New Form Perspective

For knitwear designer Gail Travis the ability of the wearer to shape their own garment is key. Her line of unique pieces, inspired by sculpture and designed to be worn in multiple ways, is called New Form Perspective or N:F:P, because of the focus on form. I was amazed that with a few snaps and folds, a knit shrug from the collection becomes a dress, and then can change again into pants. Best of all, everything in the collection transforms easily into new silhouettes without unsightly seams.
  I met Gail Travis when she had her last pop-up store in New York, and was instantly taken with how beautifully crafted and carefully designed each one of her knit pieces are. Even though Travis is not a sustainable designer, the versatility of her clothing speaks to one of sustainability's core concepts, doing more with less. This innovative approach to fashion design paired with the quality of her knits, makes her garments not only worthy of purchase, but worthy of keeping for years and years.

Meet Gail Travis and see the latest N:F:P collection at the pop-up shop located at the Roger Smith Hotel on Lexington Avenue (between 47 & 48th streets) September 20th -October 10th, 2010, 9 AM-8PM; nfpstudio.com for more information.

All images courtesy of Gail Travis

Chanel's Eco Fashion

In a bold move, Karl Lagerfeld based the Chanel Fall 2010 collection around the image of melting polar ice caps- even the show invites featured a drawing of an endangered polar bear done by Lagerfeld. The collection was teeming with fur: fur-covered boots, boleros and even head-to-toe fur suits made it confusing as to why a collection meant to draw attention to climate change featured copious amounts of fur. Lagerfeld explained after the show that the fur was not real and added that, "Fake is not chic — but fake fur is." This concern about the environment is not new for Karl Lagerfeld, who in the past has advocated incorporating more natural fabrics into fashion.

Runway shows are usually brief escapes into fanciful worlds filled with gorgeous clothes, but Lagerfeld has strayed from that this season and chosen instead to bring his audience face-to-face with an ugly reality which will have an impact on us all. This show really speaks to Karl Lagerfeld's status as an artist and visionary; that he can pair finely-crafted pieces of beautiful clothing with raising awareness about a controversial issue so seamlessly.

photo: Chanel

And if there was any doubt as to whether the massive glaciers on the runway were real, the  thermal video of the runway show confirms that the massive white structure in the middle of the runway was actually made of 240 tons ice and fits in nicely with the show's theme, "Hot and Cold."

You had me at graffiti jeans, Proenza Schouler

Thakoon's Textured Landscape

Best known for his intricate details, Thakoon went a step further for his Fall 2010 collection, experimenting with different silhouettes and a multitude of textures. With all the details and different fabrications, this collection could have easily become muddled, but in a subtle way, Thakoon is one of the few designers so far at NYFW that showed something distinctly different from Fall 2009. Bunches of ruffles gave interest to monochromatic looks and Thakoon also gave us a really nice new pant shape, which is sort of like a more structured harem pant. The accessories were also fantastic; a knotted soft leather belt, and shearling-lined peep toe booties could spice up any fall wardrobe. Overall, the collection was modern, innovative and will surely be a major influence for stores like H & M and Zara.

 

photos: coutorture.com

Betsey Johnson Fall 2010

Betsey Johnson's Tribute To McQueen

Photo: Stefan Gosatti/Getty Images

Preen Fall 2010

PREEN New York Fashion Week February 2010 from istoica on Vimeo.

Suno Fall 2010

warm fall colors   a mix of ethnic prints  

all about the mini dress

 

photos: Thomas Iannacconne (Women's Wear Daily)

Prabal Gurung

NYFW Fall 2010 Ones to Watch

Susan Woo

susan woo spring 2010 collection
photo: treehugger.com

After presenting her first collection in Fall 2009, its a little surprising that Susan Woo's  environmentally-conscious and sophisticated line has flown so low under the radar. Despite having been been featured by Elle and Women's Wear Daily, Woo has not received as much attention as other emerging designers. Whether or not you are interested in eco fashion, any woman can appreciate the beautiful modern pieces that Ms. Woo can craft from sustainable fabrics like organic cotton and vegan silk.

photo: Talalya Centeno (WWD)

Susan Woo will be showing at Sat, Feb 13 at 2PM at the Bryant Park Hotel, 40 West 40th st

Bibhu Mohapatra

 bibhu mohapatra  fall 2009 collection

After designing at both Halston and J Mendel, it's no surprise that Bibhu Mohapatra's designs are rich with lush fabrics, but Mohapatra's viewpoint is definitely his own. Both his construction and draping make for edgy, but luxurious pieces- think Uptown girl with a downtown edge. Mohapatra's talent makes him poised to become a younger generation's Bill Blass.

Bibhu Mohapatra will be showing Mon, Feb 15 at 4PM at the Marianne Boesky Gallery, 509 West 24th st (nr 10th Ave)

Jen Kao

Gen Art Designers Make Recycled Plastic Pretty

The organization Plastics Make It Possible has come up with an interesting challenge for this year's group of GenArt designers. The four fledgling design labels, Gar-De, Nomia, WesFeld and Sophmore had to create a collection using fabrics derived from recycled plastics. This is a great way to encourage young designers to start thinking about incorporating sustainability into their designs, and also reinforces the fact that beautiful clothing can be made from environmentally-friendly materials.

photo: Plastics Make It Possible

The designers will present their collections tonight at Drive In Studios to kick off New York Fashion Week, but there will also be a livestream of the four hour presentation and after-party available online starting at 7PM EST.

Here's a sneak peek at the winning collection from the label WesFeld. Designers Daniel Feld and Wesley Nault, explain the inspiration for some of their pieces and how they utilized recycled plastic to create lovely sculptural dresses.