New York Fashion Week – The Fun Discovery of New Designers!

Visiting New York City for Fashion Week was such an amazing life experience!  It was a life-long bucket list item that my family arranged for me to check off.  What could be better than sharing that life experience with your daughter?

Angel Orensanz Foundation

Fashion Week is all about the love of fashion.  It affords emerging designers a venue to show off their creative genius and get recognized.  And did you know that most major cities have a Fashion Week – even Houston!?  (Click here to see available shows). However, New York’s is the most well-known in the U.S. which is why it is a coveted locale for up-and-coming designers.

NYFW is not in one location, as you may have thought.  Various fashion shows are held at locations all over Manhattan.  Fashion shows start in the morning and go on throughout the day at these venues.  Brittany and I decided early on that we did not want to spend our entire time rushing from one end of Manhattan to the other to get to fashion shows.  We wanted to have plenty of time for visiting designers’ pop-up shops and sample sales (which seem to be secretly located throughout the city), as well as sight-seeing.  We chose to go to 3 fashion shows.  Our favorite show was the Art Hearts Fashion Show, which was held at the Angel Orensanz Foundation.  The Foundation is a beautiful synagogue which has been renovated and turned into a fabulous events facility and gallery.  It was the perfect place for a fashion show (and we had 3rd row seats).   A cocktail party was held before the fashion show.  It was elbow to elbow and a great place for people watching and fashion watching!  Women and men dressed in their most creative attire.

Rather than dressing avant-garde (that’s not really who we are), Brittany and I decided to remain true to our own personal styles.  I embraced the More is More trend and wore the cabi 21 Club Jacket and skirt with the Dixon Blouse and Charm belt and layers of pearls for a Chanel inspired look. Brittany wore Fall ’17 Zip Skinnies and Regency Coat with the Spring 18 Te Amo Blouse and Deidre Scarf.  With the cold, wet weather and all the walking, we had to wear comfortable booties. The next night we went to The Society Fashion Show, held at the beautiful and famous Roosevelt Hotel.  I wore four inch heels to that fashion show and didn’t pack any flats in my purse.  Big mistake!  Brittany insisted walking 8 blocks to Times Square for cheesecake!  Yes cheesecake!! Our third fashion show was the Super Chic Fashion Show held at the lovely Midtown Lofts and Terrace.  Since I had blisters from the night before I had to change my shoe selection.

 

In this post I am going to highlight a few of our favorite designers from these shows.  So, let’s get started!!

Candice Cuoco’s beautiful creation

You may remember Candice Cuoco from Project Runway in 2015.  Candice is known for her leather work.  Her style is edgy, fierce and provocative.  Her creations were almost Steampunk Chic (That’s a real style.  Google it!).  They were a blend of Victorian era fashions and futuristic fantasy.   The collection was primarily red and black.   Each piece contained super sexy details – peplums, bustiers, exaggerated sleeves, huge hats, veils, and corsets.  You probably wouldn’t see this fifty year old on the streets in her pieces, but I did love the beauty, creativity and fine workmanship of her collection.  So, a girl can dream!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Danny Nguyen Couture

I personally loved Danny Nguyen Couture.  His dresses were beautiful and flattering. Danny is passionate about design.  He grew up in his mother’s alterations studio, learning sewing and design from her. I think you will agree with me that Danny. understands women, Southern women in particular.  He understands we don’t like to hide.  We want to be feminine, colorful and sexy all while still being classy.

His Fall 2018 collection was grounded in dark fabrics with a gold and silver floral print (at least it looked floral).    He had  short sets, pant suits but primarily evening gowns.  All were wearable.  His Spring 18 collection is full of water color florals in oranges, yellows and blues.  When I got home I looked up Danny Nguyen to learn more about him.  Lo and behold!  Danny Nguyen is from right here in Houston!  His alterations and design studio is off the Beltway in West Houston, 5 minutes from where I grew up!  Maybe, I should have known about Danny, but I didn’t.  Check out Danny’s Fall 2018 and Spring Summer 2018 collections.  I hope to pop in one day soon and meet him (and maybe see his collections up close).  I will keep you posted.

 

Willfredo Gerardo was the headlining designer for the Art Hearts Fashion Show.  I loved looking at his beautiful designs.  Willfredo Gerardo is a Latino designer from Hollywood.  You definitely see the Hollywood influence in his designs.  His style is Old Hollywood meets a whole lot of sexy!  His gowns were form fitting with “barely there” details,  a lot of see-through.  He dresses many stars and sexy international celebrities for red carpet events.  Check him out at www.willfredogerardo.com

Willfredo Gerardo

De Lora Moda

We had front row seats to The Society Fashion Show.  When we purchased our tickets we had no idea who the designers were going to be, as they are emerging designers.  This show consisted of about 7 or 8 designers.  Two designers really stood out to us.  One of them, D’Lora Moda, designs for men, women, teens and children (pageant dresses).  What stood out were the beautiful fabrics, unique finishing details AND the adorable models.  This little couple stole and owned the show.

Kristin Silvestri’s Armor & Arrows was another one of our favorite designers.  Her style is bohemian, yet edgy.  I fell in love with a sheer green hi-low top on the runway.  It is a simple, yet beautiful green and tan floral sheer fabric. I came home and looked her up to learn more about the designer.

Armor and Arrows Sleek, simple and edgy

 

Kristin’s style is clean, simple and timeless.  No ruffles, no overly feminine details.  I was tickled pink to learn that all of her items are “slow made” in house and in small quantities.  “Slow made” is the opposite of Fast Fashion (read my past blog post to learn more about that).  Slow made embraces hand-made, high quality items in small number.  It is the idea that better made clothing will last longer with less to end up in landfills – green fashion!  If you purchase one of her affordable designs you can be assured you won’t see yourself all over town.  Although Kristin’s new collection is not loaded on her website yet, you can check out her past styles and her jewelry collection.  Visit her website at www.armorandarrows.com

 

Brittany in a cross-back jumpsuit by Lucca Couture

 

Besides attending fashion shows, we shopped and went on a Foods of NY Tour in Greenwich Village (highly recommend if you are there).  We took coffee breaks to discussed upcoming trends and common threads on the runways.  This Fall we predict seeing lots of sexy sheer, plaids, leather (think Matrix), 80’s inspiration with broad shoulders and bright prints in fuscias and blues – and of course more floral!  I can’t wait to see if we are right.

Now, that I have been to Fashion Week once, I would love to go again (Maybe in Spring 2019).  I think it would be so fun to get a group of fashion lovers together from Houston and go as a group.  Comment below with your thoughts.  Have you ever wanted to go?  Who would you want to see?  And the big question – What would you wear?  Until next time…

Fashionably yours,

Ellen

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A Little About Ellen

Ellen Caldwell, personal stylist in HoustonEllen was chosen as a top personal stylist in Houston, Texas by CBS Houston! I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Houston Baptist University with degrees in Finance and Business Administration.

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