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The Collinas

Tommy Dorfman takes on the Big Apple for an internship

The Collinas [Feb 2022]

“Can Tommy make it in the high-stakes world of sustainable fashion?”

The Collinas [Feb 2022]

Thanks to Lindsey Media, this is the second Collina Strada show I have attended, and the first show I’ve ever seen take over the Angelika Film Center. As the pandemic continues to push brands to get creative, Collina Strada created one of the most immersive shows. Instead of a fashion show, Collina Strada hosted a premiere screening for "The Collinas," a series that follows Tommy Dorfman as she moves to New York City for her dream internship. The presentation was full of laughs while viewing gorgeous up-cycled garments. It gave the chartreuse shirts, hip-padded dresses, trippy fringe blankets and mix of velvet, satin and feathered pieces a Y2K and playful context in which to live in — I left the presentation with the catchy remake of jingle reminiscent of Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten" 🎶Collina Stradaaaaaaaa🎶 in my head.

The premiere asks "Can Tommy make it in the high-stakes world of sustainable fashion?" as we’re introduced to a collection made of eco-certified satin and organic plant-based cellulosic fiber. To channel a Y2K influence with a Collina Strada twist, the models wore eye looks featuring bright pops of green, pink, or glitter at the inner corners, with a mix of peach and pink lip gloss.

Social Work

70s architecture Home

Social-Work [Feb 2022]

“[I strived for a] multifunction way of wearing the clothes, people can wear the pieces in different ways to fit their lifestyle”

— Chenghui Zhang

Social-Work [Feb 2022]

This season Social Work designer, Chenghui Zhang, embraces the familiar. Not only through comfortable silhouettes and silky blouses, but also hints of a place that has provided us with emotional comfort and familiarity this year — home. Home has become a safe space to store our imagination and realness, taking inspiration from her artist friend’s living room, Social-Work’s latest collection is a conversation on self-identity within own space.

The presentation took place in a beautiful studio featuring fun, eclectic retro-style furniture (a red chair matching my outfit!), a space that conveyed emotions and feelings in a post-pandemic environment. The collection explores the silhouette and prints from 70s architecture elements while creating a nostalgic women’s figure that is classic, theatrical yet tasteful.

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Proenza Schouler

return to formality

Proenza Schouler [Feb 2022]

“We want fashion, we’re tired of streetwear”

— Lazaro Hernandez

Proenza Schouler [Feb 2022]

In the striking main exhibition space of the Brant Foundation, with a violin quintet performing an original composition by Eartheater, Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough embraced a new formality. A true New Look return to formality by experimenting with such feminine tropes as peplums, corsets, drop-waist silk dresses, lady coats and brooches. But make no mistake, it was through an American lens, playing with the throwback hourglass silhouette but with knitwear, soft construction and ballet flats instead.

What was striking about the collection was how it deftly carried over ideas from the last two Proenza collections, in particular simple dresses with a lot of flow, pantsuits with a sharp waist, and fresh colors (this time, a gorgeous inky purple and a violet for a long silk shirt-dress). Those looks conveyed “the new formality” the designers sought, but with modern ease.

The collection was a repudiation of the homewear and other forms of wardrobe indolence brought about by two-plus years of the pandemic. With Omicron fading, they’re looking forward to a fall season of strong tailoring and soft dresses whose sophistication is matched by a body-conscious sensuality.

Tory Burch

Layers of new York history

Tory Burch [Feb 2022]

“We explored this through the lens of shape, geometry, color and convertibility”

— Tory Burch

Tory Burch [Feb 2022]

After the months we’ve had, cooped up in these apartments, I cannot think of anything more beautiful than being out in New York City — it’s true what they say, the city has an energy. Tapping into the city’s 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s history for inspiration, brings to life the idea that the energy in New York City will come. The collection debuted at the historic New Yorker Hotel, representing the … “The more I see how women are dressed around New York, the more they feel free.”

With graphic colors, sharp cuts, utility and convertibility vibes, the collection’s scene debuted a mixture of layers and patterns, almost influencing women to put it all on and have fun.

The brand’s staples, accessories, complete each look with a variety of shapes with a focus on a cinched with wide belt, iconic oversized bags, and boots perched atop geometric heels. This season brought us into a realm of energetic, confident, liberated dressing.

Altuzarra

mermaids for luck, renewal, and good times

Altuzarra [Feb 2022]

Altuzarra [Feb 2022]

While it’s an unrivaled privilege to attend a fashion show in any format, it’s the ones that are fully committed to a story that feel like the greatest honor to witness in person. For Fall, Joseph Altuzarra knew his moodboard inside and out, and it was evident from the moment guests took their seats at the elegant (if slightly imposing) Woolworth Building to find a copy of Moby Dick filled with fabric swatches and a polaroid. The designer had the ocean, its creatures and the humans who devote their lives to it, as well as the myths that surround the eco-system, on the brain. A sense of an epic journey across seas and terrains came to mind as models teetered past in gigantic platforms. Beyond the shearling-trimmed outerwear, textured knits, Shibori prints, pleated kilts in vegan leather, and hooded dresses which spoke to a woman who was ready to trek far and wide, it was the styling by Gabriella Karefa-Johnson (multiple bags worn at once; outfits completed with swashbuckler chain, coin, braided, or beaded belts) that drove home the sense of adventure. To close the show, there was a sombre mermaid parade of sorts, with fish scale-esque coins cut from aluminum and hand-tarnished for an aged look seen on coats, knit dresses, and in floor-sweeping gold gowns. By in large, mermaids symbolize good luck, renewal, and good times ahead—and now Altuzarra has given us the powerful outfits we need to go get ’em.

While we’re not huge followers of trends (or rules for that matter), we can agree that there are certain shifts and new directions in design that inspire us all to transform and alter our spaces. This year we were drawn to organic materials like travertine, terracotta, and plaster to mimic the natural environment at home and this will continue to be one of the biggest home décor trends for 2022, too. With more time spent indoors, we’re all craving that connection to Mother Nature in a bid to restore and heal from the inside out—and provide a welcome respite from the chaos outside our four walls!

Pinterest Images

Upcoming Color Blends

Neutrals will take a bit of a back seat in 2022 as people start to experiment with color again but the palette will stay very close to hues you’d find in nature. We predict paint rollers will be dipped in rosy, terracotta tones swathing rooms from wall to ceiling for a complete monochromatic moment that envelops you in its coziness. Dial-up the comfort factor with velvet furniture in the same tone to create a truly tranquil environment (aka the perfect spot to snuggle and snooze!). Who wouldn’t want to design a room that feels like a warm hug?

The New Organic

With more time spent indoors than ever before, we’re all seeking to strengthen our connection with nature. This has simultaneously inspired a resurgence in natural surfaces—think stoneware, terracotta, marble, and travertine being used across the board from backsplashes to bathtubs, furniture, and decorative objects. The raw, porous, imperfect nature of these organic materials adds depth, soul, and visual intrigue while also mimicking the calming, restorative ambiance of the outdoors. This lure back to nature has also sparked an interest in large trees at home from the elegant black olive to Southern magnolias.

Vintage Tactic

Whenever I can use vintage, I will. From a design standpoint, vintage is the protagonist of every room—it has the power to influence the storytelling and direction. Their patina brings a touchable texture and warmth to every space, not to mention a sacred sentimentality. But aside from their decorative propensity, these rare antiquities are stylishly sustainable. By repurposing the old, the damaged, the jagged into something new, we’re reducing our footprint while bringing a rich sense of history and spirit into a space. This enchantment with vintage will continue to evolve in 2022 as people continue to educate themselves on design history and the great furniture and architects of our past.

What is old is new again, especially with shortages in supply chains and a pressing emphasis on the environment, sourcing vintage is certainly salient in today’s world of design. Not to mention you can find unique details that aren’t necessarily present in today’s new designs.

Masculine Art Deco

Stylist and designer, Colin King is predicting a shift toward silver-toned metals like stainless, pewter, aluminum, and nickel. “Warmer woods and rich chocolate browns, in both upholstery and wall colors,” he notes. “And incorporating texture in new nuanced details. I’ve also been really drawn towards the texture and effect of cast glass.”

It’s official — I’m moving from the East Coast to the West Coast. Such a strange transition, but a hell of a way to start the New Year. Here’s to 2022, full of changes in all the best ways!!

Watch the Moving Vlog PT.1 on YouTube below!