Featuring two of my favorite returning acts from last year, the Made in NY presentation was a lovely way to spend an afternoon.
It was great to see Nevaeh again. Last year’s collection was lushly romantic, with a color palette of deep pinks, teals, a pale mauve, and black, rendered in soft jersey, lace, and silk, accessorized with stockings and chic cocktail hats. This year, the collection revolved around a single print, an unusual warm floral, paired with black eyelash lace and black mesh.
This gown was stunning. The simple bias-cut shape and the below-the-knee hem reminded me of silhouettes from the 1920s and 1930s. Also, I need everyone’s shoes.
Part of the wonder of this collection was in seeing just how many different shapes and styles emerged from such a simple palette. Some, like the gown, evoked a nostalgic, 1930s romance. Still others, like the impeccably constructed balconette bra and bikini brief with strappy hip detail below (below, front row left), gave off an edgier, more contemporary playfulness.
The styling was, simply, gorgeous. The models stood in a field of butterflies, and each sported dramatic, elegant makeup and soft, romantic hairstyles. The presentation had a dreamy, almost storybook feel to it.
Despite the fact that the print is strong and unusual, the collection offers a little something for everyone: a few different styles of bras and bralettes, varying styles of knickers, a suspender belt, gown, robe, chemise, camisole-and-tap-short set: the works! I always love seeing this kind of adventurousness and creativity, especially with a single color palette. The designer’s construction skills and eye for shapes and styles are really put to the test, and Nevaeh passes with flying colors. I can see the collection appealing to women looking for something darker and edgier, something softer and slinkier, and something frillier and more relaxed. There’s also a great opportunity for women to mix and match pieces to create a lingerie ensemble that really suits their preferences.
And then the models turn around, and the finishing details absolutely sing. I’ll take one of everything, please.
I’ll also take one of all their hairdos.
It was so hard to pick a favorite look. Between the gown, the camisole and tap pants, and the robe, I’m sort of spoiled for choice.
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NaiS features fun, unexpected lingerie/clothing hybrid pieces, beautiful layering, and unusual details. Last year I remember loving the presentation’s creative layering, lace teddies, and imaginative makeup and gold hairpieces. This year? A more cohesive, sophisticated collection, offering riskier colors, more daring cuts, and just-as-awesome styling.
If there’s one thing that really stood out to me this fashion week/market week, it was a sense of adventurousness with color. It’s easy to default to pastels or nautical styling for Spring/Summer lingerie collections, but I saw crimsons, oranges, greens, yellows, and blues used abundantly alongside blush and ballet pinks. In February we saw black, beige, peach, and gold at NaiS, and it was beautiful, but this time the colors are much more daring.
The collection features mustard, red, dove grey, and robin’s egg blue, mostly as solids with the occasional sharp burst of print or stunning use of lace. The lace teddy placed front and center is particularly awesome [note: "awesome" is Technical Fashion Speak].
NaiS continues to impress with the styling: last season’s models wore golden hair jewelry and gleaming, bronzed makeup. This season’s models sported crimped, disheveled updos and feather hairpieces that gave them the look of fierce, wild goddesses.
Shapes felt refined and more tightly executed: the fit was immaculate, and the blue and grey colorblocked underwire bra and brief set offered a slightly retro feel without any of the fussiness or frilliness that can sometimes come with vintage styling. The bralettes featured beautiful lace in unusual color pairings– orange/beige and grey/mustard.
I liked the unexpected pairings of shape and style: the lace chemise above looks streamlined and almost sporty instead of flowy or prissy, and the bright orange bralette seems sweeter and softer when rendered in lace and paired with the flowing sheer overskirt.
Again, it was hard to pick a favorite pieces, but the lace teddy and the bodysuits were definitely at the top of the list. The teddy is such a gorgeously unusual color for lingerie, and the bodysuits make me think of superheroes! I love them.
Designer Anaïs Bouchard with her Spring/Summer 2014 collection
I was surprised I liked the yellow kimono as much as I did; it feels very 1970s to me, and in general the styles of that decade generally hold no appeal for me. But it’s right on trend, and it’s a more grown-up loungewear offering that complements the bodysuits and funky crop top/legging set.
“Made in NY” was my favorite of the Fashion Week gallery presentations. Both the Nevaeh and NaiS collections build upon last season to offer unusual, self-assured, and incredibly stylish (and very, very different) lingerie. I can see pieces from each collection appealing to women of different ages with varying personal styles. I particularly love seeing great work like this being produced in the USA, and especially New York. The city has such a rich history of garment and fashion production, and it’s really exciting to see such great works from designers seeking to revive and continue that history.
What do you think of the presentations? I heard wildly varying opinions from some of the other people I talked to– do these collections appeal to you?
