Fashion Funhouse Emporium

New York Fashion Week: Fall 2010

Designer: Geren Ford

Geren Ford showed at the Crosby Hotel in Soho. The line is founded by Geren Lockhart, a former advertising executive turned contemporary designer.  Her signature is easy, day to evening bohemian inspired garments.

Like last season, the Geren Ford show started late.  Unlike last season, this was a presentation rather than a catwalk style runway.  While lingering in the lobby, I spotted a couple who looked familiar. I couldn't place them.  Was this guy a model?  This girl--did I work with her somewhere?

When the eager show-goers were let in 30 minutes later, a hoard of photographers jumped in front of the models on pedastools and started snapping.  Since there was no run of show, I was unsure of her inspiration. A boisterous fashion guy said it was (inaudible) meets Lauren Becall.

Colors:

Greens, Greys and Browns

Loved Looks:

The make up was flawless, done by Bumble and Bumble (again over heard in the crowd).  As for this season's collection, I was much more impressed than what I saw from Ford in the spring.  Tailored cadet jackets paired with silk splattered skirts and vintage inspired shoes.  There was also an element of sporty as with the track and field stripe cropped pant  and silk long sleeve shirt.  I loved the army green as an alternative to the fail-safe black.

Unloved Looks

While I appreciated Geren Ford's slight stray from breezy dresses, some of the looks just weren't flattering.  When 6ft tall 115lb models look bulky, its hard to imagine what these pieces will look like on us non-model bodies. I wanted to love this ruffle military jacket, but the shape adds too much to areas where most of us don't need the addition. As for the long coat and dress look, its not structured enough to pull off an avant garde cut, and ends up looking frumpy. The green halter reminded me of old school Proenza Schouler styles that ended up on every girl working in the fashion industry thanks to the designer's collaboration with Target.  We need to shelf that style for a while.

Music

Elevator music? I could be wrong though.  It was loud in there with the hum of the crowd and over-anxious photographers shouting, "Turn a bit! That's it! Okay gooooood."  I liked the Be Good Tanyas rendition of "When Doves Cry" from last season's show.

People and Scene

By the end of the presentation I figured out where I "knew" that guy and girl I was gawking at in the lobby. They were Project Runway Season 6 designers Logan and Carol Hannah.

The Crosby Hotel was gorgeous.  I wanted to take pictures of every piece of furniture and all of the wall paper in the place.  Hey, who knows when a girl like me will ever be in there again.

To Gift or Not to Gift.

There was no gifting go on. That's the norm as of the last couple of seasons. However, I would've liked a run of show with the designer inspiration instead of eavesdropping on the haute hounds.*

*haute hounds: a group of people who attend fashion shows with no particular professional purpose except to look fabulous, dress in awesome clothes and talk loudly in hopes that others hear thier conversations.

New York Fashion Week: Fall 2010

Designer : Eryn Brinie

The 2010 Autumn Winter Presentation was held at the New York flagship store on Broadway in Soho. The designer's looks were inspired by "the different facets of Eryn's journey from Paris to New York"

Loved Looks

What's great about Eryn Brinie is that she brings taste and style to a price point of clothing that can skew too young  or even look, dare I say it ...cheap.  It's sophisticated, scaled back, yet the subtle details on classic pieces take it step further.

The fabrics of these looks were not top notch, but definitely not skimpy in quality. The details like the sleeve of the black jacket and the pleats and cut of  the violet dress give it a little extra chic.  Great for low paid fashion assistants who don't want to pile on rayon-nylon concoctions from fast-fashion retailers! Eryn Brinie is a breath of  fresh air in the affordable clothing category.

Unloved Looks

When I first walked in, I saw the model wearing a hunting jacket, white tunic blouse, and skinny twill pants. My first thought was is Eryn Brinie doing maternity too?  That's not sarcastic. I really had to take a second look.  Maybe it was the way the shirt was styled with the vest and jacket which made the shirt pucker, but it didn't work for me.

Music

There was a DJ playing thump and bump house music that I, nor my Shazam iPhone app couldn't identify.

People and Scene

I don't know if it was the mush outside on the sidewalks of New York, or that I just made the tail end of the presentation after getting stuck on the L train, but the long, slim store wasn't  filled to the brim.  People were leaning against the walls, chatting. There were a couple of photographers. A waiter was holding a tray of cider or wine with three tiny crab apples on it. When I tried to take his picture, he moved.

To Gift or Not to Gift

Since I started attending New York Fashion Week in 2006, the gift bags have been scaled back or even become non-existent. I don't mind. Getting free stuff is not why I go to shows. I show my reclusive face at fashion week so I can do my job well as a stylist assistant, further my career and now, bring all of you funhouse readers reports!

But, Eryn Brinie did have a little something for us.  It was a strange three piece gift of  Smashbox blue eyeliner and make- up brush. Enter a box of  Vita Coco Water.

And, you know Fashion Funhouse Emporium is not a site that glosses right over things like Vita Coco Water donating their product so I would mention it here twice.  So lemme taste this and give you the verdict....hold on....bottle says "prevents cramping" ....uh, tastes like juice from cans of fruit cocktail if there were no high fructose corn syrup added. So there you go.

Crosby Street from Starbucks Window after the Eryn Brinie Show

Though New York Fashion Week Fall 2010 doesn't officially begin until tomorrow, Thursday, February 11th, some smaller designers held presentations in various locations.

As a credentialed member of the media--no really, I made my way to the Bryant Park tents to pick up my press pass.

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Tents decided to switch up the location of the press office this year.  Since I went to the back of the tents and found it wasn't there, a burly worker who was still constructing the stages inside told me where to go.  He groaned something about having 20 more hours of work to go.

The ground outside was soup...total slush, probably dog and human pee and who knows what mixed in melted snow.  That's the part of fashion you don't see. Me and my heels, wading through unidentified liquid to get my cred.

I  went into the office, I gave the staff member my ID. She cheerfully said "Fashion Funhouse Emporium?" I laughed. I never thought that my little side project that spawned during a lull in employment (and a name which I came up with to amuse myself ) would turn into an legit site.

Streets of Soho after the Geren Ford Presentation

I hope you have as much fun reading my coverage as I am sure I will have writing it.

Today kicks off fashion week and there is about 5 inches of snow on the ground. I admit it, I have no sensible shoes. I hope I wont be giving you my reports from the emergency room.

I will not be attending as many shows as I would like since I am actually working this week as well, but I will do my best to give my followers entertaing write-ups of all that goes on!  Stay tuned!

This is my niece looking pretty and fashionable in pink!!