Phillip Lim Presents First Menswear Collection

Phillip Lim staged his first menswear presentation at a gorgeous art space in Chelsea yesterday afternoon. This is his first season showing menswear separately from womenswear. He wanted to give the men's line extra emphasis this season because he frankly feels like men get the shaft at New York Fashion Week. "I was just talking to my friends today, I’m like, 'You know, I’m a guy, I wear men’s clothes and it’s so stagnant and suffocating — it’s just disappearing. And so I’ve got to fight for my line," he told us. "Less and less people are paying attention to it."
Lim's spring 2010 men's collection included ankle pants in grays and blues and even black leather. He also showed a camel leather T-shirt tucked into matching camel leather shorts. As a fashion-forward man himself, how does he feel about the latest in seemingly silly man fashions, such as meggings? "If it keeps you warm, why not?" But what about man purses? "What are man purses?" We gestured to our own shoulder bag. "You know, I think over the shoulder is meant for function, so if it can help hold a bag, why not?" he decided. But what about man skirts? "You know, for certain people who have great legs, it works. But for me, no." Does he see them proliferating en masse? "I hope not. I think it’s reserved for the special few." But he won't rule out designing one. "Never say never."

- Amy Odell for New York Magazine's "The Cut" blog

High Fashion Faces a Redefining Moment

Thakoon Panichgul in his SoHo studio during a fitting. Though successful in his career, he is pessimistic about larger trends. (Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times)

by Cathy Horyn

The fabric in the hands of Thakoon Panichgul, one of Michelle Obama’s favorite designers, is exquisite. An Italian jacquard, woven from yarns of eight different colors, it costs $100 a yard. A dress that Mr. Panichgul plans to make from the cloth for his runway show next week will cost $2,000.

He lets it fall away. It troubles Mr. Panichgul that as much as people love beautiful clothes, they do not understand why they cost so much. “It’s becoming a losing battle,” he said.

Designer fashion — the creative wellspring of the American apparel industry, the engine of style magazines, the stuff of plain old dreams — is experiencing a serious case of the blues. As another show season rolls out across the city, against the chilliest retail climate in years, many believe this is not merely a difficult moment for high-end fashion but a defining one as well.

Here is the reality: More and more people shop at H & M and other purveyors of cheap chic. Factories offering fine craftsmanship in Italy and New York are closing as business moves to China. Consumers do not see longevity in the clothes they buy. “I think the true designer business is in trouble, no question about it,” said a senior buying executive at Macy’s, declining to speak on the record because of the company’s policies.

With shoppers afraid to spend, department stores cut orders for fall goods by 30 percent. For next spring — the collections being shown during New York Fashion Week through Sept. 17 — little improvement is seen.

“In my 40 years in fashion, I’ve never seen women scared to shop — at all price levels,” said Vera Wang, who sells $1,000 dresses at stores like Bergdorf Goodman and also has a low-priced line at Kohl’s.

Retailers have pressured designers like Ms. Wang to lower their prices. Anyone walking through an empty store in recent months could see why this was necessary. On Tuesday, Neiman Marcus reported a $668 million loss for the year. The luxury chain said the latest quarterly sales at stores open at least a year fell 23 percent from the period a year ago. Saks posted a 16 percent drop. On Thursday, the industry tried to excite people with after-hours shopping at stores around the city, called Fashion’s Night Out.

Makers of high-end fashion wonder how far they can drop prices without diminishing their prestige, or cutting corners that might compromise their creativity.

Ms. Wang said she cut prices for her resort collection this year by 40 percent, but was told by some stores that those $600 to $800 dresses were maybe too low for a designer brand.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Ms. Wang said, referring to the future of prestigious labels. “It’s going to be a world of crepe de Chine.”

Although designer fashion accounts for only a small portion of the $191 billion apparel industry in the United States, and many consumers would not mourn the disappearance of $2,000 dresses from the racks, the creativity of runway collections inspires looks in the mass market and sets trends that entice shoppers back into stores season after season, fueling a vast segment of the economy.

In the 40 years since modern ready-to-wear came into existence in Europe and America, and made household names of Ralph, Calvin and Donna, designers have enjoyed enormous respect and prosperity. However, in the past few years, they have lost some face with consumers. Their clothes became exotically pricey as they courted celebrities and did quick-and-dirty deals with makers of fast fashion.

This week the situation reached a nadir of sorts when the Paris house Emanuel Ungaro — once the pride and joy of the Upper East Side — announced that it had hired Lindsay Lohan as its artistic adviser.

Another impact of recession-driven designing is a retreat to more predictable styles, a repetition of the safe looks that sold well in previous seasons. The designer Elie Tahari, whose labels generate about $500 million in sales, is focusing on dresses, animal prints and leggings and slim pants worn with tunics.

“Fashion has to be new and wearable and there has to be a need to it,” he said. Mr. Tahari has cut prices by 30 percent and closed a handbag factory he had in Italy to move that production to China.

Even Oscar de la Renta, the very emblem of high-end New York design, known for $4,000 and $5,000 dresses and suits, plans to offer a $1,500 dress in his spring line to meet retailers’ demands.

And although he recently bought a local garment factory that had planned to close, to help maintain his label’s craft standards, he has also sought out less expensive suppliers in Asia and Eastern Europe.

In his Seventh Avenue studio, Mr. de la Renta pointed to a sleeveless black dress with two knitted, frilly panels. The panels, done in Romania and combined with an Italian wool, will help keep the price of the dress down to $2,500. And Mr. de la Renta likes a silk faille that he gets from a mill in South Korea. Aside from the price — it costs a third of what Italian faille does — he likes the look.

“Listen, Prada has been using it for years,” he said.(...)

Read the rest of the story at newyorktimes.com. A version of this article appeared in print on September 11, 2009, on page A1 of the New York edition.

BCBG Max Azria Spring 2010

Max and Lubov Azria are clearly courting two customers: the first, a young trendhound looking for easy-to-wear party dresses — in draped jersey, sometimes with bursts of bold, Pollock-esque prints or trapunto embroideries. The second, a decidedly sexier girl who craves Azria’s pricy Hervé Léger looks, but might make do with a similarly libidinous minidress that doesn’t break the bank. The sensibility tipped toward the latter, with itty body-conscious numbers — featuring bandagelike ruching, mesh insets or artsy colorblocking — the most appealing in the lineup. The company is also unveiling an evening fragrance (“sensuality and seduction in a perfume,” promises Lubov) called Within. - WWD staff

Dries Van Noten

Fashion's Night Out NYC- What To Do

There are so many events taking place in New York tomorrow for Fashion's Night Out that you might not be able to decide which ones to skip and which ones to make time for. Here's a suggested itinerary from Style Gourmand that includes a little bit of everything:

You'll need some energy if you want to make it to as many events as possible, so stop by the cupcake truck which will be parked outside Club Monaco on Prince Street (2-11PM).

Down the block (Greene between Prince & Spring), Kirna Zabete will be celebrating its tenth anniversary. Pop-in and have a drink with Sarah and Beth, as they hang with their favorite New York designers: Narciso Rodriguez, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler, Thakoon Panichgul, Jason Wu, and Peter Som. Also, check out Peter Som limited-edition aprons, Proenza Schouler print tote bags, Thakoon one-of-a-kind dresses, Narciso Rodriguez photo collages, and Jason Wu fall 2009 fashion sketches.

Have a free manicure at the Chanel store (139 Spring Street @ Wooster) before seeing what kind of treats Rebecca Taylor's Nolita store has in it's candy bar. Don't miss your chance to win two tickets to her Spring 2010 fashion show while you're there.

When you start getting hungry for something more than cotton candy and cocktails, see what's being served at the vegetarian food truck outside the Stella McCartney store on 14th street. There will also be street performances and eco-fashion tips fromVogue’s Fashion Director, Tonne Goodman.

Next head uptown to the Gucci store to score a free "Fashion's Night Out" t-shirt. (725 Fifth Avenue @ 56th St). Go to Alice + Olivia (80 W. 40th b/w Fifth & Sixth Ave) and get ready for your close-up with a full makeover and wardrobe styling. Now that you're camera- ready, get photographed with Donna Karan and Justin Timberlake, at Saks Fifth Avenue (611 Fifth Avenue b/w 49th & 50th Sts). Barneys will also have heaps of personal appearances from fashion celebrities like Manolo Blahnik, Alexander Wang and Rodarte's Kate and Laura Mulleavy to name a few.

Across the street, Matisyahu will be performing live in front of the Kenneth Cole store at 8PM. If ballads are more your style, then listen to Oscar de la Renta sing some of his favorite songs at his Upper East side store (772 Madison Avenue @ East 66th St).

End the evening with some jazz and champagne as Anne Fontaine presents her latest jazz-inspired collection, Black Pearl (677 Madison Avenue (b/w 61st & 62nd Sts).


For more information on Fashion's Night Out events in New York and around the world, check out fashionsnightout.com

Fashion Camp NYC

Summer might well be over, judging by the drop in temperatures in New York City this week, but that doesn't mean it's too late for camp! FashionCampNY is an innovative open-conference that seeks to connect fashion-lovers to discuss the role of technology in fashion, and the future of the fashion industry. The conference takes place this weekend, September 12th and 13th, and is free. Attendees must however either lead or assist with a workshop.


For more information visit fashioncamp.org

Norma Kamali's New Outlook on Fashion

“Between new technology and the economy, the fashion industry will never be the same. If I continue doing what I’m doing, I may not stay in business. It’s time to rethink and look at what’s working and what’s not.” Norma Kamali


See Norma Kamali's presentation entitled "The Democratization of Fashion" Sept. 17 at the Soho Apple store.