DESIGNER TO KNOW: Anastasia Chatzka

    Anastasia Chatzka, a Chicago designer that has worked with the likes of Betsey Johnson and Anna Sui, is making a splash in the headband world with these crazy decorated bird and bow bands.  A refreshing ...

DESIGNER TO KNOW: Akira Naka

Hailing from Japan, designer Akira Naka puts an edgy twist on basic, tailored garments and knitwear, certainly deserving of praise. Best known for his deep European influences, Naka worked alongside a tailor in the United ...

BoF Daily Digest | A Younger Coach, Escada optimism, UK sales down, Aquascutum bows out of LFW, Museum fashion

Coach Is Now Traveling Coach (Reuters) “With this month’s release of the budget-conscious Poppy line, Coach, a luxury-retail marvel once ridiculed for being stodgy, is increasingly associated with an entirely different-and notoriously fickle-population: teens, coeds, and grads.” Escada Optimistic of Rescue as Katie Holmes Dressmaker Suffers (Bloomberg) “Escada AG Chief Executive Officer Bruno Saelzer said he’s optimistic investors [...]

The Spotlight | Behnaz Kanani

LONDON, United Kingdom — Behnaz Kanani is the name to know for buyers in search of a shoe designer with an age-old emphasis on craftsmanship paired with a modern eye. This month, our BoF logo showcases her aesthetic which mixes contrasting colours, exotic skins, and luxe leathers in immaculately-constructed shoes that are designed to catch [...]

A Global Round Up

Safilo Gets Extension on Loan Payment. (WWD)

John Lewis Sales Hit by Hot Weather. (Drapers)

Fashion Sales Down 1.1% in June. (Drapers)

Coach is Now Travelling Coach (Reuters)

--Staff

Retail Watch: No. 8b Defines The New Lower East Side

No. 8b, Brian Janusiak and Elizabeth Beer's latest venture, is more of a concept store than a boutique, but either way it's a new destination for stylish men. Housing a wide range of its local and internationally desired designers—Maison Martin Margiela, Mykita, Natalia Brilli, Raf Simons for Eastpack, fragrances by Shigenobu and the unveiling of a brand new menswear collection by designer Christian Wijnants—No. 8b is bound to make their mark in the men's fashion world.

Consistent with Janusiak and Beer's previous projects, the must-stop shop carries those hard to find, detailed garments that raise questions, evoke conversations and give the wearer a sense of independence and uniqueness. The duo sees the retail space as a way to experiment with and present some constant themes and ideas recurring in their own work—"concerns with distribution, collaboration, sustainability, digression and the creation of fluxuating communities," noted a press release.

In some ways, this latest store acts as a place of refuge, housing both the people and the projects that have had no immediate or obvious home. No. 8b is sure to become a prominent fixture in the ever more hip Lower East Side.

Shop address: 38 Orchard Street, New York, NY

—Yale Breslin

Paris Menswear S/S '10: Playful Practicality

While Milan sheepishly played with colour and prints, Paris' spring/summer '10 collections offered an all-out display of multi-faceted colors and artisanal fabrics. The runways were dominated by a sense of humour, playfulness and bold statements, but simultaneously brought the sense of masculinity to the forefront.

The main inspiration for the Louis Vuitton spring/summer '10 collection centered on the constant stampede of bike messengers that consistently fill the busy streets of New York city. Ever the visionary, creative director Marc Jacobs peppered the collection with sharp yellow tones, knee-length shorts with a rugged thick cuff and bright red sunglasses that balanced the popular rectangular shape with the currently prevalent circular frame. Jacobs playfully incorporated bursts of clementine orange paired with his own variation on the porkpie hat and sports jackets with tie-dye influences. The bike messenger theme emerged most promisingly in versatile accessories that transition a daytime look into a more dapper evening outfit.

Lanvin, too, was active in sports, but more subtly than the rest. Creative director Lucas Ossendrijver merely hinted at the subject in visor caps that accessorized his winsome collection of streamlined silhouettes and suits in deep saturated colors, which provided a perfect counterpoint to the puffed, exaggerated shoulders of jackets and high-waisted tapered trousers in rich fabrications. With Lanvin departing from its languid looks of seasons past, Raf Simons abandoned the angsty adolescent boys that defined his namesake label for a decidedly more mature collection. There were simple black suits with white shirts underneath as well as classic blazer and trouser combinations. Clearly, the Simons male has grown up, but there were also hints of rebellion in the leather belts that wrapped blazers and in the snake printed tanks that were so transparent that they appeared like tattoos against the models' skin.

Jean Paul Gaultier proved, once again, to be the ultimate rebel, however. Never one to steer clear of the blurred notion of gender roles, s/s '10 was filled with bustiers and skirts—items typically reserved for his female collection. Toying with the idea of denim and hints of bondage, bustiers often appeared underneath blazers or even on their own. He described this collection as an attempt to gear toward a younger audience, one that can internalize his vision and subsequently test the waters of fashion. In the same vein, the runway was plodded with transparent converse sneakers—a further indication of his desire to attract a younger JPG audience. While the wearability of this collection is definitely in question, it is apparent that Gaultier marches to his own beat, and sets the rules as he goes along.

The Dries Van Noten show was one of Paris' highlights this season. Contrasting fabrics were paired with conflicting exotic prints, but somehow it all worked together—and could even be worn in a casual state. With suits exuding a more relaxed vibe, the whole collection seemed to slow the pace with comfortable silhouettes and revamped structure. Taking an unexpected route from what we have typically seen on the runways, Van Noten presented baggy slung trousers with pleats, which added a note of utility and form to an otherwise draping silhouette. With exotic patterns galore and hints of street-wear, it all came together seamlessly.

Comme des Garçons too exercised a chromatic play with prints that required a customer with the stylistic brevity of Harajuku fashionistas. Many of the jackets, trouser and sweaters exhibited a mash up of stripes in varying sizes overlapping with ethnic decoraions and Fair Isle knit patterns. Paisley and striped ties were sewn into jackets, pants and legging were worn underneath mini skirts as well as cream and black graphic combinations—a surprising mixture but it wouldn't be a CDG show without some sartorial trickery and irony.

Henrik Vibskov had all the elements present in order to create a feast for the senses, yielding what may have been the most innovative collection to grace the Paris runways. There is a certain energy about Vibskov's collection that is strictly for the obscenely confident fashionisto—a certain visual energy embedded into the collection. Often cited as the sole individual responsible for bringing back the Harem pant, Vibskov has a vision that is uniquely and individually his own. While its wearability can be questioned, there is no doubt that Vibskov's collection gears towards the fashionably outrageous—those who have the underground fashion world under their feet.

Rick Owens isn't usually one to explore color, so it was quite the shock when Mr. Owens embedded subtle hints of denim throughout his s/s '10 line. Skull caps with large oval cut outs graced the craniums of many a model, but the show stealer was undoubtedly the footwear—a hybrid between Nike's Air Force Ones and a variation on the moonboot. Paired with knee-high black socks and asymmetrical meshing, the dark color palette seemed to have a bit of life. Overall, Owens has stayed loyal to the items that have made him who he is, but still manages to play minimally beyond the confines of the Rick Owens man.

While fashion is meant to be taken loosely, with limits pushed and lines erased, Walter Van Beirendonck can legitimately say that he is having the most fun doing what he does. With a runway full of muscle bears acting as both muses and model, the clothes were overshadowed by bright pastel coveralls with the letters "HI" prominently displayed. It was definitely the hokiest of the show season and its presence was not taken as seriously as one would expect.

Meanwhile, Riccardo Tisci produced an exceptionally inconsistent collection for Givenchy. He played with basic clothing utilities and then, in an atypical Givenchy look, brought forward vibrant lamés (in both red and gold), bold, exaggerated prints as well as the introduction of flannel. Criticized for its lack of continuity and incoherent logic, editors and the like were left both dazed and confused, not sure how to to interpret the latest collection from a design house typically respected for its shape, fit, form and function.

While Milan and Paris both demonstrated similar themes (bold colors, blazers paired with varying length shorts, perforation, mesh, sheer and a general black and white mentality), the Paris shows reflected the more optimistic vantage point of an industry weathering a dismal economy. From Walter Van Beirendonck's outrageous coveralls to to Givenchy's ode to Seattle flannel and studs, its reaffirming notion proves that we are well on our way to the playful, yet effectively functional ways of fashion.

—Yale Breslin

Archives 6/26 - 7/2 2005-2008

NPR has been running a variety of Independence Day related stories all day. This morning they featured a Story Corp interview with Bob Heft, the designer of the US flag we fly today. Apparently, Bob had never sewn before starting this high school history project -and he hasn't sewn again since. His teacher wasn't impressed and graded him a B- because he put 50 stars on it at a time when there were only 48 states. "I was upset," Heft says. "The teacher said, 'If you don't like the grade, get it accepted in Washington then come back and see me. I might consider changing the grade.' " And Heft did go to Washington; his design was approved on July 4, 1960 by which time there were 50 states. His teacher said if it was good enough for the country, it was worth changing his grade to an A. As ever, it's the archives entry for the week. Have a great holiday! June 26 through July 2, 2005 Home again This changes everything The myth of vanity sizing Rohr's Pattern Drafting Books Tivi Fit and sizing entropy

Kate Rawlinson: Cutter Extraordinaire

Buried in one of last week's comments was one from Kate Rawlinson who left a link to some recent work she'd done. It's phenomenal. Even her mistakes are phenomenal. Just to temper my gushiness, I'll throw that one up first. Left is the original, right is the marked up one showing the matched stripes. Do note how the plaids match across seams in the skirt. The bodice is a bit off but what the hey. [Blue lines are seams, dashed red are the stripes.]

How to promote your business on blogs

[This is intended for suppliers and businesses who post here but can be adapted to be used by any commercial interest.] Are you confused with social media stuff? Not sure how to jump in? Commenting on commercial sites can improve your bottom line because visitors are favorably disposed to businesses that leave appropriate comments. There is no better way to show their interests matter to you quite so directly. Best of all, you control your message. However, to position yourself with authority and credibility, there are some practices you should avoid. Here is what not-to-do, what to do (even anonymously) and lastly, I include a cheat sheet on how to post a comment. What not to do: The two worst things you can do on a blog are to astroturf or post a business card or blurb entry. Of these, astroturfing is worse. It means one who pretends to be an impartial observer. Some businesses pretend to be customers and write glowing reviews of themselves. It's really easy to pick these out. Here's a recent example that was posted to my last entry on the Design Piracy Protection Prohibition Act: Author: sewing scott (IP: 216.46.89.93, smtp.cfda.com) E-mail: sewing.scott@[deleted] URL: Whois: http://ws.arin.net/cgi-bin/whois.pl?queryinput=216.46.89.93 Comment: As someone who sews at home for my friends and family I am not worried about this bill. I have read it and it only prevents the commerical reproduction and those who benefit from selling others work. It won't effect us do it yourselfers... As a young designer I spend too much time and resource for others to steal from me. I am too small a company to fight the big guys which are represented by the AAFA. I used to work for a big company and was shocked that instead of asking us designers to design they would send us out shopping. We would bring clothes back to the studio and decosntruct them... I couldn't do that so i left... This law is good for american designers and is not about an elitist group at all. As this comment was posted from CFDA offices (the most strident lobbyists of this bill), you can see why this is considered to be astroturfing. It was also cause for a good laugh among kindred. Normally astroturf comments are deleted. It's best to be honest about where your interests lie, making your points from a position of integrity. Besides, dishonesty reduces respect for your organization or position; "Scott" has only undermined CFDA's credibility.

Preparing for your fashion photoshoot

In reference to the fashion photography series I'd mentioned before, today's guest entry is from Mark Bonanno. Mark is the lead fashion photographer for QuadPhoto based in Miami, Florida. Thanks Mark! -------------------- OK, you found a photographer you like. You have a person to do hair and makeup, and maybe even a wardrobe stylist. Now you take all your garments to the studio and shoot as many shots as you can by the end of the day, right? While this may seem like the easiest method, it is not the best way to execute a photo shoot. As a professional fashion photographer, I am often told by designers that they want to shoot photos for a particular line but when we get into the details, they say they have it all “in their heads”. In this fast paced and competitive industry, preparation is everything! I have put together a short checklist that will help you get the most out of your day at the studio.

• Create a storyboard
• Set the stage
• Scheduling
• Mind your models
• Assign clothing to models
• Include accessories
• Use professional models
• Basic necessities

Pattern Puzzle: One Dress

What would a dress designed by 1,000 women look like? The One-Dress project directed by Malcolm Harris, renders this result: [Click on the image for a larger photo] I don't know how many ways there are to wear it but based on colorways alone, you have four options (black, cobalt, magenta, and white). Fabrication is 100% silk knit jersey, retailing at $225. A portion of the profits benefit Womankind Worldwide and Kiva.org.

Diane Kruger Fetes Escada Retrospective

Menkes to Host Luxury Summit in Berlin

Mongrels in Common RTW Spring 2010

Lala Berlin RTW Spring 2010

Safilo Gets Extension on Loan Payment