District L

It would be impossible to overlook the common denominator on the New York runways last week. From fox to faux, Cennamo to COTA, fur frequented the shows more than any other trend. It surfaced on Day 1 at Ailey Studios for Danilo Gabrielli in the form of sophisticated stoles and trims. Son Jung Wan took a more grandiose approach during her Saturday morning showing, with emerald-toned raccoon jackets and fox-trim toppers.  The following day, Mathieu Mirano received a warm introduction for his red and black fur jackets at the Box in Lincoln Center.

Norisol Ferrari’s presentation on Valentine’s Day morning boasted lush mink jackets, fox-trim trenches, and sable-lined vests. Later that afternoon, I headed over to the Rubin Museum to catch the Josie Natori collection. Over champagne, Natori’s Mongolian boleros and fox-topped gowns were love at first sight, as they dramatically made their way down the museum’s spiraling staircase to an elegant piano soundtrack.

That following day, at the emotionally-charged Joanna Mastroianni showing, marabou magnificently masqueraded as fur, just as it had in days prior. A few hours later, NOMIA added a pelted touch to her streamlined urbanite collection. Raccoon resurfaced at our final show, The Blonds, adding a glittering finish to our sumptuous season.

Rafael Cennamo

Christian Cota

Danilo Gabrielli

Mathieu Mirano

Josie Natori

Son Jung Wan

NOMIA

Post by Amanda LaMela

On Day 7 of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, NOMIA presented its signature streamlined metropolitanism in the Box at Lincoln Center. Relaxed urbanity emerged in loose knot-front jumpers, body-skimming silhouettes, and contrast-blocking. Against a rhythmic, concrete-jungle-esque soundtrack, designer Yara Flynn introduced a refreshing outlook for the fall season.

Post by Amanda LaMela

Dear Santa,

You must admit, this has been a bit of a rough year. Between the East Coast earthquake, “Hurricane” Irene, and two apocalypses, District L proposes that you take all things into consideration and grade on a curve this holiday season. Besides, compared to last year, we haven’t been all that bad.

First and foremost, we developed a little financial responsibility. We didn’t spend ANY rent money on United Nude shoes or A.OK knits this year. Honestly! We always used our credit cards instead.

Furthermore, we only partied on weekdays when it was really, really vital. You can’t deny the importance of Alan Cumming’s fragrance launch, anything Anna Dello Russo, and Lois Eastlund’s evening revelries. And how can you expect us to skip an open bar at Highline Stages, an event at the Chelsea Art Museum, or… okay, fine. It's true. We never miss an opportunity to have fun.

But we were taught the virtue of positivity by Lela Rose and the importance of a full eight hours by Kaelen. And perhaps we even learned how to relax a bit with the help of Nomia, Sergio Davila, and Son Jung Wan.

So, if we were you, we’d check the list three times -- before Mathieu Mirano pours something special into your milk.

Sincerely,

District L

When people tell me to "relax," I tend to have the opposite reaction. It usually starts with your snide smirk and "pump-the-breaks" hand gesture. And it always ends with me spending the next four days contemplating how to kill you and make it look like an accident.

The thing is, my personality is completely incapable of relaxation. Maybe it was the hours of intensive ballet instruction during my formative years or the footwear that always keeps me on my toes. Whatever the case may be, I'm usually wound tighter than a pair of Jeffrey Campbell combats, constantly hovering on the matrix between unrivaled gusto and extreme obstinacy - and I hate when someone suggests that I behave differently.

That being said, relaxation was ever-so-gently implied this season, again and again. This trend of "urban ease," although somewhat of an oxymoron, was communicated in a way that was refreshingly comprehensible and not at all condescending. Soft layers in calm palettes were trimly draped for a casual-but-polished look. The runway soundtracks were comfortably upbeat with songs like "Go Outside" by Cults at the top of the list.

Geometric shapes, cutouts, and varying hemlines offered enough movement and interest to satisfy my restlessness - proof that next season's trends extend beyond provincial complacency.

So...reeee-lax. It's all going to be okay.

Sergio Davila

Nomia

Kaelen

Son Jung Wan

Samantha Pleet

Daryl K.

Post by Amanda LaMela

In typical District L style, we'd perhaps open this post with a clever paragraph wherein we reminisce fondly about last week - what with all the rushing too and fro between venues, furious, finger-callusing live-tweeting, and countless moments of anticipation as the plastic was peeled back from the runway time and time again. We might even throw in an alcohol-related pun, hurl a barb at the sucky realities of returning to the daily grind, and spit some vitriol about people on the subway.

But the fact of the matter is that it's 10 PM on a Tuesday and we'd rather just jump straight to the LaPointe (sorry, had to) - here are our top 5 picks for best collections from NYFW A/W 2011:

1. Sally LaPointe

This one should come as no surprise - ever since attending the plucky designer's debut show last September, we've been staunch supporters of LaPointe's dark, alien aesthetic that resonates as simultaneously precise and effortless. Did her Fall collection climb straight out of the primordial ooze of a Roland Flexner print? Or did it reverse sublimate from thin air to monolithic vibrancy?

2. Bensoni

Gothic wedding vignette? How rad was that? The duo behind Bensoni is all about balance, taking inspiration from the past yet tempering it with forward thinking. Needless to say, they didn't disappoint for Fall. There was a hefty dose of 90's gloom and doom in their presentation this season, but taken to the next level with an infusion of minute detail and texture play that has become a contemporary design mainstay.

3. Mik Cire

Mik Cire's Eric Kim is an accomplished design professional, and his collection this season made that fact more evident than ever. Last Spring, Kim gave us slouchy asymmetricality in linen and jersey; this Fall, he presented crisp, sharp tailoring in leather and gabardine. A quality that we value most in a designer is something Kim possesses in spades - the ability to surprise and deliver the unexpected without allowing their trademark sensibilities to become lost.

4. Maisonette 1977

Designer Jane Ibrahim stirred something far down inside of us with her evocative Fall line for Maisonette 1977. Taking inspiration from Christopher Nolan's "Inception", she served as the architect behind a towering metropolis rising out of the ether of the subconscious. It was well-edited, modern, and to be quite honest it just had a certain je ne sais quoi about it that drew us in deeper, deeper, and deeper still.

5. NOMIA

Like Bensoni, NOMIA was another delightfully intimate affair in the Standard's Highline Room - a perfect setting for an enticing collection of sleek, geometric sportswear that can easily find a home in any closet (or bedroom floor, whatever). We have to give praise to lines like NOMIA that strike rest firmly in that hard-to-hit intersection of concept and accessibility. Like Madisen said, "[The Standard's] attuned blend of nature, urbanity, and notorious exhibitionism matched perfectly with the theme of NOMIA’s runway."

Post by Nicolas Sera-Leyva

This New York Fashion Week began like all of its predecessors – one day early. On Wednesday, February 8, District L welcomed in Fashion Week at 320 Studios with Mimi Plange and her collection of “Scarred Perfection.” Inspired by African tribal traditions of body modification, Plange’s presentation effectively emulated deliberate repetition with ruffles, pleats, and embellishments.

Thursday was the first official day of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and District L kicked it off backstage with Irina Shabayeva. Before viewing her fiery-hot-icy-cool runway collection, we took a moment to snap photos of the pre-show preparation. After the show, we chatted with Irina and discussed the basis of her inspiration – life, death, rebirth, and evolution.

The following afternoon, Norman Ambrose presented his flawless answer to society’s unfortunate lack of innovative elegance. With feather details and glittering gowns, his 1970s vibe of decadence was the perfect setting to recapture irreverent sophistication.

Later that evening, Nick and I headed over to experience Sally LaPointe’s picture-perfect Polaroid-inspired runway collection. While we were Chelsea-bound, Madisen ventured to The Standard to view NOMIA in all of its sensually streamlined glory. We then met up to spend our Friday evening at Bedlam for NOMIA’s afterparty – drinking, dishing, and surveying the evening’s gaggle of PYTs.

Unfortunately, the sun returned a bit quicker than expected. When I realized morning had become a reality, I grabbed Saturday’s gear and rushed up to Lincoln Center for General Idea. The 9:00am runway show was inspired by the letter-M; but more specifically, “mountains” and “military.” Watching each male model emerge from the runway tent made my headache melt away like in an ice cap South America.

By 10:30, I wandered over to The Box for Binetti’s model presentation. The collection exhibited an effortless air of exotic affluence. I lingered in this luxury fashion safari for awhile before walking right into a Betsey Johnson interview. As I watched her animated facial expressions, I dialed up my P.I.C., “Get the hell over here. You’re missing EVERYTHING.”

After Nick arrived uptown, we decided it was time for brunch. We green-eggs-and-glammed it at a nearby haunt while assembling our coverage from the morning prior. Once we enjoyed a solid hour of bottomless champagne, we sauntered back to Lincoln Center for Vivienne Tam and Mik Cire.

While we remained uptown, Madisen journeyed over to Philip-Lorca diCorcia’s book signing for Eleven. The event, which was held at Chelsea’s David Zwirner Gallery, showcased diCorcia’s photographic portfolio with W magazine.

Around 6:30pm, Nick and I entered Maisonette 1977’s dream sequence. Jane Ibrahim’s lucid visions transported us to an unpredictable, volatile urban-utopia. After deciding that Maisonette 1977 was a top choice for FW11, we closed the day of shows with Toni Francesc. That night, we celebrated Mik Cire’s fantastic collection at his Hudson Terrace after-party.

Sunday morning began as Sunday mornings usually do – brunch. When we finished our bellinis, we stopped at OAK for a pre-show purchase and then trekked back over to The Standard. After killing some time on the 18^th floor, we headed downstairs to enjoy Bensoni’s Gothic Wedding Vignette.

We finished off the weekend with Zang Toi’s Sunday night show in The Studio, which was an undeniable crowd pleaser. As the cheering faded, we headed back downtown to prepare for the last four days of the season.

My Monday line-up started with MARTINmartin at the Audi forum, while Madisen and Rachel made their way up to Guishem. After enjoying a collection of androgyny, destruction, and reincarnation, I rushed over to Studio 580 for friend-and-favorite, Lois Eastlund.

Tuesday morning began bright-and-early with a presentation by Trias. As soon as we finished adoring Joaquin Trias and his personal definition of luxury, we traveled back downtown to The Park for delicious cocktails and bites. Such nourishment led our revitalized bodies to the Chelsea Art Museum for Nico Lena’s debut event. The event’s reception brought quite the crowd – and yes, that crowd did include Dustin Diamond.

Our second stop of the evening was Lincoln Center. After enjoying a glass of Kim Crawford, we made our way into Tibi’s 90s-infused collection.

Day 7 of Fashion Week began with a frantic search for someone to apply my false lashes. Once I achieved such a task, we headed over to The Standard for the strong and silent boys of Rochambeau. About 50 photographs later, we ventured up to Allegri’s cocktail party and presentation in Lincoln Center’s courtyard. We enjoyed the perfect combination of models with mannequins while sipping wine and chatting with emerging designer, Loris Diran.

Post-chat, we darted backstage to get an inside peak at Anna Sui. As models were preparing for their walk of folklore and fantasy, we snapped a few photos of the hectic scene. Of course, I had to bolt before Sui even started to make it to Milk Studios in time for The Blonds. The flaxen-haired duo presented an unforgettable drag-and-dragon show, daring us to even try to find another show more outrageous. While we watched two dancing dragons galloping down the runway, Rachel and Madisen attended Odd Molly’s model presentation in The Box at Lincoln Center.

We ended our Fashion Week follies at the Three Year Anniversary of Pinstripe Magazine on 93 Grand. As we toasted our glasses of Star Vodka in the Buckler Store basement, we mused, “So, what do we have in mind for next season…?”

Post by Amanda LaMela

This past Friday, NOMIA’s sleek, geometric FW11 collection was presented in the intimate Highline Room at the Standard Hotel. The venue’s attuned blend of nature, urbanity, and notorious exhibitionism matched perfectly with the theme of NOMIA’s runway. Staying true to the designer’s body-conscious aesthetic, Yara Flinn demonstrated an artful use of cutouts and scandal-stirring hemlines. Pops of green infused a palate of neutrals and greys, providing an organic tone to this angular motif. Sheer overlays also added an ethereal ingredient to an otherwise structural collection.

The most fantastic part: No pants! The collection did enjoy its fair share of seamed leggings and jumpsuits, appropriate for Flinn’s streamlined-yet-sensual silhouettes. With versatile brunch seperates, a trench for walks along the Highline, and dresses made for afterparties at Le Bain, NOMIA’s collection set a gold Standard for FW11.

Post by Madisen Walker

As the last designer bowed out after her finale on Friday, the DL darlings took that cue to celebrate. Seconds after finishing up our final words for Sally LaPointe’s coverage, Nick, Madisen, and I wandered over to Bedlam for the Nomia afterparty. While enjoying our fair share of vodka sodas, we admired taxidermy decor, shared photos from our shows, and literally stumbled into Alan Cumming.

Needless to say, making it to General Idea the following morning was not easy – but it happened. The menswear collection was inspired by the letter-M, from the consonant’s shape to the words “mountain” and “military.”

After camping out in the Studio, I headed over to Binetti’s presentation in The Box. The first phrases jotted down in my pad were “foreign opulence” and “luxury safari.” And before you even ask: Yes, I would wear an ostrich-fringe silk-layered dress while hunting a tiger at the Ivory Lodge. Or maybe a beaded caftan.

Thirty-six photos later, I ambled out of The Box to grab yet another life-saving Starbucks. Betsey Johnson was holding a very animated interview a few feet away. At this point, I knew a phone call was necessary, “Nick, wake the hell up. You’re missing shows. And the many faces of Betsey.”

Post by Amanda LaMela