Rosa Mosa in New York

Rosa Mosa's Shoes

Rosa Mosa—the artisanal shoe company based in Vienna—is finally available in New York. Rosa Mosa’s design duo Simone Springer and Yuji Mizobuch, who we interviewed for the first issue of Fashion Projects, are known for their quirky sculptural work and make a great addition to the roster of artsy designs handpicked by Erin Weckerle for her Brooklyn boutique Sodafine (another Fashion Projects #1 subject!).

Fashion gone Awry!

Fiona Carswell, Smoking JacketThe other day I went to the end of the year show of the ITP masters program at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Much of the work fell in the category of wearable technology—what most caught my attention were humorous pieces playing with the notion of function and functionless. Fiona Carswell’s work fit this category, with garments characterized by a rather dark humor, as with a Smoking Jacket with visible lungs on the front of it, which blacken over time as the wearer exhales cigarette smoke through a system of tubes; meanwhile, her Malignant Mole Bikini develops dark moles as the wearer spends time in the sun!Andrew Schneider’s Experimental Device for Performance is also alternatively humorous and unsettling. It consists of a pair of identical helmets from which a screen is held. The screen alternates footage in real time of the mouth of the the person wearing it and the mouth of the other wearer, whose voice also comes through the device. This substitution bestows a rather confounded feeling on the viewer, especially as the disembodied mouth is larger than its original. To find out more about these two projects and many others you can consult the ITP show site…Francesca

Ann-Sofie Back Autumn/Winter 2007

Ann-Sofie Back, AW 2007

Ann-Sofie Back showed an interesting collection employing scotch tape, plastic, and fastening mechanisms (normally associated with cheap luggage and backpacks) to underscore “a sketchy, spontaneous look,” what Back describes as “two minute garments.” Some of the looks, particularly the see-through plastic garments held together with scotch tape are reminiscent of Margiela’s early 1990s work. While others materials, such as neoprene and velcro, what Back refers to as “faux functional,” seem to pervert the late 90s early 00s functional aesthetic and its penchant for high-tech fabric. A subversion of these themes is further highlighted by the fact that most of the pieces, despite being made of “high-tech” or “faux high-tech” material (which one generally relates with “technical sportswear”) often hang awkwardly on the body, most of which remains exposed thanks to mini-skirts and short dresses. At times, particularly with the looks, in which heavy wool or down are “sketchily” and precariously wrapped around the body, one can’t help but picking up a reference (intentional or not) to the ways these fabrics are down-cycled and used by homeless people to shield themselves from the cold—a sight which is certainly more common in New York than in London.

Ultimately, these references coexist with a number of body-hugging silhouettes, where wide elastic straps wrap around the body rather tightly to create dresses and skirts. What is perhaps most interesting about the collection is that while the London runways abound with 1980s reference—a rather tired look at this point—Back seems to be revisiting and commenting on 1990s fashion—hopefully a sign for things to come!

Francesca Granata

Peter Jensen and Emma Cook Autumn/Winter 2007

Peter Jensen AW2007. Photo: Marcio Madeira (from style.com)

(Yesterday morning, I took some time off my teaching schedule to attend a couple of London shows...Below are my findings!)

Emma Cook produced a film installation “Screen Test Suzie” in lieu of a traditional fashion show, where the model’s jerky movement reminded one of stop motion animation. In its refreshing simplicity and offbeat tempo, It looked a bit like a student’s animation short or an early film shown at the wrong speed…The model jumped around in quite a cute manner and some of the clothes-particularly the 20s-looking cloches, the wide pants and the Charleston-like dresses (some of which in feathers) gave the film a rather chaplinesque character.

Peter Jensen’s presentation was also humorous in a subtle way.One of the model wore a paper crown—which read as a reference to the Emperor’s new clothes. (Most likely it had to do with the show’s inspiration—a northern Renaissance princess, Christina of Denmark.) There were jackets, skirts, trenches, and dresses made of rubberized black and dark green nylon—the latter were gathered in front rendering a voluminous silhouette reminiscent of bygone eras. A “rubber” trench was placed on top of a an ensemble whose grey fabric made of interlocking rings was reminiscent of chainmail, thus juxtaposing a medieval reference to a rather “futuristic” fabric and giving the impression of a contemporary Joan of Arc of sorts. Another futuristic reference was hinted at by a hooded sweater from which little “prosthetic” horns peeked out. Ultimately, these disparate elements were well integrated and made for subtly funny and pretty garments.

Francesca Granata

The Man Who Rocked the Runway

For two days only, visitors to the Manhattan Vintage Clothing Show at the Metropolitan Pavilion will be treated to a pop-up exhibition on the designer Stephen Sprouse. Although modest in size, Stephen Sprouse: Man Who Rocked the Runway is the first exhibition to acknowledge Sprouse’s short yet revolutionary career. What makes this exhibition special is that, unlike in a museum, the bulk of the clothing will be up for sale.

I had the great opportunity to speak briefly to the curator, Elyce Tetorka. She told me that the clothes came from a few sources: Cherry Boutique, David Ownes, Patina, and the private collection of Elin at Unique Boutique. Each of these lenders will also be present at the MVCS. Due to the fact there this exhibition is actually taking place at a vintage clothing show, where spaces are often demarcated by fabric walls, Elyce decided to focus her attention solely on the clothing and accessories, bathing them in brightly colored light reflected off of a silver-white backdrop in homage "to Sprouse's first showroom on 57th Street that was painted silver."

To good measure, the clothes are simply fantastic. Her checklist includes a graffiti print hat with a sequin overlay, a day-glo camouflage blazer, and for those wanting something a little tamer, a herringbone-print jacket and skirt.

Elyce is passionate about her subject. When asked why she chose this designer to focus on, she responds that "Sprouse represents a turning point in fashion history when "downtown" became "uptown"." She says, "Much like Vivian Westwood was doing in London at Sex Boutique - so was Sprouse, except his style was more American - more New York. His legacy is still strong and can be felt today: Marc Jacobs launched his stylized leopard print for Louis Vuitton's Spring 2006 collection (originally designed in 2000 and never used). Sprouse's graffiti-style graphics are easily identifiable and replicated on everything from magazine advertisements and camouflage spray-painted sweatshirts to souvenir purses that read "Paris, France." He was the first designer to send men and women down the runway together, the first to use fluorescent colors, and even the textiles that he designed for Knoll Textiles are available today! For the purpose of the MVCS - Sprouse's clothes are highly collectable, expensive, and are appealing to a fiercely loyal group of collectors. The designs are bright, eye-catching, edgy and inspiring for people to view as they wait in line, as well as for designers who are seeking a little inspiration."

All clothing, with the exception of those from Elin Wilder at Unique Boutique, are for sale.

Cherry - 212.924.1410

Deco Etc. - 212.675.3326

Patina - 212.625.3375

Unique Boutique NYC - www.ubnyc.com The Manhattan Vintage Clothing Show starts today Friday, February 2 (1:00 pm - 8:00 pm) and goes through Saturday, February 3 (10:00 am - 6:00 pm). The exhibit - Stephen Sprouse: Man Who Rocked the Runway - is up for the duration of the event.

Sarah Scaturro