runway

My Trip to Fashion Week — Yuna Yang

I keep getting closer. Last year, as a Michael Kors intern, I worked at Market Week for their Fall 2016 collection. This season, I was invited to Yuna Yang as a blogger. So last Saturday afternoon, I put on my coat and boots, crunched through the snow, and took the 30-minute train ride into Manhattan, cold and excited.

The show was at the Gotham Comedy Club in Chelsea, so guests sat at tables for two partitioned along the wall. I was pleased because I could hang my coat on a chair and place my purse on a table, two things you can’t do with the traditional rows of benches. I could also get to know my table-mate, who, as it happens, went to NYU like me! As the guests poured in, I noticed colorful faux-fur jackets, lace-up booties, and box clutches.

Guests arrive and take their seats.

Two guests before the show.

Every Yuna Yang collection has a name, and this season was called “Lights in the Shadow”. I appreciate this about Yuna Yang because attending the show felt like seeing a performance, like a play or a dance recital. The collection was inspired by the people’s protests against American president Donald Trump, especially the Women’s March, and South Korean president Park Geun-hye, who was impeached last December. The show notes said, “Yuna Yang’s F/W17 collection pays homage to people who hold on to hope and belief in shadowed times.”

The models included Marina Albino, Phillipa Steele, Nastya Choo, Rachel Thomas, Alyona Subbotina, Liga Liepina, Val Debeuf, Jini Lee, Akua Williams, and Lisa Tomaschewsky.

Here are some of the looks:

FLOWER BOMBER PRINT

WATERFALL PRINT

AUSTRIAN LACE

LIGHTING CANDLE PRINT

AND MORE

My favorite look of all was the closing look, the burgundy slip dress. The collection was bright and full of energy, with gold, yellow, orange, lavender, green, and sky blue. Velvet dresses, sweatshirts, and skirts provided the durability one needs to get through fall and winter.

Me before the show started. D-Face leather dress. Hue cross-hatch leggings. Merona boots. Vintage dragonfly necklace.

As this was my first time attending Fashion Week, I was so excited to see up close that which I have looked at from afar for the past decade (yes, since I was in middle school). When I was 12, I wrote a story about an island of witches who wore only haute couture, every day, at every occasion. After seeing the beautiful Yuna Yang outfits, I was left wishing that everyone out on the street looked as put-together as runway models. That may not be the case, but this week Manhattan came pretty close.

Yuna Yang is from Seoul. Before starting her own brand, she thoroughly learned her craft; she earned a degree in Fine Arts from Ewha Women’s University, a degree in Design from Instituto Marangoni, and a degree in Womenswear Design from Central Saint Martins. She also gained valuable work experience, working with Alviero Martini in Milan and Ann-Sofie Beck and Clements Ribeiro in London. She debuted her New York based line, Yuna Yang, at NYFW Fall 2010, and has shown every season since. She has also dressed many a celebrity: Carrie Underwood, Jessica Loundes, Danai Gurira, Darby Stanchfield, Nicole Murphy, Dascha Polanco, Maye Musk, and Irene Kim to name a few!

Carrie Underwood in the music video for “See You Again”

Nicole Murphy; Irene Kim

Jessica Loundes; Danai Gurira

Darby Stanchfield; Maye Musk

NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 28: Actress Dascha Polanco attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

Yuna Yang can be found at Foravi in Manhattan; Cami in Roslyn, NY; Deborah Gilbert Smith in Millburn, NJ; Joe Brand in Laredo, TX; Joe Brand in McAllen, TX; A&A in Taipei; La Scala in Taipei; Art to Wear in Taipei; Shin Kong Mitsukoshi in Taipei; Avenuel in Seoul; Galleria in Seoul; Lotte in Busan, South Korea; Isetan in Tokyo; and Arabian Apparel in Riyadh.

Yuna Yang hats and headbands at Isetan.

Past concepts: The New Woman, No Borders, The 100% Perfect Girl, Hunting Without Guns, The Butterfly Mother, 1920s Shapes Meet Modern Art, Che Bella, Civil Twilight, Bright Lights Big City, My Black Wedding Dress

The Golden Globes — Runway to Reality

golden-globe

I love fashion…but there are so many collections and shows! Let’s think about it – if you read WWD, for example, then in the course of a year you will see Resort, Bridal Spring, Spring, Spring Couture, Pre-Fall, Bridal Fall, Fall, and Fall Couture for women’s fashion, presented in New York, London, Milan, Paris, Tokyo, and Los Angeles. I’m feeling a little dizzy.

This past year, we have seen 1,577 brand presentations on WWD (see appendix). And some brands, like Maria Lucia Hohan and Rani Zakhem, aren’t even covered by WWD (mind-blowing). I love seeing all the collections, which is why my posts center on them, but one can be left wondering what to pay attention to and, if you’re like me, worried over all the looks you’ve forgotten without even realizing you’ve forgotten them.

So it’s really fun to see the looks revisited. That’s what celebrities are for! The red carpet is a chance to see the best dresses — across brands, cities, and seasons — come to life. Some stars have their gowns custom-made, but more of them use runway looks than you realize. Here are the beautiful gowns of the Golden Globes, and where they came from.

Pre-Fall 2017 – November 9, 2016 to Present

J. Mendel Pre-Fall 2017 j-mendel-keri-red-carpet

Keri Russell in J. Mendel (Courtesy Photo; Steve Granitz/WireImage)

delpozo-caitriona-source delpozo-caitriona-red-carpet

Caitriona Balfe in Delpozo (Courtesy Photo; Venturelli/WireImage)

pamella-roland-annette-source pamella-roland-annette-red-carpet

Annette Bening in Pamella Roland (www.pamellaroland.com; Steve Granitz/WireImage)

Bridal Fall 2017 – October 2, 2016 to November 9, 2016

Idan Cohen Bridal Fall 2017 idan-cohen-kristin-red-carpet

Kristin Cavallari in Idan Cohen (Andrew Walker; Steve Granitz/WireImage)

Spring 2017 – June 8, 2016 to November 2, 2016

Alexander McQueen RTW Spring 2017 alexander-mcqueen-nicole-red-carpet

Nicole Kidman in Alexander McQueen (Giovanni Giannoni/WWD; Venturelli/WireImage)

Vera Wang Bridal Fall 2017 vera-wang-sarah-jessica-red-carpet

Sarah Jessica Parker in Vera Wang (Giovanni Giannoni/WWD; Venturelli/WireImage)

Vionnet RTW Spring 2017 vionnet-anna-red-carpet

Anna Kendrick in Vionnet (Giovanni Giannoni/WWD; Steve Granitz/WireImage)

Andrew GN RTW Spring 2017 andrew-gn-lola-red-carpet

Lola Kirke in Andrew Gn (Dominique Maitre/WWD; Steve Granitz/WireImage)

Monique Lhuillier RTW Spring 2017 monique-lhuillier-drew-red-carpet

Drew Barrymore in Monique Lhuillier (Aurora Rose/WWD; Frazer Harrison/Getty)

Monique Lhuillier RTW Spring 2017 monique-lhuillier-louise-red-carpet

Louise Roe in Monique Lhuillier (Aurora Rose/WWD; AFP/Getty Images)

Louis Vuitton RTW Spring 2017 louis-vuitton-sophie-red-carpet

Sophie Turner in Louis Vuitton (Giovanni Giannoni; Frazer Harrison/Getty)

Bottega Veneta RTW Spring 2017 bottega-veneta-amanda-red-carpet

Amanda Peet in Bottega Veneta (Davide Maestri/WWD; Venturelli/WireImage)

Mugler RTW Spring 2017 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards, Arrivals, Los Angeles, USA - 08 Jan 2017

Gal Gadot in Mugler (Giovanni Giannoni/WWD; REX/Shutterstock)

Marchesa RTW Spring 2017 marchesa-georgina-red-carpet

Georgina Chapman of Marchesa in Marchesa (Giovanni Giannoni; Frazer Harrison/Getty)

Michael Costello RTW Spring 2017 michael-costello-diana-red-carpet

Diana Madison in Michael Costello (Rodni Banica/WWD; Steve Granitz/WireImage)

tony-ward-amy-source tony-ward-amy-red-carpet

Amy Landecker in Tony Ward (http://tonyward.net; Venturelli/WireImage)

Fall Couture 2016 – June 24, 2016 to July 6, 2016

Atelier Versace Couture Fall 2016 versace-naomi-red-carpet

Naomi Campbell in Atelier Versace (Giovanni Giannoni; Frazer Harrison/Getty)

Zuhair Murad show, Runway, Autumn Winter 2016, Haute Couture Fashion Week, Paris, France - 06 Jul 2016 zuhair-murad-lily-red-carpet

Lily Collins in Zuhair Murad (Giovanni Giannoni/WWD; Frazer Harrison/Getty)

Zuhair Murad show, Runway, Autumn Winter 2016, Haute Couture Fashion Week, Paris, France - 06 Jul 2016 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards, Arrivals, Los Angeles, USA - 08 Jan 2017

Sofia Vergara in Zuhair Murad (Gionvanni Giannoni/WWD; Rob Latour/REX/Shutterstock)

Zuhair Murad show, Runway, Autumn Winter 2016, Haute Couture Fashion Week, Paris, France - 06 Jul 2016 zuhair-murad-olivia-red-carpet

Olivia Culpo in Zuhair Murad (Giovanni Giannoni/WWD; BEI/Shutterstock)

J.Mendel Couture Fall 2016 j-mendel-heidi-red-carpet

Heidi Klum in J. Mendel (Giovanni Giannoni; Frazer Harrison/Getty)

Elie Saab Couture Fall 2016 elie-saab-jessica-red-carpet

Jessica Biel in Elie Saab (Giovanni Giannoni; Getty Images)

Chanel Couture Fall 2016 chanel-riley-red-carpet

Riley Keough in Chanel (Giovanni Giannoni; Steve Granitz/WireImage)

rani-zakhem-giuliana-source rani-zakhem-giuliana-red-carpet

Giuliana Rancic in Rani Zakhem (www.ranizakhem.com; Michael Buckner/Variety/REX/Shutterstock)

Resort 2017 – May 17, 2016 to November 11, 2016

Christian Siriano Resort 2017 christian-siriano-angela-red-carpet

Angela Bassett in Christian Siriano (Courtesy Photo; Kevark Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty)

rachel-gilbert-source rachel-gilbert-renee-red-carpet

Renee Borgh in Rachel Gilbert (www.rachelgilbert.com; Frazer Harrison/Getty)

Fall 2016 – February 1, 2016 to October 20, 2016

Marchesa RTW Fall 2016 marchesa-chrissy-red-carpet

Chrissy Teigen in Marchesa (Rodni Banica/WWD; Frazer Harrison/Getty)

Reem Acra RTW Fall 2016 reem-acra-emily-red-carpet

Emily Ratajkowski in Reem Acra (George Chinsee/WWD; Venturelli/WireImage)

Christian Siriano RTW Fall 2016 christian-siriano-kelly-red-carpet

Kelly Preston in Christian Siriano (Courtesy Photo; Frazer Harrison/Getty)

Naeem Kahn RTW Fall 2016 naeem-khan-mandy-red-carpet

Mandy Moore in Naeem Khan (Tommy Iannaccone/WWD; Frazer Harrison/Getty)

tom-ford-amy-source tom-ford-amy-red-carpet

Amy Adams in Tom Ford (Courtesy Photo; Neilson Barnard/NBCUniversal/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty)

Spring Couture 2016 – January 24, 2016 to July 4, 2016

zuhair-murad-tracee-source zuhair-murad-tracee-red-carpet

Tracee Ellis Ross in Zuhair Murad (Giovanni Giannoni/WWD; Frazer Harrison/Getty)

Pre-Fall 2016 – November 17, 2015 to May 11, 2016

maria-lucia-hohan-charissa-source maria-lucia-hohan-charissa-red-carpet

Charissa Thompson in Maria Lucia Hohan (http://mlh-shop.com; Frazer Harrison/Getty)

And now I’ll leave you with my favorite look of the night!

olivia-culpo-cropped

Credits: Golden Globes trophies = cbsnews.com

Appendix:

*so far

Column1	PF ’17	BF ’17	FC ’16	S ’17	R ’17	F ’16	SC ’16	BS ’17	Column2
New York	113	48		253	144	124		47	729
London	11*			70	21	71			173
Milan	23*			94	34	87			238
Paris	9*		31	135	32	124	26		357
Tokyo				21		33			54
Los Angeles	1*			25					26
	157	48	31	598	231	439	26	47	1,577

New York Fashion Week — September 8, 2015

There are two issues with referring to Fashion Week:

There are so many different fashion weeks, from New York to Paris to Prague to Hong Kong, that it sounds a little egotistical for a New Yorker to say “Fashion Week” for New York when they know that “Milan Fashion Week” is going to come out of their mouth when the time comes.
New York Fashion Week lasts longer than a week.

There have been billboards in Manhattan for awhile advertising the first day of NYFW as September 10. This is false advertising. Ten designers presented collections on the 8th, and twenty-five presented on the 9th! And I am going to do my due diligence and include these collections on Blissful Style. I would say the early bird gets the worm, but I’m more of a worms-for-all kind of person. Either way, it works.

With the exception of Zac Zac Posen’s electrically lit little black dress, there weren’t any looks on Tuesday that I would consider avant-garde.

Yet I think runway shows can still inspire the fashion-conscious to be more adventurous, precisely because they are so wearable. There is a huge difference between what is wearable and the outfits we put on every day, and the former group is larger. We all have shapes, cuts, and colors we think we “don’t like” or “can’t wear”. We are like characters in a book or personal brands, and we all have a deep, intangible sense of who we are, what our look is, and how our look fits into our identity. Tangibly, this can show up as looking the same every day.

“My look is dramatic: monochrome red with just a touch of white to make it pop.”

I’m guilty of this. For me, I have three roadblocks in my path to a more adventurous sense of style: femininity, formality, and color. By femininity, I mean that I always have to look super-feminine in a dress or skirt and heels. By formality, I mean that it doesn’t take much to make me feel underdressed. By color, I mean that most of my wardrobe is black, white, or red.

If I thought I had no style, I wouldn’t be writing a fashion blog. I’m not saying that nobody is ever truly stylish. I just think that there is always room to grow and evolve in fashion. There are always new looks to try, new fears to conquer, new dilemmas or identities to create. Below are excerpts from Tuesday’s shows. On the left are the looks I would automatically reach for, and on the right are the outfits that are out of my comfort zone, that I should try.

Sonia Sonia Rykiel

I live for statement accessories, hearts, and dresses. I need to conquer my fear of being too casual in denim-on-denim.

Escada

I am petite at 5′ 4″, so most of my dresses and skirts hit above the knee. I need to overcome my fear of longer lengths.

Tomas Maier

I feel most alluring in a fitted look, and can be guilty of “dressing to attract”. One can still be beautiful and impressive in a looser silhouette!

Zac Zac Posen

I go wild for dresses and pleats! I fear the informality of shorts, but shorts can look dressy in the right fabric and pattern.

Protagonist

I feel feminine in a little black dress. But a pantsuit as exquisite as this one looks feminine too.

CF. Goldman

A short skirt has an obvious appeal, but a maxi dress with a slit is sexy and mysterious.

Trina Turk

I think it’s fun to match, and I feel sophisticated in black, white, and red. I should try more unusual color combinations.

10 Crosby Derek Lam

I appreciate feminine details like tiers and ruffles. With a keyhole neckline and button details, shorts and a sweater can look feminine too.

Nili Lotan

As a thin person, I tend to stay streamlined. But with the right neckline and leg slits, a loose dress hardly hides the body.

Happy (New York) Fashion Week! More days to come!

Undone — The NYU FBA Fashion Show

Undone Fashion Show flyer

Joining the NYU Fashion Business Association has been pivotal for me. Since NYU is not fashion-specific like FIT or LIM, there is no clearly defined path of study for students who want to work in fashion. The FBA brings NYU’s fashion culture together for career-related workshops and events. My personal favorite was the Alumnae Event, where five NYU alumnae who went on to work in fashion came to speak to us about their career journeys.

You might think I misspelled “alumnae”; I can assure you I did not. “Alumnae” is the plural of “alumna”, a female graduate. One thing I like about the fashion industry is that it is dominated by women. My mother told me that she named me “Brett”, a name that is 98% male, so that it would be easier for me to get a job. Yet each of my bosses in the fashion industry has been a woman. And I changed my name to “Brette” when I was fifteen, so it all worked out for the best.

But even more important for the FBA than our career events is our annual fashion show. This year the theme was “Undone”, as reflected by the unadorned white butterflies in our advertising campaign and the deconstructed look of some of the designs.

Tsedaye Kifle, model Amanda Lewis, model Amanda Davis, model

Monica Lin, model Lara Ciritci, model Nathalie, model

Katherine Heldt, model Rachael Anadon, model Sophie Svoboda, model

Hannah Morris, model Sydney George, model Ambreen, model

As a member of the Day of Show Committee, I papered the NYU buildings with flyers and started setting up early in the morning for the 7pm show. In keeping with the undone theme, we decorated the tables with fragile pink and white butterflies. The FBA also had customized M&Ms made for the show!

A butterfly takes a seat on a candle to watch the show

Bags of customized FBA M&Ms and rock candy for our guests

Me and four other members of the Day of Show Committee. I am wearing a Jax jumpsuit, vintage earrings, and a necklace from my mother

Setting up goody bags from FBA and Bloglovin’ before the show

As the organization’s name suggests, FBA members tend to be more focused on the business side of fashion (buying, merchandising, marketing, public relations, finance, etc.) For this reason, we recruit FIT and Parsons students and alumni to showcase their collections for the fashion show. Undone featured Olive Wu, Vanessa Sepul-Azcarraga, Selma Zhang, Jessica Hu, Jessica Chen, and Oliver Zhang. Here are my favorite looks of the evening:

Olive Wu Vanessa Sepul-Azcarraga Vanessa Sepul-Azcarraga

Vanessa Sepul-Azcarraga Jessica Chen Jessica Chen

Jessica Hu Jessica Hu Oliver Zhang

Oliver Zhang Oliver Zhang Oliver Zhang

Selma Zheng Selma Zheng Selma Zheng

A model whose shoes had fallen off her first time down the runway

I am a huge fan of Bloglovin’ for obvious reasons, and I was so happy that they were one of our sponsors!

Two Bloglovin’ interns pose with a goody bag

Advertising photography by Aaron Kho

Event photography by Francisco Solano

Held on the top floor of the Kimmel building with a view of the Empire State Building and Washington Square Park, it was an unforgettable night. Can’t wait till next year!

Standouts from Bridal Fall 2015

Yes I am unmarried, and single at that, but I can still appreciate a beautiful wedding gown! In my opinion, the bridal runway collections and magazines are more fun to look at than their ready-to-wear counterparts. So much of fashion is “effortless” and nonchalant, so it is beautiful to see gowns, veils, jewelry, and accessories used with great effort and care to facilitate such a joyous and life-changing celebration. Yet like any other runway setting, the bridal shows are a place for designers to play with convention. The following short (yes, short) wedding dresses do just that!

Angel Sanchez ~~~ Delphine Manivet

Honor for Stone Fox Bride~~~ Houghton

Houghton ~~~ Oleg Cassini

Oleg Cassini ~~~ Pronovias

If I Could Buy the Entire Collection, I Would — Moschino

Moschino Pre-Fall 2015

I will admit, the McDonald’s stuff kind of freaked me out. When I think of McDonald’s, I think of a place where college students go at 4am because there is nowhere else to eat when they are studying, and where homeless people go at 4am because there is nowhere else to sleep. I also don’t think barnyard red and sunshine yellow are a pleasing color pairing, fast food connotations notwithstanding.

But as Katy Perry would say, that was then and this is now (“Part of Me”). For Pre-Fall Jeremy Scott is still basing the collection around one obvious motif, but this time it is much more chic. The pieces below evoke objects found in a clothing atelier, like tape measures, order forms, hangers, and garments still under construction.

Standouts from Pre-Fall 2015

While I understand that the planning and execution of a single seasonal collection involves more time and work than the average end consumer could even imagine, the idea that the fashion world has two seasons per year, while the weather and our lifestyles have four, is still a bit of an odd idea to wrap one’s head around. Even more trippy is the fact that technically, February is the first month of “Spring/Summer” and August is the first month of “Fall/Winter”. It is as if the fashion world is proof that a parallel universe does indeed exist.

Thankfully, Resort and Pre-Fall collections are here to (somewhat) normalize the annual cycle, so that, just as we plan our year around four seasons, we can plan our fashion calendar around four different points of reference. Pre-Fall collections are the epitome of “short and sweet”; they do not involve as many looks as the average Fall collection, yet the looks are more wearable than the theatrical ensembles one might see on a Fall runway. Here are ten such looks that caught my eye: