New York Fashion Week - Autumn/Winter 2014 Overview

          I'm finally writing about my second New York Fashion Week experience! Needless to say, a week full of fashion shows and events was followed by a week full of deadlines and catching up on sleep.

            I had so much fun in the city and have really begun to feel more at home there. Surprisingly, my affinity for NYC has taken a little time to unfold. Of course, it wouldn't be as enjoyable without the hospitality of my cousin and best friend, Maddie. She's shown me some great places and we've already made a lot of unforgettable memories, such as the time we tried meeting at a ferryboat party and ended up on opposite shores of Manhattan! But more on that later. Here's a little overview of the fashion week events I attended, people I met, clothes I wore and food I ate. I'll be posting about specific shows and designers soon.

Monday

What I wore: A gold, vintage blazer and green sweater layered over a blue button down, dark blue tuxedo pants, authentic Greek fisherman's hat, Badgley Mischka Julia Nappa satchel, and Superga sneakers (later had to change into winter boots due to the high snow banks and heaps of slush).

By Misha

Where I went: I attended the By Misha presentation at the Lali Lali Gallery in SoHo and met some very wonderful people. I interviewed the three designers featured and I met some fabulous fashionistas and bloggers. More details to come! 
That night: I was in pure euphoria. It was my first night in the city, I'd already met inspiring people, and seen beautiful clothes.
Beverage of the evening: Owl's Brew Tea with rum

Read my article about the By Misha presentation here!

Tuesday

William Okpo

What I wore: A new satin, floral dress I just ordered from Victoria's Secret. I was so eager to wear it that I didn't consider how light it would be on the coldest night of the week! It was insufficient even with leather accented leggings, Cole Hann ankle boots, a Cynthia Rowley cowl scarf, a beanie and a leather jacket.

Leather Japan

Where I went: I got lost in SoHo and missed my first show by ten minutes. Who knew exiting from the subway in the wrong direction could veer you so far off course? That evening I went to the William Okpo show. Just as I was gaining more confidence in my sense of direction, I forgot half of the address to the Leather Japan gallery opening and took two cabs to get to there.

Read my article about the William Okpo show here!

Read my article about the Leather Japan gallery opening here!

Maddie and Daniel

 That night: Complimentary shuttles took everyone from the gallery to the after party that was to be on a ferryboat. I invited Maddie to meet me there and gave her the address we both thought was at the Chelsea Piers. Half an hour later, my shuttle stopped on Wall Street. Maddie was almost "there" but I wasn't leaving on the boat without her. I called her and we soon realized she was on the coast facing New Jersey and I was on the opposite facing Brooklyn. It was time to scratch plans and figure out new ones. I ran into the nearest Duane Reade to keep warm and charge my phone, got a cab, and finally met up with Maddie. At that point, all we wanted was warm pizza and a relaxing drink. So we ended the night at a cozy bar with her boyfriend and some delicious BBQ chicken pizza.
Beverage of the evening: Blue Moon

Wednesday

What I wore: A vintage, angora sweater dress on top of a printed skirt with fur winter boots, leather jacket, and a floppy, felt hat. Of course, I also carried my Badgley Mischka bag. 

Mega Mega Projects' AW14 Preview

Where I went: I stopped by the AW14 Preview by Mega Mega Projects and interviewed a couple budding jewelry designers. It was a very intimate event that focused on small collections of high quality craftsmanship. 

 Read my article about the AW14 Preview here! 

Zink Magazine fashion event

That night: I met Maddie at B & Co. in midtown for Zink Magazine's fashion event party. We had fun taking pictures of our outfits and catching up on our day.

Beverage of the evening: Cranberry and vodka.

Thursday

What I wore: A red cable-knit sweater on top of a white button down with leather pants, fur boots, ruffled scarf, beanie and a wool, vintage coat. 

Doughnut Plant

Where I went: Late that morning, Maddie brought me to the Doughnut Plant to try what she told me were the best doughnuts ever. She was right! We had hazelnut, chocolate, chocolate chip and their Valentine's special, rose. Since we were fairly close to the next fashion week event I had on my agenda, she accompanied me to KOTUR's AW14 preview at the Standard hotel. It was quite the journey! There were puddles and slush at every intersection and it was impossible to get to the next block without stepping into eight inches of water. On our very wet way back to her apartment, we grabbed Mexican at a nearby food cart. My tacos were so delicious they made me forget all about those treacherous puddles. 

Read my article about KOTUR's AW14 preview here! 

Maddie was invincible in her solid rain boots!

That night: While I'd been wearing my "waterproof" winter boots, they were no match for NYC puddles. I learned that a good pair of rain boots is an absolute necessity in this city. Maddie lent me hers for my last event of the week, Samantha Pleet's AW14 collection film premiere at the Wolverine store. I was really excited for this one because I'd covered her last collection in the fall. There was no way the weather would stop me from covering my first NYFW followup! More details to come!

Beverage of the evening: Red wine. 

Read my article about Samantha Pleet's collection film premiere here! 

Samantha Pleet

----------------

               My boyfriend came into the city for the weekend and I stayed until the following Tuesday. We had a really nice time together and between my internship work, we visited the dinosaurs at the American Museum of Natural History, had giant slices of pizza with Maddie and Daniel, took a slippery walk through Central Park, and ate lots of yummy bagels!

Models Ferns Francois and Joel Sanchez Launch Modern Advocates to Boost Boston Fashion

           There's a void in Boston's fashion community. Talent is plenty and the passion is strong, but very few have come together to make the industry bigger. After TheTents at Boston Fashion Week collapsed this year, two male models decided they needed to rally the city's fashion people.

            Ferns Francois and Joel Sanchez just launched a fashion production and networking community called Modern Advocates. Their goal is to exhilarate Boston's fashion industry by bringing designers, models, stylists, buyers, media, actors, and the like together at weekly mixers.

             I met up with Francois and Sanchez to find out exactly what Modern Advocates does and what they hope to accomplish. From revitalizing Boston Fashion Week, to getting more menswear designers in Boston, here's what they had to say.

             Their kickoff event, LA x Tokyo, took place last Tuesday at Naga in Cambridge. Tomorrow will be their last event of the month until their relaunch in January. Starting at 10pm, fashionable Bostonians can connect, drink and dance while making strides for the industry. So go to Naga tomorrow night, meet new people and start a new future for Boston fashion!

To get all the details on tomorrow's event, go to the Facebook page HERE.  

And make sure you check out Modern Advocates on Facebook, Twitter (@ModernAdvocates) and Instagram (@modernadvocates). 

Boston Fashion Week's Emerging Trends: Lisa Loveday

         The woman behind Lisa Loveday’s second collection is a survivor. “She’s clothed in the wreckage,” she said of her grunge-meets-modern-art designs. “She’s someone who’s not quite human, trying to become human. But I think in the end she just ends up being herself,” she said. The prosthetic pieces on the clothes  represent blood, guts, and burnt debris.

          An array of worn and processed materials are handmade elements. Loveday shredded, bleached, knit, and weaved most of her fabrics. She used cotton twill, acrylic, and wool, as well as some recycled fabrics. One of her pieces is made from recycled silk. “It’s really a one of a kind because it doesn’t exist anymore,” she said.

          She also used chunky, hardware to contrast the fragile layers of material. “I needed something that was really strong because it’s basically holding the whole piece up,” she said about one of her torn dresses.

          Surely, Loveday’s designs are not for the everyday wearer. “You can’t really adapt it into an everyday fashion,” she said. And she is fully aware of the bold statements they make. “I don’t want to compromise my work.” She envisions her clothes on the red carpet or as performance pieces. “Ideally, if Bjork would want one of my pieces I would be more than happy to make one for her!” she said.

         Loveday is a fresh face in the industry. “I’ve had my own studio for about a year...so I’m still fairly new,” she said. She recently graduated with honors in fashion arts at Seneca College in Toronto. While in school, she won an award at the Hempel International Awards in China. “I’m still not up and running completely at this point, so I don’t have anything for sale or wholesale. I just do custom work,” she said. For now, she isn’t certain of her next step in her career. “I have something sort of in mind, it’s more really strong pieces,” she said. “Everything I do is kind of big. It makes some big statements!” 

To see more of Lisa Loveday's work go to her Facebook page.

Boston Fashion Week's Emerging Trends: Naomi Davidoff

           The next designer I met at BFW’s Emerging Trends press day was a young designer, who is launching her company to success, only months after graduation. Naomi Davidoff is a costume designer who has a way with fabrics and technique. She studied fiber with a concentration in experimental fashion at the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Juggler - photo credit: Ron Davidoff

          Davidoff creates couture garments for performances and special events. “I am not only interested in fashion, but also wearable art, costume, and blurring the lines between the two and working with a lot of performers, dancers, circus artists, musicians, theater people, and actors,” she said.  

Madeline - photo credit: Ron Davidoff

          Part of her love for costume design is because of the people she works with. “They’re really half of what makes my work really special, I think, is working with them,” she said. She loves bringing her clients’ ideas to life. “That kind of leads me to want to work with different people and to want to make clothes for them and get inside their heads and think about who they are as personas and characters,” she said.

Siamese Twins - photo credit: Ron Davidoff

          Her most recent project is costume director for the Baltimore Rock Opera Society back home in Maryland. “We are a volunteer organization that’s a community theater and we are dedicated to making the most innovative, original, crazy rock opera you could ever imagine,” she said. For their last show, Murder Castle, the costumes were inspired by the Victorian era and The Chicago Worlds Fair. “They were experimenting with electricity and people putting that into garments,” she said. So she created glowing ballgowns with LEDs in the hoop skirts.

Mermaid - photo credit: Ron Davidoff

          Her collection this year, called “Phantasma,” is inspired by “surrealism, freakery and circus arts, and living nightmares.” She took a special interest in making a lot of the textiles in this collection. “So not only am I using found fabrics, I’m also using hand dyed, hand screen printed, over dyed, resisted fabrics, shibories, so experimenting with all different techniques,” she said.

Check out her SS13 collection video below!

Phantasma from Naomi Davidoff on Vimeo.

To see more about Davidoff and her collections, visit her website at www.naomidavidoff.com.

Boston Fashion Week's Emerging Trends: Thaddeus Du Bois

          One of the last events during Boston Fashion Week was the Emerging Trends fashion show. The day before the show, I attended the press event at Cyclorama - Boston Center for the Arts so I could meet some of the designers who would be showcasing their pieces.

          Thaddeus Du Bois’ handbags immediately intrigued me. His table was set up at the back wall of the room, yet his intricate metalwork stood out among the racks of clothes next to him. One bag, a saddlebag style with twisted tentacles emerging underneath it, hung from a metal stand as if it belonged in a gallery. I could tell right away that these handbags are intended for more than just their utilitarian purpose.

Narcosis w/stand - $32,900

          “I view them as sculpture. I love the idea that they can be sculpture at home that you don’t put them away in a closet, then when you take them off their stand and carry them out...they change in context and content everywhere you go,” Du Bois said. Narcosis, the aforementioned saddlebag, is one of his couture pieces. Priced at $32,900, it is also the most expensive piece in his collection. “Narcosis is one of my couture pieces where there’s only one and there’s only ever going to be one,” he said.

Miss Adventure w/stand - $4,200

          Another showstopper in his collection is his Emy Clutch.  “It’s all about glitz and glamour,” said Du Bois. Made with mirror polished aluminum, white deer skin, and 23 Swarovsky crystals, it’s designed for a walk down the red carpet. “The paparazzi snapping all their photos with the flashes, with the mirror polished aluminum, it’s going to reflect all those flashes and I really think it’s going to look like a ball of light in your hand, which I think is so cool. But it’s also going to ruin some of those photographs because the flash is going to reflect,” he said. With such a reflective surface, it also doubles as a mirror for touching up makeup throughout the night. “So [there’s] no reason to leave the party, and it’s definitely going to attract some attention,” he said.

Emy Clutch w/carrying trunk - $4,200

“It’s never in another country and I really want to stick to that. As I grow my line I really want to keep it all US made and US sourced.”

 

          My personal favorite of his collection is the Elson Bag, a rugged, versatile piece he made at the request of his art friend in Alaska. “She’s the type of girl [who] wears a flower dress and combat boots and she rides a motorcycle. She paints,” he said. So he created a bag that fit her lifestyle. It was big enough to fit her sketchbook, had a pocket for her pencils, an outside pocket for her cell phone, another pocket inside, and a flap closure. To be extra secure, he also added a zipper closure so nothing could fall out of the flap. As if these didn’t make the bag functional enough, he created straps that can transition from a shoulder strap, to cross-body, to backpack. “She loves it. It fits her personality so perfect,” he said.

Elson Bag - $3,200

          With all of his thought into what a woman wants, it would seem as if Du Bois has been designing handbags his whole career. However, he happened upon them in an unexpected way. In 2005, he was working as a suit salesman at Nordstrom and would see women buying handbags across the aisle. He thought they were ridiculous for buying the same bags until one woman told him, “Look at them as sculptures. It’s about the hardware.” And everything clicked. “At that point there was a spark for real in my head and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, handbags are the coolest thing ever!’” he said.

Romano Bag - $3,800

          For now, Du Bois makes his pieces himself, by hand. “So I’m in my studio with a torch and a welder and making it,” he said. He gets all of his materials within the US. “The leather is all sourced in the US. The hide comes from a tannery so it’s US cows that are tanned in Tennessee,” he said. As he expands his line and hires others to help, he intends to maintain this standard. “It’s never in another country and I really want to stick to that. As I grow my line I really want to keep it all US made and US sourced,” he said.

Ella - a purse he made for his wife to take to church

          However, he doesn’t want to grow too fast. He would rather keep production levels low to keep the couture, luxury, and personal elements of his brand. “If I can keep the production 300 or even well under, then I think that’s going to hit the market that I want to keep it exclusive,” he said. He values connecting with each customer over becoming a household brand and enjoys talking to the people who will be owning his bags. “I know they’re going to pass it on to their children or someone else is going to get it and it’s going to have the story that goes behind it,” he said.

To view and purchase Du Bois’ handbags and sculptures, visit thaddeusdubois.com.

BFW SS14: Tricia Cromwell Hosts Style Swap

         This year, Boston Fashion Week was all about holding events off the runway. There were fewer fashion shows and more interactive presentations, parties, and shopping events that opened the fashion community to the masses. Wardrobe consultant Tricia Cromwell was one of the fashion insiders who participated in this movement. She held her second annual Style Swap for BFW at Julep Bar, where ladies came to have a relaxing night with friends and participate in an exciting clothes swap frenzy. The objective: each woman brings clothes and accessories she doesn't want anymore and swaps them for other women's treasures. It's like thrift shopping and a party in one!

Cromwell and I took our turn on the red carpet!

           I had the pleasure of talking to Cromwell about her career, Boston's fashion industry, and how she started Style Swap.

Jenny: What inspired you to start this event?

Tricia: So I started doing the Style Swaps in 2008, and I do about two to four per year on my own, typically seasonally. Then I also partner with different businesses or non-profits when they would like to do them as well. Kind of like a fun, different fundraiser and ladies’ night out.

The reason I started is because I am a wardrobe consultant, so on a daily basis I work with clients to help them get dressed, with what they should wear, what they shouldn’t, and what they should replace, and build a wardrobe for them for their lives, for jobs, or wherever they are in life. So when working with clients, sort of like ‘What Not to Wear,’ you know how they throw everybody’s stuff in the trash? Well I don’t make people throw things away, but there always ends up being a pile of stuff that’s still great quality, many even have tags or were never worn, …so we end up with that handful of a pile to get rid of that someone else could really use. So after working with so many clients, if ‘Client A’ knew ‘Client B,’ they would share clothes. They would swap with each other like what I do with my friends or my family! So I felt obligated to bring everyone together, under one roof.  Bring all your clothes, come together and swap! I’d heard of clothing swaps I had attended so I wanted to do mine a little different. I wanted to really cater to professional women, young professionals, and a lot of my clients. So you get to clean out your closet, and then you get to do some free shopping! And it’s all for charity, which is the best part.

So I typically included a charity with every event. I always have a ton of clothing leftover. People tend to leave with less than they came with or they may have brought five suits with them but they leave with three bracelets and two necklaces, so they have less. So I have a ton leftover, so I donate it to charities like Rosie’s Place or Salvation Army, women’s shelters where they need the clothing. Then I, fortunately, last year found Project Hope, which is an amazing charity and they help women up and out of poverty and with job placement and those women don’t have the resources to get the clothing they need to get or stay in new jobs, so that’s where I stepped in and it’s a major win-win.

J: When did you start doing it for Boston Fashion Week?

T: Last year was the first that I did it during fashion week, so this is the second annual and it’s in the same venue. I actually polled on Facebook, because I pick a different venue every time. Some are in the suburbs, some are in the city, just to cater to a different crowd or different demographic and to help each different business with exposure. I had done it at the Julep our last year and back by popular demand, everyone wanted to come back. So this year they actually shut down the entire place, so this is a private event for just the swap tonight. It looks like there may be a third annual Boston Fashion Week Style Swap here too because they’re treating me very well!

J: How did you get started as a wardrobe consultant?

T: I just did! I literally just started. It’s crazy because I tell everyone, it just sounds so corny, follow your dreams and don’t let anyone stop you, but it is! I went to school for fashion merchandising. I’ve been in retail and management positions, merchandising positions, visual positions, and I knew I was into the fashion scene, but in a different way. I never even knew you could be a wardrobe consultant or a stylist until ‘What Not to Wear!’ I was like, ‘I do that for my friends and family!’ Even family members that hate to go shopping. I go just buy their clothes. ‘Wow! I could do that for strangers and they might appreciate it?’ So I literally just put myself out there. I bought a book. Now there are degree classes for it, but back then it was 2007 and there wasn’t. So I bought a book and I said, ‘I’m gonna do this! I’m gonna start to pay attention to the process and the technique and everything I do on a normal basis with my friends and really customize it and form a business plan.

[It’s been] crazy and awesome and daring! And it’s been fun ever since! I’ve rebranded a few times. I’m learning so much along the way, the good, the bad, the ugly. But I wouldn’t do it any other way, because it’s the experience.

J: How do you feel Boston Fashion Week affects the community regarding fashion?

T: I think Boston Fashion Week is amazing. We are so often compared to New York because we’re so close but so far and it’s such a different world. It’s a different clientele, it’s a different beast, it’s a different business. But I feel like we’re overshadowed, so maybe sometimes people don’t try. I’ve been told by so many people, ‘Oh, you’re a stylist? You should be in New York for that. You can’t do that in Boston.’ No, this is my community and we can do it! So I think things like this, bringing the community together and it enables other people in the industry, such as myself and other small businesses and other artists, to work together. That’s what we have to do. Stick together and show what we can do and then that’s when people catch on.

New England overall, is really traditional and conservative and they’re not going to be the crowd that’s going to latch on to the newest thing right away. They want it to be trusted, recommended, they want it to be reputable, before they’ll give it a try. I don’t want to say that we’re slow, but I think we’re a little hesitant and it takes events like this or standout people in the crowd to push people outside of their comfort zone, but then they do and they’re completely happy about it.

J: Where do you think Boston fashion will be in five years?

T: It’s growing. There is such amazing talent in Boston, it’s incredible. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with StyleItUp, which is a television cable show that highlights up and coming designers. I actually styled the show and I had my own segment on the show. I worked very well with the producer, so I have been fortunate enough to meet so many up and coming artists. It’s a matter of everyone coming together, backing each other, having fabulous events like this. Social media has been a huge help, getting the models involved, the photographers, the stylists, and I just see this growing. I think in five years it’s going to be even bigger and better and I’m excited to see it and to be a part of it.

Cromwell wore a custom dress with a croc-embossed, leather peplum from Chances R Designs by Toni Lyn Spaziano.

J: What trends have come to Boston for fall/winter?

T: Every year, the trends that come are the cold weather clothing because that’s where we live. Definitely darker, richer colors and fabrics. This is when a lot of the wool is going to come out. Leather is huge and leather can be done super edgy or super traditional and I feel think that’s something we always lean towards. It could be a leather glove, it could be a leather peplum, could be a leather jacket or leather boot. People are most excited for fall to come to go boot shopping. They’re wearing boots when it’s August still. Riding boots and motorcycle boots and over-the-knee boots are such a huge trend. Especially in a city where you have to do a lot of walking on cobblestone and uneven sidewalks, you need a good substantial, fashionable shoe and a boot is it.

J: Any last words?

T: I just want to say that I love what I do! I’m so happy that I’m finding people who feel the same way. To have an event like this is like, to me, this can’t be work! I get to come out and meet fabulous women, talk about clothes, and then go shopping. It’s crazy! I get to shop one on one with clients. Me going into a client’s closet is like a kid in a candy store, no joke! To work with a designer or to work with a photographer, for me to see their vision and then help them bring it to life in fashion, even if it’s just staging a photoshoot or helping a model with her walk, it’s so rewarding.

Before all the action, I got a first look downstairs while volunteers were setting up the clothes.

They wanted it to look like a real clothing store, though it wouldn't stay that way for long!

Some faux designer handbags, anyone?

I bumped into two fellow journalists from my school who were also covering the event!

Kate Spade shoes and a Fendi scarf were sure to be the first to go!

Meanwhile, the ladies sipped cocktails upstairs.

Lia Sophia accessories were sold upstairs as well.

Profits from ticket sales benefited Project Hope, a foundation that enables women to get jobs.

Finally, the VIP participants were released downstairs first.

Every woman had an enormous pile of clothes within ten minutes!

The racks were in shambles in no time!

The second wave of ladies came downstairs to snatch up the remaining clothes.

These ladies discovered that what was once an unworn dust catcher to one, is now a brand new party dress to the other!

The racks emptied in no time!

As the hunt winded down, the shop became a dressing room!

Cromwell was ecstatic with the turn out!

Check out Tricia Cromwell's website at www.itrustintricia.com