Lincoln Center Archives - Page 2 of 2

Francesca Liberatore – NYFW September 2014

Jan 11 2015

Italian designer Francesca Liberatore graduated from the prestigious Central Saint Martins in London and has since worked from prominent design houses and participated in important initiatives. The “enfant prodige” (young prodigy) recently won the DHL Worldwide Exported Award, which allowed her to showcase her Spring/Summer 2015 collection at New York Fashion Week. This was also her American debut, as well as an introduction to her menswear collection.

Spring/Summer 2015 was inspired by the image of a bird in a polluted surrounding. Francesca wanted to take an image of a bird with a lot of plastic in its stomach and can no longer grab fish from the sea; and put a positive twist on that reflection. We see silhouette influences of retro 1970s mixed with elements of the Far West. The womenswear seems to be more baggy and layered, while still maintaining femininity with soft color palettes; while the menswear looks to be more tailored with darker hues. The designer also included her backpack and handbag collection, as well as powerful legwear. Sticking to her concept of nature, Francesca created the collection using more natural fabrics, such as: leather, suede, silk and cotton. For the menswear, I loved the use of shirt with a wing-tip collar, a plain white button-front top with ruffle detail and a suit jacket with ruffle detail on the sleeves. The womenswear had very unique shapes with edgy detailing (and styling)…not to mention a killer black jacket with pleated ruffle on the sleeves.

Fashion Shenzhen – NYFW September 2014

Jan 11 2015

Fashion Shenzhen first made its debut in New York in 2013, gaining worldwide recognition for the Chinese designers debuting their collections. The Fashion Shenzhen platform was derived from China’s southern city- Shenzhen, which is said to also lead the country in terms of the fashion industry. The city is currently home to over 800 brands, 2,500 clothing companies and 30,000 employees. The three designers that exhibited their collections during NYFW were just a taste of the talent coming from Shenzhen and its surrounding regions.

Ellassay was the first brand to present looks down the Spring/Summer 2015 runway. The design team drew inspiration from Martha Graham, the ‘Mother of Modern Dance’ and titled the collection- “The Graceful Artist.” The collection was meant to emphasize not only dance, but also strength, movement and balance. The collection opened with dresses, tops and skirts in black and white grid print in knit and jaquards. It then transitioned to more softer dresses, tunics and corresponding cigarette pants in warm champagne-hued jacquards. The collection concluded with striking electric blue and semi-transparent dresses.

Ren Xin launched her upscale brand- Lizzy in 1997. The brand has since been a go-to for Chinese consumers. Ren’s Spring/Summer 2015 collection was titled, “Links to the Deep Blue Sea,” featuring stunning ‘Old Hollywood’ meets ‘pageantry’ evening gowns in frothy, luxurious fabrics and embellished in Swarovski crystals and elaborate beading. My favorite piece was the jaw-dropping chiffon mermaid dress with crystals and layered blue tail.

Haiping Xie’s “Asian Zen” presentation was visually intense and my personal favorite. The silk gowns amazed in pops of royal blue, pearly white and flaming orange. He focused not only on digital dragon and cloud prints, but dramatic sculptured bustles and shimmery overlays as well.

Overall, the Fashion Shenzhen designers brought their ‘A-game,’ showing the latest trends in ready-to-wear and evening wear through the eyes of Asian culture and influences.

Venexiana – NYFW September 2014

Dec 22 2014

Venexiana by Kati Stern was one of THE shows I wanted to see while at NYFW. The ‘fashion gods’ were on my side, as I received an invitation to their Spring/Summer 2015 showing a few days shy of the presentation at Lincoln Center. I was lucky to get a great spot in the press pit and it just so happened that I was next to one of my media buddies from Austin- Cheryl of Fashionably Austin. She was also VERY KIND enough to let me borrow one of her Nikon lenses, the 24/120…and let me tell you folks… that lens, along with a few helpful tips she provided… changed my life in terms of shooting runway. So dear Cheryl, a thousand air-kisses and ‘thank-yous.’ I am forever grateful.

Hungarian-born Kati Stern, an all-around creative gal who dabbles in architecture, piano and fashion design, launched Venexiana in 2003. Her eveningwear designs are known for their rock-n-roll edge that compliment their otherwise haute couture gentility. Kati’s runway presentation was amazing, as I knew it would be. The gowns were elegant and feminine. The silhouettes were structured and lavishly tailored, with rhinestone trim on some of the gowns that gave them an added rocker edge. Kati credits that her inspiration ‘comes from the season and it’s lightness. Also, the lightness of the design and lightness of the spirit.’ One-shoulder and sleeveless, along with flowy fabrics and easy colors were trends that stole the spotlight. Just when you thought a dress was ‘too simple’ in front, there was always an eye-catching detail in back; whether it be the drape of the fabric or the cut of the dress.

When Kati did her finale walk, she was just so energetic and very passionate. Kati- if you are reading this- I wish I could’ve met you. Sending air-hugs from Texas!

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