Gen Art Fresh Faces in Fashion Show 2012

Gen Art Fresh Faces in Fashion 2012 featured six emerging designers, who have been working under their own label for the past 1-5 years. Here's a look at my top picks from each designer. Gretchen Jones and Chloe comme Parris were my favorite designers, presenting the most wearable, contemporary pieces. 

Anne Sofie Madsen introduces handcrafted pieces with couture techniques, experimenting with fine mesh with leather detailing applied and hand-drawn illustrations printed digitally on silk or wool fabrics. 

ANNE SOFIE MADSEN  

Gretchen Jones focuses on printed feminine dresses and separates with a romantic flair, made with natural materials, such as leather, silk,wool, linen, bamboo and organic cotton. 

GRETCHEN JONES

  

Katungulu Mwendwa is the Gen Art Global Contest winner. Her collection is inspired by the Tuareg (Indigo People) set in a fantasized concept of Northern Africa in the distant future of a post apocalyptic world. Key looks include high low shirts, maxi dresses and wide turtle neck collars in silk chiffon, cotton and jersey fabrics.  

KATUNGULU MWENDWA 

Chloe comme Parris is effortless and city chic with dresses in subtle prints, while adding a modern edge with a moto jacket, trench coat and leather shorts. 

CHLOE COMME PARRIS

  

  

Amanda Lewkee has a throw-on-and-go aesthetic, including track suits, bike shorts and maxi dresses paired with Dr. Martens. My favorite piece is the dry fit black panel dress with double thigh high slits and leather collar.

  AMANDA LEW KEE

 

 

Standouts in COMEFORBREAKFAST's collection include printed dresses with pleating details and geometric inserts and trench coats. Fabrics include viscose crepe, coated linen, leather, silk and chiffon, organza, cotton and acetate/viscose. 

COMEFORBREAKFAST

 - Kim Weling

Gen Art New Garde Fashion Presentation & Party

GAR—DE Presentation

Sophomore Presentation

NOMIA Presentation

WesFeld Presentation

On February 10th, the eve of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, I found myself braving a snowstorm in a cocktail dress and snow boots to attend Gen Art's New Garde fashion presentation and party at Drive In Studios. The snow didn't seem to stop anybody else - as it was a jam packed event. There were four separate fashion presentations including GAR—DE, Nomia, Sophomore and WesFeld. The event, also presented by Plastics Make It PossibleSM, was hosted by Molly Sims.

Sophomore took a different approach to their presentation, showing their collection via a live photo shoot. Photographers, media outlets and guests were welcome to take pictures of the shoot as the photographer shot each look.

WesFeld's winning designs from the 2009 Plastics Make it PossibleSM competition is inspired by elements of water and nature. Poly-organza, poly-taffeta and plastic boning are used in creating their stunning pieces. The pieces are modern works of art. The bright orange gown brought a nice pop of color to the looks.

During the presentation and party, guests were enjoyed makeovers by Maybelline, and drinks courtesy of Patrón Tequila cocktails, Bud Light Lime beer, Kim Crawford wines, and Honest Tea.

- Kim Weling

Gen Art's "The New Garde" Launch Party at Dermalogica

Daniel Feld and Wesley Nault of WesFeld


Chrissie Miller and Madeleine Von Froomer of Sophomore

On February 3rd, I attended Gen Art's The New Garde launch party at the Grand Street Dermalogica store. The launch was in celebration of the four designers featured in the upcoming Plastics Make it PossibleSM Fashion Week Show, including GAR-DE, NOMA, Sophomore and WesFeld.

The party was packed, while attendees enjoyed complimentary drinks, hors d'oeuvres, Dermalogica MicroZone skin treatments and Face Mapping skin analysis.

I love Dermalogica skincare! I didn't get to try one of the treatments but I did receive an invitation to choose one of the 20 minute treatments in the gift bag, so I'll definitely be back. Attendees also received a Dermalogica stress relief candle and skin rescue set including a travel-size microfoliant, hydrating masque, toner, hydrating booster and eye cream.

- Kim Weling

Gen Art Shop NYC

Shoppers at Yumi Kim


objets trouves designer Kate Linstrom (left) with colleague

Andrea Brueckner Handbags

BYSOG Handbags

Makeovers at Dex

I must say that the Gen Art Shop NYC event gets better every time I go. The latest shopping party took place on June 3rd at a very accessible location - 7 West 34th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues. Complimentary wine, beer, hair and makeup makeovers were available. As an avid attendee of the Gen Art runway shows, I was happy to see a lot of cutting edge designers selling their pieces at up to 70% off! There were over 60 designers present, but my main focus of the night was scooping out the designers that offered the best fit for petite people like me, and finding a new handbag to rock.

My first stop was at Yumi Kim, who always carries a great assortment of tops and dresses in fun, flirty prints. This time around the dresses were too long for me (last time I bought a blue silk lurex dress for $75) but I did manage to find an XS purple silk top with a back zip closure, for only $35. I saved over 75% off as the original retail price was $150!

I stumbled upon a designer that I wasn’t familiar with - objets trouves, and met the designer herself, Kate Linstrom. She does carry XS sizing, and I have already found some favorites in her spring/summer collection – a black skirt with side zips, red silk romper, metallic Stella skirt, fuchsia Bird’s Wing Top and a strapless Goldie dress. I definitely plan on buying some of this label in the near future!

Ardistia New York is definitely on my shop list, carrying dresses and separates that start in size XS and are suitable for work (at least my work, which has a casual yet stylish environment) including cropped skinny jeans, a wrap cardigan and double breasted trench coat. I took a sneak peak of Ardistia’s fall collection on their website and liked the front pleat top, cropped sleeve trench coat, hooded square coat, an angel sleeve dress with a boyfriend jacket and a bubble collar top, all in a neutral palette of black, grey and taupe.

I managed to pick up a Sally Tseng lookbook for fall and spotted a cute safari print top (which I could pull off as a dress), metallic beau blazer and a Dori jacket in graphite.

Now on to my focus with handbags, the steal of the day had to be the Andrea Brueckner metallic distressed leather city bag, that I got for $100, but retails for $650! That’s like 85% off – can’t get any better than that!

I also stumbled up BYSOG New York bags, currently carrying bags for men and women, but have collections for babies and pets coming for Fall 2009. You can definitely spice up your bag collection with these Italian Goat skin leather in agua blu, fuscia fantay, orange kush and bitta yellow colors. I absolutely love the Relapse Tote in blue moon or the Lena Lena bag in agua blu. I will have to get myself one of these bags next!

I definitely have to be prepared to spend more money at the next Gen Art Shop NYC event, with so many designers carrying XS and so many leather handbags to catch my eye, I can’t possibly leave empty-handed! Next time I will have to add jewelry to my shopping list….