Even more to get excited about.  See below for the entire women’s apparel, women’s accessories, men’s apparel & men’s accessories and start scouting your favs now as these won’t last long. 

Designer website: www.marni.com
Company website: www.hm.com

What we’ve said:  Full Collection Photos
What we’ve said:  INLove

Corey Lynn Calter’s pastel bonanza was the perfect jolt on a Wednesday morning. In a presentation into coral, evergreen, and orchid stories, Calter sent her looks out onto a neon colored set which only helped the visual stimulation.

The clothes themselves were a fine mix between the sophisticated silhouettes of Milly and the bold, bright colors of BCBG. Calter’s collection really ran the gamut of looks for all situations. Sequins played an important role on Calter’s dresses which really only work for clubbing. However, she also showed matte dresses which were anything but conservative such as the multi-colored striped shirt dress. Calter’s separates were fun and could be worn in a multitude of setting. The evergreen cropped trouser and shrunked blazer, styled with a dark turquoise blouse and matching pocket square, was a definite stand out.

Calter’s clothes are wonderfully feminine and beautifully crafted. No wonder she’s a favorite among the celebrity crowd.

- Craig Held (@HauteCraigture)

Designer website:  www.CoreyLynnCalter.com

This show ran more than 30 minutes late.  We left.

-Scott French

Designer website: www.saintwobil.com

Designer Negarin Sadr’s collection under her label “Negarin” was pieced together in intricate patterns that resembled a cross between traditional hand crafted quilts on the homespun side & the precision faceted faces of intricate cut precious stones on the more scientific. The results were charmingly novel & made this collection a noteworthy addition to the New York Fashion Week calendar.  The color palette ran the gamut from Blacks & Grays on the muted neutral end to Purple, Hot Pink, Green & Pumpkin on the brighter end.  Given the nature of the piecework, however, the diverse color palette never once proved distracting or read as unfocused.  There were also interesting laser cut leather belts that were shown over simply shift dresses that seriously were some of the better styling options seen throughout the entire week.  Nice job!

-Scott French

Designer website: www.negarinlondon.com

Eclectic, quirky & timeless, the Marni collection at H&M is a modular wardrobe for women and men, complete with accessories. It is composed of elegant items selected by Marni’s creative director and founder, Consuelo Castiglioni, from her extensive repertoire to create a playful range of style possibilities. A sense of sophisticated eclecticism is mixed with a sporty allure; the accent is on the streamlined purity of design and the intensity of surfaces. The result is high on prints and spring energy, with the unmistakable Marni signatures evident in the juxtaposition of shapes, patterns and materials.

-H&M press release

Designer website: www.marni.com
Company website: www.hm.com

What we’ve said:  INLove

For Son Jung Wan, Fall 2012 will be a rustic one. Rustically chic that is. Set at the Studio at Lincoln Centre, a remixed Lana Del Rey pumped through the speakers as the first looks came out. The palette was a mix of beige, gray and orange. The collection was filled with thick chunky cable knits, fur capped sleeves, and somewhat comical yet no doubt luxurious fur knit shoes. The clothes seemed substantial and had a rough-hewn texture. The collection skewed younger at points, with a plethora of zipped accents and what with the loud beats, the vibe reminded me at times of a very chic log cabin party.  Standouts included pumpkin orange trousers, which achieved that insouciant slouch that can be so hard to strike. The evening wear, however, seemed a bit inconsistent with the overall look of the collection, as Wan opted for an array of jewel-toned, one shoulder dresses featuring accordion pleats. Perhaps those are best to be saved for the city, and not when you’re wearing your fur-covered boots.

-Raveena Parmar

Designer website: www.sonjungwan.co.kr

What we’ve said: Spring 2012
What we’ve said: Fall 2011

Designer website: zspoke.us

If it weren’t for the casting director & DJ used by Mr. Burrows for his Fall 2012 collection showing, there’d be nothing but positives to share.  The venue was wonderful, the staging was unique & memorable & the clothing was wearable in a modern & relevant way.  This collection has all the legs to be considered a high point of the week. So sad that the casting was so poorly done that the models literally seemed to be members of a much “older profession” than modeling, as their actions completely distracted from the clothes they were charged with selling.  They were too busy selling the wrong commodity.  One of the models crossed the line even further when she actually got into a bit of a tit for tat with the photographers in the pit that were calling out requests for her to do her job (which in this case, the request was to simply pose in the MIDDLE of the set & stop wandering around aimlessly).  She shouted back a snarky comment & left the set…  what???  Then came the music.  The audience was forced to sit & view Mr. Burrows’ collection (which I repeat, was a very nice one) while being berated by rappers yelling the proverbial “N-word” over 50 times… add in a few “Ho’s” (not a Santa reference) & a few “Gay” comments & it’s no wonder several, including this observer, took exception.  All of this is a sad distraction from the real reason we were all there… to see one of American fashion’s trailblazing modern legends show his latest efforts to close out NYFW on a hopeful high-note.

Enough said… let’s move on.

The palette was a narrow one, encompassing a scant 5 or so colors – Black, Red, Gray, Cream & Brown – but this is not to categorize the collection in any way as undeveloped or remotely monosyllabic.  Working in mostly knits, a Burrows trademark, the pieces were draped & patterned into graphic statements that revolved around a zig-zag or lightning bolt motif that at times evoked a high-fashion Charlie Brown & at other times seemed more super hero in genesis.  Either way, it didn’t matter, the result was great.  This collection also marked the introduction of Mr. Burrows’ collaboration with Raven Denim & resulted in a few new takes on denim that actually show the way a designer collaboration with a “label” should work.  These pieces showed the benefit of a having a name designer complement a company’s offerings.  When sized up a bit for the real world, these pieces look like they may prove a fruitful addition to the Burrows stable.  Overall, Stephen Burrows showed us he still has what it takes to be relevant in the fashion world of today.  Sadly, the same results would have been realized had he shown over a Beethoven symphony or even a William Hung American Idol outtake.  A designer of his talent & ilk needn’t rely on anything more than his own talent to be considered modern.  In the end, the antics of his models & DJ proved only sad distractions.

-Scott French

Designer website: www.stephenburrows.com

What we’ve said:  Spring 2012

Carlos Miele set out to bring the free lifestyle & natural elegance of the country women from the Southern Brazilian region of Rio Grande do Sul to the cosmopolitan audience to which he sells. While some of the piece looked more costume than not, others aptly achieved his goal.  Take the hats away, remove some of the overly numerous ponchos & what lay beneath was where the season’s sales will ultimately be realized.

Taupe, Brown, Ecru, Black, Cinnamon, Oatmeal, & Tangerine made up the palette & was seen in a variety of fabrications ranging from silk charmeuse & taffeta to wool crepe & even leather.  His use of fur this season really stood out, especially the knitted fox throws & ponchos in Oatmeal that truly were show stoppers & would equally at home on the streets of New York as they would on the apres ski lounges of Aspen.

For Fall 2012 Carlos Miele designed a collection that combines the ease of draped & layered pieces for day into light evening that blend the indigenous detailing of Southern Brazil with city sophistication resulting in a collection of pieces for today’s modern woman.

-Scott French

Designer website: CarlosMiele.com.br
Public Relations: In-House

What we’ve said:  Spring 2012
What we’ve said:  Fall 2011
What we’ve said:  Spring 2011
What we’ve said:  Fall 2010
What we’ve said:  Spring 2010

Shown in a 60^th floor penthouse apartment in the newly opened Setai Residences, relative newcomer Mimi Plange outdid herself once again & wowed her small but influential audience with a capsule collection of luxe dressy separates that looked better than some of the collections we’ve seen as of late from some of the MAJOR names in New York.  Those of you who read me regularly, know of my obsession with details & the importance I place upon details when they are found to be evident.  Ms. Plange has the details in the bag with this collection & her obsession with the same was even demonstrated in her runs of show, each of which was full customized with a rather intriguing gold leaf & feather one of a kind “artwork”.  Details…

The details didn’t end there, but rather were applied to every garment shown.  Standouts were the vignette immediately to the left as we entered, which consisted of a micro-capsule within the capsule which was constructed from an assortment of Camel & Cream fabrications ranging from Cashmere Melton’s to delicate gazars which combined just the right mix of draping & fit to create a vignette of truly splendid pieces.

Mimi Plange is still living her creative & professional life under the radar, but judging from the audience she attracted & perhaps equally as important, the quality of her collection, I suspect that her time is simply around the corner.  Beautiful & Bravo!

-Scott French

Designer website: www.MimiPlange.com

What we’ve said: Spring 2012