January 24, 2018

MARIA ARISTIDOU SPRING SUMMER 2018 COLLECTION

January 24, 2018/ E. Vincent Martinez

"Close your eyes and fly to the Secret Gardens of Alexander. A utopia, a fantasy land where euphoria is the only feeling of existence! A land with never ending gardens of delicate Japanese flowers, that the human eye cannot gasp in one breath! A land with human smiles that never will be forgotten and will always watching over us. One of them, close to my heart is Alexander Boulais! My agent in Paris! The person that with his instinct believed in my work. A gentle human soul, a noble man that was always calm, soft spoken with a genuine smile and loved his garden! May you be the wind and the light that crosses your Secret Gardens and always be a shining star upon us!" ~ Maria Aristidou

Maria Aristidou, a specialist in couture knit wear, created a fantasy colorful world for spring-summer daywear and eveningwear for women where romance, positive energy and freedom are the safety keys for happiness. A playground of flowered patterns with silk viscose and metallic yarns and where elaborate embroideries decorate the luxurious knit fabric creations for today's woman.

Spring Summer 2018 is a collection with carefree curves and sleek cuts, with unexpected details, and the accessories that complete the beauty of this womenswear secret garden story.

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September 12, 2017

BIBHU MOHAPATRA SPRING/SUMMER 2018 NYFW

September 12, 2017/ Skylight Clarkson/ E. Vincent Martinez

Bibhu Mohaptra (on the right) with his team: (l) David Valencia - Designer,  Cher Du -Production Manager, and Jameela Lake - Public Relations Director. — Bibhu Mohaptra (on the right) with his team: (l) David Valencia - Designer, Cher Du -Production Manager, and Jameela Lake - Public Relations Director.

The BIBHU MOHAPATRA Spring Summer 2018 collection draws inspiration from art and life in traditional Eastern Asia. Reflecting on the mysterious female samurai, the collection strikes a balance between seduction and strength – a power dynamic interpreted in geometric silhouettes and artful, embellished fabrics. Mohapatra showcased his Spring Summer 2018 collection at New York Fashion Week at Skylight Clarkson Square to a packed house.

“The role of the female samurai has, historically, been a battle of its own. She is always the exception and never the rule. Each piece has been designed to echo her extraordinary uniqueness through masterpieces of Japanese lace, sunburst pleated tulle, and silk mikado. There is war in art and there is art in war – this collection captures the vibrancy of it all,” explains Mohapatra.

Rooted in conflict, the SS18 collection’s resolution is a synergistic mix of couture ready-to-wear and evening gowns. Highlights include necklines and drapework reminiscent of formal kimonos, geometrically inclined beadwork, and knotting inspired by Japanese Shibari – the artistic practice of bondage.

Mohapatra also collaborated with Christian Louboutin to customize two styles of shoes from the French luxury brand’s SS18 collection. Nosy, a pointy-toe pump, and Nosy Flat, a pointy-toe flat style combine two contrasting colors of leather with transparent PVC and floral lace accents. These sleek, ultra-feminine styles both reveal and conceal the foot, echoing the duality inherent to Mohapatra’s collection.

For embellishments, Mohapatra collaborated with PreciosaGroup on fine crystals. “Preciosa is the perfect collaborator for us as we built this collection. Their product stands for incredible quality, refinement and modernity which enables me to take my collection from concept to realization,” said Mohapatra.

Explicitly designed from head to toe, the BIBHU MOHAPATRA SS18 collection introduced the image of a self-actualized warrior.

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June 23, 2017

HERON PRESTON DEBUTS “SHOW HOUSE” COLLECTION FOR SPRING/SUMMER 2018 AT PARIS MEN’S FASHION WEEK

June 23, 2017/ E. Vincent Martinez

For Heron Preston’s second collection, the designer developed pieces with subversive humor. Taking the second step into building his unique point-of-view, Preston dipped into his personal history to create a graphic heavy, referential collection inspired by kitsch, from artworks like Jeff Koons’ ceramic sculptures to the designer’s own memories of paintings in display homes in the Northern California suburbs. This season also marks the debut of Heron Preston womenswear, presented alongside the men’s collection.

“Show House” is named for pristine model homes in suburban subdivisions, the staged living spaces with eerie perfection, teeming with non-life, designed to imagine a mini-utopian future. Memories of walking through a show house when his parents moved to the suburbs of San Francisco inspired the graphics in this collection, like an image of a bowl of fruit (wittily branded with the word “fruit” on the back) as well as the setting for the lookbook, shot outside Milan in a vacant space meant to evoke the empty lots of a subdivision-in-progress.

Preston’s research also led him to the origins of his work as a designer, modeling one piece after a display tee used for years at Jonathan Embroidery Plus on 38th Street in Manhattan, meant to show the various screen printing techniques the store offered. Preston borrowed graphics from the display shirt, from an exploding baseball to a rattlesnake, a playful homage to nonsense-as-aesthetic.

The Heron Preston Spring/Summer 2018 collection also includes new painting graphics that feature the Heron bird, borrowed from John James Audubon’s depictions, as well as the brand’s hallmark “Style” embroidery, printed in Russian. Utility wear remains a major influence for the brand, with cargo and workwear elements present in both the men’s and women’s collection.

For womenswear, Preston focused on leather elements and cropped silhouettes balanced with oversize tees and hoodies, along with a new rollout of small leather accessories.