Last week, New York was treated to another round of fall ’99 fashion shows. Of course, The Post was there to score a second helping.
Fashionistas risked scuffing their stilettos as they traipsed from the Financial District to Midtown and back down to SoHo last week, when a number of Manhattan-based designers took part in what should be called New York Fashion Week, Part Deux.
Barely two months after a posh posse of designers showed their fall/winter ’99 lines at the 7th on Sixth shows, the fashion world once again turned its discerning eye to our rich local talent.
Bill Blass, who was unable to show with the rest in February after suffering a minor stroke last December, pleased his ever-loyal fan base of Nan Kempner, Blaine Trump and Pat Buckley, aka the Ladies Who Lunch (LWL) during a Wednesday-morning show at Le Cirque 2000.
The show opened with a selection of smart faux leopard and zebra suits, followed by several very wearable sweater pieces in muted colors (the nubby ivory cashmere ‘popcorn” cardigan was really yummy). Blass also had an interesting take on the pashmina shawl, a LWL must-have accessory, using it as the basis for an elegant evening dress.
Blass also dabbled in urban ‘street wear” – although the resulting designs are more apt to be seen hitting the pavement on the Upper East Side than in the East Village. Still, satin ‘jean” jackets, wide-wale corduroy pea coats, and fun triple tube-top sets (to cover one’s torso and each forearm) would all look as good with denim as they did with his fancy skirts and velvet pants.
And for the record, the rumblings that his long-standing line is history after this season can be ignored: Mr. Blass assured his fans that he’s good for at least one more show after the millennium.
Fashion at the turn of the century was the focus of ‘The Styles of the New Millennium” contest/fashion show at the World Financial Center. Gen Art, the nonprofit organization that promotes emerging talent in the arts, hosted the event, which showcased the finalists in an international design search. A panel of style insiders chose winners in five design categories; $5,000 was awarded to the top talent in each. One winner whose looks were especially good was Ontario-based designer Anne Hung, who showed a ‘splintered” black gown covered in broken vinyl records.
The fashion shows that made up South of Seventh (S.O.S.), a three-day event organized by the SoHo and TriBeCa Partnerships, were held at venues in and around NoHo. Most of the 31 design teams featured there were young talents unable to afford the high price of renting a tent at Bryant Park.
A notable exception to the rule was Geoffrey Beene, who did not show in February with his contemporaries, opting to align himself with the kids this time around.
Fashion academics adore Beene for his ability each season to turn out designs that speak more from their masterful construction than from their flash or trendiness. This collection, with its rich color palate and use of soft, pliable knits, was in keeping with those expectations.
Chief among Beene’s designs were coats and dresses with elongating outside seams or zippers – they were used to create slits, holes and even turn one jacket into a shrug with one quick zzzzzzip. Beene got a standing ovation as he led the models down the runway at the end of the show – and he deserved it.
William Calvert was among the best of the rest at S.O.S. Calvert was at his best when he showed long, sweeping cashmere and silk charmeuse gowns, which came in colors inspired by the earth, air and sea. A handwoven angora, wool and lurex sheath was especially lovely. But the organza bustle skirts looked awkward and unflattering even on his rail-thin models.
Another S.O.S. favorite was Todd Thomas, whose daywear depended on revisiting vintage cuts (think cowl-necked sweaters and edgy, fitted skirt suits) and reinterpreting them with modern fabrics (faux leather, Teflon-infused wool melton, and laminated stretch tulle). He then tweaked these vintage outfits with futuristic accoutrements, such as the great thick faux-leather ‘contour wrap belts,” which gave even floor-length skirts a look befitting Mad Max’s lady friend.