New York Fashion Week Roundup: Altuzarra

The show opened with pretty ginghams that remind you of innocence. However, with Altuzarra, it was far from that. The collection was about "sinister and undone prettiness" as described by the designer who was inspired by Rosemary's Baby and Barry Lyndon. It was amazing how he took the most basic silhouettes like a simple skirt suit or even a shirt dress and made them look sexy as hell and that too, in a pattern used for table linen. That's what the show was all about. Contrasts. Slits and deep necks were everywhere and added detailing including ribbons with pearls. Sometimes the ribbons were tied up all prim and proper and sometimes they were trailing screaming nonchalance. Current favourites from the gingham series was the blue shirt tucked into a pink pencil skirt and the blue shirt dress with an added slit on the right.

Then came the black and white stripes, in different angles mind you, with a thin brown belt on the waist. I always thought you couldn't pair brown with black, in Altuzarra's case, you most definitely can. A favourite look amongst the stripes was the camel suede button down shirt tucked into the striped pencil skirt with a slit on the side. I love the different angles of the stripes and the two different colour tones of the black. It really is a world full of contrasts! You can add the striped shirtdress to my favourites list too. Leather lattice in the form of sleeveless coaties, skirt and a dress inspired by renaissance architecture that followed upped the kink factor on the runway. Post this, things got a little feminine and romantic with the floral silhouettes featuring light embellishments. Finally, the beautiful, feather light evening gowns that closed the show, inspired by Barry Lyndon were made to suit modern day times by removing the corsets.

A little sinister, a little innocent, a little kinky, a little conservative, a little romantic, a little edgy; Altuzarra's collection will have women lining up outside boutiques once the collection hits the stores.

Altuzarra SS 15

Altuzarra SS 15

Altuzarra SS 15

 

New York Fashion Week Round Up: Alexander Wang, Prabal Gurung

Alexander Wang

Alexander Wang

Alexander Wang - Boy this was one fierce collection by Wang! Whoever thought that clothes inspired by sneakers would yield such phenomenal creations. Everything was perforated. Jackets, oversized shirts, evening dresses, skin tight dresses and skirts all came with punched holes. The designer definitely played with a lot of textures this time. How cool was that grey leather dress with the design of a sneaker sole on it (I hear the dress was foam injected). And how about those tennis dresses with pleated skirts and tops that looked like they had a leather breast plate on them? Or perhaps the tops which had embroidered cabochons (at least it looked like that)? There were very few smooth surfaces in sight. Then there were skin tight dresses that came in highlighter orange and green that definitely brought sexy back with their scooped low backs.

High waisted pants with leather pockets and contrasting outline, grey sweatpants moulded into comfortable skinny trousers held at the waist with a slim leather belt and side button down, tapered trousers (remember those Addidas track pants with buttons on the side circa 1997); the trousers were just to die for. This was one collection that had very little loose clothing. Apart from the very Wang style oversized white shirt and floor length gowns (all with lots of holes in them) and perhaps a bomber jacket or two, most of the stuff was figure hugging (uh-oh, time to watch out for that muffin top). Those psychedelic mini dresses with pleated skirts worn over tight polo necks towards the end are going to be a massive hit amongst the fashion flock.

However if there's something I'm planning to save for it's the handbags. I've always been a fan of Wang's bags (proud Pelican clutch owner) but these ones were just pretty freaking cool. Both edges of the purses looked like the back ends of sneakers. I spotted a clutch and a small top handle tote with a shoulder strap. All in some pretty funky colours. And guaranteed to be on every cool girl's list or arm come next fashion week. A stellar collection delivered by Wang, yet again.

Alexander Wang

Alexander Wang

Prabal Gurung - As much as I love Prabal Gurung, I have to say this collection didn't leave me with the WOW factor that his last two collections did. Remember SS 14? That was pretty great. However, not to say that his SS 15 wasn't good. It really was. Just not as good.

Clothes in shades of white and blue kick started the show. Skirts with trailing scarves paired with blouses crafted out of luxurious fabrics and sporty jackets were very pretty. Especially a racer style top with ostrich feathers on the sleeve. I have some sort of obsession with ostrich feathers I admit. I also really liked his athletic, drawstring trousers with the elongated fabric trailing on the side.

Then came the knee length dresses. Some with flailing drawstrings and some cinched at the waist with industrial-esque side squeeze buckle belts (the ones you have on children's car seats or in suitcases). To be honest, this was the only part of the show I didn't like. I just felt there was too much happening there especially with the ruffled dresses. I preferred the knit tops/sweaters and the beautifully tailored blazers that came in towards the end. The last three evening dresses were the best part of the collection. Sporty and feminine, with racerback bodices, flowy skirts and some embellishments on the torso, these dresses were pure perfection.

Hopefully next season, Prabal should just edit a bit of the excess and all will be well in the fashion world again.

Prabal Gurung

Prabal Gurung

 

New York Fashion Week Round Up: Jason Wu, Victoria Beckham

Jason Wu

Jason Wu

Jason Wu - At Jason Wu, it was all about thigh high slits, abstract prints and lots of green, blue and white. The silhouettes were simple and just plain beautiful. There was no fuss and clothes were very fluid. Nothing seemed like a hassle here. Shirtdresses in flowy fabrics cinched at the waist, silk blouses and loose trousers were understated and extremely chic. The suede silhouettes such as a midnight blue romper or a sleeveless green dress featuring a plunging neckline, thigh high slit with a button right above the thigh were not only sexy but just seemed so easy to carry. There was without a doubt a sportswear influence too. Case in point being the tight blue zip up top (Malaika Firth wore in white too on the runway) reminiscent of the top half of a scuba diving suit tucked into a pencil skirt with a slit in the middle. Finally, came the evening wear. Beautiful, knee length, shiny cocktail dresses gathered at the waist or billowing gowns with a slit in the middle, cinched at the waist with a belt and navel deep a plunging neckline. Overall, a very safe, and power-packed collection.

However, apart from the clothes, this was the first time I started checking out Jason Wu handbags. Well, the bags I saw on instagram before the show and when style.com added the details online I got to get a closer look at them. I have to say, I am really loving them. There were two new models introduced for next Spring. First up, there was the Diane bag named after Diane Kruger and the second one was the Charlotte tote which was styled as an oversized clutch for the show. The Diane is a boxy shoulder bag whereas the Charlotte is a bigger, top handle tote in a cool shape with origami style folds on it. Both the bags came in some exquisite exotic skin too and are bound to be next season's IT bags. I for one am really eyeing the Charlotte bag!

Jason Wu Charlotte Bag

Jason Wu Diane Bag

Victoria Beckham - If there is one show I look forward to with utmost enthusiasm during NYFW, it is Victoria Beckham. Not only have I been obsessed with her since I was a teenager, I just think the woman is so bloody talented. Clothes designer, check. Handbags and sunglasses designer, check. What's more now, is that she's added shoes to her line. From giving out small presentations in her hotel suite, to becoming one of the most sought after designers, what this woman has achieved is truly remarkable. As the seasons have gone by, Victoria has definitely matured as a designer. Her first few collections focussed on body hugging sheath dresses. But she has slowly looked beyond those dresses as we have seen. Of course they are and will remain her signature. But the sign of a good designer is one that evolves with the seasons and that is exactly what she has done.

For the SS 15 show, the highlight in my opinion were the jute jackets. There was so much detailing in them. Starting from the contrast coloured belts coming out from the slits to the lapel that was folded over away from the shoulder in a curvey S shape whilst the jacket zipped from the opposite side to the impeccable tailoring. I wouldn't be surprised if they sold out on every e-commerce site. Moving on, there were clothes that looked like sexy military style uniforms in shades of beige, oxblood, black and florals too. A full sleeved, beige button down dress with patch pockets or a black mini shift with unevenly placed pockets or a black cargo style top paired with a tight, striped skirt  or even a head to toe floral safari-esque suit being excellent examples.

Tight, but not too tight ribbed dresses and skirts along with a boyfriend sweater with shoelace style detailing on the side were a great addition to the collection. The clothes focussed on everyday wear as opposed to red carpet dressing. Victoria makes it a point to understand her consumer closely and giving them exactly what she wants. Phenomenal style combined with comfort.

With respect to the handbags, it was all about structured box bags with an optional shoulder strap. Most of them were in crocodile leather, so exotic skin fans can rejoice! Also seen was another structured bag in a bucket shape also in crocodile. Good to see some cool new additions to her growing bag collection.

Finally, her latest offering to her growing empire was a brand new shoe collection. Not the usual point heeled stiletto you might have thought. But chunky platform heels and pointy toed masculine inspired brogues. I'm definitely getting those platforms next summer. What about you?

Victoria Bekcham

Victoria Beckham

Victoria Bekcham

 

New York Fashion Week Round Up - Suno, Creatures Of The Wind, Lacoste

New York Fashion Week started out by checking images on my style.com app on the iPhone on the go in Russia for me (I'm still holidaying here but I try to squeeze in some work from time to time). Whilst I try to keep up with most shows, I don't end up seeing all of them from every country. I usually have my favourites short listed, however, every new season I open up my mind a little bit and start checking out labels I haven't ever seen before. This time it was Suno.

Suno

Suno

Suno - It was the first time I was checking out clothes by Suno and I have to say I have a new favourite brand in my dictionary. The vibe was relaxed and easy going with ankle length cropped pants appearing throughout the collection. I'm a huge fan of these ankle length pants. They can be paired with heels to appear more formal or paired with flats to make the look casual. Quite versatile. Overall the clothes were more on the loose side and looked extremely functional and highly suited to daily wear whilst being stylish at the same time. Prints seemed to be the focus of the collection with stripes and squares dominating the runway. There were also mis-matched prints such as florals paired with geometric squares which looked as if they belonged together. Absolutely loved it.  Silhouettes like boxy dresses with ruffles at the bottom or a dress that was stripes from the bust down and a white shirt for the bust or even the pastel blue summer jacket are just right for the days when you can't be bothered to try too hard. The collection made me smack myself at the back of my head for not discovering the label sooner.

Creatures Of The Wind

Creatures Of The Wind

Creatures Of The Wind - Yet another collection that rated high on everyday appeal. The cropped ankle length trousers were chic and understated and versatile enough to be worn during the day and in the evenings. The striped clothes were perfect for the scorching summer. Almost felt as if they were inspired by the khadi kurtas worn in India on hot summer days, especially the button down, long sleeveless tunic paired with pants. The striped, asymmetrical hemmed skirt paired with a matching cotton top had a very nonchalant vibe to it and looked very cool. The separates, like a sleeveless, yellow cotton waistcoat or the leather and herringbone jacket are great pieces to invest in for next summer. There was a grunge element to the clothes as was seen with the plaid shirt tucked into a red pencil skirt. Mind you, this was grunge meets fancy with sequins embroidered on the shirt. Pretty funky I think. Even black silk organza skirts which you may wear on an evening out were all edgy with lace on top and shiny yellow and blue thingamajigs. And finally, how about that plaid dress with numerous slits and sequinned straps that closed the show?

Lacoste

Lacoste

Lacoste - Being a huge Lacoste fan and having worn the label's clothes in the past, I always look forward to checking out the show. This collection was just really sexy. The powder blue boxy neoprene coats that opened the show featured some fantastic tailoring. In addition, it was interesting to see the use of neoprene in a sportswear brand. The first few looks were paired with sneakers; camel and white coloured ones. I have a feeling with this whole sneaker movement happening, these will be flying off the shelves. Then came the larger than life, mixed up team number printed dresses with polo necks exuding not only sporty but sexy too. After this, the theme related clothes started rolling in. The theme was yachting. But don't expect to find portholes and traditional blue and white stripes. Instead, Yachting was written on a football jersey style dress and skirts with (or without) windcheaters attached to the waist (think tying a sweater on your waist when you were in school). Or how about on a sweatshirt. Pretty neat eh? My most favourite looks were the dresses towards the end. Dresses with colour blocked stripes (instead of blue and white, try white, red and purple or purple, white and orange). And the yellow and white striped dress with a sexy, sheer blue veil as an added layer will ensure I pay regular visits to the Lacoste boutique in the next few months.

Images via style.com

 

Bag Review: Burberry Bloomsbury Tote - Too Big To Handle

 

Christopher Bailey sent down one of his best collections for Burberry till date for the Fall. Hand painted clothes and accessories were the style du jour for the fall at Burberry. Who wouldn't want a revamped Burberry trench coat, a sheep skin jacket, or gorgeous ankle boots with hand painted motifs on them. Bailey has certainly revived the brand that was on the brink of being written off as old and boring. I mean lets face it, eventually one will get bored of seeing the checks. I like how Bailey has mixed the old with the new.

Now when it comes to Burberry hand bags, I've still got my reservations. The Bloomsbury is the brand's newest bag for the fall and has already been said to be the IT / MUST HAVE bag for the season. I beg to differ.

The bags are really beautiful to look and are crafted out of a combination of some interesting materials like wool, cashmere and leather or jute, viscose linen and so on and feature unique artwork (done by hand) on each bag. Agreed these are all very special qualities and will definitely make the person carrying it feel special. But have you seen the size of the tote? I can make do with the medium sized tote and find the hand painted ones really nice but the large one is about 16.9 inches in height! I mean I have enough trouble with the size of my Givenchy Antigona, the Bloomsbury is another level of big. Not to mention structured. So you've got this giant, structured tote, now what? Apart from the artwork, in terms of functionality its saving grace is the optional shoulder strap which might make it easier to lug around. Also, I'm not really caring for the whole tapestry/blanket theme. Furthermore, I'm not feeling very inspired with the shape either. It reminds me terribly of the Louis Vuitton Alma, just a more elongated version of it.

Louis Vuitton Alma

The artsy Bloomsbury bags start at USD 3,195 on their website. A little pricey for a shape that isn't that appealing. Truth be told, if I really wanted to spend that much on a bag that reminds me of tapestry, I might as well go to Jaipur and buy a Persian inspired rug that is handmade in Kashmir. With respect to the painted totes, I can instead buy myself MF Husain serigraphs for that much money too. Sometimes, artistic handbags just don't work. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem in spending that kind of money a on a bag, but just not this one. Click here to check out the bags.

Images via: Burberry & Louis Vuitton

Save The Date (And Some Money) - The Pink Post It Returns On September 6th!

Okay everyone, I'm going to tell you exactly how you're spending your Saturday afternoon. At The Pink Post It's fall trunk show taking place at The Grand in Vasant Kunj! Don't worry, not everyone needs to show up with wards of cash to shop. I love that the girls work with a great price point range starting from INR 1500 to INR 100,000 ensuring there's something in store for everyone. Furthermore, not only is this trunk show a place to shop your favourite designers which you may not find in India, but it is a fantastic platform to showcase the talent of fresh new Indian designers such as Arpita Mehta.

Also,  as Sharnnamli mentioned in her interview, the Outhouse jewellery collection from Lakme Fashion Week will be in Delhi for the first time and exclusively with TPPI. Being a sucker for statement jewellery, it is a bit sad I wont be attending the trunk show. From DVF wrap dresses to Micheal Kors bags to crop tops and pretty floral skirts by Sonal Kalra Ahuja; TPPI has become one of the best trunk shows in Delhi. Please shop some from me too whilst I'll be enjoying some Russian architecture! And above all, HAVE FUN!!

Here are some photos on what you can expect to see on Saturday.

Outhouse

Outhouse

Sonal Kalra Ahuja

Arpita Mehta

 

Catching Up With One Of The Co-Founders Of The Pink Post It Before Their Upcoming Trunk Show!

 

Sharnamli (L) & Mitali (R)

Hello Everyone! As you all may or may not know, The Pink Post It, Delhi's coolest trunk show is back for the Fall. However, before I share details on their Fall trunk show, I got down to catching up with one of the co-founders, Sharnamli Mehra Adhar to understand what exactly TPPI was all about, how she and Mitali Wadhwa came up with this concept, sourcing, price points, etc. I am a bit of a nosy parker and love digging deeper (no pun intended!). Besides, it's always interesting to learn what goes on behind the scenes and I love that fact that they're young entrepreneurs. Here goes!

P.S, Mitali also added her input in the second question :)

Hanadi: What is The Pink Post It?
Sharnamli: The Pink Post It is a series of curated shopping experiences. We wanted to provide a platform to young brands that gives them a credible space to showcase their products. Having said that, we noticed that there was a gap in the affordable luxury space wherein customers wanted fresher brands that moved away from the usual brands they see at various trunk shows and exhibitions.

Hanadi: How did this concept come about?
Sharnamli: Mitali and I are hard core shopaholics like the rest of us ;) Having studied in college together in London and upon returning to Delhi after our degrees, we felt that everyone seemed to dress alike and there was a huge lack of personal style due to unavailability of affordable and innovative designs in the market. We then thought of showcasing clothes and accessories where people like us would come to shop for brands which they would not be able to find or scout for on their own. In addition, affordability was always an intrinsic part in this process.

Mitali: Being a designer myself, I participated in various exhibitions and found that due to the high volume of exhibitors, no one was really selling. Furthermore, these events were not well curated. The owners were taking every designer that approached them. For instance, there were more than over twenty designers in the same category at one exhibition. Eventually, no designer really stood out nor did well.When we started, the exhibition business was in a nascent stage with only two/three players in the market.We felt there was a need for a well curated event where only a handful of designers were picked and everyone we selected, specialised in a category thereby providing each of them with a platform to be able to showcase their collection to a niche audience.

Hanadi: How hard or easy was it to execute it and make people aware about it?
Sharnamli: Its been a very exciting journey so far and we’ve learnt a lot from it. It just seems easy to execute from the outside but we went through a lot of meticulous planning to make sure that when customers come in they should find brands that excite them. A lot of times when we are stuck and can’t make a decision we put ourselves in the place of the customer to see whether we ourselves would buy the product. Making people aware initially was through our personal circles but we soon realized that we cannot just rely on that and have used social media to our advantage. We believe in not over advertising but advertising right. Therefore, our marketing channels are very targeted and focused in getting the people who are excited about fashion & shopping.

Hanadi: How do you choose what international designers you would like to feature at the trunk shows? And how do you forecast what you think will sell?
Sharnamli: International designers that we feature are usually more niche brands that are not necessarily available in the country. We always reach out to brands through reliable distributors and stores like Le Mill which we know sell official merchandise. Our forecasting technique is based again more on the research we do online and reading articles and blogs. A lot of times it is influenced by our travels. We always keep in mind the season and the buying mentality of Indian buyers who are very well heeled and travelled now. So the brands and products need to be updated with latest trends and in addition, have some sort of novelty factor attached.

Hanadi: How do you go about sourcing international merchandise?
Sharnmali: So far most of the international merchandise has been sold through brands like Le Mill, Moon River, Koovs amongst others. We always consult with their teams to give them a better understanding of the customer base we have. These stores are also renowned  for quality and authenticity.

Hanadi: What price points do you work with?
Sharnamli: We generally work on a price range from Rs 1500 up till 1 lac, thereby showcasing something for everyone.

Hanadi: How do you choose what Indian designers to tie up with for the trunk shows?
Sharnmali: The Indian designers we showcase are a mix of the known and fairly new names.We make a decision after a careful screening process keeping in mind the current trends, quality, prices and the brand's prospective growth in the market. We also make sure we know where the product is available and where the designers showcase as we don’t want overly diluted brands. We want customers to be excited by the names. In fact,  a lot of brands have also supported us and exclusively showcase with us :)

Hanadi: How often do you have these trunk shows and in what cities?
Sharnamli: In Delhi we only have the show two times a year once in Feb/March (for summer ) and once in Sept/Oct (for the festive season), so far we’ve been to Chandigarh and are looking to expand to Kolkata, Mumbai and maybe even Dubai soon.

Hanadi: Tell me, what is on your must have list from the upcoming trunk show in Delhi?
Sharnamli: On my lust list is definitely an Indian ensemble from Arpita Mehta's new collection from LFW. I'm also super excited to buy Outhouse's new collection, The Column being showcased in Delhi for the first time exclusively with The Pink Post-It. Oh, might I add, It is straight off the LFW runway!  We also have really quirky and interesting home décor finds this time specially curated for Diwali and the festive season ahead so there is definitely a lot to choose from!

I hope you guys liked my interview with Sharnamli! Stay tuned for some photos on what you can expect to see (and buy) from their trunk show on the 6th September later today. For now, I'm going to go check out the Faberge Museum in St. Petersburg!