The last few days of NYFW were jam packed with shows & events. Not going to lie I was beginning to get a little tired. Like most seasons prior, this year I got double booked. I had fashion writer and NYC model Selima attend the events I was physically unable to. My friend Courtney accompanied me to shows including Miguel Vieira, LaQuan Smith, LVL XIII and John Paul Ataker. During my time at NYFW I met up with my blogger friends The Style Senders & West Village Wasp. We saw Jason Derulo at the LVL XIII SS17 show. He is their official Brand Ambassador. On Wednesday Courtney & I got our hair styled at Tresemme in Spring Street Studios. One of my favorite presentations was by designer LaQuan Smith, "the" celebrity designer with a whole lot of sexy styles (see above photo). Lots of celebrities were in attendance for this event. This fashion week season was truly the best one yet. Thank you for following my NYFW journey! Scroll down for more...
  Available at Feminine Fancies.  With influencers The Style Senders & West Village Wasp.   Front row at Miguel Vieira.   Jessica White at Laquan Smith's presentation.  |  Available at Feminine Fancies.    Jason Derulo, Brand Ambassador for LVL XIII.   Hair styled by Dilenia at the Tresemme studios.  Christina Milian at Laquan Smith's presentation. |
M O N D A Y
Irina Vitjaz
PHOTOGRAPHY: Yuan Images
  |   |
My day started with Irina Vitjaz. Irina's SS17 collection featured fun sheer and delicate floral accents. My favorite piece was the pink abstract, floral dress(top left). This piece features a choker-like collar and plunging neckline. A trend I have been seeing is the plunging neckline with matching material choker look. Another piece I loved was the light lavender top and sheer floral top ensemble (bottom left). I loved draped pieces and this look features a cascading sleeve and tied bow near the back shoulder.
Taoray Wang
   |    |
Wang's edgy collection featured sheer lace, fringe and selective slit details. Appearing on the NYFW runways since 2014, this season came out stronger than ever. Taoray designs for the professional women who likes to add sexy and stylish looks to her wardrobe. One of my favorite pieces from the collection was the high slit, off the shoulder black dress (top left). I also loved the way the white vest and pants ensemble flowed down the runway. I am so excited for these powerful pieces to be released next Spring.
Leanne Marshall
Leanne Marshall is one of my favorite shows to attend during NYFW. Marshall was the season 5 winner of Project Runway. She is known for designing elegant dresses that gracefully dance with your shadow. Marshall's dresses are perfect for special events. My favorite piece from this collection is the lavender, gathered dress (middle right). I love how the top also crossed over the neckline creating a fun keyhole. Her ethereal designs are worn by many fashion insiders including Carrie Underwood, Julianne Hough and Ashley Benson.
Nolcha
   |   The Nolcha shows were a real showstopper. There were three designers that really stood out to me. The first was Just in Case designed by Justin Chou. His collection was extravagant and bold. It was the epitome of badass. Before seeing this collection I didn’t know it was possible for someone to break the rules in all the right ways. Justin did just that and earned a bad boy status in my books. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t like a bad boy? His embroidery was also perfection and truly unique. The fascinating combination of Chinese street style designs and punk details reminded me of something I would see fashion mogul and K-pop superstar, G-Dragon sporting. The second stand out show was Alice Yim’s collection. Her collection was feminine and made up of a plethora of perfect work day clothing for the flirty, fun, modern woman. She began her show strong as a stunning black model rolled a Parisian bike by her side wearing a beautiful two piece set with French music playing softly in the foreground. Her menswear pieces were to die for. They were structured, sharp, and very well tailored. Alice Yim is clearly a well trained and precision embroiderer. It was evident that she put a lot of care and an exuberant amount of time in each piece. The final standout show was Lu Yang’s collection. The collection was a mixture of bright primary color geometric cuts, shapes, and patterns, and flirty spring pale colors. Who knew geometric patterns could be so sexy? Lu Yang did. If only school systems could find a way to teach geometry through fashion. That would have made me one hell of a happy geometry student. Written by: Selima Smith-Dell |
Stevie Boi
   |   Imagine a world where Girl and Boy Scouts are walking around with poise and park rangers are walking on woods paths of gold glitter. That is what Stevie Boi's Cabin SS17 collection felt like to me. There were a plethora of neutral, army and earth tones. The hats and clothing gave you a very luxurious Boy Scout attire feel. And let's not forget to mention Stevie's staple item, shades. They were out of this world folks! Stevie Boi once again hit a homerun with creating a collection of luxury, one of a kind shades that only the stylish of style moguls would dare feel worthy of wearing. Written by: Selima Smith-Dell |
T U E S D A Y
John Paul Ataker
   |    |
Courtney and I started our busy Tuesday attending the John Paul Ataker show where we met up with NYC stylist assistant Anisong. I love NYC, such a hub for talent, ambition, and networking. John Paul Ataker has a legacy for fine craftsmanship and designer evening wear. The Ataker brand has been seen on celebrity it girls including Vanessa Marano, Carrie Underwood, Taraji Henson & Gina Rodriquez. One of my favorite designs from this entire SS17 season is John's exotic layered ruffle dress (top left). You all know how I love european and mosaic printed pieces.
Miguel Vieira
   |    |
Talk about a fun mix of prints and structural details! Miguel took the attention of fashion insiders with his exceptional talent for his SS17 collection. Geometric shapes in combination with fun seams and pocket details create an intriguing shape to the metallic dress (middle right). The sheer detail in combination with a layered ruffle skirt was one of my favorite pieces (bottom right). I also appreciated the structural parts in the white patterned dress (last row). There were rows of subtle, structural ruffles that created a fun mix to the pattern. After the show Courtney and I mingled with our blogger friends at the NYFW rooftop lounge.
L VL XIII
 |  |
Left to right: Antonio Brown, Jason Derulo and Kenneth Cole at LVL XIII’s NYFW presentation. Photos by Footwear News.
Designed in Italy and made for the fashion-forward elite, LVL XIII marks the future of luxury. The SS17 show was hosted by Brand Ambassador Jason Derulo. Although the runway show was futuristic, the collection was additionally inspired by ancient roman foundations in combination with utilitarian gear. Celebrities in attendance (other than Jason Derulo) include Karrueche Tran, Kenneth Cole, and Ty Hunter.
W E D N E S D A Y
Xuly Bet
   |    |
As a whole, Xuly Bet's show was a masterpiece. From the stars in the eyes of all of the designers personal friends including Kelly Osborne, Ms.Jay, and Spike Lee, to the vibrant, bright colors of the collection pieces, to the booming music in the foreground, to the finale when the designer came out jumping and dancing with pride at the show he just created. This show had it all. What inspired me most from the collection aside from the beautiful African prints and headscarfs was the great pride Xuly Bet took in his work and the level of support he received from his fellow industry professionals. There was so much love in that room at 9 o'clock in the morning. I didn't need a coffee after this show to wake me up. The energy in the room was contagious!
Written by: Selima Smith-Dell / Runway photos from Now Fashion.
Written by: Selima Smith-Dell / Runway photos from Now Fashion.
LaQuan Smith
   |    |
Designer to the celebrities, LaQuan Smith had a killer SS17 presentation. The presentation was hosted at the Spring Street Studios. It is not surprising that his body-con styles are worn often by the Kardashians. I also loved the plunging neckline shirt and copper metallic pants. The picture of the shear white lace jumpsuit doesn't do it justice. There is so much detail in person, I absolutely loved that piece. Celebrities in attendance included Jessica White, Christina Milian, Karrueche, Ty Hunter and Cardi B. Thanks celebrity stylist David Melton for the invite. :)
Some runway images provided by Fashion GPS.
