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!

Bill Blass --Bravo! Fall Fashion Week 2007

Most (if not all) of the models in the Bill Blass show were too young to recognize their struttin' music--a fantastic song from the 1940's: "Sing Sing Sing" by Benny Goodman. This vintage swing song with a driving drum beat, was made undeniably modern in a remix by Johnny Dynell featuring an even heavier drum beat that continued throughout the entire show: "Boom! Boom! Boom-Boom da-boom!" The sound added burlesque irreverence to the feminine Fall 2007 fashions.

As we'd see when the lights came up and a "curtain" featuring the iconic Bill Blass logo parted, Michael Vollbracht's homage to the past and view of Fall 2007 was also a mix of vintage-made-modern, but with a touch of rebellion. A large curtain (with the iconic Bill Blass Logo) parted, and models brashly strode right down the middle of the runway: "Boom! Boom! Boom-Boom da-boom!"

The beat may have been largely"stripper," but these were not trashy clothes. This label is attracting younger women as well as loyal followers who are (now a bit older than when they first fell in love with Bill Blass. We saw beautifully tailored day clothes, elegant, red-carpet-worthy evening gowns, in colors (yes, colors)! Deep green, moss green, gold, cinnamon, olive green, cocoa, indigo blue, champagne, coral...! Of course there was plenty of classic black, too. "Boom! Boom! Boom-Boom da-boom!"




In this photo I took at the end of the show, when the models did their final walks down the runway, pausing to form little groups and then becoming animated (a rarity on runways) and walking backstage together. The clothes are so ladylike, but if you look closer, there's an edge to them. This is not your mother's Bill Blass, but it's still recognizable. There was something very delicate and feminine about the collection--any modern woman would look beautiful in classic basic black cocktail and evening dresses and nicely tailored separates for daytime. There were a few interesting departures from classic, such as a white feathered embroidered cocktail dress that reminded me of a flapper's dress from the 1920's. Another great note: the 50's-style hair, parted on one side and piled up in huge buns by Jimmy Paul for Bumble & Bumble that immediately felt modern 50's to me--a nod to Tippi Hedren in Hitchcock's "The Birds" re-mixed for 2007. I couldn't see the makeup because I wasn't backstage or up close, but the program notes tell me the MAC Cosmetics pro team created this look, so I will get more information for a feature, later on. "Boom! Boom! Boom-Boom da-boom!"

Although there has been a lot of attention paid to furs--whether to wear them or not, furs were in this show and there have been more than ever on the runways (and no PETA protestors in sight). Blass also followed the trend of adding heavy tights (everywhere on the runways).

Furs were from Global Fur Group, Handbags from Carlos Falchi. Shoes, by Bill Blass.

Here is the designer with some of his models at the end of the show. I thought it was interesting that in a few places the notes say "Halston-like" and "Norrell-like. Michael Vollbracht apparently wanted to take inspiration from the past (although he had plenty that was uniquely his) and, as it says in the program notes that he was inspired by Halston and Norrell because: "I fell in love (Norrell's) sequined mermaids years and years ago when I was a very young designer and about Halston: "'because his simple philosophy looks so good in this era of over-designing. " And of Bill Blass: "it is my job to knock him off."

"Boom! Boom! Boom-Boom da-boom!!!!!"

Mini goodie-bags held Bill Blass Eau de Parfum (*watch the Advice Sisters upcoming What Works column for more on this simply divine scent)!

Venexiana-Sat Feb 3rd-Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

My last show on Saturday night was Kati Stern Venexiana. I was tired, but really excited to see this show. I wondered if the super-cold weather and the Saturday night schedule would thin out the crowd, but by showtime, the venue was packed! I didn't have backstage access for this one, but Paul Labrecque did the hair and makeup for this show, and nails were by Creative Nail Design. Front my front-row seat, I could see that the focus was on glossy pink lips, with expressively-done eyes in earth-toned shadows, but very well defined. Hair was side-parted, long, flowing, bouncy and full of body and wavy curls. The look was pretty and modern, but with womanly (not little girl) elegance and a hint of "avant-garde."

Venexiana 's clothes are similar: modern, but especially in the evening gowns, there was a definite red carpet elegance--and just a bit of "off-beat" in a silvery rope draped around a black evening gown and trailing up and over one shoulder, for example, for a beautiful coat cinched with a huge belt. Another trend this season is undeniably socks. At Venexiana, high-heeled suede and leather pumps (some in bright colors such as turquoise,platform "tap shoes," and some in unexpected, grey suede) were worn with ankle or knee socks, even with flowing dresses such as flowing, polka-dot one in the photo I took, below:

I am wondering whether or not you need to purchase new shoes a size larger to allow for these bulky socks. Your budget might not allow for new shoe purchases to fit this trend, but

this "little girl" look is somehow, likeable (not to mention it's got to be warmer than wearing hose).

The designer, Katie Stern studied fashion, architecture and music, and designed costumes for Carnevale in Venice where she also spends a lot of her time. Her collection for Fall, 2007 really did mix a lot of unusual fabrics together in unique ways, such as leather with lace and metal and fur. There weren't any PETA people outside the tents that I could see, and the fur coats going down the runway were covet-able and luxe, some (as I mentioned above) paired with wide belts that made these coats, which could have been otherwise bulky, almost dress-like. The evening gowns were done in luxury fabrics of silk, charmeuse, chiffon, and accented in some cases with sparkling, Swarovki crystals. Predominant colors were chocolate and grey, with some taupe and black and hits of color through accessories. At the end, however, the designer herself took a turn down the runway, wearing a bright chartreuse dress with satin ruffled collar and chiffon flounce at the bottom (for more photos of the show including the designer, check our advice sisters web site FEATURES page http://www.advicesisters.net/Features/Features.html in the coming weeks for the link to my photo essay on Venexiana!