coutorture --

The One Train

coutorture — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:27:31 -0700

Today's original Coutorture editorial, shot by photographer Wayne Liu, took place in the 168th street subway station. We took the 1 train up together, pieces from the Fall 08 Steinunn collection in tow, and spent the rest of the day underground. Funnily enough it was the first day of Spring in New York.

To learn more about Liu, check out our interview and his first photo shoot with us called, Haunted. After the shoot we asked Liu to write us something on what would become 'The One Train'. Below, his narrative, and the shoot with Steinunn Fall 08.

'Ms. X appears, on the silver screen or right next to me—I cannot know the difference. I am no stalker, no, I’m too disinterested to even try, but perhaps we’ve talked at some point, and perhaps the static air of our whispers is what remains stalking me. We connect on the topic of ephemeral relationships and their malcontents; then she drifts, tugging her hair, or maybe her bonnet, and begins to straighten her blouse. She pretends not to notice the gum dried on the track, nor the glance from the edge of my eye. These matter not to her, these flirtations exchanged. She enjoys herself for reasons I shall remain oblivious to, so it seems with her eyes desiring couture endlessly that I can relate in my obsessive collecting of her images, presented here for a future Ms. X.' -Wayne Liu

Interview With Designer Steinunn Sigurd

coutorture — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:35:17 -0700

Steinunn Sigurd is an a rare mix of sophistication and rawness. The designer featured in our One Train photo editorial shot by Wayne Liu. The Icelandic designer is heavily influenced by the nature of her homeland and yet that organic influence is tempered by her exceptional focus craftsmanship. The combination of virgin wilderness and modern detailing makes for a balanced intellectual reflection on dressing.

Can you tell us a little bit about your inspiration for the Fall 08 collection?
My inspiration always comes from Iceland, this season it is the texture of the lava, the orange colour of the magna, the floating lava and the misty silver, grey colour from the steam of the hot springs.

The details of each garment really stand out. This was part of the reason why we chose to shoot the collection with photographer Wayne Liu, in black and white film. Does detail come before, say, color or silhouette in your designs?
I always start with texture, that is the most important part of the collection, it is the reason behind the collection. I didn't know that you choose to shoot in black and white, it must look amazing.

What did your experiences working as Design Director for La Perla and Senior Designer for Tom Ford teach you about what it takes to run your own label?
Mr. Ford made me independent, to stand and work on my own and make my own decisions, He gave me an insight in to sex appeal and rock and roll. La Perla gave my the first oppertunity to prove my independence.

Is there anything you miss about working for another designer?
What I do miss about working with the big fashion houses is the professionalism that surrounds them. Their names stands for crafmanship, pure design and standard that is very high. Everyday I think of this craftmanship.

If Seinunn could go anywhere, be anything--what would be in store for the label?
The most amazing pieces of clothing with crafmanship that can withstand decades...timeless elegance.

6. Outside of Steinunn, what is your everyday life like?

My Reykjavík life is very simple: family, friends, dog, house, summerhouse, gardening and being part of the Reykjavík creative melting pot.

Corpus Interview

coutorture — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 06:39:59 -0700

As part of our showroom photo shoot series (see James Coviello and JF & Son for more) we popped into Archetype showroom to shoot the Corpus Fall 08 collection. Earlier that day, we had a rager over the revival of acid wash (didn't this just happen) and when we got to the showroom, low and behold, a pair of cherry red acid washed jeans were looking us in the eye. So, we thought of the shoot from the vantage point of a prep school in the early 1990's. Maybe even an English prep school, we thought, which probably popped into our minds with our model Estella, telling us about her move to New York from sunny London. We first saw the Corpus Fall 08 collection at Capsule, and right away the Navajo print cardigan caught our eye. One of the first major purchases everyone makes when Fall is on it's way is a new cozy cardi. It's hard to think about now, as all New York has on it's mind are the sweet blue skies of summer. But it's true. If you think back to the first time there's a chill in the air, the first time you opt for a hot coffee and a croissant over an iced coffee and a bowl of Margarita, you start thinking about cozy knits and country homes. Queue Navajo print. Seriously, it conjures all of those cozy cravings in one fell swoop. Funnily enough, the guys behind Corpus, Jerrod Cornish and Keith Richardson, live in Los Angeles. Somehow, the pair have captured an East Coast moment with their Fall 08 prep school versus the college professor vibe. Like romanticizing a change in seasons, maybe a little bit of distance makes for a brighter future. Our interview with Corpus below as well as our exclusive Coutorture editorial of the Fall 08 collection.

Can you tell us a little bit how Corpus began?
Jerrod and I had been friends for awhile. One day we were talking and decided that we wanted to start a clothing line. We saw something missing in the market and wanted to fill that void.

What was missing? Was it a few specific garments you envisioned, or a particul aesthetic?
We felt there was a lot missing. This was over 5 years ago when we started the process of getting Corpus rolling. Streetwear was huge and there wasn't much of a middle ground between high fashion and low priced clothing. So we set out to do clothes that were not cheap but also not trying to be a uber fashion like Lanvin. We wanted to make quality fashionable clothes that you can wear but didn't look like you were walking down a runway.

Do you think there is anything inherently West Coast about the brand?
The West Coast is amazing and we are very proud of residing here. But our brand is not like most brands from the West as far as the styling and type of garments we make. There are not many people making moreno cashmere sweaters with navajo prints knit into them out here. But the West Coast resides in places for sure in the brand I just can't put my finger on it.

May, over at Archetype, told me that you were friends with the designers of Fremont. Are many of your friends designers or artists of some sort?
Yes we know Devon. He's great. We have many friends in the creative feilds. Its great to be around like minded people no matter what form or art the do music, paiting, fashion etc.

Is it difficult to be immersed in a community of other designers and artists and yet still create collections that are, to you, nonconformist?
No because most clothing in our category looks the same. And in LA there are not many clothing designers we are inspired by. Its more like minded people that inspire us. We spend a lot of time in New York and get direct inspiration from fashion designers and artists and just the general public in New York but in LA there is a disconnect--your in your car all day. You just don't see many people in LA. Its your home, to your car, to work, back to your car, and home. It's hard to get inspired living that lifestyle. You have to look much harder to see what's out here.
If Corpus had a manifesto, what would it be?
Just to make clothes we are proud to put out there. Never conforming to what the rest of the market is doing.

How do you differentiate between the women's and mens lines? Do you treat them as separate entities, design everything at the same time, design something unisex and spin it in two directions, or some combination of all of these things?
The womens line is growing slowly into its own entity. Soon we will have more womens specific pieces.

The Blonds Fall 08 Fashion Show

coutorture — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:45:02 -0700

One of the only breaks we took during fashion week, where we decided to just sit down and watch, was at The Blonds Fall 08 fashion show. Most of America will think of Betsey Johnson as the wild and crazy show to watch, but the true fashionistas know that lesser known, downtown labels like The Blonds really know how to pack the punch. The Fall 08 show, held at the Prince George Ballroom, revealed a collection inspired by the movie Legend (Naturally, we included the famous unicorn apology scene below). The theme safely queued up The Blonds penchant for flamboyant, embellished, glamorous costumery and gave this season an extra push towards unicorns, rainbow colored gemstones, and big hair (nothin' wrong with that). The more traditional garments in the collection could easily be worn to an elegant black tie occasion, and the most wild in the collection, at the best clubs in New York City. If your a Blond girl, you'll have a little bit of both thankyouverymuch.

Phillipe and David Blond launched the label just four years ago. Each piece in their collection is handmade and one of a kind. As wild as some of their pieces are, we aren't surprised that the collection gets snatched up quickly. The thing about people who like to wear outrageous garments with extra special details is that they aren't exactly the type to, well, share. Funnily enough, Phillipe Blond started his design career working for Los Angeles based label DDC Lab, known for a utility-based aesthetic that doesn't exactly involve bedazzled corsets (though he was an illustrator, so perhaps that was the, ahem, draw) or club-ready clothing. David Blonde was a windows man for ten years in New York City. Now, the two are wholeheartedly The Blonds and bring that persona from Fashion Week, to the drafting table, to the dance floor, and back.

The Blonds Fall 08 Fashion Show

Coutorture original editorial, backstage at The Blonds Fall 08 show

We also have impressive designer video interviews and original editorial spreads. May we cordially suggest perusing our selection? Enjoy New York Fashion Week Designer Video Interviews from Oscar De La Renta, Donna Karan for DKNY,Michael Kors, Isaac Mizrahi, Nicole Miller, Erin Fetherston, Ashleigh Verrier , Adam Lippes, James Coviello, John Varvatos , Monique Lhuillier, Joanna Mastroianni, Tory Burch, Neeam Khan

Trend de la Creme For Coutorture: Entomological Comparisons

coutorture — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:58:52 -0700

See, New Yorkers like nature! Promise! Well, it doesn't hurt when there's a bit of fashion thrown in the mix (or black lipstick!). For our second installment of this exclusive Trend de la Creme for Coutorture comparison series, Trend de la Creme has helped us rig up the likeness of bugs and insects with the Fall 08 Giles collection as seen in London Fashion Week. This collection is said to have been inspired by Edgar Allen Poe's The Masque Of The Red Death, a story where a grand party is thrown with each room decorated in a different color. In the story, everyone starts, quite literally, dropping dead. So for Giles, this meant a kind of glamorous gothic inspiration. Why, then, does each garment correspond so impeccably with an insect or bug? We're thinking it's to do with the golden ratio or something. Or, on a serious note, that our eye recognizes only a few general aesthetic characteristics at first glance (color, shape, texture), leaving room for these likenesses. Take a peek for yourself, our gallery of the Giles Fall 08 collection and its entomological comparisons, below.

Link: Trend de la Creme

Fall 08 Studio Visit With James Coviello

coutorture — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 05:59:45 -0800

During this Fall 2008 Fashion Week we captured the backstage preparations for James Coviello's fashion show. This was when we fell in love, not only with Coviello's collection but with the energy, romance, and discipline the designer brings to his work. For today's exclusive Coutorture photo shoot we shot the hats in Coviello's collection, up close and personal. It's clear by now that millinery is making a huge comeback in fashion, and who better to speak with than someone with a strong background in this craft.

Coviello, in addition to designing his own line of hats from when he first graduated from Parson's in 1987, has also designed hats for Oscar de la Renta, Anna Sui, and Calvin Klein in the past. His knowledge of millinery work is impressive and his enthusiasm, therefore, is unwavering, "Everyone should have a hat! People are afraid of color but on an accessory like a hat it doesn't have to define you or your wardrobe...The hats [for Fall 08] added to each outfit and no one once said the word 'costume.' These hats don't feel like we are trying too hard. It felt new and fresh and honestly, it was nice to take a risk"

This Fall 08 season, Coviello turned to a rich 1940's art deco inspiration. The looks were ladylike and encouraged a strong posture and confident profile. It's the kind of fashion that begs for poise, something we're sure will make for a strong consumer response come Fall deliveries. As for the hats in the collection, Coviello tells us, "It's a nod to the avant garde. [To] make a statement. It's a phantasmagoria of color, the romance of the old blocks." But the collection didn't manifest from the hats, rather it was the other way around, "They weren't prepared until we started to do previews of the collection...Every night after a regular day of work I would sit down with the hats. It was my second shift. It got to be second nature. And then slowly but surely it came together. But then its second nature as I have been doing it for so long...Making the hats [for Fall 08] was like making another whole collection. In the past we had done one style but this season the hats felt like their own collection even as they enhanced what was going on in the clothing. "

Boy, did they ever. Our photo shoot with Coviello's hats below, along with links to the Fall 08 backstage photos, fashion show, and other Coutorture editorial.

Links:
James Coviello Fall 08 backstage photos
James Coviello Fall 08 fashion show

We also have impressive designer video interviews and original editorial spreads. May we cordially suggest perusing our selection? Enjoy New York Fashion Week Designer Video Interviews from Oscar De La Renta, Donna Karan for DKNY,Michael Kors, Isaac Mizrahi, Nicole Miller, Erin Fetherston, Ashleigh Verrier , Adam Lippes, James Coviello, John Varvatos , Monique Lhuillier, Joanna Mastroianni, Tory Burch, Neeam Khan

oscar

nostalgia

brace yourself

haunted

Paris Fashion Week: Givenchy Fall 2008 Recap

coutorture — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:05:38 -0800

You know, goth references can be so darn pretty. This Paris Fashion Week, Riccardo Tisci showed his Fall 2008 RTW collection for Givenchy (much to the dismay of our French friends, we constantly find excuses to say this word) and boy, was it sweet. It was also undeniably sexy and slightly severe at the right moments (see black pencil thin leather pants and patent parkas). When those gorgeous ruffled silk blouses peek out from the strict tailoring of their respective trousers and jackets, it's difficult not to swoon. Our first impression, upon seeing the collection, inspired a slightly naughty daydream and so it came as no surprise that the collection manifested from Catholicism as it appears in South America. Only the Catholics could make us think random dirty thoughts on a Thursday afternoon in the loft/office. All funny business and religion aside, this collection is dark and romantic and satisfies our urges to look pretty but not darling, sharp, and just a little bit goth.

We also have impressive designer video interviews and original editorial spreads. May we cordially suggest perusing our selection? Enjoy New York Fashion Week Designer Video Interviews from Oscar De La Renta, Donna Karan for DKNY,Michael Kors, Isaac Mizrahi, Nicole Miller, Erin Fetherston, Ashleigh Verrier , Adam Lippes, James Coviello, John Varvatos , Monique Lhuillier, Joanna Mastroianni, Tory Burch, Neeam Khan

oscar

nostalgia

brace yourself

haunted

Fall 08 Trends Via Oscar de la Renta: Plum

coutorture — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 09:10:38 -0800

Oscar de la Renta was one of many designers to show plum in their Fall 2008 collection. Albeit, Oscar's plum was just a little bit richer, just a little bit more, well, plum than the others. Or maybe that's just our crush on the designer who insists, season after season, on celebrating the ever-popular concept of the 'powerful woman'. Oscar's plum appeared in the form of a trim cashmere knit sweater, high waisted wide leg trousers, and two fabulous floral print frocks. Below, two galleries, our editorial of the Oscar de la Renta Fall 08 plums, and, you know, everyone else's.

More: The Only Oscar We Care About.

More: Plum for A/W 08

Louboutin Notes

coutorture — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:56:47 -0700

Just a few updates in case you make it your business to stalk the deliveries of Louboutins--like we do. Call us predictable, we believe in the canon.

If you can say this three times in a row, we'll come to your house and paint all of your shoe soles red. The Altadama Astrakhan Platforms, which we pulled for today's editorial, Fall's Top Five: Past & Present, deserve a note on their real-life presence. Net-A-Porter articulates them as being appropriate from late summer through mid-fall but we're pretty sure they're fabulous (and we don't use that word lightly) for any temperature (with hosiery, of course!). For our shoot we went monochrome and opaque. We're all about the colored tight and the monochromatic styling, so call it by osmosis that our stylist showed up with this pairing in mind. The shoes are larger than life, is all we wanted to say. Just in case you can't tell from the picture.

The New Simple Pumps, which we wrote about the second they hit Net-a-Porter, only to find them sold out by the end of the day, are back in stock. Never underestimate the power of a reorder! Some sizes have started selling out but we wouldn't bring it up if there weren't a significant run of sizes left. As we said before, these grey flannel pumps would probably take you miles this fall. We don't expect to see them on the site next week.

There's nothing better than falling in love with a pair of shoes and then finding out they come in multiple colors. The Very Brode Pumps (or, the Passementerie Pumps, as they're known to Neiman Marcus) so far, we've seen in yellow, red, and hot pink. The hot pink pair we pulled for our shoot (though, sadly, it didn't make it in) and we have to say that they are outfit-making if ever. As perfect with crisp jeans as with a proper cocktail dress, the only tough decision is which color to indulge in. Yesterday we thought pink but today we're leaning towards yellow. As if we needed something else to worry about right before fashion week!

Five Fall Trends: Past & Present

coutorture — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:28:14 -0700

In today's original Coutorture editorial we've pulled together what we consider Fall's top five trends and depicted one vintage and one modern interpretation for each. We know mixing price points is an important consideration, especially in this economic climate, and we thought it neat to show two versions of the same trend in order to display just how accessible the Fall 08 looks are, no matter what your budget. Our stylist and Network Partner, Liz Baca from the website M.I.S.S. Crew, came up with some amazing looks and we'll break those down, later this week, with corresponding trend galleries from the Fall 08 catwalks. Baca was able to come at the project with strong insight from both the modern and vintage perspective because, in addition to styling shoots and writing about modern fashion, she also sells vintage to the hippest boutiques in the Lower East Side. We'll be posting an interview with Baca soon, where she articulates the challenges of being a vintage buyer and her perspective on the Fall 08 season. We'll also be posting behind the scenes photo galleries, beauty spreads, and an interview with the husband and wife design team, Shannon Sinclair and Bryn Bowen, who photographed and made set (respectively) for today's shoot. Stay tuned for all of these great pieces of Coutorture content. We're off taping a few pre-fashion week video interviews and sneaking in one shoot before New York Fashion Week kicks off so expect lots of exciting things popping up on our front page, from here all the way through the Spring 09 Paris shows.

For some instant gratification, check out the spread below with some of the items we pulled from eLuxury, Net-a-Porter, and Shobop for today's shoot. We don't pull current season by accident...we know there's something to be said for immediacy in fashion.