NYFW Fall 2014: Karolyn Pho Backstage, Interview & Show

I found myself backstage at the Katherine Pho stage last week, surrounded by beautiful ladies with perfectly messy hair that had intentional frizz added in. The textural hair paired well with the soft brown doe eyes that involved plenty of black mascara and soft eyebrows. Lips are every so slightly rosy as are the peachy soft cheeks.

In the midst of the frenzy of models, and photographers and the patiently waiting dressers, I had a chance to meet with the designer, Karolyn Pho. Karolyn began her career in the film industry as a wardrobe stylist before launching her label in 2012. Despite this being is her first collection during NYFW but she was cool as a cucumber, speaking very frankly to press, including myself while the rows filled up at Pier 59 Studios.

See my interview with her below:
SRC: What are your earliest fashion memories
Karolyn Pho: Pre-school, getting dressed up every morning and taking an hour to get ready. I mean, it was everything, my socks, my shoes, my whole hair concept. My mom would kill me, she would spend hours doing this one bun and if one hair was out of place, good Lord! So it started at a very young age.

SRC: So was the bun and all the clothes your idea?
KP: I was definitely directing it. "Hey can you braid this? Can you do that?"

SRC: Having worked in the film industry before as a stylist, how does that influence your design.
KP: The work itself doesn't inspire design but film in general, I get inspired by films. I think me working in film was just a segway with how tangible it is technically. Gaining that knowledge.

SRC: Was there anything that sparked your change of career path or was being a designer what you always wanted to do?
KP: It wasn't alway what I wanted to do. I started out styling thinking, "Wow, I wanted to be a fashion editor". Styling led into costume design and I just really loved (it). For some of the stuff I was doing, I was creating pieces that were very period or surreal and just specializing in these things. And I just loved clothes and creating these things that don't exist and that for me was like, "Oh maybe I should just do this". On top my education, I was studying Fashion Merchandising which was heavy in merchandising, marketing and all of that business end of things. It all just sort of fell into place.

NYFW Fall 2014: Marissa Webb

I kicked off my fashion week this year at the Marissa Webb show. The designer has been on the radar as one to watch for a number of seasons. This season the designer really found her sweet spot in sexy tomboy-ish clothing that is perfect for day-to-day life - never too sweet, with just the right amount of attitude to turn heads. The city girl who always seems to look pulled together even when she has just woken up and is on-the-go.

The beauty exemplified attitude the with messy rolled just-out-of-bed hair or wispy high buns contrasted with classic cat eyes, soft pink lips and radiant skin in full force.

The color palette was broken up into groupings monochromatic to start, introduction of navy and oxford blue, followed by smoldering purple, dusty pinks and finishing off with bold red. While black, grey and white dominated the color groupings made for a powerful impression. Plaid, tweed, leather, fur and abstract watercolor florals that added texture and dimension to the looks.

Runway Review: Jonathan Simkhai

Jonathan Simkhai has been on my radar  ever since I first laid eyes on his collection at Milk Studios a couple seasons back. For Fall 2014, the designer was inspired by "old school" leather cigar boxes seen through a futuristic lens. The designer has a way of making the ordinary interesting.

Classic American menswear details and fabrics are combined with clean geometric lines to create a modern day warrior woman. She is ready for anything and most importantly dead sexy. There is something tribal about the results, a woman in need of nothing from anybody.

 

Luxurious fabrics like embossed croc leather, pinstripe suiting and Italian wools are combined together. Tobacco colored leather pairs with charcoal pinstripe, black and white and creates warmth against the modern lines. In addition to embossed croc leather, embossed ombre croc that looks futuristic.

NYFW Fall 2014: Costello Tagliapietra

My favorite fashion bears continue to expand their offerings this season beyond the beautifully draped dresses for which they are best known. Jeffrey Costello and Robert Tagliapietra sent pencil skirts, trousers, fitted blazers, a borrowed-from-the-boys cardigan and even a jacquard coat onto the runway.

Don't fret if you are a fan of their luxe easy-to-wear dresss, those are still available. This season they have been a bit simplified for a cleaner approach. They've also lent their signature light touch with draping to beautiful blouses that are perfect for wearing to work or to dinner.

Masters of quirky color combinations you will find a soft mauve jersey with an acrid yellow iridescent taffeta, a rich red with a earth brown, oxblood with navy blue and sea green with navy, charcoal and mauve. The prints this season have an organic earth quality like lichen growing on a rock. Or semi-precious stones in the rough.

NYFW Fall 2014: Richard Chai Love

Richard Chai consistently cranks out collections of clothing that is both beautiful and wearable. His most recent runway show for Richard Chai Love gave a slight 90s grunge vibe, in the best way possible.

 

Rich colors like merlot and tobacco were softened by slate blue, camel, mousey taupe and hazy lavender. Texture was an important element with brushed fabrics contrasted by opulent floral jacquards and textured lace over sleek leather. Plaids, stripes and color blocked panels add interest. In the final few looks the subtle colors used in the patterns burst forward in a crystalline fractal print that is like modern stained glass.

Softly rounded and sloped shoulders for both men and women, a dropped waist silhouette and easy shapes that are comfortable looking but with just enough tailored polish to look pulled together without trying. Layering is important as seen with the sheer crinkle knit shown under dresses and tops. For men, layering comes in the form of a shirt shown tied at the waist over pants, creating almost a skirt for men.

Hair looks tousled like you just rolled out of bed, with the men throwing on a beanie to do some errands. The look is effortless dressing that I would love to have in my closet.

   

NYFW Spring 2014: Katya Leonovich

This post is quite overdue since life got busier but I hope that you still appreciate the Art-to-wear quality of the collection 

Although Russian designer Katya Leonovich is already well known throughout Europe, she just made her NYFW debut just two years ago. We have been watching this designer grow and evolve ever since. Leonovich has a signature ‘Beautiful Garbage’ concept that has been with her from the start bit this season, that concept was less evident. The focus of the show was more about silhouette and draping. The show was a combination of Spring-ready gauzy pastels and unexpected leathers in bold colors. 

Iridescent fabrics made a strong presence throughout and gold, icy blue and frosty beige were at the heart of many designs. Sleek leather was given a sexy look with lacing up the front and like-a-glove fit. Feminine ruffles and organic draping had dresses seemingly dripping off the body.

 Marble print introduced Ms. Leonovich's love of color but less harsh and softer than in past efforts. I personally felt the cocktail dresses were the most successful effort and would look lovely floating down a red carpet on a starlet who is not afraid to be a little bold.

 

Milan Spring 2014: Prada

In a sea of black and white this season trust Miuccia Prada to take us into a rainbow of colors. Her inspiration for this collection was women of strength and she commissioned 6 artists to create paintings that depicted the theme and served as the backdrop for the collection. The art was then emblazoned on many a dress and jacket.

Silhouettes were loose and straight with soft rounded hips throughout the collection.

The declaration of woman was most evident in the bra silhouette that was emphasized and sewn in contrast color panels or embellished to a point where the chest cannot be missed. Over the top of a coat and on the bodices of countless dresses. The results were not sexual but almost a cartoon appearance of a woman's chest. Coats actually were a key focus of this collection and I felt like the number of variations were both statement making and dizzying.

NYFW Spring 2014: Proenza Schouler

The designers behind Proenza Schouler never fail to win us over season after season with their sharp eye, graphic prints and well tailored pieces with an oft architectural hand.

Inspired by American mid-century modern furniture  design, you can see influences in the way they handle fabric and in turn the way the clothes hang on the body. Wide legged culottes, broomstick pleated skirts with bronze or gold foil swish around the legs. Carefully constructed pleat peplums pair with fitted cropped tops. Shoulders are soft and rounded while hemlines of both skirt and pant fall between the knee and ankle. Throughout the collection a feminine waist emphasis is consistent.

Wallpaper-like print, a jacket that resembles a shag rug, square metal hardware that borrows from furniture are where the inspiration is most obvious. Although it continues with subtler ways as well including how fabrics are printed almost to the edge like wall paper. The color palette was simple with black and  cream dominating the show with the addition of the colors wine red and goldenrod. There was also a heavy metallic presence with silver, gold and bronze accents and fabrics abounding.

This collection is softer than it's predecessors. The fresh change that an interest in draping brought about is both serene and absolutely winning.