Louis Welcomes Designer Roland Mouret

Roland Mouret

Louis, the grande dame of New England luxury retail, welcomed internationally acclaimed designer Roland Mouret to the new spacious Louis location to meet with customers and discuss his latest line. The event offered a rare opportunity to meet the talented French born London resident in the United States. Louis was the first stop for Mouret on a four-city whirlwind tour which was followed by appearances the next day at Bergdorf Goodman's in New York and additional stops in Chicago and Miami. Mouret shows his Spring and Fall RTW during Paris Fashion Week so this was my first opportunity to both meet the designer as well as see his collection on display.

Roland Mouret

Louis was abuzz during the event with cheerful customers energetically taking advantage of the rare opportunity to gain invaluable and gracious input from the designer himself as they tried his latest line. Roland Mouret himself was clearly in his element dealing directly with Louis' clientele and his joyful enthusiasm was contagious. A radiant smile throughout the event and an eagerness to assist clients made for a great environment.

Roland Mouret's designs are known for celebrating the feminine form, excellent drape, minimalism and wearability. He says the perfect dress would be made with one piece of fabric and comes close in many designs. In his first runway show 10 years ago, he pinned all the pieces and without a stitch the show was a tremendous success to viewer and critic alike. I asked Mouret about the challenges of seasonal changes the fashion industry demands with his minimalist style. "It would be easy for me to design pieces which are very avant garde, but none of them would be wearable", Mouret said. This is a striking response. Perhaps it is easier for designers to showcase wildly costume-style designs for the runway at the cost of wearability. The real talent is creating "wow" pieces that can be worn straight off the runway. 

Michael Cress and designer Roland Mouret

Mouret has maintained the minimalism of construction and most pieces in his current line have only one or two seams and some well placed darting. What results are elegant, figure flattering pieces with none of the unnecessary frivolousness. As the models and clients tried on Mouret's different garments, it was striking how timeless the looks were. A classic has relevance in the past, present and future.  Mouret's designs are instant classics.        

Roland Mouret

Roland Mouret

Roland Mouret

http://www.rolandmouret.com/

http://www.louisboston.com/

Michael Cress ~ New York Sartorialist

Belle Parish Runway Show

Denise Richards escorts a young model

When Fashion Week rolls around, the focus is on the latest looks for woman's ready-to-wear. It would be easy for a line of children's clothing to take a backseat to the adult's and become an after-thought. Belle Parish overcame the hectic noise of Fashion Week and become a memorable, fun show that had a little for everyone at the Elle Style360 series.

I know from having my own daughter that finding stylish, unique, age-appropriate classic clothing can be difficult. Ali Landry, former Miss USA, model and actress discovered this same problem after having her own daughter. Along with like-minded friend and partner, Annie Kate Pons, the two Southerners set out to start the Belle Parish line.

Ali Landry

So just how do you go about having a runway show when the models are from infants to five or six years old? Their solution was to recruit other mothers (and one father) to escort the little girls up and down the runway. Notable escorts included Ali Landry herself, Denise Richards and Alex McCord. Kids being kids, there were fun moments as the models strayed a bit from the usual catwalk routine; an occasional stop along the way, a little coercion, kisses blown to Mom and even a young sleeping model couldn't stop the show from being an enjoyable success. 

The Southern-inspired outfits were lovely, practical and well above what parent's would find in the typical homogenized big-box stores. The Belle Parish website can be found at www.belleparish.com

Alex McCord

Ali and Annie have done such a wonderful job with the Belle Parish line for little ladies, perhaps they will become inspired to fill the even deeper sartorial void that exists for little boys. We can only hope.

These two stole the show as they sashayed down the runway to the soundtrack from Annie. 

To see the slideshow of the entire line plus a few bonus images, visit my Belle Parish Gallery

Eliz Lind

New York can be a bit of an odd place. Combine the large number of people, the vast amounts of wealth and the media- you'll find that people can react very strangely. Not a profound statement, people act strangely everywhere. But this is New York and if it's going to be done here-  it's going to be big.

The rarified air of New York's "High Society" can make otherwise seemingly reasonable and rational people go to extreme measures to be part of this elite group. Social climbing is not a new phenomenon but with the media and social media as it is and websites dedicated to following the gentility through a host of photographers and gossip journalists, both transparency is at it's highest as well as the desires of some to get into the club. A humorous aside; there's actually a website that ranks individual's notoriety based on an algorithm that includes how many events they attend and are photographed at, as well as the number of mentions in certain media such as the "Page 6" gossip column. How much attention is paid to the rankings by the corps d'elite is uncertain. I would need to review Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs but it's safe to say that concern over where one falls in the societal popularity contest is trivial to the masses.

It's refreshing to run across someone that's welcomed as societal royalty but truly seems to be apathetic about it all. So many are striving to be "in", there must be gnashing of teeth at the thought of one's nonchalance. Eliz Lind doesn't show signs of disdain over this cultural hierarchy, she simply seems indifferent . In many ways she's the girl-next-door; down to earth, unassuming, friendly and just assume learn more about you than talk about herself.

Beautiful classical features with high cheekbones and a delightful Lauren Hutton smile, she turns heads wherever she goes. Humorously, she thinks they think she's someone else. Someone in Europe once either confused her with or told her she has a striking resemblance to a notable European beauty. Since then, she assumes gawkers must be making the same mistake. This is perhaps one of the greatest illustrations of how down to earth Eliz is.

A Manhattan native, Eliz has long been considered one of the "It" girls of both the New York and Palm Beach social scenes. So much so that Vogue and other publications have listed her as one of the top eligible bachelorettes. The Vogue spread then led to modeling for Burberry as well as other advertising campaigns. Is there little wonder why people recognize her?

Unfazed by it all, Eliz works in Real Estate in Palm Beach (where her family now resides full-time) and writes for Q magazine- work she throughly enjoys.  Previously described as "Bohemian meets the Upper East Side", the dichotomy is evident. Her personal style is unique and honest. Elegant but unpretentious. There is a sense of being caught between two worlds and the bohemian artist is trying to escape and find refuge- unsure of the unchartered territory.  Shuttling between New York and Palm Beach, the Elizabeth Lind story is continuing to unfold but will undoubtedly be as interesting as the earliest chapters. I look forward to the rest of the story.

  {Click to enlarge}

                                                                                               

Martina Mori

Who needs to go to Florence when Florence comes to us?

In this day and age of social networking, we're able to make "friends" all over the world. As the destination city it is, New York offers the opportunity to meet "virtual" friends in the flesh.

Martina Mori and I have been cyber-friends for awhile. In planning her trip she gave me a heads up she was coming from her home in Florence, Italy to NYC and were able to grab coffee (and a few pictures).

Lovely, charming and working on her English (excellent progress- far better than my Italian), Martina is making the most of her visit by hitting all the usual spots. She did run into the unfortunate practice of many of our museums being closed on Monday's when she made her way up to the Met but found locked doors. 

A painter/artisan, Martina is one of the legions of people who make Italy and Italian craftsmanship among the best in the world. Unfortunate that the rest of the world has become so cookie-cutter and one-size fits-all; filled with the Gap's and Target's of the world. At least we have Italy!

Martina looks lovely here with her simple summer dress with vibrant colors and her Louis Vuitton bag. A nice ensemble for a hot New York summer day while making the rounds and a lot of walking.

In another note. Hope you didn't think my brief hiatus meant I was going away! Oh no. Working on several editorial photoshoot spreads and slowly making progress on the New York Fashion Online and New York Fashion House websites. I'm really excited about the two niches in the market that these will fill and I think you'll enjoy them. I can do a lot of things but code and HTML isn't one of them! I'll keep you updated on the progress.

Designer Spotlight: Loris Diran

What is the "American" vision in design?

That's a question Loris Diran wondered aloud with no definitive answer. For well over a century we've been heavily influenced by European design but 7th Avenue and the American press eschews designs that are too European.

Loris should know. A French-Armenian son of immigrants who moved to New York at an early age. He took his design skills he learned from instinct, his impressions of great designers of his childhood and a degree in Fine Arts from NYU and went abroad to work for major fashion houses such as Versace and Chanel. 

His perspective of both European culture and design are equally balanced with that of the U.S and his designs reflect that dichotomy. 

Continuing to wonder aloud, Loris said, "perhaps its because all American's come from immigrant families... this true melting pot, that there's no real answer".

Indeed, as he walked me through both his men's and woman's lines I was struck with how I couldn't put my finger on any one particular influence. Depending on the piece, I could see some French, Italian and Savile Row influences, but not purely enough to label any given one. A highly sophisticated and refined melting pot of design that flawlessly works.

Loris Diran designs reflect his perfectionism down to the last stitch of detail. It's obvious how impeccable the craftsmanship is. Both the woman's and men's lines have a wide variety of luxurious materials with wonderful silhouettes and drape. 

The men's line stretches from more avant garde and fashion forward to classic. Even the the more classic designs have small touches to set them apart from any other. Loris repeatedly says, "the beauty is in the detail". How true he proves this to be. The cuts, stitching and linings made every piece stand out to illustrate his uniqueness in design. I dare say I could now pick out a Loris Diran design from a mile away, purely on detail. 

Surprisingly, his sizable men's clientele is generally younger than his female clientele. For woman, he's very body conscious in his designs and I found the looks to be generally less avant garde but no less distinctive than the men's. Little wonder woman of all ages flock to his designs.

Loris Diran started his first woman's line in 2003 and his men's in 2005. Two years ago he opened his first of what he hopes will be a number of boutiques on 3 East First Street in the East Village.    

His visibility and notoriety continue to rise as time goes by. Well known customers such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Beyonce and Ricky Martin have increased his visibility as well as his designs featured in "The Devil Wears Prada". For many, Loris Diran's familiarity comes from frequent appearances in Bravo's "The Real Housewives of New York" this past season (many of whom are clients and good friends). Who knows? Maybe he'll have his own show before long.

Personally I've been fortunate to see Loris frequently at a variety of events. From the first time I met him I was struck with how impeccably dressed he was, down to the last detail. His perfectionism is not limited to his designs, he clearly strives for it in everything he does. A prince of a gentleman, pleasant, warm and approachable, he's always been an absolute pleasure to spend time with. Perhaps Loris Diran is that epitome of American vision. It couldn't come from a nicer, more deserving gentleman.

Loris Diran

3 East First Street

www.lorisdiran.com

Jasmine Pagán ~ Dating & Relationship Coach

We all know people who are constantly attracted to the wrong people. Most of us have had periods in our lives that whatever we're putting out there is not getting the results we want for dating or relationships. Friends. There always seems to be at least one friend that we feel confident enough in to vent our relationship (or lack of) frustrations to. More often than not, that friend is on our side. He's a jerk, she's crazy- yes, yes, yes.

There's an old saying, "people who say they're your friend tell you what you want to hear. True friends tell you what you need to hear". It's hard for most all of us to listen to someone who's struggling and in emotional turmoil and not be supportive and comforting. On the other hand, to truly be supportive you may need to tell them what they are doing wrong. What they need is someone objective.

This is where Jasmine Pagán steps in. About ten years ago, Jasmine discovered she had the Midas touch for friends with relationships problems and for those having a hard time finding the right type of person to date. A combination of tough love and nurturing comfort- a deft balancing act. With people beginning to approach her because of her outstanding reputation, five years ago she turned it into a business- Dating & Beyond. I recently asked her, "how do you find your clients?" to which she said "they find me, word gets around".

Jasmine starts with the "inner game". What are you putting out there to people? What are you really saying? You say you want a nice guy or girl but only get excited about bad-boys and girls; nice ones are a bore. Perhaps you're only attracted to rescue-missions who need saving. The list of potential problems preventing people from finding that ideal person is long and varied. She starts with "who is your ideal mate?". Inevitably, people have self-inflicted obstacles preventing them from being ready for the right relationship. In short, Jasmine is an MBA is self-awareness. She shows people where they're psychologically at as well as where they need to be to find the person of their dreams. I honestly can't do justice for everything Jasmine brings to the table and her extraordinary value. I can think of a number of friends who I really wish would talk to her.

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

Great sense of humor, highly intuitive and a bright spirit- we had tremendous fun in our photoshoot. If hunger pains didn't set in, we probably would have kept shooting into the dark. As soon as we met up, I said "Oh my god- I love that dress!". I asked where she got it- she made it. The night before. Two large scarves stitched together to create the most beautiful piece and silhouette. She has a second career if she wants it. Once again we found that style has a story! 

I have never had nor seen anyone create so much much awe and attention- from men and woman alike. Comments, people stopping to take pictures with their camera-phones and general gawking. At one point I looked up across the street and there were groups of people looking out office windows on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors. I told her she really needs to be modeling. "I like hamburgers too much". I think she and her hamburgers work well for the camera... and obviously in person. 

With so many great images, it would be a personal injustice to only publish one or two; here are a few more for everyone's enjoyment. Also, be sure to check out www.datingandbeyond.com for that friend who keeps repeating the same dating and relationship mistakes.

Skinny-Ties: Style or Fashion? A Case Study

Picture Source: Brooks Brothers


A recurring question I receive is the question of tie widths, these days mostly about skinny ties; are they a fad or stylish?

To answer, it comes down to proportions. Like most clothing items, the choice of proper tie width must take other things into consideration.

The fashion industry enjoys cycling proportions. They must feel it will increase sales if they can make people feel their wardrobe is obsolete because its not in style with fashion's latest push. Pant widths, skirt or dress hemlines, ties, jacket lengths and virtually any item that can be proportionally resized will be during the endless fashion cycles.

Classic style is timeless. There are ranges of acceptable proportions and styles that will remain classic in spite of fashion cycles: they'll always look good. It's up to us to hold true to our own style and tune out the whimsical nature of high-fashion and their advertising machines. If we understand which styles and proportions have withstood the test of time and buy accordingly, we have a wardrobe that transcends the latest "fashion".

Tie widths are a perfect example. First, the choice of width is not a decision made in a vacuum. To be proportionally correct, the width of the tie should match that of the jacket lapel. Wider lapels- wider ties, thin lapels- thin ties. Historically the acceptable range of widths for both is between 3 3/8" and 4 1/4". If one was to have all his jackets and ties fall within this range, the wardrobe would be immunized from the whims of fashion cycles. They won't look too wide nor will they look too narrow.

If one was to buy a new wardrobe or more realistically, begin slowly replenishing it- where within this range should they fall? Think proportion. A larger man with wide shoulders and chest would be better proportioned at the wider end. Blazers, sportscoats and suits being the larger ticket items; thus less easily replaceable, it's imperative to purchase the best proportioned jacket for their body type with the lapel falling within the classic range. The tie width follows accordingly.

Think of fashion as a pendulum moving from one extreme to another over time, back and forth. There are times when fast-fashion is pushing 2 1/2 inch ties (and jacket lapels) and others when they swing out to 5 inches. A fashion victim would feel the need to always be on the cutting edge and follow suit. True style understands the difference between classic style and the fashion industry's moodiness. Stay within the historical classic range and you're always in-style. It's hard-earned money that we put into clothing, let's make the best investment we can by insuring it will look just as good 10 or more years from now as it does today. Personal true style has no fashion victims.