Donna Karan Fall 2013/Resort 2014 with Saks Fifth Avenue

Barbara Í Gongini Fall/Winter 2013 at Copenhagen Fashion Week

I'm excited to finally share these photos from the Barbara Í Gongini Fall/Winter 2013 show at Copenhagen Fashion Week. A stylish pal encouraged me to attend the show, and I am so glad I listened (note: always listen to your stylish pals!). The show included the designers' two lines, the experimental main line, Barbara Í Gongini, and the more comercial diffusion line, The Black Line, as well as Barbara Í Gongini Man. The designs were dark, yet ethereal, combining soft, flowing fabrics and tough, binding leather, creating a look both primal and futuristic. Just look at those masks! The Faroese brand based in Denmark prefers to stay small, opting for distribution in small, cutting-edge Nordic boutiques, so it's hard to find here in the United States. You can pick up pieces through the brand website (prices are in Danish kroner).

Want more? You can see the whole collection here, and a video of some of the show highlights here.

Copenhagen Fashion Week Coverage sponsored by ECCO. 

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ECCO Walk in Style

Copenhagen Fashion Week began on Tuesday, January 29th with the ECCO Walk in Style Award Show. Julia Mjörnstedt, founder of "Ung Cancer" (Young Cancer) was awarded 35,000 Euros for her charity, which helps young women with cancer. Of course, you can't kick off a fashion week without a catwalk, and ECCO didn't disappoint. Primarily a purveyor of shoes and accessories, ECCO teamed with Zarah Voight, a Danish designer internationally known for her theatrical creations. The show featured leathers from the ECCO AW13 commercial line, following the 'evolution' of leather, starting with clean, white lines to black, tailored looks. 

Image courtesy of ECCO 

Image courtesy of ECCO

With Kate Schweitzer, Senior Web Editor MarieClaire.com & Christine Cameron, Founder, My Style Pill at the ECCO Walk in Style Award Show.

Pre-show image on the runway

ECCO Walk in Style Award Show, from Copenhagen City Hall

Copenhagen Fashion Week coverage sponsored by ECCO. 

Candice Wu at Boston Fashion Week 2012

Is this the same Candice Wu? At last year's Launch, the designer sent saccharine-y Barbie doll dresses down the runway. This year's show at the Tent at Boston Fashion Week was a departure, and I mean that in the very best way possible. Ms. Wu transformed our notions of her over the course of the show. She took the audience to a decidedly darker place, a place with crocodile-embossed faux-leather detailing, feathers and spikes. And despite the model's birds' nests and incredible headpieces, many pieces were decidedly wearable (quilted pants, parkas, blazers, even a little black dress or two). Two menswear pieces were inexplicably shoved into the show, and a few pieces, like a beige peplum dress with a mock-croc corset, seemed sloppy. All that was overshadowed by the impeccably tailored pants and jackets and the flowing grace of Ms. Wu's gowns. The overall effect was urban but chic, unyielding, but alluring. Evil Queens and city cool girls of the world, you've met your new dressmaker. You're going to look amazing.

Luke Aaron at Boston Fashion Week 2012

Boston Fashion Week spotlighted some well-known designers (well known in Boston, at least) whose shows seemed to generate a lot of publicity. You know who they are - designers with Newbury Street studios, who sell at Louis and who've already graced the runway at last year's Launch. Despite all the hype, one of the best shows of the weekend came from the unassuming guy from Idaho. On Saturday evening, Luke Aaron's show proved that he's ready to join the ranks of Boston Fashion royalty, sending out an array of blithe daytime ready-to-wear ensembles and fairy-tale dresses, that (softly, delicately) knocked the breath right out of the audience. 

The Yale graduate with a small North End studio started off the show with graceful separates - waist defining skirts and origami-inspired tops, polished dresses and perhaps the only elegant shorts suit in existence. A few pieces, like drab (though expertly tailored) palazzo pants paired with a crop top missed the mark, however, the universally-flattering skirts and dresses were extremely well-received. It's clear Mr. Aaron is detail-oriented; his was some of the finest, most precise craftsmanship of the weekend. That, and his eye for color (muted pastels) elevated his daywear to gasp-worthy status. Photos don't do these pieces justice. 

With the crowd primed, his collection elegantly segued into frothy evening wear. Think Disney princess meets Grace Kelly. (This description will sound like utter nonsense until you scroll down and see the photos.) Mr. Aaron's gowns somehow straddle the line between grown-up glamour and confectioners sugar. They're effervescent, voluminous and captivating, as seen in his gown embroidered with peacock feathers, or the final look (above) that sailed down the runway to thunderous applause. Boston, meet your new Fleet Street fashion star. 

Learn more about Luke Aaron at http://lukeaaronboston.com/. This post also appears on The Boston Fashionista Channel on BostInno. 

Firas Yousif at Boston Fashion Week 2012

Much is said about designers showcasing their own clear 'voice' or 'point of view'. But to build a business, a designer needs to know his clients. Who are the women for whom he is designing? What are they looking for in their garment? Last night, Firas Yousif seemed to be designing for two different types of women. It was a show in three parts - casual, cocktail looks for younger women, glamourous red carpet looks for the older set, and wedding gowns for them both.

Among a crowd of obvious Yousif clients (sophisticated, uptown, lovely), the 43 year old Boston College grad delivered a number of relaxed looks - many were pretty, if unremarkable. A parade of basic cuts in an orange, yellow and periwinkle print were routine. A series of satin and shimmery combinations seemed almost Barbie-esque, with the exception of a chic ombre sheath. Several Asian inspired cocktail dresses followed, which worked best when cut simply, sans ruffles or scalloped edges.

The crowd breathed a sigh of pleasure when the show continued with Yousif's red carpet looks. Clearly, this was more familiar territory. Basic black gowns were made memorable with beaded collars and waistlines. A Gatbsy-like, iridescent teal number could have easily gone too far, but instead looked uncommonly elegant. Overall, the red carpet looks were stately, dignified.

The outright cheers began as the bridal gowns hit the runway, and for good reason. It was here that Yousif's creativity met masterful tailoring; the result was a spectrum of dresses, some for the fairytale princess, some for her glamourous stepmother. Several gowns were covered in decadent beadwork, some ruffles, yet all read cosmopolitan. A modest, unembellished gown with long, cut-out sleeves could be imagined on both Keira Knightly or Susan Sarandon. By the end of the show, several Yousif clients were wiping tears from their eyes, and as the designer took the stage, clients - of all ages - rushed to bring him flowers.

The Tent at Boston Fashion Week is at The Mandarin Hotel Boston and The Shops at Prudential Center.

Sam Mendoza at Boston Fashion Week 2012

The Tent at Boston Fashion Week opened Friday evening with some serious Solange Knowles-inspired sex appeal. Texas-born designer Sam Mendoza, known for his use of color and raw finishes, sent sporty-sophisticated looks down the runway, flowing to sultry 90's Janet Jackson. Mendoza started the show with some casual pieces, incorporating athletic textures and shapes like mesh and simple tanks. But it was the gowns that brought gasps from the crowd. Ethereal but tough, they could go straight from the red carpet to the boudoir.

The Tent at Boston Fashion Week is at The Mandarin Hotel Boston and The Shops at Prudential Center.

Edun Fall 2012

What is it that they say about good things in unexpected packaging? Not judging books by their covers, etc..? Well, consider me surprised. Edun, a brand started in 2005 by Ali Hewson and her husband, Bono (maybe you've heard of him?) as a for-profit venture to encourage sustainable and fair trade in Africa, sounds dubious. A celebrity line? Focused on ethical fashion (a wonderful, if not always....fashionable...notion)? Don't get me wrong, I love Bono. Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby were monumental albums in my life. But that doesn't mean the clothing is going to have the same impact as the music. 

But Ms. Hewson and Bono, as one should suspect, are smart. When LVMH purchased 49% of the brand in 2009, they tapped Sharon Wauchob as Creative Director. Since then, the brand has quietly grown with attractive, though not remarkable, garments.

Until this week. When Ms. Wauchob sent the Fall 2012 collection through a darkly lit warehouse at the Chelsea Piers, cool girls everywhere took note (Helena Christensen and Liya Kebede were on the front row)! Graphic knits, funky prints, sculptural construction, and baggy-yet-somehow-fitted leather pants filled the runway, seemingly defying description until I noticed the inspiration for the collection was "safari punk". Forget the packaging, these are clothes that I want to wear.