POLO – RALPH LAUREN- 5TH AVENUE

El sorpresivo y fantástico encuentro con Mr. Ralph Lauren se dió cuando visité por segunda vez su flamante tienda “flagship” de la 5ta Avenida, inaugurada hace tan solo 20 días.

Fui a  tomar un capuccino al café Ralph's del 2do piso. Ahi los capuccinos y latte son exquisitos; y sus delicatessen un manjar. Los meseros, atienden con una sonrisa,  lookeados con camisa a rayas blanco y verde y jeans arremangados.

En ese momento,  apareció Ralph, vestido de total-black con pantalón cargo y remera polo,  junto a Ricky, su mujer, y un guardaespaldas gigante. Al principio no lo reconocí, y luego  decidi acercarme a felicitarlo.  En todo momento fue  amable, y receptivo. Lo que hizo que la experiencia fuera aun mas interesante, y la visita, un programón!! Este es el  tipo de encuentro que  suele pasar en ciudades como  New York.

La mega-tienda de POLO está ubicada  estrateégicamente en la 5ta avenida y 53. A dos cuadras de Bergdorf Goodman. Propone además del café Ralphs, una librería con libros inusualesde moda, en el que se puede encontrar  el editado por Rizzoli del diseñador.

Son tres  pisos de looks cancherisimos, con mucho color, y buenos recursos de merchandising para darle onda al lugar y tentarse a comprar . Para hacer  mas grata la visita,  está atendida por  jóvenes, lindos, amables, lookeados  con sweaters de cashmere de colores y jeans. Ellas con minis de cuero negro y boinas.

Los precios van desde U$$35 para una musculosa de rib,  hasta U$$2000 por una cartera cuero con herrajes, pasando por los pantalones de cuero a U$$900.

La visita es imperdible,  para quienes disfrutamos del universo increíble de Ralph Lauren.

KAELEN – NYFW SPRING SS/15

Kaelen collection was presented at The Highlight Hotel, meatpacking by The line NY

White  rules. This is clear at Kaelen. With  a hint of stripes and tahitian flowers in blue and green. Green is another IT colour now.

Models were lined in height, on white boxes,  to show a beautiful and clean collection. This made it possible to perceive  details and fabric.

With flowy options in contrast with geometrics and interesting textiles, there were some  boxy shapes,  another round, but all feminine and edgy.

And there was also  a  new take on fringe. A detail well applied on hems, a certain tribal element yet sophisticated. Everything walked on silver high-heeled sandals.

I loved it.  It was modern and very fashion forward.

Thank you Alanna Martine

HIGHLIGHT: ZAC POSEN ON CHARLES JAMES - MET NY -PART II

This year’s MET Costume Exhibition  is an ode to American designers, featuring one of America’s most notorious courtiers, Charles James. James’ pieces are known for their innovative cuts and architectural structures. The gowns and suits in James’ collections have very distinctive and three-dimensional shapes, which created looks that serve both as modern and timeless. 

The MET’s exhibit offers an extremely creative and modern experience, which correlates to James’ innovative style. Every gown in the first room of the exhibit (with the exception of the muslin versions) has it’s own computer screen below, which shows a graphic, three-dimensional version of the dress that comes apart before your eyes, revealing the patterns and cuts he used to piece it together. While the computer flips through it’s slides, a projector, set up at the front of every gown, slides up and down and projects measurements, angles, and other geometric figures onto the dress with a bright white light. Indeed, this technology offers an extremely thorough and new way to experience fashion, scientifically.

At the MET’s last “Sunday at the MET” talk, they invited the notable and very current American designer, Zac Posen, to speak about James’ pieces and aesthetics. Zac Posen, in fact, is most renowned for his ingenious gowns as well, being a  “James” of his time. 

Posen opened the lecture discussing his interest with James’ ability to present fashions that had both anatomical cuts and a glamorous air about them. Posen expressed that James had the ability to manipulate fabric in such a way where he could hide construction underneath façade. Posen noted that James’ fashions were all based on the straight and curved lines along the body, creating a very technical and beautiful look. He  calls this “emotional engineering,” and said that James’ used this method to create and design most of his work.

Zac also remarked that James’ gowns made women feel empowered, and compared his relationship with the notorious Dita Von Teese to that of Charles James and Gypsy Rose Lee.

 Both him and James have created erotic and confident gowns and clothing for these women, bringing inner expression to the outside. Posen noted that it’s all about how a woman feels when she’s wearing the clothing.

The talk ended on an extremely interesting note, where Posen addressed the relationship of art and science in fashion and in James’ work. “I believe art and science are symbiotic,” Posen noted. Both technical and glamorous, Charles James’ ingenious dresses and designs are the epitome of art and science, the lecture concluded. 

Mr Posen exploring Charles James work. 

Construction: the key of Charles James work

Dita Von Teese wearing a Zac Posen gown next to one of Mr. James'

by Alanna Martine for FLORBIBAS
images by Alanna