Fashion week

Veronica Webb, Mayor Bloomberg, Coco Rocha, and Rachel Roy. All gorgeous in person at the Modelinia event, originally uploaded by Style File Group.

Tonight (Wednesday 2/10) was Modelinia’s launch event for their NYFW limited edition MODELINIA Magazine and daily Fashion Week TV. Veronica Webb and Coco Rocha, the hosts of the new show, brought some glamour to the event, and Mayor Bloomberg stopped by to remind us of the importance of why we do this crazy fashion life. Style File had the opportunity to interview Rachel Roy to see how the recession has affected her business.

Even though the U.S. unemployment rate is 9.7%, Rachel Roy stated that “we’re headed out of the recession”. While we agree with her statement that “you can’t stop creating new ideas and new silhouettes,” her affinity for Alaia and Margiela may be an unlikely dream for many hit harder by the downtrodden economy. Ah, if only all of us could make our own shoes, dresses, and jewelry, then perhaps we wouldn’t look so shabby. But, then again, aren’t the consumers who cannot create their own wardrobes the ones whom the industry needs the most?

Shipley and Halmos leather for Fall 10, originally uploaded by Style File Group.

While I was working on doing another Style File Report and research for my book, the rest of The Style File Group (aka Megan and Natalie) spent a few minutes with Sam from Shipley and Halmos talking about the Autumn/Winter 2010 Collection. Certain designers invite the press to see the collection and ask questions before it hits the runway. Here is Megan’s (a senior at Parsons School of Design and my assistant) interview:

The Style File Group: What is the focus of this collection?
Sam:The collection is mainly about outerwear and prints. We have some chunky alpaca knit sweaters that we had made in Peru and some hand designed abstract prints throughout the collection. But our outerwear is the focus especially with leathers, lambs skin and fur coats. Fur is doing well right now, it seems to be in reaction to the past few seasons.

The Style File Group: What is your background in design?
Sam:I went to college in Colorado where I grew up and studied fine arts/painting. There I met my partner, Jeff Halmos. He has a financial background. Together years later, we wanted to develop a brand that was really involved in craft and doing what we loved, which is fashion.

The Style File Group:Did you teach yourself to design, drape and sew?
Sam:Yes, We learned as we came up with the ideas, we are mostly self-taught.

The Style File Group: Was it hard to get your brand started?
Sam:No. Not at all. Easy in fact. You just have to be very driven and devote your time to getting things accomplished. I already had a background in art. Once we got past the hurdle of backing our work financially, it came pretty naturally.

Thanks Harrison and Shriftman for the Blackberrys!, originally uploaded by Style File Group.

YAY we (team Style File Media) love our new Storm2 as well! I’ve never used a touch screen phone so I might have Emma Goldstein (back to intern with us for FW10) test drive it! PS, we wanted to give a special shout out to the ladies at Harrison and Shriftman for messengering over the BlackBerrys so we didn’t have to send out a poor intern (Natalie or Emma) in the cold to go retrive them! Thank you!

And our Blackberry Tour and Storm2 just arrived!, originally uploaded by Style File Group.

In addition to Flip Video letting us use their awesome devices to document our Mercedes Benz fashion week lives, BlackBerry also lent us a Tour and a Storm2 to blog/Flickr/Facebook/Twitter with. This is the what the new Tour came in. Yes that would be a leather case with compartments for covers, a charger AND a wireless music player. How cool is this phone??

The PANTONE 15-5519 turquoise one is Megan’s!, originally uploaded by Style File Group.

The color isn’t as vibrant as we had hoped but you get the picture. I love how all of our names are on it too. Just in case we get confused or something…

So excited to use our SFG flip cams for FW10, originally uploaded by Style File Group.

Since I started blogging I’ve tried to come up with new and fun ways to document my life. That’s why when someone put a Flip Mino HD in my hand a year ago I was DYING. My friends and I marveled at the resolution of the picture and the size of the device. Being video journalists we were so used to lugging around huge cameras– this fit right in our handbags! For Mercedes Benz Fashion Week FW10, the nice people at Flip video let us design our own Mino HDs (notice the Style File Group logo on the camera and in Pantone color violet for SS10) to record our lives. To create your own go to www.theflip.com.

FW10 meeting in full effect with Baked By Melissa cupcakes. Awesome.

Fashion Goes Live on Line – ABC News (It’s about time!):

An $850 million acquisition of online retailer Zappos.com by Amazon. The Sex and the City sequel where extras are clamouring for Carrie Bradshaw’s shoes. Children’s footwear posting an 11.8% dollar volume in sales increase. While the retail industry in almost all areas is experiencing one of the worst economic downturns in recent history, the shoe industry in the last three months has proven to be a bright light at the end of a very dark, damp, dismal, depressing tunnel.

“When the product is right and offers multiple reasons for wear, the purchases will come,” according to Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst for The NPD Group in an interview done by just-style.com.

“Consumers are showing they want footwear and are willing to show their passion on their feet rather than on their backs.”

Cohen’s sentiments could not be more true considering what I saw Mercedes- Benz fashion week. While the most of the collections had buyers barely raising an eyebrow, the shoes on the runway caught everyone’s attention. here are some of my favorites:

Check out these Giuseppe Zanotti for Balmain animal print boots. Yes they are priced at over $1,000 but guess what? People are buying them like crazy. Why? Because this country’s mantra when it comes to spending is “where there’s a will, there’s a way.” We’ll discuss that later.

Another Giuseppe Zanotti for Balmain boot. Awesome right?

These are my FAVORITE.

Again, another crazy pair of shoes from Giuseppe Zanotti. What would you wear these with?

I think Rhianna was eyeing these…

While it’s not really my thing to a) spend upwards of $300 on a pair of shoes and b) purchase anything at full retail price, these shoes were worth talking about because they are metallic. I have several pairs of metallic shoes and they are the best accessories in my closet!

It’s impossible for me to talk about fashion week with out talking about the parties. Years ago fashion week = an excuse to stay out until 4am seven nights a week. Now I’m lucky if I can make it to 10 pm without passing out! My two fav. galas are pictured here: the opening party for Richard Hambleton sponsored by Armani and the “Free the Noise” John Varvatos party. Way fun. Too much champers.

A picture of the amazing installation at the gallery. Dramatic. Shocking. Riveting.

The night started out of course with a glass of champagne.

The wall at CBGBs. When I was 12 years old I dreamed of going to CBGBs and listening to the NY Dolls perform. Funny I am now attending fashion parties there and rolling with Perry Ferrel.

Look who I found at the party! Sarah Mary and Coyle from Your Vegas!