A Few Fashion Week Favorites - Designers are Nailing Print Mixing

SS2013 has sent collections catapulting down NY Fashion Week runways with customary sultry panache.  For the fashion crowd this means eye candy for days. And stress, caffeine, and blisters. But that's all kind-of-sort-of-part-of the collective pain that brings the fashion community together. Only walking through this tiresome yet thrilling experience can birth the "we just really love and also abhor fashion week with all our heart" glance that can be shared knowingly between industry insiders.

This season is no different, of course. The reason we endure it all, again and again, is to be there to bare witness to the rare but exulting moments of brilliance and art that inevitably occur, season after season. Several of this season's special moments I'll mention here. For several seasons print mixing has been a heavy theme. The trend continues but it seems this season's designers have really polished this dance. Handling an intuition based, rule-less idea with more dexterity and ease. The wild-west of print mixing is being tamed and it is delightful to watch. For example, the prints at Mara Hoffman were jaw dropping. Always suckers for a classic t-shirt with playful words across the chest, we especially loved its classier sister - her tongue and cheek sleeveless 'ALOHA' shift.  

 

 Photo Credit: Randy Brooke

And then there was the  Look Good/ Do Good favorite, Cambridge Satchel Company, and it's  collaboration with another one of our all time faves, Chris Benz.  Each of Benz's outfits were accessorized with a color blocked CSC bag. Can you even? This is one of the most joyful little bags we've seen in a long time. 

via: Glamour.com

Also this bralette by Bono's line EDUN is just darling.  The perfect accoutrement to a sheer overlay or  peeking from the wide neckline of a slouchy fall sweater.  We love EDUN because the line proves socially conscious can be unquestionably high fashion- as a brand they actively work to increase trade with Africa. Aiming to produce 40% of their seasonal collection in Africa by 2013. Crunchy and boring equals socially conscious? We think not.

And finally, these shoes from Kork-Ease Jackie Fraser-Swan' s EMERSON collection. Killing it. (Photo by moi. It's much harder than one might thing get a good photo of models's fast moving feet! Slow down speed racers!) 

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Fashion Week! Last night: SGC-NYC pop-up shop

Last night we stopped by our favorite man about town, SGC N-Y-C's, pop-up shop. SGC N-Y-C produces and fabricates all items locally in NYC. He's not just slow fashion saavy, his is an edgy, every day cool girl  sort of line. We could wear every piece in the collection. Other featured favorites were Blood Is the New Black, Zana Bane x Todd Pendu, and  In God We Trust - all committed to handcraftsmanship and local production. Last but definitely not least Nettie Kent Jewelry, whose local production and emphasis on sustainable design is admirable. And plus we just really dig her sea-inspired collection. She was featured along with the artwork of her better half Colin Ruel. Becka Diamond spun from above all night long.

Top to Bottom:

Blood Is the New Black

Colin Ruel

Nettie Kent Jewelry

SGC N-Y-C Flasks

Todd Pendu x Zana Bayne

Photographer Betsy Blundell (taking pic of me taking pic of her)

SGC N-Y-C T's

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Modern Vice: Sick shoes handcrafted in NYC

MICKIE from MODERN VICE on Vimeo.

A few qualities we really appreciate at Look Good/Do Good are local production and the preservation of handcrafted artisan traditions. But we aint willing to give up super fabulous, rad-ass design.  All of these elements, we believe, can and should be achieved in modern fashion design. 

So when we stumbling upon this handcrafted in NYC, blow your mind unique design shoe line Modern Vice, we were all like, "Nailed it!" Check out this video on how Modern Vice made the Mickie (not to be confused with this).

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ISARO by Flutter - Indulge in pattern mixing without committing to entire clown outfit

Flutter by Jill Golden, always one of our jewelry favorites, has come out with another design hit. As usual her pieces are lux and gorge but this time they also have a helpful spin. Through a partnership with the Social Enterprise Indego Africa, a design driven, nonprofit outfit helping women gain access to education and economic independence, these handwoven beaded bracelets and necklaces are  produced in Rwanda, Africa.  Made of Japanese glass beads with Swarovski crystals and lambskin suede details, the mix of patterns and colors are also a perfect way for the faint of heart to indulge in this season's pattern/print mixing trend without committing an to an entire head to toe clown outfit.

Each piece is signed by the Artisan and comes in a unique Dutch Wax fabric pouch.

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Panties for Microloans

 (via AhaLife.com )

Empowered By You Panties, $20

Not only are these thongs seamless, sassy and other s-words - through the Seven Bar Foundation, $1 of each purchase goes towards providing microloans to women in developing economies around the world.  Super! (sorry)

These little numbers makes us actually want to start wearing underwear. We JK. Who doesn't wear underwear apart from days when laundry day was supposed to happen two weeks ago?

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I Die Friday: STELLA!!

Stella McCartney Eco Friendly Glasses, $225.00

Clare Vivier Messenger Bag in Bottle Green, $363.00

Lika Mimika Leather Espadrilles , $80.40

Stella McCartney is one of the few luxury designers who consistently adds at lease one element of social and eco-consciousness into every design.  So it's no surprise she's come out with a line of sunnies made from 54% natural and renewable resources - sacrificing nothing in spectacular design. (via SassyBella.com)

Normally a strictly black purse kinda girl, I'm loving this Bottle Green Clare Vivier Bag. Vivier  produces her collection locally in LA, is a socially conscious company, and keeps a low carbon foot print. And her shit cray fab.  It can be done!

Speaking of carbon feet, these naturally died organic calf leather espadrilles are anything but the crunchy espadrilles of yore.  What a brilliant neon pink for not using any chemicals in the dye, amIright? 

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Osborn, You are Everything

 

Osborn Soko Oxford , $148

I love this Greenpoint Brooklyn based company - and not only because they work from the best part of Brooklyn ( hint I live there, McGuiness what what?!!) but also for their crazy cool design sense with an equally unwavering dedication to the preservation of handcraft and skill. Focused equally on beauty and process, Osborn works with weavers and cobblers in Guatemala and has developed a collection of handcrafted to-die-for kicks. Lookin' Good, Osborn.

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