John Bartlett and Michael Kors
One of the most interesting menswear designers, John Bartlett, didn't have a show this season but he did have a small presentation in his new store which is on Seventh Avenue South at Charles Street. It's just a couple blocks south of the Village Vanguard in Greenwich Village. The best thing about John is his ability to combine the frivolousness of fashion with esoteric connections to history, culture and religion. Camp shirts meet Jean Genet. That's what a Harvard education will do for a fashion designer.
I happened to be the first visitor to cross the threshhold of his new store, not because I'm special, but just because I have a habit of being prompt, which, as I've mentioned countless times is an oddity in the fashion industry.
Bartlett has been spending lots of time in India and in the Middle East and so his collection was inspired by Jonny Quest and the Hadji. I can't really explain that other than to say the collection was a mix of djellabas, tailored jackets and swimwear.
It all looked macho and sexy and also happened to be created "off the grid" meaning that seamstresses used pedal machines to sew the clothes. That's not exactly the most efficient way to produce a collection, but John said that he'd select a few key pieces for mass production, at which point he will have to get back on the grid.
Sunday afternoon, the fur protesters were out in front of the Michael Kors show calling the designer names because he continues to use fur in his collection. This, of course, was the spring collection and you might think that it was odd to be protesting fur. But Kors has actually shown mink for spring -- although he didn't this time -- because in his world every season is fur season. I'm not saying that's good or bad; I'm just saying that's the reality.
I sat next to tennis player Maria Sharpshoot during the Michael Kors show, but she was busy being photographed to engage in much conversation. All I can say is that she's a pretty big girl -- tall I mean -- and that she was supporting Kors because he's such a big fan of tennis. His first look down the runway happened to be a lovely tennis dress.
Jessica Simpson also showed up for the Kors presentation and was immediately surrounded by a swarm of photographers. Meanwhile, Bette Middler managed to sit in her front row seat virtually ignored by them. That's the difference between old celebrity and new celebrity. Somehow Midler manages to live her life without drawing excessive attention to herself. Simpson walks into a room -- wearing a tight jersey dress that accentuates her assets -- and all heck breaks loose.
I went to the Naris Rodriguez show Sunday night where I finally met "Project Runway's" Tim Gunn face to face. He was elegant as always, enjoying his role as the chief creative officer at Liz Claiborne, which recently invested in Narciso's brand, and there were no hard feelings after my negative review of his makeover show. Now that's a classy fellow.
Editor's note: Read more about the New York runways in Robin Givhan's column Proving Their Worth? Discount Lines Are Upping the Ante for High-End Runway Success.
By Robin Givhan |
September 10, 2007; 8:53 AM ET
New York
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Posted by: jaymie | September 10, 2007 11:11 AM
It's appalling to see designers like Kors still using fur, after they have repeatedly been made aware of the ethical problems associated with the Chinese fur trade, where most of it comes from. You know, China who cut safety corners to sell us contaminated dog food, toxic lead-based-painted toys, anti-freeze in toothpaste, melamine in flour, defective tires, etc. They're also selling fur from animals that have been skinned alive (less costly you know).
Everyone from Martha Stewart to Paul McCartney has denounced this fur, including some of the largest clothing retailers. J. Crew, Ann Taylor (who has 740 stores in 45 states), Ralph Lauren, Abercrombie and Fitch, and U.K.'s most respected fashion chain Topshop, have all stopped selling fur after seeing the Fur Trade videos.
This is not an issue that concerns only animal rights advocates. Anyone considering wearing fur has a moral obligation to seek out info about the "production" process and they should view the videos before falling for the designer hype urging them to buy fur.
View the Swiss Animal Protection video Report on the Chinese Fur Industry here: http://tinyurl.com/ag3jh
Posted by: Wordster | September 16, 2007 5:10 PM
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I like John Barlett. When observing designers I always ask myself, "what are they saying." The really good ones tell you something different, original, and unique. They paint a character, a person, or a lifestyle that you can understand by looking at the clothes. Barlett tells a story- like you said he uses culture and history to inspire his collections. That what makes him more interesting than most, and that is why I'll come back for me next season........