SEVEN ALL AROUND

Where can a city girl find a chic-but-wearable shoe? Look no further - Seven All Around embodies comfort but with an elegant style. Often times there is a lack thereof, whether it's too clunky or not aesthetically-sound, it fails to hit a complete mark. Heesung Choi, the founder of the footwear brand debuted ahead of New York Fashion Week. Her resumé is impressive: After graduating from the Parsons School of Design, Choi spent the first eight years of her career at Rag & Bone (as one of the founding employees), where she worked on both women’s ready-to-wear and footwear collections (including the brand’s early collaboration with Manolo Blahnik). Most recently, she was head of design for Public School. The South Korean-born designer wanted to create shoes for herself that would accommodate long hours of fittings and dinner with friends in New York, working remotely with her mother in Seoul to develop the shoes. From ankle boots to platform oxfords, and even flatform sandals, they are all extremely wearing while simultaneously very presentable. The built-in cork padding and sneakerlike cushioning are definite design details and measurements that will in all likelihood be a major success.

GRETA CONSTANTINE

Set in a three-story apartment, each Greta Constantine model wore thigh-high boots in a variety of reversible, colored sequins paired with skirts, dresses, and trousers that channeled the ultimate Eighties glam. Reversible sequins were the majority of the collection, like a green and blue trouser with a matching, oversized loose blazer. To add a dramatic flair, brocade blazers and sheer blouses had defined, exaggerated shoulders, and large sashes were tied around waists. The collection was bold, but held a nice reminder that fashion can still definitely be fun.

COLOVOS

Colovos is known to be minimal with an arty streak. The show-opening loose-fit trench set an easeful silhouette, one which emphasized to their tailoring: Jacket volumes were lightly gathered in back. Dresses layered over pants, a look that can tend to look over-styled, but here rather a nonchalant can-do quality. Webbed nylon shoulder straps on dresses were definitely stressing on the trend of utility. The Colovoses are jean experts from the early days. They showed their denim head to toe today, and the jeans had a baggy-but-tapered fit that looked current and trendy. Makeup done by Mac Cosmetics: lead by Romy Soleimani. Hair done by Pureology: lead by Ruth Roche. Nails done by Zoya: lead by Alicia Torello and jewelry by Laura Lombardi.

BCBGMAXAZRIA

A fusion between modernism and romanticism, BCBGMAXAZRIA was one of my favorite backstage experiences of NYFW along with the presentation. I really enjoyed their exploration of the contrast of feminity, masculine, hard and soft, playful and strict. But what made it all flow together so beautiful is this effortless manner while doing so. It's what BCBGMAXAZRIA is known for and they did not disappoint when it came to the AW18 collection. A job well done to the creative director, Bernd Kroeber and to the five female artists, including fashion illustrator Blair Breitenstein, that created artwork that was incorporated into the venue. Makeup by Huxley: lead by Jodie Roland. Hair by Cutler Salon/Redken: lead by Emily Heser. Nails by Zoya: lead by Naomi Gonzales.

CONCEPT KOREA

This season, Concept Korea presented two womenswear labels: Lie by Chung Chung Lee, and Greedilous by Younhee Park. Park presented her collection first, which included a collaboration with Beyoncé stylist Ty Young. Park was influenced by beauty in women, particularly on extreme glamour, the Palace of Versailles and the romance of Marie Antoinette’s style. Lee took a more political bent, titling his collection “GLOBAL WARMING; It’s not justICE.” The play on words is meant to bring awareness to global warming—more specifically icebergs. He tells us that fractured icebergs were the point of inspiration for many of the collection’s prints, patterns, and details in addition to colors of the Arctic Northern Lights and blue skies. “They serve as a reminder that this beautiful environment could ultimately disappear,” Lee says. Overall, the exposure of Korean Fashion in the American market is booming. Watch out, guys. You'll be seeing a lot more in the next few years.

NINE WEST 40TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY

The perfect way to kick off New York Fashion Week? Attend a fabulous party! I was fortunate enough to be invited to Nine West's 40th Year Anniversary party in downtown Manhattan at the VNYL. At the party, Nine West also launched its vintage-inspired capsule collection. Featuring 11 styles, the limited-edition line includes signature silhouettes and trends from the past four decades, including platform heels with a nod to the ’70s, architectural pumps that defined the ’80s and wedges that epitomized the ’90s. I remember my first pair of Nine West shoes from junior high, and they were the black platform heels everyone was wearing :) Good Times.

YUNA YANG

Models sashayed through the halls of the Margo Feiden Gallery in Greenwich Village presenting Yuna Yang’s bespoke womenswear collection. “Love Yourself”, the title of her collection, was embellished across the front of hats, on the backs of jackets and down the sides of sleeves. According to press notes, she “wanted to send a message about the importance of loving yourself. Every woman, regardless of race and status, should be treated fairly and equally”. A resonating message that coincides with the current changing landscape, not just in fashion, but throughout every industry. Inspired by colors, textures, and narratives in fine art, the original work by Al Hirschfeld was a splendid backdrop to the pieces incorporating east and west influences. Represented by a diverse range of models, her collection combined high and low elements visible in her designs and fabric choice. Leather ruffled skirts were paired with lace varsity jackets while silk organza dresses floated over jeans. Sporty, luxurious and an all-around feeling of empowerment.

TIBI

Even though I didn't get to see the Tibi show, I did go backstage with Aveda to learn more about the look for the show. Ultimate cool girl vibes, the collection was inspired by cities, construction, and architecture. Striking a perfectly brilliant balance between fashion and utility, the looks did not disappoint as the ultimate wardrobe for the NYC woman constantly on the go. I adored the unpolished look of the hairstyles, it kept the looks versatile yet clean. Hair by Aveda: lead by Frank Rizzieri. Makeup by Stila Cosmetics. Nails by Jin Soon.

TANYA TAYLOR

Known for her signature hand-painted floral prints, Tanya Taylor's AW 18 had less of that but with that came a greater emphasis on silhouettes, like curvy drapes and asymmetrical slouches. Tanya Taylor’s watercolor fall florals and plaid patterns came together in perfect harmony. More surprising were the pieces that nixed print altogether, like the zeitgeist-y turtleneck dress with rows of hand-stitched chrome sequins. The paillettes got bigger and flashier on a completely backless high-low tank styled over houndstooth trousers. Fans of ’90s and early-aughts style will say it’s evident of the “going out top” revival, but the pants (brown houndstooth with hints of neon pink) were worth a second look too. And the pops of color with yellow, pink and orange sealed with collection with perfection.

BEVZA

Only the second season Bevza has shown in NYFW, it was my first. Ukrainian-origins of the designer was apparent in the collection. Diaphanous silk dresses with ruching at the bust; they came in sweet candy colors like sugar pink, pale blue, and a rich green, a number that was inspired by Eastern European folklore and fairytales, it just sometimes works. As if it was a mixture of upper-class royalty and peasantry, the most spectacular outputs were the most abstract ones: a snow-white dress with linen reliefs and a deep neckline on Alla Kostromicheva, and outfits with complex assignments that repeat the shape of hosiery belts in that gentle pastel range. Specifically, the designer sent out a series of puffy nylon coats printed with animal skins and pieced together in strips to create the illusion of fur. Truly spectacular and with the times! I enjoyed this show immensely, and am hoping to see more of this kind of fluidity in Bevza's later work.

ZERO + MARIA CORNEJO

Fall is a terrific collection for Cornejo, full of bright shades such as turquoise and a reddish orange and novel-for-her fabrics such as a wide-wale cord that she cut into a skirt suit (not as traditional as it sounds) and a slinkier evening corduroy that turned up on a jumpsuit and an asymmetrically draped dress (one of my favs). The centerpiece is a tartan that she took the stuffing out of, draping and smocking it to create the easeful shapes she’s known for. This season was all about sustainability, as Cornejo reports that 84 percent of the collection is made locally in New York, which substantially reduces her clothing’s carbon footprint.