Interview

There are plenty of Lower East Side men's that stock various plaids and tweeds—very few that specialize in high-end and up-and-coming Belgian designs. Nonetheless, when Project No. 8, the understated but popular Chinatown boutique began to feel crowded, Brian Janusiak and Elizabeth Beer, the designer partners that opened the shop's doors, decided to expand into untested waters. The store is one of several projects the duo has undertaken, from designer Obama buttons to book printing, to their own clothing line. The two thought they could take their understated style and convert it into a men's store that wasn't laden with brandy bottles and taxidermy.

Down the street, on the corner of Orchard and Allen, they opened 8b, Janusiak and Beer opened a bright, airy space geared towards guys. Differing from the tweed-friendly, safari-and-fireside vibes of traditional men's stores, they wanted to create something accessible. Already stocked with favorites like Italian-based Replay and Antwerp-native Stephan Schneider, No. 8b will also be home to the New York-debut of a couple of emerging labels, like Tsurukichi's light Japanese creations or artist-designer Tom Scott's debut men's collection.

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There were a lot of ideas proposed by designers this season. We've organized them for you, alphabetically: Here is an alphabetical CliffsNotes of what we learned on the runways in Milan:


A  Aquascutum: The brand never looked so good as designer Graeme Fidler looked to its past, both in the archives and recent seasons for a collection with strong influences of swinging London in the early 60's.

B  Bowl cuts: Jil Sander's new hair statement (by hairstylist Paul Hanlon) and a nod to its inspiration, Franco-Japanese artist Tsugoharu Foujita. (LEFT: IMAGE COURTESY OF JIL SANDER)

C  Camping: DSquared pitched a tent and went CAMP-ing.
 
D  DIY: Alexander McQueen's literally hand-painted clothes, and painterly drips and strokes at Moschino and Trussardi, made you want to discover the artist inside.

E  Ernest Hemingway: though nowhere a cited influence, the intelligent, rumpled, and relaxed with a fisherman vibe of the Missoni show reminded me of the writer during his days in Key West.

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For as long as I can remember, Azzedine Alaïa has lived and worked in his own boutique, atelier and theater complex converted from an old soup kitchen on rue de la Verrerie in Paris' Marais. He's also been an avid collector of vintage couture for years, acquiring the likes of Vionnet, which he keeps in a specially outfitted vault in his basement. So when an invitation arrived for a private view in Alaïa's theater of the Schiaparelli pieces that are part of an extensive  couture sale to be held  at the Paris auction house Drouot on July 3, I made time to have a look. Nobody's saying if these 24 Schiaparellis from the 30s, lovingly lit in her favorite color pink, are from Alaïa's own collection, but it's a good bet. The sale is organized by Chombert-Sternbach, (Dominique Chombert and Françoise Sternbach) a Paris-based duo which has quickly become the fashion specialist in Paris organizing about 40  auctions per year from Hermès to a recent YSL clothing sale held cleverly last February just when Pierre Bergé put the contents of Yves' art-filled home on the block. Among the curvy black suits, whimsical satin gowns, and trompe l'oeil jewelry on display was one heart-stopper: the crossover burlap jacket  featuring a woman's blonde hair falling down one sleeve  with her face on the shoulder and hand at the waist designed by Jean Cocteau  and embroidered by Lesage for Schiaparelli's winter 1937 collection estimated from 12,000 to 15,000. Ah that's worth breaking a stylish piggy bank for, certainly. 

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Berlin is well known for its youth-driven expatriate bohemians and generic urban architecture. But one of the most anticipated shows for Mercedes Benz's Spring/ Summer 2010 Berlin Fashion Week is Sabrina Dehoff's homage to gardens and romance. (LEFT: DEHOFF, PHOTO BY MAXIME BALLESTEROS)

"I named this collection 'Sweet Surrender,'" Dehoff explains while posing for a portrait by photographer Maxime Ballesteros in the designer's husband's painting studio, which is attached to her own design atelier. "I wanted this collection to have a strong kitsch element. I wanted it to be able pastel colors, kissing, hugging and love. It is a very emotional collection."

The title and inspiration for Dehoff's collection deliberately escapes emotional intensity, and the subsequent results are calming, pretty and charming. The effect is more about surrendering to sweetness, than sweet surrender. In the past, Dehoff cut the inherent cuteness of her aesthetic with dashes of irony and acidic humor. But the current collection of loose silk dresses, printed rompers and nature-inspired accessories by the graduate of the prestigious Lette Verein in Berlin and London's Royal College of Arts indulges in simple pleasures without being saccharine, because Dehoff's craftsmanship is strong and her style is sophisticated.

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