NYFW: Spring 2013 RTW Collections

Wednesday's and Thursday's shows proved to be a great start to NYFW. The designers gave a glimpse into spring with fresh prints, edgy cuts, and a wide array of color palettes certain to satisfy both those who can't get enough of color and those who opt for the basic black, white, and neutrals. We here at TFG were most impressed with the lesser known and up-and-coming designers who are just starting to gain well-deserved recognition. For the embellished cocktail dress and breezy staple, Rachel Comey's darling collection is sure to please any fashionista. For ethereal gothic- a personal favorite- Katie Gallagher and Kimberly Ovitz mastered this look with their asymmetric cuts and use of leather and gauze-like fabrics. For charming, feminine prints, WHIT and Tanya Taylor presented beautiful collections that will speak to the girly girl in anyone. For quirky prep, Creatures of the Wind and Jenni Kayne epitomize the best of the fashion geek look. And for a little bit of biker chic, Veda can always be relied upon. Here are some of our favorite looks from these talented designers. More to come. 

Kimberly Ovitz

Katie Gallagher

Rachel Comey

Tanya Taylor

WHIT

Jenni Kayne

Veda 

Photos Courtesy of WWD

Fashion's Night Out

Today New York Fashion Week has officially begun and we are totally excited for the Spring 2013 collections. For the first time in two years, I was unable to attend NYFW because of personal/familial reasons and wanted to thank all the designers who were kind enough to extend an invitation to either attend their shows or visit their showrooms. Nevertheless, TFG will be remotely covering the runways and conducting Q&A's with fashion designers and other fashion insiders for its readers. Before we kick off our coverage, TFG would like to promote Fashion's Night Out, an amazing nationwide event where you can join editors, celebrities, models, fashionistas, and designers as they flood stores in cities across the country and around the world for fashion's most iconic extravaganza.  

Launched with the help of Anna Wintour, FNO is a collaboration between Vogue and the CFDA as they partner up with designers, stores and brands ALL over the world to unite for Fashion for Good on one night. All the stores stay open late and proceeds go to various charities. You can find out about your local events here. Also check out the official FNO video above and if you really want to get into the spirit, shop the FNO collection here. We're personally in love with the Canvas Tote. For TFG's NYFW coverage from last season, click here. We will be sure to see you at the tents in February for the Fall 2013 collections.

About Face: Supermodels Then and Now

I finally got around to viewing HBO's documentary About Face: Supermodels Then and Now, a film consisting of a series of interviews with some of the most iconic fashion models discussing their personal and professional experiences. The documentary provides viewers with an overview of the complexity of the issues facing the business of beauty, such as aging, racisim, sexism, and drugs, through the eyes of famous faces such as Beverly Johnson, Isabella Rossellini, Carol Alt, Christie Brinkley, Carmen Dell'Orefice, China Machado, Paulina Porizkova, Jerry Hall, Lisa Taylor, Karen Bjornson, Kim Alexis, Cheryl Tiegs, and Bethann Hardison. 

While some of the reviews of the documentary have criticized the film as barely scratching the surface of these issues, I would have to argue that the documentary was truly fascinating and insightful. With each interview, filmmaker Timothy Greenfield-Saunders captures the essence of each decade of the industry while simultaneously bringing it all together to give the viewer a true understanding of how the business of beauty has changed and how it continues to face some of the same issues. I was particularly drawn to the models' candidness in how they view their own beauty, both from a business and personal standpoint, making the documentary a film any woman can relate to and learn from- model or not. 

Fashion Closes London 2012

As noted in our previous post, London 2012 came to an end with an amazing showcase of the Best of British and fashion had its brief moment in the spotlight as British models Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, David Gandy, Georgia May Jagger, Stella Tennant, Lily Cole, Karen Elson, Jourdon Dunn and Lily Donaldson strutted down the grand catwalk stage in gold looks created by British designers Erdem, Burberry, Vivienne Westwood, Victoria Beckham, Alexander McQueen, Jonathan Saunders, Stephen Jones, Paul Smith and Christopher Kane. Why can't every sporting event close with a fashion show?

Narciso Rodriguez Launches Shoe Collection

There are a lot of ways in which I differ from a typical fashion lover, but an obsession with shoes is not one of them. What I consider "reasonable" in quantity is something I'd rather keep to myself, because deep down it's admittedly not reasonable. I'm more level-headed regarding price points and have learned the art of finding amazing items on sale. However, if you ever need a friend to talk you out of a fabulous purchase that you're torn over because of guilt, I'm definitely NOT your girl. I'm an enabler. I will justify it in any way I can. And if your purchase happens to be something from Narciso Rodriguez's new footwear line that just launched, I will justify it even more. 

Narciso Rodriguez is one of my favorite designers. It didn't hurt that my close friend was on his design team for five years, but it was more his aesthetic that won me over. His clothes are minimalism at its best, accentuating a woman's body in that subtle way that lends itself to modernity. A couple years back I had the opportunity to attend one of his fashion shows and of course fell instantly in love with every ensemble that came down the runway, head to toe. And by toe, I mean I could not get my eyes off the shoes. I had to have a pair, but quickly learned from my friend that they were only made for the show. 

I often wondered why they were not being produced and sold in stores. From a business stand-point, footwear and accessories are a major backbone of the financial success of any label. Aside from perfume, consumers are more inclined to splurge on handbags, sunglasses and shoes- even in a recession, sales data have shown that sales in handbags and footwear remain consistent. Turns out a woman is more willing to put down money down for a good pair of shoes than a dress.

From both a business and selfish standpoint, we here at TFG are excited about Narciso Rodriguez's expansion into footwear. The designs are quintessential Narciso, with a sleek, modern look that will stand the test of time. Clean lines, unexpected details, subtle sex-appeal, and color-blocking are signature features of the collection. Last week, Barney's New York hosted a party for the designer, with long-time muse Jessica Alba present to lend her support. Below are more amazing looks from the line. To shop the entire collection, click here.

Images Courtesy of Fashionologie