Summer to Fall

October 18, 2023. 8 comments.

Scene: Seasons change from warm to cool. Summer sightings of lace, stripes, and semi-sheer. Orange, yellow, lime green, and blues. Always black and white. Patterns, 90’s simplicity, and updated romantics. Denim and cargo pants. Flowing and hugging fabrics. Super mini and maxi too. Boots, slides, and strappy low heel sandals. Oxfords, loathers, and kicks. Easy Breezy.
Note: Normcore is a fashion movement that celebrates effortless style and comfort, which relates to this post.

Scene: The seasons turn. The colors of nature change, maintaining the summer’s vibrant hues of orange, yellow, greens, and lavender. Mixed with beige, browns, and blues with touches of red. Enhanced neutrals. And yes, black and white with grey too. Leather, wool, cashmere, suede, and cotton. Boots, Doc Martens, Timberland, sandals, and sneaker. Color and texture.

Scene and Heard: Steppin’ into fall with Bizarre Inc’s I’m Gonna Get You

NYFW Kim Shui

September 10, 2023. 5 comments.

Scene: Kim Shui’s Fall Winter ’23 collection at New York Fashion Week. The Chinese-born fashion visionary doesn’t shy away from sex appeal as she celebrates the female form, presenting an array of skin-baring garments that skillfully play with textures, patterns, and faux fur. This maximal excess collection was ultra sultry, ultra sexy, and ultra ’90s. Skin and nudity were prevalent. But Shui herself is a self-proclaimed shy girl. Her clothing however is bold, loud, and statement making.
“The reason I chose Bowery Savings Bank building is because the banks are a place that historically withheld power from women. I wanted to reclaim that because the whole thing was about women’s agency, women’s freedom to express themselves”. A poignant message in this time of feminine political issues.
The runway show began with models cascading down a marble staircase before strutting atop an elevated runway strewn with official documents. Notably, Kim Shui’s model line-up was richly diverse. Women of all skin tones, hair textures, body shapes, and sizes. The collection delves into the delicate balance between individuality and self-expression. For Shui, celebrating the bodies of women comes second nature, as her looks commonly drape the body and provide the wearer with uninhibited confidence. Her signature diamond encrushed “K” was on belts, bras, coats, jewelry, skirts, and sunglasses.
Talent for the show: Hair by lead hairstylist Jaylin Seng and team for Cutler Salons using Redken products. The key hair looks were very long straight hair with the signature “K” tattoo and very long braids. Hair “K” tattoos by Paul Miller for Cutler Salons. Lead makeup artist Romero Jennings and team for Mac Cosmetics using Mac products. The key makeup look was two toned lips lined in red with purple, an ombré effect (gradient color effect). Nails by Narina Chan and team, Stylist and Casting Director Ella Cepeda, Shoes High Heels and Moon Boots, Location Bowery Savings Bank building which opened in 1834 located in Manhattan’s Chinatown, Photos by Fred J. DeVito.

Scene: The ceiling of the historic Bowery Savings Bank built in 1834.

Special thanks to Helen Oppenheim, hair historian, archivist, and blogger, for asking me to collaborate during Fashion Week.

Photo 40 courtesy of CR Fashion Book.

NYMD A.Potts ’23

September 3, 2023. One comment.

Scene: A.Potts Fall Winter ’23 collection at New York Men’s Day during New York Fashion Week. The New York based designer, Aaron Potts, delivered a polished and modern collection. Titled Neorascalism, Aaron reimagined lives of “The Little Rascals” as if they were students at Parsons in the early 1990’s, “NeoRascal”. Potts’ signature, oversized genderfluid looks also featured slimmer silhouettes this season.
This collection was grounded in a classic color palette of black, white, and red, full of texture, layers and depth with faux fur.
A Detroit born and raised Brooklynite, Aaron Potts attended Parsons School of Design where he interned with Donna Karan at DKNY. Potts would go on to amass an impressive resume designing for Emanuel Ungaro, Anne Klein, Victoria’s Secret, Escada in Germany, Badgley Mischka, Ellen Tracy, Kaufmanfranco and at Tamara Mellon (co-founder of Jimmy Choo) where he was the design director. With two decades of experience under his belt, Potts felt it was the right time to step out on his own in 2018. The work of fashion legends like Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo, as well as pioneering American designer Willi Smith, were some of Potts’ early influences, particularly when it came to volume and silhouette.
Talent for the show: Hair by lead hairstylist Kien Hoang and team for Oribe. The key hair look was natural, windswept with movement. Lead makeup artist Jessica Marisol and team for New York Academy of Makeup AOFMPro. One of the key makeup looks was called City with simple glowy skin. The other was called Outdoors with a matted natural look. Stylists Memsor Kamarake, Shoes Dr. Martens, Legwear Hue, Hats Kangol, Eyewear Kimeze, Custom Belts Delfina Farias, Location Daylight Studios in Hudson Yards, Photos Fred J. DeVito.

Scene: A.Potts lookbook film.

Special thanks to Helen Oppenheim, hair historian, archivist, and blogger, for asking me to collaborate during Fashion Week.

NYFW PH5 ’23

August 28, 2023. No comments.

Scene: PH5 Fall Winter ’23 collection at New York Fashion Week. Designed by Zoe Champion and Wei Lin. The New York based label presentation was titled This Is Not a Jellyfish which imagines life in a plastic filled ocean. Inspired by the idea of a post-apocalyptic life under water addressing climate change. Garments were made with over 90% recycled materials, like viscose and see-through plastics.
80 percent of the ocean remains undiscovered. The environmentally conscious brand imagines what humans might wear when life on earth is no longer tenable and we’re forced to live underwater. “Welcome to PH5’s underwater world. We went deeper underwater, into a world where plastic can be mistaken for otherworldly life forms and a place that we have barely explored is being impacted by us so greatly. We asked ourselves if we had to move to the deep ocean, could we create a new home out of the trash we’ve put down there?”
PH5 co-founder and designer Wei Lin said “the showcase was inspired by her experience as an avid scuba diver, after noticing an unfamiliar figure in the water in one of her dives. I saw what I thought was a white giant mammal floating in the middle of the ocean.” When getting closer she realized it was plastic.
For this presentation they asked their friends and family to collect plastic from their lives for them to use and gave them a second life as crochet bags. Transforming plastic waste.
The models moved with the currents of the ocean while floating their arms. They became alluring sea creatures.
Talent for the show: Hair by lead hairstylist Carly Loura and team for Cutler Salons with products by Redken. The key hair look was a center part with two buns which were worn outside of the veils covering the hair and the face. Lead makeup artist Molly Marie Ganster and team for New York Academy of Makeup. Alluring vibrant eyes showing through the veils with a natural look using NYMUA Cosmetic Pigments in floro, pop, and coyella. Stylists Coke Ho, Shoes Hoka, Photos Fred J. DeVito.

Special thanks to Helen Oppenheim, hair historian, archivist, and blogger, for asking me to collaborate during Fashion Week.

NYFW House of Aama ’23

August 22, 2023. No comments.

Scene: The House of Aama Fall Winter ’23 collection at New York Fashion Week. Designed by mother and daughter duo Rebecca Henry and Akua Shabaka. The Los Angeles-based fashion house infuses their designs with an exceptional reverence for the past and collective memory. Titled Prelude: Aama Tales, the show explores diasporic family migration patterns from West Africa to the West Indies and the Southern United States through the travels and journey of the folklore Anansi the Spider, who was known for being resourceful and able to adapt to changing environments. They use garments as a means of translating history and transcending time.
Talent for the show: Hair by lead hairstylist Anthony Joseph Hernandez and team for Cutler Salons and Redken. The key hair look was braids on the forehead with a bun in the back adorned with florals. Lead makeup artist Maite Moreira and team for New York Makeup Academy. There were two makeup looks: The Caribbean, a warm natural look with deep eyeliner and deep lip liner with a natural lower lip. And, the Green Party Girl, with natural color and a simple ’60s -’70s vibe, duochrome eyeshadows from jade blue to green with a subtle sheen. Nails by Leanne Woodley and team represented by She Likes Cutie, Florals by Ryan Norville, Stylist Tiffani Williams, Casting Director Dionne Cochrane, Shoes for her Kendall Miles and for him Gola Classics and Dr. Martens, Location Georgia Room at Freehand Hotel New York, Photos by Fred J. DeVito.
Photo above, Sunrise Sleeveless Open-Back Maxi Dress illustrating the House of Aama’s Parable Capsule Collection in collaboration with visual artist Gianni Lee, presenting the body as a canvas with original artwork depicting geometric forms and anthropomorphized floral depictions with human attributes. (House of Aama x Gianni Lee)

Scene: House of Aama Maroon Day Camp Vest and and Capri.

Scene: The Caribbean makeup look, a warm natural look with deep eyeliner and deep lip liner with a natural lower lip.

Scene: House of Aama Natural Button Up and Natural Capri.

Scene: Aja Bodysuit, House of Aama x Gianni Lee Original Aja Print.

Scene: House of Aama Berry Cropped Silk Jacket with Berry High-Waisted Cropped Silk Pants worn by Ms. Goodie Gyal, Sah-say, @sensaysha.

Scene: House of Aama Anancy Paneled Dress.

Scene: The key hair look, a mix of natural soft hair and braids on the forehead with a bun in the back adorned with florals by lead hairstylist Anthony Joseph Hernandez for Cutler Salons and Redken.

Scene: House of Aama Natural Slip Dress.

Scene: House of Aama Black Pinstripe Lace Up Shirt. And, Aja Strapless Open-Back Maxi Dress, House of Aama x Gianni Lee Original Aja Print.

Scene: Aja Strapless Open-Back Maxi Dress, House of Aama x Gianni Lee Original Aja Print.

Scene: House of Aama Patternmaster Trench Coat.

Scene: Night Sky Maxi Dress, House of Aama x Gianni Lee Original Night Sky Print.

Scene: Open-Back Blue Mood Maxi Dress, House of Aama x Gianni Lee Original Blue Mood Print.

Scene: Green Party Girl makeup look with natural color and duochrome eyeshadows from jaded blue to green with a subtle sheen by lead makeup artist Maite Moreira. And, the key hair look, a mix of natural soft hair and braids on the forehead with a bun in the back adorned with florals by lead hairstylist Anthony Joseph Hernandez for Cutler Salons and Redken.

Scene: House of Aama Maroon Day Camp Embroidered Shirt and Capri.

Scene: House of Aama Anansi Men’s Jacket and Capri Jeans with Roots Bucket Hat.

Scene: Deep Turtleneck. House of Aama x Gianni Lee Original Deep Print.

Scene: House of Aama Hush Up Camp T-Shirt and Anansi Maxi Skirt.

Scene: House of Aama Anansi Cardigan Sweater and Capri Jeans.

Scene: House of Aama Corset Denim Jacket.

Scene: The key hair look, a bun in the back adorned with florals with a mix of natural soft hair and braids on the forehead by lead hairstylist Anthony Joseph Hernandez for Cutler Salons and Redken.