MBFW Day 3: Inside the Box Is Where It's At

Rafael Cennamo: All that glitter is gold. Photo by William Gaines.

HEAD’S UP: That turnaround between September and February always seems short. One is in the middle of the Yuletide season when the notice arrives about registering for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York! Well, here we are at Fall 2013 and a small change in the VEVLYN’S PEN approach to covering Fashion Week. We will still put emphasis on the truly inspirational on the runway and will only do a “best of” when it suits. We will also continue to endeavor 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. Now, for the changes. On some days we will provide a “snapshot” as we on 7 Feb. (http://www.vevlynspen.com/2013/02/mbfw-day-1-snapshot-todd-snyders.html). We will also comment on particular pieces from a collection that capture our imagination. Finally, at VEVLYN’S PEN, coverage may take the form of photos with comments underneath, including whether the picture subject tends toward a trend. How’s that? OK, off we go!

Day 3
(SOME of the players at the tents and elsewhere): A DÉTACHER, BILLY REID, CARMEN MARC VALVO, CHADWICK BELL, CHARLOTTE RONSON, CUSHNIE ET OCHS, GREGORY PARKINSON, HELMUT LANG KATE SPADE NEW YORK, KATIE GALLAGHER, KELLY WEARSTLER, JASON WU, JENNI KAYNE, LYN DEVON, NICOLE MILLER, PIERRE BALMAIN, RAG & BONE, REBECCA MINKOFF, SALLY LAPOINTE, ST. JOHN, SUNO, TESS GIBERSON, THE ELDER STATESMAN, TOCCA, TOMMY HILFIGER, TRIBUNE STANDARD, YIGAL AZROUËL

OH, the complaints one hears about the new address of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York.

It’s too far away; too soulless; too corporate; not right for fashion; hard to get to; it’s just not Bryant Park; it’s a concrete jungle. And on and on and on goes the bellyaching about Lincoln Center. There is, however, one aspect of Lincoln Center that is universally liked.

Yours Truly speaks of the Box tent. It is the venue that hosts presentations that take any number of forms. Usually, up and coming/unknown designers elect to show in this space. It is after all the least costly of the venues at Lincoln Center.

The Box is treated like a stepchild. It is not at all uncommon for fashion writers, fashion editors and others in the know who know better to blow it off, presuming that they won’t miss a thing.

Alon Livne has a wardrobe staple for the woman who lives in a strange, faraway world. Photo by Yours Truly.

Increasingly, though, one can be wrong. The Box is turning out to be the one tent that offers the most unexpected surprises, fanciful arrangements and delectable dainties. Two cases in point are the Rafael Cennamo and Alon Livne presentations on Day 3.

RC is under the influence of Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors, while AL is of the post-apocalyptic world realized by sci-fi master scribe J.G. Ballard. Two completely different starting points, with both arriving at a collection that is outright couture or that incorporates couture elements. What a treat for those inside the Box!

PREDICTION: When all is said and done these two shows will be considered among the best of the week.

On Deck today, Day 4: BLANC DE CHINE, CATHERINE MALANDRINO, CHADO RALPH RUCCI, CUSTO BARCELONA, CYNTHIA ROWLEY, DAVID TLALE, DETAILS MEN'S ACCESSORIES SHOW, DEREK LAM, DIANE FURSTENBERG, DKNY, EMERSON BY JACKIE FRASER-SWAN, JEREMY LAING. JOANNA MASTROIANNI, LELA ROSE, NINA SKARRA, PATRIK ERVELL, THAKOON, TOMMY HILFIGER, TRACY REESE, TRINA TURK, VICTORIA BECKHAM, VIVIENNE TAM, Y-3, ZAC POSEN

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

MBFW Day 2: Snow, Shows and Shoes All Went On

HEAD’S UP: That turnaround between September and February always seems short. One is in the middle of the Yuletide season when the notice arrives about registering for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York! Well, here we are at Fall 2013 and a small change in the VEVLYN’S PEN approach to covering Fashion Week. We will still put emphasis on the truly inspirational on the runway and will only do a “best of” when it suits. We will also continue to endeavor 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. Now, for the changes. On some days we will provide a “snapshot” as we on 7 Feb. (http://www.vevlynspen.com/2013/02/mbfw-day-1-snapshot-todd-snyders.html). We will also comment on particular pieces from a collection that capture our imagination. Finally, at VEVLYN’S PEN, coverage may take the form of photos with comments underneath, including whether the picture subject tends toward a trend. How’s that? OK, off we go!

Day 2
(SOME of the players at the tents and elsewhere): A DÉTACHER, BILLY REID, CARMEN MARC VALVO, CHADWICK BELL, CHARLOTTE RONSON, CUSHNIE ET OCHS, GREGORY PARKINSON, HELMUT LANG KATE SPADE NEW YORK, KATIE GALLAGHER, KELLY WEARSTLER, JASON WU, JENNI KAYNE, LYN DEVON, NICOLE MILLER, PIERRE BALMAIN, RAG & BONE, REBECCA MINKOFF, SALLY LAPOINTE, ST. JOHN, SUNO, TESS GIBERSON, THE ELDER STATESMAN, TOCCA, TOMMY HILFIGER, TRIBUNE STANDARD, YIGAL AZROUËL

IT takes more than the threat of a blizzard to stop fashion in its six-inch heel tracks, as was proved yesterday when virtually all of the shows were on the runways and other venues as scheduled. Only one known cancellation: TU . BE by Sara Zanobi, which was postponed to 13 Feb.

The band (background) stole the show at Rebecca Minkoff. Photos from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

In other words, the show sites were packed, right up through Parkchoonmoo and Billy Reid at 9 p.m.

On Day 2 of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York, Noon by Noor made up for run-of-the mill designs with nice fabrics, which were stitched well enough ... The usual abundance of pretty, gorgeous, beautiful men at Nautica – who really cares what they are wearing? Well, perhaps a body would care what they are wearing.

In any case, it is what it is and it is Nautica, sure and steady – no rocking the boat ... The band, Wild Cub, is rocking out at Rebecca Minkoff. Alas, not in time with the beat is the designer’s well-intentioned effort to elevate grunge by getting it booked on a futuristic journey. Listen to a wag sitting next to Yours Truly: mall clothes (not an upscale one) ...

Killing it (or trying to) in Monika Chiang.

Meanwhile, Monika Chiang was given creative energy by a recurring dream in which she takes off into flight, this paired with a MoMa (http://www.moma.org) photo exhibit featuring birds. In one particular ensemble, the bird is not in flight. Perhaps, it was taken down by force. It is not happy. It is “dressed to kill,” for it is one angry creature ...

The girlfriend is dressed in her boyfriend’s clothes in Nicole Miller’s imagination; she commandeered his closet. So that explains the chic little high-waisted skirt with back pockets! Could the boyfriend thing also explain in part why NM showed in the smaller Studio tent instead of the Stage or Theater. Could this be a metaphor for the boyfriend’s smaller closet? Or is it the economy, stupid? ...

The man makes the Nautica clothes.

Mysteries abound, including the mysterious chick tricked out in a baroque/punk Carmen Marc Valvo cocktail dress. What would that look like? Let’s see: a black ducal face stain with square patent leather tile embroidered. Could also be a leather cut cocktail dress. And it may not even be a cocktail dress as evidenced by the striped lace bodice gown with patent leather embroidery. And kindly remember the simple ivory silk and wool gown with an alligator inset detail that just takes it to another level. (See video of show above.)

“I do evening wear. I have to do me,” CMV asserted a couple days before at the H.H. Brown Børn Handbag collection launch. The designer’s first shoe line in about a decade was given a very prominent display space in that venue. (More on the shoes later). “I gotta be me,” the designer added, emphasizing this personal directive in the common vernacular.

Fabrics can make a difference as they do in the Noon by Noor Fall 2013 collection.

As he has proved season after season, CMV knows his way around evening wear. The tiles, embroidery, striped lace, leather squares and touches of alligator enticingly combine to give the garments the texture and depth that would evoke baroqueness. Of course, the nod to punk is the leather and the black. But CMV’s punk has grown a little more sophisticated but not so sophisticated that she will shed her leather. Blondie still looks cool and edgy. And … elegant.

On Deck today, Day 3: ALEXANDER WANG, ALEXANDRE HERCHCOVITCH, ALON LIVNE, ALTUZARRA, CALLA, CHLOË SEVIGNY FOR O.C., CHRISTIAN SIRIANO, HERVÉ LÉGER BY MAX AZRIA, JEN KAO, JILL STUART, JONATHAN SIMKHAI, KATYA LEONOVICH, LACOSTE, LIBERTINE, LOUISE GOLDIN, MARA HOFFMAN, MARISSA WEBB, MONCLER GRENOBLE, MONIQUE LHUILLIER, OSTWALD HELGASON, PRABAL GURUNG, RAFAEL CENNAMO, RAIF ADELBERG, REBECCA TAYLOR, ROBERT GELLER, RODEBJER, RUFFIAN, SECOND/LAYER, SON JUNG WAN, TIBI, VENEXIANA, VPL

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

MBFW Day 1 More Shots: Has It Really Been 30, Kenneth?

HEAD’S UP: That turnaround between September and February always seems short. One is in the middle of the Yuletide season when the notice arrives about registering for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York! Well, here we are at Fall 2013 and a small change in the VEVLYN’S PEN approach to covering Fashion Week. We will still put emphasis on the truly inspirational on the runway and will only do a “best of” when it suits. We will also continue to endeavor 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. Now, for the changes. On some days we will provide a “snapshot” as we did yesterday (http://www.vevlynspen.com/2013/02/mbfw-day-1-snapshot-todd-snyders.html). We will also comment on particular pieces from a collection that capture our imagination. Finally, at VEVLYN’S PEN, coverage may take the form of photos with comments underneath, including whether the picture subject tends toward a trend. How’s that? OK, off we go!

Day 1
(SOME of the players at the tents and elsewhere): AMALEXANDRE PLOKHOV, BAND OF OUTSIDERS, BCBG MAX AZRIA, COSTELLO TAGLIAPIETRA, CREATURES OF THE WIND, DUCKIE BROWN, EDUN, HOLMES & YANG,KENNETH COLE COLLECTION, KIMBERLY OVITZ, N.HOOLYWOOD, NICHOLAS K, RICHARD CHAI LOVE, SACHIN + BABI, TADASHI SHOJI, TIMO WEILAND, TODD SNYDER

THE first day of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is now history.

Yesterday at the tents it seemed that the assembly was holding its collective breath. Why? Not sure. Incidentally, it was very quiet in the lobby area of the tents. Must be the layout. The various sponsors are cubbyholed. Yours Truly thinks it intimate, but a wag with whom I was jawing, derisively compared it to an airport hangar or a room at the Javits Center (http://www.javitscenter.com). Oh, well.

All was sort of quiet on the runways and other model venues, too. The biggest talk was about Kenneth Cole. The designer was to show in the tents but that didn’t come off, because his people and IMG (http://www.imgworld.com), the company that runs MBFW were not on the same page. That I can assert with confidence; the rest … well. Anywho, the designer returns to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his line. Wow, time flies.

Is she too chill for the Arctic? Photo from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

At 30, Kenneth Cole Collection is in a New York state of mind. Indeed, the collection is named Urban Liberation. Fall 2013 is inspired by life in New York City “and finding freedom from the constraints we experience in our daily lives, ” KC said. To fulfill this vision, KC relies heavily on black and gray, as well as elements from the architectural realm. While it should look drab and drawn, it is actually very much alive and relaxed. And tres chic. (See video above; see the show at http://www.kennethcole.com)

One imagines the men and women got up in Kenneth Cole making their way to their offices in Soho or some other really cool corner in the city. The fabrics are lush, rich and look very expensive. However, they are not. This is Kenneth Cole after all – accessible.

It’s a collection to be proud of – worthy of 30. It is self-confident, self-possessed and very serviceable. And oh, KC has always been one on the right side of a cause. He’s doing a lot of work with amfAR these days. Any tweets with the hashtag #kcrunway inspire the designer to donate $1 to amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research (http://www.amfar.org/).

Pretty in pink and sequins at Candela. Photo by Yours Truly.

Elsewhere on Day 1, starter Nicholas K has on the brain the Arctic. If nothing else, one is layered for the odyssey. At Candela, perhaps an homage to fatherhood: “To when the name of father was another name for love.” ???

On Deck today, Day 2: A DÉTACHER, BILLY REID, CARMEN MARC, VALVO, CHADWICK BELL, CHARLOTTE RONSON, CUSHNIE ET OCHS, GREGORY PARKINSON, HELMUT LANG KATE SPADE NEW YORK, KATIE GALLAGHER, KELLY WEARSTLER, JASON WU, JENNI KAYNE, LYN DEVON, NICOLE MILLER, PIERRE BALMAIN, RAG & BONE, REBECCA MINKOFF, SALLY LAPOINTE, ST. JOHN, SUNO, TESS GIBERSON, THE ELDER STATESMAN, TOCCA, TOMMY HILFIGER, TRIBUNE STANDARD, YIGAL AZROUËL

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

MBFW Day 1 Snapshot: Todd Snyder's Meditation on Pockets

Todd Snyder's man is upfront about his pocket issues. Photo by Yours Truly.

IN elevating the biker jacket, Todd Snyder got carried away, also working his particular brand of craft on cableknit sweaters, shirts of many stripes and, trousers. All of this in paying homage to a time "when gentlemen were outlaws, and vice versa."

Perhaps only such a man would have the effrontery to wear his cargo pant pockets out front. Kinda cool, no? The black wool pant is the most interesting thing Yours Truly has clapped eyes on thus far of the Fall 2013 collections on Day 1 of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York.

Stay tuned for more!

Visit http://www.mbfashionweek.com to learn more about Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York.

100 Years: Grand Central Terminal Wears It Well

1 Feb. 2013/NEW YORK – THE multi-layer birthday cake was not topped with 100 candles but a replica of a famous timepiecec. It was rolled in as a youth choir enthusiastically sang “Happy Birthday.”

This was the scene on Saturday as the official celebration of the 100th anniversary of the day Grand Central Terminal aka Grand Central Station aka Grand Central opened for business. On 1 Feb. 1913, it was the largest train station in the world.

In a century the building and the opal four-faced clock – well, if they could talk. They’ve witnessed a lot. And the station has been a reliable conduit that has aided and abetted north-south travel to and from New York City. The clock, set one minute early, has kept things moving on time.

The party was indeed a happy occasion that was also marked by music and brief speeches. Among those at the dais were Hizzoner Michael Bloomberg, Carolyn Kennedy Schlossberg and Cynthia Nixon. The latter is best known for her role as Miranda on “Sex in the City” but she is also a rare breed in the city – a native New Yorker. (See video above.)

Some Grand Central vital stats:

Approximately 750,000 people a day pass through its doors. Unbelievable, no?

Once upon a time there was a movement to demolish the beautiful beaux art structure. Unfathomable, no?

Hard to imagine anyone wanting to harm this beauty. Archive photo.

The City balked at the mercenaries would dare to level Grand Central, enlisting allies in the arts community – Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis would join the fight against the rail company – and took the fight to preserve the building to the U.S. Supreme Court. The city won. What a relief, no?

The celestial ceiling, with backward sky and off-kilter stars, was once covered by a black coating. It was not paint or coats. Guess what it was? Residue (tar and nicotine) from cigarette smoke! Unreal, no?

Visit http://www.grandcentralterminal.com/ to learn more about Grand Central Terminal and the ongoing Grand Central Terminal Centennial Celebration.

Paola Hernandez Opens First Store

The Paola Hernandez boutique in Mexico City carries all of the designer's brands. Photo from Paola Hernandez.

30 Jan. 2013/MEXICO CITY – PAOLA Hernandez is expanding!

Paola Hernandez (right) does some housekeeping before opening her doors.

Not her waistline, but her empire. The New York-based designer opened her first store where it all began for her – in Mexico City.

The store, located in the Emilio Castelar quarter, will carry all of the designer’s clothes, shoes and accessories.

A few friends and colleagues showed up to help Paola Hernandez celebrate a happy occasion.

PH, who studied philosophy before she set her sights on design, incorporates a philosophical concept in all of her designs. Her first collection was shown in Mexico City.

“I am very excited to share this step in my career,” the designer said. “The first of more stores to come.”

Visit to http://www.paolahernandez.com/ to learn more about Paola Hernandez.

And Back to Africa Festival Is Not Terrible at 2

28 Jan. 2013/BATOKUNKU, Gambia – THE second Back to Africa Festival has been declared a success.

Founder Neil Joseph Fraser aka Mad Professor disclosed his pleasure with the lineup and the turnout. Among those bringing the love and music were Mad Professor protégé Joe Ariwa, General Levy, Jah Revelation, Roots Daughters, Heartbreaker and Red Hed aka Guushiie Lala. (See video above of a Red Hed performance).

The three-day festival (25-27 Jan.) went down in Batokunku village on the west coast of Gambia. MP, who runs UK-based Ariwa Sound Studio, conceived the Back to Africa Festival as a louder “Back to Africa” call, that is the Diaspora re-engaging in some seriously dynamic ways with the Continent.

Visit http://www.ariwa.com/ to learn more about the Back to Africa Festival and Ariwa Sound Studio.

Hard Times Fuel Desperate Measures in 'Bethany'

BY TAMARA BECK

HOPELESSNESS often fuels reckless behavior.

In Laura Marks’ “Bethany” a woman’s financial woes sap her judgment. The Women’s Project world premiere production is at New York City Center Stage II through 17 Feb. (See video above of scenes from the play.)

Crystal (America Ferrera) encounters Gary (Tobias Segal) when she breaks into the foreclosed house in which he is already squatting. On the surface Crystal appears to be a cheerful survivor, but her suggestion to Gary that they be housemates hints at the depth of her distress.

There’s a lot of hard sell in “Bethany.” The very sleazy Charlie (Ken Marks) is selling prosperity and opportunity. Crystal sells luxury cars. Given the sliding economy that is the backdrop to “Bethany,” all this is based on delusion. Each salespitch is a fraud that hides a secret.

Crystal’s sales manager, Shannon (Emily Ackerman), holds a reserve of skepticism. However, only Gary, with his clear-eyed and canny paranoia, is genuine. Although he is not a charlatan like Charlie or a striver like Crystal, he shares the desperation of the others.

Clever observation by the playwright and nuanced acting by the cast make “Bethany” a masterpiece of suspense. In an outstanding ensemble, TS stands out as a man who is “off the grid” and off balance. AF gives a brilliant and unsentimental performance.

Ably rounding out the “Bethany” cast are Kristin Griffith as Patricia and Myra Lucretia Taylor as Toni.

Both Charlie (Ken Marks) and Crystal (America Ferrera) are hiding something in “Bethany." Photo by Carol Rosegg.

LM has spun a universal tale out of current hard times with memorable small moments and a unique attention to detail. “Bethany” is a shockingly funny drama.

Visit http://www.womensproject.org/on_our_stage.htm#bethany to learn more about “Bethany.”

'Koch' Gives Us the Man in All of His Guises

IT would be difficult to find someone who would not give Ed Koch credit for bringing New York City back from its dark age in the 1970s.

This is among the episodes addressed in “Koch,” the documentary about the man who some call New York City’s greatest mayor. It opens today at Lincoln Plaza Cinema and Angelika Film Center before rolling out at select venues across the country.

What should be a happy day is a little less so because on the day the film is opening it is also the death day of EK. He died around 2 a.m. of congestive heart failure; a memorial service is scheduled for Monday. EK just turned 88 in December.

Ed Koch (left) defeated fierce political competitor Mario Cuomo in the 1977 Democratic mayoral primary. Photos courtesy of Zeitgeist Films.

Today, he is being remembered as a colorful, larger-than-life flawed, but principled figure who never shied away from speaking his mind. Indeed, Hizzoner was not one to hold his tongue when he had something to say, the consequences be damned. That trait gained him many admirers; even his detractors respected him, though some bitterly disagreed with him.

Much of this territory is covered in “Koch” from first-time director Neil Barksy. The film puts a spotlight on the good, the bad and the ugly – warts and all, including EK's love of the spotlight. A few wags have quipped that he is smiling down from heaven because he managed to upstage the opening of the film about his life. (See trailer above.)

Ed Koch and Bess Myerson en route via bus to a mayoral inauguration in January 1978.

“Koch” is by no means a love letter about this son of Polish immigrants. For instance, it attempts to address issues around the mayor’s sexuality, which had always been a closed subject. EK was a lifelong bachelor and was never publicly tied to anyone except former Miss America Beth Myerson who was by his side in his second run for mayor in the late 70s. She disappeared after his victory, causing many to believe that the whole “relationship” was window-dressing.

“Koch” addresses both triumphs and failures, the most notable – which the mayor acknowledged himself – was the closure of a Harlem hospital. He’d said on the campaign trail that he would not attempt to close the hospital.

This reversal was viewed as a betrayal by many in the black community. The lone event caused a schism between a man who as a young lawyer in the '60s represented civil rights workers in Mississippi and one of the city’s most important communities. It would take years for this relationship to heal. Some would argue that today some wounds still fester.

Other peccadilloes that “Koch” presents is EK’s seeming ignorance of the rampant corruption in his administration, as well as his failure to show leadership in the AIDS and crack crises. Both proved devastating for New York.

While sad chapters in the life of this politician and wit, others are happy such as the billions-dollar housing program that rebuilt many neighborhoods in New York, particularly the Bronx. EK was born in that borough but grew up in Newark, New Jersey Jersey. He was also active in the fight to save Grand Central Terminal from demolition. That world famous beaux art structure celebrates its 100th anniversary today (http://www.grandcentralterminal.com/centennial/)

Thanks in part to Ed Koch, Grand Central Terminal celebrates its 100th anniversary today. Archive photo.

EK’s greatest accomplishment, as “Koch” and many who have spoken of the mayor today have asserted, was working tirelessly to save New York during a time when crime was rampant, infrastructure was crumbling, jobs were non-existent and the city was near broke. He served three terms and lost a bid for a fourth term in the 1989 primary to David Dinkins who would go on to be the city’s first black mayor. EK was the city’s second Jewish mayor.

In "Koch," the man discloses that any number of people approached him about running for a fourth term. He declined and demured in typical Ed Koch fashion in one of the film's most memorable zingers: "No, people threw me out and now the people must be punished.”

He’s one of the very few mayors in the history of the city who remained relevant and in the spotlight long after his tenure. EK accomplished this by becoming a jack of all trades. It was he who replaced Judge Joseph Wapner on The People’s Court; he wrote books, including a children’s book inspired by his childhood. He hosted a radio call-in show.

Ed Koch and chief of staff Diane Coffey at his gravestone. The epitaph reads: "He was fiercely proud of his Jewish faith. He fiercely defended the City of New York and he fiercely defended its people. Above all, he loved his country, the United States of America, in whose armed forces he served in World War II."

The former mayor became a film critic. And up to the time of his death he was one of the “Wise Guys” on "Inside City Hall," a political public affairs program that airs on NY1, the 24-hour cable station that covers New York City.

As EK might ask, “How am I doin?”

The reply might be “you done good,” Ed, the conclusion that “Koch” ultimately reaches.

Visit http://www.kochthemovie.com/ to learn more about “Koch.”