Fashion Funhouse Emporium

Chris Benz

He calls himself "the prince of color" a play on the "prince of darkness" obviously. Quirky, cool and fun designer Chris Benz doesn't do silly clothes though. Raised in Seattle with an ability to translate what he sees into well-crafted sportswear, Benz has been showing his own original take on women's clothing since he started out on his own. He's only been showing since 2007, but his collections were revealed with critical acclaim. Still not a household name, it doesn't seem to matter to his following who demand something different from their everyday clothes.

Colors: White, black, orange, yellow, green and blue

Materials: Silks, cotton blends, beading.

Loved Looks:

View Full Collection on NyMag

This collection was fun and full of color but as always with Chris Benz, its not to the level of absurdity. Hes one of the few originals in American sportswear showing at New York Fashion Week because its anything but boring. I loved the Alejandro Ingelmo collaboration cute sneakers paired with skirts. For those of us on fashion shoots and are our feet all day (and I'm sure other working fashionable city girls) any promotion of comfortable footwear is welcome. Its hard to pull of a massive mix of graphic prints and bold color, but its done right with the circle black and white pencil skirt and the color pop blouse. A mixed print kimono style dress can go day to evening soiree easily. Baggy pants with a orange stripe shirt and sneakers work for that casual, but stylish girl.

Unloved Looks:

Not "unloved" per say, but I don't know how to feel about the all beaded kelly green jacket and skirt. My first thought or word association was "Astro-turf." If he would've glued a gold ball on it, it may have ended up on Lady Gaga. It still might, actually.

People, Music and Scene:

On the other side of Lincoln Center, in Avery Fischer Hall models lined up in the hallway close to the balcony overlooking the rest of the locale. The DJ in the corner was spinning tunes I recognized as being of that Warholain Factory vibe. Lou Reed's Vicious and Peter Sarstedt's Where do you Go To played while models stood still on crates. I didn't see Chris Benz with his pink hair lurking anywhere, but there were a few recognizable faces. Johnny Wier (who I later saw get bum-rushed by a woman while he was entering the tents --"I love you. You're my favorite skater" she said. TV personality and design pro Nate Berkus, Kelly Osborne, Jordin Sparks all came to lend their support. I caught a few socialites and editors as well. A nice low key presentation besides the celeb-hawkers, most enjoyed the bar on the balcony.

Four out of four Karl Lagerfelds

Parkchoonmoo

With her Spring 2102 collection, Parkmoonchoo chose an abstract art influence of color soaked garments. Demi Park admits to have been deeply inspired by Korea's beauty. The colors used are thus reminiscent of her Korean heritage. With her third season showing at New York Fashion Week, she's sparked interest with her innovative architecturally influenced garments.

Colors: Black, red, blue, white, orange, red

Materials: Chiffon, elastic, silk, and leather.

Loved Looks:

View Full Collection at Elle

While the the inspiration of the show was to seem as if garments were dyed haphazardly in color, there were still Parkchoonmoo's signature black and white looks. The most intriguing pieces though, were the silk dresses with blots of red and cobalt blue. A silk loose draped dress with just a singular blue splash proved that when the designer does minimal, its exceptional. A white suit with a simple silk top of blue and red are easily wearable without too much distraction.

Unloved Looks:

The bandage elastic belts were either intentionally askew...or not.

People, Music and Scene:

The venue was an easy wide open space with plenty of seating and few left standing. With a white curtain and benches, a drum beat made for a serene feeling. Though there weren't many recognizable faces in the crowd, it wasn't your typical fashion show crashers crowd. To head over to this off-site venue, the crowd had to be in the know and were there to check out the collection and not bump elbows with a celebrity.

Rating:

Three and three quarter Karl Lagerfelds

Nicholas K

Jamar, Fashion Funhouse Emporium's fashion week correspondent is often snagged and photographed by street photographers for his unique and edgy style. He headed to the Nicholas K show for me. He gives us his rundown after the Introduction below.

Nicholas and Christopher Kunz founded Nicholas K in 2003. The brother-sister team, unlike other many other newer designers have paid their dues and learned the ropes before stepping out to found their own line. Nicholas (yes,she) worked with Calvin Klein, DKNY, Polo Ralph Lauren, Coach and Nautica. Christopher K oversees the business aspect of the line with his MBA from Eller Graduate School of Management in Marketing and Finance. With stores in America, Canada, Asia, and the Middle East, it seems thier slightly funky wardrobe staples are staying steady.

Colors: Metallic,white, gray, brown, off-white, sand, blue, olive, lavender, violet, and black.

Materials: Suede, tech-metallic blends, cotton, jersey blends, and silk

Loved Looks:

View full collection at NYmag.com

This season the designers sent down what I [Jamar] call post-apocalyptic-gypsy. The details of the collection included head scarves for the girls and desert-walking draped layers for the guys. Shoes completed the looks with platform wedges for the girls and laced oxfords for the guys. The fringe bracelets added to a few outfits will most likely set a trend for the spring/summer season. Nicholas K paired mesh leggings with cotton and silk cotton jersey, suedes, cotton poplin, and tech-metallic woven nylon materials that gave a instant touch of sport that we have seen a lot so far this season. Dresses were bias cut, trench coats are multi-functional, tanks and shorts are staples for each look, light weight scarves are draped around the neck three to four times giving into the effortless cool look.

Unloved Looks:

If we have to put something here, and be over critical, some looks were similar to the aesthetic of All Saints Spitafields. Then again, this can be said about any designer who stays with the rock-chic basics.

People Music and Scene:

An early day starting at 9AM on day 1 at Lincoln Center, through no fault of the designer or the promoters, these are hard shows to fill. As Amber is afriad of daylight, I got dibs on this show. You can bet many die-hard fashion fans who stood in line were able to grab some of those empty seats. That doesn't mean they didn't do thier best to get some name drops in the door. Actor and Musician Eric West, no relation to Kanye sat front row. Of course, self-made celebrity and public relations diva Kelly Curtone wouldn't miss a show her firm puts on.

Rating:

Three out of four Karl Lagerfelds.

Yigal Azrouel

Yigal Azrouel was self taught. Can you believe it? This CFDA inductee has been around since 2000. With his growing success, he opened his own boutique in the former Meat-packing district of New York. Since, hes expanded to a bridge label called Cut25, shoes, menswear and more. Not only is he easy to look at, but his designs are as well. And it seems he's not just a designer or a pretty face. Hes actively involved in several charitable organizations including: Aids, juvenile diabetes, and ovarian cancer organizations among many others.

Colors: Black, white, orange, cobalt blue, green, yellow

Materials: Leather, silk, crepe de chine, chiffon

View full collection on Style.com

Loved Looks:

Yigal Azrouel manages to blend masculine and feminine in such a way that its not completely obvious. This is his customer, the busy woman who wants to look chic, but doesn't want to put all of her time and energy into making an impression. She just does. The leather orange wide leg pants were stunning. An easy sell to the mass market? Probably not. Though the woman who buys Yigal's clothing gets it. From easy tank tops with a unique cut, to basic blazers with a small twist, make for easy layering and versatility. His gowns are so simple but elegant just as well. They are smart in the way that a girl can add what she wants to suit her own style.

Unloved Looks:

Yellow and black prints were for someone, but maybe not Yigal's core fans.

People, Scene and Music:

Kate Lanphear was front row again. Is she following us or are we following her? Along with Zanna Roberts Rassi of Marie Claire wearing her signature stripes and leather, plenty of editors packed the show including Cindi Leive of Glamour, Michael Carl of Allure, Fabien Baron and Dani Stahl. The big time buyers showed up including Roopal Patel of Bergdorf Goodman and Ken Downing of Nieman Marcus. Quite frankly these are the people you want at your shows for real fashion cred, not b-list reality stars. The standard runway techno (music by Sebastian Perrin) played in the spacious off-site venue where most people were able to grab a seat and see the fashion with a clear view.

Rating:

Three out of four Karl Lagerfelds.