mercedes-benz fashion week

The Fashion Statement: Custo Barcelona's Expansion

Bold, graphic prints are certainly having their day in the sun. Spring 2010 is picking up where fall left off with lines such as BCBG Max Azria and Twinkle showing runny watercolor prints, Jackson Pollock-esque paint splats and all kinds of print mash ups during New York fashion week.

Designer Custo Dalmau of Custo Barcelona (pictured above) seems to be dovetailing nicely with the current look. But, since he started out in the business designing T-shirts in the '80s, he has always been obsessed with vibrant, colorful prints. A sneak peak of his line, slated to be unveiled tomorrow night, is a cocktail of peacock feathers, fringe, a bright lipstick print and a whimsical dressing table print (perfume bottles, mirrors).

"What would we be without prints?" Dalmau tells me. "We'd be jobless. To use color in fashion is kind of taboo. Prints are life. Life is in color."

Custo is also one of the few designers is this economic climate who is moving to a larger venue, rather than downsizing. Some 2,500 RSVPs are logged for tomorrow night's show.

What gives? Dalmau says the company has cut production costs to lower the retail price for customers. Changing the weight of yarn, choosing lighter materials and saving money on finishing the goods has made the difference. We can't independently confirm the private company's financial health but we do know Custo Barcelona is expanding to include childrenswear early next year.

Tags: Custo Barcelona, CustoBarcelona, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Mercedes-benzFashionWeek, Prints

The Fashion Statement: A Subdued Fashion Week?

by Kristin Young (RSS feed) —

Filed under: The Fashion Statement

Day two at New York fashion week and, already, the trends we'll be wearing next spring are starting to emerge. But the recession continues to cast a bigger cloud over Bryant Park than the pouring rain outside.

There are fewer shows-about 10 fewer than in February-because designers have moved to less expensive venues or have chosen not to show at all. Other designers pooled their funds (and models) and showed together on one runway.

"It's not as wild as I thought it was going to be," said Damon Webster, a commercial producer who was at the shows for the first time. "It's fairly tame."

Elizabeth Fisch, an intern at Vogue, said the decor of the lobby looks like it's been toned down and there is less intense promotion by sponsors.

Most surprisingly, though, some attendees insist they've seen fewer celebrities. Russell Simmons, Monet Mazur and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have all been spotted as well as an endless supply of TV reality show stars. But without a parade of A-listers, fashion week is not the media circus it's been in the past.

"There was a big line to get a glimpse of Kid Cudi last night," said Webster. Who's Kid Cudi? "Exactly!" Kid Cudi is a well-known hip-hop artist, but you get the point-not exactly a household name.

Then again celeb gawkers would have been very pleased with Fashion's Night Out (a shopping event) on Thursday night, where bumping into big names (Charlize Theron, Hate Hudson, Gwen Stefani, Victoria Beckham) was about as common as running into freaky dressers at the tents.

Tags: Bryant Park, BryantPark, Charlize Theron, CharlizeTheron, Fashions Night Out, FashionsNightOut, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Mercedes-benzFashionWeek, Monet Mazur, MonetMazur

Skybar Miami's Cool New Cocktails

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits

The poolside Skybar at the luxe Shore Club in Miami Beach (above) has revamped their chic cocktail menu in time for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week swimwear shows (check out a sizzling slideshow of bathing beauties here). The indoor/outdoor oasis, which is comprised of four different settings - the Redroom, Redroom Garden, Sandbar, and the Rumbar, which has 75 different varieties of rum - is intertwined with lush gardens ad secret passageways. Check out the gallery for photos and recipes of the new libations, but you'll have to actually go there to get the special Skybar Bento Box prepared by the Shore Club's own branch of Nobu.

Gallery: Skybar Miami Cocktails