Cheryl Shops

Hey, remember Fashion Week? It seems like forever ago, so I'm forgoing my usual three-part Fashion Week recap in favor of a new post that pretty much sums up my favorite things that I saw during the week. some are trends, some are little tidbits, some are just pure awesomeness. so here they are.

Stripes of all kind, but especially vertical stripes (shown here at Kaelen) photograph by Mina Kim

The headphones on the models at W118 by Walter Baker  photograph by Mina Kim


Lauren Conrad's body language net to Ryan Lochte at Rebecca Minkoff

Chloe Norgaard, the model with the groovy rainbow hair at Nicole Miller (also seen at Marimekko)

Pretty much everything at Charlotte Ronson, but especially the fresh-looking hair and makeup  photograph by Mina Kim

Underwear as outerwear at Ruffian (and bonus points for Converse All-stars) photograph by Mina Kim

I'm finally coming around to peplums. (This one is from Sun Jung Wan.)

The ballet theme at Christian Siriano, and the fact that I could see the shoes for once



The elegant silver chain detail at the neckline of this dress by Lela Rose

A random Sunday-afternoon surprise appearance by Paris and Nicky Hilton in the tents (yes, I was that close)

 Major color at Chado Ralph Rucci (these are outtakes, but I kind of love them)


The dramatic opening at Carlos Miele
This model who had a Dumb-Donald-from-Fat-Albert situation happening with her hat, yet still managed to smile, at Marimekko

This entire look, but particularly the necklace, at Brandon Sun.

The fact that I had Mina taking photos of so many shows this season. seriously, how amazing is she? (This is Badgley Mischka.) photograph by Mina Kim

Stick a fork in us; we're done! We both made it to one show this morning, skipped everything this afternoon (sorry, Milly and Whitney Eve), and only I managed to stumble back up to Lincoln Center one last time. Tomorrow, I'm wearing flats.

Nanette Lepore

Whether it was the Brazlian Girls performing live or just advance buzz on Nanette Lepore's  spring collection, it seemed everyone wanted to get into her show—including Aida Turturro, Edie Falco, Abigail Breslin, Stanley Tucci, Soledad O'Brien, Carol Kane (!), and Jennifer Westfeldt, all of whom sat front row. I barely got in myself, but thankfully Mina was on the media riser to take these awesome photos. As for the clothes, they were very on trend, with lots of vertical stripes in green, white, and black. Lepore added some texture with groovy crocheted swim cover-ups and slick patent-leather jackets and shorts. A lovely series of blue and coral printed dresses that grew more sheer toward the hem closed the show with a pretty effect. Can't decide which was your favorite look? Lepore had a more pressing vote in her mind—she left Obama-Biden 2012 buttons on everyone's seat. photos by Mina Kim



Juicy Couture
I was excited to be invited to Juicy Couture's presentation; mock the brand all you want, but its clothes (and especially its jewelry) are fun. The brand had fenced off part of Josie Robertson Plaza at Lincoln Center, right in front of the tents, and as I walked in, I was served a glass of pink champagne by a cute bartender. So far, so good. However, the "presentation" turned out to be a video projected on a huge screen; it featured Candice Swanepoel modeling the spring collection to "Crazy For You" by Best Coast (excellent song choice, btw) as directed by Zoe Cassavetes. In other words, there were no actual clothes on actual models, wah-wah, although Juicy was kind enough to send me photos of the collection after the event.  (My favorite look is at left.) And thus my Fashion Week came to somewhat of a lame end, albeit a happy one: I was slightly buzzed, and I had Thai food and MW waiting for me at home.

You might have noticed our Fashion Week schedule was a bit front-loaded. This is usually the case, although this season has had the added factor of my own fatigue threatening to end the party early. Kids, I am no spring chicken anymore. But speaking of spring, Mina & I saw two totally strong shows on Tuesday (see what I did there?), proving that when it comes to Fashion Week, quality wins out over quantity.

Brandon Sun 
With this being only his second ready-to-wear collection, Brandon Sun uses a lot of fur in his designs, which poses a unique problem for spring. His solution: lightweight, airy knitted fur vests and scarves, perfect for layering during transitional weather (or great all summer long if you live in, say, San Francisco). He also worked with leather, creating, among other things, the most delicious peplum skirt I've seen after three seasons straight of peplum proliferation. The palette was mostly shades of gray (but not fifty!), which was rather refreshing after so much color on the runways. I found myself shopping this collection, which is always a promising sign; I can't wait to see Sun in his true element—fur—next season.

Badgley Mischka
Mina is now wary of saying anything about the shows via text message, lest I quote her here, but she did say that Badgley Mischka was gorgeous, and I wholeheartedly agree. As usual, they mixed all three lines—regular, couture, and contemporary—in a show inspired by the 1935 film A Midsummer Night's Dream, resulting in airy, gossamer-like gowns that floated down the runway like fairies. It was totally in line with spring's lighter mood, and it certainly lifted my spirits.

Sunday was the halfway point of Fashion Week, and while the first four days were awesome, there's always a point soon thereafter where I start to lose it. I am a person who relishes her sleep (and her lazy weekends), so after running around all day on about 5 hours of sleep per night, by Monday I was Super Grumpy. I know, you're playing the world's smallest violin for me. I do love every minute of Fashion Week—I joke that I could watch fashion shows all day, every day—but I am human. And so I'd like to apologize to the PR girl I called "unprofessional and elitist" within earshot on Monday afternoon. Well, I still think that, but I shouldn't have said it out loud.

Carlos Miele
My day started out on a bright note—literally and figuratively—at Carlos Miele, whose pre-show was a sleepy affair until Vanessa Williams, Daisy Fuentes, and Paula Abdul (yes, Straight Up Paula Abdul) breezed in and were promptly mobbed by paparazzi. As for the action on the runway, Miele's notes cited a hallucinatory jungle, and that's a fairly accurate way to describe his lively collection. Giraffe, zebra, and leopard prints mixed and mingled, sometimes all in one dress, and Miele achieved the remarkable feat of making the color green look sexy. Then again, Miele makes pretty much everything look sexy, particularly his asymmetrically ruched dresses that create the most flattering effect across the hips and derriere. And Miele knows exactly what to do with that area—he is Brazilian, after all.

Marimekko
Its Brattle Street store in Cambridge was the hotspot for Radcliffe students in the '60s and '70s, but in recent years, the Finnish label Marimekko has been more widely known in this country for its home textiles (which are available in Crate & Barrel, for one). But for spring, fashion is a big focus for the company, with adorable shift dresses in relaxed shapes and bold, colorful prints. Fun clothes aside, this show was notable for two reasons: One, all the models were smiling. Two, it featured three "vintage" supermodels: Carol Alt, Pat Cleveland, and Carmen Dell'Orefice, all of whom were featured in the excellent recent HBO documentary about models, About Face, which I would highly recommend watching if you haven't already. The smiles and the models were a bit on the gimmicky side, but both made me smile, and, like I said earlier, by the fifth day of Fashion Week, a little happiness goes a long way.



Reem Acra

Continuing on the sexy streak she started last season (complete with a similar glossy black runway on which guests were not allowed to tread), Reem Acra showed a sleek collection of mostly midnight blue, white, red, and gold inspired by artist Aaron Young's motorcycle-inspired works. There were no biker jackets or otherwise obvious references; instead, Acra showed dangerously sexy sleek sheaths with sheer side cutouts, perforated leather day dresses, and lots of fluid pants and jumpsuits. But with all of Reem Acra shows, the gowns that closed the show were the main attraction, utilizing sheer fabrics, some as cutouts, some whipped into frothy ball gowns and embroidered with metallic thread or beads. They glittered, and any star would be smart to snap them up for the red carpet.

Libertine
I managed to miss or intentionally skip five shows in the afternoon, so I figured I'd end the day by stopping by the Libertine show at Pier 57, as it tends to be a fun one. (Note to self: Anything at Pier 57, at 11th Avenue and 15th Street, does not involve "stopping by" due to the considerable three-block crosstown walk from the subway.) And while I got there 25 minutes before the scheduled end date, I managed to see only the last two looks. So, here's one of 'em. Looks like I missed a pretty good party.

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.