Dress Prints @ J. Crew

The Print Collection on dresses this season @ J.Crew is like a walk through the impressionist gallery at the Louvre in Paris. The florals are dreamy watercolor viewpoints that set the tone for a fantasy escape in Renoir's garden.

1. Abstract watercolor floral


2. Indigo dip-dye

3. Rosette applique

4. Country calico floral

5. Organic botanical floral

Accessory Highlights:

Patchwork beach tote

Floral ballet flat

ALL AVAILABLE @ WWW.JCREW.COM

Asian Persuasion

Prints that are of an Asian derivation seem to always connote a regal and ornate feeling regardless of what they are printed on. The most common of which are the floral motifs screened on fine silks in bright tones and pefectly composed repeats.
Vivenne Tam takes this classic motif and applies a brushstroke (Above) to give it a more random feeling and a freehand style for the liberated and rebellious look of the season.

This technique is not new to the runway but her choice of color and scale makes this century-old idea new & appealing all over again. (Above) It is applied to a floor-length look that can easily be worn as an evening gown or with sandals for a pache resort look for the day.

Embroidery is far too often overlooked as an art form that pays homge to texture and pattern in a three demesional format. She applies it to the bottom of a dress (Above) to give it a feeling of luxe seperates.

Dignitary Style

All the world is watching the stylings of Michelle Obama since she has made a stand to support American designers and especially those who are ascending to new heights with their collections. The French have their own sytlish first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, who has her eye on a fashion new-comer, French designer Alexis Mabille. He isn't afraid to take chances while he is building a name for himself and carving out a niche with the fashion elite by showing during Couture Fashion Week in Paris.
Mabille creates a playfully sophisticated conversational look (above) that is somewhat kitchy, but the effort to put some originality in the novelty of a nautical theme is absolutely adorable. A muted & tonal fractual print (below) is used on one of his evening looks by using an abstract applique to create an elongated hombre effect that is elegant and scintillating.

Gucci Pants

Since taking over the house, designer Frida Giannini has taken the Gucci brand in a much more leisurely direction for the luxury consumer. This season she took a whimsical idea and intertwined a serious textile pattern with sophisticated colors to create looks that are distinctly her own in menswear.

The subdued floral wallpaper pattern (above & below) is a subtle tropical scenario that plays on a masculine yet romantic theme for a look that will turn heads. The idea of mens trousers playing host to a print is a novel idea in the market place, but Gucci is quickly putting an end to that age old concept and hopefully making it commonplace.

Top Prints at The Met/2009

1. LIYA WINS AGAIN!!!!!

Mega model Liya Kebede is in full stride and seems to be getting it right every time these days. She created a photo frenzy last night at The Met's, "Model as Muse", when she showed up in a sawed-off Derek Lam mini that was as expressive as it was daring.

2. JESSICA STAM in Rodarte

3. ALLISON SAROFIM in Giambattista Valli


4. CLAUDIA SCHIFFER in Chanel


5. IRIS STRUBEGGER in Givenchy Haute Couture


6. LEIGHTON MIESTER in Louis Vuitton

7. CHANEL IMAN in Zac Posen

8. ANNA WINTOUR in Chanel Haute Couture

9. LIZ GOLDWYN in Rodarte

10. OLUCHI ONWEAGBA in Oscar de la Renta

African Market Place

It is virtually impossible to run contemporary apparel lines without using the influences of African textiles. The prints that have emerged from the looms of the village artisans for centuries on the African continent has helped shape western design in color theories, composition and direction for as long as there has been fashion. Rachel Roy had a most interesting take on color blocking (above) by using a batik as a textural background to add a sense of complexity to the garment. (Below) Anisa Mapungwe of South Africa, achieves this same feeling by engineering a retro stripe coloration for an international feeling of cultural diversity.

Abstract To The Future

A painting by Marko Blazo called "Taxi Marathon", 2007, was the NY.ArtSlant.com winner for the month of March. The vivid coloration gives the piece movement and a sense of orderly chaos. The line between art and fashion is virtually non-existent in modern culture and it has become my mission to highlight how one is an outward expression of the other. It is more than appearent that the age of the future is upon us and being expressed in every format by mass media outlets.

Cynthia Rowley has a spring collection that is all about the future of textiles & utilizes brushed metallics and textural fabric selection to broaden the scope of space age lifestyle choices. The patterns in this collection bring a sort of cosmopolitan whimsicality to the racks that will appeal to the cultured and street-wise fashionistas.

Life-A-Sketch

Is there a more personal life accessory than the lap top? In the mindset of personalization, it makes sense to embellish the tool that creates all of the fabulous designs that keep the world stimulating and fun. This is an extreme example (above) of what is possible in terms of tricking-out your Mac Book. If you are challenged for a direction, be mindful that there is an endless source of inspiration available(even to the artistically impaired) once you commit to your computer having its own daring look.

The i-generation has a very strong passion about making themselves identifiable in this age of mass merchandising and computer cloning. It is all about making your personal items compelling enough that your personality is incarnated within your possessions. As if an exotic car isn't alluring enough, try wrapping it with graphic etchings to give it a tattoo appeal.

Home Designers & Interior Decorators have had a recent rise in requests to add peculiar designs to the upholsteries of fine furnishings. This is a must for clients who want to cater to their more eccentric sides, without compromising the equity of their homes. Roberto Cavalli agrees that eye-grabbing design should be reflected in every form of our lives. He lends his unique brand of prints to Coca Cola Light bottles (below) for the fashion enthusiast who likes a beverage with style.

The Great Americana!

Only Michael Kors could take such campy & general motifs such as stripes, dots, & gingham to make such a fresh runway statement. It's like taking a walk on the waterfront in Cape Cod or having iced summer cocktails at the Kennedy compoundin Hiannisport. A large scale gingham(above) is a winner every Spring.

A bold rugby stripe (above) is a perfect compliment of casual elegance for the on the go look, and will boldly celebrate the winter thaw.

The ever present polka dot is perhaps the most vesatile print known to fashion because of its' ability to be everything for every designer looking to connect with the general consumer. Evening(above) is no exception, the large scale dot works nicely on a formal look in the warmer months.

Throughout the industry, it is often thought that the americana look is strictly for novelty lines and it only appeals to the mass-market aesthetic. MK submits looks (above & below) that are contrary to this belief and make for stunning sportwear combos that work for the entire season.

Digital Dip

This is not the time to break out those plaid shorts, or the faded and once vibrant red lifeguard shorts of last summer. This season's choices are just too funky and are inspired by pop imaging that reads hip and fresh for all ages.

Whether it be a Warhol-like collage of portraits, a gaffiti motif tagged by a supreme designer or just a fun kaleidescope of colors to give the edge, swim is about keeping your cool this season.

A Galliano Spring!!!!

While sitting in the audience at John Galliano waiting for the music to queue, one can't help but wonder just how shockingly creative the storyline will be once the lights go down. He has a history of putting on elaborate productions that are inspired by moments in history and infusing influences from this very minute and the future . This season was no exception as he toys with the idea of regal florals on the everyday woman. The mix includes countryside flowers as we would see them on an elegantly woven tapestry or fine linen and a digital array of colorful shapes arranged to look like a fine work of art rendered by Monet himself.

I want to give you a peek at what I'm working on for next season.  I will be bringing you video footage of all of my interactions on my journey following the print trends around the world. This is a brief look into the tents and my coverage of NY fashion week from a textile perspective focusing on the prints in each collection.  

"New But Old"... Is The New "Old But New"

The Kris Van Assche Collection Spring 2009, is like opening your grandfather's vintage cigar box and finding a fresh batch of gummi bears. A well designed vintage floral stripe (above) has given Spring foilage a growth spurt. Noticeably, a refreshing yet masculine take on the floral trend that is gaining momentum in the men's market.

The abstract watercolor board shorts (above) are a fun and sporty twist when paired with a well tailored jacket.The choices to pair the old with the new seem to click in a way that relates to the metropolitan"fashionisto" who wants to be appropriately hip and stylish.

Notable: The Runway presentation also had a "fannypack" (below) and a "tote"(bottom) stamped with this same print and it gave this show just the right amount of iconic zest that's missing in mens fashion. These are must haves for the "guy-on-the-go" whose day requires him to carry more than just keys and a wallet.

Obama Alta Moda

The merchandising surrounding the newly elected President of the United States, Barack Obama has reached markets never before chartered by any political movement.  We all found the need to wear a T-shirt or maybe a button or two bearing the Commander-in-Chief's likeness to show how visibly supportive a constituency could be during his campaign.  The Italian house of Gattinoni proved that this high-powered political figure fosters intrinsic beauty that is beyond satire, and makes room for a fashionable statement that is forever relevant.  The solarized pop image used on this caftan has become synonymous with the promise of "hope and change", clearly the predominant trend of choice across the globe.

DVF: Spring 2009

When speaking of the design legend that is Diane Von Furstenberg, one would have to agree that it is a tale of a dynasty that has largely contributed to the shape of American fashion as we know it.   Her legacy is a myriad of iconic patterns and prints that have been inspiring the contemporary palettes of women from every walk of life for decades.  This season was perhaps one of her strongest ever in terms of developing abstract prints that are easily understood by the DVF woman.

Dots are always a safe bet when it comes to inserting a light hearted print to appease the buyer's requests for key items, but even here (above) we see DVF feathers the edges and adds an asymmetrical edge for a slightly more ethnic flavor, like that of an animal skin.
In both of these looks (above & below) oblong geometric shapes are fused together with moody yet complimentary colors to give the illusion of a floral softness.

Above, the hombre moment is interpreted nicely by achieving a swooping angle on the diagonal.  It is always characteristic of the DVF design squad to have a light-hearted look in the collection.  However, despite the fact that a tunic (below) is printed with the whimsical feel of  butterflies, the strategic border placements helps it adhere to the standard of sophistication that is always a part the overall initiative in her collections.  This show was fashioned after the likeness of a rock goddess with nostalgic hints of a "hippie" era past and is filled with looks and prints that will be adored for years to come.