District L

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

It was 8:00pm and the backstage of The Studio was already buzzing. Photographers, subsisting on bottles of Fiji Water and Starbucks Frappuccinos, pushed through to get their perfect pre-show shot. Models in tightly braided chignons and lethal manicures sat around and texted, while make-up artists scurried frantically to prepare them for the last show of the day.

Irina Shabayeva’s femme fatale tone for hair and makeup was clearly no coincidence. “The inspiration for the collection was Fire and Ice. I wanted to show the symbolism of these two elements,” she tells District L. She elaborates on her concept, explaining how these two natural components are strong representations of life, death and evolution.

While working on her Lincoln Center debut, Irina also launched a collaboration line with INC and has been designing her own bridal collection. When we asked how she keeps it all together, she responded, “I’m actually not sure! It’s come to the point where I have to budget my time to a tee – almost down to the minute. But we’re expanding into different markets, and that’s really exciting.”

Despite all the fervor backstage, she had a moment to gush about her different projects. “I absolutely love doing bridal. It’s a time where someone is looking to buy something truly special and creative. It’s OK to get excessive with it.”

Before we bid adieu to the accomplished young designer, she took a moment to express her excitement about making it to Lincoln Center. “This has been very, very exhilarating. Finally! This was always my dream.”

Post by Amanda LaMela

Tomorrow begins the first “official” day of New York Fashion Week. And for those who haven’t partied too hard at the Pre-Fashion Week events and social media parties, the day will be starting early with some fresh-faced newbies.

At 9:30am, the two sisters from Porter Grey will be showing at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week for the first time. Filling The Box with crisp, elegant looks, the duo is proud to assure that all of their garments are designed and produced in New York.

Irina Shabayeva will also be making her Lincoln Center debut tomorrow. After falling in love with her previous off-site runway and celebrating her recent collaboration with INC, District L will finally get a moment to chat with the busy designer backstage before the show. At 9:00pm, Irina Shabayeva will be adorning The Studio with her collection inspired by fire and ice.

After the show, the DL will be heading to the Empire Rooftop for the Nolcha After-Party. After all, independent designers and retailers are our favorite people to have a drink for!

Post by Amanda LaMela