Catherine Malandrino

Five Tastemaking Looks from Catherine Malandrino F/W 2011

Filed under: Apparel

Catherine Malandrino F/W 2011
The Catherine Malandrino Fall/Winter 2011 presentation was focused on the romanticism of a chilly, stylish Paris with the gritty edge of NYC.

The result? Stunning silhouettes in laser cut black leather, scarlets, purples and emeralds, lots and lots of black, luscious furs, and accessories that already have us thinking of ways to spot fakes. Each piece was tailored to perfection, and while the models were on the skinny side, even for for models, you can see in the lines that these clothes would work on real people, too.

Tags: catherine malandrino, fashion week, FW 2011, malandrino, New York Fashion Week, NYFW, top 5, top five

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The Fashion Statement: Fashion Week's a Wrap

by Kristin Young (RSS feed) —

Filed under: The Fashion Statement

New York fashion week, which ends here today, will unfortunately be remembered as 1) the week during which Alexander McQueen committed suicide and 2) the last time Bryant Park hosted the shows.

As tragic as the loss of McQueen was, in particular, life went on as did the designers in the tents and elsewhere in the city. Here, a few highlights from the week:

Rodarte, shown above, looked as if heavy salvaged pieces of fabric had been caught up by a stiff fall wind and wrapped its wearer in bohemian luxe. Ironically, the Mulleavy sister design duo chose fall to lighten up with bright colors and florals, a stark contrast to the black goth-like collection they presented for spring.

Boyfriends and husbands, beware of closet raids. Preen set the tone for the new blazer silhouette -- a masculine and longer-body -- worn with a belt or not. After seasons of tight and short blazers, this roomier style looks just right.

Michael Quintanilla, a journalist friend of mine I bumped into after Donna Karan, made the comment that only the work of a master can transform basic black pieces into a phenomenal collection. Karan is such a master. Black off-the-shoulder gowns, black cocoon coats and black blazers accented with leather patches were simply gorgeous. The designer carefully punctuated the show with fuchsia coats and teal cocktail dresses that, against all that black, were all the more eye-popping.

Gallery: The Fashion Statement--02/18/10

Tags: Alexander McQueen, AlexanderMcqueen, Catherine Malandrino, CatherineMalandrino, Donna Karan, DonnaKaran, Halston, New York Fashion Week, NewYorkFashionWeek, Oscar de la Renta, OscarDeLaRenta, Preen, Rodarte, Sarah Jessica Parker, SarahJessicaParker

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Luxist Gift Guide 09: Catherine Malandrino for Cointreau

by Ariston Anderson (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Dining, Spirits, Holiday Guides

This holiday season two unique luxury brands Catherine Malandrino and Cointreau, both brought to the States via France, have teamed up to deliver the ultimate gift bottle. Malandrino chose the symbol of the Statue of Liberty, arguably the best thing the French ever gave us, to mark the limited edition Cointreau bottle.

The Cointreau bottle has remained remarkably unchanged for nearly 160 years, making this one of the hottest collector's bottles of the season. Malandrino's romantic bottle remains true to the silhouette, but is dressed in stars and lace, calling to mind the signature detailed cuts and handicraft trims of her ready-to-wear collection.

Cointreau is a must to give our favorite cocktails that slight edge of "Je ne sais quoi" sweet and bitter oranges, making for the most perfect margaritas or cosmopolitans. Bring this luxury gift to your hostess this holiday season to spice up any cocktail hour.

Cointreau Cosmopolitan Recipe
2.5oz Vodka
1.5oz Cointreau
1oz Cranberry Juice
0.5oz lime juice
Shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with twist of orange to bring out the flavor of Cointreau.

Gallery: Catherine Malandrino for Cointreau

Tags: Catherine Malandrino, Cointreau, Fashion, liqueur, spirits

Blige & Bloomberg Step Out for NY Women's Foundation Gala

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Charity, Big Givers

Grammy award winning R&B songstress Mary J. Blige and Mayor Michael Bloomberg were the star attractions at the The New York Women's Foundation (NYWF) Fall Dinner 2009 the other night held at Manhattan's chic Gotham Hall.

Blige (right) performed at the exclusive event, where guests included socialites Agnes Gund, Anne Bass, Muffie Potter Aston, Sharon Bush, Debbie Bancroft, Jean Shafiroff, Denise Rich, and designer Catherine Malandrino.

Stepping Up Awards were presented to New Yorkers who "serve as role models of courageous leadership, vision and commitment to women and girls as individuals and as partners," including Elizabeth and Herbert Sturz and Sheryl WuDunn and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Nicholas D. Kristof.

Established in 1987 as a public philanthropy, the NYWF strategically funds organizations and programs that move women, girls and families towards long-term economic security through individual transformation and systemic change.

Tags: Anne Bass, AnneBass, Catherine Malandrino, CatherineMalandrino, Denise Rich, DeniseRich, Mary J. Blige, MaryJ.Blige, Michael Bloomberg, MichaelBloomberg, socialites, The New York Womens Foundation, TheNewYorkWomensFoundation

The Fashion Statement: Slam it in Neutral

by Kristin Young (RSS feed) —

Filed under: The Fashion Statement

Move aside, paint splats, watercolor prints and all manner of brights. Spring collections like Catherine Malandrino's (pictured above) are also putting it into neutral. Neutrals have traditionally been the stalwart of spring, but these neutrals have, for lack of a better word, umph. There's something urban about them.

Rich khakis are everywhere (Alexander Wang, Vena Cava). Gray matters, particularly darker shades ranging from slate gray to dark charcoal (Narciso Rodriguez, Milly by Michelle Smith). Pale, oh-so-pale-it's-barely-there ice blue looks just perfect right now (Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs). And flesh tones like beige, milky ivory and taupe are so delicate I did a double take because I wasn't sure those models were clothed (Max Azria, Donna Karan).

Of course, there's a method to the madness. Designers are hyper aware that the shopper is going to go for basic pieces that complement what's already in their closet. Neutrals do the trick. And you can always change it up with a colorful bag, scarf or shoe.

Switzerland has nothing on Spring 2010.

Gallery: The Fashion Statement: Neutral Territory