words/pics Judith Ecochard
VANTAN TOKYO pics/video-MB Fashion Week
Salvatore Prete and Filippo Bruno ---two designers who have shown a prior season at Lincoln Center-staged a small presentation at a private space-down in SOHO. They were running late-and with a show uptown, we could only grab a few pics before leaving.
Impressions overall- wearable frocks--- an ode to the 70's/ 80's glam of club days past---like the fabulous B/W gelatin-silver prints that lined the walls...capturing a NYC era like no other---including Studio 54 regulars and Warhol's entourage ...mixed with lower East Side artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat sharing a moment with rocker lggy Pop.
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| this model reminded us of Candy Darling |
Back up at Lincoln Center, VANTAN TOKYO -a design school based in Japan-presented a trio of graduates of its X-Seed Program-an advanced design course given in both English and Japanese.
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| striped knit sweater over watercolor peony print shirt with oyster flared skirt |
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| watercolor floral ensemble |
The last group...by Natsuki Watanabe's Sagan label---itself inspired by "the free-spirited and independent women...(and) French novelist Françoise Sagan.." was a retail ready collection of sweet feminine prints, hand-knits and nice color-blocking schemes-including the hosiery----
We liked the easy charm of the separates---and the pockets!
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| mustard hand knit sweater over peach watercolor floral print cotton shirt and slim pants |
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| Navy silk pleated cowboy shirt with wide black pants Nelly Hohmann-who actually showed first-combines the West/East perception of beauty and aesthetics...creating contemporary pieces that defy being pidgeon-holed into a singular style, we thought. |
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| combined plaid shirt with olive denim shorts |
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| grey sleeveless college sweatshirt with jersey pants |
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| varsity style turquoise bomber over grey/yellow sweatshirt with yellow pants |
INFO: VANTAN