APC Style 2013

October 4, 2012 PARIS

By Nicole Phelps

Jean Touitou is celebrating A.P.C.'s 25th anniversary this year, but he's still as hands-on as ever. This morning, he personally narrated the label's modest presentation of 16 looks at its newly renovated sixth arrondissement headquarters. A huge, curving vintage leather couch was trucked in for the appointments, which was fitting because, as Touitou explained, the clothes were inspired by a German nanny "sometime in the seventies who doesn't mean to be sexy but is."

The lineup was typical A.P.C.: denim on denim, cheeky jumpsuits, printed halter dresses, flat gum-soled sandals, all vaguely retro but still right on the money. A jean jacket with a little kick at the hem worn with a matching pencil skirt had some admirers, as did a pair of high-waisted jeans. Vanessa Seward's collaboration with the brand has expanded, and her prints added to the winsome feeling.

ALC Fashion 2013

September 24, 2012 NEW YORK

By Brittany Adams

Andrea Lieberman was recently named one of the 2012 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists. "I've worked really hard for the past few years and it feels great to officially be a part of the conversation," she said at a preview of her latest collection. But with 200-plus current stockists, she's been part of it, at least as far as retail is concerned, for seasons, and she's already got a leg up on many of her competitors in terms of sales. Compared to collections past, this lineup had a more casual vibe and was filled with updated, everyday pieces like tapered cargo pants with extra spacious pockets and featherweight cotton mesh tops with fluttery sleeves featuring trapunto stitching inspired by traditional kimonos. Continuing on that Japanese kick (also touched on by others like Miuccia Prada and Peter Dundas at Emilio Pucci this Spring), Lieberman showed kaleidoscopic shibori prints on silk maxi wrap skirts and slim trousers with woodblock stripes. Ultimately, the item we're betting all our chips on here is the pair of tailored wool board shorts with geometric hand-beading. Sure, we've seen plenty of others like them this season, but on-trend with a personal twist is Lieberman's contribution to the conversation.

Vandevorst 2013

 

September 28, 2012 PARIS

By Nicole Phelps

Fall for Spring is one of this season's underlying stories. Blame it on global warming, or our increasingly flat planet, or the bigger bang that cold-weather clothes deliver at stores. Whatever the reason, we've seen more somber colors and layers on the runways than we usually do during this part of the fashion cycle.

Filip Arickx and An Vandevorst keyed in to the trend, starting their collection with a black trenchcoat, elbow-length gloves, and a Stephen Jones-designed wide-brim transparent hat. Only slowly did their models shed their many layers and their dark colors, and by the end they were wearing summer whites, including a couple of the crisp shirts that have long been a trademark for this duo.

Along the way, the designers produced some strong looks: a sleeveless peplum and matching pants in gold-embroidered black cotton, a softly structured jacket with one lapel trailing in the model's wake, a Champagne-colored silk sleeveless wrap dress. Arickx and Vandevorst seem intent on exploring the new, more dressed-up look they introduced last season. That's smart. Too bad the show suffered from a surfeit of accessories. We'll take the Stephen Jones hats, but the embroidered scarves, the gloves, the belts, and the gold body paint only got in the way of AF Vandevorst's polished new message.

Crosby Derek Lam 2013

September 5, 2012  

     By Jessica Minkoff

When it comes to the lookbook for his 10 Crosby line, Derek Lam likes to keep things fresh. Instead of a model like Hanne Gaby Odiele or Sara Blomqvist, who starred in previous seasons, he cast beauty blogger Emily Weiss. The Into the Gloss founder also happened to style the lookbook. As for the collection itself, it tread on familiar ground—the Wild West—but did so in way that retained the label's edgy, downtown sensibility. Lam hasn't gone all rodeo on us.