Modern Glossy

Behind the scenes at Marc Bouwer’s upcoming fashion show for fall 2010. Maria Giannakakis interviews supermodel Candice Swanepoel and designer Marc Bouwer about his upcoming virtual online fashion show coming February 18th, 2010. Look for Marc Bouwer’s show on www.marcbouwer.com.
Film by Stevyn Llewelyn

Perret Schaad’s fall 2010 fashion show during Fashion Week in Berlin. A muted color pallate, mixing wools and shimmering fabrics with distinctive shapes dominated this collection. Images provided by Mercedes-Benz fashion week and image.net.

Hugo Boss Berlin Fashion Week . Photos provided by Image.net and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

Anja Gockel’s womenswear show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Berlin. Rich Blacks, sequined pants and tops, mixed with muted knits, vibrant reds and stark whites were dominant in this collection. Photos provided by Image.net.

Thuy Spring 2010 runway show at Fashion Week in New York.

Video By Stevyn llewellyn.
Thuy Diep borrows from the glamour of a silver screen goddess and adds an S&M twist to create a highly structural collection for Spring 2010. The iconic long and loose big white dress from the 30s is updated with trim cuts, succinct details and sprightly hues….read the rest of the review by Tiffany Chang, and see exclusive photos here.

Anna Sui’s colorful, bohemian spring 2010 collection during fashion week in New York.

Video by Stevyn Llewellyn. View exclusive photos from the show here.

Cesar Galindo’s Spring 2010 runway video

Video By Stevyn Llewellyn. See More photos and read the review by Monica Lo here:

Designers Stephen Cox and Daniel Silver presented their mainly hand made and tailored collection during New York Fashion week. Photos by Sandra Rosales.

Presented as a benefit for the Jayna Cancer Treatment Fund, Thread and Common treated us to some key looks from their club wear collection. You can find designs here. Photos by Stevyn Llewellyn

Designers Cardon, Min Agostini, Eufemia, Benito Fernandez, and Litta displayed their collections in Bryant Park for spring 2010. Backstage preparation and runway videos by Stevyn Llewellyn

View photographs from the show here

Hugo Boss hosted Harper’s Bazaar Magazine for the launch of the photo-book Vintage Cocktails, published by Assouline Press on Thursday, December 3rd. We arrived to a sequin-clad crowd mingling about the store and sipping cocktails fashioned from the book, such as The Cider House Rules and an unnameable refreshing Cucumber-tequila infused cocktail served in an elegant collins glass. The photo-book revisits the glamour of old-world cocktails such as The Brandy Alexander, The French 75, The Gin Fizz, The Pimm’s Cup, The Dark & Stormy, The Kir Royal, The Sazerac. Photographer Laziz Hamini used the background of the Carlyle Hotel as a backdrop. The book can be previewed and purchased online at www.assouline.com, or in-store at the Plaza Hotel and at Sotheby’s.
-Jeanie Kwak
Photos By Stevyn Llewellyn

Spring 2010 New York Fashion Week featuring finales by Milly by Michelle Smith, Vassilios Kostetsos, Gottex, Phillip Lim, Anna Sui, Doo.Ri, Tibi, Toni Francesc, Narciso Rodriguez, and Venexiana.
Filmed by Stevyn Llewellyn

Fashion Forward featured a runway show by Saks Fifth Avenue with looks from their 2009 Holiday/Resort designer collections. Hosted by the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), the nation’s oldest HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care services provider,presented the annual event. Also included were live and silent auctions featuring designer shopping sprees, vacation packages and much more. Tim Gunn of Project Runway served as master of ceremonies. Photos By Sandra Rosales

Model Mari wearing Shoes by Shane& Shawn, Clothes by Olga Lader, Hair & Makeup by Cari Duprey, Photo by Stevyn Llewellyn, Interview by Jeanie Kwak

If you’re like me, you know that pain is sometimes a necessary evil when squeezing into a pair of beautiful shoes. But look at the leather cut-outs!  Look at the height on that heel, the towering platform, the straps and buckles and tie-ups! We will gladly suffer the pain in order to wear a bit of art on our feet.  As women, we accept this; Centuries of history has us squeezing, zippering and sucking into the vessel of our choice. But after an hour of traversing concrete NYC streets, or a vigorous night of dancing, I often question my own propensity for pain and wonder about the sadist in me that submits my feet to so much misery. I then toss the items of question into a closet, cursing my vanity and swearing I will never walk in them again (or at least until I forget the pain). Twin shoe designers Shane & Shawn think a lot about girls like me and they believe you don’t have to sacrifice your toes in order to look beautiful. We talked to them about their company, their philosophy of comfort and design and where they see themselves in the future.

Twins Shawn and Shane Ward were born in Detroit, and studied in The University of Michigan. The brothers began their careers in the Automotive industry,and were later inspired to become entrepreneurs. After forming a business partnership, they started their own freelance design consultancy agency, SW2Design which became one of the most sought after freelance design consultancies in the footwear industry, designing shoes for AND1, Fila, Puma, Royal Elastics, Adidas, Airwalk and Converse to name a few.

With the success of SW2Design, the twins continued to progress, creating a footwear brand of their own. The line called Shane and Shawn is inspired by the lifestyle of jet setting individuals who demand style with uncompromised fit and function.

Coming from an engineering background, you’ve really utilized your technical skills in a creative way. When you’re designing: what do you think about structurally when you are creating a shoe?
Structurally, it”s about two main objectives. – comfort and fit. how can we make the shoe comfortable underneath the foot and how do we need to design the upper so that it does not create discomfort to the ankles or any other part of the foot .

Are you more faithful to aesthetic form or function? Or does that vary from shoe to shoe?
It is always a balance between the two. One is never more important than the other. It’s just about recognizing that if  you design a beautiful shoe, then it will be picked up off the shelf, but if it isn’t comfortable, it will not be purchased.

What do you think makes a beautiful shoe?
The perfect combination of shape, materials, details, and visual excitement creates a beautiful shoe.

There’s so many architecturally designed footwear on the scene now that look more and more fantasy oriented with different silhouettes and over the top accessories. What is your opinion of that whole trend?
I think the trend is positive, whenever the traditional ways of creating and designing is challenged, it’s a positive. Trends like this push all of us designers to new levels.

Do you think you will ever branch out to other accessories? I see that you have done pillows and tshirts to benefit charities. Ever thought of a home or bath line?
We are always looking to expand our offerings when the timing is right. You will see the Shane&Shawn brand expand into more categories in the next 2 years.

What kind of woman do you design for? What kind of man?
We design for who we call the boardroom rockstar. The professionals who have an incredible lifestyle and love fashion.

I love how you’ve collaborated with painters to create an “Artist’s Series.” Can you talk a little bit about that experience?

The artist series was born out of our love for the art community and giving back. The ideas was very pure, in that we wanted to create a collection of shoes that showcased the talent of the downtown new art scene while making a difference in the inner city (33% of all sales of artist series god to the art program of nycares).

Any future collaborations?
Yes, we will be making a big announcement in a couple weeks.

What’s next for Shane & Shawn?
We are taking our flagship retail business on the road with a mobile flagship. (See more information Below)

-Interview by Jeanie Kwak

Information about the Mobile Flagship Store:

In one of their most exciting ventures to date, the innovative twins are taking their stylish designs on the road with the Shane&ShawnMobile Flagship Tour. Shawn Ward, President and Co-founder of the brand explains how the idea came about, “We have always loved taking opportunities to meet the supporters of Shane&Shawn and are constantly receiving requests to open stores in other cities of the United States. We felt limited with a fixed location and decided to think outside the box, go beyond the concept du jour of the pop-up store and bring Shane&Shawn to the people in a way that no one has done before. We have created a luxury Mobile Flagship and will take the store on tour across the country. With our strong social media following, we can keep our consumers aware of our every move as we tour the US.” Keeping with their commitment to philanthropy, 10% of all sales during the tour will go toward eliminating violence against women and girls, with donations to V-Day. The twins are excited to announce the first three tour dates on the Shane&Shawn Mobile Flagship Tour:

Sundance Film Festival                Park City, Utah                        January 21^st – 31^st, 2010
Super Bowl Weekend                     Miami, Fl                                  February 5^th – 7^th, 2010
Tribeca Film Festival                    New York, NY                           April 21^st – May 2^nd, 2010

With the launch of their mobile flagship, the brand will be saying farewell to their Nolita location in New York City for the time being. Constant tour updates will be communicated via the SHANE&SHAWN Twitter and Facebook pages, as well as on their website at www.shaneandshawn.com.

The Secret Sherry Society held a bacchanalian fashion show in the Altman building on November 13 in partnership with Fashion Fights Poverty to promote different varieties of the wine. The event featured 7 different varietals of sherry and 7 different looks based off the different varietals.

The designs were by StellaBonds that featured bold creative and unique designs. During the fashion show the models carried around a gold box holding a secret and alternated between showing the audience the box and passing it to the next model. At the end of the show, each model held an illustration that were auctioned off to support Fashion Fights Poverty.

The Secret Sherry Society is a members-only club that will directly engage consumers, restaurateurs, sommeliers, wine retailers, and many others to heighten consumer awareness to the growing popularity of Sherry wines in the U.S.

For more information please visit the below websites:
http://fashionfightspoverty.wordpress.com/about/
http://www.secretsherrysociety.com/
http://stellabonds.com/

- Jenny Mar
Photos By Stevyn Llewellyn

Elizabeth Rynish Photo by Stevyn Llewellyn

Sheila Frank’s Elizabethan-inspired collection featured a mixture of bold patterns and floral prints. Her clothes were topped of with chains and pearls for a soft light rock look. Color palette consisted of blue, beige, cream, denim, grey, and ivory.

Elizabeth Rynish whom is the creative director for SEAM COLLECTIVE, presented her ‘60s-inspired playful dress collection. Her edgy collection incorporated simple silhouettes, paired with creative collars and built up necklines portraying a vibrant bright color palette-blue, orange, pink, red, white, yellow.

For RisSa’s Spring/Summer 2010 eye-catching collection showcased butterfly wings, cocoon and tulip-like silhouettes. Marissa Erskine showed a spectacular collection with creative details such as her long black gown with sweetheart bodice.
About Gilda’s Club NYC: Gilda’s Club New York City creates welcoming communities of free support for everyone living with cancer – men, women, teens and children – along with their families and friends. Their innovative program is an essential complement to medical care, providing networking and support groups, workshops, lectures and social activities, all free of charge.

About SEAM COLLECTIVE, Inc: SEAM COLLECTIVE, formed in New York City in 2005, is an organization dedicated to aiding female designers break into the fashion industry. SEAM COLLECTIVE strives to help each and every designer by producing seasonal fashion shows and supplying the necessary resources to advance their careers.
-Jenny Mar

For more information, please visit the below websites:
www.gildasclubnyc.org
www.seamcollective.com

Photos By Stevyn Llewellyn

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