IMPACT CFDA

This past week I visited the Impact CFDA exhibit put on by the Museum at FIT. The school's museum has their own permanent collection of runway looks donated by the designers, which I also visited. 


The special exhibit celebrated the CFDA's 50th anniversary and showcased pieces from other designer members. My father became a member in the late 80's and is still honored to be part of such a great group of talented people!


The necklace my father gave for the exhibit was made of rock crystal, topaz, pearls. The necklace was made in 1992, which is also the year I was born! 


My favorites in the exhibit was a vintage Geoffrey Beene gown that is similar to a gown my mom received from the designer as a gift! Another favorite was a silk gown from Rodarte 2011, farm inspired collection. I wouldve taken pictures, but photography wasn't allowed!


If you're in New York, definitely visit the exhibit, the collection and history of pieces are incredible!


Also check out this article about the exhibit, we've got a mention!!

The exhibit, ending May

The permanent exhibit at the museum!

I sneaked a picture of the necklace!

Also, this Thursday my father is celebrating his 30th anniversary at Bergdorf Goodman who supported him from the beginning! The event is from 12-4, with displays all over the main floor throughout the week!
We would love to see you!
xo
Caroline

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Im a little late on the holiday wishings, but today is New Years and in the good spirit of the new year, I wish everyone a happy holidays! If you are starting a new years resolution, wether to eat healthier, save more money or to be a little more glamourous everyday, stick to it!! Mine happens to be to blog more, so expect more blog posts in the near future!

On to the main point of the post, one of the most exciting things about the holidays in New York are the Bergdorf Goodman windows. From all of the years from my memory and pictures, my fathers jewelry was showcased in the BG holiday windows. We used to visit the windows the night it opened and take turns posing in front of the windows!

In this mornings NYT, Bill Cunnigham had his usual street spotting page, but was inspired by the Under the Sea BG window. He had the BG window as his main inspiration, which I also pictured below.

NYT page of street fashion and inspiration from the BG 'Under the Sea' windows 

 My favorite window was the 'Under the Sea' window on 5th ave. It is decorated with gorgeous fish mosaics, coral reefs, and 20 pieces of Dweck jewelry (I literally stood there for 10 minutes counting over and over again!)

 Most of the SD pieces were from the archives, and some were new, on sale now. My father did a lot of bronze and silver starfish with precious stones in the middle, like aquamarine. Many of the pieces included coral, sea shells, mother-of-pearl and other precious materials from the bottom of the ocean.

Click here to find out where you have seen this necklace before!!

This is also a piece you've seen before!

 As children we always used to take turns taking pictures of each other posing in front of our father's name, we looked forward to it each year!!

 Another window was inspired by wood, and the window was filled with prop animals and some jewelry. (sorry about the glare, but it was really beautiful!)

The mannequin wore a SD wood bead necklace and bronze tiger eye cuff.

 This was another beautiful window, entirely decorated with copper and birds of all shapes and sizes. The entire floor was covered with pennies and the walls were copper bird wings! But one of the most spectacular pieces was the vintage SD birdcage necklace. Its so fun to try on, but it literally weighs 10 pounds!

 The mannequin holds the birdcage necklace and wears a bronze smoky quartz cuff

Have you seen the windows..which was your favorite? If you answered no and your in the area, go see them!! The windows are easy to find because of the massive crowds in front all taking pictures! 

I also wish everyone a wonderful, successful, happy and healthy new year!!! 

xo, Caroline

FASHION AS ART

The Spring 2012 fashion shows that showed this past September offered a lot more to the industry than neon trends and color blocking. I know this since I have spent too many hours scouring Style.com and even more hours writing my art history papers, but I found a compromise! 
I pulled together my favorite runway looks and favorite paintings that I learned this past semester and developed a paper combining my two passions. These pairs that I have put together are a mix of whimsy and imagination, but other suggestions are welcome. Enjoy!


The first pair is inspired by my favorite designers', the Mulleavy sister of Rodarte and thier rendition of Van Gogh's The Starry Night, (which happens to be the cover of my 15 lb. textbook!)

 And another Rodarte dress inspired by Van Gogh's other masterpiece Sunflowers.

This magical photograph is from this month's Vogue, The Cult of Beauty, shot by Stephen Meisel. 

Below is the original painting of Ophelia, by John Everett Millais, a Pre- Raphaelite painter.

 This pair doesnt need any explanation! The Dolce & Gabbana collection was a mix of sexy,fun, and healthy, that  made me think of Gustave Caillebott's Fruit Displayed on a Stand. The entire D&G collection had prints including something from the stand, with additions of hot chile peppers, eggplants and cucumbers!
 

This dress designed by master Oscar de la Renta is breathtaking in cream tulle and a red silk ribbon, very reminiscent of Eugene Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People.

(Which also happens to be the album cover of Coldplay's Viva La VIda)

 

Here, Florence from Florence and the Machine sings at the Chanel SS 2012 show in a seashell, one that inspired my post, Under the Sea! At right is what I assume is the inspiration for her look, the spectacular painting by Sandro Bottecelli of Birth of Venus. Both the singer and the artist are my absolute favorites!

And now I MUST get back to studying for my Art History final! Wish me luck!!

UNDER THE SEA

The spring summer shows ended last week in Paris, concluding the bi-annual fashion month frenzy. As much as it is a drag to scroll through all the shows I possible can, I love it. I love seeing the clothes up close in details, I love the behind the scenes beauty shots and I love the trends that I can prepare my self for, for the coming Spring months. The absolutely BEST trend, is the Under the Sea spectacle, reminding me that The Little Mermaid was and still is my favorite Disney movie. 

I put together my favorite looks of the trend and pulled pieces from the Dweck archive. I will definitely be looking for inspiration for this spring, so charming! All fashion show looks from style.com

The Chanel spectacle, so lovely in white and pastels

A Chanel look with a very cool seashell purse

An iridescent, fish scale looking Chanel

A gorgeous metallic Giles piece

As usual, a gorgeous Mcqueen closing look

And Dweck pieces, some brand new and some from the 80's!

Varieties of shell earrings

Pearl and aquamarine chokers, the right my mother wore at her wedding!

Very literal under the sea pieces

A statement Mother of Pearl piece

NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU

Today is the 10th anniversary of September 11th, 2001, but instead of writing about the horror and grieve of the day, I would like to post something more uplifting. New York has always been a place of hope and dreams. Although some have been destroyed that fateful day, the city was never disheartened, and now 10 years later, we are stronger and safer.

On a lighter note, the city just celebrated the third annual Fashions Night Out, on Thursday night, September 8th. The initiative which began only in New York and after the recession, has grown and was celebrated by thousands all around the world. I spent the night with my father and brother Ralph, like I did in the past. We walked along 5th avenue, and went into many shops along the way. Some highlights include, meeting the creator of Hello Kitty in Sephora, trying on heels in Miu Miu, seeing the crowd surrounding Nicki Minaj outside YSL and sadly, missing Rachel Zoe by mere minutes inside Bloomingdales. Never the less, it was a fabulous night filled with high spirits about fashion, fun and most importantly New York.

The iconic BG

One of the things Bergdorf Goodman is known for, besides their amazing shoe salon on 2, is their iconic windows. Each season they put on dazzling spectacles inside their 5th ave windows. From memory, the windows have referenced everything from children stories (princess and the pea, red riding hood) to Marie Antoinette (filled with hundreds of French Patisserie) and everything beyond boundaries and imagination. Each year they continue to inspire me, its like a real-life 'I Spy'!


For Fashions Night Out, Bergdorf had real performers inside the windows. One window was a woman talking to taxidermy animals, another was men cutting down trees in a forest, and another was a 50's band performing from inside, but my favorite window was of two french maids decorating the window with hundreds of tiny doll clothes. So adorable!!

One of the several cheeky windows at BG.
These girls were inside the window for hours decorating and hanging up doll clothes!

THE shoes of the season. MUST HAVE ASAP

My father with Roopal Patel and Ken Downing of Neiman Marcus.
Standing in Bergdorfs by the SD counter

Standing in front of Theory on Madison with the FNO window. My outfit breakdown below

Skirt: Pleasure Doing Business. Sweater: Topshop. Jacket: Gap.
Flats: Rock and Republic. Tote bag. BookMarc (from MJ)

 And now the jewelry....

Stephen Dweck coral bead necklace, mix of SD rings,
 mix of SD bronze and turquoise bracelets, Casio watch

The best picture of the night...

Me and my brother Ralph tweeting/facebooking in style

Did you celebrated FNO in NYC or anywhere else around the world. I would LOVE to know, and until then I cant wait for next year!