Smarteez

Photo: Chris Saunders

It was a few months ago that I became really interested in the youth culture of South Africa, which resulted in my post on street fashion in Johannesburg . My curiosity lead me to a group of renegade South African fashionistos known as the Smarteez (pictured above and below). The four DIY fashion designers, Kepi, Sibu, Floyd and Thabo, pride themselves on having no restraints, which means that in addition to experimenting with colors and prints, they also use unexpected materials, such as curtains and tablecloths.  

Another thing interesting about the Smarteez, they refer to themselves as a design collective; and their focus is on group collaboration, rather than working independently. The Smarteez, aptly named as their unapologetically exuberant style has made them international indie fashion darlings, and will hopefully foster a sustained interest in up-and-coming African fashion labels.

Photo:  Nontsikelelo Veleko

Photo: Chris Saunders

Photo: Chris Saunders

Photo: Jonty van Zeller

Photo: Jonty van Zeller

Photo: Jonty van Zeller

Photo: Jonty van Zeller

Photo: Jonty van Zeller

New from Anaikka

It was almost a year ago that the accessories and clothing brand Anaikka launched with their fantastic jewelry pieces. Now, in addition to lust-worthy items, like an intricately-decorated gold shoulder harness (scroll down), the clothing is a beautiful reflection of the same craftsmanship with which the jewelry is made. The sculptural shapes of the designs, balanced with an unexpected edginess found in the pieces' details, like armor-type metal embellishments, make Anaikka a brand ideal for any woman looking for the next great under-the-radar clothing line.

For more info: anaikka.com

New Form Perspective

For knitwear designer Gail Travis the ability of the wearer to shape their own garment is key. Her line of unique pieces, inspired by sculpture and designed to be worn in multiple ways, is called New Form Perspective or N:F:P, because of the focus on form. I was amazed that with a few snaps and folds, a knit shrug from the collection becomes a dress, and then can change again into pants. Best of all, everything in the collection transforms easily into new silhouettes without unsightly seams.
  I met Gail Travis when she had her last pop-up store in New York, and was instantly taken with how beautifully crafted and carefully designed each one of her knit pieces are. Even though Travis is not a sustainable designer, the versatility of her clothing speaks to one of sustainability's core concepts, doing more with less. This innovative approach to fashion design paired with the quality of her knits, makes her garments not only worthy of purchase, but worthy of keeping for years and years.

Meet Gail Travis and see the latest N:F:P collection at the pop-up shop located at the Roger Smith Hotel on Lexington Avenue (between 47 & 48th streets) September 20th -October 10th, 2010, 9 AM-8PM; nfpstudio.com for more information.

All images courtesy of Gail Travis

Recycled Jewelry by Anita Quansah

Photo: Charl Marais

London-based Anita Quansah is a textile designer that reworks recycled cloths into beautifully intricate fabrics which are used in haute couture collections, as well as her own clothing designs. She also utilizes this same sense of sustainable creativity when designing necklaces, incorporating found beads, chains and fabrics in innovative ways. In fact, her necklaces are  more like wearable art than jewelry and proof that clever upcycling can yield amazing results.

Tegan necklace

Tiah necklace

Calisto necklace

Arete necklace

Jewelry photos from Anita Quansah's Flickr

NYFW Fall 2010 Ones to Watch

Susan Woo

susan woo spring 2010 collection
photo: treehugger.com

After presenting her first collection in Fall 2009, its a little surprising that Susan Woo's  environmentally-conscious and sophisticated line has flown so low under the radar. Despite having been been featured by Elle and Women's Wear Daily, Woo has not received as much attention as other emerging designers. Whether or not you are interested in eco fashion, any woman can appreciate the beautiful modern pieces that Ms. Woo can craft from sustainable fabrics like organic cotton and vegan silk.

photo: Talalya Centeno (WWD)

Susan Woo will be showing at Sat, Feb 13 at 2PM at the Bryant Park Hotel, 40 West 40th st

Bibhu Mohapatra

 bibhu mohapatra  fall 2009 collection

After designing at both Halston and J Mendel, it's no surprise that Bibhu Mohapatra's designs are rich with lush fabrics, but Mohapatra's viewpoint is definitely his own. Both his construction and draping make for edgy, but luxurious pieces- think Uptown girl with a downtown edge. Mohapatra's talent makes him poised to become a younger generation's Bill Blass.

Bibhu Mohapatra will be showing Mon, Feb 15 at 4PM at the Marianne Boesky Gallery, 509 West 24th st (nr 10th Ave)

Gen Art Designers Make Recycled Plastic Pretty

The organization Plastics Make It Possible has come up with an interesting challenge for this year's group of GenArt designers. The four fledgling design labels, Gar-De, Nomia, WesFeld and Sophmore had to create a collection using fabrics derived from recycled plastics. This is a great way to encourage young designers to start thinking about incorporating sustainability into their designs, and also reinforces the fact that beautiful clothing can be made from environmentally-friendly materials.

photo: Plastics Make It Possible

The designers will present their collections tonight at Drive In Studios to kick off New York Fashion Week, but there will also be a livestream of the four hour presentation and after-party available online starting at 7PM EST.

Here's a sneak peek at the winning collection from the label WesFeld. Designers Daniel Feld and Wesley Nault, explain the inspiration for some of their pieces and how they utilized recycled plastic to create lovely sculptural dresses.

Anaikka Jewelry

Anaikka is taking the phrase "statement necklace" to the next level. The line of apparel and accessories which will launch this spring in stores around the world features distinctive handmade jewelry from India that is both edgy and luxurious; a nod to both tradition and modern dressing. In addition to bracelets and necklaces, there are also more unexpected pieces like a silver harness (below) that crosses at the chest. Like all of the other jewelry from Anaikka, it compliments the clean silhouettes of the clothing in the collection.

If you can't wait until spring to get your hands on some of these one-of-a-kind accessories, Anaikka will be having a Spring 2010 Accessories Trunk Show at Henri Bendel 712 Fifth Avenue this Sunday November 22 and Monday November 23 from 12-8PM

All photos courtesy of Anaikka

When the Recession Walks the Runway

By Seth Fiegerman

Miguel Wright, 30, quit his job just before the economy took a nosedive. He had worked as a sales rep at Bloomingdales, but decided to go it alone and create his own menswear company called Miguel Antoinne.
Starting a business is hard enough. Less than half of all start-ups survive two years, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. But starting a successful fashion business during a recession is nearly impossible because department stores are less likely to splurge on new designers. “The stars have to be aligned,” Wright said. “It must be good timing.”
In Wright’s case, the timing was clearly unfortunate as the bad economy rapidly chipped away at the high-end fashion industry. Every piece of good news Wright heard was accompanied by something bad. He pitched his product line to major department stores and was repeatedly turned down. “These stores were unable to take on the risk of investing in new brands at the time,” he said. “But the feedback was very good.”
So Wright made a key strategy change: rather than go after big companies, he targeted customers. “Distribution is paramount in this business. We needed a way to take our product directly to the customer,” he said.” To do so, he turned to the Internet, creating a carefully designed Web site and starting an e-commerce site. This allows him to reach and ship to an international audience.
Wright is one of several people to quit their job and start a fashion business in this tough economy. Rachel Dooley left her position as an attorney on the cusp of the recession to pursue her hobby making necklaces. But she had one special card up her sleeve: a connection to Gossip Girl star Blake Lively. Lively wore some of Dooley’s pieces on set and her jewelry line, Gemma Redux, has since attracted more celebrities and is selling well.
“In the past, a fashion designer would first need to get featured in Women’s Wear Daily or some other big glossy magazine, and then they’d get a ton of orders,” said Beth Schoenfeldt, a small business expert. “But that’s not happening now.”
Read the rest of the article at mainstreet.com

"An Obama Fashion Bump" by Susan Saulny

Appeared in the New York Times August 13, 2008

Photo by Sally Ryan for The New York Times

Of course there are people dreaming about the presidential inaugural ball in January, two couples in particular. But one dreamer is not a usual suspect.
“I definitely see a light color and something kind of fitted in the torso and fuller in the skirt,” said Maria Pinto, a longtime designer and Chicago native, her thoughts turning to the dress Michelle Obama, a longtime friend and client, might wear if her husband is victorious in November. “I bet every American designer has fantasies of what she’d look like.”
Some more than others. Though she is not Mrs. Obama’s exclusive dressmaker, Ms. Pinto, a designer known for luxuriant evening wear, is a favorite of Mrs. Obama, who wore buzzed-about Pinto creations when her husband announced his candidacy and on the night of the notorious fist-bump before his speech claiming the Democratic nomination, among other occasions.
As Mrs. Obama’s fashion presence has risen, so has that of Ms. Pinto, a former Geoffrey Beene assistant. After 16 years in the business, she opened her first boutique Tuesday night in the arty West Loop, near downtown Chicago. Was the timing fortuitous?
Ms. Pinto said the shop was in the works for at least a year. “We’re not Balenciaga, we’re not Gucci,” she said, “so it’s great that there are women that are free thinkers that come to us and help us establish the brand.”
Ms. Pinto, 51, fluttered about in a white strapless cocktail dress from her label adorned with sequins and ostrich feathers. Her guests — art patrons, models and business executives — numbered in the hundreds. (A high-collared alpaca coat for $2,300 garnered much attention.)
But the woman responsible for the recent fanfare was absent, as Mrs. Obama was with her family in Hawaii. “She loves what I do, and I’m lucky for that,” said Ms. Pinto, whose pieces up to now have been sold nationally in department stores like Barneys and Saks Fifth Avenue.
She met Mrs. Obama a few years ago through a friend. “Michelle came in just like everyone else and said: ‘I need a few dresses. I need a suit for work,’ ” Ms. Pinto said.
While she does point out things Mrs. Obama might like, Ms. Pinto said she has never dressed her for events. Of the purple dress worn the night Mr. Obama claimed the nomination, Ms. Pinto said it was not planned. “Michelle is not scheming like her wardrobe should make certain points.”