Elegant, Sophisticated Beauty-Bill Blass

Last Night, I saw Peter Som at the American Express Cardmembers only show, in which he previewed his Spring 2008 and Fall 2008 collections. But this morning, Mr. Som was back at the tents, hard at work backstage in Bryant Park, getting ready for his first show for Bill Blass.


The Creative Nail Design team were already hard at work when I arrived, adding a brown/burguny shimmer polish called "Baroque" (you can get it now if you like) to both fingers AND toes of the model. This color is elegant enough to stand up to the strong, architectual, and sophisticated designs of the clothes, and complimented the colors. The toes were also painted, explained Cherie from Creative Nail Design, because the models were wearing sheer stockings and chunky sandals and peep-toe shoes by Christian Lamboutin for Bill Blass. The bold burgundy nail color looked beautiful on the runway and especially with these shoes.

I asked: what can my readers do to make nails new, this Fall? Cherie replied that the trend is still for very strong hits of color, like burgundy or deep plum, or dark blue. As with last year, these are going to stay in style (but many are super-metallic instead shimmery or glittery). You can also make your nail polish look new by coordinating the color of polish with an element in your outfit. For example, if you're wearing a hot pink belt, make your polish, match. But don't overdo....blue from head to tips of your toes, for example, is just TOO much!

Tom Pecheux was working his makeup magic with the MAC Pro Team. Although I didn't have an interview set up with him, he saw me scribbling madly on my pad, and gave me a few minutes of his time to talk about the makeup. When I asked what the vision was for the makeup he without hesitation replied: GLAM ROCK." But then the charming makeup artist added: "More glam than rock." For Bill blass, as with many shows this season, you've got to treat your skin to a light, matte finish. And, the emphsis is still on the eyes.Tom used lots of mascara, false lashes, and an intense colored blush in plum with a mix of pink and orange thown in. Interestingly, there was just a nude lip --the effect was that you couldn't help but stare into the model's eyes and barely notice anything else. When I suggested to Tom that he really had a way with words he said..."I'm French!" I guess that says it all.

EugeneSouleiman created the hair look. This slick, severe bun was reminiscent of a modern Robert Palmer Girl. The slicked back bun was severe, but the little twist on the side made it a bit funkier and more feminine. You can do a similar style yourself, by keeping hair sleek, maybe in a pontail instead of a perfect bun, but twisted one piece of hair to the side and then re-incorporating it into the finished look.

The idea, according to Eugene (in the hat), was to make a style that showed a strong, maybe somewhat cold woman on the surface, but underneath burns a warm heart. A woman who lived in France and is now transplanted to NYC...chic, maybe a bit cold, but a woman underneath the surface. As I've heard many times this week from the stylists, CLEAN is the word to describe the hair looks for fall. Eugene used products from GHD, including an amazing hot iron with triple-dipped plates for ultimate control and even heating. When I asked Eugene what trends he'd suggest for Fall, he immediately said "I don't believe in trends." Individuality, what works for you and what makes you look good, is always in. A good stylist helps you discover what really looks good, and not just what everyone is wearing. This man is a GOOD stylist!



It was getting pretty crowded backstage, so I wandered up to the racks of clothes, just to take in a few details. The models, the lights, the music...it all look so wonderful on the runway, but when you look at just the clothes without models, lights, or music, you realize that each is a little work works art--a work of art meant to be worn by a discerning clientele. If you can't afford a Bill Blass original, you can still take away some design elements from the collection. FOR DO IT YOURSELF-ERS. This slinky blue evening gown was wrapped around the waist with a black, velvet ribbon belt --try a velvet ribbon as a belt or around your neck to freshen up last year's party dress. Features (ostrich, in particular) and fur (faux or otherwise) are big for Fall. Festoon a substantial cardigan like the grey one in the photo with either to dress up any outfit, especially eveningwear. Also try wearing luxurious hats and gloves to "citify" your outfits. The ones in this show were gloves by Lacrasia, hats by (the often daring) Philip Treacy.

The photographers and TV crews were beginning to close in, but Peter Som still kept his cool, looking young, fresh, and happy and not the least bit worried about his collection. Of course, he wasn'it worried--it was amazing! The clothes were modern, unique, strong and architectural in feeling, beautifully cut and tailored, but still, meant for a beautiful woman. While Som's own collections are sophisticatedm they are also approachable and within reach of working women. This collection, his first collection with Bill Blass, is statment dressing, Alas, fashion is still a class society and these clothes announce it. The strong, almost masculine designs of this collection simply say "upper class." They drape and form around a woman's body like expensive clothes for discerning women (not girls) do. The slender evening gowns and tailored daywear are wildly compelling, but not cuddly or cute. This is attractive power dressing in the way a woman dreams to look -- it's not a young girl's "pretty." I actually can't imagine a woman crying and/or having a hissy fit in these clothes...she would simply be too chic, too collected, too cool to do so.

This card, situated right outside of the catwalk entrance, shows all of the looks!

A-listers slowly filled their seats in the large tent venue, including Roll Call: Tinsley Mortimer (the only one I really could see and recognize) is in this photo in the green. Also there were Jamee Gregory, Adelina Wong Ettelson, Helen Schifter, Nina Garcia, Gilles Bensimon, and Linda Fargo. Anna Wintour was supposedly there too, supposedly...who could find anyone in the crush of people schmoozing and photographing others on the runway before and after the show?

..and...the show was beautiful, with a sound track that included the pop band Depeche Mode. Afterwards, everyone was talking and talking and talking about the new infusion of talent and excitement Mr. Som has brought to the label of Bill Blass. Devotees of Bill Blass don't want to wear hippie chic or micro minis, odd hats, or goth makeup. They're all about understated, refined, confident, elegance. This is fashion that, like Pygmalion, can transform a woman.

all text and photos © 2008 all rights reserved by Alison Blackman Dunham of THE ADVICE SISTERS® The Advice Sisters is a registered United States trademark. All photos by Alison Blackman Dunham. For permission to use this content, please contact advicesisters(at)advicesisters(dot)

Beautiful Bill Blass-Presentation Spring 2008

Last season's Bill Blass show was a full-sized Fashion Week Runway Show tent extravaganza . This season, Bill Blass chose to take it down a notch, and host a presentation in the 42nd Street Library. Trays of wine and water were passed around, as guests scrutinized two back to back "tableaux" of models, standing in two rows, occasionally shifting position as requested by photographers. There were lights, and there was background music, but what made this presentation great (in my opinion) was the ability of the viewers to walk around at will, looking at the dresses from different angles, and for as long as required to understand the clothes.

The Spring 2008 collection was inspired by the Bill Blass archives, according to the press information. As you can see from the photos above, the dresses for Spring 2008 from Bill Blass are "party" dresses for young, beautiful women or, as well put: "pretty young things." The debutante-type colors and luxurious fabrics seem to work effortlessly with the precise tailoring. There were lots of thing belts at the waist, to emphasize the fact that these are dresses, not throw on sacks. We saw lots of heavy, lustrous silk in ivory, blush, yellow, white, and maize, some decorated with jet, patent, lace, and mirrors, some with ribbon rosettes and sequins, and some, like this Maize-colored, silk shantung ballgown with sweetheart neckline and inverted pleat skirt, simply needed no adornment at all. The definite sillouttes, the belts, and the controlled but pretty hair reminded me a bit of 1950's career girl goes to a party. So different from the balloon dresses of last Spring, these clothes are structured, ladylike, and expensive looking. They're special occasion.charity event outfits, and not something the average women will wear to dinner at a local restaurant. They exude feminine power. I imagine a young woman wearing one of these dresses and flirting outrageously but still she appears a proper lady. What fun to be a girl!

It will be interesting to see what direction Peter Som, recently named creative director, will take the line. For now, this collection is a nod to what was, and a wink at what may be in the future.

Hair was done by Dennis Gotsoulos and the Hair Team provided by Cutler Salon. The makeup was done by Francelle Daily and the MAC Pro Team.

The literature ends by stating: "This collection is a nod to Mr. Blass, and undoubtedly, to the women of yesterday and today who will forever dress for themselves."

*all text and photos by Alison Blackman Dunham -- copyright © 2007 all rights reserved by Alison Blackman Dunham of THE ADVICE SISTERS® No portion of this blog or any advicesisters content, including illustrations, may be copied or used in any without written permission. The Advice Sisters is a registered United States trademark.

Bill Blass --Bravo! Fall Fashion Week 2007

Most (if not all) of the models in the Bill Blass show were too young to recognize their struttin' music--a fantastic song from the 1940's: "Sing Sing Sing" by Benny Goodman. This vintage swing song with a driving drum beat, was made undeniably modern in a remix by Johnny Dynell featuring an even heavier drum beat that continued throughout the entire show: "Boom! Boom! Boom-Boom da-boom!" The sound added burlesque irreverence to the feminine Fall 2007 fashions.

As we'd see when the lights came up and a "curtain" featuring the iconic Bill Blass logo parted, Michael Vollbracht's homage to the past and view of Fall 2007 was also a mix of vintage-made-modern, but with a touch of rebellion. A large curtain (with the iconic Bill Blass Logo) parted, and models brashly strode right down the middle of the runway: "Boom! Boom! Boom-Boom da-boom!"

The beat may have been largely"stripper," but these were not trashy clothes. This label is attracting younger women as well as loyal followers who are (now a bit older than when they first fell in love with Bill Blass. We saw beautifully tailored day clothes, elegant, red-carpet-worthy evening gowns, in colors (yes, colors)! Deep green, moss green, gold, cinnamon, olive green, cocoa, indigo blue, champagne, coral...! Of course there was plenty of classic black, too. "Boom! Boom! Boom-Boom da-boom!"




In this photo I took at the end of the show, when the models did their final walks down the runway, pausing to form little groups and then becoming animated (a rarity on runways) and walking backstage together. The clothes are so ladylike, but if you look closer, there's an edge to them. This is not your mother's Bill Blass, but it's still recognizable. There was something very delicate and feminine about the collection--any modern woman would look beautiful in classic basic black cocktail and evening dresses and nicely tailored separates for daytime. There were a few interesting departures from classic, such as a white feathered embroidered cocktail dress that reminded me of a flapper's dress from the 1920's. Another great note: the 50's-style hair, parted on one side and piled up in huge buns by Jimmy Paul for Bumble & Bumble that immediately felt modern 50's to me--a nod to Tippi Hedren in Hitchcock's "The Birds" re-mixed for 2007. I couldn't see the makeup because I wasn't backstage or up close, but the program notes tell me the MAC Cosmetics pro team created this look, so I will get more information for a feature, later on. "Boom! Boom! Boom-Boom da-boom!"

Although there has been a lot of attention paid to furs--whether to wear them or not, furs were in this show and there have been more than ever on the runways (and no PETA protestors in sight). Blass also followed the trend of adding heavy tights (everywhere on the runways).

Furs were from Global Fur Group, Handbags from Carlos Falchi. Shoes, by Bill Blass.

Here is the designer with some of his models at the end of the show. I thought it was interesting that in a few places the notes say "Halston-like" and "Norrell-like. Michael Vollbracht apparently wanted to take inspiration from the past (although he had plenty that was uniquely his) and, as it says in the program notes that he was inspired by Halston and Norrell because: "I fell in love (Norrell's) sequined mermaids years and years ago when I was a very young designer and about Halston: "'because his simple philosophy looks so good in this era of over-designing. " And of Bill Blass: "it is my job to knock him off."

"Boom! Boom! Boom-Boom da-boom!!!!!"

Mini goodie-bags held Bill Blass Eau de Parfum (*watch the Advice Sisters upcoming What Works column for more on this simply divine scent)!

Ellen Tracy-Mercedez Benz Fashion Week Fall 2007

I am excited to be going to the Bill Blass runway show this morning but I'm running late! Last night I attended the Ellen Tracy runway show, so I'll write about that show first.

I love Ellen Tracy clothes. The sophisticated, classic shapes are the darlings of fashionable working women of all ages. Beautifully constructed of great fabrics, with an eye to detail...how could you not love them! FYI: I always thought that Ellen Tracy was a woman, but I learned that the company was started in 1949 as a blouse company by a man--Herbert Gallen. He hired Linda Allard who eventually became Ellen Tracy's Design Director. Her name was added to the Ellen Tracy label in 1984. COMPANY, a line for weekend and dress-down-day clothes, was started in 1991. Confused? Now George Collins Sharp is Vice President of Design Ellen Tracy and he was backstage at the show, of course. I took a few photos of him (check the Advice Sisters Features Pagehttp://www.advicesisters.net/Features/Features.html in a few weeks to see links to my photo-essay features on Fashion Week).
My first stop was backstage, to watch NARS makeup artist James Boehmer explain his concept for the show. Here's the model, TAO. She's beautiful without any makeup, but this look was particularly flattering and ladylike. James explained that while there was "nothing special" in terms of a theme for the makeup for Ellen Tracy, he wanted to make it elegant. He said he was inspired (a bit) by the Robert Palmer girl and Helmut Newton but in a more modern way, without the harsh angles and deep blush. The clothes reminded James of YSL "Le Smoking Collection" and so he wanted to have a strong eye AND lip--aggressive but elegant makeup. Interestingly though, here's no blush at all in this look. James simply added a bit of highlighter put high on cheekbones so that the face glows a bit when the model turns. Again, the look is all about color and technique. The eye makeup goes all the way into the brows, but all the harsh lines are removed by blending, blending and more blending! The eye makeup is really several different colors (plus a smudged and blended black eye pencil) James used a Duo Cream Eyeshadow: "Madagascar" and blended it, blended, it and then applied "Zardoz" and blended it, blended it, and blended it. The cream duo is a sheer formula created by NARS to use alone, or underneath NARS powder eye shadows for more color, depth and intensity. Lots and lots of mascara was also applied and black liner smudged top and bottom (a LOT of smudging). Brows were gelled, but no color was applied. He applied a beautiful, creamy, velvet-matte red brick lip pencil on each model ("Forbidden Red"). He lines Tao's lips first, then filled them in with the pencil. James said that when he was talking to the designer about the makeup for the show, they kept going back and forth about the lips--should it be a stain, or a lipstick. Lipstick definitely won out. The red lip against the creamy, matte skin was the perfect accompaniment to the sweaters, coats, and pants. I'll share more of the actual colors and products plus more photos, in the upcoming Advice Sisters Ellen Tracy/NARS feature.

RAMONA from Bumble & Bumble did the hair--sleek, very tight buns full of product for shine and manageability. Creative Nail design did the manicures--a ladylike, totally sheer, iridescent pink called "Negligee"

This show was really all about city chic, as you can see from this photo of took of beautiful Ajuma striding down the runway, wearing a cinnamon alpaca coat, Cinnamon iridescent taffeta blouse, Mahogany stretch viscose 2/4 sleeve sweater, and softly draping, mahogany crepe pants. I love this warm, Fall color, and it showed up in a variety of pieces, and even in a leather jacket. Another standout was a paprika (bright warm red) angora doubleface jacket worn with mahogany silk mesh sleeveless turtleneck and mahogany stretch stain skinny pants (couldn't get a photo of it--sorry)


There was also lots of city-sleek black which looked particularly great with the classy, elegant makeup and sleek hair. Ellen Tracy showed a number of jaunty fedoras, wide patent leather belts in black and brown, and lots of very large satchels in patent leather. There were knit scarves and tunics, too. One black cashmere cable knit sweater sparkled with a sprinkling of black beads and was worn with a stunning, ivory alpaca coat and black flannell pants with a deep pleat.

Black predominated. No surprise here--black is the uniform of chic women, everywhere. In fact, there were few surprises--just lots of urban chic clothes minus tacky, wacky or weird. Every piece in this Fall 2007 Ellen Tracy collection is something a real person would want to own. It's wearable chic you'll want the minute the collection hits the stores.