Zang Toi-Mercedez Benz Fashion Week (last but not least)

*I meant to post this last week but was waiting for Allison Joyce's photos...so last, but not least....Zang Toi!

The last show I attended at Mercedez Benz Fashion Week was that of Zang Toi. I wondered when I recieved my invitation why the time for the show was listed ast 3.57. I later learned that the designer, Zang Toi, was born and raised in Malaysia, and thinks the number "four" is a bad omen that sounds like the word for "death" in Cantonese. Apparently, Zang Toi won't use the number "4" for anything, so when he was given the time slot of 4pm on Friday, February 9th to mount his show, he requested that people assemble at 3"47 instead of having to list 4pm.

Apparently, the time slot was popular with fashionistas, many of whom arrived early, invitations in hand, only to be given standing room slots. I was one of the members of the press that was invited, but received a standing room ticket. I was close to the front of the standing room line and I really wanted to see the show, but it was not only delayed (nothing special about that--many of the shows are delayed) but the standing room line was so long it was doubtful that many of us would get in.

Finally, someone walked down the standing room line asking if there were any writers or photographers in the line and called us out to walk in first. Allison Joyce, an up-and-coming young photographer taking photos for The Advice Sisters for this show, and I, found places to see the show. Me, from the third row (behind some tall people whose heads appear in too many of my Zang Toi photos), Allison, from the side of the photographer's pit.


Photo by Alison Blackman


photo by Allison Joyce


This settled into a director's chair (behind two very tall people with big hair, alas), I checked out the runway. At the front there was a large black and white poster with Zang Toi's logo, surrounded by deep, red, roses. This was the backdrop for day and evening clothes that exluded elegance and extravagance, but were still quite wearable.

The theme of the show was "The Iconic Catherine Denueve." I didn't quite "get" that from the 43 looks that went down the runway (quite a lot of clothes, I thought). But it was quite a show! Lush brocade, lots of fur, jewelled pins, and collars of beads that make additional jewelry totally redundant, sashayed down the runway on models with large halo poufs of romantic, ruffed curls by Eiji Salon. The makeup was done by NARS, and I'll try to get you more information so you can "do the look" for Fall. Manicures, which I didn't get close enough to see, were by J. Sisters.

These styles are extravagant, a bit bohemian, and expensive looking. There were deep, jewel-toned colors...red, green, rust, beige, and more! Although I'm not familiar with Zang Toi's past collections, this one said "fun" and "youthful" to me. The clothes were a also a bit irreverant--just the kind of thing I can image Patty Hearst wearing to a cotillion, during her days before she was kidnapped! (photo by Allison Joyce)

If you don't want to see your clothes on every other woman out there, and you've got the "means," Zang Toi might be just the prescription!

Gustavo Arango-Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Fall 2007

I was really excited to attend the Gustavo Arango show at the Altman Building Saturday afternoon, February 3rd, because I was invited backstage and one of my faves, AVEDA, was doing the hair and the makeup on this show. The backstage area at the Altman building is really spacious compared to the tents, and it was easy to spot and interview Rudy Miles, AVEDA Global Face Color Artist, and others from the Aveda Makeup Team.

Gustavo Arango designs glam clothes for glamorous women, especially Latina woman, so the look for this show was inspired by Hollywood glamour of the 1920's, but not quite as controlled or "done" (check out the model in the photo, below):

The makeup for this show was completely modern, dressed up, but, as Rudy Miles put it, "still whimsical." I called it diva with a slightly "dirty-girl" attitude. A polished, finished face and, like the strong eyes at Alice Roi and Alexander Herchcovitch, Rudy Miles made the focal point the eyes. He ringed them completely in a slightly metallic, deep, smoked blue called "Blue Bell." This color will be available from AVEDA for Fall, 2007. The deep, blue eye look really went well with the soft evening gowns and subdued colors for Fall from Gustavo Arango's collection. To finish the look, Rudy applied a lip liner all over the model's lips, first, and then applied a berry gloss that gave the lips what I like to call a "moistly-matte" look. It's matte, but not that old-fashioned dry that we are used to seeing with matte products. The cheeks were burgundy and berry, but applied in a new way: arched around the forehead and to the cheeks, instead of up from the apples. "It's all about color and technique," explained Rudy. And, as many other makeup artists have always advised me to pass on to you, my readers, this is only makeup. You can always remove it if you don't like the way it looks...so don't be afraid to experiment! Rudy Miles is shown below, holding some new "Petal Essence Accents" eye/blush trios for Fall, 2007 . Rudy said he used to be a teen model (and he's still not only photogenic, but very charming!).

I also spoke to Jon Reyman and his AVEDA hair team. Since the inspiration was the 1920's pin curls and finger waves that define that era's Hollywood glam style, the model's hair was set in pin curls and then loosely pinned in the back to produce a modern, Raphaelite-styled bob. This stunning look was romantic and youthful, but not too "set" in place. The models really did look angelic, walking down the runway. I don't have a list of all the products used but I will get it and add the details to my photo-essay feature, soon (check the Advice Sisters FEATURES page http://www.advicesisters.net/Features/Features.html in the coming weeks for all the latest Fashion Week and advicesisters content). ). I do know tow of the products used were Air Control, an environmentally-friendly hair spray, and Pure Abundance Hair Potion to add texture and volume to a model's hair if she needed it. Jon also explained that AVEDA was being much more selective in the number of shows they were doing this Fashion Week season. The reason? Aveda puts their proverbial money where there mouths are. They will only work with designers that are in sync with AVEDA's earth-friendly mission and philosophy: http://www.aveda.com/customerservice/ourmission.tmpl

The makeup artists and hair stylists are working on a short time frame on lots of models at the same time. They have to answer the same, endless questions over and over again. Even so, to a person, all of the backstage teams have been gracious and responsive to me as a writer and reporter. The AVEDA staff in particular were so nice to be around! They seemed to be enjoying their jobs, and their colleagues (special thanks to makeup artist TERRY whose husband was also backstage, on the "hair" team). I didn't interview the team from Pritti Organix Nail Salon, but they did the manicures.

Gustavo Arango came by to talk to Jon for a moment. I was too tongue-tied to introduce myself, but the designer, outwardly very calm, said he hadn't slept much the night before the show (I can just imagine!). He needn't have worried since the collection, although body conscious, was beautiful and quite wearable, even for non-models. Mr. Arango, born in Colombia and raised in Puerto Rico, studied in New York at F.I.T., subsequently working as a fashion designer for Pierre Balmain and then launching his own collection. An interesting but sad note is that the designer's apartment was destroyed during the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11th. He moved back to Puerto Rico. His collection now is inspired by the exotic beauty of Puerto Rico, and the urban chic of New York. The clothes moved with the body, especially the evening gowns in chiffon and silk charmeuse that were accented with beads in many cases. One I particularly liked was a slate silk charmeuse gown with lizard straps. Shoes were high, high, and higher, from Beverly Feldman and La Favorita. I don't know what the fashionistas will say about the collection, but my personal opinion is that Gustavo Arango designs to make every woman look beautiful, no matter what her age or features.

Check out my "how to do the look" with AVEDA products (coming soon on the advice sisters web site linked from our FEATURES page http://www.advicesisters.net/Features/Features.html

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Fall 2007-Akiko Ogawa

Later in the day, I went to the Akiko Ogawa runway show in the tents. I got there early, and saw my friend Ester Nash on line for another show. How nice to see her! She's such a lovely woman.

As I was checking in for Akiko Ogawa, I ran into another person I know--Steven Bender. He now has his own PR company and is doing lots of interesting things. We had time to catch up for a few minutes. He's one of the "nice guys," too.

But on to the show: the theme is "the masculine look of a British rock star softened into feminine form and laced with elements of 'wabi sabi' (the distinctily Japanese aesthetic of refined rusticity and elegant simplicity considered the highly prized qualities in the traditional arts).

To break that down, the clothes were a mixture of punk bluntness, and soft silk kimono..a perfect fusion of Japanese downtown girls, with geisha elements. Scottish tartan (mostly with green and blue) showed up in pleated skirts, paired with rock-star black.

The audience and the clothes seem "youthful" but in truth, I could see nearly anyone taking pieces from the 39 pieces shown in this collection and making them work. There were skinny pants, mostly in black, along with charcoal gray, but there was some color. The pink used as accents apparently was inspired by the flower of the peony tree. One of the most beautiful pieces was a deep pink kimono tunic, worn with a low-slung Swarovski crystal studded belt. The most beautiful pieces were these silky kimono-styles, worn as dresses and tunics. The models seemed to float down the runway in these. I liked the oversized obi" type sashes that added a distinctly Japanese flair. I also particularly liked a black cropped "military" type jacket with large crystal "buttons" that added sparkle, and some of the jackets and sweaters with faux-fur trim. To add that punk attitude, a variety of platform black leather shoes prevailed. Add a chunky boot to a tartan skirt and you've got just the right mix.

The collection is fun, eye catching, and a welcome relief from the austere. Noda Norikata at MAO did strong, smoky eyes and pale faces. Hair, from Dennis Lanni for Bumble & Bumble was stark -- a sort of modern Louise Brooks short black bob with thick bangs for most of the models. This added a distinct rock star meets the East sensibility that went well with the clothes.

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Fall 2007-Alice Ritter

Fashion Week has begun!

My first show was Alice Ritter at the Players Club in the chic, Grammercy Park area. It was cold and of course, I arrived on the wrong side of the Park and had to walk around three sides of it to get to my destination.

Inside, young girls in white T-shirts with the simple Alice Ritter logo in black letters, were all smiles. I got there close to start time (I know from experience that most fashion shows do not really start on time) and noticed the cozy club was already packed with chattering fashionistas. Two Alice Ritter staffers, chattering in melodic tones, in French, were sitting on one of three available couches, on opposite ends. They moved over so I could sit down, and I gratefully sank into the leather couch for the "wait" (which turned out to be about 35 minutes). While sitting, I chatted with a young woman who said she was there as an Assistant Buyer for the Isetan department store in Japan. So many buyers and press (yours truly included) didn't have seat assigments! We were finally ushered into a "great hall" lined with imposing oil paintings of what I presume were the founders or past presidents of the Players Club, squeezing ourselves through a gauntlet behind three rows of tightly packed (and mostly filled) seats. We filed in slowly, and I realized that there was an open seat right in front of where the line ended. The lights were just about to go out so I sat down. Alas, anyone not in the front row had an obstructed view.

But the clothes (from what I could see of them) were worth the wait. Down the runway came the most romantic if "costumy" clothes I've seen in a long time. They Edwardian inspired collection featured the most fantastic cropped jackets with nipped-in waists and long, tiered, flouncy back treatments. These were paired with nicely tailored, wide-legged, pants, and romantic, full skirts. Alice Ritter uses a mixture of woven fabrics, and since it was a Fall collection, there was a lot of substantial wool, heavy cotton, and silk. The colors were extremely austere: black, black and more black, and some grey, olive green, and a bit of "caramel, plus a bunch of blouses and dresses in silky, royal purple fabrics. What added spark was silky shine, and some sparkle or sheen in the fabrics of the jackets and skirts.

A lot of this collection is what I'd call "party" or special event clothes, but not in the sense of a formal evening gown. These are clothes to turn heads, but without a rhinestone or a bead, in sight. A standout was a "dandy's" outfit, mixing masculine and feminine: a pure white blouse with a huge ruffled front and collar of crystal pleats, paired with blakc pants and a fitted jacket. With an outfit this "showy" all you need is a pair of diamond stud earrings, and you're good to go! Another standout were two coats: one was a boxy, black and white tweed mid-length coat with a very large, shawl color. The other, a creamy ivory wool with a funnel neck and large buttons, that seemed very retro (think: Audry Hepburn in Charade).

I didn't go backstage for this one, but the main theme of the hair reminded me of party girl fone to sleep and this is the result in the morning. The hair was a "messy" bun with long pieces or tendrils deliberately falling out of it to the side. It was romantic, but I'd suspect it might be harder to accomplish at home than simply making a bun, and sleeping on it! The makeup was by NARS. I liked the matte, dark rose or warm red lips as the main focal point. I'll try to get the details from NARS and share them later on.