New Team at Gianfranco Ferre Debut Thier Collection

Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi are not household names here in the States. They are however, well known overseas for their own line 6267 and for their work for at Malo. It was their job at Malo that caught the attention of the CEO of IT Holding SpA, Tonino Perna. As it so happens, IT Holding SpA is the parent company of both Malo and Gianfranco Ferre. Since the departure of previous designer Lars Nilsson, Tommaso and Roberto were brought in quickly by Perna to take the reigns of the legendary fashion house.

I remember Gianfranco Ferre's work from the late 80's. He used a neutral color pallet with the occasional splash of red. He also loved the use of line, shape and forms combined with soft fabrics and fabrics with texture. He was brilliant at it. He stayed true to his aesthetic, more or less, up until the time of his untimely death in June of 2007.

Tommaso and Roberto are fans of the late designer's work. They stayed with a neutral color pallet. They kept the emphasis on line and shape and elevated it to forms of architecture. They played with stiffer fabrics but not so stiff that they couldn't be scuplted. The result was, in my opinion, a beautiful collection with striking and memorable pieces. Each piece had a strong presence due to a combination of contrasting colors and boldly cut structures. It was a collection that made buyers take notice in a positive way. Even in a market where high end retail will see contraction, it would not surprise me to find pieces of this collection in a few top named luxury boutiques.

The Lagerfelds of Vermont?

After reading a few blogs and tracing the source back to a recent WWD article, there may in fact be some truth to Karl Lagerfeld buying a home in Vermont. According to the article, the home of interest is an historic 6 bedroom estate circa 1840 on a small island in Lake Champlain. The article also mentions that Mr.Lagerfeld will plan to do a few Chanel campaigns there. Of course this won't be his main residence as Mr.Lagerfeld has many many mansions in many countries.

Still, it's nice to have an elite Designer as a neighbor. The only question now is how will I get myself invited to all those fabulous parties that I'm sure he'll be hosting. Send me an invitation Karl, I'm only three hours away driving and under 1 hour by private jet. You will have a landing strip available on the island, won't you?

Christian Francis Roth Returns

Christian Francis Roth, remember the name? Unfortunately I don't as Christian began his career in the early 90's, which was the time I was applying for fashion school. The only designers I knew of then were the top names like Ralph, Calvin, Giorgio, and Karl. Names like Jacobs and Galliano were still new to the mainstream. After taking a quick review of Christian's work in the 90's, I'm reminded of music like C+C Music Factory, CeCe Penniston, Cathy Dennis and shows like Club Mtv. Those were good times.

Christian gained a lot of praise back then. The fashion critics at the time loved what he did. Sure there were orders but unfortuantely, there were no re-orders. The business didn't make money. We now see Christian attempting a comeback almost 10 years later. His work has evolved but can he once again woo the buyers? Oddly enough, Christian choose a most inopportune time to get back in the market. The economy is on shaky ground with many bank failures in the US and overseas. The global market seems to be slowing down and with it, consumer spending. Had Mr. Roth choose to re-launch his business in say 2003, he might have fared better as the last five years saw an insatiable amount of consumerism.

I can only wish Christian the best of luck as I know the difficulties of not only launching a successful business but of the hardships of maintaining that success. He's off to a good start as many of the big name buyers were at his show. In the end, he must make money. It's a simple rule that all young designers should heed: Make money or go out of business. I've got my fingers crossed for Christian. Let's hope he does well.

Boston Fashion Week 2008 Reviewed

This was the second year of the return of Boston Fashion Week. It officially returned last year after being on hiatus for roughly six years. There was some improvement this time around as there were more shows. Unlike last year, there were no awards ceremonies. Press coverage was a disappointment as always. At least last year we had one designer, Michael DePaulo featured on channel 5 for a few minutes and a video was made of his show on Boston.TV.

I agree with some of the articles and blogs I've read on how to improve Boston Fashion Week. Yes, there needs to be a major venue, if not tents like in NYC then maybe a large museum? Nightclubs just are not set up to host major shows with large crowds. Yes, a major sponsor like Mercedes Benz or Olympus (as in London) will go a long way in helping to obtain that venue but no one is will to put up the funds yet. For now, we'll have to make due with smaller venues such as hotels, salons and clubs. Finally, and most importantly, we need to showcase more of the local talent.

It's not impossible to put together a major show with the city's best designers at a large venue. It just takes a lot of money and the cooperation of the designers. However, the major designers seem content to produce their own smaller shows or not show at all. The younger designers are at least trying to group together to put on a bigger show. Until someone or some group comes along with tons of money and a plan that brings all the designers together, we'll have to look forward to more of the same small fashion shows and fashion parties at clubs for the foreseeable future.

Boston Fashion Industry.com Begins

I know what you're thinking, "What Boston Fashion Industry?" You're not alone in that train of thought. Say the words Boston and New England and you think Soxs and Pats, not fashion.

Boston actually does have a number of independent designers. Some have been in business for years. You don't really hear too much about them, the media's focus is more on sports. Sure, you'll get the occasional articles from the local newspapers and magazines but not on a consistent basis. That's where I come in. There really isn't a magazine, print or online, that is completely dedicated to the local fashion scene. You can't find articles about different designers from one source, you can't even find a good list of well known local designers. That's what I hope to accomplish with Boston Fashion Industry.com, create a great directory of local designers, write about the latest projects of established designers, and write about new designers fresh out of the local fashion schools that want to start a business in New England. I'm hoping that the more people read about and get to know the designers in the industry, the more they'll support the industry by making purchases. Shop local, as the saying goes.

The industry here is young with lots of room to grow. Media will play an important role in that growth and I hope to be on the forefront of that media. So please, visit BostonFashionIndustry.com, get to know the designers, schools, and modeling agencies that make up the local industry and pay us a visit, we look forward to doing business with you.