What I'm Loving Now

Need I say more?

 

Thierry Mugler:  Kelly leather leggings, canvas crop jacket and asymmetric rayon top

Available at Neiman Marcus

Nothing's New

I've discussed on this blog about the way fashion repeats and what's old becomes new again.  That's just the cycle and it's up to designers to take the concepts and breathe fresh air into them to make the styles current and modern.  Everybody has their own interpretation.  For example; I recently shared the influence that André Courrèges had on my recent collection....

 

Courrèges suit, 1965 (left), STACY LOMMAN : NEW YORK, 2012 (right)

(photo source left / photo source right)

Apparently, I wasn't the only one who was looking at this great designer's repertoire for inspiration...

Derek Lam, 2012  (available at Neiman Marcus)

 

the REAL DEAL, 1965

(photo)

Stacy's Style List

99% of the time when I meet somebody new and they ask me what I do, their immediate reaction is to point at whatever it is I'm wearing (and it could literally be a pair of Levi's and a Hanes tee) and say, "Is that yours?"  While it can drive me a little crazy, I guess most people don't really understand what goes into making one-of-a-kind pieces.  I wish I had an unlimited amount of time to spend draping on my trusty dress form, Sadie and sitting at my sewing machine, but I have to eat, sleep (on occasion), clean, do laundry (rarely), grocery shop and, oh yeah... run a business.  Often, that means multiple trips to Staples, the post office and the garment center in addition to the day to day sketching, sewing and hours of email correspondence. Of course, if a chain store wanted to place an order for 100,000 units, I'd have a factory make the product and I'd be able to produce many more styles than I do as one individual.  That being said, I most often save my own pieces for important events and the rest of the time I wear other labels and brands just like the rest of you.  We're experiencing some extra warm spring weather in NYC lately, so I'm sharing my style picks for right now...

 

Gucci Side Band Pant

Available at Bergdorf Goodman

 

Burberry Trench

Available at Neiman Marcus 

 

Rick Owens, Spring 2012 Runway

Style.com (Photo: Marcus Tondo/GoRunway.com)

Inspiration / Interpretation

Designers are always striving to come up with new ideas, new direction and trend.  However, in the world of fashion, most everything has been done already -- many times over.  The peplum is an emerging trend this season, but it's certainly nothing new.  If you didn't own a garment with some sort of peplum treatment back in the eighties, then you must have been living under a rock (or you weren't born yet!).  And the peplum wasn't exactly a new idea back in the eighties either -- it had been done before.  Trends and styles constantly recycle.  In fashion, designers reinterpret these ideas and trends by putting their "spin" on them and making them look fresh and current.  I'm no different.  I've mentioned before that my fall 2012 collection was based on the "mod" scene from the 1960's.  Actually, one of my greatest influences as a young designer was visionary, André Courrèges.  I saw one of his 60's suits featured in Connoisseur Magazine in 1986 and I tore the page out and kept it ever since.  I always wanted to do something that payed homage to the suit and to the great designer so, in February, I finally did.

INSPIRATION

André Courrèges suit, 1965
(photo source left, right)

INTERPRETATION

  

STACY LOMMAN : NEW YORK / Fall 2012

Photos: Shane LaVancher

To view the rest of my fall, "Modern World" collection and to hear me speak about my influence and about Courrèges, check out the video below (directed by Steve Lars).

Labels

For some reason, we like to label everything in this country (well, I suppose it's not just the U.S. who is guilty).  Whether it's a clothing label, a demographic or a profession, we need to categorize, define and pigeonhole.  So, when people get confused as to why I cover and report on industry events and happenings other than my own and wonder, "Are you a designer or a writer?"  I say, "Why can't I be BOTH?"  Clearly, I'm a designer first and foremost, but I have (and always had) other interests and other talents.  In fact, creative people are generally, well... creative.  And that means that we have the ability to cross over into other areas such as writing, design, fine arts, music (not in my case!) -- anything visual or "right brain."  Though words and language are basically considered "left brain" functions, there is a fair amount creativity involved in writing -- at least when it's something other than a text book or scientific and mathematical documentations.

I've been covering shows, events and lectures for the Lookonline for nearly four years now, when I can squeeze it into my schedule.  If you're not familiar with this informative fashion site, you should check it out.  Publisher, Ernest Schmatolla, had been a runway and fashion photographer for several years before launching the site back in 1994, making it the FIRST online fashion publication -- well before some of today's most famous bloggers could even walk!  One of my earliest pieces for Lookonline was my review of Marc Jacobs' Spring 2009 show.  When I got home from the show and sat down to lay out my thoughts, I remember feeling a tremendous amount of pressure and suffering from writer's block!  Thankfully, it passed (rather quickly) because during Fashion Week, the show reviews need to be posted ASAP.  

(me) with David Byrne (Talking Heads) at this year's Night of Stars

I've met and interviewed some fascinating people like, exhibition designer, Charles Froom and I've also been lucky enough to attend and write about special events like the Night of Stars gala and the premiere of Ralph Rucci's film, "Ralph Rucci: A Designer and His House."  Last week, I went to the preview of Kenneth Cole's new collection -- click here to read.  So, all of you fashion lovers out there who want to be "in the know" and up-to-date on industry events and news, Lookonline is a great source... click here to subscribe!