'Under the Rug'

The end of New York’s fashion week signaled the last time I would look wistfully at bathing suits and espadrille sandals for another six months (well, not including Milan and London’s fashion weeks).

It was one last reminder to reorganize my closet and to put away all my summer clothes – a task which I managed to complete, but took me all last weekend to do.

And a task which made me draw the following conclusion: I am going to need some new floor rugs.

Sure, the woven white area rugs with hand-knotted fringe are cute. But the white rugs are more appropriate for warmer weather, as it provides minimal warmth and coverage.

For this coming season I am going to need something bigger, better, warmer and oh yes, fuzzier.

Recent arrivals at Décor Innovation include an appropriately named Safari Collection with grizzly and polar bear rugs and accent pillows.

The area rugs (each $84.99) are made of acrylic fibers with soft polyester backing for warmth and comfort. Measuring 55”x96”, the rugs provide ample ground coverage, protecting your hardwood floors underneath and absorbing noise.

To compliment the area rugs, the accent pillows for $29.99 come in a set of two – a perfect addition to that sofa, lounge chair, or bed. Easy to clean, the pillows can be washed in cold water and hung on a line to dry.

Personally, I like having a wild card when it comes to décor (the burst of color on a wall, the velvet couch, the lampshade made of antlers) and an ensemble (ie. the crocodile clutch, the brightly colored heel, the statement necklace).

Faux fur vests and stoles pack the kind of fur ball punch that few studded and glittering accessories have. Its 3-dimensional texture instantly amplifies a wardrobe. Yet, it maintains its versatility – faux fur could be translated into looks that are luxurious, hippie, sexy, country, or just savage.

The same rule applies to faux fur rugs, bedding, curtains and other accents. It doesn’t take much.

Plus, I get to spend all day cuddling with something fuzzy. I don’t even have to feed or walk it.

-S. Gonzalez

*Photos courtesy of decorinnovation.com

'Double Take'

Reminding us all that fashion is supposed to be fun, designers Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCullough of Proenza Schouler dreamed up a Spring-Summer Collection with tie-dye, animal print, tinsel and beading in the brightest colors imaginable.

It was a collection welcomed by fashion critics who argued in the last couple of seasons that the 28-year-olds were “trying too hard to come off as adult.”

The critics were right in this aspect, lest the two designers forget that they owe their overnight fame and success to their 20- early-30-something and celebrity customers. The youthful take on fashion’s recent trends had much to do with their source of inspiration:

“We wanted something young, something that felt fresh,” Hernandez told Style.com. “So we looked to surfing and skating – the things we grew up on.”

And refreshing it was, in a California-scuba-diver-meets-New-York-club-goer sort of way.

The sporty chic collection starred windbreakers wrapped around the waist which doubled as skirts. The motif continued in aqua blue shirt dresses and purple tank dresses. The most versatile combination was a black jacket with a menswear cut worn over color-blocked track pants.

Not afraid of color, the duo delivered animal print tops in an interesting tie-dye effect. But there were no references to hippies and Woodstock, with such blinding color combinations of blue and yellow encouraging the models to don thick, black sunglasses.

The bra-cup bodices that have defined Proenza Schouler style did return, this time accented with layers of mini-ruffles. In an unlikely use of material, plastic pom-pom fringe and tinsel fell in a torrent from the shoulders of racer back dresses.

Do you think the pair tried to tone it down with their choosing of accessories? Nope.

Studded, laser-cut heels, woven wedge sandals, and clutches came in the same electrified color palette as the rest of the garments.

Need a bit more attention next season? This is one collection that can’t help but go unnoticed.

-S.Gonzalez

*Photos courtesy of style.com

'Skrap That'

Only in New York can a fashion show with a collection of ripped and sharpie-scribbled tees draw a crowd of hipster followers to the heart of Soho.

The invitation to the Skrapper fashion show arrived on my desk about a week ago, printed on a piece of denim fabric in the same kind of chicken scratch writing iconic of the new line. Prone to be a bit skeptic (and a bit snobbish), I reminded myself that I shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet an up-and-coming label.

With my coworker girlfriend in tow, we headed to the Red Bull Space – a venue found wedged between shuttered store fronts and roadwork.

The gathering outside was a mixture of newbie models, wanabe stylists and fashionistas, starving artists and buyers.

Needless to say, this was one event where the designer didn’t hide backstage before the start of the show – we saw him several times exiting and entering the space (well past the fashion show start time, of course).

Already sticky from the unexpected humidity and peeved from the wait, the offering of Skrapper’s own bottled wine did much to ease my mounting frustration (that and the free gift bags once I got to my seat).

The trumpet and electric guitar duet and the video projected “Bulls***, Bulls***, Name drop,Bulls***” on the wall did raise an eyebrow. I mean, what would a brand with only a limited collection of T-shirts online have to bring to the fashion roundtable?

The answer is: Nothing really. Unless we count the attitude.

Models swaggered past in nothing more than tees and black undergarments, appearing angry, sleep-deprived and possibly on drugs. To make for the lack of originality in the collection, one model decided to light a cigarette onstage; another, albino model Shaun Ross, bent over and spanked himself.

In what could be considered the second half of the show, models donned boxing gloves.

Why exactly?

To prove that T-shirts bearing the graffiti words “Republican, Democratic, Skrapper” stood a fighting chance against other fledgling fashion labels? Or was it to distract audience members enough to stay until the end of show?

Turns out that Skrapper is the work of artist and former Warhol exhibition alum William Quigley and designer Katie Theofilos. The portraiture-heavy tees include such well-known icons as Audrey Hepburn and Muhammad Ali

(LIGHT BULB GOES OFF) Maybe that’s where the boxing gloves come from?

Whatever the inspiration, the text on the gift bag couldn’t have summed up tonight more perfectly (yes, I skipped the afterparty):

“Skrapper, Skrapper, Skrap on, Skrapper, Skrapper, Why... Skrapper Who?”

'Siriano From the Sea'

Standing at only a few inches taller that I, it was Christian Siriano’s short, wiry frame that caught my attention in an East Village thrift shop last June.

Having skimped out on the recent installments of the ‘Project Runway’ series, it took me some time to realize that the familiar face at Buffalo Exchange was the show’s winner from its fourth season.

The 23-year-old wowed judges with his sophisticated and detail-driven designs, winning the most challenges than any other contestants before him. Today, Siriano elicited the same reaction from a celebrity-studded audience at his Spring-Summer 2010 fashion show in Bryant Park.

Rising from the foamy sea, the designer’s Venus emerged in a glimmering white tailored suit and large brim hat. The churning of the Mediterranean Sea, which served as his inspiration, washed up in the skirts and jackets – a blend of aqua, green, blue, white and black.

In Siriano’s favorite nude colors, models wore beaded bodices that gave way to a lavishly draped, origami-folded organza skirt. His signature ruffles hugged the necklines and waists of satin dresses. There were flounces in the shoulders, subtle pleating and balloon hems to add further volume to his eveningwear.

Model Alessandra Ambrosio and actress Mena Suvari applauded the satin-faced organza gowns, an explosion of romantic ruffles in a blush and then a molten earth color – Venus had made her way to the Italian coastline.

At a time when other designers prefer black leather and studded accents, Siriano presented a collection that was tranquil and fluid, as cool as a dip in the ocean would be. It was an interpretation praised by his most loyal critic/mentor Tim Gunn, who equated the young designer to “this generation’s Marc Jacobs.”

Gunn told the press: “I feel like a proud dad.”

As for the shoes? The teetering models stood on vertiginous platforms with a sharp, claw-like heel. According to the Associated Press, the shoes mark his third lineup for his campaign with Payless.

Now that’s fierce.

-S. Gonzalez

*Photos courtesy of style.com