Text, Vivian G. Kelly with Contributions by Laura C. Wood
Images, Dan Lecca, courtesy of Mercedes-Benz
JOSEPH DOMINGO
5:00pm BACKSTAGE was relatively calm, Mr. Domingo’s PR, Dorothy Mannfolk, got us in at a perfect time. An hour later, a photographer who walked into the press lounge said that backstage was “five deep and crazy”.
As at Zang Toi, you can always count on a colorful inspiration from Mr. Domingo and we always look forward to what he’s come up with next.
Said Mr. Domingo, “This collection was vixen inspired. I’ve been wanting to do something eighties, like “Alexis Colby” in Dynasty.”
By “eighties inspired” Mr. Domingo meant:
-Just below the knee hemlines
-Fitted, cinched waists
His favorite look for the women was a 2-way tie between the black bracelet sleeve coat with a wide belt Mr. Domingo hand hammered himself and a black neoprene Eartha Kitt catsuit.
What he’ll keep and wear - the handsome black wide wale wool coat with rows of studs on the sleeves because “it was took me so much work and time to do it!” he laughed.
NEXT on Mr. Domingo’s project list are his and her fragrances. He’s already got names in mind and a racy ad campaign mapped-out in his head.
HAIR NOTES: The darkly handsome Manhel Mansour, the lead artist for both hair and makeup, summed-up the look in 2 words: “COUTURE VIXEN”.
When he’s not backstage creating fantastical hair at Mr. Domingo’s show, Manhel’s busy in his job as Creative Director of the renowned Elite Progressive Cosmetology school.
Said Manhel, “ I was inspired by how the young generation of today [our students] are interpreting couture. “
Obviously, Manhel’s students are fans of full-on diva glamour and that’s just what Mr. Domingo’s collection demanded.
THE RUNWAY SHOW- The “VIXEN” Collection
For the men, Mr. Domingo promised “strong, dark and handsome” and he delivered early-on. We loved his Hugh Heffner paisley silk shirt accessorized with a hand-hammered belt.
The men also got to wear some great shoulder bags and shoes Mr. Domingo designed with sponsorship courtesy of Michael Toschi from San Francisco.
He received sponsorship from Michael Antonio of LA to create the sexy skyscraper ankle strap sandals – we couldn’t take our eyes off a killer pair in purple satin with gold hardware.
We found ourselves loving textures and fabrics we don’t normally gravitate to such as burn out velvet, lace and beadwork. Under Mr. Domingo’s able hands though, a black evening coat became A COAT thanks to a stunning purple beaded design on the back. Although his inspiration was the eighties, the collection looked thoroughly contemporary. Bravo to Mr. Domingo for giving traditional fabrics a modern fresh take.
www.josephdomingo.com
www.eliteacademies.com
VERONICA JEANVIE consulted by MR.PACO RABANNE
6:50PM BACKSTAGE, Smashbox Cosmetics’ charismatic Lead Artist, Lori Taylor, held court: deftly giving a TV interview and simultaneously applying very clean and minimal makeup to the model in her chair.
Ms. Taylor named the look for the TV interviewer, dubbing it, “The Classic Smashbox look”.
She continued, “Think Scarlett Johansson who’s put away her red lipstick while she’s on vacation.” It’s also very “Carrie” from Sex & the City. We used to sit around watch it and say, “Carrie is Fabulous!”
WHAT SHE USED/GET THE LOOK:
Smashbox Cosmetics SHEER FOCUS tinted moisturizer, which is oil free and has SPF.
Pair SHEER FOCUS with a glossy cheek and lip and you’re ready to go!
Smashbox products are available on Smashbox and Nordstrom’s websites.
www.smashbox.com
www.Nordstrom.com
@ 8:30PM: THE VERONIKA JEANVIE consulted by Mr. Paco Rabanne SHOW
Ms. Jeanvie’s US debut was by far for us, the highlight of the week.
We already sensed that the show would be a historic event, how could it not be with the master couturier, Paco Rabanne as a mentor? Mr. Rabanne is best remembered for his break-through 1966 show, in which he presented 12 models dancing down the runway wearing plastic and metal dresses. The legendary Mr. Rabanne came out of retirement to mentor the 28 year old designer. Add to that, the fact that Veronika Jeanvie is the first designer from the Ukraine to have a show in the USA.
We’ve always had a soft spot for Mr. Rabanne, our first fashion show was his July 1992 Couture show in a gorgeous “hotel particulier” in Paris. Mr. Rabanne is a master of bringing fantasy and futurism to his designs. His influence was definitely felt here – there were mini satin dresses and lame catsuits paired with chain mail boleros, worn over dresses in gold and silver. There were also some daring cut out dresses that reminded us of swimwear Gideon Oberson. Maybe it’s not a practical choice, but we loved the pale blue mermaid catsuit with a huge ruffled cuff starting at the knee.
Many designers showed a bridal design and a more forward thinking woman would love the lace dress with an asymmetric tulle overlay or the silver sequin bodysuit with a flowing cream cotton lace skirt.
Practically speaking, there were terrific little mini dresses in hot pink, gold lame, and black and our favorite, [a blue sequin mini tank] to choose from that should perform at retail.
For that special evening - where to start? Maybe the purple satin short suit with matching train and diamond bodice or perhaps the blue ombre tiered ball gown with a glitteringf Wonder Woman bodice. The radiant Ms. Jeanvie and her mentor should be proud; this was a wonderful collection.
@9:00PM: THE VERONIKA JEAVNIE AFTER-PARTY AT THE MERCEDES BENZ STAR LOUNGE
We were invited to the after-party in the striking all black lounge decorated with Swarovski crystal chandeliers and indulged in Imperia Vodka cocktails made with Rose’s pomegranate mix. We had chatted earlier with Jenia Kokotioukha, Imperia’s Brand Ambassador and were completely intrigued by this brand’s authentic history and distillation process. Imperia follows the stringent standards set down by the Russian nobility: this vodka is made from winter wheat, glacier water, distilled 8 times and filtered through charcoal. This is the real definition of vodka. It’s great on the rocks as well as paired with Rose’s THE classic for cocktails. The resulting pomegranate martini is smooth and refreshing. Drink up!