coutorture --

Members Only Making Us Feel Nostalgic

coutorture — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:20:50 -0800

We happen to think Members Only has come full circle. Having gone from infamous eighties staple to ironic hipster statement (an early 2000 revival), the iconic jackets have settled in to being simply themselves; the kind that look just as good on your 250 pound dad as they do you. We decided to feature Members Only for our Nostalgia shoot, as notions of old James Bond movies and tomboy tendencies were floating around in our minds.

Wendy Nichol Goes Marc Jacobsy

coutorture — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:35:46 -0700

While checking up on local New York jewelry designer, Wendy Nichol, we discovered Nichol's daughter modeling in her newest look book. The shoot, a very pretty, very sweet, very Marc Jacobs-inspired gallery of images, shows the leather-covered hearts and pyramid shapes that are prominent in this most recent collection as worn by the youngest of the Nichol's clan. We know Nichol from our days in e-commerce and know that she and her family are more or less the perfect version of 'I'm never moving to the suburbs' and so we only saw it is as very sweet and quirky of the Nichols family. How will other people feel, we wonder? It's hard to say. If anything the shoot will bring some extra-jewelry shopping attention to her brand or, at worst, upset people who misconstrue it as inappropriate or damaging to put a young girl in mascara--it does, in a way, make us feel old and haggard even in our mid-twenties. Look book aside, Wendy Nichol is an amazing jewelry designer. Her rock and roll vibe and balance between costumery and fine jewelry has made her a prominant New York designer. In the end, our headline is 'cute daughter in tough-girl jewelry makes for Marc Jacobsy/quirky look book'. It's a winner.

Celine Leather Biker Jacket

coutorture — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:25:46 -0700

A classic Fall staple, reinvented by Celine. This four thousand dollar biker jacket is, depending on your perspective, a must-have for Fall. If your budget doesn't warrant such spending, there are always options. But let's talk about the Celine version for a second, shall we? Celine, the French fashion house owned by LVMH, is now headed by Ivana Omazic. Omazic has on her resume stints with Miu Miu, Jil Sander, and Prada which is probably why this brand keeps popping up on our radar. The jacket, with its wide lapel and scrunch-worthy sleeves, is modern enough to separate itself from the classic vintage versions without leaving 'classic' out of the equation entirely. In fact, this piece is something we're sure the owner would wear for seasons to come. So, if there ever were a time to spend such money, and we know the recession doesn't help matters, now would be it. No matter which leather bomber you opt for (some gals forego black all together) the trick, we think, is investing in one you know you'll wear for seasons to come. Staples like these deserve a bit of extra attention.

Brooklyn Royalty Fall 08 Fashion Show

coutorture — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:49:48 -0700

Funnily enough, the Brooklyn Royalty Fall 08 show took place in Manhattan. In true Brooklyn spirit, though, designer Bob Bland wore a screen printed t shirt that read "I'd rather be in Brooklyn". Well said, Bob. The show was packed full of Vodka swilling Brooklynites, a true representation of the young back-end of the fashion industry. Bland just finished up as a menswear designer for Triple Five Soul and so her crew consists of many young twenty-somethings who sweat and slave behind the scenes at like-minded companies (Bland has also worked for Banana Republic, Rugby by Ralph Lauren, and Tommy Hilfiger). The collection included screen printed t-shirts and bags, along with painted denim in gold and silver, and one leather corset-like dress that would turn heads from Bedford Avenue to Central Park. The jeans, hand painted with a special technique Bland developed with her experience in printing and design, are meant to improve with age. As any good Brooklynite knows, this is the deal breaker when making a purchase. If you can wear it for as long as you save up to buy an apartment, you're one version of a proper New Yorker.

Fall 08 Trends Via Oscar de la Renta: Layering Texture

coutorture — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 09:03:33 -0800

Peter Som, Zac Posen, and Phillip Lim did it too, the streamlined magpie. Perhaps one of the most interesting visions during New York Fashion Week was that of layered texture. Layering and texture, two relatively ambiguous terms, combined this Fashion Week as an exercise in personality. As for layering, it's mostly the sort of slouchy-chic Americana aesthetic, which appears season after season, and as for texture, the ability of technology, art, and architecture to inspire the most innovative textiles (or at least, those reimagined through pairing). The Oscar de la Renta Fall 2008 collection gave us one of the best examples of this theme. A buttery soft plum leather skirt with tulle overlay was paired with a cashmere knit sweater in purples and greens. The mixture of these fabrics, the layering employed, was delivered seamlessly. Never has magpie been so streamlined.

Links:
Oscar de la Renta Fall 08 Backstage
Oscar de la Renta Fall 08 Photo Gallery
Oscar de la Renta Fall 08 Video