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Charlotte Ronson

RSVIP: Notes from the Tents at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week--Part I

Filed under: Apparel, Events

backstage at tommy hilfigerThere are tents within tents during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, curtained-off rooms backstage and in secret hallways, where models whip their clothes off and change into their first look; where they have their hair snipped and sprayed and teased; where Gwen Stefani's two little boys, Kingston and Zuma, were able to play in private; and, of course, the Diane von Furstenberg-designed "Star Room," where Mercedes-Benz served miniature cupcakes, fresh sushi, and fine cheese to swells.

The sexiest scene RSVIP noted was backstage at the Tommy Hilfiger show on Sunday, right, where the well-known new youth models, Arizona and Jordan, among many others, had their hair wetted as jugs of water were poured over their heads into a large plastic trash can backstage before they began drying their own tresses.

Annabelle Dexter-Jones Models at Half-Sister Charlotte Ronson's Fall 2011 Show (with video)

Filed under: Apparel

Annabelle Dexter-Jones models at Charlotte Ronson Fall 2011 Show at Fashion WeekCharlotte Ronson's Fall 2011 Fashion Show this evening at the Mercedes-Benz-sponsored Fashion Week in New York was a family affair.

Sister and deejay Samantha Ronson mixed the music for the show, while half-sister Annabelle Dexter-Jones, served as one of the models (see video below).

Annabelle (seen at right) was gorgeous in a stunning military herringbone suede trim riding jacket that was paired with a military silk Caspian dot print romper completed with black lace-up wedge booties.

Ronson's younger sibling has quite a bit of modeling experience. According to her bio, she has modeled in campaigns for Louis Vuitton and Hogan, besides being the face of Charlotte's clothing line.

Ronson's show was superb. The collection is very wearable in mostly sedated colors, including black, coffee and charcoal.

RSVIP: Mercedes-Benz NYC Fashion Week at Lincoln Center (Part I)

Filed under: Apparel, Events

While it seems inconceivable that such a publication exists, RSVIP has been told by designers that a kind of fashion playbook can be bought each season that lists upcoming trends. Of course, the very best designers lead the march of fashion every season or even decades in advance. But, oddly enough, to play it safe, some simply present their version of items on the trend list.

RSVIP's first show at the new tents at New York's Lincoln Center was Christian Siriano, the "Project runway" winner on Thursday, September 9. Backstage, Siriano spoke of mixing cultures and ethnicities. But on the runway, we spotted several trends that would be hammered home again and again this season: tan leather skirts, jackets, and dresses in the style of the original "Planet of the Apes"; thin rope belts; big, fat double-clasp leather belts; sheer fabric as an overlay; colorful prints; mixing belts with ball gowns; and dynamic, arty prints. And while Siriano hit these notes, one couldn't help but feel that if the gigantic fluffy ball gowns that he ended the show with, right, had been made by Oscar de la Renta's tailors, they would have been a fashion editor's dream. Sand and taupe, by the way, are the new black.

At 6:00 p.m. that day at Milk Studios, on West 15th Street, a serious jaunt from Lincoln Center, designer Jen Kao covered the runway with mandala-like sand drawings. And the collection included sandy desert hues. The stringy sandal straps snaked up the legs of models. And we saw macramé, large leather patches sewn onto dresses, and much sheer tied on and sewn over sheer pants, sheer skirts, and flowing sheer shirts.

And while some of the clothes appeared overwrought in person, they photograph beautifully. RSVIP spotted Kelly Rowland in the front row, but it was tricky to chat before the show without disturbing the sand.

Allen B. Schwartz, Charlotte Ronson Now at JCPenney

Filed under: Apparel, Celebrity Design


Several months ago I read that "master of trend" Allen B. Schwartz, of A.B.S. fame, was to introduce a line at JCPenney. Last week I saw a catalog announcing the line, called Allen B., on its cover. The collection seems to be aimed at teens and women in their 20s. Same with Charlotte Ronson's new line at JCPenney, called I Heart Ronson. Both lines are priced as one would expect from JCP, ranging up to $60 for a long Allen B. dress and up to $40 for a short I Heart Ronson dress. These designers are following in the footsteps of Isaac Mizrahi at Target and Vera Wang at Kohl's, offering lower-priced options to those who still want a bit of trend with a designer name.

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