I’m a sucker for fast fashion, especially designer collaboration fast fashion (Lanvin for H&M anyone?). There’s something poetic to me about mixing a ’90s Dries van Noten jacket with Isabel Toledo for Payless platforms and my mother’s chunky gold jewelry from the ’70s. So I’ve got a giant red circle on my desk calendar around March 13, the day Target releases its GO International Designer Collective. It’s a retrospective of sorts, a re-release of 34 of the best dresses from 17 past GO International collaborations, in honor of the five year anniversary of Target’s GO International program. The limited-edition collective features dresses from Asian American designers Thakoon and Richard Chai, as well as Luella Bartley, Behnaz Sarafpour, Proenza Schouler, Alice Temperley, Erin Fetherston, Jonathan Saunders, Rodarte, and Zac Posen, among others.
If you missed out the first time, now’s your chance. The funny thing is these dresses are so on trend for spring — yet another testament to the cyclical nature of fashion. Thakoon’s tie-dye print dress and Rodarte’s lace prints are spot on for spring. I’ll be wearing mine with Jonathan Saunders’ neoprene yellow belt from his collaboration with Target a few years back and my floral fedora Eugenia Kim designed for the retailer.
Thakoon for Target printed tie-waist dress.
More styles after the jump.
Happy Chinese New Year! The Chinese zodiac marks 2011 as the Year of the Rabbit, and so we hop from the tiger’s year to yet another four-legged creature’s year. The rabbit symbolizes tranquility and fashionability among other characteristics, so on the subject of good taste in clothing, I’ve hunted down some interesting artists in time for Wabbit Season!
Sung's series for "Wearable Foods" captures her imagination such as this dress precisely made out of tomatoes.
Yeonju Sung is an artist from Korea who has a knack for creating clothes out of knickknacks. She says that the edible items used in her “Wearable Foods” series merely borrow the form of clothes. Forget Jeremy Scott’s meat dress for Lady Gaga because Sung has come to town. Now through February 19, Sung’s designs will be on exhibit at the “Ahn-Nyung | Hello” Korean Contemporary Art Exhibition at Lebasse Projects in Culver City, Calif. Check out her delicate dresses made out of chewy treats such as bubble gum and shrimp for yourself.
The Emmanuelle spring 2011 collection has 12 different looks showcasing items ranging from layered tanks to reversible trench coats.
Emmanuelle by Thomas Chen is yet another blossoming bud among the densely fashionista-populated NYC. With a spring 2011 debut collection after experience under labels such as Thakoon, Chen introduces the bold and the beautiful through classic diversity, which entails ’70s inspiration from trousers to prairie dresses.
Guo Pei showcased her haute couture designs at The Hong Kong Fashion Extravaganza 2010.
Guo Pei is a veteran Chinese fashion designer who designed the lavish costumes for the Beijing 2008 Olympics, but her claim to American fame was with the fame monster Lady Gaga herself. Pei doesn’t seem to hold back on using luxurious resources such as Swarovski crystals, but she also doesn’t hold back her disinterest in dressing Lady Gaga. She’s like a fusion of Hussein Chalayan’s structural concepts and the late Alexander McQueen’s extravagance, but whatever she’s up to for the year will surely amaze.
With the year winding down, Audrey Magazine has narrowed down some greats of 2010.
It’s been a big year in fashion. Not only did the supremacy of Asians and Asian Americans in fashion get the official CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund stamp of approval (Richard Chai, Alexander Wang and Jason Wu all won this year; Prabal Gurung was a runner up for the Fashion Fund), but Wu, Gurung, Thai American designer Thakoon, and Indian designer Naeem Khan were all First Lady picks for important events.
Jason Wu, Richard Chai, and Alexander Wang, winners of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund 2010. Photo courtesy of The New York Times.
MIchelle Obama in Thakoon at the White House, May 2010.
Relative newcomer Joseph Altuzarra may have been beat by Jason Wu for the Swarovski Award for Womenswear, but the French designer (his mother is Asian American, his father is French) is getting major buzz, especially with his recent appearance in Vogue‘s November issue. (Hello cutie!)
Joseph Altuzarra and model Joan Small in Vogue's November 2010 issue.
As for the women, Anna Sui had a big anniversary (the big 3-0), releasing her first ever retrospective coffee table book. Vera Wang celebrated her 20th anniversary with the release of a special fragrance, Vera Wang Anniversary. Designer milliner Eugenia Kim hit the big time with her hat collection collaboration with Target. And Chinese-Brit Alexa Chung became fashion’s It girl, launching her own collection for Madewell and single-handedly bringing prep back into the fashion lexicon.
Anna Sui, the retrospective book.
Internationally, Jakarta Fashion Week joined the slew of Asian cities showing off their sartorial talent, including Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo, Bangkok, New Delhi, Mumbai and Shanghai. Korean designers are particularly catching the industry’s attention, with Concept Korea showing at New York Fashion Week for Spring 2011, and Korean designer Lee Jean Youn winning international label Mango’s second annual Fashion Awards.
A look from Jakarta Fashion Week, courtesy of Image.net.
Designer Lee Jean Youn and his winning collection for Mango in Barcelona.
And it doesn’t look like the Asian fashion invasion is gonna slow down any time soon. A whole slew of Asian and Asian American designers are being tapped for collaborations and to head major fashion houses, including:
* Filipino American handbag and shoe designer Rafe Totengco, known for his line Rafe New York, has been appointed creative director of handbags at Jones Apparel Group, Inc., a mega-company whose brands include Nine West, Stuart Weitzman, Anne Klein, Jones New York, among others. (He just received the Presidential Award from Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III last week.)
Rafe Totengco, far right, receiving the Presidential Award from His Excellency, President Benigno S. Aquino III. (PRNewsFoto/The Jones Group Inc.)
Ming Xi models some Peter Som prints in his spring 2011 show.
* Luxury linens company SFERRA is collaborating with Peter Som to create a luxury home collection. Inspired by his signature prints from his runway collections, Som’s collection will encompass everything from bedding to tabletop. The collection will debut in January.
* Richard Chai has been tapped to create an exclusive, limited-edition menswear collection for Original Penguin, to debut in February. The full Richard Chai for Original Penguin line will debut for fall 2011.
* Target’s Go International Designer Collective, which will launch March 13, features designs by Richard Chai and Thakoon, among other past Target collaborators.
The fashion forecast for Asian representation in 2011? So on trend.
In the past half dozen years, the statement bag’s been replaced by the statement shoe. Then came the statement necklace, with a brief hiatus into super stacked bangles. Now it’s all about the statement ring. And it’s not just oversized cocktail baubles. Either pile on the finger candy, or look for extra special ones spanning the knuckles or a couple fingers.
Thai American designer Thakoon Panichgul teamed up with Japanese fine jeweler Tasaki for some fabulous statement rings I’m lusting after.
Thakoon for Tasaki pearl rings.
Of course, I’ll have to fly to Tokyo to get them (and win the lottery while I’m at it), but I can lust nonetheless. The Thakoon for Tasaki rings will be available in April at Tasaki’s Ginza store, and prices start at $5,500.
Tous ring.
Another gorgeous statement ring is by European brand Tous.
Tous "Dinah" pink quartz ring, $719.
Fabulously architectural, so minimal and yet so glam. Get both here.
Emma Pei in Luca Luca.
It’s a new season and I, for one, can’t wait to try out spring’s pretty, colorful looks. Inspired by all the sorbet colors on the runway, I’m gonna go for a more naturally pretty, naturally undone look.
M*A*C's Too Fabulous Mineralize Blush in Two Virtues, right.
But that doesn’t mean I’m going to put away my makeup kit. From flushed cheeks, yummy nails, bold brows and fluttery lashes, spring’s makeup arsenal has plenty of styles to experiment with.
And keep reading for a special beauty giveaway by LashFood — their newest conditioning liquid eyeliner gives you a precise line while encouraging the health and growth of your natural lashes! Five lucky readers get to try one for free!
