Well, the fashion train has started its journey for Spring 2012. The first stop is New York City, primarily at Lincoln Center. So if you are wondering why there are no hotel rooms or dinner reservations, or taxis, consider yourself informed. Fashion is in town!

See what will be filling your favorite shopping emporia; be it Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue or Fifth Avenue or Madison Avenue.

There is some sort of odd feeling attached to saying that this collection by the Olson twins is quite wonderful. Being of that age when the twins were the most saccharine of TV stars and then cashing in at Wal-Mart, I am a bit ambivalent about saying that the collection, The Row, is quite beautiful, sophisticated and refined.

One can only say that these 2 have set their minds to casting a wider net to capture an adult audience based on their vision rather than the vision of them. In a way, I have a problem admitting that these freshmen designers offer one of the most original looking collections. Yes, the overall look is somewhat derivative, but then again what isn’t? What sets them apart are the flourishes they use, like the mini ruffles, the diminished color palette and staying within the vision of their collection. It is very much them!

My take on this is very simple – they get it! They have built a customer base and they stick to giving them what they want and not the whims of the season. Difficult as it is for me to say, BRAVO!

Three designers who seem to share a common design ethic which is simple shapes, 2 of the 3 seem to think less is more and the third has decided to embellish his basic shapes. The haute couture is known for embellishment and decoration and the extremes of designing where cost is never considered. Why have they chosen to show during the haute couture and not the ready to wear schedule? Is this the future of the haute couture?

Bouchra Jarrar opts for the slickest and cleanest of silhouettes and is embellishment free except or the graphic touches. The clothes look razor sharp and basically ageless except I would love to know who will pay “couture prices” for these looks. Personally, I do like them for all of the above reasons but I hardly think they are couture worthy.

Anne Valerie Hash shows around 15 pieces and once again I am compelled to ask why and yet I know she has a following but I would just love to be able to ask these women. Why? The clothes are definitely discreet and unassuming yet there is a bit of a more “artsy” take with the draping but what’s the purpose of wearing or buying these frocks?

Lastly is the very puzzling Maxime Simoens who has a decidedly graphic approach for his collection. Graphic in the geometric sense and yet the clothes seem almost boring even with the symmetrical geometry that he employs. Once again, I am forced to ask myself, why? What possesses this young man to present a made to measure collection that is so non-descript and certainly not earth-shattering.

Could it be that I am ignorant enough to think that there are no customers for these collections or is it sheer hubris to show during the Haute Couture?
Comments are welcome, enlighten me, agree or disagree with me .

It is no wonder that New York City was one of the two locations to have premiered the film L’Amour Fou. Besides being counted amongst the four fashion capitals of the world, this was a favorite destination of a younger Yves St Laurent. It was here in the 70’s that he launched Opium and here where he famously laughed and smoked at Studio 54 with his friend Nan Kempner. This was also the city where he opened one of his first ready to wear boutiques in the 70’s, Rive Gauche on Madison Avenue at 53 Street. In later years this was the city where they maintained a residence at The Pierre on Fifth Avenue.

The movie is a poignant view of St. Laurent and his lover, business partner, and protector Pierre Berge. The film is a very personal glimpse into their lives and does not focus on the commercial side of this famous pair but on their personal relationships which also happen to include a monumental , magnificent private collection of masterpieces, whether it be furniture, paintings, sculpture, bibelots, or objets d’art. They were “hoarders” in the most exquisite sense and not the ones we see portrayed on reality TV.

Anyone who proclaims to have a love of fashion, an appreciation of the fine arts or any acumen in business must indulge themselves by spending about 100 minutes of their life and watch the ascension and then the denouement of this famed pairing through the life that tortured one, due to his own genius, and the other who spent a lifetime building the empire that was known as YSL and then his own personal accomplishments away from the troubled designer.

One might almost look at it as a cautionary tale of success in the fashion business as well as a certain case of be very careful what you wish for.

Just as there is Haute Couture and Haute Joallier, there is also Haute Horlogerie. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, we are talking “timepieces,” not watches, TIMEPIECES!!! What you really need to know is that we are talking complications here, not just in design but in the most technical way. Imagine a timepiece that requires a movement, which is assembled and completed by hand for over 700 man hours. (Girard Perregaux)

For the very first time ever in New York City, the “Timecrafters” had come to town. The show was billed as “New York’s first luxury watchmaking fair” and what makes this show extraordinarily special is that it was open to the public. If you are a collector of fine timepieces, have an interest in why a timepiece has value or purely a sucker for beauty, this should be your destination next go around.

Brands, such as Cartier, Bulgari, Harry Winston, Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet, Girard Perregaux and 13 more outstanding producers of the most expensive timepieces in the world are displaying examples of what makes them the cream of the crop, the elite of horology. There is also an exhibit that traces the history of “mechanical horology from its origins to present day.

The “fair” is loosely based on the Basel fair, which is in Switzerland and occurs each spring and draws tens of thousands of visitors each year from all over the world. The feeling being, that if this show proves to be well attended, then we can expect a greatly expanded roster of “makers” for the next fair.

BULGARI

BULGARI

GIRARD PERREGAUX

700 HOUR MVMT

CHOPARD

HUBLOT

AUDEMARS PIGUET

CARTIER

From the very start of this book, you might think that this is another of those over the top, overly thought out and over intellectualized odes to a designer. The facts are very simple, this is as good as it gets when it comes to any book about a designer.
The author gives us his take on the wildly talented Alexander McQueen, which is as I have said, a bit too scholarly and pretentious for my liking but all is forgiven as the book becomes a visual monument to the talents of a designer who left us while still in his prime. The biggest assets of this magnificently photographed volume are the actual words of Mr. McQueen and an enlightening interview with Sarah Burton who succeeded him after his untimely demise.

“I think that couture has complete relevance today. Designer fashion shouldn’t be throwaway.”

“I think of myself as a plastic surgeon with a knife.”

“You’ve got to know the rules before you can break them. That’s why I am here for, to demolish the rules but to keep the tradition.”

There are so many inspiring and insightful quotes that define this master of 21st century design as well as little known facts about his past which are revealed in an almost fairy tale magic method of the telling of Mr. McQueen’s past of beginnings. This is a story that will inform, enlighten, entertain and leave you amazed from the spectacular photos which remind us of what we will miss in years to come.

The book which was published this month so that it releases the same time as the exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Rarely does any written/visual work leave you saddened by knowing that the artist reduced his own genius to just a scant 2 decades. What a loss for all of us who remain.

It comes but once a year but unlike Christmas, this is a very special holiday that focuses on one very important person and we all have/had one and like it or not we only get one in a lifetime. So today is devoted to moms and my suggestions for gifts to commemorate the day. Keep in mind that I tend to go over the edge when it comes to these occasions but it really is the thought that counts and not the gift or its cost.

I am a creature of quality and grand gestures so the possibilities I offer are to be taken with a huge grain of salt unless of course you actually can afford to give gifts such as these, which I am sure would be greatly appreciated.

Mother’s day should be kept personal which means that you need to give it some thought that is unless you are the flower giving type and save your grand gestures for her birthday or Christmas. The key is to remember what her personal favorite flower is and not give just a bouquet and to please write a sweet loving note which goes a long way. As I said before and it applies to all maternal gift giving, try to remember what she loves, what she wouldn’t buy for herself and what would make her happiest on her day because once this is accomplished, your gift only gets even better in the sentimentality department.

While it may seem that I only offer the materialistic approach to gift giving, please be aware that there are some gifts that money can’t buy like cooking dinner for her, doing some of her chores for her or even just taking her out to Starbucks where you can have some one on one time since life has a way of slipping by all too quickly.

Here’s hoping that those of us who can celebrate the day will do so in the most loving manner possible. In the words of The Intruders, you only get one!
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Hermes scarf

Wendy Brandes heart <3 ring

Leopard handbag

Alexander McQueen minaudiere

Cartier bracelet

DeBeers diamond necklace

serpent coil watch bracelet from Bulgari

Chanel's black and white diamond Camellia

As a change of pace, let’s address the men, and those who love them, and introduce menswear designer by the name of Danilo Herrera. (www.daniloherrera.com)

I am proud to be amongst the first to write about this fabulous collection as Mr. Herrera designs a collection, which I can totally relate to on many levels. This jewel box of a collection is going to become one of the must have brands come Fall 2011. The grouping is decidedly tasteful and skews a bit on the younger side but not that young that man of even 50 or 60 couldn’t wear these with full confidence.

One of the inspirations for Mr. Herrera is his concern for furthering a lost art, which in this case is shirt making within the city limits. It was long ago that the side streets off Broadway in the garment center were dotted with custom shirt makers as well as custom suit makers. For those old enough to remember there was even a chain of stores called The Custom shop whose primary business was making shirts to order and then as time progressed they branched out to ready mades as well as furnishings.

The eponymous collection is of crisp tailored shirts constructed with the finest and softest of imported cottons and ranging from “basics” like a solid shirt to what we might refer to novelty, at lack of better word, which include plaids and plaid trims as well as bi-color creations. If you have never had the pleasure of owning well made, unabashedly luxuriously fabricated and superbly styled shirts, then this will be your chance to start a new habit. You might even give up the tee shirts and relegate it to only weekend wear.

Again, what makes these shirts even more appealing is the fact that not only are they Made in America, but they are Made in New York City and conceived in New York City by a resident of New York City. The uniqueness of these factors gives even greater intrinsic value to what is already a stellar product.

Hopefully, come fall the Danilo Herrera collection will be available at fine stores such as Barneys, Bloomingdales, Bergdorf’s and Saks as well as fine specialty stores dotted all over the trendiest parts of NYC.

P.S. You ladies who adore these shirts can wear them as well, don’t forget to look for me on Facebook as well as at www.examiner.com/

Parlez-vous Plaid?

New York loves plaid

Fuggedahboutit!

Very NYC

In a NY minute!

The dark side

Nestled amidst what once was the burgeoning millinery and fashion jewelry district (36th-38th Streets between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue), there is still a jewelry business that continues with the history of designed and made in NYC . Whether you look at the jewelry (www.gayboyer.com) as tailored and sophisticated or you view it as statement making pieces, you will not be disappointed with the breadth, wearability and variety of this collection.

It is so sad that many of department stores, which had huge fashion jewelry areas, have transformed those areas into “bridge jewelry” (aka cheap silver) or fine jewelry with little room for what was an ever changing variety of jewelry that suited every particular taste level and budget. With the changing retail landscape came the advent of continuing growth of the online shopping experience which has grown exponentially in the past 10 years.

Gay Boyer can be found online http://www.maxandchloe.com/ , http://globalfashionbrands.com, http://www.fashionstake.com/ , or http://www.touchoffabulous.com/ or their eponymous website mentioned above.

Take it from a seasoned fashion jewelry veteran, the collection is wearable and shopper friendly in every way and will surely enhance your summer wardrobe. I was particularly taken with the larger scale pieces as well as some of the more tailored looks and was very pleased to find the crowd pleasers such as the bumble bee earrings and pins and the multi bead stretch band bracelets which are a season’s must have especially when this Spring/ Summer is all about color.

You may have to enquire about the styles that have been photographed as Lisa Harris (Gay Boyer, President) was kind enough to allow me to mix and match in my own particular style according to my likes. So, ask your favorite boutiques and your accessory shopping spot, “Where’s the Gay Boyer?” and tell them that “you don’t know what you’re missing!”

Chain on Chain

Bibbed

The big bead theory

Bangles and beads

Pearls before...

Double roped

The bees have it!

Not your Momma's pearls

In the early 70’s, that’s 1970’s, there was a printing process which enabled the maker to get a “photo quality” print onto fabric which would then be cut and sewn into a garment.  Alas that was the time of Nik Nik shirts (look it up) and knit shirts for men. The process proved unattractively expensive and very limited in its use due to all sorts of shortcomings, enter the 21^st century.  Keep in mind that I was able to “test” a computer, which was about the size of a room, in its experimental stages at the time and it was prototyped by 3M.

With the advent of almost seemingly impossible abilities computer programs and those talented enough to use them, there comes a new dawn for the process and this time it is showing up in everything from couture dresses to T shirts.  One of the first appearances worldwide was Martin Margiella’s horse dress and then came Mary Katrantzou , Alexander McQueen and Sarah Burton following in McQueen’s footsteps.  The process is mesmerizing as it takes shape into the finished garment in a way that no print has ever been able to accomplish.

At around the same time in a place that is hardly known for the couture, came an enterprising mother and son team who have perfected the design and its details with amazing dramatic affect.  With mom’s talent in the construction of couture garments and the son’s interest in the world of computers and digital imaging arrived the birth of Olympia Creations.  (www.olympiacreations.com ) Together they use the digital imaging process with great ease and create some of the visually stunning pieces that only a true fashionista can understand or comprehend.  It is essential to grasp the fact that  that this is not fabric  printed by the yard, but each design is custom constructed to fit a particular pattern; pattern meaning the pieces of the puzzle that make up the construction of a particular garment. (Think jigsaw puzzle)

Now you are able to see the process on their website as well as own a piece for your wardrobe that will no doubt be a topic of conversation for many years.

Christian Lacroix and the Tale of Sleeping Beauty

If one truly desires to be thoroughly fashionable, there is a necessary component that does not involve the purchasing or assembling of your wardrobe. This being said, there is no greater asset to being tasteful and stylish than to be well versed in the vocabulary and history of fashion.

The once fabulous boundless career of Christian Lacroix who at one point had a stunning little shop on 5th Avenue and later, a superb boutique on 57th Street and was the toast of Paris as well as the world of Haute Couture. Alas, they are gone, but in their wake is the story of Sleeping Beauty and her Prince Charming, Monsieur Lacroix.

The press release for this book reads “fairy tale and haute couture mix charmingly in this re-imagined story.” Believe it or not, there is not one word of hyperbole in that description. And evidently there is an entire series of these books featuring fashion designers and various other re-envisioned “once upon a time” stories.

Ms. Morton has successfully taken the details of Mr. Lacroix’s life and has woven them into the fabric of the fairy tale, pun intended. With accompanying images, the story and art are combined in a most engaging technique—odd and surprising and fresh in a way one rarely experiences in fashion memoirs.

One of the most wonderful moments in Christian Lacroix and the Tale of Sleeping Beauty occurs very early on when one discovers that the princess’s name is Beauty. Yes, we all know that the fairy tale has starred said “Beauty” from its inception, from Perrault to Disney. But here, in the context of high fashion, where beauty is paramount, this nomenclature feels like a simple and yet disarming gesture—here presented with not one iota of irony, as if Beauty were the right of every princess. This is as it should be.

That said, this is not really a fairy tale for the kids—even though it contains all the familiar elements of the tale—for it is the juxtaposition of the art and the tale that lands this squarely into adult material. The illustrations by Mr. Lacroix are not as lighthearted as the story itself. The drawings are slightly dark—a tad disturbing, considering the ingenuous subject matter—the primary reason why this high-fashion version of Sleeping Beauty is hardly the fairy tale of your childhood memory.

The moral to this tale is that even designers can be Prince Charming

Monsieur Lacroix as Prince Charming

Monsieur Lacroix

The King