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Nicholas K at Studio, Lincoln Center [09.05.13]
As the sister-brother designer team took their bows, their bow-wow ran around and sniffed up the guests. I'm telling you, bringing animals on the runway has been trending hard in 2013.

Nicholas K
Every time I see a Nicholas K show, I think, I want to be that girl. For fall 2013, that girl is wearing draped sweaters and tops layered underneath parkas or biker jackets with some nubby knits and fuzzy mohair sweaters thrown in for good measure. That girl looks cool, and sometimes even a bit sexy in interestingly draped dresses, some of which had subtly sexy sheer insets. There were some outstanding leather-trim swing coats and paneled leather leggings too, but what I really want to talk about are the pants, a slouchy silhouette somewhere between leggings and sweatpants. Can we please make sweatpants for day happen? I mean, that girl is doing it—why can't I?




BCBG Max Azria

In my jaded old age, I've given up on requesting invites to certain shows, but Mina, who is only on her second season of having a press pass, is much more fearless than I am, and thus she's on the riser at some primo shows this season, many of which I've never even covered before, and some, like BCBG, that I haven't attended in years. Well, BCBG, it's good to be back, especially when it's filled with enticing prints, fantastic furs, and sexy leathers like this.


Kimberly Ovitz
Here's how Kimberly Ovitz's show notes began: "Through observing the human psyche and natural defenses that manifest mentally and physically, Ovitz explored the intricacies of the illusional protection systems seen in animals and insects." And they say fashion people are airheads. The Cliff's Notes version is this: insects. That meant sculptural outerwear, otherworldly liquid metallics, sexy fluid layers with dangerous-looking lace accents peeking out, and abstract prints that hinted at exotic creatures. It was all strong and sexy and mysterious—pass the venom, please.



Timo Weiland
Fashion week is such a three-ring circus, with celebrities and free stuff and photographers and beautiful people, that sometimes you forget why you're there. At Timo Weiland, Mina first texted me to tell me about the gift bags (thong underwear and nail polish!) and then the live band. What about the clothes, I wondered. Oh yeah, those! For fall, Weiland continued exploring menswear-inspired classics in rich-looking windowpane plaids for day and sweet flared-skirt dresses, sometimes with cutouts, sometimes in fancy brocade fabrics, for night—and all definitely worth paying attention to.



Concept Korea

In Korea, you can order groceries from the subway, and, well, there's also this. In addition to being Mina's motherland, Korea is also home to a booming fashion industry, represented at New York Fashion Week by the five designers in Concept Korea's show. There was ChoiBoko, whose black, white, and red appliquéd pieces looked like something your artsy aunt would wear; Cres. e Dim. (periods his), whose harnessed pieces evoked the Matrix while his aggravating music provoked my headache; Son Jung Wan, a NYFW regular whose show we'll be covering on Saturday (and whose polished line was the most appealing to me); Lie Sang Bong, whose placed graphic prints evoked either Spider-Man or Tron (take your pick!); and finally Kye, who has clearly been watching Yo! MTV Raps reruns, as evidenced by the graffiti prints, B-boy caps, and copious amounts of hot-mustard and turquoise hues. Heeeeey, sexy lady!

Nicholas K
Always the first official show of the week, Nicholas K is like a fashion amuse bouche: It awakens my appetite for the new season. Signature Nicholas K themes were in heavy rotation—great-looking jackets, draped tops, slouchy pants—but the color scheme this season seemed desert-inspired, beginning with sandy beige and transitioning to a delicious sunset orange (or rust, as it was called in the program). However, I later discovered, according to the press release, that the designers were inspired by the '70s Charleton Heston movie Soylent Green, which explained the super-groovy retro-futuristic styling and the earthy palette. "Soylent Green is people!"

Kaelen
Due to a meeting that ran over, I sadly didn't quite make it to Kaelen, but Mina did, hence this beautiful photo. Mina's review of the show via text message: "Nice! Less boho than previous years." My take? I like the more minimal, sophisticated direction she's taking, and I spotted at least one gown (the black with the nude cutouts) that would look amazing on my style idol, Gwyneth Paltrow.
Photos by Mina Kim



Chadwick Bell
For spring Chadwick Bell actually did take inspiration from the desert, the Southwest to be specific, yet with a more minimal, austere interpretation via nude, black, and white minimal dresses with sculptured peplums and really interesting sheer insets. These eventually gave way to a more ornate series of guipure lace looks in green, pink, and gold. In spite of these striking contrasts, the collection had a uniting factor in that everything was quite ladylike, with reasonable hems and bra-friendly shapes. This was the first show I ever attended with a piped-in fragrance, and I will say, Scent of Nirvana by 12.29 smelled, you guessed it, like heaven.


Tadashi Shoji
For spring 2013, Tadashi Shoji took a tour of Venice, Kazakhstan, the Gobi Desert, and Xi'an, resulting in a sweetly feminine collection heavy on lace, particularly of the Chantilly variety. Overall, the silhouettes were a bit looser than normal (you can eat dessert!), however there were some sexy banded lace gowns, which could be the thinking woman's bandage dress. More good news for comfort lovers: The shoes were either kitten-heeled or flat. Overall, colors were bright, with blue and jade green dominating, but my favorite looks were a series of watercolor ikat-print gowns hopefully coming to a red carpet near you sometime soon.
Photos by Mina Kim

When & where: Thursday, February 9 at 9 a.m., the Studio, Lincoln Center
Runway recap: Nicholas K is typically the first official show of Fashion Week, and it tends to get me really excited for the season, because while the brand has a steady vocabulary of wearable pieces—layered leather jackets, jersey tops, and slouchy pants tend to show up repeatedly—I like to see how they're interpreted each season. For fall, they took on a distinct Southwestern vibe, which was a fresh take on Nicholas K's typically urban aesthetic. This meant lots of fringe, covetable leather halter vests, tailored jackets, and blanket-like wraps. Designers Nicholas and Christopher Kunz stayed true to their city-slicker roots with a dark, primarily gray and black palette, but the occasional bits of teal and rust hinted at the desert theme. All in all it was a cool, not corny, take on the wild, wild west.  
Bonus points: The accessory styling in this show deserves mad props for both setting the mood and being really, really cool. Think felted cowboy hats, rugged over-the-knee boots, and turtle-shell medallion necklaces from Jewelry by Matt. For the guys, Vintage Shoe Company made exclusive styles for the show. 
Where to buy: Visit nicholask.com for stores.

Why am I putting Nicholas K and Tadashi Shoji together in one post? The long answer is that they pretty much run the gamut of what's shown during New York Fashion Week: Nicholas K makes grungy, casual, yet totally wearable and accessible sportswear while Tadashi Shoji makes equally accessible yet much fancier gowns for special occasions. The short answer is that these were the only two shows I went to on Thursday, the official start of Fashion Week. Aren't you glad you asked?

Nicholas K's layering-heavy look may be slightly formulaic, but its grunge ethos seems more aligned to fall/winter, so it's always interesting to see how they interpret their signature elements for warmer weather. In this case, it was lighter colors--ivory and cream, but also a dusty teal, a sea green, and even some tie-dyed indigo pieces. Transparency factored into the layers, making it all seem light in spite of the multiple components. Nicholas K's girl might put the plaid and leather away for the season, but her draped duster jackets and granny dresses are alive and well--albeit in more airy, diaphanous fabrics.

And while Nicholas K's slightly tomboyish customer is likely tuning her bass or challenging her cute downstairs neighbor to a game of pool at a bar somewhere in Williamsburg, Tadashi Shoji's is probably, at this moment, stepping out of her party dress, putting a piece of wedding cake under her pillow, and dreaming of the man she's going to marry. His über-feminine collection was inspired by tulips, which translated into lovely hand-painted fabrics, many with unexpectedly modern striped motifs, and petal-like details. Many styles featured widely flattering asymmetrical necklines; several of the tiered and blouson looks, however, only look good on models (and in the case of the blouson styles, even that is debatable). With embroidered lace, tulle, and silk chiffon throughout, it was all very light and dreamy and romantic--nothing like real-life romance for most of us, but that's the fantasy Tadashi Shoji is selling, and I think a lot of women out there will be buying it.

When & Where: Thursday, February 10 at 9 a.m., the Studio, Lincoln Center
Runway Recap: For Nicholas K, the grunge era never ended, but the news for fall is that the duo has introduced velvet and tiered ruffles into the mix. Of course, there were still army jackets, plaid shirts, draped knits, and slouchy pants galore, particularly in newer patchwork-jodhpur motifs--all strong pieces for fans of the line's Seattle-chic look. 
Standout Look: Several looks carried a True Grit vibe, as in this dusty plaid ensemble, whose tiered skirt creates a slightly petticoat-like effect. It's still grungy, but an interesting way to explore new ways to wear it.
Bonus Points: All the female models wore flat-platform combats boots, which many struggled with and caused one model to take a full-on, all-fours spill, from which she gracefully recovered. Hey, the show must go on!
Where to Buy: Find a store here.

Where & When: Thursday, September 9 at 9 a.m., the Studio, Lincoln Center
Runway Recap: A certain grungy influence has crept into fashion in recent seasons, but Nicholas K has been doing grunge for years--and does it better than most. Yes, you can now find skinny cargo pants, lightweight plaids, and flowy draped knits everywhere, but these looked so effortless and cool, why go anywhere else? Nicholas K kept things fresh by working in several deconstructed trenchcoats and decorating shirts and dresses with subtle pompom trim. For the guys, the aesthetic is similar: leather jackets and vests layered with plaid, sweatshirts, and cloaks.
Standout Look: Nicholas K excels at draped pieces, so it was refreshing to see that skill translate to jackets. The collar on this one perfectly frames the face, and I like the slightly boxy shape--it's a nice counterpoint to the ethereal dress underneath. It should also be noted that this jacket (the Luden) is part of Nicholas K's collection on the innovative new start-up Fashionstake.com--the collection is already at 50% of its funding, and you can help by investing in or pre-ordering this and several other items.
Bonus Points: The very first show in the Lincoln Center tents, I was incredibly impressed with how swiftly check-in worked. Amazing things happen when people embrace technology.
Where to Buy: Visit nicholask.com for stores.

Where & When: Thursday, September 10th at 2 p.m., the Promenade, Bryant Park
Runway Recap: Fashion shows tend to last, at maximum, 10 minutes. However, put three of them together and 30 minutes seems like a very long time. I'm just saying. Nicholas K started out the show with a jarring series of brightly colored '80s-inspired looks but segued into more familiar territory with her signature slouchy, draped shapes in dusty plaids and neutrals. Next came Whitney Port's Whitney Eve collection, and perhaps no one told her that this was spring, not fall, because the Dynasty-goes-to-L.A. looks were heavy on metallic and brocade fabrics that aren't exactly suited to warmer temperatures. Mara Hoffman closed the show with what she does best: flirty jersey dresses in brightly colored prints.
Standout Look: Nicholas K is at its best with cool, loose-fitting casual looks, like this open-front jacket, tee, and harem-esque pants-the look is easygoing and totally feels like spring. Whitney Eve was filled with no-brainer party dresses like this one, soon to be seen in paparazzi shots of your favorite reality starlets as they stumble drunk out of Les Deux. Mara Hoffman didn't necessarily reinvent the wheel with any of her printed dresses, but when they're as great as this kaleidoscope-print number, why not stick with what you know?
Bonus Points: When so many shows feature anonymous techno music, it's fun to be able to sing along. So props for "She's Like a Rainbow" by the Rolling Stones, "Ooh La La" by Goldfrapp, "Take Me I'm Yours" by Squeeze, and "Sweet Dreams Are Made of This" by the Eurythmics.
Where to Buy: Click here for Nicholas K; here for Whitney Eve; and here for Mara Hoffman.

Nicholas K, Sergio Davila, and Mara Hoffman Fall 2009


Where & When: Sunday, February 15th at 11 a.m., the Promenade, Bryant Park
Runway Recap: People's Revolution clients Nicholas K, Sergio Davila, and Mara Hoffman all combined forces for a joint show, which sounded great in theory--killing three birds with one stone, etc.--but ended up being on the long side (funny how after so many 10-minute runway shows, 40 minutes feels like an eternity, even if it's three different designers). Nicholas K started things off with a definite return to grunge: faded flannel shirts, cropped leather jackets, and dusty khaki pieces, all with a cool, slouchy silhouette that's sure to delight the downtown folks (I, for one, was starting a mental shopping list for myself). Airy, fluttery silk dresses provided a feminine counterpoint for when the hipster-tomboy feels like a dressed-up night on the town. Sergio Davila followed with mostly menswear, consisting of some nicely tailored suits with the pants inexplicably tucked into the models' socks. The handful of women's looks were primarily knit dresses--cute, but they seemed like an afterthought. Finally, Mara Hoffman started out quietly with understated brown-and-green foresty prints, fringed sweaters, and matching tunic-and-leggings sets, but after a series of badass studded coats, hit her stride with colorful maxi dresses in prints inspired by Native American motifs.
Standout Looks: From Nicholas K, this look is dusty, Mad Max grunge perfection: a cropped jacket, draped silk top, and slouchy yet slim pants. From Mara Hoffman, there were so many great dresses and the studded pieces had me salivating, but this print was definitely my favorite, and I like the cozy look achieved by layering with a long fringed cardigan--it shows the versatility of the maxi dress.
Bonus Points: I sat three rows behind Jennifer Love Hewitt (this was my third show to date with her), and considering how blind I was from all the flashbulbs snapping at her, it's a miracle the woman can see anything. Props to you, J-Love.
Where to Buy: See NicholasK.com for stores worldwide; Sergio Davila boutique at 67 8th Ave. (at 13th Street); visit MaraHoffman.com for locations.