NYFW AW19 Recap

Happy weekend, everyone! I’m starting the day off with my NYFW AW19 runway shows recap! Today I’ll be discussing each show’s theme and trends where I had the pleasure of attending this season. This was my sixth season going to New York Fashion Week - only three years which is nothing… BUT I am definitely humbled from this season's experiences and opportunities as this has been the most successful fashion week by far, for me! I have a long way to go, but am extremely thankful for everything as every passing season teaches me something, and I learn and grow in the fashion industry, amidst while making new friends/connections and expanding my network. All in all, I’ve worked very hard to get to where I’m at, and it is such a pleasure to reflect and see how far I’ve come. I’m still just a Midwestern girl at heart! (Okay, okay… with maybe a little New York attitude now HA HA, kidding!)

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LAURENCE & CHICO

I always love kicking off NYFW with Laurence & Chico. The duo’s collections are always over-the-top with outrageous styling and a touch of humor. Not to mention the wonderfully crafted pieces, this season’s theme was all on the culture and beauty of Thailand! The result — traditional Thai silhouettes reinterpreted with bold, rich colors, intricate beading and embroidery. Exaggerated volume, beautiful textural embellishments and richly colored, seasonal fabrics and prints were woven into the collection. Once you take a deeper look into the individual pieces and styles, you’ll discover the brand’s overall theme: Whimsical, fun, and that it knows how to take itself not so seriously in a very serious world.

KATE SPADE

Kate Spade New York delivered a refreshing lineup that veered away from its signature aesthetic. Electric colors of yellow, emerald and burgundy’s, with plenty of animal prints and a hint of the 70’s made up most of the new look. I loved the grown-up approach from its signature girly brand with sleek coats, pantsuits, shirt dresses and wrap dresses. The smattering of motifs that peppered the lineup, from coats and billowy dresses to accessories including cheetah prints on croc-embossed bags and turbans were the icing on the cake. I truly adored the double-bag situation along with the little hint of sparkle, from the tights to the nail art, that paid a subtle homage to the late Kate Spade. A definite lasting touch and quite sentimental. A truly stellar collection!

SON JUNG WAN

The Son Jung Wan Fall-Winter 2019 collection was inspired by the “romantic mood of retro art and culture.” Son’s collection featured mixed faux fur, bold prints, sequins, velvet, ruffles, and embroideries in the bold colors to create a romantic mood full of playfulness. The color palette boasted a combination of bold, dark, and pastel hues. Bold, vibrant colors included orange pepper, placid blue, sulphur, and spring crocus; light pastel colors included harbor gray and potpourri; the addition of dark colors such as adobe, windsor Wine, and peacock created a uniqueness to the visual feast that was the collection. Great examples of this retro glam look were the sequin dresses and striking outerwear towards the finale of the show.

LIE COLLECTION/CONCEPT KOREA

Concept Korea, an initiative that celebrates young local designers on an international level, through support from the Korean government. Chungchung Lee, a Central Saint Martins graduate and the founder of LIE, showed tailored prêt-à-porter, while brothers Kevin and Terrence Kim (the duo behind IISE) reinterpreted Korean heritage through contemporary streetwear, with Instagram-famous Luka Sabbat opening the show! First set of photos are LIE, the latter, IISE. As a Korean, I’m proud to share such talent through my platform. Probably one of my highlights every season in New York Fashion Week.

CLAUDIA LI

A juxtaposition of eccentric prints and materials Claudia Li’s AW19 collection embodies everything the designer loves most. From its flamboyant patterns to its bold and playful color palette, Li’s artistic background is prominent in her latest collection. The collection carries a strong sense of singularity, each design feels unique despite the collections recurring fabrics, shapes, and colors. It is the artistic eye combined with a keen knowledge in street style that makes Li a master of craftsmanship and design. I loved the androgynous overall tone playing with Li’s new idea of femininity as well as with the perfect masculine combination. Strong accessories played an important role within the collection such as vibrant weaved tassel bags, Mongolian sheep sterling pillow-style bags, and black leather purses.

TIBI

One of my favorite shows to attend every season, if you are not familiar with Tibi, I would describe the brand as minimalism for the maximalists. Tibi presented us a beautiful color range of deep browns, chalky grays and charcoal blacks combined with lavenders, mints and orangy tones. In true Tibi fashion, the show gave us clean and classic silhouettes with a twist. Tibi revamped powersuits, croc boots, skirts and double-breasted coats, in addition to the revival of the dickie, monochromatic pastels and slides. Top favorite was the ovelapped knitwear on top of some of these looks. Another nice touch was some of the leftover materials from the desingner’s studio were accessorized within the hairstyles, which I talk more about the beauty trends of NYFW here.

3.1 Phillip Lim

If I had to use one word to describe Phillip Lim’s latest collection, it would be “workdrobe”. Opening the show was a classic cosmopolitan chic look of a full-skirted dress with a trench coat on top: sleek, elegant and timeless. The palette of slate greys, navy, black and optic white with the occasional earth tone and dark seafoam was a collection made for the working city girl. Chic and streamlined, the collection was reminiscent of the old Celine collections. The attention to practicality without compromising on style can be seen through the playfulness of the structures and silhouettes; layering belt-cinched jackets and cocoon coats over voluminous skirts and wide-leg trousers, creating the ultimate variety of volume and proportions. Other highlights from the outfits were oversized carryalls tucked under one arm, cinched booties, double strap heels and one pair of rather amazing furry flats.

SALLY LAPOINTE

Sally LaPointe’s Fall 2019 drew style references from Elvis' 1968 Comeback Special and applied them to modern day dressing. Strong monochromatic palettes of bronze, ivory, jade, lavender and oxblood, the collection’s attention to utilitarian yet feminine details with nods to clean menswear-inspired tailoring and strong silhouettes became a purposeful uniform for the modern woman that exudes confidence, attitude, and sex appeal. Snakeskin and leathers were found throughout and in a wide array of styles and treatments, including as a print on silk jacquard and embossed leather. Highlights: Leather jumpsuit, and stripe-stitched lavender sequin textural dreams,

LOVE & XX’S,

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NYFW Beauty Trends in Hair, Makeup and Nails

Hi, everyone! I’ve been meaning to get this up on the blog, but amidst travels and also my laptop having a nervous breakdown, it’s been rather trying to get this up and live. But it is finally here: my recap of all the beauty trends I noticed during New York Fashion Week for Fall/Winter. Some have been around since the dawn of time, as most trends in fashion are refurbished, reused and recycled. But there are several trends I truly loved and will definitely be partaking in the upcoming season. So without further ado, let’s jump on it and start with the makeup trends spotting around from NYFW.

MAKEUP TRENDS

PINKY PINKS & BURGUNDY WINES

If you noticed one thing about my makeup abilities as of late, I am all for color. The more vibrant the better. Which is what many makeup artists played around with backstage this season. For example, the makeup direction to Kate Spade with Romy Soleimani and Maybelline was filled with vibrant, friendly pink shades ranging from blushing pink to burgundies. Sally LaPointe’s show also displayed heavy wine colors, interestingly applying an iridescent pink liquid highlighter - the Hyper Real FX to the cheek bones which gave such a beautiful subtle quality to the look.

SMOKEY EYES

You know what’s a trickery in eye makeup? Mastering the art of a smokey eye without looking like raccoon eyes! What makes this difficult is the subtlety of the smudge, but not too much where it becomes overkill. Tom Ford always does this technique so well (need to try the Tom Ford beauty line) but my favorite was the intense smokey eye in Jeremy Scott’s Show. Maybelline did the full eyelid smokey, but also carried it down to the inner corners of the eye to give it a more dramatic effect. Rest assured, smokey eyes aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

WATERCOLORS

Another favorite, MUA Cassandra Garcia played with a subtle green smudge for Tibi. Using Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, the look was inspired by the perfectly imperfect look of slept-in makeup and the watercolor green is something cool and different. It looks slightly messy, but in a chic unpolished way. Other shows that really played on watercolors more intently were Eckhaus Latta and Collina Strada where the models’ eyes were a wonderful canvas to blend on. Literally reminded me of Monet’s brush strokes and definitely got my heart palpating.

SHARPLY SKILLED EYELINER WORK

3.1 Phillip Lim’s lead makeup artist for the show, Diane Kendal was all about precision when it came to eye makeup backstage this season. Using only three colors of white, khaki and purple and with the help from a new makeup brand, Unframe the Beauty, their eyeliners are an innovation 1200 years in the making. The brush is created by traditional craftsmen from the Kumano and Nara region of Japan, with custom-made fibers that are entirely hand-blended for firmness, flexibility, and softness. Only seven people in ALL of the world can skillfully do this delicate and precise work.

BAMBI LASHES

Makeup artist Tom Percheux described the beauty as “eyes that wouldn’t lie to you” for the Brandon Maxwell show was very reminiscent of Twiggy’s signature look. And it’s as simple as it can get, but will bring the eyes to life with an added illusion to bigger and brighter eyes. Something I can totally get on board with - the key is to do both the top and bottom eyelashes. I have to say out of all my favorite makeup trends, this will be probably the first one I will want to re-interpret.

HAIRSTYLE TRENDS

BEJEWEL ME, BABY

If you’ve been paying any attention in the hair accessory scene, you know barrettes, bobby pins, clips of any kind are all making a huge comeback. But there’s been a transitioning period here at NYFW where the accessories are more about letting women SHINE. Justine Marajan did the hair backstage for Christian Siriano where we saw chains mixed in with braids, giving it a cool and edgy vibe. Area had a gang of 70s rebels take the runway with likeminded hairdos beaded in jewels, literally. I am really into anything in the rebellious family so this trend is definitely something I would like to re-create for myself!

CRIMPED

Probably my favorite hairstyle that I saw backstage this season, it’s not a difficult hair style to achieve. Nowadays with all the top hair gadgets/tools you can get a heat iron with the shape embedded into the tool that will ease the process of getting the waves in the crimped hair. However, one way to achieve this as well is to braid the hair then flat iron the braid before brushing it out. This gives it a more froofy overall look, leaving it more modern in my opinion. I saw this technique done by Aveda, led by Gary Gill for the 3.1 Phillip Lim Show.

A SPLASH OF COLOR

Or rather a splash of paint, Jeremy Scott’s fake news theme was quite cheeky with the hairstyle to go along with the message behind his collection. The models all wore wigs which were all trimmed backstage before what looks to be a bucket of paint spilled all over the tops of the models’ heads. It obviously was painted on, however. Philipp Plein also used neon green streaks in the models’ hair, giving it that pop of color.

FINGER WAVES

The 30s are back and I couldn’t be happier! Finger waving is the shaping or molding of hair while wet into "s"-shaped curved undulations with the fingers and comb. These waves, when dried without being disturbed, will fall into deep waves. Finger waving differs from marcel waving in that there are no heated irons used on the hair. Prime example was Sally LaPointe’s show, giving the models’ a suitable look to go with the Elvis theme. Zimmerman and Maryam Nassir Zadeh also demonstrated this look but in a more relaxed way either with softer waves with a shorter cut or ruched ponytails. Overall, another favorite hairstyle I need to try and do soon!

NAIL ART TRENDS

ADD SPARKLE

At Kate Spade New York, manicurist Julie Kandalec (for Essie) paid homage to Kate, “she leaves a little bit of sparkle everywhere she goes.” by subtly applying bronze glitter to a nail prepped with a base coat for a naturally shimmery look. Tibi also took an understatedly sparkly route: Jin Soon Choi painted the top half of the nail in a rich toffee beige shade and filled in the bottom half with a mélange of holographic silver flecks. To tone down the shine, Choi finished it with a matte top coat. Which is what is next in terms of trends.

MATTE EVERYTHING

I noticed several other nail looks aside from Jin Soon Choi’s such as Maryam Nassir Zadeh powdery blue matte nails, which were also a favorite. Phillip Lim also worked with Jin Soon Choi to create a peachy nude matte finish as well, bringing a modern woman essential vibe. I love the non-streaky look to a matte nail, as it looks more polished and sophisticated. You can bet you’ll be seeing a lot more of this trend come this fall season.

OVER THE TOP EXTRANESS

Jeremy Scott worked with Ms. Pop to do a monochrome monogramming in an effort to keep up with the graffiti-inspired textiles. She lent her expert brushstroke to write out "New York" in black-and-white lettering, creating a newsprint effect over seven fingers. Definitely made headlines. ;) Other statement nail looks included Alice + Olivia where they literally hand-painted 3-D acrylic butterflies on sets of burgundy nails. And last but not least, Adeam went with gluing pearls of all different sizes on blue and pinks nails, which were definitely delivering something extra to the table.

LOVE & XX’S,

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NYFW AW19 Outfits

Wrapping up on Day 6 of New York Fashion Week this season, I’m starting off with a week of outfits! I wanted to share a range of my personal style for you guys! Staying true to my maximalist rebellious tendencies, I played print on print, bold vibrant color and different era contrasts, for example: The 40s with a modern vibe. And lots of different fabrics, such as sequin, tweed, velvet, cashmere and more. So stop for a few - take a peek and let me know what what your favorite look from the past week! Stay tuned for more fashion week content, my regular roundup of the shows I attended and this year I’ll be sharing a beauty trend report from what I saw backstage! Keep your eyes peeled, it’s all going down in the next couple of days before I head off to London Fashion Week! xx

WEARING: FLORAL PRINT DRESS | HOUNDSTOOTH JACKET | WESTERN BOOTS | TRI-COLOR BAG | MARBLE HOOP EARRINGS

WEARING: DANDELION HIGH TURTLENECK TOP | PLAID BLAZER | SKINNY JEANS | YELLOW ANKLE BOOTS | YELLOW SUNNIES | YELLOW VINTAGE BAG (NO LONGER AVAILABLE)

WEARING: PURPLE COAT | NEWSPAPER PRINT TOP | BLACK TROUSERS | BLACK HANDBAG | BLACK GLOVES | WHITE SUNNIES | DAD SNEAKERS

WEARING: BLUE FAUX FUR COAT | PINK CASHMERE TOP | SEQUIN DRESS | PURPLE OMBRE JEANS | RED BAG | LEOPARD BOOTS

WEARING: OVERSIZED DOUBLE BREASTED COAT | LAVENDER CASHMERE TOP | WIDE LEG PANTS | WHITE MULES | BROWN LANTERN BAG |

WEARING: CANARY YELLOW KNIT COTTON SWEATER | MUSTARD YELLOW SKIRT | TEDDY COAT | LEOPARD BOOTS | STUDDED BAG | RETRO SUNNIES

WEARING: TWEED COAT | BLUE TOP | WIDE LEG DENIM | WOOL BERET | BLACK BAG | BLACK PATENT LEATHER COMBAT BOOTS | SKINNY SUNNIES

LOVE & XX’S,

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