Tag Archives: style

Where the Heart Is

Posted on March 29, 2012 by in Beauty, Fashion & Design, New York, Style

Written by Nell Alk. Photo #1 by Bridget Laudien. Photo #3 by Erin Yamagata. 

Leanne Mai-Ly Hilgart, Vaute CoutureLike the beautiful, innovative, animal-friendly winter coats she makes via her fashion label Vaute Couture, anyone who knows her (and even the legions of fans who technically don’t) can see—can feel—the warmth, the vibrance, the compassion of Leanne Mai-Ly Hilgart. Amidst a glow like that, and because she makes it all look so natural and effortless, it’s easy to overlook Leanne’s most remarkable quality—her resilience.

She’s singlehandedly raised an indie fashion label, where the workload today is always too much and tomorrow promises an increase. Add to that the capital-intensive nature of the fashion biz and the often monumental challenges of both doing and convincing other people to do the right thing, as Leanne does with her animal-honoring policies and messaging, and we’re only beginning to appreciate her accomplishments and vexations. “I’ve been doing this by myself for three-and-a-half years and I outgrew [that aspect] before I even launched the label [in 2009]. This fall/winter season in particular nearly killed me.”

It also made her stronger. She and VC turned a huge corner this month with the unveiling of the label’s first boutique, called Vaute Here, in trendsetting Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Opening a store is the milestone that officially declares any fashion label’s legitimacy to (or, perhaps in VC’s case, at) the fashion establishment. Read More…

Cut and Sewn Back Together Again (pt. 2)

Posted on March 8, 2012 by in Fashion & Design, Media

An Interview with Marie Cordella by Nell Alk. Photos by Jason Dail, courtesy of Marie Cordella Design. 

Here’s Part 2 of our interview with sustainable dress designer Marie Cordella, who competes next Thursday night on Lifetime’s 24 Hour Catwalk. (Check out Part 1 of the interview here.)

Marie Cordella Design

You lived in New York on Septemper 11th. What was it like returning to NYC?
It was hard for me. I never really talk about it. I happened to be in the street during 9/11 and saw it happen. Read More…

Cut and Sewn Back Together Again (pt. 1)

Posted on March 7, 2012 by in Fashion & Design, Media

An Interview with Marie Cordella by Nell Alk. Photographs by Jason Dail, courtesy of Marie Cordella Design. 

Marie Cordella DesignI first met dress designer Marie Cordella backstage at a concert in April 2009, at Brooklyn’s Bell House. She was touring with also-North Carolina-based indie duo The Rosebuds, outfitting lead singer Kelly Crisp, and I remember being immediately intrigued by her distinctive aesthetic and infectious personality. Not surprisingly, I’m not the only one taking note. Since then she’s fashioned a path to NC notoriety (headlining Charleston Fashion Week last year) and impending national exposure, most recently having been invited to New York City as a contestant on Lifetime’s 24 Hour Catwalk. Even better, she’s got some noteworthy green credentials. Read More…

John Bartlett Cuts His Own Way

Posted on February 15, 2012 by in Fashion & Design

Written by Nell Alk. Photographed by Greg Vaughan.

Last Thursday brought blistering temps and whipping winds, but that didn’t stop invitees from turning out in droves at Milk Studios for the first night of AW12 Fashion Week shows. The long line advanced at a snail’s pace but proved worth the wait as we sought the night’s most interesting prize: a viewing of John Bartlett’s buzzingly groundbreaking new collection.

As feeling returned to our fingers and toes and a frenzied party greeted us inside, we made our way through dense human forest to discover Bartlett’s boyish models, who were made to look muddied from a long day of work (or play).

John Bartlett AW12

It’s the kind of stylish impracticality that tends to abide only on the fantasyscapes of runways and photo shoots, but Bartlett’s cheeky conceit worked better than most. Equal parts Lord of the Flies and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Bartlett’s presentation, an evolution of his trademark mix of big colors (rich reds, bright blues, canary yellows) and sporty, outdoorsy masculinity, showcased crown jewels like recycled microfiber ultrasuede motorcycle jackets, smartly tailored with zippers, pockets, and buckles; dependable basics like organic cotton long johns and form-fitting henleys, with visual textures from tartans to stripes to aforementioned solids; and feet either bared or dressed in M:Zero loafers by Melissa and Hunter wellies. It was a story of whimsy-meets-manly, and I for one particularly appreciated the fearlessness it takes to pair red with red with red, as Bartlett chose for one of his most striking ensembles. Read More…