coutorture --

Chanel Fall 2008 Runway Video and Karl Lagerfeld Interview

coutorture — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 06:00:19 -0800

Karl Lagerfeld meant it when he said in our video interview that he had a new proportion for Chanel RTW. The attitude and the mood of that proportion is "we are longer and leaner than anyone else."We suppose that is why the models looked so tiny against the giant 2.55 purses. And as he said it was not overcharged with details. And while Karl, ever the marketing genius, had a few new "it" items like the little beret and the two colored stocking, the collection itself was not overcharged. The message was loud, clear, and slim.

Pre-Fashion Week Video Interviews

coutorture — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:08:18 -0700

To celebrate the kick off of New York Fashion Week we've produced five teaser videos for the Spring 09 season. Last week, amid the inevitable chaos of designers and their pr offices, we snuck in and said hello to some of our favorite New York designers. That is Jerry Tam of Form, Ashleigh Verrier, Steinunn Sigurd of Steinunn, Chris Han, and Brandy Lunsford of Harlan Bel. In the teasers you'll discover a glimpse of the inspiration behind their collections and what each designer does to prepare for Fashion Week. When the time comes, we'll be posting their respective Spring 09 fashion shows (or presentations) and a little backstage action to boot.

Rebecca Minkoff Talkin' About Bags

coutorture — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:32:59 -0700

Our Network Partner, Chic & Untroubled, clued us into a new feature on Shopbop. Handbag designer Rebecca Minkoff, whom we interviewed a few weeks back, has filmed a short video walking Shobop customers through her Fall collection. This, we think, is big news indeed. Right now we're seeing a cross-pollination of fashion editorial and shopping. Ecommerce is going editorial (see Net-a-Porter's magazine, Shop Bop's video look books) and editorial, is going ecommerce (see our Shopstyle spreads). Online shopping and online reading never meant to mimic the magazines and developments like these really drive that point home. What does it mean to read about fashion online? Well, to us, it means following the process from runway show to shopping bag and reveling in all the particulars along the way. Did that trend we talked about seeing on the runways ever make it to the street? Is that pair of sandals we saw editorialized sold out for the rest of the season? If we don't have the budget to buy those tights, can we make them ourselves? All of these details are aspects of what it means to be interested in fashion and, if you ask us, helps us to be educated consumers indeed.To make things really postmodern we've included a spread of our top five favorite Minkoff bags, all from Shopbop, below.

Bloggers X DVF: Behind The Scenes Video

coutorture — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 07:32:58 -0700

Just when you thought our DVF X Bloggers content had hit its saturation point... With all of the photo galleries, ecommerce tie ins, and posts of posts of posts that were the result of the Bloggers X Diane Von Furstenburg photo shoot, our behind the scenes tape took a backseat. Then we found ourselves in San Francisco where we decided to slice up the footage for a little retrospective post. It was, for us and our lovely Network Partners (we wish it could have been all of them but that would have been one hell of an event), a real blast. More than anything, we think we can speak for everyone in saying that the experience really solidified the DVF brand in our minds. Not only were the frocks flattering on everyone, but the people who helped Coutorture organize the event were accommodating and supportive to no end. That, truth be told, is a combination that will keep us brand loyal for a long time. If there were ever a question in our minds, the wrap dresses we just picked up at the massive DVF sample sale would have sealed the deal. Somehow, we forgot just how sexy, and we mean traffic-stopping, those classic DVF wrap dresses can be.

A Few Words With Charles Nolan

coutorture — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 08:27:02 -0700

Few designers are as articulate about their inspirations as Charles Nolan. We suspect his expressive personality comes from his detail oriented work process that focuses not only on the big picture of a season but on the tangible needs of his particular customer base. One never gets the impression that anything is haphazard when at the house of Charles Nolan. We were privileged to have a quick word with Mr. Nolan before his Cruise 2009 showing. Please take a moment to enjoy it.

We Can Dance! Without Pants

coutorture — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:40:00 -0700

Inside jokes are funny things as it is almost impossible to reconstruct the genesis of a witticism particular to a clique. Nevertheless we feel a burning desire to share with you a strange connection we have made in our heads here at Coutorture about the danger of going without pants. Please bear with us while we explain. Your Editor in Chief and Creative Director have a unique take on Men Without Hat's Safety Dance. For reasons unknown to to them, in some fit of fashionista perversity they have managed to transpose dance for pants in several instances of the lyrics. Thus

I say, we can dance if we want to
We can leave your friends behind
'Cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance
Well they're no friends of mine

Has become

'Cause your friends don't pants and if they don't pants
Well they're no friends of mine

And no we aren't sure how we arrived at this conclusion either but many choruses of "we can pants" have been sung. But clearly if friends don't pants well then they're no friends of mine! Or at least that is what we imagine the Tights Aren't Pants Manifesto we discovered via community member Fashionation might have to say on the issue.

And yet as good Williamsburg residents we just aren't sure if, despite our revised lyrics, people without pants are in fact no friends at all. It would seem dancing about in fields in crazy tights or leggings might very well be the sort of liberating "we can dance" experience that was made for fashion fans crazy enough to style in the weirdest of leggings. Even if they use them as pants.

Chris Habana Jewelry

coutorture — Mon, 19 May 2008 11:55:32 -0700

Jewelry designer Chris Habana balances the masculine and feminine in his decidedly unisex pieces. What translates is a jewelry collection where each piece is not without the sort of panache to make an outfit. New Yorkers aren't known for their modesty, after all. Using a variety of materials, from bright fabrics to gold plated alloy to oxidized silver, Habana's jewelry is a dynamic mix of concept and material. We caught up with the designer for a video interview and pulled a few pieces for what became the Static Gold photo shoot. Habana was also featured in our Everybody Is A Star photo shoot, where he set the tone with his unabashed poses and inherent style. His jewelry, to demonstrate its wearability on both fashion-forward men and women is sold, in New York, at both BBlessing and TG170. Just blocks away from each other these two shops are among the retail dictators of fashion downtown. Habana's jewelry, then, suits the BBlessing boys and the TG170 girls who know that like skinny jeans, Uniqlo t-shirts, and wayferers there are some things that just about everyone can get down with.

Oscar De La Renta Resort 2009 Collection Multimedia Report

coutorture — Fri, 16 May 2008 07:05:52 -0700

The ladies who lunch had a wonderful excuse to be late to their reservations. Oscar De La Renta showed a 66 strong resort collection at 11am at what has become the house's traditional location on 63rd and Park.

With white cherry blossoms on white washed trees the setting was serene. A mix of almost autumnal ochre, cocoa and eggshell separates in cotton and wool silk made for a unique start for traditionally more brighter resort collections. The jaunty round brimmed riding caps that accompanied the first few looks were also surprisingly fetching and an accessory that was positively unexpected as we associate anything equestrian with colder weather collections. But of course Oscar doesn't leave his customers wanting. For women looking for a little more traditional fare corals, yellows, blues, pink, and bright emerald colors along with Caribbean prints are sure to please anyone looking to stand out.

We fell in love with a high waisted ivory silk pant that was part of a larger section that incorporated soothing white and black organza, silk, and lace pieces. The neutrals are an excellent way to enjoy the collection far beyond its expected season as they worked beautifully as basics for any season. We can see these pieces being extremely popular with pragmatic and high powered women executives who are certainly primed with disposable income and looking to incorporate fashion into office wear.

The most expressive pieces were undoubtedly the voluminous gowns that quite literally had a five foot radius thanks to puffy organza and tulle.

Accessories were a strong complement to the collection, no doubt in line with Oscar's amazing ability to combine commercial appeal and aesthetic acumen. We were particularly enamored of straw sandals and espadrilles, particularly flatter versions which felt like Tom's Shoes for a much fancier crowd. Bag fans will find the much loved Goya and Bombay bags in new materials and colors.

Garmento: Inside the Screenprinter’s Studio

coutorture — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:21:31 -0700

Last Thursday, we caught up with Becca and Paul Steinman, co-owners of Quist Industries, Brooklyn’s full-service screenprinting and embroidery studio. Based in Red Hook, the small team of printers, designers and business development specialists at Quist boast customers ranging from red-hot indie (Barking Irons and Gilded Age) to chic & established (Anna Sui, Betsey Johnson, Kangol).

Screenprinting (also referred to as silkscreening), is the process of pressing ink through a fine mesh that has been exposed (in a way similar to photo developing) onto a fabric’s surface. Screenprinting is relatively easy to learn, which is why many start-up fashion labels begin with graphic t-shirts and hoodies. As we found out from Paul, creating a consistently professional print takes skill, equipment and an eye for great design. (Take a look at the video for the complete scoop on the screenprinting process).

We also chatted with Becca and Mindy Dulberg, Quist’s business development specialist, about entrepreneurship, the Red Hook community and the benefits of buying locally-made fashion. Especially for up-and-coming NYC designers, local printing resources provide lower minimum orders, more hands-on interaction and easier communication than overseas or even Californian print houses. For NYC shoppers, this usually translates into lower prices on truly unique designer graphics.

-Written by Bob Bland for Coutorture
-Click for more information on Quist Industries

About Garmento: Garmento is a weekly feature on Coutorture devoted to giving you an inside look at the real fashion industry. Before the runway reviews and the photo shoots, before the ad campaigns and the Vogue editorials, an enormous network of fashion professionals are involved in the creation of every garment. Check us out every week for a new perspective on each step, from trend forecasting and design to manufacturing and sales. With every new profile, you’ll see that whether your fav outfit is from H&M or Hermes, the process is the same. Don’t become a fashion victim- inform yourself weekly with Garmento, and unleash the smart and savvy shopper within.

About Bob Bland: Bob Bland is a freelance writer and professional menswear designer with experience at Triple Five Soul, Rugby by Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Banana Republic. She is also the designer and founder of Brooklyn Royalty, a Williamsburg-based line of men’s and ladies’ apparel. Founded in 2006, the line combines timeless design principles, premium materials and hand-printed graphics for indispensible garments that are meant to look and wear better over time. For more on Bob Bland and Brooklyn Royalty, check out www.brooklynroyalty.com.

The Future of Fashion In The Past Is The Present

coutorture — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:07:10 -0700

Certain designers have a thing for delving in the past, particularly when it comes to forecasting the future. Our love of comedy show Mystery Science Theater 3000 helped us appreciate old-timey gem Clothing of The Future. The video highlights fashion of the future, err well in the year 2000, with some of America's greatest designers. And let's just say we let out our inner Crow T. Robot with our critiques of the video.

We don't wonder if those greatest designers are an awful lot like our current greats. We saw Marc Jacobs's Misplaced Heel, one of Marc's famed 1920's inspired slim dress suits, a See by Chloe Jumpsuit (or Normal Kamali jumpsuit for that matter), a Badgley Mischka gown, and a hair accessories that evokes a certain Rimmel light up lipgloss. It would seem that Clothing of The Future in 2000 is more like Clothing of the Present Spring 2008 than we would have ever guessed.

Fashion Friday Video Indulgence

coutorture — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 08:07:52 -0800

There are no two people who elicit more fashion 'inspiration' than Brigitte Bardot and Serge Gainsbourg. Frankly, every season you'll find a designer inspired by one of the two. And, because that sexy French, 'I endorse weaponry and cigarette smoking', thing never really goes out of style, this video fits right in with our footage of the Elie Saab, Christian Dior, Lanvin, and Chanel fashion shows. In the end, man, it's all one big dressing room filled with neckties, hats, and pencil skirts. Put it to some music, make sure handsome, charismatic people are involved, and you're deeply embedded in the allure of the industry. Now, it's Friday, be like a designer and think: What would Bardot do? (Answer: Probably Serge Gainsbourg).

Elie Saab Fall 2008 Fashion Show Video and Designer Interview

coutorture — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:24:59 -0800

Elie Saab is feeling "new" this season with an exploration of new volume and fabrics.

Color was his key takeaway with greens, blues, and reds holding the attention. And it being fall that naturally lent itself to dramatic emotions all around.

Lanvin Fall 2008 Fashion Show Video and Alber Elbaz Interview

coutorture — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:15:35 -0800

Alber Elbaz had nothing less than the definition of modernity in mind his Fall 2008 RTW collection at Lanvin. Grosgrain and ribbons were in full force alongside many bits and bobbins. And yet curiously Elbaz said in our video that he believes a modern woman is aerodynamic. We imagine he meant the emphasis on slimmer shapes over the cluttered trimming. Either way it was a very busy collection.