Cheryl Shops

Mara Hoffman at Stage, Lincoln Center [09.07.13]

Mara Hoffman is one of the masters of bright, joyful prints. I worship every single thing that comes out on the runway during her shows, as do myriads of fans. There were more lovely ladies wearing her designs in homage at this show than any other I witnessed this season.

I managed to snag one of the best spots on the riser for this show.

I adore how much Grace Bol smiled for us on her final swing down the runway!

Amazing kid sihouette before the show started.

The ponytail extension work for Mara Hoffman this season was incredible. Absolutely loved watching those ponies swing back and forth on the catwalk.

Jill Stuart
Remember the other day when I mentioned how Mina got invited to some awesome shows? Count Jill Stuart among them. For fall, Stuart showed a lot of party dresses, many of them in interesting textures, and many of them in black—by the way, for fall 2013, black is the new black. Really.

 And while many designers have gone back to black for fall, Son Jung Wan opted for anything but, starting with pale nude and cream, dabbling in camel and beige, and finishing in rich shades of teal, burgundy, and violet. As usual, she used a luxurious range of materials, from cozy-looking wool bouclé to fur, including a deliciously extravagant top made out of mink, but her silhouette has become closer to the body and her pieces finished with beautiful raw-edged seams or just enough fur trim. None of these looks would be out of place on the Upper East Side; if only one could buy them in the U.S...

On the weekends, Fashion Week starts to get a bit chaotic, both in terms of the schedule and the crowds. Thus, Mina and I ended up dividing and conquering, although we still didn't quite make it to everything. (We did, however, both make it to the Birchbox suite, which was probably the highlight of our day.) Here's what we did see.


Ruffan
The Ruffian boys must be gluttons for punishment, because for some reason they keep taking the 9 a.m. Saturday slot, which, as much as I love the line, is just too damn early to get me out of bed. Mina, however, lives in Manhattan and has a much shorter commute than I do, so she made it, god bless her. Her text-message review: "It was good!" Reportedly, the show was inspired by Williamsburg. Let's take a look, shall we?




Son Jung Wan
Son Jung Wan's show started off promisingly with a bright canary-yellow pleated chiffon number, followed by a series of sherbet-colored flowing tops and peplum dresses that were cheery and summery. It's clear Wan is a skilled technician who's eager to showcase her handiwork, however as the show went on, the looks became more and more overwrought, with appliqués that tended to overpower even the six-foot-tall models. A little editing would have done a world of good. 

 
Mara Hoffman
There were no shamans or mystics at Mara Hoffman's show this season; judging by words like "aloha" and "surf" in the run of show and the ukelele players who began the affair, she went straight to Hawaii, and it suited her signature prints quite well. The colors were bright, the patterns kaleidoscopic, and the silhouettes were a bit looser than normal, the better to hide a belly full of pina coladas. Well, except for a handful of bra tops, an emerging trend this season. Speaking of bra tops, Li'l Kim was in the audience, which was awesome, and, completely unrelated to bra tops, Hoffman's soundtrack included The Pixies' "Wave of Mutilation," which was even awesomer. I sang along, and the twentysomething blogger sitting next to me looked at me like I was nuts. That was not so awesome.


Rafael Cennamo
There are some total randoms who show at Fashion Week, and sometimes I go because they're showing in the right place at the right time and, hey, I'm curious. I'll admit, Rafael Cennamo is a designer I knew very little about before this, and after seeing his spring collection, I now feel like an a-hole, because holy Ferocia Coutura, his eveningwear is amazing. I'm talking straight-up couture quality, with the most ornate beadwork this side of Lesage and soutache that brought tears to my eyes. Ok, Rafael, you have my attention now. 

 



Christian Siriano
Christian Siriano's show always involves a schelpp out to the far reaches of West Chelsea, then an epically long check-in line followed by a long wait outside in either blistering heat (September) or freezing cold (February). There are few designers for whom I'd put up with this, but Siriano's show is always worth the wait, and his spring 2013 collection was his most refined one yet. He was inspired by the ballet, which is pretty much a surefire hit in my book, but while you might expect him to go all out with crazy tulle and feathers and satin, Siriano was incredibly restrained, with fluid day looks in dreamy pastels, refined metallics, and even subtle lace and brocade. The evening looks were breathtaking, with pearl-encrusted bodices, one (okay, one signature Siriano extravaganza) layered tulle confection, and, to finish the show, three pitch-perfect tulle party dresses that were pretty much the dream of every girl who's ever been to the ballet. And speaking of dreamy, I somehow ended up in the second row, which explains the quality of my photos here (yes, I took them myself!), but was even more exciting because for once, I could see the shoes. Payless fans, look for similar styles in stores next February. 


Alexandre Herchcovitch
Due to scheduing conflicts, Mina agreed to attend Brazilian avant-garde designer Alexandre Herchcovitch's show in my place, which normally is not a big deal, except the PR firm had my photo on record (high tech!) and, well, Mina and I look nothing alike, to put it mildly. Nevertheless, she got in—this is our one show this season at "cool kids" venue Made @ Milk—and this was our conversation about the show:
Mina: This collection looked like clown couture.
Me: Is that good or bad?!
Mina: Judge for yourself.

Monique Lhuiller
Two seasons ago, I got to bring a plus-one. Last season, I started in the third row and got pulled into the first, which was beyond awesome This season, Monique Lhuillier put me in the sixth row, which explains the rather unfortunate state of these photos. How far the mighty have fallen, right? Anyway, even if I had to watch Lhuillier crammed back in the standing section, I would. Her sinspiration this season was the ocean water and sea life within, with an emphasis on mermaids, and while the interpretation wasn't as literal as you'd expect in terms of color, it was beautiful nonetheless, with some of the dreamiest prints I've seen. Many of the looks had peplum-like panels at the hips, which created a womanly effect and evoked the lower half of a mermaid (yes, there were a good number of fishtail hems too). By the time the last few looks came down the runway—glittering, jewel-encrusted tulle gowns—I was ready to ditch life on land. After all, didn't Sebastian the crab say that life is better under the sea? Based on this show, I'd tend to agree. 

When & where: Saturday, February 11 at 2 p.m., the Stage, Lincoln Center
Runway recap: It's been several seasons since Mara Hoffman has done a proper runway show—her most recent outings have been pretty limited presentations, so it was exciting to see the full range of options for wearing her signature graphic prints and patterns, this season with a mystical South American vibe (complete with hat-and-headscarf styling). There were many of the flowing maxi dresses Hoffman is perhaps most famous for, but this season, the newness came in tiered silhouettes and styles that combined beaded patterns with solid knits. Hoffman also showed a bunch of great sweaters and printed pants, sure to be a hit among the fedora-wearing hipsters in the audience.

Bonus points: As befits Hoffman's cool, downtown audience, the music was some of the best I've heard so far this season, with "Ritual Union" by Little Dragon, "Truth" by Alexander, and "Genesis" by Grimes. Shazam didn't work for the 3rd song, however, so if anyone out there knows what it was, please let me know!

Where to buy: Click here for stores.

Porter Grey
A contemporary line found at the likes of Shopbop, Porter Grey has a slightly girly vibe, but with an interesting edge. There were a lot of sculpted coats, richly colored and printed silk dresses, and sexier fitted dresses with cutout details. It was kind of something-for-everyone, but when it all looks this good, who cares?

Mara Hoffman
Late start aside, a very pregnant Mara Hoffman herself presided over her Thursday-afternoon presentation, which included a live band and carried a very mystical-spiritual vibe. She complemented her signature kaleidoscopic prints with thick knits and detail like braiding, cutouts, and hoods. Fans will snap up the sexier maxi dresses and cozy sweater jackets.



Jonathan Simkhai
By the time I got to Jonathan Simkhai's presentation, I had had two glasses of wine and was eager to continue celebrating at the IFB Conference after-party. So it was fortunate that the models were rotating spots so quickly--I was able to see the entire collection in about 5 minutes. The problem was that I didn't give the collection a proper look; thankfully, that's why I take pictures of everything! Simkhai's reform-school-girls of spring have evolved into a more sophisticated, refined level for fall. There are still beautifully tailored pieces and a strong preppy influence, but Simkhai added sexy cutout dresses and richer-looking fabrics to the mix.

Dannijo
Finally, on Tuesday evening, Dannijo held a roaring '20s–meets–True Grit presentation to show their increasingly intricate and layered jewelry. Littered with Swarovski crystals and featuring bold Art Deco shapes, the line is evolving from its edgy, piled-on-chains roots. These are definitely statement pieces, but I liked that they showed them with not-so-basic clothing, proving that jewelry doesn't have to overpower the rest of one's outfit.