Cheryl Shops

Custo Barcelona at Stage, Lincoln Center [09.08.13]

Love the back of this swimsuit.

Designer Custo Dalmau

Catching up on a few shows from Sunday afternoon that didn't make it into an earlier post...

Custo Barcelona
 
There comes a point in every Fashion Week where one starts to lose it and, unfortunately for Mina, it happened during Custo Barcelona (mine came a few hours later, but more on that in a bit). Lovely Mina was once again crammed onto the photo riser with a bunch of sweaty, cranky photographers, in a situation one could easily describe as beauty and the beast, which—check out this transition!—was also the theme of Custo Barcelona's fall 2013 collection. There were some cute sweatshirt tops and embellished miniskirts that represented the former, but as the show went own, more and more tended to the latter. Here's what my notes read: "Sir Galahad. Old couch. Cosby sweater. Court jester." You get the point. I realize I'm probably not Custo Barcelona's typical customer, but when it comes to my own wardrobe, I certainly prefer beauty over beast.



Joanna Mastroianni
On a similar note, I attend many fashion shows for designers whose clothes I will likely never wear. This is kind of the point of Fashion Week, I suppose—to go out and see new things and expand one's horizons. I don't know whether my horizons were expanded at Joanna Mastroianni, except maybe for the fact that I learned that there are people who actually wear this stuff. Mastroianni—I'm going to call her JM for now, because that's a humdinger of a last name—is an eveningwear designer of the too-much-detail-is-never-enough vein: Think sequins, textured leather, goat hair, soutache, beading...sometimes all in one outfit! It's a lot of look, but the client-filled audience loved it—JM's final bow received one of the most enthusiastic responses I've seen thus far. As my mom says, there's a peg for every hole.


Vivienne Tam
 It's been awhile since I've covered a Vivienne Tam show, and Mina was very excited to shoot it, however considering the run-in I had with a certain power-tripping usher at this show (I speculated about the size of his manhood on Twitter, in case you missed it), I should be thankful I wasn't kicked out of the venue. (Remember what I said about losing it sometime Sunday afternoon? This was my breaking point.) I'm glad I stayed, because Tam presented a rather thought-provoking fall collection, one that I'm still processing. Known for her strong Asian-inspired designs, Tam turned to punk and pop art, but rendered in black, white, and red (a popular color palette this season), it had a severe look that, at times, seemed to be channeling, or at least commenting on, government propaganda in the face of revolution. Tam decorated dresses with a "Wan Sui" graffiti motif inspired by Chairman Mao's writings; when a black military coat with an arm patch came down the runway, audience members audibly gasped. Perhaps even more thought-provoking were her "pop culture Obama" prints that featured, yes, the President of the United States. Amidst the political commentary, however, were quiet bits of beauty: silk dresses with intricate back cutout details, kilt-like leather skirts, lovely minimal dresses with flattering A-line skirts, and a pretty badass-looking jumpsuit. Sadly, I'm not sure the attendees even registered any of it—in contrast to our previous show, this was the most quiet audience yet.

Lela Rose
Few things get me out of bed before noon on Sundays, but a Lela Rose show is one of them—and apparently also for Mariska Hargitay, Lauren Conrad, and Mandy Moore, who were all sitting in the front row. For spring, Rose explored the duality of lightness and mass, and fragility and permanence, inspired by American artist Jim Hodges. These qualities came across most strongly in a series of metallic lace and chiffon gowns and stunning guipure lace dresses adorned with mirrors, the lighter fabrics reflecting and springing forth from the heavier, more obscuring ones. Everything was pretty, but thoughtfully and interestingly so. There are plenty of designers who create unabashedly feminine looks, but Rose elevates them to another level altogether.



Kara Laricks
For those of you who didn't watch Fashion Star on NBC, Kara Laricks was the winner, and with a skill for tailoring and an androgynous yet approachable aesthetic, it was clear from pretty much the second or third episode that she'd take the prize. For her first fashion week presentation, she reinforced her signature elements—neckties, wide trousers, asymmetrical piecework—in a clean, well-tailored, focused collection in mostly neutrals with occasional pops of orange, which is emerging as spring's hottest color. It was familiar territory, but it will be interesting to see how she'll move her vision forward in seasons to come.

Custo Barcelona
It had been several seasons since I'd last stomached a Custo Barcelona show, and since time heals all wounds, I somehow decided I was up for another one. Apparently so had everyone else. When I got to the tents, the check-in line stretched out the door; I had a barcode but no seat number. At some point, the publicists gave up and started admitting anyone with any kind of confirmation, so I clambered in, grabbed whatever seat I could find, and wished I had a shot of vodka to steady my nerves. The first few looks were an assault on the senses: fringe, patchwork, mesh, sequins, appliques—no amount of embellishment was too much, and the colors were Euro-rave-bright shades of pink and orange. However, about halfway through, either the clothes or I—or maybe both of us—started to mellow out. All of a sudden, there were some solid pieces in the mix, including some nice-looking leather leggings, and even the sheer half skirts started to grow on me. I started to feel like that old person at the party who loosens up after a drink or two. And I was okay with that.




Timo Weiland
Full disclosure: I am not cool. I do not get invited to the cool shows (like anything at Milk Studios, for instance). So i was pleasantly surprised to be invited to Timo Weiland, a somewhat new downtown-darling line (it's part of the CFDA's Fashion Incubator program) designed by two nerdy-cute dudes. At first, I was a bit thrown off by the styling—high ponytails, doorknocker earrings—and the old-school hip-hop soundtrack, neither of which seemed to totally complement the menswear-inspired mixed patterns and graphic silk prints of the collection. But I was completely won over by the sparkly Swarovski-crystal-encrusted looks at the end. I might not speak downtown cool, but I do at least speak sparkle.


Chado Ralph Rucci

Nearly every time I go to a Chado Ralph Rucci show, I end up kicking someone out of my seat, and with good explanation—it's a hot ticket. No other designer in America creates fashion on Rucci's level. Generally immune to trends, his spring collection was an explosion of rare color: shocking pink, lemon yellow, grass green, and plenty of white and black as always. Rucci kept his shapes on the simpler side, the better to let the vivid colors spotlight the shape and form of his designs. He did, however, slash his was through the collection, using crescent-shaped insets to open up  his shapes and let them take a breath of fresh spring air. But lest we think Rucci went minimalist on us, he finished with an "ooh"- and "ahh"- inspiring series of evening gowns, some with hand-painted silks, others with exaggerated taffeta sleeves, and still more with an aura of feathers. He got a standing ovation, and deservedly so. If only more designers inspired such a reaction from their audiences.

Where & When: Sunday, September 13th at 8 p.m., the Tent, Bryant Park
Runway Recap: After being shut out of a couple shows on this day, it was a wonderous occasion being let past the mobs and into the Tent for Custo Barcelona. Though at first I was standing in the back row, I managed to fenegal my way into a seat in the fourth row! The Spring 2010 collection was a mosaic of textures and vibrant colors, flowing capes and long fringe, patterns, and playful motifs. I have to say, if I were a man I'm not sure I would be daring enough to wear those loud patterned blazers, but in the context of a fashion show they looked stunning. Many of the ladies' outfits were sleeveless with elaborate chokers attached to the bodice. I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking.
Standout Look: A bowl-cut model sporting a one-shoulder dress that was an unlikely concoction of elements that somehow works together (sort of like Tom Cruise's face). It's possible I was merely in love with the model. There was another great look straight out of Nerd Central with manpris that I've posted a photo of here...pass the slide ruler please.
Bonus Points: I received a ginormous waterproof souvenir tote bag which I plan on using to haul groceries around the city.
Where to Buy: You can purchase Custo Barcelona here.
Postscript: I just realized that I leered at Brandon Davis (oil heir, a la Lindsay Lohan) at the show because I thought he looked like a d-bag. In general, not much of a celebrity presence at this show.