District L

Day 7 of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week began with an urgent conundrum: How would I possibly manage to find a makeup artist to apply my false lashes before today’s shows!? With every cosmetic professional long reserved for the week, I eventually convinced the receptionist at Wonderland that her abilities would suit my immediate needs. Minutes after the glue dried, we ran a half-block over to The Standard for the Rochambeau menswear presentation.

After feasting our eyes on the sun-kissed boys of Rochambeau, we made our way up to Allegri’s cocktail party and presentation. Arriving early, we checked our coats and headed over to the Star Lounge to enjoy a few glasses of champagne and watch the Milly by Michelle Smith runway show.

Allegri, the Italian outerwear brand, celebrated 40 years and made its New York debut in Lincoln Center’s courtyard. We arrived to the event around 4:30 and perused the spectacular outdoor presentation, complete with models, mannequins, and a suspended umbrella display.

The courtyard filled with sociable industry professionals enjoying wine and conversation. We met up and chatted with designer, Loris Diran. Since we last saw him at his boutique party, he’s been keeping very busy. Recently, he won the Rising Star Award for menswear.

After enjoying Allegri’s cocktail celebration, we headed backstage for Anna Sui. While we got a chance to snap a few photos of the behind-the-scenes hustle, we had to flee the site pre-show to make it to Milk Studios for The Blonds.

The pre-show scene for The Blonds was as outrageous as one might expect. Head-turners like Amanda Lepore were in the front-row, entertaining and posing for the cameras. Once the lights dimmed and the music started, the audience was treated to dancing dragons, a drag queen video montage, and a glittering Far East runway collection. [Read here for more coverage of The Blonds]

Post by Amanda LaMela

The Blonds took this season’s emerging Asian-inflected trend and literally ran with it. The show opened with dragons. Two dragons. TWO LARGE DRAGONZ darting around the runway. Once the opening Chinatown Brasserie drag montage and dancing dragon entrance came to a close, The Blonds Shanghai’d the audience with their sparkling runway lineup. The collection revealed a slew of tongue-in-cheek details, including oversized chopsticks and googley-eyes. With glittery Kabuki “bobs,” cascading silk kimonos, and their signature crystal-studded corsets, David and Phillipe Blond wowed a front row of designer Sally LaPointe, Amanda Lepore, Susanne Bartsch and a host of other Manhattan nightlife fixtures -- it was anything but a drag.

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

It's been a big year for The Blonds -- dressing Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Adam Lambert, and Kylie Minogue is no small feat. However, that didn't distract the daring duo from creating another elaborate collection, theatrics and production included. "Ladies and Gentlemen," Phillipe and David Blond's SS/11 showing, incorporated a note of androgyny to their winning corset-and-minidress formula.

Brightly-feathered showgirls opened with a routine set to Madonna's Vogue, followed by a dramatic entrance by Phillipe Blond in a crystal and pearl-studded, tuxedo-inspired bodysuit. The runway that followed included a number of menswear-inspired looks, alongside their signature corset styles. The collection teemed with bowties, lapels, and cummerbund bandeau tops, yet sacrificed nothing of the glitz and glam that we've come to expect.