Design Bitch

New first lady needs a new stylist

Design Bitch — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:10:55 +0000

Obamas are a handsome clan, but they could outshine themselves even more if Michelle had a good stylist. With brains and beauty and a lot going for her, I have to say that the wardrobe department is suffering in a major way. It’s not enough to wear a brand name, it’s the cut, fit and colors that play the main part. I’d gladly make-over our new first lady…

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Project Runway 5 winner: Leanne Marshall

Design Bitch — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:54:07 +0000

Kenley Collins

Leanne Marshall

Korto Momolu

The PR season 5 finale was a close race. All three finalists displayed strong collections on the Bryant Park runway, unique in their own right. It was a tough pick for the judges.

Leanne’s collection inspired by waves won the viewers hearts and the judges liked the fact that she produced a variety of garments: shorts, pants, dresses, jacket, skirts, tops. I think that her pieces are wearable and feminine and her technique is outstanding, but it was a tad too many petals for my liking.

Korto pleasantly surprised me with the fluidity of her collection. Her garments look better “live” and in movement rather than on hangers or photos. There was a unity in color and cuts and impressive detailing. The little fold-up fans were a nice touch. Previously unimpressed by her use of bright tropical colors, I felt that it all came together really nicely on the runway and translates better in video.

Out of the 3 collections, I would wear more of Kenley’s pieces than any other; I love her hand-painted fabrics and her use of color and cuts. Sadly she didn’t win, but what’s even sadder is the end of this season…

Martin Margiela - 20 years in fashion

Design Bitch — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 03:36:19 +0000

MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA ( 20) The exhibition celebrates 20 years (already?) in fashion at MOMU museum in Antwerp now through February 2009. This unique show is curated by Bob Verhelst (once part of the Margiela fashion house) and highlights the incognito Belgian designer’s conceptual genius and master tailoring. The exhibit explores various themes used throughout Martin Margiela’s career as a designer, as well as fashion shows, store & office designs, house style and communications policy. Exclusively for this event, Margiela will have limited-edition items on sale at the Fashion Museum reception.

MMM Background: “In 1988, after graduating from the fashion department of the Antwerp Academy and working as an assistant for Jean-Paul Gaultier, Martin Margiela and Jenny Meirens established Maison Martin Margiela. Their first pioneering fashion show followed in October of that same year. Margiela’s was a radically new visual language, with a silhouette – long, with strikingly narrow shoulders – that diametrically opposed the power dressing of the 1980s. He furthermore declines public appearances. Early in his career, Margiela emphatically decided to let his fashion speak for itself. All interviews are consistently given in the name of the Maison as a whole and no photographs of the designer are distributed – a sharp reaction against the star status that dominated the fashion scene of the 1980s and 1990s.

Maison Martin Margiela is especially known for its deconstructivist approach and its use of second-hand materials or materials with low commercial value. Margiela shows the inside of a clothing item, exposes its construction and focuses on that which fashion anxiously tries to conceal. Unravelling the grammar of clothing, Maison Martin Margiela reveals the strategies of the fashion system as he constructs something radically new. The working method produces an analysis of the system that underlies fashion and is followed through in the many varied aspects of the fashion house.”

MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA EXHIBIT
Sep 12 ‘08 - Feb. 8 ‘09
Tue. - Sun. 10am-6pm

MOMU - Fashion Museum of Antwerp
Nationalestraat 28, 2000 Antwerp
Tel: +32 (0)3 470 27 70
Fax: +32 (0)3 470 27 71
www.momu.be

Raquel Allegra - Spring 2009 Collection

Design Bitch — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 21:17:50 +0000

LA Fashion Week is in full swing and my friend Raquel Allegra is showing her Spring ‘09 Collection this Sunday, Oct. 19 at Box Eight. From the invitation alone, her new pieces look gorgeous. She has been transforming LA county jail rags into riches for a while now; turning them into beautiful, lacy and super soft tanks, t-shirts, tunics, dresses and scarves. I’ve always loved the concept of recycling, taking something on its last thread and giving it another life of wear and tear, and Raquel’s execution is superb. The proof is in the pudding: I own one and adore it! And… of course, want more.

Watch a video of Raquel’s design process after the jump, minus the shredding secret, sadly…

Project Runway - response to a comment

Design Bitch — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:43:44 +0000

“Kenley is very damn talented and I’d let her dress me everyday of the week because she makes stuff that I would wear BUT it doesnt cover the fact that her attitude smells like rotten fish.

Yeah she has tough skin, but sometimes I feel like part of the reason why she has tough skin is because she knows her attitude is bad so she gets defensive when she is adressed about it.

Jerrell is super talented and i would have loved to see him be picked for fashion week but his wedding dress was way too ‘out there’.

I LOVED Leann’s wedding dress. I would either wear Her or Kenleys dress.”

Hi Skinny Genes,

Thanks for dropping by with an opinion!
You inspired the wedding dress challenge poll. Please vote in the left sidebar and pass it on.

Ok, so my money was on Jerrell for virtually all of the show. Don’t get me wrong, I love Leanne’s eye too - she’s got her detail-thing going on and it works! I would buy some of her pieces in a second. But Jerrell really let me down with his final collection - he had too much freedom and went too far off the tangent. I was disappointed because up until that point he was the most creative and avant-garde. Too bad he went loco. I think that if he has clients telling him exactly what they want then his execution will be flawless.

Kenley… Kenley got under my skin a bunch of times with her defensive remarks, but at the end of the day I get her. Much like Leanne, she has her own style and it’s hard to get her to do anything else because she’s stubborn. The Hip-Hop challenge was her ultimate disaster and frankly, I was surprised that she wasn’t eliminated that week.

But… everyone deserves a second chance. And Kenley really pulled through with her final collection (love the dress above). I also like her unique head-pieces, they add a romantic touch. I think that with enough pressure and support, she could really shine as a designer and a character.

Another part of me can’t help but think that what goes around comes around, and Jerrell and Korto are paying for being mean to Kenley when they didn’t want to share their tulle with her. And… um, she was the only one with the mini bride’s mate’s dress, until Korto and Leanne copied her (after attacking and outcasting her).

As far as the wedding dress winner, for me Kenley’s topped them all.

Project Runway: season 5 favorite

Design Bitch — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:30:15 +0000

The countdown to this season’s Project Runway finale is riveting. I had my heart set on Jerrell for a while, because I admired his aesthetic throughout the show, but it seems that he does best when given direction, but if you give him too much freedom, he tends to go over the top. And as a result, last night he lost the wedding dress / bride’s mate’s dress challenge. We’re now down to top 3: Leanne, Korto and Kenley. I don’t know about you, but I’m rooting for the underdog Kenley. Her wedding dress is phenomenal and blows the rest of the contenders out of the water. As far as I’m concerned, that girl deserves to win. She has been ceaselessly berated for her attitude, but that tough skin has come in handy in her fight to the top. It sucks that the other competing designers have ostrasized her from the group, but that also served as a catalyst for her kick-ass final collection. Kenley went all out with hand-painted fabrics and beautifully crafted designs to really prove to the judges that her skills precede her personality. Vote for Kenley!

Shopping bag extraordinaire

Design Bitch — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 03:14:04 +0000

I thought I’d share my latest obsession - Nagi Noda. You may not have heard of the name, but you have seen her work. She is the conceptual guru behind the Scissor Sisters video “She’s my man”, a Coca Cola commercial (which The White Stripes did the music for) and numerous other works. She is so brilliantly kooky that lately I can’t seem to get enough. This series of paper bag designs is just a glimpse of the Japanese pop art genius.

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Summer sandal

Design Bitch — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:35:26 +0000

Five reasons to love Willow sandals by Twenty Two Shoes: 1) they are simple, 2) they are hand-made from Italian leather, 3) they use vegetable dyes and non-toxic glues, 4) their packaging and shoe boxes are crafted from recycled paper and printed with soy ink, 5) they come in silver or gold. If these flats float your boat, you can stop by their LA location or purchase them at their online store.

Twenty Two Shoes

8304 W 3rd St.

West Hollywood

b/t S. Flores St. and S. Sweetzer Ave.

(323-782-1929)

Sugar Kane shades

Design Bitch — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:48:59 +0000

Italian-owned Sugar Kane designed these really cool glasses slash sunglasses. They can be worn inside and outside due to the photochromic lenses that darken on exposure to the sun. The glasses are just slightly asymmetrical, unisex and fun. The frames come in ten different colors and you can buy them online by contacting the merchant directly at occhiali@sugarkane.it.

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Jil Sander sandals

Design Bitch — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:55:10 +0000

Jil Sander has done it again! Design cool shoes that is. I like the cubist/futurist heel and strap construction of these high heel leather sandals. They come in fluo orange or sea cloud. How poetic. Find them at Jil Sander online or My Prestigium.