LYRA MAG.

230  Grand Street, Brooklyn, NY....(Williamsburg, fyi)  SPRING LAUNCH 2015- WHAT: A packed Havana themed Party-last Thursday night hosted by Kai D. Utility -a made in NY men's apparel and home goods destination that recalls those other great, well curated boutiques packed with items that so directly reflect the owner's tastes---located in other  must go parts of the earth...except this one is a few minutes stroll from the Bedford stop- L train. fabrics are exceptional-vintage dead stock (rare to find), Japanese selvage, organic cottons, aged canvas, timeless chambrays+linen, Italian wool/cashmere for meticulous blazer/trousers/suits, finished with  buttons-hand dyed corozo nuts of the Tagua palms- and trims from local Titan Trading   ---meant to last and wear well. The above pictured Dyson Vest is a fav "...purposeful, lasting goods that reflect our utilitarian beliefs..."   A strong mission statement-so spot-on-the impeccably made...

Media Oasis-West 45 th Street, NYC AMERICAN MENSWEAR –HIP & WEARABLE   Words, Images Judith Ecochard/Lyramag.com Right off the elevator into a stark white presentation space, we got it--- …the first impression of all these lined up mannequins attired in Miguel Antoinne’s Fall 2010 RTW… screamed ‘ guys would actually wear this .’ Nice. And of course a quick glance at the metallic color palette… dark shades on fabrics ranging from matte to shiny, added to that feeling that these are signature, classic pieces of menswear--- with edge. “ I focused on modernity from industrial elements ….and like building and structure are decorated…the human body is the structure,” explained Miguel Antoinne , the young designer who has had a line of his own since 2008. There is the interesting play on long (shirts, exaggerated pockets), and short---as in the above pictured cropped jacket. And “ everything is multi-functional, and can be paired with anything. ...

Text, Vivian G. Kelly Images, Randy Brooke, Courtesy of Academy of Art University ACADEMY OF ART has the distinction of being the ONLY fashion school that shows on the New York Runway. Each season, a handful of students are selected to showcase their designs to the fashion community of retailers and press. Also in the audience are prospective AAU students and their parents. Recently, the excitement level has escalated and the buzz in the air at this show was palpable. The lucky students who got to come to New York and show their collections this year to a packed house that included Saks' Michael Fink and ANTM [America's Next Top Model] host, Nigel Barker in the front row. The varying aesthetics made for a great overall show mix. WHO SHOWED *Jamie Cole [her second time, this time as a solo act] *Elena Akoulova *Eric Tan and Karina Cordiale *Tara Bradley *Anne Jones & Michelle Clarke *Daniel Emir Armosilla *Desiree Daniels *Ali Khan & Sook-Yeong Kwong *Kara Laricks *Johan...

Text, Casi Densmore-Koon Edited by Vivian G. Kelly Images, Casi Densmore-Koon and also courtesy of Peter Tsai Photography
 www.petersaiphotography.com Day One: Sunday October 12th, @6pm "The life of our collection transcends the inner workings of California: echoing the curves of our coast, the fluidity of the ocean, and the internal systems of beings in brilliant harmony with its surroundings." – Designers of Suh-Tahn The designers, SHANNON NATA and DIMITRY TCHARFASD created a collection full of bright white, black, navy and denim that was simple yet a very innovative collection that was at once light and organic. Before the show we were able to catch up with the designers as we sat in on rehearsal. They could hardly sit still as they danced to the runway music and laughed with the models – we could all feel their excitement and the great energy they brought to the room. DESIGNER INTERVIEW Lyra Mag: What is your design philosophy? S-T: Our philosophy is to find balance. L...

Text, Vivian G. Kelly Images, Dan Lecca, Courtesy of Mercedes Benz TIME & PLACE, Saturday night, September 6, 2008, at the big tent at Bryant Park THE THEME: “Redemption” Ashley Olsen also braved the rain to come out and see what was new at Rock & Republic. Like us, maybe she experienced a bit of a letdown and left a bit puzzled about the conservative direction Michael Ball, the Creative Director and CEO is taking Rock in. He started the company on a back of a pair of jeans [now legendary] that he designed for his girlfriend back in 2002. [View the 3 images from the fall 2007 collection in this post we found on www.nymagazine.com and see if YOU can’t see the difference too. HINT: one model is wearing a hat and the other 2 models are wearing sunglasses.] THE SPRING 2009 SHOW: “REDEMPTION” The hair and makeup by EUGENE SOULEIMAN and JEANNE LOBELL respectively were rock and roll all the way. The clothes themselves were subdued and restricted to a black and white palette. SILHOUET...