New Obsessions from NYFW

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One of the greatest opportunities at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is discovering new designers. It’s like finding a hidden treasure and being able to share it with your friends. Such a win! This season I was lucky to be able to discover many new, talented designers and brands. Let me give you the rundown of some of my favorites.

Georgine

Photos by John Aquino, on WWD

Immediately after the show I wanted to buy literally EVERY piece in Georgine’s collection. It was stunning. Think old Hollywood glamour meets 2014. Leather dresses, leather leggings, and leather skirts. Yes, please! I am loving the leather trend.  It was sophisticated, sexy and seductive. The luxurious pieces, over-sized cashmere coats included, were perfectly tailored and flattering.

Meskita

Photos by Blaire Brown

Designer Alessandra Meskita brought the most innovative and forward-thinking show that I’ve been to in a long time. At first I was skeptical of her many looks that included neoprene. Neoprene is the material used on wetsuits, in case you’re not a textile major.  I was wrong. Look after look (42 looks, to be exact) came down the runway with a chic, glamorous appeal. Her coats were draped flawlessly; then the show transitioned into sophisticated cocktail dresses, jumpsuits, bomber jackets, and leather corsets. I loved this show because Meskita used new materials which gave her line a futuristic feel. I’d love to try one of the neoprene ensembles myself. She made it interesting and incredibly tasteful, which is not an easy task to accomplish. I can’t wait to see what else is in store with this designer!

Mathieu Mirano

Photos by Blaire Brown

Meowwww! It felt like Cat-Woman’s stylist was present at the show because look after look strut down the runway in sexy, seductive leather pieces. Motorcycle jackets paired with skirts, sleek dresses and trenches made their marks. The Parsons grad broke up the dark color palette with copper rose metallics and winter whites. Mirano has a true talent for being able to combine quality, tailored and detailed pieces with the perfect balance of soft femininity and hard structure. Beautiful.

The Marc Jacobs Tweet Shop

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Marc Jacobs is at it again with his clever marketing ploys! This weekend he opened a Pop-up Tweet-Shop in Soho for his fragrance line, Daisy. The catch? The store only took social payments. If you tweeted, used Instagram, Facebook, etc.  and tagged it with #MJdaisychain, you would receive free samples of his fragrance. As if that wasn’t a good enough gift, manicurists were on premises giving free manicures. Baristas from Bluestone Lane NY was handing out coffee from their adorable, solar-powered cart. A prairie backdrop with Daisy-inspired props took up many of the guests’ time—as people would hop in and out of the set taking silly and serious pictures with daisies, giant fragrance bottles, and tree stumps. This is totally normal in Manhattan, right?  Any Instagram photos with the #MJdaisychain tagline would appear on computer screens in the store and would give guests the options of instantly printing out the photos to keep. We had such a blast and ended up staying for a very long time. What a fun, clever event! It got me talking about it—so mission accomplished, Marc! #Killedit

Son Jung Wan Brings Cool Metallics for Fall

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Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2014 - Official Coverage - Best Of Runway Day 3

Photo by Rodin Banica

Metallic lips, fabulous furs, and pastel metallics marched around the maze set-up in the Pavilion at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Son Jung Wan’s collection had arrived at the Lincoln Center at last. I always look forward to Wan’s collection each fashion week—it brings fresh looks and always remains feminine and beautiful. This one was even more beautiful than her last collection, which is saying a lot! The runway was set-up for models to walk in and out of rows of the audience which gave more people the opportunity to see the fine details Wan put into her collection. I loved the furs and the puzzle-piece work of the dresses. The star-studded audience consisted of “Lily Van der Woodsen,” Kelly Rutherford from Gossip Girl and Adrienne Bailon, star from Cheetah Girls. The entire show was stunning.

Above photos all by Rodin Banica

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Photos by Blaire Brown

I ran into my Chic Galleria friend, Brittany Leung, at the show. Our camera-shy selves decided to take photos with the SJW background– how cute is Brittany in her blue hat?!

Follow me on Instagram for instant NYFW coverage: @BlaireBrownNYC

Walking Down the Aisle

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Leanne Marshall, Project Runway season 5 winner, put on a gorgeous bridal show at Helen Mills on Sunday afternoon. The air was freezing cold and snow was fresh on the ground, yet the crowd still trekked into the venue ready to see a beautiful line of bridalwear.

For all of you that are engaged (or Pinterest-ing your future wedding anyway!) Leanne put on quite the show. Her effortless, laidback glamour style shone through exponentially. Each dress floated down the runway with ease and grace. Want to look like a princess on your special day? This is the line for you. The true showstopper was the final look: the flowing, blush pink gown. Just breathtaking.

Fun fact: sitting in the audience, one of the Baldwin brothers was checking out the show. You can spot him in the background of a few pictures– think of it as a Where’s Waldo? Baldwin edition. Can you spot him?  I also bumped into my friend Brittany from Chic Galleria, so we took advantage of the photo op together! xoxo

Shoe Heaven in the Empire Hotel

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Forget diamonds—shoes are a girl’s best friend. Isa Tapia held a presentation of her phenomenal shoe line this afternoon in an intimate setting in the quarters of the Empire Hotel.  My fabulous fashion stylist friend, Liz Teich, and I were in shoe heaven. Tapia has created a line for every occasion—whether you need a classic pump, to a statement piece, it’s all there. The shoes are crafted beautifully to such full extent of detail. Absolute perfection. Take a peek at her line and let me know what you think! Shoes will be in stores starting in August.

Stylistas Continue to Leave their Mark

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It’s Saturday and the fashionistas are all out flaunting it in front of the Lincoln Center tents. Effortless, thrown together styles? Probably not, but they each bring a piece of their own individuality to the table that makes New York City such a fantastic fashion hub. They look fabulous, we know it, so why not share their looks? Here are some that I bumped into today.

My Fashion Week Friday

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My Friday went off with a loud bang at the Lincoln Center when Zimmermann’s Fall/Winter 2014 collection hit the runway for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Last season Zimmermann presented an uber-feminine collection full of whimsy and romance based on a circus ringmaster theme. This season however, the designers went in the total opposite direction and showcased a line called “Cloud Stompers.” Think about it for a second—how do you think a cloud stomper would poise itself, if there was such a thing?

I’ll tell you how they are—or at least through Zimmermann’s eyes. Silhouettes were of cloud-like shapes, with foggy looking grey prints. Grey prints met up with houndstooth jackets and took a stroll. Oversized coats and utility handbags made guest appearances. Then a round of clothes hit the runway with heavy-duty hardware embellishments—studded coats and chain-link details. The darkness and masculinity of the collection wasn’t for me—but it would suit the alternative chick looking for an outlet of expression. My photos did not turn out so hot, so here is a video instead. The best outfit was the lacey-jumpsuit: super sexy! (You can fast-forward the video to 9:10 to see it.)

Next in line was Carmen Marc Valvo’s collection.  The audience was pumped up and reminded about Valentine’s Day just around the corner as the designer blasted Pat Benatar’s “Love is a Battlefield” on repeat, with a strong, war-like opera music to conclude the show. The designer was inspired by the opulence of the Ottoman Empire, creating a theme with shield-like material (chain mail details), breast plates, gunmetal color palette but with seductive lace details to bring romance to the line. Essentially the vibe was brought to the runway that the female is “ready for battle, and ready for love.”

Here are some of my photos from the show.

 

The show that broke up the womenswear focus of my week was Nautica Black Sail. Woo! Here is a video of the sexy men that graced the runway. You’re welcome.

I think after going to that show I can only bring men to meet my parents if they have a fog machine entrance, otherwise, it’s a deal breaker. You hear that, boys?

After a power nap, I rallied and headed down to a new venue called The Hub at the Hudson Hotel.  Charlotte Ronson was holding a presentation in which models stood on a stage in a half circle, taking turns walking down the mini runway and then walking back to stand and pose. It was a beautiful line that I could see a lot of chic women wearing—very dark, but with pops of floral prints in jewel-tones. The criss-cross suspenders made an interesting touch.

Lastly, I trekked downtown to 15th and 6th avenue to see Heidi Gardner’s jewelry line. FUNKY set-up for sure. The House of Horology (an art/watch studio) made an interesting set, with intriguing art installations all over the room. A bit creepy, actually. But who can deny free cocktails and new fashion friends? I got both. The show started an hour in when the audience were motioned to stand in a circle as ninja-esque models rotated in the circle to stop and pose with their jewelry. It was interesting to say the least! Check out the photos I took of the party.

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5 shows in one day, a crazy Friday, but a great time! Happy fashion week, y’all!

xoxo,

Blaire

 

Femininity and Glamour at RAOUL F/W 2014

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RAOUL presented a beautiful, feminine ready-to-wear line at the off-site location Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse this morning to kick-start my fashion week events. The models stood on the stage that curved around the room, some chatting to each other while the press mingled and took their photos. My favorite looks were the vintage-esque ensembles—the prints mixed with powder blue tones and marigold. Each look was feminine, but had a modern twist.  LOVE IT.  In addition, RAOUL launched a new accessories and shoe (!!!) line. What do you think of the looks? Which is your favorite?

The Fashion Olympics Begin

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Today was the official kick-start of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York: the official Olympian event for fashionistas around the world. Global trendsetters are flying in from all over to make appearances at shows while flaunting their best high heels (without tights) in this super frigid cold air. To make it more of a spectacle, these stylists, models, bloggers, editors and spectators alike are hopping and leaping over giant mounds of snow with pure grace in their stilettos. Impressive, we know.

Here are some street style photos of fashionistas that caught my eye today.

Adventures on a Talk Show

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clinton kelly

It was just another snowy day in Manhattan. My friend Julie and I decided it was the perfect day to be audience members on a daytime talk show, The Chew. I mean, what else is there to do when a blizzard hits town?

We broke out the jewel-tone attire that is a requirement for these adventures. Red? Check.  Blizzard-sturdy shoes? Check. We were ready to go.

Upon arrival at the ABC studios, we snagged our tickets and chugged our coffee before entering the field that was full of production teams and people looking for snazzy, fun audience members. Julie and I must have had a light shining down on us, because lo’ and behold, practically every person in the studio asked us to keep in contact to be on the show another time (as audience members, participants for activities, etc.). We were stoked! Lucky for us we were able to partake as taste testers— yum! Not only were we taste testers, we were chosen to be participants in a trivia-pie throwing game. We had to answer 3 pie trivia questions. For each correct answer we could step forward to get closer to Chef Michael Symon, our pie target. I lucked out and got all 3 correct—giving me perfect aim for the $250 prize I won! The studio team was so kind—we had no idea that this snow-filled day would end up with us on TV, tasting some seriously amazing food, and winning a cash prize. Who knew?!

As if that wasn’t fun and exciting enough, Clinton Kelly (a hero of mine!) chatted and took a selfie with me and Julie. Isn’t NYC amazing? The Chew episode we’re on will be airing on March 28th. Spot us in the crowd and watch our pie throwing skills!