Solange! Elettra! The Best Snaps From Our NYFW Kickoff Party
If Thursday evening was just the first night of New York Fashion Week, consider us officially f*cked. The Refinery29 office was officially downgraded to beta until noon yesterday, as late-morning stragglers arrived bleary-eyed from our appropriately titled "First Night" party to celebrate Day one of NYFW. #TGIF, right? Hosted by some of our fave NYCers (and one very kool Kiwi designer), Natalie Joos, Alejandro Ingelmo, Karen Walker, Hannah Bronfman, and R29 star Elettra Wiedemann, our bash brought out the downtown, uptown, and, yes, even Brooklyn set to The Double Seven. With plentiful, plentiful, plentiful cocktails from Belvedere, including one mean "Strawberry Pepper Fix" (Belve, lemon juice, strawberries, and and black pepper), it's no wonder the dance floor got more mild than wild in the best possible way — ahem, Piera. And with DJs Chelsea Leyland, Nelleke, and a special set by Solange Knowles, the tunage wouldn't let you stay in your seats. When "How Will I Know" by Whitney Houston came on, well, we knew Friday wouldn't be Funday.
Photographed by Neil Rasmus/BFAnyc.com
Photographed by Neil Rasmus/BFAnyc.com
Layering, At Another Level: Rag And Bone Expertly Piles It On
There is no question that Rag and Bone both knows its audience and can combine its traditional tailored aesthetic with an ever-increasing creative edge, but this season was less about pushing the envelope and all about doing more of what they're good at.
Designers David Neville and Marcus Wainwright gave a nod back to their native England with the woven floral fabric, updating it with leather and fur accents. The designers even used the fabric in their accessories — which were show standouts — including a gusseted, square-toed bootie and a large handbag that we would have loved to run away with.
Our takeaway — as always — was about the layering: lace under leather topped with a belted wool blanket, coats over jackets in swirling dark textures, pants under dresses under shawls under blazers...it was a mastery of layering we're going to be studying all winter.
Photo: Maria Valentino/MCV Photo
Photo: Maria Valentino/MCV Photo
Backstage At Jason Wu's Chinese-Inspired (Yup, Emperor Hats Included) Show
Ominous music, long, swinging, aggressively blunt-cut ponytails bound with bondage tape, the most obvious Chinese influence yet, and a real nod to luxury defined Jason Wu's fall '12 production. And make no mistake, this show was a real production.
The designer is clearly ready to announce to the world that he's made it, and is ready to mix up his cinched-waist-teadress look he's most known for. Everything about this show, from the mink, lace and brocade accents to the sky-high stilettos and don't-mess-with me makeup, made Wu's point quite clear: He's ready to be known as a designer beyond the maker of Michelle Obama's inaugural gown, though we're not too sure Archean emperor hats and Mao-era jackets were the subtlest of inspirations.
Want more than just our word for it? Take a trip through to show with us (a better look at that bondage tape hair-do is worth it) after the jump.
Photographed by Nina Westervelt/MCV Photo
Is Creatures Of The Wind The American Version Of Avant-Garde?
When we compare American fashion designers with the rest of the world, the notable differences are usually the same: It's more wearable, it's more colorful, and — unfortunately — it's never avant-garde. Not so with Creatures of the Wind, the nascent Chicago-based label whose previous collections really raised the bar for unforgettable silhouettes, pattern play, and unconventional layering. For fall '12, their collection is reminiscent of Comme des Garçons, Henry Holland, and Henrik Vibskov, but dialed down on the crazy, meaning you'd actually end up wearing the looks rather than just tacking a print-out of it up on your inspiration board. Metallic PVC prairie skirts and layered, striped blazers definitely aren't for those who like to play it safe, but they've got real women in mind (thank you!).
Photo: MCV Photo
Photo: MCV Photo
Photo of the Day: What Made The Male Models Turn Into The Paps?
Hey boys, what's the hold up? Why the fuss? Five coiffed and captivated fellas backstage at Richard Chai couldn't be pulled away from, uh, whatever it was on the other side of that camera. If it were us, we would say maybe David Beckham or some kind of an adorable pet...but we're not sure if any of those apply. Help us out: what the heck turned these models into paparazzi? Enlighten us in the comments section.
Photographed by Tracy Wang
Street Style Of The Day: Peony Lim's Decadent Pantsuit
Maybe it's because we're rounding the corner to Valentine's Day, or because we've been eating too many granola bars these past few days, but Peony Lim's perfect-fit pantsuit is a chocolate-y dream. Growling stomachs aside, we're huge fans of Peony's ability to rock this menswear-inspired look and still soften up the edge via velvet, fringe, and a few cascading curls.
Photographed by Mark Iantosca
Gretchen Jones Packs A Southwest Sunset Into Her Stunning Fall '12 Collection
Everything in the Gretchen Jones collection feels representative of the designer's background. As a one-time Project Runway contender (and winner!), Jones must find real relief in the fact that she no longer has to worry about pleasing a panel judges. She's truly let her personal aesthetic shine.
Her Southwestern inspiration is immediately apparent in plenty of prints to pine after — ikat, chevron, and even camo make an appearance for fall '12 — and in a big, big way. Not only do these statement pieces stand out on their own, the designer also mixed them in unexpected ways, making for looks that, undoubtedly, have had a lot goin' on, but were not overwhelming on the eyes.
Keeping with the theme, Jones also utilized dusty and sandy colors in a palette of pink, taupe, rust, and mossy green. The collection pulls together tightly, down to the smallest details, a.k.a. a crackled robin's-egg blue mani that's begging for our own DIY recreation. The icing on the cake? Lots and lots of chunky turquoise jewelry. Want. Now.
Check out the rest of the snaps and collection in the slides.
Keeping with the theme, Jones also utilized dusty and sandy colors in a palette of pink, taupe, rust, and mossy green. The collection pulls together tightly, down to the smallest details, a.k.a. a crackled robin's-egg blue mani that's begging for our own DIY recreation. The icing on the cake? Lots and lots of chunky turquoise jewelry. Want. Now.
Check out the rest of the snaps and collection in the slides.
Why Should We Have All The Fun? Catch NYFW Streaming Live
We can't exactly phone it in this Fashion Week. There are early morning, late nights, quick makeup fixes, and a few sore feet from clacking around in heels. Want to join in without worrying about what to wear? Here's how! All you need is a little WiFi to watch the Fashion Week action and amazing designer debuts as they happen. Count on us to fill you in on the details — who sat front row, where the after party was, and which nail art design you'll want to DIY next — and recline while you tune in. Check the sched below for the best of NYFW streaming live to your bandwidth.
Photo Of The Day: Walk This Way
To say Rachel Comey boots are made for walking would be, well, too obvious. These are made for everything. Exhibit A: this big-boot-meets-little-bootie do-si-do at the fall '12 presentation yesterday. Clean, simple, neutral, and to the point: here's to more season of Comey classic shoeware that we'll wear, anywhere, with pleasure.
Photographed by Maia Harms
Rachel Comey Gets Serious With The '60s, Plus A Little Nod To Logan's Run
Rachel Comey devotees don't just love the designer's modern, cheerful, sometimes off-kilter wares, they LOVE them. And while there was less of the classic Comey we normally see on the runway, what emerged at yesterday's fall '12 show was just as compelling, if not a touch risky.
Dramatic proportions and pared-down shapes played up slicker, almost futuristic materials, like laser-cut cotton, a textured black PVC-like fabric, and glossy white leather (very Logan's Run), while pops of wonderful persimmon and signature Rachel Comey florals softened up the tougher feeling of it all. It was definitely a departure for one of our favorite designers, but there were still plenty of '60s-inspired top-coats, cigarette pants, and sculpted platforms that gave us an affirming glimpse of what we'll be pining for next fall.
Maria Valentino/MCV Photo
Dramatic proportions and pared-down shapes played up slicker, almost futuristic materials, like laser-cut cotton, a textured black PVC-like fabric, and glossy white leather (very Logan's Run), while pops of wonderful persimmon and signature Rachel Comey florals softened up the tougher feeling of it all. It was definitely a departure for one of our favorite designers, but there were still plenty of '60s-inspired top-coats, cigarette pants, and sculpted platforms that gave us an affirming glimpse of what we'll be pining for next fall.
Maria Valentino/MCV Photo
Our Fashion Week Begins Backstage At Rachel Comey!
We love that the first real must-see show of every NYFW belongs to none other than one of our all-time killer crushes, Ms. Rachel Comey. Whether she's showing off her gotta-have dresses, tops, and kicks on a rooftop or, as with today's show, at Pier 59, she sort of sets the tone for the rest of the week, for us.
Well, you can imagine our bliss when her totally talented team invited us backstage for all the primping and pushing that happened before the public launch of her latest line. Between spotting crazy '60s platform boots and stealing tips on brilliantly smudged mascara, we got up close and personal with the delicious gray and black frocks we'll be hunting down when they hit stores next season. We'd show you our faves, but, honestly, we don't want you coming in between us and our picks in some boutique in a few months. It could get ugly.
Photographed by Maia Harms
Well, you can imagine our bliss when her totally talented team invited us backstage for all the primping and pushing that happened before the public launch of her latest line. Between spotting crazy '60s platform boots and stealing tips on brilliantly smudged mascara, we got up close and personal with the delicious gray and black frocks we'll be hunting down when they hit stores next season. We'd show you our faves, but, honestly, we don't want you coming in between us and our picks in some boutique in a few months. It could get ugly.
Photographed by Maia Harms
Dree Hemingway Or Rose Byrne: Which Sandro Sister Is More Chic?
When we stopped by the official opening of Sandro's first U.S. boutique last night, we were on the hunt for the fabbest femme in sight. Of course, the two best candidates were the ladies who showed up in head-to-toe Sandro, runway beauty Dree Hemingway and big-screen style star Rose Byrne. We stared, we studied, and still we couldn't decide which lady had a fashionable edge over the other (lost sleep over it, matter of fact). So when we rubbed the Le Baron afterparty out of our eyes, we decided to put it up to you, dear readers. The one thing we did know for certain is that while Zoe Kravitz and Gossip Girl boy toy Penn Badgley make an adorbs couple, they could certainly use more sleep. Freshen up, kids – Fashion Week is just starting. Now vote for your fave.
Photos: Courtesy of BPCM/Billy Farrell/Billy Farrell Agency.
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