Women's
Kareen’s New York Fashion Week Diary – Friday
Kareen Mallet, senior ready-to-wear director of Neiman Marcus, will share her perspective on each day of New York Fashion Week.
Kareen Mallet
5:15 am: Good morning and Happy New York Fashion Week. It actually started yesterday with a few shows. The highlight: Ken Downing and I got a private preview of the new contemporary collection Skaist-Taylor (remember Juicy Couture founders Gela and Pamela? They are back!) It’s all about the eccentric Californian. And they are the perfect muses for those buzz words. I loved it, and I’ll tell you more on Sunday after their show.
Pamela Skaist-Levy, Ken Downing and Gela Nash-Taylor
6:45 am: Today I’m dressed and ready to go in a Jason Wu tweed coat balanced with a blush floral, pleated dress from Madison Marcus. Chanel bag is stuffed to the max with all the necessities to get me through the day. Kissing my kids and dog in their sleep. And off to the office.
7:30-8:45 am: At the office, I’m reviewing and editing shows from yesterday and organizing my week’s schedule, packed with market appointments and shows. Today alone I have 9 shows, 4 presentations, 1 market appointment and 1 after party. Off to my 9 am at the Hive Showroom.
10:15 am: Sitting at Peter Som between my two handsome bosses: Ken Downing and Linda Fargo. Linda tells me she is feeling the gold link bracelet.
10:45 am: Peter Som plays on bold silhouettes and texture….rich, mixed greens are trending.
Peter Som (Dan Lecca photo)
12:00 pm: It’s a marathon! Three presentations in an hour. Nonoo, one of the winners of the FGI Rising Star award, showed very feminine, Parisian-inspired dressing. Nahm, which will be at NM this Spring, is designed by Nary Manivong, in partnership with Alexandra Hilfiger, daughter of Tommy. The collection takes a twist on the shirtdress.
Nahm
1:20 pm: Waiting for Jason Wu to start. Very excited for this show. “Aggression in its most elegant form” is the inspiration. I can’t wait to see how it translates. Meanwhile I’m catching up Kim Stanley, our Book stylist, and Jean Scheidnes, our social media maven. The space is raw. Red doors open, spilling smoke and setting the tone…and then AMAZING. Jason puts his own twist on military, adorned with lace and opulent fur. There are China references, from Qing Dynasty to Mao to an Old Hollywood version of Shanghai.
The red doors at Jason Wu
Jason Wu (Dan Lecca photo)
Backstage at Jason Wu
2:30 pm: Rushed back uptown to Lincoln Center for Rebecca Taylor. More teammates from Dallas have arrived. Trendy contemporary buyer Alison Day is already wearing the haircalf trend we are seeing for Fall, in a Bordeaux shift. The young set—Zoe Kravitz, Olivia Palermo, and Whitney Port—are here supporting Rebecca Taylor. The collection showed menswear and sportif looks styled back to Rebecca’s signature pretty chiffon dresses and tops.
Velour track pants at Rebecca Taylor
3:30 pm: In the car with Ken and stylists Darlys Michaelis and Kim Stanley, going back to downtown for Yigal Azrouel. Everyone is hungry, so were are all very excited to find some chocolate truffles on our seat. Parisian icons were also in Yigal’s head. He said his collection was inspired by the spirit of Francoise Hardy, the duality of masculine-feminine.
4-5 pm: Stop at the office to recharge Blackberry and iPhone and edit some shows. Jason Wu pictures are already posted. Look 4 (green leather trench) is my favorite.
6:00 pm: Back to my hood, the Upper East Side, for the St. John presentation at the Ukrainian Institute of America. Everyone is seated and Kate Winslet arrives and sits right in front of me. She is beautiful in a leather dress from St. John.
Kate Winslet, center
The collection is luxurious and timeless.
St. John
Back in the car, heading downtown to Helmut Lang.
7:25 pm: Back dowtown on the West Highway in a warehouse for Helmut Lang. Loving the tailored jackets and all the weathered shearling…
Helmut Lang
Off to one more show, SUNO, but signing off as I have no more batteries. A demain!
