U.K. based creatives found themselves in New York on October 25th in the promotion of their brands, and with hopes to reach new consumers.
A sophisticated meal of salmon with a side of garden salad and bruta cheese on a bed of sun-dried tomatoes sat at dozens of tables in Cipriani on 42nd Street. At the table’s center stood a three-tiered cake stand, reminiscent of a tea party, filled with bite-sized pastries and chocolate covered strawberries. The delicious meal couldn’t stop the women in the room from reaching for their “#BadAssFemaleJourno” buttons before reaching for their forks.
In honor of their new collection of Ultra Puffer and Parka jackets, Abercrombie & Fitch threw a launch party in the William De Kooning Loft in NYC on October 18th. Partygoers enjoyed music from Rock Nation DJ, Ross One, got portraits taken by fashion photographer Micaiah Carter, and complementary jackets from A&F with customized embroidery as an option.
The event, just in time for winter, went on in three rooms each with mini appetizers awaiting guest. One room had the wine bar and couches, another mirror-filled room for the DJ, and the last room held the jacket and portrait areas which remained crowded for a majority of the night. Amongst the press and influencers, were Bobby Berk and Karamo Brown from “Queer Eye,” Australian actor Keiynan Lonsdale (Love, Simon), and more.
The brand, known for their outerwear fashion, has managed to create a new line of laid-back sophistication for men and women while keeping up with trends and maintaining the warmth and comfort of their coats. They offer coats in styles Ultra Parka, Ultra Mini Puffer, Ultra Puffer, and Ultra three-in-one Parka.
Be sure to head to the A&F website to purchase a coat for the winter that will keep you warm and trendy.
On October 18th, UMA by Raquel Davidowicz celebrated the opening of a new store. Once located on Bleeker Street, the family-owned brand has relocated to 13 Crosby Street which calls for more room to showcase the contemporary, classic womenswear manufactured in Sao Paulo.
The function, a classy mixer, gave guests and press a chance to rome through the store and go through the clothing racks as Sao Paulo native and DJ, Beco Branoff, provided music. Although hors-d’oeuvres were provided by SoHo’s The Smile, Davidowicz was sure to include flavors from Brazil, paying homage to the place her parents were born. Traditional Brazilian cocktails called caipirinha were served while sweet desserts, known as Brazil’s national truffle, called brigadeiro sat on their own pedestal near the entrance waiting for guests to indulge
Amongst the crowd, enjoying the food and cocktails was Emma Ferrer, Elle Dee, and Alexia Bontempo, as well as Lolita Cros and Lily Mortimer who both wore a white, zip-up jumpsuit from UMA’s current collection.
“I make clothes for women of all ages, mostly for women who are involved in art and women who like to work,” Davidowics explains as she points to the wrap sweater she’s wearing. “This collection was all about the refugees all over the world,” she continues, “the fashion show was in Sao Paulo’s Museum of Immigration, it’s the place immigrants were received in Brazil during the 30’s and 40’s.”
Davidowicz is from Poland, but uses fashion to pay tribute to refugees, like her grandparents who migrated to Brazil, by creating clothes with simple colors, black, white, blues, and earth tones; that are easy to travel in and can be worn in many different ways. At first each piece looks laid back, however, they can be dressed up or down easily.
Although there is only one UMA located in New York, consumers can head to the UMA website where the current and future collections can be shipped internationally. Be sure to check out the new location and shop the latest.
Kings Games launched their new game, Candy Crush Friends, on October 12th in Battery Park with a proper candy land party the rain just couldn’t stop.
On Wednesday, October, 11th, BET Networks threw a bash in BKLYN Studios in honor of their new series titled Hustle in Brooklyn. Before the party kicked off, the attendees were able to take part in a meet and greet with the cast as they entered. The cast features millennials as they hustle throughout Brooklyn to make their dreams a reality.
Who would’ve thought it would take a young Yeti named Migo to show that ignorance isn’t always bliss and that it’s always better to use the power of knowledge for good.
Nolcha Shows, an event dedicated to shining light on independent and upcoming fashion designers, took fashion week by storm on September 6th. In addition to the shows, guests had a chance to visit booths and sample products from sponsors including Clear Eyes; who offered up eye portraits to promote of their #MyShiningMoment campaign featuring Vanessa Williams.
Several designers brought their Spring/Summer collections to the runway, including Eva Prokai of Amnesia and a Canadian collective who showcased their brand Vitruvius.
Amnesia, a brand founded in 2002 and based in Budapest, stuck to a black and white theme with bursts of red and pink. While some pieces displayed the same print, they were each drastically different from each other. The variation in design, in terms of edgy and sexy to classy, evening wear, allows Amnesia’s spring/summer collection to reach all women on any occasion.
On the other hand, Vitruvius showcased a very avante garde collection that consists of dark colors and very intricate, three-dimensional designs perfect for being the center of attention. This collection, made for both men and women, featured shapes uncommon to the fashion world which set this line apart from the rest.
To make your purchases and/or to support these talented designers, visit Amnesia’s online store then head to Vitruvius’ website.
Claudinette Jean’s smile lit up Pier 59 Studios as she took several interviews backstage while tending to her models and squeezing in a rehearsal. She practiced her closing remarks in front of the presentation’s forest-like background which was draped in greenery. This theme set the tone for Fusha’s latest collection which was nature inspired.
The Spring/Summer collection featured bright, spring colors and differs from previous collections as it is the first to be a women’s only line. Claudinette takes pride in her creations being unique and explains, “It’s the cut, it’s the fabric used, it’s the combination of different fabrics put together,” she says, “a lot of designers don’t like taking chances doing that, and that is what you’ll be seeing tonight.”
During the presentation, the models stood on risers to present the designs while people flowed freely through the space, taking tons of pictures and enjoying the music provided by Claudinette’s husband and well-known musician, Wyclef Jean. 
Explaining the collections target audience was seemingly one of the easiest tasks of the evening. “I make clothes for all women,” says Claudinette, “for each piece, I’m thinking about different women of all ages everywhere.”
She continues, “This is the first time I will be doing all sizes for women of all sizes. I have a lot of unique pieces and I’m always twisting it to keep it very different.”
Be sure to look out for more pieces from Fusha on their website.
“We were friends in High School of Art and Design and then we parted ways,” explained Scott Chester. “We went to different colleges and didn’t see each other for 15 years,” Evelyn Luna adds, completing her partner’s sentence perfectly.
Scott and Luna beamed on the red carpet after the completion of their show which presented the summer/spring collection from their clothing line ACID at Nolcha Shows.
The business partners turned couple spoke in sync and completed each other’s sentences as they explained how they reconnected after 15 years before deciding to build a brand together. Scott studied industrial design during his college career, while Evelyn stayed in NYC to study fashion at the Parsons School of Design; before beginning a 13-year position on Diane Von Furstenburg’s design staff where she became Director of the Textile Department.
“Somehow, we ran into each other again,” Evelyn says. Scott recalls, “Two days before 9/11. I remember when it happened, all I could think about was her and her parents. When we got back together it was more about us working well together and taking advantage of that.”
Evelyn concludes, “We started out working together and eventually that lead to more.”
ACID stands for Arielle Chester Industrial Design, named after Scott’s daughter, and was originally a company that specialized in designing custom furniture in 1990. Clothing came into play after Evelyn reached out to Scott to help with a graffiti project under DVF. After continuous collaborations, the two began to create their own vision.
“We didn’t want to design prints that everyone else did, we wanted to look outside the box. One of our mottos is ‘beauty in our surroundings,’ they’re the things you see but don’t acknowledge to be something you could wear,” Evelyn says. She continues, “They are statement pieces but if you look at the make of them, they are classic pieces you could wear for a very long time. It’s taking a classic piece and adding the prints.”
The prints being referred to range from plant cells, a reflection in a puddle, a transmission print from a car, and so much more. Scott and Evelyn are able to capture these prints through photography and zoom in or flip the images any which way to create the design they desire for a piece of clothing.
Sony Records artist Nick Hissom, known for his music promoting equality, approved this seasons collection. “I think it’s important to stay cool and current when it comes to your fashion, your image, and your styling,” Nick stresses, “the designer took a lot of risks and it paid off. It was colorful and exciting. I really enjoyed it, it was fun.”
Head to the ACID website to check out the latest pieces from the SS’18 collection, and be sure to use your 10% discount for first-time orders.