INTERVIEWING THE INTERVIEWER : A CANDID CONVERSATION WITH KINVARA BALFOUR

Kinvara Balfour, photograph by Alex Bramall (2013) provided by Kinvara Balfour

Unexpectedly pleasant and inexorably well-dressed, Kinvara Balfour is a leading style advisor to some, a playwright to others and a wellspring of sincere smiles to just about everyone she encounters. A veteran style editor at Condé Nast (among other publications), former couturier at Tomasz Starzewski and founder of DailyCandy.com UK, Balfour's span has touched every corner of the fashion industry. Adding to an already impressive resume, Balfour is currently following in the footsteps of her late uncle, David Frost, directing and hosting the 'Fashion in Conversation' series for Apple. Top fashion icons in both London and New York (Mary Katrantzou, Anna Wintour, etc.) become the subjects of lighthearted scrutiny as Balfour disarms them with her cheerful charisma. I catch up with Kinvara after a Fashion in Conversation session with Zac Posen. Keep reading for the Q&A…    

LINKS A LA MODE : WEEK of 3/6

I can't wait to shed the sleeves and trade all wooly winterwear for soft springy shifts. Starting Sunday, it's time to spring forward and slip more sun into the day. Soon we'll be sporting lighter layers and letting loose our beachside tresses. Have a look at this week's fib Top 20 (including my post!) and get ready to give up an hour of sleep!

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS-

Prada display at Bergdorf Goodman 5th Ave and 57th St

A tangy trace of feminism spices up the premise of Prada's Spring/Summer 2014 campaign.The endeavor began last year when Miuccia Prada enlisted muralists Gabriel Specter, Miles 'El Mac' Gregor, Mesa and Stinkfish and illustrators Jeanne Detallante and Pierre Mornet to create emotive portraits of women as part of the In the Heart of the Multitude project. First unleashed onto Prada's September 2013 catwalk (in Milan), the expressive faces are currently on the shelves and streets of fashion's premier cities. Having once worked as the secretary of Milan's communist party, Miuccia Prada is no stranger to politics and her vision of female ferocity and strength shines through this week, in the windows of Bergdorfs. 

MEMORIALIZING CHARLES JAMES @ the MET

Charles James Ball Gowns (1948)/Photo by Cecil Beaton courtesy the MET / Condé Nast Archive

Though his name lacks the bravado of Christian Dior or Cristobal Balanciaga, Charles James was the creator of the Taxi dress, the inspiration behind Dior's New Look of 1947, the father of American couture and now the subject of the first exhibit in the MET Museum's newly renovated Anna Wintour Costume Center. At a press breakfast February 10th, Harold Koda, curator of the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET), introduced the upcoming exhibit, Charles James: Beyond Fashion. Opening May 8th, the exhibit will occupy the first floor special exhibition galleries along with the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Gallery in the Anna Wintour Costume Center. A press preview will be held on May 5th and the exhibit will run until August 10th. 

SHOES + SHRIEKS + SARAH JESSICA PARKER

Sara Jessica Parker welcoming guests and encouraging them to shop

Sex and The City star Sarah Jessica Parker cut a pale pink ribbon amidst shrieks of excitement Friday morning, signaling the debut of her SJP shoe line. The signature grosgrain covering the back seam of SJP shoes may one day be synonymous to the red sole on Louboutins. Until then, it affords each customer a piece of Parker's rags to riches story. Growing up in a low-income setting, there was always an ample supply of ribbons (for hair ties); this Parker wanted to carry through to her shoe line. Available exclusively at Nordstrom, the entire collection of SJP shoes, bags and a trench (in 2 colors) is featured in Nordstrom's 3-day West Soho pop-up. 

LINKS A LA MODE : WEEK of 2/27

This week in fashion included reflections of London, NY and Milan, presentations for Made and Paris Fashion Weeks and the introduction of Sara Jessica Parker's SJP shoe line for Nordstrom. The Olympics ended. Bill Cunningham announced an exhibit at the NY Historical Society and the Oscars are on the horizon this weekend. Kicking and screaming, I've taken a short-lived swim in the infinite pool of social media. Twitter headlines aside, have a look at the IFB Top 20 this week...

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS

Chanel, Spring Street, Soho

With daylight savings time ambling around the corner, the dim days of winter are slowly melting into a sunny spring. Looking forward, the ladies of Chanel show a little skin in sassy, spy-girl chic attire. Darker and spicier than the sequins, sneakers and subdued spring colors that strut down the catwalk at Paris Fashion week, these sunglass wielding ladies steal the show in Chanel's Soho windows!

LOVELY IN LACE : MARIANA JUNGMANN

Model Victoria Clore in Mariana Jungmann ensemble / Hair & Makeup: Virginia Bertolani / Photographer: Claudiu Berechet

While trends experience transitory prominence and commercialized style enjoys the security of covering day-to-day pursuits, nothing compares to the craft and creative complexity of couture clothing. After all, J.Crew and H&M simply aren't exhibited at the MET. During London Fashion Week, my curiosity gravitates towards the fresh talent emerging from fashion's top institutions. Of this year's London College of Fashion (LCF) graduates, Mariana Jungmann catches my eye--and the attention of the style community--with her lace-inspired womenswear. One of 10 MA students selected to present 10 looks at the LCF 2014 fashion show, Jungmann's stylish silhouettes command the catwalk against a digital projection of shattered shards. Keep reading for my Q&A with the designer herself...

LINKS A LA MODE : WEEK of 2/20

 

Fashion week has flown by this February! Between the flurries and the flu, I've for-gone the fun and fêtes for a fortnight in bed. Luckily, this week's Links a La Mode roundup holds a few recaps of fashion week festivities (including my contribution!). Have a look and leave a note with your thoughts on Fashion week 2014... 

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS

Springtime has landed at Ralph Lauren Kids, Madison Ave. (at 71st St.) 

Winter break and wretched weather set the stage for a resort-style escape. Ralph Lauren's Madison Ave. flagship transports a taste of Bermuda to New York in its kid's store windows. Pastel hued houses, swimming shorts and sunny beach scenes warm up weary wills in Manhattan's melting metropolis. With flurries in the forecast, a few glimpses of short sleeves and summer style are a welcome wonder this endless winter.