M.Patmos Fall 2013: Stealing From The Boys

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During my sophomore year of high school, I had an obsession with vintage blazers- tweed ones, fitted ones, bulky ones, ones with elbow pads- I loved them all! But I quickly found that woman's blazers didn't fit me correctly. They needed to be tailored to fit me, and I just didn't have that kind of dough. Rather than wear ill-fitting woman's jackets, I wore men's blazers which had a looser fit. I still have those beautiful, bulky jackets, and I love them just as much as I did back then. Because of this, I could really relate to designer Marcia Patmos' inspiration for her fall 2013 collection: a housewife who borrows her husbands clothes. The collection beautifully combined feminine pieces and masculine cuts by oversizing cardigans and jackets. The rounded shape of the outer wear really softened up the silhouettes, and mannish sweaters were shown in pink and purple hues.

I love when designers use digital resources to create their collections, so the digitized camo print seen in the collection was a nice update to a tired trend. It made camo relevant to the 21st century! The military influence didn't stop there- I spotted a beautiful olive bomber jacket paired with camo skirt and fell in love with it on the spot!

Often seen in the collection were neck 'funnels' (see the green funnel above) for the girl who likes turtlenecks... Minus the sweater. They're definitey an interesting concept, but I don't know if I'd be brave enough to wear one (unless it was fashion week- you can get away with anything during fashion week).

I really loved the collection's sparkly elements, seen on the camo print below, the shiny burgundy pants, and on a metallic copper skirt- it balanced nicely with the other matte colors in the collection!

The designer, Marcia Patmos, with her collection.

Erin Barr Spring 2013 Presentation

I'm always excited when a fashion presentation breaks the mold, and Erin Barr's presentation did just that. The set up: a retro house party with a little over a dozen incredibly chic attendees.

The models seemed to be playing fashion musical chairs; one would stand up, own the room as her runway, then pick up a book or rummage through a pile of vintage records. Then, that model would tap a friend on the shoulder, and the newly-chosen model stand up and take her walk around the room. It was refreshing to see models interacting, giggling and chatting with each other (it really helps you picture the clothes being worn in a real-life scenario). I can see myself on a dress worn by a happy girl much easier than one worn by a stone-faced statue!

The clothes themselves were wonderful, and it was easy to spot the Marilyn Monroe influcence without having it overwhelm the collection. The theme really brought 'bombshell' to the 21st century. The rigid stripes seen throughout the collection were a nice take on a classic idea- they looked as though they had been painted onto the garment by hand, rather than perfectly printed by a machine.

The collection felt like the wardrobe of a quiet, subdued girl (collared shirts in neutral tones, loose cardigans, long pencil skirts, and beautiful and wearable shirts and pants), but as soon as night falls, her rocker side comes out. Suddenly, those pretty cocktail dresses have cut-outs, and sheer material is everywhere. Although I love the rocker style, the amount of skin shown was just a bit too much for me. I guess I fall somewhere between the quiet library dweller and the rock princess.

Sheer fabric and slits here, there, and everywhere were very prominent in the collection, so the idea of combining the two concepts made perfect sense. Many skirts included a longer outside layer of sheer material slit down the front and back in the garment.

I've become a big fan of Erin's edgy style, and if she can make a coat as beautiful as the one she made for Spring 2013 (a white trench with great shape, three-quarter sleeves, and a leather panel with a zipper detail), I can only imagine the beautiful creations she'll whip up for fall.

 

 

Be sure to check out more of Erin's work at ErinBarr.com!

 

Nonoo By Misha Nonoo Spring 2013 Presentation

This middle look is my favorite from the collection. The colors blend so perfectly. (and who doesn't love a good mint blazer?)

I loved the Nonoo presentation. Misha Nonoo is definitely one to watch! Her collection was perfectly on trend, featuring incredibly fun and quirky prints (that still managed to be very sane and wearable). Patterns ranged from cheeky flamingos on a full-length dress to petite stars on a blazer. Although the collection screamed ladylike, it was kept young and casual with cobalt blue drawstring pants, T-shirts, and short-but-not-tacky hem lengths.
She also did a few dresses with flouncy hemlines which were definitely a collection highlight (also, I'm biased, because I completely fell in love with them).

I also really loved her use of lace. A lot of designers this did season did lace here, there, and everywhere. But Misha's use of lace was very sophisticated, tasteful, and classic. 

For an extra shot of sportiness, the entire collection was styled with chunky white shoes (even the long ball-gown style skirts!). It was such a fun, unexpected detail! 

I loved the sheer paneling on these looks. It's a nice update to a classic idea. I'd wear the white dress on the far right in a second!

 I was a big fan of the hair and makeup. The orangey lips were perfect, and I'm really considering attempting the Frida Kahlo-inspired hair with fabric woven into the braids.

This was the first time I was able to see a collection from Misha, and I was thoroughly impressed by the expert craftsmanship and accessibility of the clothes. I’m looking forward to seeing what she does in the future! You can check out past collections on the Nonoo website.

WHIT Spring 2013 Collection Review + Backstage Shots

I was lucky enough to go 'backstage' at the WHIT presentation during NYFW. Much like the clothes, the vibe was really laid-back. There was no violent rushing around or crowded spaces, and the models were happy to pose for pics. If only every presentation was on island time like this one! 

I love this photo. There's something really natural about it. 

 

How epic are the hats by Yestadt Millinery?!

Take note ladies, this is THE makeup cheat sheet for ss13. I saw this look over and over again during fashion week. Brown eye shadow, soft, pink-ish lips and cheeks. It's really beautiful.

 
 

 






 
 

The bright clothes in neon and yellow hues were a perfect contrast to the grey NYC sky that was threatening to rain out the presentation. I was a really big fan of the banana leaf print seen throughout- I think there's something really quirky about it! Being the die-hard oxford fan that I am, I flipped when I saw the banana print on the shoes as well. It really re-invented traditional pieces.
 The clothes were easy, fun, and young. Nothing was too uptight or snobby. There were several dresses that you could throw on in an instant- et voila- you'd be chic and ready to go. I really appreciated that the cuts were kept simple so that you could appreciate the loud prints and colors. I really loved the flowy blouses and dresses that came in the pink print and the blue leaf print. They'd be perfect for a thinner girl, but it's not exactly the fit that curvy girls like myself can wear well, unfortunately. I'd end up looking like a really chic pink cloud. Thank goodness there were other more form-fitting pieces in the collection. 
Everything was also very on trend for ss13- sea foam, neon, button down's, color blocking, mesh,  stripes, all-white looks, sportiness, lace, it was all there! Literally every single major trend was accounted for. 
For me, a big collection highlight were the bags. The shapes were inventive, and the colors were really wonderful! Whitney told me that if was their very first season doing handbags, and I'm excited to see what adorable arm candy she creates in the future!

 The designer, Whitney Pozgay. 

Thank you so much for letting me attend! You can check out WHIT on the web here. 

Also, I'd love it if you checked out my latest post for hvmag.com! I reviewed Kaelen SS13 collection for their blog, The Couture Report. Check it out!