Simon Spurr: Handsome as F*ck” y 11 mas

Simon Spurr: Handsome as F*ck
The Models Looked Miserable At Rebecca Minkoff, But the Bags Were Cute
Sneak Peek: Lanvin, Alex Wang, Givenchy, Proenza, and Balmain T-Shirts Honoring Style.com
Wes Gordon’s Uptown Girls
Love is Blind. We are Not. Beauty Queen of Mean.
Tom Ford Show Photos Have Leaked
Marc Jacobs: Swinging ’70s Satin
Timo Weiland Just Keeps Getting Better
Tailor Made at Preen
Derek Lam: Art and Luxury
William Tempest’s Siren Song Works Its Spell
Porter Grey’s Pretty Pop

Posted: 14 Sep 2010 07:00 AM PDT

I have three words to say about Simon Spurr's 2011 Spring/Summer collection: So F*cking Handsome.

But here are some more words, just in case: Spurr has found that enviable place between high-end British cutting and a cool American feel. The cuts of his jackets, jeans and shirts are razor sharp, and tight like a vice, but there's nothing restricting about them. And nothing too austere.

There are leather gloves here and leather bombers, to remind us men that we're men. The striped and plaid suits that are damn near playful, while maintaining confidence (Spurr has gone with three-pieces for many of his looks, to my great delight) and some pink trousers to go with the dapper, leather travel bags his boys took with them down the runway.

The absolute highlight was the black jacket—all at once mysterious, dapper, refined and chic.

And of course there's Spurr's signature jeans, which remain up there with APC and Acne for the only denim that any man should pay more than $100 for.

The collection was challenging without losing any grip on Spurr's anchor. It was dependable, and yet exciting; straightforward, but original. Like a truly handsome man should be.

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The Models Looked Miserable At Rebecca Minkoff, But the Bags Were Cute

Posted: 14 Sep 2010 06:30 AM PDT

Rebecca Minkoff presented her Spring/Summer ’11 presentation yesterday afternoon at The Box at Lincoln Center. Maybe there was something bad in the food backstage (or there wasn’t any) or the lights had gotten hotter since Timo’s presentation a few hours earlier. For whatever reason, Minkoff’s models we’re dropping like flies half way through the hour-long presentation. Every few minutes, a model would step down from the platform and go backstage and sometimes be replaced by another model. They were all sweating and looked absolutely exhausted and miserable. A woman spent the entire presentation handing thirsty-looking girls cups of Fiji water.

The most miserable-looking of all? Style blogger-of-the-moment Rumi Neely, who looked like she would have rather been blogging about the show than modeling in it. However, she happened to be wearing my favorite outfit: a long, flowy nude dress with a black waistband and these amazing black shoes that were like a clog-ankle boot combo. The clothes, wearable and ’70s-inspired, were pretty, but the bags and shoes were definitely the most covetable. Click through for our faves.

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Sneak Peek: Lanvin, Alex Wang, Givenchy, Proenza, and Balmain T-Shirts Honoring Style.com

Posted: 14 Sep 2010 06:00 AM PDT

Lanvin

Happy birthday, Style.com! The granddaddy of all fashion sites turns 10 this week, and its celebrating with a limited edition run of t-shirts created by ten top designers. We got a sneak peek of the first five tees, made by Lanvin, Alex Wang, Givenchy, Proenza Schouler, and Balmain.

Nicole Phelps, one of our favorite runway show reviewers and executive editor of Style, says that the staff wanted to give the designers “a blank canvas to work with. Plus, people love tees. Ours are a nice, affordable $45 and a portion of the proceeds go to Computers For Youth.” The common denominator? Each designer used the roman numeral X in their work.

We’re partial to Lanvin‘s iteration, mostly because we’re partial to Alber’s sketches. But you know, Proenza‘s isn’t bad either. Nor is Givenchy’s. In reality , they’re all equally fantastic.

Want one of these slouchy stunners for yourself? They’ll be for sale at Style.com's mobile pop-up shop in Madison Square Park on September 15, on the site September 16.

Until then, you can go to Style.com to see the looks modeled by Chloe Sevigny, Anna Dello Russo and Leigh Lezark.

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Wes Gordon’s Uptown Girls

Posted: 14 Sep 2010 05:30 AM PDT

There’s no doubting Wes Gordon, one of our Fashionista 15, likes the ladies. Who lunch. But this year, the designer told me he wanted his look to be a little younger. Lighter. “She’s undoubtedly uptown,” said Gordon before the noon installment of his presentation. “But this season, I wanted her to be a girl, too.”

The baby-faced designer, whose proud parents looked on as the models stepped out into a room at the Empire Hotel, implemented his vision quite nicely. While editors were sure to love his hipper designs, from the grey short suit (a favorite of mine) to the wide-leg romper trimmed in baby pink, the buyers and clients sprinkled across the room must have appreciated the last look, a gold lame gown, as well as a floral skirt matched with a sheer white blouse. Personally, I loved it all. And while I’m not a lady who lunches or an uptown girl, I’d be delighted to run around in one of these gorgeous looks.

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Love is Blind. We are Not. Beauty Queen of Mean.

Posted: 14 Sep 2010 05:00 AM PDT

What pageant winner refused a to take a picture with a little girl at Lincoln Center yesterday? The darling asked nicely, but the queen ignored her request.

Tom Ford Show Photos Have Leaked

Posted: 13 Sep 2010 09:34 PM PDT

We got you a first-hand review of Tom Ford’s super exclusive show, and now photos from that show, photos that we thought weren’t supposed to get out as we heard everyone had to sign a nondisclosure agreement (the same agreement that forced us to pull our audio of the show), have leaked. Here is everyone’s head shot before the show–from Julianne Moore to Beyonce to Daphne Guinness to Lauren Hutton–they’re all present and accounted for.

And now it seems OK to post photos from the show, as Cathy Horyn has posted photos she snapped while at the show on the NYT‘s website. Or maybe it’s just OK if you’re the Grey Lady. But Horyn’s photos do look kinda stalker-y right?

Click through to check out Horyn’s photos of the show and the rest of the headshots.

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Marc Jacobs: Swinging ’70s Satin

Posted: 13 Sep 2010 07:45 PM PDT

Marc Jacobs S 2011, The Cheat Sheet:

1940s by way of the 1970s.
Berry bonanza.
Satin.
Natural, frizzy waves.
Sparkle.
Poufy bows.
Orange.
Missoni.
Fall 2007.

Marc Jacobs S 2011, The Unabridged Version:
For me, there was a strong connection between Marc Jacobs Fall 2007 and Marc Jacobs Spring 2011: While Fall ’07 was about primary colors and the 1930s and ’40s, Spring ’11 was about sunset hues and the 1940s as it was interpreted in the 1970s. It was as if one began where the other left off.

Beyond its vintage-without-looking-dusty appeal, the collection was undoubtedly a partial homage to Missoni. But that’s Marc Jacobs for you–he’s a genius not only because he always puts together an incredibly cohesive collection with the strongest point of view, but because he takes artistic license to interpret the past. He grabs others’ signatures and makes them his own. And it’s so good that no one judges him for it. If another New York designer were to send out Missoni-esque knits, the audience would scoff. But not Marc–he’s only praised.

Would I wear anything in this collection? Probably not–it’s just not my style. Will others? Most definitely. And is it the best I’ve seen this week? For sure. Bring on the Louis Vuitton–I can’t wait for Paris.

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Timo Weiland Just Keeps Getting Better

Posted: 13 Sep 2010 02:30 PM PDT

When I visited Timo Weiland's studio to interview them for How I'm Making It, they told me of their Spring '11 collection, "You know how in the '90s, the '70s came back for a little bit? It's like that." I thought that was one of the most amazing things I've ever heard and the end result, presented yesterday at The Box at Lincoln Center, was ten times better than I could have imagined.

First of all, they didn't entirely play it safe (as many designers have this season). There were bright colors, unusual prints and more quirk than ever, but the shapes were classic and there were a ton of separates that would fit seamlessly into any girl's wardrobe.

We saw berets with pinstriped bell-bottoms, chic button-downs in candy colors, lace with fringe, socks with sandals, color blocking, garden prints, and prints that hinted at camouflage but in a very non-literal way. The standout piece – for both men and women – was this great nautical-inspired rain coat, done in a variety of prints and colors, all in the same classic shape with the perfect length.

Above the models, a short film played (something the designers have done for each of their collections) that featured models dancing on a rooftop in Timo's colorful wears. Towards the end of the presentation, "Alright" by Supergrass (that really good song from Clueless) came on and it fit perfectly with the whole vibe of the presentation, which was fun, bright and optimistic.

Twelve hours later, the fun continued at Ohm, where we co-hosted Timo Weiland's official after party. The Samurai sake was delicious, the crowd was beautiful and Timo and Alan, despite exhaustion, looked amazing in their own designs – Timo in a tomato red jacket and Alan in pinstripes. They had a lot to celebrate and we hope they’re as proud of themselves as we are of them!

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Tailor Made at Preen

Posted: 13 Sep 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi played with tailoring for their Spring/Summer 2010 collection. Sure, they sent down some straightforward ’70s-style menswear-inspired pants suits, but they also took the waistbands of those pants, exaggerated them, and slapped them on dresses and skirts. Mod-ish shift dresses were cut out in the back and a-line skirts had bold pleats on the front.

Preen had fun with texture too, adding volume to skirts with neoprene (neoPreen?), honeycomb pleats to silk tops, and eyelet to blouses and the tops of skirts. What with all the deconstructed tailoring and mix of textures, Thornton and Bregazzi decided to keep it simple and muted when it came to their color palette. Looks were pale grey-blue or putty so as not to compete with all that inventive tailoring.

Click through for more looks from Preen’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection.

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Derek Lam: Art and Luxury

Posted: 13 Sep 2010 01:30 PM PDT

In college, my best friend interned at Derek Lam, where her bosses would let her borrow from the closet for special events.

I hated them for it.

She always looked amazing, and I couldn’t compete. Derek Lam reads luxury even to those so removed from fashion they can’t tell an Alaia from an A-what-a. While he doesn’t scream in blinged out crystals and lames, Lam definitely whispers wealth, in quietly perfect cuts and politely rich fabrics. But the result is the same: clothes that are expensive, and look like it.

On Sunday, as Lam sent yet another collection of luxe looks down the runway, I found myself selfishly relieved that my best friend’s no longer able to pilfer that closet. Seeing my BFF in Lam’s swoon-worthy LBD would honestly just make me jealous. So too would standing next to her in any of the gorgeous trench coats, which like the LBD, were flanked with peplums that added rich volume to an otherwise traditional silhouette.

Missteps did walk down the runway –in fact, they clunked– in the form of Japanese Geta style platforms, whose lack of arch would lengthen any foot’s appearance (perhaps not ideal for those of us who wear over a size 7). But Lam more than atoned for that with another shoe success: simple gladiator sandals in nudes and blacks, which lent a refined flavor to a shoe that has become more Kate Moss at Glastonbury as of late. The same goes for the denim looks that opened the show: this was denim that would look more at home at a ladies’ luncheon than a downtown party. In fact, it even looked luxurious for a luncheon.

Citing his inspiration in a New Yorker article about California minimalist art, Lam clipped hundreds of words from Peter Schjeldahl’s piece for his audience to read. It was too much for this writer to entirely process without an espresso, but a few words glared at me, most notably Schjeldahl’s assertion that “there’s no crime in art looking like a luxury.”

Let’s hope not, for Lam’s sake.

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William Tempest’s Siren Song Works Its Spell

Posted: 13 Sep 2010 01:00 PM PDT

If you don't know William Tempest, you soon will. He's a baby-faced 24-year-old Englishman with an amazing pedigree (stints at Giles Deacon and Jean-Charles de Castelbajac) who already counts Emma Watson, Kate Moss, and Victoria Beckham as fans. After his first collection debuted three seasons ago, he was compared to a young McQueen.

This is his first season showing in New York. I asked him what he found different about showing in New York vs. London and he told me, "The energy's just really different. I was excited to do a presentation here so that I could actually meet editors and buyers in person." He'll also be showing in Milan this season. His clothes are clearly ready for their international close-up.

Tempest's spring collection was inspired by the sirens, mythical half women/half sea creatures who supposedly lured sailors, and caused shipwrecks. The whole theme was pitch perfect, from the sandy and coral colors, right down to the names of the garments. The Oyster Dress (pic at left, with the designer) was causing a sensation when I was there.

Tempest designs sophisticated party and evening wear. His last few collections were more structured and body conscious. Here, corseting was still present, but it was tempered with lots of floaty chiffon and easy draping. The colors were stunning. The requisite nudes were there, with pops of raspberry, coral, and lemon sneaking in. There was a recurring velvet devoré pattern rendered in neutrals and raspberry that looked like writhing, swimming nymphs.

The shoes, a collaboration with Mechanté of London, were also gorgeous. The chunky platform sandals came in a variety of colors from nude to two-toned and complemented the collections perfectly. Coral and gray ones were swoon-worthy.

I'm expecting that many women stateside will long to be one of William Tempest's sirens.

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Porter Grey’s Pretty Pop

Posted: 13 Sep 2010 12:30 PM PDT

Porter Grey's spring 2011 collection is one for a girl's girl. Feminine blouses, skirts, and frock–the muse seemed to be that perfect girl that everyone wants to be best friends with in high school. Presented in the High Line room at The Standard Hotel, guests were greeted by gentlemen divvying out free champagne. Indeed, the preview felt more like a party with friends than a serious fashion gathering, as the models on the platform swayed back and forth to a musical mix of girlish songs like The Tom Tom Club's “Genius of Love” and Prince's “Kiss.”

As for the clothes, there were loads of pleated skirts, both maxi and knee-length, in flowing chiffons and even one in gray leather, which seemed to have the whole crowd a-buzz. Easy and comfortable separates to accompany a handful of standout dresses–most with cutouts in the back–the collection is something you could stock your closet with and not ever have to worry about lacking something to wear. With flat leather sandals and not a single accessory in sight, each look was effortlessly cool and flattering to the figure.

What's more, the nail polish choice–a bright orange hue–really popped against the more neutral looks. It left me dying to know…where can I get that color?