYFW

Fashion Week Fall / Winter 2016: Karigam and Tadashi Shoji

Karigam

The show began a bit late but allowed guests to explore the airy and raw Clarkson Square space, a good fit for Creative Director Karina Gamez’s nature inspired collection.  Gamez was influenced by the palates of her native Venezuela, naming the collection after “Salto Angel,” the world’s highest uninterrupted waterfall. As expected,  minimalist and monochromatic looks ruled the runway, but soon the show emerged almost as a narrative piece. Following a few safe muted blue and gray toned looks, the designer added bright marine flourishes, harkening back to a forming Kerep River.

 

      

      

  

Suddenly crisp auburns emerged, indicative of the violent yet magnificent fall from plateau to freshly exposed red clay deposits. Then we’re running through lush and deep tropical greens, a nod to the flora and fauna which derive life from this process. The collection maintained Karigam's signature black and white undertones but utilized accent scarves and shawls to evoke the spirit of cascades in flourishes of color. It’s an understated yet grandiose style, layering long and airy pieces over sharp straight-cut pants and high collared blouses, creating a dialectic between order and tradition with the representative temporal disorder of a waterfall. Gamez curated the collection as elegant and sophisticated professional wear for women, and inherent in its order is her own personal journey from Caracas to New York.  The collection was a nod to modern professional style while pushing out tired industrial tropes with flourishes of individualism and personality.

      

      

All photos from Matte Finish 

Tadashi Shoji 
Always a red carpet favorite, Tadashi Shoji knows exactly how to produce an evening gown that perfectly combines sexiness, elegance, and pizzazz to make heads turn. This season, we saw an unexpected edge: black tattoo motifs and tribal patterns, grunge wet hair, heavy dark makeup, and chokers. The outcome? Brilliant. Inspired by “a tattoo parlor that has been transformed into a dressmaking atelier”, the patterns were treated like a second skin. Embellished bodysuits were layered with faux furs and skirts, and form fitting gowns had lace inserts and sheer panels, giving an illusion of second skin. I simply loved the delicate but statement arm bands. Slits up to the hip, bronze metallic detailing, and countless numbers of embroidered sheer pieces felt as though the designer is looking to expand his look to a younger generation. Tadashi closed his collection with a series of solid, etheral, pleated chiffon gowns that flow down the runway like a dream, almost like he was bringing his collection home.

      

      

      

      

      

All photos courtesy of Tadashi Shoji.