A Designer with the Mind of an Architect

Robert Danes has always loved buildings. At 18, he went to Yale to study architecture. During his studies, he realized he could create architectural patterns with fabric. He translated his knowledge of architecture into glamorous silk chiffon dresses.

Fugue-like Designs and Fractal-like Patterns

Robert Danes’ gowns are elegant but have an extraordinary complexity built into them. His mother was a pianist and his dad was an organist/harpsichordist. Musical patterns, repetitions, riffs and variations seem to be woven through his gowns.

In our exclusive video of Robert Danes, you’ll see:

• Rachel Danes, his wife and business partner on the early days of the brand
• The magnificent view from his Couture Showroom
• His architectural influences
• The musical heritage and influences from his Texan family
• The Samara Dress – which began with an accident
• The Eliza Dress – inspired by Robert Danes’ trip to Tokyo, specifically the lanterns in Omotesandō

Robert Danes Photos below

We walked with Barbara through the Chelsea Art Museum, which along with the Starrett-Lehigh Building houses the New York D&A. Watch the embedded video to learn:

• How Barbara and her partner Ed Mandelbaum started D&A
• How Designers are chosen for D&A
• How collections are pre-edited, art-directed and merchandised
• Meet LA-based designer Calleen Cordero. Which of Cordero’s shoes and bags have caught the eye of Christina Aguilera and Tyra Banks?
• Meet Paris-based German designer HANNOH who creates timeless pieces that “you don’t know where they came from.” No gaudy labels here. Maybe that’s why celebs like Audrey Tatou, Kate Winslet and Johnny Depp like his discrete pieces.
• Meet Los Angeles based designers Ashley Lowengrub and Dara Gerson of Alkemie Jewellry – One of the mst environmentally and socially responsible lines of jewellry currently available.

André Leon Talley presents his friend Diane von Furstenberg with the André Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award

The Jewelers from Savannah

“Like the legendary Coco Chanel, [Diane von Furstenberg] lives above her house of design in Manhattan. She sleeps in a treehouse. It’s shaped like a diamond. A faceted pyramid diamond.”

This was André Leon Talley’s poetic introduction to DVF at the 2010 SCAD Annual Fashion Show as he presented her with the 2010 André Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award. Like the university itself, the fashion program at SCAD has been taking off like a rocket in the last few years, and this year’s student fashion show was a true tour-de-force. Riffing off Leon Tally’s mention of DVF’s diamond-shaped penthouse, diamond-cutting seems an appropriate metaphor to describe how SCAD transforms students on their Savannah and Atlanta campuses.

To begin, SCAD’s reputation attracts top talent from around the country and the world to apply for admission. SCAD selects the most promising students around the globe, from Basel, Switzerland to Boulder, Colorado. The faculty takes these unpolished diamonds, and through pressure, mentorship, inspiration, knowledge, practice, and a dose of reality, turns them into gems-in-the-making. After years of aggressive growth, SCAD has clearly reached the point where it can produce fashion superstars.

The Berkshire Hathaway of Fashion?

SCAD is a great place for fashion, because it is not too close to NYC but not too far either. To use an analogy from the world of business and finance, SCAD is like Warren Buffet, the greatest force in American Finance, who set his home base in Omaha to intentionally create some distance from the din of NYC.

Still Work-In-Progress

The students’ work at the 2010 SCAD Fashion Show displayed the full range of fashion possibilities: from the avant garde if less wearable (unless your stage name is Lady Gaga) to the straight-ahead practical and well-tailored jacket that can be a great addition to the wardrobe of many different types of women and men. Yet, none of the pieces were lacking in imagination. We also enjoyed some of the “architectural” concepts. Overall, the buzz-word of the day was “promise.” Big promise.

The Open Question: Accelerating Talent?

Youth has its weaknesses, starting with a lack of experience. It also has many strengths– boldness, dreaming big, not being constrained by what is traditional and expected. Some industries, such as technology and medicine, have managed to spectacularly capitalize on youth energy and creativity– unleashing a wave of amazing innovations. So many of the Nobel-Prize-worthy discoveries are made by young people in their twenties. Yet, in fashion, getting a green light at an early age is a rarity. The usual path is an apprenticeship for 10+ years with a big-name designer. Yet Diane von Furstenberg created her first wrap dress only three years after entering the fashion world, at the tender age of 27!

In this context, the initiative of the CFDA to create a fashion incubator for young designers is admirable. It is also one of the big questions that is foremost on the minds of the young designers from SCAD and their newly acquired fans: what comes next? As an industry, we are at an exciting crossroads.

Paula Wallace, President of SCAD thanks Diane von Furstenberg

President Wallace describes Diane as 'A supernova in our midst'

Digital projections on SCAD's runway

Student Designer Julie Tierney sourced material from Navajo blankets and Swiss Army blankets

Student Designer Meret Goetschel brought knit into a different dimension

Presentation before the show

Thomas Finney (Golden Scissors Winner- Menswear)

Ji Young Jung's rippling dress seen from the back

Luciana Quiroga's work on the runway

Dean Michael Fink (rocking a Comme des Garçons jacket) Orchestrating an amazing weekend

SCAD: Bridging History with the Future of Fashion, Art & Design

One of the things that is most impressive to us about SCAD is how they have saved many of Savannah’s architectural treasures and adapted them for the school. Some of these include a volunteer guard armory from the 1890s, a 19th Century Schoolhouse, the former country jail, and a 1940s movie theater. Without SCAD, these buildings might have fallen into disrepair. However, because of the school, they have been restored to their full grandeur. More importantly, they are not dead relics from the past, but living and breathing structures where learning is taking place, and past merges with future.

One of these such structures is Magnolia Hall. On our first evening in Savannah, all the judges were received at Magnolia Hall to meet, talk and plan for the weekend with the students ahead. Built in 1878, this 13-bedroom mansion is a unique representation of grand homes built in the South during the post Civil War era. It typifies the extravagant Second Empire architectural style. Novelist John Berendt made the residence his adopted Savannah home in the 1980s while writing the New York Times best seller Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. SCAD acquired the inn in 2005 for use by visiting artists and other guests of the college. See this link for more details.

Mentoring the SCAD Fashion Talent

The following day began very early. All judges were ready with their shirt-sleeves rolled up. We were taken to the schoolhouse and introduced to the young designer finalists. We spent about 10-12 minutes with each of them, learning about their inspiration, their techniques, their future career goals, and the messages of their collections. We met with: Demetra Kafkas, Julie Tierney, Sofia Borromeo, Lauren Sadasivan, Jasmann Smith, Maria Ah, Jaime Barker, Priscilla Pena, Melanie Ray, Kristen Ginn, Romina Mrochen, Jessica Ashley, Becky Wong, Maken Imcha, Sara Johnson, Catherine Madison, Rachel Lepp, Svea Greichgauer, Morgan Dustan, and Elizabeth Caples, to name a few.

Orchestrating it all was Michael Fink, Dean of the School of Fashion Design. Long before his extensive career in fashion, Dean Fink studied to be a conductor and he weaves everything together with panache. The way he and his staff organized and designed the day allowed for a lot of mentoring and creative exchange with the students. The judges were not there to give only a straight hello-and-goodbye critique, but rather to point out strengths that these young designers had perhaps not yet emphasized, to point out ways for them to establish their brands and market themselves in the future, to introduce them to colleagues, and to help them articulate their message and story. Judge Cindy Weber-Cleary, Fashion Director at InStyle Magazine, helped students think about how they might interact with the fashion media in the future. Judge Lars Nilsson gave his invaluable perspective as the head of his own line and former chief designer for Bill Blass, Nina Ricci, and Gianfranco Ferré. Judge Lisa Smilor, Associate Executive Director of the CFDA, brought her unique bird’s eye view of the total fashion ecosystem to help students put it all into perspective. Judge J Alexander (judge from America’s Next Top Model) shared his expertise on how clothes translate on models’ bodies. We gave them some hints on how to build a career in the creative world (Drue) and how to leverage technology to build your brand in fashion (Svetlozar).

Kudos to Anthony Scott Miller, David Goodrowe, Ally Hughes, Laura Lane Smith, Lori Reddan, Amy Tucker, Judy Mauldin, Doris Treptow, Heather Kaney Burge, John McKinnon, Denis Antoine, Marie Aja-Herrera, John Bauernfeind, Sachiko Honda, and Lara Wolf — for all their amazing contributions.

SCROLL DOWN to view 16 PHOTOS –>

Lunch with fellow jurors at Gryphon Tea Room

Knit ombre hooded dress by Designer Meret Goetschel

The Jury Show Ratings Book

Designer Maria Ah shows us her book of sketches and photos

Drue and Svetlozar- Up Early! Judging/meeting students starts soon.

Svetlozar Kazanjiev in Savannah

Drue checks out a Jacket by a SCAD Designer

Famous Savannah Moss

First evening at SCAD's Magnolia Hall, built in 1878

SCAD Style --Southern Staircase

Drue talks with Designer Julie Tierney and tries her Jacket Wrap - belt is bridle leather

Dean Michael Fink, David Goodrowe, Chair Anthony Scott Miller brief judges before the Jury Show

Savannah at night - Inspiring city for young talent. Just down the street is the first black Baptist congregation in North America and an important stop on the Underground Railroad

Drue shows the work of Designer Priscilla Pena. Pena's knitwear was inspired by the movie BeetleJuice!

Fiber Art Installation at the Entrance to SCAD Fibers Facility. At 20,000 sq ft - it's the largest dedicated facility in the US

Welcome to the SCADemy Awards!

What we love about Selima is that she is passionate about designing her own pieces but she is also a voracious collector of other designers. Her collection of vintage glasses and sunglasses is like an archive of the history of eyewear. Actors, pop stars and designers alike come to Selima when they need to achieve a very specific look. She created glasses for a Bono music video and for Michael Jackson’s last tour, among others.

Designers enjoy collaborating with Selima— partnering with her on projects or including her work in the presentation of their collections. She has teamed up with a diverse group, from Erin Fetherston, J. Crew, Tim Hamilton, Proenza Schoeller to Catherine Malandrino, Jack Spade, Adam Kimmel, Duckie Brown, and Simon Spurr.

Hope you like the glasses below.

Drue in Selima’s turquoise shades and Selima in the Parisian swan sunglasses at Selima Optique in the SOHO

Selima Optique on Wooster Check out the paintings on the wall. Some of the more serious faces have delightfully colored frames on their noses.

Drue at Selima Optique on Wooster Street, NYC. I can't recall the name of these frames.

Vintage Brigitte Bardot sunglasses that Selima found in Paris. Drue is wearing them with a Marie Belle chocolate!

Selima and Drue talking art and fashion. Leather red bow by Selima.

Drue, Selima and celebrity stylist June Ambrose. June has shopped for herself and Jay-Z at Selima's. June is dynamic and crazy fun. While Selima is anti-fur, June embraces it absolutely because she says it is--fabulous.

These are the original Porsche design that Yoko Ono wore on the cover of Rolling Stones magazine. SUPER lightweight

Svetlozar and Drue with the swan glasses from Paris

Vintage sunglasses that Selima found in France. Very interesting earpieces that are completely bendable!

Beautiful cases upon cases of glasses at Selima Optique

Inside on Selima Optique at 7 Bond Street

Selima and Svetlozar in front of the Bond Street Selima Optique.

Catherine Malandrino (wearing Malandrino) and Treena Lombardo, W Fashion Director.
Treena’s interview was natural, flowing and spontaneous. When Treena asked Catherine if she thinks of the Malandrino look as Bohemian, Catherine did not disagree, but revealed that she currently thinks of the woman she designs for as Nomadic, that is— traveling, moving, on-the-move, crossing continents. In short, a woman who can wear a wrinkled dress with panache even if it got a little crushed in the suitcase:) Malandrino stressed the importance of women helping other women locally and globally. She talked about her charitable projects with longtime friend and collaborator Mary J Blige.

Celebrity Stylist extraordinaire and Vogue Latin America Editor Sarah Gore Reeves in Hugo Boss, Catherine Malandrino in Malandrino of course, Treena Lombardo in elegant stripes and witty sneakers and Drue Kataoka in Malandrino.

Celebrity Stylist Sarah Gore. Sarah made some very insightful remarks. When I met with Sarah for brunch, she told me she is jetting off to Mexico City to shoot Cameron Diaz. Sarah has a super sharp eye and has styled supermodels and actors alike, from Giselle Bundchen, Heidi Klum, Molly Sims, Doutzen Krous to Lenny Kravitz, Jack Nichsolson and Sex and the City’s Sarah Jessica Parker.

Catherine Malandrino said a woman will buy a dress based on instinct and emotion.

Bernard Aidan, CEO of Catherine Malandrino and Catherine’s husband. Always fun to chat with Bernard.

Treena and Catherine. Catherine had some killer shoes, with an interesting weathered look about them.

The beautiful Celine Danhier talking with Drue

The W Shopstyle Meatpacking event involved 40 retail stores simultaneously. Wow what a day!

FGI History

Fashion Group International’s story begins in 1928 when 17 women, gathered by Edna Woolman Chase, then Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, met for lunch in a modest midtown New York restaurant. These founding charter members included Eleanor Roosevelt, cosmetics queens Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein, future Lord & Taylor President Dorothy Shaver (the first female President of a major Fifth Avenue store) , future Harper’s Bazaar Editor Carmel Snow, future American Vogue Editor Jessica Daves, and designers Lilly Daché, Edith Head (Hollywood Costume Designer who won 8 Academy Awards) and Claire McCardell.

Some of the current all-star FGI Advisory Board members are legends Anna Wintour, Diane Von Furstenberg, Evelyn Lauder, Saks CEO Stephen Sadove and Neiman CEO Burton Tansky. What a team!

Our Interview with Margaret Hayes

Always humble and filled with level-headed wisdom, Margaret Hayes has been a pragmatic leader who can also dream big. During her tenure, she took FGI beyond its illustrious history into an even more influential future. Margaret has a powerful eye for trends and a clear analytical mind. StyleHug enjoyed hearing her take on everything from the latest trends coming out of Fashion Week, to the challenges of Green fashion, and the perfect intersection of business and creativity in fashion.

Hear Margaret Hayes talk about:

• The history of Fashion Group International
• The women who helped build this 80 Year organization, including Eleanor Roosevelt, Edith Head, Chase, women focused on the executive role of women. Eleanor was interested in women and their development.
• FGI’s Programs – Business events, Trend events, mentoring programs and scholarship programs in 28 cities across the US
• Margaret – How she started in the retail world at Saks and Bloomingdales
• Margaret’s take on NY Fashion Week 2010 F/W– knitwear, fur trim, paillettes, interesting manipulation of fabrics.
• Why the sleeve has become important
• FGI’s Rising Star fashion awards: Margaret explains how the votes are tallied and how the designers are judged.
• Christian Lacroix – Sadly, why his fantasy did not translate for the American buying public
• Green Fashion – the challenges of sustainable and organic designing
• Margaret’s Advice for Young Designers – First “work for someone”
• Margaret’s Favorite Fashion History Moments

Urban Zen Foundation

Filling the Spiritual Vacuum

The Urban Zen Foundation is a unique institution founded by fashion legend Donna Karan to fill some of the spiritual vacuum in modern urban life. UZF focuses on three key areas: well-being, empowering children, and preserving cultures.

Visiting Urban Zen

We had the pleasure of visiting Urban Zen and meeting the women who are the heart, soul, and animating breath inside the organization — Rachel Goldstein and Joanne Heyman (see the photo below). Joanne Heyman is the Executive Director or Urban Zen. Rachel Goldstein is the Director of Program Development at Urban Zen and also the Founder and President of The Agent of Change Network. What is inspiring is their incredible dedication to the three areas of the UZF mission statement. They have a very innovative approach and big vision for the way UZF can impact the American healthcare system as well as our collective cultural approach to art and healing at large.

A Holistic View of Health

Inspired by Donna Karan’s personal journey accompanying her late husband throughout his cancer illness, Urban Zen promotes a new generation of medicine– one not just focusing on the illness, but also on the patient and his/her spiritual well-being. Through a combination of aromatherapy, yoga, art, guided imagery, meditation and spirituality, Urban Zen strives to restore a fragile spiritual equilibrium.

The Urban Zen Temple

But one does not need to be sick in order to benefit from more urban zen in their lives. Located next to Donna Karan’s late husband’s studio, the Center is an oasis of Zen calm in the middle of New York’s West Village. The smell of burning Thieves oil (Donna Karan’s favorite fragrance) fills the air. As the legend goes, this oil was used in France by thieves during the Black Death to protect themselves against the plague as they robbed the homes of the dead– a gruesome beginning for a scent that relaxes the body and mind, and puts you in a calm, meditative state.

The Urban Zen boutique or retail gallery located at the entrance of the Urban Zen Center has unique merchandise– ranging from an enormous tree trunk shaped into a roughly elegant table to various massage oils, shower gels and conditioners, to the gorgeous nomadic scarves and dresses of Donna Karan’s protégée Bessie Afnaim (which unquestionably bear a strong Donna Karan/Urban Zen inspiration).

“Getting Unstuck” at Urban Zen

We attended one of the recent Urban Zen workshops about “getting unstuck” by Dr. James Gordon. The event was filled with positive energy, mental openness and zen relaxation. After the event, all participants took home a piece of urban zen calm.

Urban Zen Photos below—>

Svetlozar Kazanjiev, Rachel Goldstein, Joanne Heyman and Drue Kataoka at Urban Zen

Drue at Urban Zen. The floor to ceiling projections of powerful and calming images create an amazing atmosphere. There was a camera crew filming that day. (This photo was taken on an interesting desaturation setting).

Svetlozar loved the Urban Zen Retail Gallery

Inside of the Urban Zen boutique: earth tones, a natural palette, organic materials

Drue wears a dress by Bessie Afnaim for Urban Zen. Bessie softens, hand-distresses, and over-dyes fabrics, and drapes around the body with a nomadic naturalness. This dress was not yet for sale.

Inspire Change!

More shots in the boutique

Dr. James Gordon’s “Unstuck Workshop”

“Empty Your Cup”

Drue in Urban Zen gown. The material is incredibly soft and natural feeling. Some interesting celebs have worn some of these designs for red carpet events. But they do seem to feel right with bare feet

The School of Fashion Design at SCAD

Kaplan ranked SCAD as one of the “most interesting” and most “cutting edge” schools in the US. So one would expect that things are done slightly differently there. With the addition of Michael Fink, SCAD scored a major coup. Not only is Michael rare as an experienced and accomplished practitioner in the field of fashion, he also has the intellectual rigor to teach these subjects in an academic environment.

Our Interview with Michael Fink

Michael is a man of many talents. But do you know that he started out his career training to be a conductor? Don’t miss this informative and fascinating conversation with Michael Fink. Here are some highlights. The video is below:

• Who is a fashion expert?
• Never take a best friend shopping! – Who you should take instead
• Fashion Week F/W 2010 – Michael’s fascinating perspective. What are the must have items and big trends? How to see “the meat of the designer’s intent.”
• How Michael was on track to be a world famous conductor
• Michael’s early childhood passion for music and his musical influences
• How a bad teacher changed everything for Michael, in a good way
• No Fashion Experience – How Michael got started in the world of fashion and fell in love with exquisite tailoring
• The Designer as Conductor – Both seem like showy positions. What are the challenges? Michael and Drue explore this parallel.
• Brava Donna Karan – Michael gives high praise for Donna Karan’s 2010 F/W Collection. How Donna took an unexpected part of the body and accentuated it elegantly.
• Bravo Marc Jacobs – Michael loves the “calmness of the design principle” in his 2010 F/W Collection
• Bravo Fern Mallis – Kudos to Fern Mallis, IMG and CFDA!

2 PHOTOS BELOW:

In fact, SATC Episode called “The Real Me” where Carrie Bradshaw is in a fashion show. The role of Lynne was played by actress Margaret Cho. Check out a short clip here. It’s hilarious, but we must tell you the real Lynne rarely curses! If you haven’t seen this episode of Sex and the City, check it out. Lynne also helped advise on the Fashion Show scene and it’s very cool.

Check out our exclusive video with Lynne O’Neill right at the end of Fashion Week. Find out:

• How Lynne Manages the Chaos Backstage – dealing with about 250 models, press, vip celebs, and sponsors
• What Makes for a Great Runway Walk– the difference between “walking to the music” and “walking through the music,” and more.
• How Lynne Cues the Models Backstage – What are the magic words?
• What Is Lynne’s Favorite Drink — try the recipe!

PHOTOS BELOW the video: