Welcome to the BeltwayLast season’s waist-cinching trend is back for spring. But instead of thin wisps, designers opted for obis.
BySharon Clott
the fab life
Fab Life: Backstage at Chris BenzAt the Chris Benz show yesterday at 37 Arts, fashion correspondent Fabiola Beracasa talked to the designer about the challenges of staging a show on, well, a stage.
Pssst! Fur Fashion Week Is Going On Right NowFur Fashion Week is lying pretty low this year, but it takes place today and tomorrow. Chris Benz won an award for emerging fur designer, and Michael Kors, Isaac Mizrahi, and Peter Som will show.
loose threads
The Burger Dress Debuts; Commemorative Heath Shirt Does Too• We see that the boys over at our brother blog Grub Street have picked out their future wives’ clothing. Alas, we only hope their tastes improve a bit: A burger dress just doesn’t look great on everyone. And we all know that drawing that much attention to your midriff is a no-no, especially if you eat as much meat as our co-workers do. Keep on trying, boys. [Grub Street]
show & tell
Chris Benz Injects Parisian Ladies With YouthAt the Upper East Side’s Lotus Club, designer wunderkind Chris Benz’s presentation was a refreshing distance from Bryant Park and its fustercluck of photographers and actresses. And though we do love some glitz and front-row drama, four days in we start to appreciate the relaxed and easy presentations that start on time and allow us to take our time and examine the clothes for as long as we please. It’s almost too relaxed and easy to be a part of Fashion Week.
show & tell
Designer’s Journal: Chris Benz Prepares for Fashion Week
We know what we go through getting ready for Fashion Week the frantic calls, the faxes, the begging and pleading for access. If it’s this insane for us, what must the designers go through? So we asked up-and-comer Chris Benz to keep a pre—Fashion Week diary of the chaos, the caffeine runs, the status of the candy-colored raccoon collars, and more. Feel the pressure!
(Plus: See where Chris Benz works! Watch a video tour of his studio on the eve of Fashion Week.)
Monday, January 7
The office is abuzz: a flurry of fabric-cutting, color, buttons flying, and packages being compiled to be sent via intern to our garment-district factories. Almost all samples for the fall 2008 collection are now in the sewers’ hands. A few straggler Italian fabrications have yet to clear customs, so for those we sit with scissors spread.
Number of completed samples in house: 42
backstage video
Video: Studio Tour With Chris BenzNew York’s Amy Larocca recently visited with young (only 25!) designer Chris Benz in preparation for his upcoming show at Fashion Week. Citing inspirations from frumpy Parisian ladies to Mary-Kate Olsen and Margot Tenenbaum, Benz explained his design process and predilection for bold, colorful prints. Watch the video to get a peek at what Benz may bring to the tents. Video: Studio Tour with Chris Benz How does a designer prepare for Fashion Week? Read Chris Benz’s; journal. More Videos Studio Visit With Michael Kors Inside Derek Lam’s Studio
new york fugging city
It’s Finally Fugging OverThe sky didn’t fall, even when it opened. The VMAs landed smack in the middle of Fashion Week and threatened to rain on our stargazing parade, but in the end — after all the wailing, teeth-gnashing, and prophesies of doom — neither an awful awards show nor an actual deluge could spoil the celebrity turnout in the front rows. It’s enough to make our Grinchy hearts grow three sizes. Or at least keep us smiling through the pain of our considerable blisters.
Without further ado, here’s a look at a few of the highlights:
Slow Down, Strike a PoseFashion Week will always be hectic. But some designers gave editors a break from having to frantically crane their necks just to catch a model soaring down the runway. They offered up static presentations where you could — gasp! — actually see the clothes.