According to Basso, “The inspiration for this collection is the ‘New York City Girl.’ I think women around the world all have a desire to be a New York City woman. This allows her to experiment with fashion from high to low with a feeling of freedom, strength, and independence. The original New York City girl is our own statue of liberty that represents this woman from casual days to gala evenings. Our New York City woman never allows the clothes to wear here; she wears the clothes.
The silhouettes include haberdashery coats and jackets with feminine touches. Fabrics include cashmere, fox, sable, mink, chinchilla, shearling, dutchess satin, wool jacquard, mohair, and faux fur. After-five dresses and evening gowns have hand embellished flowers, beaded embroidery, animal print, metallic finishes, feathers, and hand pleating. Classic silhouettes include form-fitting gowns and strapless bodices with ball gown skirts. The color palette for this season is daffodil, café, aubergine, faded pink, and rose gold.
My vision for my New York City girl is for her to select pieces from the collection, experiment, have fun, and enjoy her fashion freedom.”
CHIARA BONI presented her Fall/Winter 2019 collection during New York Fashion Week on Friday, February 8th.
For the Fall/Winter 2019 season, Chiara Boni La Petite Robe updates her signature modern, dynamic and practical style with a hyper chic, regal attitude. Embarking on an imaginative trip across Europe, the designer reinterprets the refined aesthetic of the Old Continent, subtly echoing in the precious fabrics and rich embellishments.
The brand’s signature stretch jersey fabric, guaranteeing impeccable fit and outstanding comfort, is matched with new textiles, including plush velvet which gives a special touch to intriguing dresses and separates. Velvet is also combined with taffeta in the sumptuous maxi dresses embellished with delicate bows and gets a corsetry-like treatment in sensual styles revealing seductive transparencies.
An homage to the European tailoring tradition, classic suiting patterns, including herringbones and checks, add a mannish feel to jumpsuits with applied pockets, suits, and frocks, all combining a sartorial attitude with an urban, functional appeal.
Balancing the military feel of the dresses printed with flocked Austrian knots, golden brocades with a 3D effect show the quintessentially feminine soul of the brand and metallic wallpaper-inspired patterns put the focus on its artsy side.
New peplum designs punctuate frocks and skirts with a sculptural effect, which is also conveyed through the roomy silhouettes of architectural coats showing geometric floral patterns. They are matched with fitted pieces, including the wide range of pants designed to exalt women’s bodies with perfect cut and strategic ergonomic details.
While opulent shoulders and ample sleeves continue to steal the spotlight, Chiara Boni La Petite Robe first introduces a selection of knitted pieces, including coats and crewnecks lined with the brand’s iconic jersey.
The collection’s overall sense of precious and sophisticated luxury is exalted by the color palette, which is focused on deep tones of black, rich red and green hues, enlightened by sparkling and charming gold accents.
The Royal Family truly has some heavy influence in the fashion world. Whatever Kate Middleton wears sells out almost instantly, and it looks like Meghan Markle has already inherited that same caliber of influence in fashion. Since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot on May 19th, 2018, Markle’s bridal fashion has already inspired several fashion designers, and brides-to-be, to try and achieve Meghan’s look. If you are one of these brides-to-be looking for a little Markle-inspired bridal fashion, or perhaps if you are a maid of honor or bridesmaid, look no further – we’ve gathered some of our favorite Markle-inspired pieces for you to rock this wedding season!
MARKLE’S CATHEDRAL STYLE
Photo Credit: People Magazine
Photo Credit: Town and Country Magazine
Markle’s bridal style can be described as elegant and classy. Her Givenchy dress paired perfectly with her long, gorgeous lace train. Meghan kept her hair and makeup fresh and simple, paired with subtle jewelry and a beautiful bouquet (Harry picked the arrangement himself; the man’s got good taste!). Meghan’s bridal style is so sophisticated and timeless. Meghan truly looked like royalty on her special day; it’s no wonder why so many future brides cannot get enough of this style!
Bridal company Floravere has created its own replica of Markle’s gown. This gown features Markle’s ever-so-flattering boatneck, slight off-the-shoulder style, while it also has its own unique features such as shorter sleeves and buttons down the back. This made-to-order gown will make you feel as royal as Meghan Markle, and as unique and beautiful as you already are; royal or not!
RECEPTION STYLE
Photo Credit: TIME Magazine
Just when you thought Meghan’s wedding style couldn’t get any better, she did it again with dress #2! How stunning is this Stella McCartney high-neck gown? Markle looked gorgeous as she maintained her sophisticated, elegant bridal style. This gown is perfect the perfect reception dress; it’s elegant while it still shows some skin, it’s modern, and it’s comfortable. This gown is perfect for a bride, and would look amazing in any shade for a maid of honor or a bridesmaid.
If you are looking for the perfect bridesmaid gown, this piece from Watters is gorgeous and comes in so many colors. Your bridesmaids will look STUNNING in this Markle-inspired piece.
Macadamia Professional is known internationally for its salon-quality hair care, treatment and styling products that address the unique moisture level and styling needs of every woman. Its products contain an exclusive Pro Oil Complex, a blend of therapeutic Macadamia Oil and Argan Oil, rich in Omega 7, 5, 3 and 9 fatty acids, which deeply yet weightlessly nourish and repair hair from the inside out. Macadamia’s new The Sun Surf Collection also includes products with Olive and Coconut Oils, Sunflower Seed Oil and Shea Butter.
To learn more about Macadamia, Downtown caught up with Andy Rah, Vice President of Global Marketing for Macadamia Beauty. More on Macadamia can be found at www.macadamiahair.com.
Andy Rah
Were you always in the beauty industry? Or did you start out on a different path?
Andy Rah: I started out in management consulting out of college, and I spent about eight years doing that. I realized that it wasn’t what I wanted to do in the long run, though, so I went back to business school to get my MBA.
How did you get your start in the hair care industry?
AR: I actually got my start in New York City, interning for L’Oreal USA working on the Garnier Fructis brand. I loved the industry so much that I took a full time job there, working on the L’Oreal Paris haircare brands for three years before moving to Texas to be closer to my future wife. From there, it just kept going as I spent five years with TIGI before ending up here at Macadamia Beauty.
Do you think that there are any misconceptions about proper hair care?
AR: Some people are trained to think that just because a shampoo is sulfate-free, it’s safe for their hair color. That’s not always the case — the surfactant system, which creates the lovely foam in a shampoo, whether it’s sulfate-free or not may be unsafe for color. There are a lot of variables involved; Macadamia Professional shampoos are all tested and proven to be great for color-treated hair. They do happen to be free of sulfates, parabens and gluten as well, but consumers should be careful and do more research to make sure they aren’t washing their expensive hair color down the drain!
AR: I wish I could say it was all photo shoots and New York Fashion Week glamorous, but a lot of my role is making sure all of the details are covered. Working on budgets, in-store merchandising, promotions, social/digital/PR campaigns, e-commerce, planning for the future and trying to figure out where to take our brand next. We’re always looking for the next big thing to wow our salon and retail customers as well as bringing something innovative to our consumers.
What is coming up for Macadamia? Any new products? Partnerships? Promotions?
AR: We are coming up on summer, so we always feature our Endless Summer collection of products. We also have our liter-sized shampoos and conditioners for sale through our independent salon partners and premium retail partners like Ulta and Beauty Brands; definitely a great time to stock up! We just launched our Foaming Root Boosting Spray and our Thermal Protectant Spray earlier this year. Definitely more exciting products coming out in the second half of the year as well.
What is your favorite Macadamia Professional product?
AR: I think the Tousled Texture Finishing Spray is a must-have. You just spray it into the hair — not on it, but into the layers — shake your head, and voila, instant volume and texture! Gives you big Texas hair, without a lot of work.
When not busy with Macadamia what do you like to do for fun?
AR: I like traveling, playing sports and most of all, cooking and eating. I have a six-year old daughter, Delaney, and four-year old son, Tristan, and they both make homemade pasta with me already. They love cooking because they see how much fun I have doing it. I was definitely an aspiring chef in a past life! Plus, I just love to eat.
Do you have tickets to any upcoming concerts or events?
AR: Whenever I am in New York, I try to stop in and see whatever show my niece, Ellie Kim, is in. Right now, she’s a swing playing seven roles in School Of Rock on Broadway. Her and the other kids are so amazingly talented, it’s unbelievable what they can do as a group of 10-year olds. I think my sister has been to the show about 30 times already!
Do you have a favorite restaurant in New York?
AR: This is an easy one: Wolfgang’s Steakhouse. I used to live a few blocks from the one on Park Avenue. The bacon appetizer and the Porterhouse steak are two of my favorite dishes anywhere. Wolfgang’s was started by someone who was with Peter Luger’s for a long time, so you know his restaurants are born out of one of the quintessential, original New York Steakhouses.
Finally, any last words on why you love New York?
AR: That’s pretty easy for me; being able to get anything I want to eat, whenever I want to eat it! Of course, the energy, vibrancy, diversity and the variety of things to do is unparalleled, but when I’m in New York, it’s all about the food.
At this year’s New York Fashion Week, Oribe Hair Care was very active and very visible. Among the brands that Oribe partnered with for FW17 launches were Brock Collection, Brandon Maxwell, The Blonds, Michael Costello, Ryan Roche, A Détacher, Veronica Beard and R13.
Some photo highlights from Oribe — courtesy of Lisa Richov, from both backstage and the catwalk — at FW17 NYFW:
VERDAD, a new womenswear brand helmed by veteran L.A. designer Louis Verdad, debuted its Fall/Winter 2017 collection at New York Fashion Week last week at Chelsea’s Pier 59. Fall/Winter 2017 marks the second season and the very first runway presentation in New York for the L.A.-based label.
For its newest collection, VERDAD took its mood inspiration from Fall on the streets of L.A. This includes tops, separates and dresses in a range of dark colors, floral and watercolor inspired prints mixed with crisp cream looks and shimmering paillettes for the evening. Long knits, sheer blouses and voluminous sweaters made playful statements of volume through artful layering. Classic VERDAD design signatures include a bomber jacket and midi length, knife pleated skirts.
Models on the runway wore sleek ponytails and directional makeup – a look VERDAD created in collaboration with AVEDA for hair and makeup. Accessories provided a strong counterpoint to the runway looks. Shoes were provided by Perla Formentini with some new styles created by the Italian shoe brand in collaboration for VERDAD FW17. Lillian Shalom provided jewelry, Gaspar Gloves outfitted models with gloves, sunglasses were provided by ic! berlin and HUE provided tights and socks for the runway looks. Guests and models enjoyed sipping on Hint Water and Arizona Tea while enjoying the presentation.
The founder and creative director Louis Verdad — whose luminous career spans 15+ years dressing the likes of Madonna, Cate Blanchett, Christina Aguilera and more under his namesake label — had his sights set on a runway presentation in New York since launching VERDAD last year. “I see the VERDAD woman as someone who travels effortlessly from L.A. to New York on a regular basis so it made sense for me to show my collection during New York Fashion Week,” explained the designer. “I am inspired by the women who wear my clothes in both these cities- LA for the lifestyle and attitude and New York for the precision and the playfulness.”
Verdad FW17 runaway images by Noam Galai. Verdad FW17 backstage images by Ben Gabbe.
