Fashion Funhouse Emporium

GARY GRAHAM

I thought it was only fitting to bring back blogging buddy Jamar Graham this season to cover Gary Graham.

My first show of the Fall/Winter 2011/12 Season consisted of what I thought to be 70’s and 80’s references from designer Gary Graham at his Tribeca boutique.  What I took away from his new collection consisted of a collage of motifs from Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin’s eclectic styles. The hair was volumed Joan Jett styled wigs paired with paisley print bandannas. With the addition of safety pin necklaces, converse sneakers, few graphic tee’s and striped cotton socks, I was sure I was right.

I was wrong though, Gary Graham took inspiration from Joseph Campbell's Hero with a Thousand Faces. Graham told the story of three phases: departure, initiation, and return.

Looks included carrot leg pants, draped over-sized cardigans, abstract digital printed leggings and dresses, smart suiting jackets, and beautiful silk dresses and blouses.

An interesting mix of motifs and references made for a upbeat stylish collection from one of New York’s creative designer collections.

Colors

Charcoal, beige, black, digital prints in yellow, red, and orange, maroon, and Ivory

Materials

Silk, embroidered wools, cotton, lycra, felt, shearling, twill.

Loved Looks

My favorite look was hands down an amazing draped Ivory floor length wool coat with dart detailing at the hem.

Unloved look

Embroidered wool gauze jacket, black t-shirt, and border batik silk dress.

People, Scene and Music

Abandoned seaside dock with slanted door opening?

Note from Editor: I've never read Joseph Campbell's A Hero With a Thousand Faces. I'm going to go with my first assumption and say Jamar hasn't either. But, Fashion Funhouse Emporium is an educational blog, as you can tell from its name. From what my research tells me, Campbell's hero theory is based on monomyth. Though this is not Campbell's word for word explanation, the idea is that a normal dude has the chance to be a hero. If he so chooses, he ventures into a supernatural world where he faces trials and tribulations. He learns stuff, then he comes back to the normal world kickin' some knowledge.

Jamar gives the Gary Graham Presentation at Karl head rating of:

What the hell does this mean? View the Fashion Funhouse Emporium Karl-head Rating System.

MIMI PLANGE

Born in Ghanaian, Mimi Plange started her line in 2007 with a design mission to make clothes that marry sportswear with haute culture.  For the Fall 2011 season, "The Scarred Perfection" collection was inspired by the ancient practice of African Tribal Scarification.

Colors: Bright Orange, neutral tones, black

Materials: Satin, Leather, Mohair, Wool, Cotton and Silk

Looks Loved:

With linear patterns, pleating and embellishments, she translated body scarring tribal identification-which seems taboo to some into beautiful clothing that is not at all alienating.

The mohair-wool blend cape with leather embellishments was beyond chic, and I wanted to grab it and run, especially since it was only 18 degrees out. The model was adorable too, posing for me and my tiny point and shoot camera amongst gargantuan pro photo gear.

Looks Unloved:

Nothing in this presentation stood out to me giving me that "Gah!" reaction. The only comment I could make is that I spent time studying the dresses and separates that I did love. If nothing out of place jumped out, then the pieces were cohesive. One dress may have been less interesting than the other intricately, well tailored looks that I did love. It's hard to tell that Mimi Plange has been working on her line for only four years.

People, Scene and Music:

Relatively quiet and like the clothing, the mood was elegant. People consisted of mostly professional photographers dressed in black. In the back of the venue, a few clusters of people took advantage of some complimentary drinks. Though, no one seemed to be at the point of uncontrollable voice projection.

There were strange bubbling bowls of water, which I assume may have been dry ice for that beauties in the mist feel. If it was in fact for a steamy ambiance, I missed that part by the time I reached the venue. Models were stationary, I kind of wished they would have rotated at least once while I was there, but again, they may have. No one was waiting for this bloggers grand appearance.

Music was provided by DJ Puppa Sacha, with nothing Shazam identifiable.

Read Essense Magazine's Q & A with Mimi Plange

Read More about Mimi Plange's Fall 2011 inspiration at DirtyDurty

Photo: Duckie Brown

If you don't work in the fashion industry and have always wanted to see what all the Fashion Week hype is about, Florshiem by Duckie Brown is giving  you a last minute chance to attend the show this Thursday, February 10, starting at 1PM at Lincoln Center.

How do I aquire this fashion show ticket you ask?

This season, Daniel Silver and Steven Cox designers of Duckie Brown are reinventing the classic Florsheim Ludgate shoe, an iconic style from the Florsheim archives.

Head over to Florsheim by Duckie Brown's Facebook page and post your choice of the classic Florsheim shoe you want to see Duckie Brown to interpret:

Florshiem by Duckie Brown Facebook Page

Here's how to win:
1. Post an image on the Florsheim by Duckie Brown Facebook wall of a classic Florsheim shoe that you would like to see Daniel and Steven reinterpret.(Check out Florsheim's website to see some photos,or hit up Google!)

2. Click "Like" to vote for the image that you like the best.

3. Invite your friends to become fans and vote for your image.

4. The image that gets the most "Likes" wins! The person who posted that image will win a ticket to the Duckie Brown Fall 2011 runway show, which will feature Florsheim by Duckie Brown shoes on the runway.

Facebook users now have until tomorrow at 12PM on Wednesday, January 9th to post Florsheim Shoe images and your pals cab vote until 5PM.

The winner will be announced shortly after on the Florsheim by Duckie Brown Facebook page.

So if you want to crash the Duckie Brown Runway show, hurry! PS, there are cute boys, if you need more incentive. Unfortunately for some of my readers, you need to be in NYC to accept the ticket. You dont have to live here, but if youre in town, then check it out. This lowly blogger cannot afford an all expense paid trip to NYC. This isn't the Price is Right, people.