W118 By Walter Baker Spring 2013

The music was so loud at the W118 By Walter Baker presentation that you could hear it from the other side of Lincon Center. I could already tell that this wouldn't be any regular presentation, and the music fanatic within me got really excited. Walking into the venue, you could see the first model dancing to the music while the rest of the Skullcandy-adorned models rapidly bobbed their heads in sync with the heavy beat. The music was a perfect match for the explosion of color on the models!
The collection itself was really incredible, especially the prints and fabric choices. It had a little bit of everything, but it was all so very on trend. Ikat print, florals that look like they're on acid, sherbet tones, yellows, crisp whites, color blocking, oranges, and mirrored prints that look like they were viewed through a kaleidoscope. The cut of the brighter clothes were for the most part very simple. It created a nice balance so that the print could speak for itself. The collection also featured some amazing ombre jackets- something I had never seen before. 

The second half of the collection featured much cleaner lines and ideas. Simple prints let the cut, material, and quality of the clothes stand out. Clean whites with plenty of mesh-like cut outs seemed very fresh when paired with light-wash denim. The cut-outs were on everything from skirts to sleeves to dresses, and I thought they added a nice element of architecture and design to the clothing. My favorite pieces were the blue ombre jacket and the white mesh jacket (not very practical, but very, very chic). 

PS- Thewaltercollection.com just launched its own store! You can get 20% off with code FALLINLOVEWITHWALTER

Prete and Bruno Fall 2012

Here's some of my favorite shots from the Prete & Bruno show back in February. The brand's debut collection was bursting with velvet, gold, green, sheer, and feathery looks. Trend-wise they were spot on; green, black and gold were very prominent on the fall runways. Although there were pieces that apply to every consumer age, I would have really loved to see more of a focus. Who is the Prete and Bruno woman? It would appear that she's a schizophrenic Italian woman who can't decide if she's clubbing or having tea, and she's not sure if she is 18 or 60. The inspiration was classic Hollywood glamour, but it was taken rather literally. I would have liked to see more of a modern take on the theme. I call collections like this '-esque' collections The green tweed suit was Chanel-esque, the tight sparkle mini dresses were Versace-esque, etc. Nothing was terribly new, and unfortunately doing so much gold makes things look rather cheap and gaudy. My favorite pieces were the green and black fly-away skirt (seen in picture four) and the tweed coat in picture eight. Don't get me wrong- I'm a really big fan of these boys. Their passion and hard work was really evident in their presentation. I just hope that in time they will be able to present collections that are more relevant to fashion now.

Review: Katya Leonovich Fall 2012

Photos by moi.

The music was loud and the house was packed to capacity at the Katya Leonovich presentation at Lincoln Center during NYFW. I could barely move around without ruining someones shot or stepping on someones foot! I really appreciated Katya's sense of structure and architecture. She's like a sculptor of fabric! Olive tones and metallic materials were prominent in the fall 2012 collection, and strips of fabric and snake skin were interesting details. I liked the purple-blue print that was inspired by some of Katya's paintings.(I wish I had snapped pics of the paintings!) Although beautifully crafted,  I think that Katya's clothes are more artwork then wearable garments. The collection took the beholder to what felt like Mars with the green jackets and metallic pants, to the space age with the sharp black and white looks, and then to the Flatiron district with the printed looks. I found myself craving more more cohesiveness in the collection. But I digress- I think Katya has a strong point of view on dressing woman. It might be a bit outlandish, but it is a point of view nonetheless. Her dress construction and attention to detail is freaking amazing and really inspiring. See the full collection at NYmag.

What do you think of the collection?