Gareth Pugh x Melissa

A little while back, those of us who wanted to get a hold of a pair of Gareth Pugh shoes without handing over a month's rent had to make our own (which I did).  It's hardly the cheapest alternative or the easiest undertaking, so I was very happy to hear of Pugh's new collaboration with Melissa Shoes. I'm a longtime wearer of the comfortable, inexpensive, recycled plastic shoes, and the company always manage to nab the most forward thinking designers to work with, including Vivienne Westwood and Alexandre Herchcovitch.  The Gareth Pugh capsule collection includes two styles: a two-tone gladiator flat, and a open-toed flat printed with a radiating set of stars.  The gladiators might not be the most practical purchase during the winter months, but I own another pair of Melissa flats and can testify that they are a year-round must have.  The collection is available at Seven, my favorite New York store, which I can thankfully still enjoy from abroad via their webshop.  Now we can all breath a sigh of relief that we will no longer have to go through the trouble of having to make our own pair of Pughs.

-Tiffany

More and Faster.

London based knitwear designer Mark Fast presented for the first time in New York, showing his  diffusion line, Faster by Mark Fast, as well as his collaboration with ALDO Rise. While the collection displayed Fast's signature skintight, formfitting, and super-revealing clothes, in eye-popping bright colors, the diffusion line obviously lacked a lot of the intricate details.  Instead, the Faster line simulates the sexy stretched out knits that made Fast famous with fishnet dresses and cutout bodystockings and bodysuits. The result are clothes that are only flattering on the absolute fittest of bodies, and even the skinniest model would probably think twice before having a meal in one of those outfits, as the slightest bit of a bump or bulge shows.  Also, you can just forget about wearing any sort of underwear with these clothes, so you have to have superstar confidence to wear these clothes (or a supreme desire to piss off your parents).

With this in mind, the real draw of the show for me was the ALDO Rise collaboration. ALDO has really stepped up their collaboration game, reaching out to young designers across the globe.  The knee-high stocking boots and the two toned heels both had some serious WOW-factor, and you don't even need to have toned calves to wear them.  I just hope that the prices have a similarly WOW inducing effect when the collaboration arrives in stores in spring!

-Tiffany

The Fabric of Our Lives

Ay Not Dead

A few months back, I attended the launch party for a site called Fabricly, without knowing exactly what it was. I had assumed that it would be your average online fashion boutique, but after a few clicks, a little more research, and an incredible visit to the Fabricly offices to view the pieces in person, I found the purpose of the company to be entirely unique, and especially intriguing from the viewpoint of an independent designer. Fabricly doesn't just sell a selection of clothes from under-the-radar brands. Incredibly, Fabricly looks for design talent that's just starting out, even kids who are fresh out of school, and partners with them to take care of the entire production of a small capsule collection. All the designers need to do is draw their sketches and hand them off to fairy-godmother type Alice Barlow, who then sources the fabrics, and takes care of all the Los Angeles based factory production.

The first collaboration was with one of my favorite brands, Ostwald Helgason, which was a natural start since designer Ingvar Helgason is the brother of one of the Fabricly founders, Ari Helgason. While the incredible collection sadly sold out before I could get my hands on it, there are plenty of other great designers on the site, including Caycee Black, Otis & Maclain, Ay Not Dead, and Mono Lake, and almost everything is under $200. If you aren't familiar with some of those names, it's because a few are launching their first collections on Fabricly. I only wish that the team worked with jewelry and accessories designers too as it would be a wonderful resource to have. Unfortunately they're only sticking to clothes right now, but if you're an aspiring designer, you shouldn't think twice about sending your sketches and ideas over--Alice is always on the lookout for new talent!


OH! by Ostwald Helgason

Otis & Maclain

Eve Gravel

Mono Lake

Ay Not Dead

OH! by Ostwald Helgason

-Tiffany

Teenage Dreams at Chloe x OC

Celebrity clothing lines are naturally greeted with a fair amount of skepticism. The duds far outweigh the success stories, and only the Olson twins have gained true credibility as designers within the fashion industry. When the Chloe Sevigny x Opening Ceremony collection launched a few seasons ago, I didn't really know what to expect. Chloe is well known for her amazing personal style, but great stylists don't necessarily make great designers. However, Chloe chose wisely to partner up with downtown design aficionados, Opening Ceremony, and knowing some of the ladies on the design team, I can attest that they do know what they're doing. Combining Chloe's 90's-infused, high-low, skate board + Chanel-bag style, with O.C.'s taste for quirky silhouettes, cuts, and unusual details, felt like a natural match. Obviously natural enough to keep the collaboration going, and to even show a Resort 2012 Runway show yesterday evening.

The setting? A sweaty high school gym in Nolita packed with plenty of familiar downtown faces, including many of Chloe's famous friends and fans. While there was chatter concerning the lack of air-conditioning and the summer heat, it actually wasn't too stifling, and the warm air gave a dewy sheen to all the models, most of whom looked like they had been plucked straight from the school yard. Afterall, the inspiration was "teen dreams," and most of the collection seemed to represent the turning point where the good girl turns bad. There were lace eyelet dresses in both white cotton voile and laser cut black leather, alternating between infanta and seductress with alarming ease. There was a pair of black bloomers that looked like the ones I wore under my school uniform, except that these ones were made out of leather. And there were also plenty of casual jersey dresses, tees, and sweatshirts, made in collaboration with Vision Street Wear. A teen dream come true, for sure.

-Tiffany

Secrets Secrets Are So Fun

Nasir Mazhar for Topshop Jeweled Headdress with Multicolored Pompoms

I've always appreciated how Topshop has gone out of their way to support designers who might not yet be known to the general public, even ones who only recently graduated from college, and use their clout to introduce them to a wider audience. While the UK based flagship store is well known for both collaborating and stocking emerging designers, only some of those collaborations have made it over to New York. Lucky for us New Yorkers, that's about to change, and starting this Thursday, they will be launching a "Secret Store" at both their New York and London locations.

What secrets do we have in store? Special treats from regular partners Meadham Kirchhoff, Emma Cook, and Ann-Sofie Back will sit alongside accessories from milliner Nasir Mazhar and jewelry designer Maria Francesca Pepe. We also can look forward to new partnerships with Michael Van Der Ham, and pieces from local favorite Tom Scott. I would love to get my hands on one of the Nasir Mazhar bejeweled headdresses which were originally designed for the Meadham Kirchhoff Spring show, but unfortunately they're about $600. However, his geometric brass hair combs are around $80, and might be a more affordable option. I look forward to seeing all of the pieces in person--look for the "secret" entrance market by the eclectic flower arrangements...


Nasir Mazhar for Topshop Headdress


Nasir Mazhar for Topshop comb


Nasir Mazhar for Topshop comb


Maria Francesca Pepe for Topshop Love necklace


Meadham Kirchhoff for Topshop Bangles in a heart shaped box


Steven Morris for Topshop scarf

-Tiffany

Designed By:

PJ by Peter Jensen

I think that we all are experiencing a bit of designer collaboration fatigue by now. The thrill and excitement of new partnerships has worn off, as new ones arrive every week, and usually follow a pattern of uber-hype, over-exposure, and then disappointed expectations. Urban Outfitters however has adopted a more sustainable approach, choosing to build continuing relationships with a diverse group of talented designers, collaborating with them each season to produce a few special pieces. Rather than going for sensational names, they've chosen to work with equally hot emerging designers and cult labels for their Designed By series, exposing them to a wider audience than they normally would receive. The project is committed to supporting new ideas in design, rather than simple fast fashion, and the current roster of collaborators includes industry favorites like Peter Jensen, Chris Habana, No. 6, VEDA, Rachel Comey, Sunshine & Shadow, Steven Alan, Pendleton, and many more. Here are a few of my favorites, which have started hitting stores already, and will be trickling in throughout the rest of spring!

Pendleton for Urban Outfitters

MY ENEMY by Chris Habana

KNT by Kova & T

Contributor by Rachel Comey

Lazerade by VEDA

Fletcher by Lyell

-Tiffany

MM6 x OC

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the presentation for the new collaboration between Maison Martin Margiela MM6 and Opening Ceremony. The meeting of two of my all-time-favorite brands was bound to be exciting, and the collection, which was based on the melding of playful and functional element, offers up many garments that are transformable and can be worn up to three different ways. You can view the photos I took of the presentation on Filep Motwary's excellent blog, Un Nouveau Ideal, but here are some additional images from the lookbook, demonstrating the versatility of several of their garments. As you can see, they alternatively have detachable sleeves, linings, and boot attachments, giving the original twenty styles the ability to become an infinite number of silhouettes.

-Tiffany