MBFW Day 1: Quiet, Then All Hell Breaks Loose

Models on the runway toward the end of the Ozwald Boateng show. Photo from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Website.

HEAD’S UP: Continuing the approach we adopted commencing with the Fall 2012 edition of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York, VEVLYN'S PEN will put emphasis on the truly inspirational on the runway, rather than a sort of “best of the lot, even if it’s not that good.” Why the change? Simply put, we have grown weary of watching far too many collections that lack imagination because too much attention has been paid to the bottomline. If nothing inspires, we will tell you so and tell you why. We still endeavor, however, to provide a roundup of the best, worst and most interesting Yours Truly (and others) witnesses, from trends to sightings to the rather unusual/bizarre.

Day 1
(SOME of the players at the tents and elsewhere): Nicholas K, BCBGMaxAzria, Kaelen, Richard Chai, Siki Im, Chadwick Bell, Tadashi Shoji, Monika Chiang, Duckie Brown, Arise Magazine Presents: African Icons, Supima, The Art Institute of New York City, Katie Gallagher, Honor, Costello Tagliapietra, Kimberly Ovitz, Jenni Kayne, Steven Alan, Veronica Beard, Creatures of the Wind, Lisa Perry, Erin Fetherston

IT was around siesta time when the joint at the first day of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week was shaken out of its slumber. The ruckus was caused by the man himself – or rather his presentation – Ozwald Boateng.

BEST SPECTACLE and BEST PRESENTATION – Showing for the first time at New York and under the rubric of Arise Magazine Presents: African Icons, OB injected a motherlode of energy into what heretofore had been a rather tame affair. That applies not only to the day, but also to others showing under the Arise umbrella.

Rather than send the models out one by one, the Ghanian jettisoned them in a group that stood abreast of each other. This was a force and it may have had arms underneath some of those snazzy suit jackets. The force would not be moved; it stood at the mouth of the runway stoically looking straight ahead, daring anyone who dared. It was a formidable sight.

When the force deigned to move itself, each individual member made his way down the runway, oozing out of every pore in his finely honed body virility and self-possession. His presence is so huge that this kind of man – dressed as he is, radiating the type of energy  he is – sucks all of the air out of the room. This is a man with the plan and he is dressed to kill or whatever else you got.

In a word, the show was a spectacle – and that’s a good thing. “That’s how they do it in London,” one wag exclaimed of the city where OB resides. Alas, there is not yet any video. Inexplicably, none appears on the MBFW Web site either. Is this a total diss?

When you on occasion combine blindingly bright West African prints and by-the-book Savile Row tailoring, producing garments that are – hot dog! – out of sight, by golly, put on a spectacle. And yes, end it with a sergeant type inspecting the troops, for they will pass muster because you have ruthlessly and effortless applied the training you received in style bootcamp.

IT’S ALL COPASETIC – Elsewhere around Day 1, opener Nicholas K was totally chill. The aviator-framed eyeglasses and cloche-shaped beanie worn by some of the female models could cause one to wonder whether designer Nicholas Kunz had air travel on her mind. Of course, it could be the way the anoraks and other jackets, as well as some of the dresses are held aloft behind the models making their way insouciantly down the runway. Whatever it was, it was easy on the eye and wearer-friendly. While NK doesn’t go for the razzmatazz of an OB, she makes an impression in a lowkey way. The Spring-Summer 13 collection is laidback, heavy on layers as it the norm at Nicholas K. (See video above). Nothing wows, but that series of silks/satins in burnt/orange for women provides a nice visual among the other more subdued colors and fabrics. Ditto for the trio of seafoam green (Nicholas K calls it soy) ensembles toward the end.

A look from The Art Institute of New York City show that very few likely saw. Photo by Fernanda Calfat for Getty Images

TRIED&TRUE AND S&M – Meanwhile, BCBGMaxAzria is successful because the husband-wife team of Max and Lubov Azria puts a premium on quality materials. Often that makes all the difference, especially if one is not stoked on innovation and doesn't possess mad sewing skills. SS13 takes inspiration from femme fatale muses and the b&w photography of Helmut Newton. Bands, belts and straps lend to the proceedings an S&M quality. After a while they also prove rather monotonous; just about every look is trussed thusly. The vision is best captured by the black lace dress with little embellishment from bands and such. A series of dresses bearing prints that are reminiscent of grandma’s quilt are quite fetching. Perhaps, they represent the femme fatale before so heartlessly her bloom of innocence was plucked. (See video below).

THEY GOT ROBBED! – What is it about design schools and their shows being scheduled smack-dab in the middle of Fashion’s Night Out. It happened in 2009, the first year of FNO, to the Academy of Art University. Did IMG (the outfit that puts on MBFW) not get the memo. Once it understandable, but twice is – come on now! Last night, who was showing way too late in the Studio tent but The Art Institute of New York City. At 7 p.m. An hour into FNO, which officially was from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. No one knows anybody who made that AAU show in 2009. Everybody was out partying and ostensibly doing a little shopping. Yours Truly dropped in first at BCBG where New York City police commissioner Ray Kelly was getting his boogie on. The fact that the San Francisco-based AAU sent out links to the video of its show, apologizing to those who missed it, suggests there were lots of empty seats in the Theatre tent. Will TAINYC follow suit? Stay tuned.

WE GOT ROBBED! – Fashion’s Night Out is so over, at least on the Upper East Side. Last night, the Madison Avenue corridor between 59th and 72nd streets resembled a ghost town shortly after nightfall. A few stores – J Mendel, Michael Kors and DKNY, for instance – had a party going but most of them had shuttered or were shuttering. Security guards were stationed at the door to keep revelers out, only opening it for those who were exiting the joint. Some stores may quit, owing to trifling traffic. ESCADA at one point was empty. Empty! My FNO companion and I concluded that, in part, the intimidation factor may be in play.

As Companion remarked, the stores are no longer getting any benefit from this exercise in commerce that isn't, so won’t be bothered. She was speaking specifically of the Valentino, Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta, Calvin Klein and Armanis of the world. Armani couldn’t even be bothered with having a party at its store in the high ‘60s.

Last year, Armani hosted Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett who were in New York to star in a Broadway play about Martin Luther King, Jr. The year before, Armani hosted a Q&A with Lauren Hutton. Beverly Johnson was there! In 2009-2011, the joint at Valentino was jumpin’, man. The atmosphere was electric. One year there was celebrity poker; last year, Tracy Morgan was one of the celebrities who stepped up for karaoke. These parties went until at least around 10 p.m. The last two years, I ended my night at CH Carolina Herrera around 11 p.m.ish. Though the FNO Web site indicated that this year’s party would end at 11 p.m., the boutique was darkened before 9 p.m.; ditto for Calvin Klein. So many shops followed Armani’s example and had nothing. Bummer!!!!

On Deck today, Day 2: Fashion Law Institute, Czar by Cesar Galindo, Harlem's Fashion Row, Project Runway, Concept Korea, W118 by Walter Baker, Rebecca Minkoff, Pamella Roland, Tommy Hilfiger, Nicole Miller, Todd Snyder, Charlotte Ronson, ELLE Fashion/NEXT, Academy of Art University, Parkchoonmoo, Kara Ross, Project Runway, Concept Korea, Noon by Noor, Erin Barr,Rafael Cennamo, Rubin & Chapelle, Sherri Hill, Elena Vasilevsky

Visit http://www.mbfashionweek.com to learn more about Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, including show information and videos.

Day 1 Pictorial
Arise
Tiffany Amber and Ozwald Boateng. Photos by Michael Loccisano for Getty Images.

Tadashi Shoji
Photos by Mike Coppola for Getty Images.

Monika Chiang
Photos by Cindy Ord for Getty Images.

Richard Chai
Photos by Frazer Harrison for Getty Images.

Supima
Photos by Fernanda Calfat for Getty Images.

Pageturners for the Individual With Discerning Tastes

A Tiffany Amber design featured in "New African Fashion." Photo by Justin Polkey.

HEAD’S UP: Here it is past mid-December and holiday shopping isn't yet an item on the to-do list. What’s a body to do? One option is to give money. Everybody needs money, right. Well … almost everybody does. Yet the idea of gifting money seems a bit slapdash and last-minute, which it is, of course. Never fear. The elves at VEVLYN’S PEN are here to help in what has become a tradition. Continuing through 24 Dec., we will introduce one or a series of products, items and brands that we believe is worthy of consideration as a holiday gift(s). And … we’re off !!!!

Gift Idea(s), THE FINALE:

FASHION lovers, gardeners, green thumbs, gourmets and those with a jones for gems – your attention please. We’ve come across a few books that you’ll want to add to your library. Do make room on the bookshelf or coffeetable for “New African Fashion,” “A Time to Plant: Southern-Style Garden Living" and “The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor: Deluxe Limited Edition Boxed Set.”

New African Fashion
As Africa continues to move out of what Yours Truly describes as its approximate 500-year-old Dark Ages, one signpost along the way will likely be New African Fashion (at this writing as low as $21.98 at Amazon), by "Arise Magazine" editor Helen Jennings.

The book’s introduction, with a foreward by the redoubtable Ike Ude, serves as a competent overview of how the fashion world has been influenced by the Continent and how Western designers through ignorance or education have exploited or gotten it right as it regards African fashion. The introduction winds down on how things are being set to rights and the challenges that African fashion faces if it is to reclaim its rightful place in the fashion universe.

The picture book that is New African Fashion is set apart in its focus on the creations of a new crop of fledging, establishing and established African designers who are making their mark on the world stage. Seemingly tacked on, a few pages are dedicated to “Faces” or “It” models, and “Art,” focusing on “It” photographers.

The bulk of New African Fashion is thankfully dedicated to the designers. Suggesting how far Africa must come to be taken seriously as a fashion hub, virtually all of the designers were trained in part or wholly in the West. Some still reside in the West; a good deal reside in the Motherland. Just about all, like so many of their ilk, grew up observing stylish folk in their living rooms or in fashion glossies. A leitmotif is that the culture and textiles of the rich, vast lands of their birth or that of their parents is a strong reference point in their designs and aesthetic.

Some names/lables are familiar such as Brit Ozwald Boateng (pp. 58-63), born in London of Ghanaian parents and who brought color – in more ways than one – to Savile Row. A prints of a man is New York-based Duro Olowu (20-25). The Nigerian is also one of the few designers who can claim the current First Lady as a client. He made his first big splash a few years back when Vogue saw fit to spotlight his plunging and flowing dress based on the Yoruba boubou. The feminine, flirty flock would become famously known as the “Duro Dress.”

Through Xuly Bet (pp. 26-29), Malian Lamine Badian Kouyate embodies the truth that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Many of his unique street-style creations are born of Western castoffs that find their way into any number of African countries. LBK gets bonus points, too, for sustainability in a world that needs it in reams.

Lesser known names in New African Fashion include Tanzania’s Anisa Mpungwe, who designs the new label Loin Cloth & Ashes (pp. 90-93). AM, the daughter of a diplomat, had a vivid imagination along the lines of “Alice in Wonderland” and Salvador Dali, which is evident in some of the designs shown in the book. More recent influences such as the “Transformers” seem to inform a beige-zippered tunic w/puckered shoulders and long sleeves.

Getting a lot of buzz now is the Tiffany Amber (pp.96-101) line designed by Nigerian Folake Folarin-Coker. The designer made a splash during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York Spring 2010 during the Arise: Africa Promise Collection (http://www.vevlynspen.com/2009/09/day-2.html) show. In New African Fashion, it is noted that on Sundays the favorite after-church activity in Nigeria is a cruise on a yacht. To that end, Tiffany Amber “offers resortwear and soft, floatly dresses for ladies who lunch, work and sail." Exhibit A is the photo (p. 97) of a model wearing an empire-waist floral belted skirt and print bra. She is standing on a rock that seems melded to her getup. Is she waiting ashore for … a yacht?

A Time to Plant: Southern-Style Garden Living
Cook, landscape designer and third-generation Georgia gardener James Farmer III (yes, Farmer is his surname) has delivered in “A Time to Plant: Southern-Style Garden Living” ideas and tips for cooking and decorating with what grows in the garden. Bringing his ideas to life are the scenic backdrops that are the homes of family and friends.

The garden living that JF promotes in “A Time to Plant: Southern-Style Garden Living” (at this writing as low as $19.93 at Amazon) is environmentally-friendly because it is local and little goes to waste. For instance, the blooms and stems from cutting beds can be used to decorate the home (p. 106). A autumn centerpiece (p.143) includes Mexican sage, aster, pomegranates, blood oranges, colored leaves other than green – think fall foliage – as well as pheasant and quail feathers.

Included are recipes for in-season fruits and vegetables. In fact, there are full menus for every season of the year. Blackberries and peaches, can combine in a Blackberry and Peach Crisp, p.104. The squash taking over the garden can be pressed into service as Squash Spoonbread, p. 108. At Thanksgiving, sweet potatoes can be used for Sweet Potato Souffle, (p. 138). During the heat of summer is Farmer’s Skillet Corn, p. 131.

Taking a page from Ecclesiastes, JF reminds readers that there is a season and a time for everything. That sage advice informs every section in the book. As JF notes in the book’s introduction: “Timing is everything in the garden.”

To that end, “A time to …
Make a Plan”: before starting a garden, create renderings of the garden; label and graph out cutting beds; map out a spot for vegetables.
Cut and Arrange: Take hydrangeas, JF’s favorite flower. Cut them early in the morning or at night so the blossoms don’t wilt during the hottest part of the day, especially in high-humidity climes such as Georgia. Submerging the stems in deep water also prevents premature wilting.
To Plant: Foxgloves like fall, while Mums, (aka Chrysanthemums) Asters and Daisies like spring.
For Tea: JF declares that, “Tea is the house wine of the South.” Rather than Lipton, he recommends Chamomile, Lavender, Mint and Rosemary.
Harvest and Eat: “A major aspect of the garden living lifestyle is the understanding of each season’s produce,” JF says. That is, knowing when fruits and vegetables are in season. Late spring and summer in Georgia bring blackberries, then the famous peaches and pecans in the last quarter of the year.

The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor: Deluxe Limited Edition Boxed Set
So, you don’t own have any of the baubles from the Bvlgari Emerald Suite that was given to Elizabeth Taylor by Richard Burton. The suite was famously auctioned a little more than a week ago at Christies’s auction of “The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor." (http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/12/at-christies-collection-of-elizabeth.html)

Neither do you own Le Peregrina or the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond or the Taj Mahal or the Mike Todd Diamond Tiara, for that matter. You can, however, own the Deluxe Limited Edition Boxed Set ($600.00).

Christie’s grossly – perhaps intentionally – low-balled the haul that would be generated by the jewels in “The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor.” It included not only the actor’s famous jewels, but also film memorabilia, decorative arts and fashion. Christie’s estimated that the jewelry would take in “well in excess of” $30 million. Sure, it did. But $60 million would qualify as "well in excess of." It was the greatest take ever for jewelry at auction, coming in at about $116 million. The entire Collection, including the nonjewelry items, netted more than $150 million.

The box set includes ET’s out-of-print book “My Love Affair with Jewelry” and Christie's auction catalog for “The Legendary Jewels, Evening Sale.” Alas, the “The Complete Set,” which includes all of the auction catalogs and “The Gallery Guide” is sold out. At this writing the individual catalogs are still available.

Visit http://http://www.amazon.com/ to purchase both “New African Fashion” and “A Time to Plant: Southern-Style Garden Living. Visit
http://www.christies.com/elizabethtaylor/catalogues.aspx to purchase “The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor: Deluxe Limited Edition Boxed Set.”