Goth meets the light. I guess it is true that the Gothic trend is going to be “in”. Long fitted dresses in rich colors and subtle but striking details fit the traditional Badgley Mischka gown. Surprising colors splashed down the runway adding just the right balance of light to the collection. The embroidery and prints were reminiscent of the Russian inspiration in a lot of the collections showing this fall. The big winners (in my opinion): Velvet blazer (garnet) with full purple skirt, and gown with embroidered bodice and floral pleated skirt.

-M

Danielle Le Moine is at it again. This time she attended the Rachel Comey fall fashion show at the Altman building. While we normally only cover women’s fashions, we really loved a lot of the menswear on display. There were two pieces that we loved from the womenswear line: a white dress with the flower patterned print and a black number that would be appreciative on a lot of different figures.

The dresses we speak of are photos 3 and 4. Take a look at the LOOK Gallery.

The Twinkle show had a slight Eastern European flair. Chunky Sweaters meshed with soft flowly fabrics. The prints were bold and colorful. The sweaters reminded you of what a sweater should be… WARM, not these thin, knit pullovers sweaters we see in the stores today. Satiny/ silky dresses and blouses made it easy to transition Twinkle pieces throughout the seasons. Real scarves for real winter wear topped certain outfits to give a feel of walking down a New York street on a cold day. My favorite? A high waisted wool coat that is a modern spin on a classic. Its the true investment for a woman with a classic collection.

Sue Stemp debuted her first fall line at The Players Club at Gramercy Park. Instead of a traditional runway formation, the models stopped along the walk to pose, some passing others, while some even strutted as couples. This created some overall confusion for the audience, especially as the runway became more crowded, but was refreshing in its informality.

Stemp’s designs were heavily lingerie-inspired, which, depending on execution, came across as either whimsical or flimsy. The best ensembles were those that balanced these feminine, light items with sharply tailored, weightier pieces: the Razzle Skirt in pin-up stripe silk with waistcoat bustier and lounge jacket in marshmallow tailored moleskin (left); the diamond tank in kohl twilight beading on chiffon and culottes in kohl wool suiting(center); and the hoodie jacket in kohl lady driver wool coating, cami knickers in marshmallow broderie anglaise on tulle and tie top in kohl/marshmallow “Cherry /Piano” print on silk jersey(right).

Stemp’s “signature” dresses were less impressive. The fabric was so light that they often looked unfinished, and the prints did not add enough depth to create sophistication. They looked more like dressing gowns than evening wear, and even in the era of causal-cool they did not surmount this barrier.

-Ali

I have asked this question of myself time and time again. However, I really pondered this question these past weeks in watching the award shows and tapping into my guilty pleasure of watching TV reality shows. This applies in particular to Project Runway, Style Me, and The Stylist (yeah this one is on the TV Guide network). My answer to this question is a resounding HELL NO! I say this not because I love the underdog, or I’m tired of the same celebs or trends taking center stage for the “Best Style” award, but for the simple fact that there really are some laid back Larry’s and low key Lucy’s (aka Maggie Gyllenhaal, Derek Luke, Reese Witherspoon, etc.) that are just style and fashion forward as the typical tabloidies. And surprise, surprise! They are not the next JLO, Sienna Miller, Usher, or Beyonce, and they don’t even try to be. Not that there is anything wrong with these celebs, but isn’t it time to embrace more individualism as oppose to a brand? I’m not here to persuade you to think how I am thinking, but to think what you are thinking…outside the box. We all are capable of it. What do you think or not think?

-Tenisha