I was lucky enough to go to NYC Fashion Week back in September of 2009, where I saw the DvF fashion show. It was held at Bryant Park in the tents and it was definitely a dream come true especially after working hard all summer as a fashion design intern at DvF. It was a memorable experience, but extremely different from the one I experienced this time around. Yeah it was fun, glamourous and exciting, but also exclusive, untouchable, and impersonable. Had I not interned at DvF, I don't know if I would have had the opportunity to go to one of the fashion shows. I'd definitely need to be invited or have a lot of money to afford to go to a prestigious designer's show.
This past week, I felt like I was a part of history! I have been missing living in Paris ever since I came back to Boston a few weeks ago, but for the first time I felt happy to be HOME! I was happy to see how beautiful and charming Boston has become and to be a part of something so magnificent! The Tent, the lights, the people, the models, the designers, the parties all came out in full force to make a statement. Like NYC, it was fun, glamourous and exciting, but it was inclusive, touchable and personable! Anyone could go to the show! Most shows were $30 or less! And EVERYONE had a great seat! It didn't matter if you were VIP or not, you could still get a great view from wherever you sat in The Tent. Maybe, it felt so personable to me because I knew some of the designers that participated in Boston Fashion Week and maybe it's because I'm a Bostonian, but regardless I feel everyone who came out to support and see Boston Fashion Week can't help but feel happy for the success of everyone involved.
The first show I went to was on Saturday, September 24th at the Bill Bordy Theater to see the "Everything ENAMOUR" fashion show and to support my friend June Monteiro. We graduated from the Fashion Design Certificate Program at MassArt and also helped find the group Rising Design. She is one of the hardest workers I know with so much ambition and drive! Not only that, but she stays humble and grounded with her growing success! It's hard not to admire anyone who goes for their dreams and I am truly happy to see June make her dreams come true!
I was thoroughly impressed with all her featured collections. I couldn't believe how many designs she showed! Her first collection was Shock Therapy, which is a children's clothing line, that gives you an inside look at a child's world as seen through their eyes. It's the things they say that shock you when you first hear them, but make you laugh later. It was so adorable seeing the kids come out with their mothers walking down the runway in ENAMOUR Sport. Then came her Isabella Blow Series, which was one of my favorite collections of the night. The collection was inspired by the English magazine editor and muse of hat designer Philip Treacy. The night ended with June's MONARCH Collection, which was inspired by the clothes worn by Britain's Queen Victoria during the long mourning period after the death of Prince Albert. I was so impressed with each piece that came out! You can learn more about June by becoming a fan of Enamour on Facebook or at Everything Enamour.
I went to my first fashion show in The Tent with my friend Ellen on Sunday, September 25th for The Launch, which was presented by the Fashion Group International of Boston and Boston Fashion Week. The 5 designers were hand picked by them as some of the top talented fashion design students of Boston. Before going into The Tent, Ellen and I got some wine and cupcakes at the reception area in the Mandarin Oriental. It was so chic and fashionable inside! Then we were ushered into The Tent and scored great seats in the 3rd row. We sat next to a proud mother of one of the models in the show. The first designer was GeorgAnnette Chatterley. She is a graduate of MassArt and her collection utilized fabric manipulation to make her own unique textiles. I had the pleasure of meeting her recently and as a MassArt alumni, I was really happy to see a fellow MassArt alumni be chosen for such an amazing opportunity. She spent a lot of time and money with getting the fabrics and making the designs, but it was well worth it!
Next was Christine Lam who studied in Paris, and interned at London's Georgia Hardinge. I could definitely see the influence of her experiences abroad had on her designs down the runway. They had a bit of edginess from London and also some chic black pieces you'd see girls where in the streets of Paris.
Then came Karina Bresnahan who is a School of Fashion Design graduate with a focus on sportswear. I loved her resort wear designs that reminded me very much of DvF. They were beautiful and I would wear all of them! I wish I could buy some to take with me to Vegas next week! Karina is definitely a talented designer and I could see her designs in stores one day! She was definitely one of my favorites of the night.
Mishal Kizilbash was the next designer to show and she blew me away! She found her inspiration in Pakistan through brightly colored and embroidered fabrics. I was really impressed how she was able to bring her culture into her designs and make it so modern! All the pieces were beautifully made, designed and styled and her models rocked the runway! Mishal was also another one of my favorites that was just so original and creative.
Candice Wu was the last to show and was influenced by different cultures, blending traditional elements with modern ideas. Her collection was colorful, playful and full of texture and sculptural shapes. All of these designers brought exciting designs that night and left you wanting to see more! Afterwards, Ellen and I went to have a small dinner sitting outside at Paparazzi on Newbury street. It was a beautiful night and we wanted to enjoy the nice weather, while it lasted. My friend KimVy met up with us and we went to one of the Boston Fashion Week After Parties that was held at Forum on Boylston Street. We had a drink and enjoyed some free passed h'ordeuvres before calling it a night.
The next night, I went to see Daniel Faucher's show with Anna and Margaret. Daniel has built his fine reputation with the design and creation of exquisite one-of-a-kind evening and bridal wear ensembles with time-honored haute couture techniques. Designing under his own label since 1987, Daniel has been recognized as one of the finest designers in Boston through the many fashion shows and magazine layouts that have featured his work. He is also an instructor at the School of Fashion Design on Newbury St. Before going into his show, the girls and I enjoyed some wine at the reception area and was once again ushered into The Tent. Daniel's designs are impeccably and beautifully made. After coming back from interning at Metal Flaque in Paris and learning some couture techniques myself, I can certainly appreciate the time he put into making these couture pieces. It's a lot of work, but the outcome is sooooo much better! He certainly had a lot of fans of his work at the show including Marilyn Riseman (Boston fashion socialite) in the front row.
The last show I went to for Boston Fashion Week was from a group I'm a proud member of, "Rising Design." It was organized by Ellen Shea and Anna Bitskaya, two great friends of mine that also went to MassArt. The Collections shown at the Liberty Hotel were by šarka's collection by Jennifer Griffith, Margaret Lawrence, Felicia Verry Mota of Spanish Fly, Ray Rodriguez, Pretty Thoughts, and Shalyn Webber.
Jennifer Griffith's collection was Playdates - A Spring/Summer collection inspired by women's newfound involvement in sports at the turn of the 20th century. As women began to play tennis, bike about town and splash in the sea, the restrictive clothing of the Victorian period was forced to evolve. Hems rose, corsets loosened and women were freer both physically and later, politically. Jennifer has created her collection with primarily vintage and repurposed fabrics, incorporating Edwardian details such as grosgrain ribbon and decorative buttons to adorn her collection. Jennifer's Playdates is a modern take on this pivotal time in women's fashion. Jennifer is another former classmate of mine and good friend! I always enjoy seeing her designs and it totally reflects her fun, playful personality. There were so many pieces I wanted to have for myself to wear and to play in!
Margaret Lawrence's evening gown with hair piece and Felicia Verry Mota's preview of her Fall/Winter Collection were both wonderfully done. These two ladies are amazing! They are also former classmates of mine at MassArt and we've all become such great friends! I am so impressed with Margaret's head pieces. You really have to check out her site! I can't wait to buy one myself! We both took costume design and learned how to make hats, but Margaret is truly talented in millinery! Her hats remind me a lot of the talented Marie Galvin of the South End. Felicia first blew me away at last year's Rising Design Fashion Show in the South End. I loved her designs and the way she styled the outfits together especially with the headpieces! This year was no different!
Ray Rodriguez's Hanes Collection was a capsule collection that reflects on the Yves Saint Laurent's 1960s homage to Mondrian, but is fast forwarded to 2011. As a modern designer, he created a grouping of looks that are fast, easy, and requires no effort. The collection is constructed of upcycled Hanes Beefy T's - heavyweight, pre-shrunk, 100% cotton jersey and soft stretch vinyl - easy to care for, easy to wear, yet exquisitely constructed. He did a beautiful job capturing the 1960s mod look that was very reminiscent of YSL's Mondrian haute couture Fall/Winter collection.
Pretty Thoughts'"Equinox" Collection channeled vintage 20's style and utilized New England autumn. The color palette showed off latex design in a whole new light. Pretty Thoughts did an amazing job with the fit of her designs on the models. They were flawless! You really could wear the designs out for a night out in town. One of my favorites was the fishtail skirt! I can't believe she was able to create that look with latex!
The night ended with Shalyn Webber's "Lichen" Collection that was inspired by Victorian cemeteries. The Collection is hand dyed silk and hand dyed lace appliqué meant to imitate moss growing on stones. There are also grey cage-like structures used as hair pieces and accessories to simulate fences. Her collection was definitely the most creative and artistic of the night. I loved the colors she chose and they all worked so beautifully together. There's no doubt how talented she is and I'm sure she could easily work for one of the top designers in the industry. I could see her designs on fashion editorial spreads and down the runways!
Ellen and Anna did an amazing job selecting such diverse and talented designers for the show. We got to see a little bit of everything as they walked around the Liberty Hotel with spot lights shining on them.
Boston really does have a lot of talent and it's so great to see them even more now that we've put ourselves on the map! I'm excited to see what's in store next for these designers and to see more emerging designers pop up to show their stuff!
Bonne nuit!!!! Bisous Bisous!!! :)
