Kudos to Michael Kors, who presented a strong

Kudos to Michael Kors, who presented a strong, easy-to-wear collection that reconfirmed his status as a modern master of practical American sportswear.

Fashion icons Lauren Hutton, Ali MacGraw and Martha Graham were important references for Kors, their relaxed style reinterpreted in earthy jersey ballet dresses, inviting cashmere hand-knit sweaters and a sensational muslin beaded embroidered skirt. True to his love for ultra-luxurious materials, Kors also showed a divine barley suede off-the-shoulder shift, several light shearling jackets, and a mink-backed suede serape to ward off chilly April breezes. The obligatory beige trench came in double-faced cotton, washed and oversized—creating a loose, comfortable silhouette that was anchored down with low-slung leather belts.

In contrast to last season"s somewhat uptight evening looks, Kors closed his Spring show with a couple of absolutely brilliant—and perfectly simple—black stretch jersey gowns that brought to mind the best of the Halston era.Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

"Palm Bitch" was the inspiration for Michael Kors"s extravagant

"Palm Bitch" was the inspiration for Michael Kors"s extravagant and luxurious cavalcade of tangerine, lemon and bright-pink looks. There were familiar Kors favorites like jersey shifts (this time in Lilly Pulitzer-like acid-colored floral patterns) and sumptuous cashmere cable pullovers in bright yellow and white. Buttery leather skirts were embroidered and paired with simple tanks, while zebra prints made unexpected appearances in everything from cotton shifts to bikinis and cabana shirts. For an evening of uncomplicated glamour, Kors offered slinky jersey columns, nude beaded gowns and seafoam-colored halters.Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

After Michael Kors" bold take on country luxe

After Michael Kors" bold take on country luxe, there"s little doubt that equestrian chic will be a recurring theme next Fall. Kors may have been inspired by life on the farm, but there was nothing rough-edged or dowdy about his thoroughbred looks. Riding britches were turned into lean, mean trousers that could be tucked into tall leather boots or worn with double-buckle boyish shoes; cashmere Aran sweaters and bright marigold, kelly green and scarlet turtlenecks looked divine under sinful, double-faced blanket coats to the floor.

Kors kept his collection sharply in focus by consistently emphasizing contrasts: Dramatic capes flowed over skinny jodhpurs and mini-shifts while crisp, colorful piping gave an architectural edge to everything from quilted field skirts to practical leather jackets. The recurring play of opposites was especially successful with the evening looks: A long, beaded bronze lace skirt looked perfect with a casual turtleneck and sporty suede jacket; an ivory sweater coat unceremoniously framed a shimmering evening gown.

It takes considerable talent and experience to pull off such a collection without stumbling onto a minefield of overworked references. It"s no coincidence that this Fall marks Michael Kors" 20th anniversary of designing casual yet utterly luxurious clothes.Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

As much as he loves Gotham glamour

As much as he loves Gotham glamour, even Michael Kors Outlet needs to get out of the city once in a while. For spring, he headed to California, taking inspiration from its laid-back way of life and those casual style icons (Slim Keith, Lauren Bacall) whose sex appeal was about ease, not sleaze.

Kors paid homage to the great outdoors, Left Coast–style, via cotton piqué polo shirts, snappy little dresses (accessorized with practical, flat shoes and golf gloves) and a few bathing suits, all done in classic neutrals: khaki, navy, white, ivory. For those times when even beach bunnies have to come indoors, Kors added relaxed, knee-length jersey dresses and skirts in bands of blue-sky tones; crisp cotton tuxedo shirts worn with tailored pants; and fuzzy twinsets in bold turquoise. Lovely guipure dresses and organza skirts paired with the simplest knit tops were just right for poolside parties, with a glossy leather jacket or a supple deerskin balmacaan to ward off brisk nighttime breezes. And to pack it all up for an impromptu weekend in Lake Tahoe, Kors provided generous leather totes that fit perfectly in the trunk of the Mustang.Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

Where the Kors woman jet-sets

Where the Kors woman jet-sets, so follows the Kors man, and for spring that internationally chic couple settled down for an extended stay in Santorini. It may be one of Europe"s more glamorous resorts, but the wardrobe requirements are surprisingly simple: a neat blazer, a supple sweater, crisp shirts and soft tees, jeans, and, of course, loafers with no socks. This is the good life, though, so all those come in the finest materials: python, for example, or featherweight cashmere. And though he"s American through and through, the Kors male has enough panache to pull off ascots, neckerchiefs, even a pashmina—all the better to cover up those extra-skimpy python-print swimming trunks.Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

I really appreciate the fact that we have all come together

"I really appreciate the fact that we have all come together," said a newly mustachioed Michael Kors Outlet before his showroom presentation. "Let"s be cheerleaders for all that New York has to offer, because this is the most amazing city in the world."

Kors" positive outlook was evident in a concise collection that brought to mind the best of Halston, with an injection of movie-star glamour (his update on the giant tie-strap tote bag is destined to become a collectible). Alongside beachy getaway clothes, more sophisticated urban looks included chinoiserie-inspired red lacquer cardigans and sweatshirts, georgette halter dresses, and brush-stroke skirts (upon close inspection, some of the abstract prints proved to be expressionist MK logos). Evening took a turn for the dramatic with slinky bandeau columns and stunning black-and-gold embroidered tulle shells and shifts.

Kors" practical yet lighthearted collection struck a chord that is likely to resonate throughout this season.Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

For such an archetypal American designe

For such an archetypal American designer, Michael Kors Outlet draws plenty of inspiration from the great European resorts: Capri, St. Tropez, Portofino. This spring, it was Mykonos and Santorini, where one can imagine the idle jet set of both genders strolling through the local market wearing not much more than a bikini and a breezy tunic.

As the soundtrack bounced from one cheery, cheesy Top 40 hit to another (like a rental-car radio being twiddled by a restless, but well dressed, passenger), Kors sent out a clean, commercially viable collection. There were equatorially bright shades of blue, lime green, and orange, exotic animal prints like tiger and python, and high-end bits like rich glittery brocade and the occasional fur or leather topper. The island feeling came through in crisp white pieces and embroidered tunics. And there were skimpy bathing suits aplenty, for women and men alike. One male model sported a nylon number so brief, editors compared him to Times Square"s naked singing cowboy, while another model wore his with a cigar—a nod to Kors" owner, Laurence Stroll.

Balancing the simple and the luxurious is Kors" driving principle, and there were plenty of multitasking pieces: little cashmere cardigans to wear over a bikini or evening dress, for example, or silky jersey dresses that won"t wrinkle when they"re smushed into a suitcase. And the draped-chiffon goddess gowns that closed the show would look equally great on seaside terrace or red carpet. But Kors" collections, while always polished, have become as smooth as a moonlight sail—and that"s too bad. It would be nice to see Kors break out in a bold new direction. Next season, how about a trip to Atlantic City?Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

The collection he showed for fall

Michael Kors Outlet is at his best when he allows a little edge to cut through his luxurious sensibility. The collection he showed for fall, rife with references to biker leathers and tough-but-sexy chicks, had just the right blend of rock ’n’ roll energy and urban sophistication.

In his notes, Kors mentioned the go-go world of Warhol in the ’60s, but the collection was refreshingly free of retro references—unless you count the legions of tight little minis he sent out, in cashmere, crocodile and stretchy wools. (The best of all, a marvelous piece of walnut-brown fringed suede, was worn—like no one else can—by Naomi Campbell.) Kors paired these, or smart, skinny pants, with great oversized toppers of all genres: giant satin jean jackets, studded black leather styles, slouchy anoraks with fur trim and generous reefers and bathrobe coats made from plush cashmere or mink. For night, he stitched bands of silvery fringe onto skirts and dresses, and ended with a dazzling, glittery disco-ball of a dress on Carmen—perfect for frugging the night away at Ondine"sRead more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

Inspired in part by "the rustic glamour of Aspen,"

Michael Kors Outlet went right for the heart of his customer with a Fall show that blended elegant luxury with down-home comfort.

Inspired in part by "the rustic glamour of Aspen," Kors designed a collection perfect for one of his smart urban customers who might jump on her Harley on Friday and zoom off to spend the weekend skiing at Stowe. For the trip up, she"ll put on one of his tough-girl chic leather motorcycle jackets and his skintight cotton ripstop pants; once there, she"ll undo the knee-to-ankle zipper to make a sharp boot-cut trouser, and throw on a quilted leather anorak and hand-painted jeans or a fluffy knee-length coyote vest to hang out in the lodge. Après-ski, she"ll slip into a feather-light cashmere baby doll or a camel pointelle jersey dress for hearthside lounging.

Kors covered the work week beautifully as well, with double-face wool pieces like a generous clutch coat over a short wrap-front skirt, lightweight cashmere dresses and sweaters, or a chic suede coat and pants hand-painted in a herringbone pattern. The bonus prize? With all the smart-looking new menswear Kors showed, her boyfriend can look just as good as she does.Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

By Astrid Wendlandt and Brenda Goh

By Astrid Wendlandt and Brenda Goh
PARIS/LONDON (Reuters) - While Gucci and Louis Vuitton blame slumping sales on their upmarket drive they argue will help them regain some of their lost glory, there is growing evidence they are losing out to newer, more affordable luxury brands.
After years of rampant expansion, Kering and LVMH , Gucci and Louis Vuitton"s respective parents, are finding the likes of Michael Kors Outlet are proving smarter at tapping the fast-growing middle classes, particularly in big markets such as China.
Emerging market customers - the industry"s main growth engine - were previously ready to save up to buy traditional status symbols such as a Louis Vuitton 625 euro ($860) canvas bag, but now they are showing stronger appetite for new brands such as Michael Kors Outlet that cost less.
"Brands like Louis Vuitton are expensive, and I see it everywhere I go," said Saltanat Shamova, a 25-year-old Kazakh studying in London. "Michael Kors was best for me because the design was simpler and the price was affordable."
The New York-based brand embodies affordable luxury: giving consumers a taste of class without the high price tag.
Part of Kors" success is that its products subtly replicate the style of big luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton"s cylinder Speedy bag and Chanel"s quilted leather tote.
Kors" $300 Weston shoulder bag has the same fringed pompom and shape as Gucci"s $2,650 Jackie shoulder bag.
Other fast-growing accessible fashion luxury brands include the more U.S. centric and feminine Kate Spade and logo-heavy Tory Burch, as well as the more sober and minimalist Furla in Italy and France"s classic Longchamp handbag maker.
There are also France"s Carven and Isabel Marant and the UK"s Karen Millen.
Industry observers say China"s rapidly evolving consumer culture, with government policies discouraging luxury gift-giving, helps explain the rise of these more affordable brands.
"The Chinese are discovering new, middle-segment brands, and the austerity measures in the country and crackdown on ostentatious spending mean they will want to spend less on bling," said Arjen Kruger, chief marketing officer of VAT-refund company Global Blue, which monitors global spending.
MOVE UPMARKET
This is a major issue for parents Kering and LVMH, which built their empire on the two luxury brands which still today make up the bulk of their profits and market value.
"They milked the cow so much that now there is no more milk," the CEO of a major privately owned French luxury brand told Reuters at Fashion week.
LVMH, which also owns luxury fashion brands Dior and Celine, has invested in more accessible luxury labels like Marc by Marc Jacobs, the cheaper line of Marc Jacobs, which makes up 70 percent of its total revenue.
But the brand"s sales, estimated at up to $1 billion, pale in comparison with Louis Vuitton at more than 7.5 billion euros.
And LVMH is set to lose some of that growth when it floats Marc Jacobs, a move it outlined last year.
In the past few years, both Gucci and Louis Vuitton have been trying to become more exclusive, reducing entry-level products, strengthening their offer of expensive leather bags and putting the brakes on shop openings.
"It is a strategic choice to ensure the long-term desirability of the brand," Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault said last month.
PROBLEM IS DEMAND
Both Gucci and Louis Vuitton say their move upmarket explains why their annual sales growth has collapsed to low-single digits from mid-teens levels three to four years ago.
But it appears the problem lies more with demand for the brands in general and with the rising popularity of more accessible luxury brands than with the products they offer.
Analysts say Gucci and Louis Vuitton may have trimmed the number of entry-level products but that business still represents more than half of revenue, raising uneasy questions about whether their high-end business can sustain sufficient sales and profit growth longer term.
"The entry level of Gucci and Louis Vuitton is facing a lot of competition from new, more aspirational brands such as Michael Kors Outlet and Tory Burch, and the trend is likely to continue," said Makiko Zuercher-Hosaka who manages the 12 million euro Dynapartners Luxury Brands fund.
"At the moment, it is hard to imagine seeing Gucci and Louis Vuitton"s growth rates going back to the previous mid-teens levels in the next couple of years."
And the market understands that.
LVMH and Kering are trading on forward multiples of 18 times and 15 times, roughly in line with the industry average of 17 times, while Kors, whose share price quadrupled since its 2011 flotation, is on 33 times.
Also, Michael Kors Outlet is forecast to continue growing at a rate of more than 20 percent in the next few years after having recorded annual sales growth of around 40 percent.
Analysts estimate Kors, with annual sales of around $3 billion, makes revenue in Europe of about $400 million, up from $50 million in 2011 - driven by high demand and significant investments in marketing and new shops.
Gucci and Louis Vuitton are not the only victims of affordable luxury brands. Mulberry , which issued a profit warning in January, saw its sales growth drop after raising prices.
Furla CEO Eraldo Poletto sees "big numbers in terms of business" in the accessible segment and points to the rising number of middle-class buyers in markets such as China.
Goldman Sachs estimates the number of middle-class consumers in China - defined as people with minimum annual income of $30,000 - will rise by 24.4 percent a year on average between 2010 and 2015 and then by 14.5 percent in 2015-2020.
Karen Millen, whose concept is cutting-edge fashion at affordable prices with dresses costing around 250 euros, said many of its customers were global travelers.
"Our customer is a confident, professional, urban woman who travels... We have a lot of Russians and Chinese shopping in Paris and Brazilians in New York," said Andrew Ware, Karen Millen"s finance director.
Karen Millen has, like Kors, stepped up investments, multiplying by five its advertising budget in the past 12 months, opened around 35-40 shops a year and is currently running a network today of around 376 stores.
($1 = 0.7277 euros)
(Writing by Astrid Wendlandt; additional reporting by Li-mei Hoang in London and Isla Binnie in Milan, editing by David Evans)

Read the original article on Reuters. Copyright 2014. Follow Reuters on Twitter.

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"It"s Babe [Paley] and Tony [Duquette]

• Laird Borrelli
• June 3, 2008

"It"s Babe [Paley] and Tony [Duquette]," Michael Kors Outlet announced at his Resort presentation today. The former was represented by the soigné, fitted dresses—some beaded, others in washed moiré—that are a Kors signature. The latter was evident as much in the prints, which referenced malachite, turquoise, and marble, as in the outsize, ethnic-inspired jewelry. Adding to the classic resort feel of the collection were flowing caftans, shirred maillots, and tie-dye pieces. You don"t need a crystal ball to know that they"ll all be hits at the designer"s Palm Beach store, scheduled to open later this year.
Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

Still, you wanted a few more of the Kors-luxe knits

With Justin Timberlake promising to "bring sexy back" on the soundtrack, Michael Kors Outlet turned out a collection that was one long riff on a dancer"s body-loving wardrobe. His palette was nude, black, and tutu pink, with flashes of metallics, and his materials—which he layered on his models as if they were ballerinas on their way to the studio—ran from fine stretch wools to jazzy matte jerseys to chunkier knits. With all the leggings and crimped updos and even an off-the-shoulder Flashdance sweater or two, Kors was having a real eighties moment. It was fun while it lasted, but somehow out of step with his usual polished sense of chic. After several days of tent and trapeze looks, the waist came into sharp focus here. Kors cinched wide patent and python belts atop everything from maillots to evening dresses. Sequins, meanwhile, provided a Bob Fosse touch. Was it a coincidence that Chicago star Usher was in the audience? Or that across from him was one of the musical"s alums, Bebe Neuwirth—in fishnets, no less? The collection"s retro-sexy, look-at-me glitz should play big with the designer"s new and huge Project Runway fan base. Still, you wanted a few more of the Kors-luxe knits, great tailored jackets, and sleek evening numbers he"s best known for.Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

In keeping with the flag-waving theme

Leave it to Michael Kors Outlet to channel our election-year anxieties about the future of the country into a feel-good paean to our homegrown style. From the first trill of the Beach Boys" "Good Vibrations" to the last stretch jersey gown, Kors" collection was an extended riff on American classics, from teeny-weeny polka-dot bikinis (worn with fifties-style full skirts) and picnic-blanket-check pinafore dresses to sporty neoprene scuba shifts. Yes, even that much-maligned uniform of Middle America, the tracksuit, got a tweaking. Forget polyester: Kors" version comes in crushed silk.

In keeping with the flag-waving theme, there were more stripes than you"d find on all the lapel pins in Congress: pinstripes on an origami wrap dress, navy and red horizontal bands on a formfitting stretch knit sheath, and countless nautical tees and sweaters worn with crumpled cotton trousers, bathing-suit bottoms, and ball skirts. No, there was nothing subtle about it. And it wasn"t the home run that last season"s Mad Men romp was; for one thing, it didn"t look as rich, and Kors" ladies like rich if nothing else. But you can"t fault Kors" enthusiasm, or his joie de vivre (pardon our French). Only the most hardened cynics in the crowd left feeling less than optimistic.Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

loves a theme, and with his latest collection

Michael Kors Outlet loves a theme, and with his latest collection, he finally found a theme that loves him right back. Like the American TV audience, Kors has gone gaga for dance, taking his cues from the likes of Baryshnikov and Bob Fosse. Their effortless athleticism made a perfect complement to Kors"s own inclinations toward the simple and sporty. It also provided his menswear a much-needed spark; these clothes were all about the kind of movement critical to the dancer"s craft. Even the suits were light enough to be Gene Kelly–ready.

But the core of the collection was a kind of choreographer"s combo: utility pants, white sneakers, roll-neck sweater, sleeves of another sweater knotted casually around waist. It was a physical, functional look that managed to be supremely stylish in its bare essentials. The same casual effect was duplicated in the cashmere hoodie under a white linen blazer or the layering of short over long sleeves. Kors"s own particular pleasure was in the pleating in the pants: six months of research, he claimed, to yield a result that looked good on every age of man. The pleats were deep and doubled on both suit trousers and sporty slacks in black linen.Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

Channeling Gloria Guinness by way of Veruschka

Channeling Gloria Guinness by way of Veruschka, Michael Kors Outlet designed a resort collection for the type of woman who wants to look perfectly polished whether she"s lunching in Palm Beach or lounging seaside in St. Barths. She wears bikinis and maillots dripping with hardware. ("We call them "posing suits," " said the designer, "because our girl never gets them wet.") Caftans and sundresses, some in delft porcelain patterns, also came embellished with eye-catching metallic and crystal accents. Unsurprisingly, there were a lot of animal prints, the most interesting of which was a gold-and-khaki leopard cut into a sleeveless dress with a lace-up neckline that fashion watchers will recognize as a modern-day descendant of YSL"s legendary safari jacket.Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

We were there for a party and I thought

• Nicole Phelps
• January 7, 2009

Philip Johnson"s 1949 Glass House was the starting point for Michael Kors" pre-fall collection. "We were there for a party and I thought, what year was this done that it looks so modern?" the designer explained as he pointed out pieces like a wood-grain-print sheath dress, a three-quarters-sleeve cheetah-print balmacaan, and color-blocked cashmere sweaters loosely inspired by the architect"s midcentury masterpiece. Timeless and seasonless are buzzwords for Kors, so a suit with a sleeveless double-breasted jacket and a collarless black trench were also in the mix. "In this economy, women are investment-oriented," he added. If you can"t afford to buy art, the designer has the answer: a Jackson Pollock splatter-print dress.Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

This was the pro, après-tennis.

• Tim Blanks
• September 9, 2007

Michael Kors Outlet came up with a typically cute sobriquet for his spring collection: Virginia Slim Aarons. It embodies everything he loves in a woman—sexy, sporty, casually deluxe—and he"s a past master at capitalizing on that spirit. But his challenge with his men"s range is to find the guy who"d be a match for such a gal. Actually, match wasn"t far off the mark with Kors" latest looks: The first man out wore tennis shorts, carried a racket, and sported a white cashmere hoodie under his navy blazer. He looked like a glossy tennis pro. Next was a pink cashmere turtleneck, also under a navy blazer.

This was the pro, après-tennis. And après ça? A stream of clothes that suggested the kind of men who would dance attendance on Kors" fabulous females in a strictly professional capacity. Not gigolos, mind you, but dressy male wing pieces just the same. That might explain all the shorts on parade, the better to reveal legs tanned and toned by the leisurely pursuit of the good life. One particularly striking look matched a gold Lurex polo shirt with linen shorts, also glazed and belted in gold. This young Apollo would surely gladden the heart of a Lilly Pulitzer-clad matron. The metallic theme was equally striking in a pairing of polo (in silver cashmere) and pants (in silver sharkskin). Kors has a finely honed appetite for camp—attested to by the soundtrack"s exuberant bursts of Mika, Scissor Sisters, and Xanadu—and it finds its purest expression in his menswear.Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

A New York Fashion Week of firsts and lasts

AFP/File Justin TallisDesigner Victoria Beckham with her "Brand" award during the British Fashion Awards 2014 in London on December 1, 2014
New York (AFP) - Celebrities are jetting in, gluten-free cocktails are concocted and designers are unveiling their 2015 fall/winter collections: a frozen New York kicks off its multi-million-dollar Fashion Week Thursday.
Hot on the heels of haute couture shows in Paris, the fashion glitterati is flocking to admire the best and brightest in US design, where young talent rubs shoulders with fashion barons Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger.
But it"s not just the jet-set tripping through snow on stilettos. Fashion is big business in New York, where twice yearly fashion weeks generate nearly $900 million for America"s biggest city.
Here"s what you need to know as more than 270,000 people watch the 350 shows that kick off the 2015 fall/winter season before the juggernaut shifts to London, Milan and back to Paris.
CELEBRITY SHOE-IN
Fresh from his on-stage protest against Beyonce not winning album of the year at the Grammys, rap star Kanye West makes his New York fashion debut on Thursday with a collection for Adidas.
MOVING ON
Fashion house Oscar de la Renta shows its first collection by British-born Peter Copping, appointed creative director shortly before the Dominican-born master designer died in October.
MOVING OUT
It"s the last time the Lincoln Center will host Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week after a New York state judge ruled that it disrupts an adjacent park.
Most designers have already left, holding catwalk shows in hotels or prominent buildings across the city, but for now organizers are keeping quiet on where the new home will be come September.
HOT TALENT
The big names are Alexander Wang, Jason Wu, Marc Jacobs, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Diane Von Furstenberg, Donna Karan, Prabal Gurung, Vera Wang, Michael Kors, Victoria Beckham and Zac Posen.?
Dozens of young designers are snapping at their heels, among them Thomas Wylde Maison, Ready to Fish and Thaddeus O"Neil.
VARIETY SHOW
Inspiration will be as eclectic as ever. Tommy Hilfiger has chosen the 60s and 70s, Tory Burch has eyes for Marrakesh, Michael Kors Outlet mined night and day, Jason Wu is hot for desire and Marchesa an opium dream.
MEN"S ROOM
Men will be overshadowed by women for the last time. In July, New York gets its own men"s fashion week, joining the likes of London, Paris and Milan that already showcase fashion for the sexes separately.
BOTTOM LINE
Fashion is one of the largest industries in New York and generates $887 million in economic activity, employing 180,000 people and coughing up nearly $2 billion in tax revenue a year.
Fashion Week brings about $547 million in direct visitor spending, which is more than the 2014 Super Bowl, the New York Marathon and the US Open tennis championship.
BOTTOMS UP
Vodka company Ciroc, for which music mogul Sean Combs is brand ambassador, has concocted three official cocktails, and to honor the carb-conscious fashion brat pack, they"re gluten free.
DISEASE, GUNS AND BOMBS
British supermodel with a temper Naomi Campbell is hosting a charity fashion show and clothing auction to raise money for Ebola victims.
The hemorrhagic fever gets a second look when charities including the International Rescue Committee host a pop-up lounge to showcase a protective suit for medics who treat Ebola patients.
Donna Karan and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg host an event to spotlight efforts to end gun crime and save lives.
The Peace Bomb project, which fashions unexploded ordnance from the Vietnam War into jewelry, is to showcase its designs on the sidelines.

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3 Troubling Trends For Wal-Mart's Business

REUTERS/Kevork DjansezianCustomers walk outside a Walmart store in the Porter Ranch section of Los Angeles.For most of the past five decades,?Wal-Mart?has been the retailer competitors feared most and as a result it made for a phenomenal investment for its shareholders. But Wal-Mart has begun to lose its cache with consumers and major holes are starting to form in its business.
Interestingly, Wal-Mart has hidden its financial problems from the headlines because challenges are different around the world, masking themselves in the overall picture. But when you dig between the headlines you can see a company in serious trouble and could be the latest in a long line of leading retailers to go from boom to bust in the blink of an eye.
U.S. shoppers are abandoning Wal-Mart
The most alarming statistic at home in the U.S. comes from falling same-store sales. This measures how sales are growing location by location and any healthy retailer is looking to grow same-store sales at or faster than consumer spending grows because that shows increased market share locally. Overall sales can be increased by increasing store count, but if same-store sales are falling then the return on each store will drop, something well see in a minute.
Below, I"ve built a table that shows year-over-year changes in same-store sales at U.S. Wal-Mart and Sam"s Club stores compared to the growth in consumer spending on goods. You can see that Wal-Mart is growing far slower than what consumers spend on goods and has been consistently negative over the past year.

?	2013?	Q1 2014	Q2 2014	Q3 2014	Q4 2014
Wal-Mart	1.8%	-1.4%?	-0.3%	-0.3%	-0.4%
Sam"s Club	2.2%	-1.2%	0.1%	-0.2%	-0.4%
Consumer Spending-Goods	3.1%?	3.7%	3.1%	4.5%	2.9%

The problem for Wal-Mart goes far further than just cyclical swings in retail or a weak economy. Wal-Mart has long been able to lure customers with one-stop shopping and low prices, but consumer trends are now working against that core strategy. For cost conscious shoppers, lower prices can often be found online and more affluent consumers are choosing style and quality products over one-stop shopping. This can be seen clearly by the growth in online retailers like?Amazon.com?as well as specialty retailers like?Williams-Sonoma?,Lululemon, and?Michael??Kors, among others.

Foreign failures don"t help the problem
Here"s where Wal-Mart"s story gets really interesting. Sales in the U.S. are beginning to struggle, but overseas the company"s profitability is in downright freefall. I highlighted this in an?article a couple of weeks ago?and the table below shows just how fast margins are falling internationally.

High margins in the U.S. have masked profit struggles overseas and store growth in some international locations is masking U.S. struggles from the revenue side. So, when you look at Wal-Mart"s overall profitability it"s hard to see any problems emerging.?
But there"s only so far you can push margins in the U.S. before you either start losing sales to lower cost competitors or you have to lower prices. So, eventually profits could decline in the U.S. and that"s when the warts will truly show.?
Wal-Mart"s high returns are falling like a rock
The most startling evidence of Wal-Mart"s decline comes from Wal-Mart itself. Each year, the company provides a return on investment calculation for investors, which measures the profit Wal-Mart makes from the money it invests in stores, inventory, and other infrastructure.
You can see below that Wal-Mart"s ROI is dropping rapidly since 2010, despite the broader economy recovering over that time.

If ROI continues to decline, Wal-Mart could become unprofitable very rapidly. Falling same-store sales and plummeting returns are how?Sears,?Kmart, or?Montgomery Ward, becameformer retail icons that were eventually overtaken by competitors. These two trends can only last so long before something has to be done.
Is Wal-Mart in serious trouble?
Wal-Mart"s traditional supercenter business model is clearly showing major signs of weakness both in the U.S. and overseas. If the retail giant can"t adapt to new competition like online, specialty, and local retailers there"s a real chance the company is in danger of heading down a downward spiral we"ve seen so many retailers go down before.

Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market is an effort to move away from the big box to local retail. Source: Wal-Mart.

There are efforts to introduce smaller footprint stores closer to consumers but that"s a stretch for a business that"s operated one way for decades. Many major retailers have problems adapting to shifts in the way consumers buy products, which is one reason you don"t shop at the same stores your grandparents did 50 years ago.
From an investment perspective, I think Wal-Mart is going to be a loser long-term, because of the challenges I"ve outlined above. Returns are falling, Wal-Mart is struggling overseas, U.S. consumers are shopping elsewhere, and the success of new formats is uncertain.
Time will tell if Wal-Mart can turn around but I"d stay out of the stock and would even consider shorting shares if operations continue to struggle.
Travis Hoium?has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services?free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that?considering a diverse range of insights?makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a?disclosure policy
.

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Please enjoy the photos

• February 17, 2010

Style.com did not review the Fall 2010 menswear collections. Please enjoy the photos, and stay tuned for our complete coverage of the Spring 2011 collections, including reviews of each show by Tim Blanks.Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

But we"re here to talk about the clothes

• Nicole Phelps
• February 16, 2011

If the celebrity crush was a little crushier and the furs on the runway a little fluffier at Michael Kors Outlet this morning, there was a good reason. The designer is marking his 30th year in business. Yes, he started young—at 19, in fact. Tonight, he"ll celebrate in the tony confines of Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle, where it"s a good bet that some of the boldfacers in the front row—Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Bette Midler, Anjelica Huston, and Debra Messing, for starters—will turn up. Next month, no less a figure than the American ambassador to France will welcome him to Paris, with a festive dinner. Kors is opening a store there on Rue Saint-Honoré, and they"re putting the finishing touches on a renovated Madison Avenue flagship as we speak. In other words, the designer is having a pretty good birthday year.

But we"re here to talk about the clothes. You wouldn"t be wrong if you called this a greatest-hits collection. Over his career, Kors has ridden double-face cashmere, slinky silk jersey, the aforementioned fox fur, and evening crystals straight to number one, and they were all in abundance today. His MO this time around: playing luxe tailoring against languid draping. For every clean charcoal flannel jacket and straight-leg trouser, there was a clingy cocktail dress or gown. He"s loving a tunic for Fall, but they shared the runway with bodysuits. The operative word here was sleek; even the furs were knitted to eliminate some of their inherent bulk. The prettiest came in soft shades of plum and mauve, layered over matching draped jersey tops and pajama pants. Nearly every look in the show was monochrome, the better to create that long, uninterrupted line Kors favors.

For the guys, there were luxe takes on wardrobe essentials, too, like leather reefers, tissue-weight knits, and trousers in stretch gab. But the boys couldn"t help fading into the background a bit with all the crystal-studded evening numbers Kors offered, the last one modeled to sultry effect by his favorite model, Carmen Kass, in his favorite color, suntan.

If you want relaxed but unalloyed glamour, this collection proved that 30 years on, Kors is still the man to give it to you.Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

Michael Kors Collection

•  Nicole Phelps
• December 13, 2013

We could tell you how Michael Kors Outlet arrived at tomboy glamour. It has something to do with his distaste for the term Pre-Fall, the increasing irrelevance of seasons in general, and the realization that a boy"s wardrobe is seasonless—just the thing for clothes that arrive in stores in May and linger through November. But what does it matter when the clothes in question look this good?

He opened with a double-breasted camel coat, an oversize blue shirt, and slouchy yet tailored gray pants, worn with crocodile sneakers, a first for the label. Menswear vibe established, he started riffing: embroidering sky-blue chinos with rhinestones in a paisley motif, accessorizing a foulard-print pantsuit with matching loafers and zip pouches, morphing a rep scarf into a pleated skirt, and cutting a black-and-white houndstooth fabric into a strapless dress. The look that best captured the collection"s feminine swagger was a cashgora robe coat in fawn (a light brown), tossed over a black cashmere sweater and full-leg scarlet trousers. The flat shoes were key. He even believes in them for evening. A gorgeous black sequined dress over-embroidered in crystals was shown with shiny black oxfords.

Kors has a new name for Pre-Fall. He"s calling it "trans." We"re not sure that"s a moniker that will stick, but there"s no doubting that these clothes will.Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

a very good day on Wall Street yesterday

• Nicole Phelps
• February 15, 2012

Michael Kors Outlet had a very good day on Wall Street yesterday, with his company"s shares rising 27.5 percent. The collection that put him in the spotlight again this morning won"t be slowing that upward trajectory. After 30-plus years in the business, Kors has his formula down cold. Today he conjured images of a rustic-luxe cabin in the woods in wintertime—one exceedingly well stocked with buffalo check and fox fur. His trick, as always, was to filter it all through his glamorous yet practical lens.

There"s a story Kors loves to tell, about a client who buys the designer"s clothes in multiples, one for every house. These, too, will play as well in Manhattan as they will in Aspen. Especially the furs—shearling, Mongolian lamb, raccoon. Their envy-inducing potential would go to waste in the wilderness. For women who prefer their outerwear on the tamer side, he showed tartan chesterfields and striped blanket ponchos with deep fringe.

Daywear was all about the unexpected mix: an almost conservative midi-length skirt paired with a knit lace tank bustier, or black leather adding edge to a gray plaid dress. Cocktail hour continued to match country with city—see the ivory fisherman sweater and the gold lace skirt. But high evening was highly polished. The crystal-beaded stretch jersey gowns in red and black with keyhole backs were stunners. We wouldn"t mind seeing an Oscar nominee wear either one of them.

His menswear played a call-and-response with the women"s offerings. He might have done better by skipping the man-furs and a tartan crombie and matching trousers topped by a leather harness, and showing some elegant formalwear instead.

Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

Michael Kors Collection

• Nicole Phelps
• September 10, 2014

Michael Kors Outlet doesn"t have a dark side. Or if he does, he"s never cared to show it on the runway. You can count on upbeat music, smiling girls, and enough celebrity wattage (in this case, Jessica Chastain, Jada Pinkett Smith, Olivia Munn, and Mary J. Blige) to light up a room—not that Spring Studios needed any help, with the morning sun pouring through its wall-to-wall windows.

The new Spring collection delivered on Kors" sunny reputation, and then some. Daffodils, wisteria, and geraniums were picked out in sequins on tulle dancer skirts, embroidered on a strappy sundress, or printed on a breezy natural linen skirt suit. Gingham, which we"ve been seeing everywhere, was paired with marinière stripes. And for every navy outfit, there was another in bright yellow.

Happy yet? The flower-averse needn"t worry: Kors had plenty on offer here that registered in a lower key. Simplicity is trending; shirt-and-skirt combos are one of the week"s dominant motifs on the runways and off. This is a good moment to be Michael Kors. As the king of American sportswear, he excels at such things. We"re betting a plaid taffeta button-down tucked into a black wool gabardine sarong will be one of the show"s most popular outfits. Another nice look: a crisp white poplin shirt with French cuffs that inched past the fingertips, worn with a hands-in-the-pockets full black silk mikado skirt. Show us a girl who didn"t light up at the sight of that one.

Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

Michael Kors Collection

• Nicole Phelps
• June 5, 2014

Before his Resort presentation got under way today, Michael Kors Outlet announced that it"s one of his favorite seasons to design. That didn"t surprise anyone who was in the room with him. He had a witty one-liner for nearly every one of the thirty-eight looks in the new collection. A cashmere and silk Baja pullover worn with a floor-length gauze maxi skirt? It was designed "for food shopping in Malibu." And a washed gabardine field jacket lined neckline to hem in sable? "The way we get people in Bushwick to wear fur." He even coined a new term. You"ve heard of #normcore, yes? Well, worn with a cotton pullover and a flippy skirt, that field jacket was #normkors.

Monologuing aside, Resort found Kors in peak form, revisiting and reworking the masculine/feminine dichotomy that has enlivened his last two runway shows. On the tomboyish side there were cargo pants in easy-to-pack crushed cotton with a touch of sateen, trenchcoat/cape hybrids (slip your arms into the sleeves or through slits in the side pockets), and the best-looking utility anorak of the season so far in crushed black satin with a fox fur lining. On the romantic side: ruffled LBDs, floral print silk charmeuse and chiffon whipped up into flirty dresses, and overdyed shearlings in shades of wisteria and oleander pink. What the really winning thing was about the collection was just how much ground it covered. And we haven"t even gotten to the tie-dye leather bell-bottoms or the space-dye sweater and matching scarf yet. Another one of Kors" witticisms: "It shouldn"t be called Resort, it should be called Destinations." As in, "Is your destination work? Is it Gstaad? Phuket?" Kors has got you fabulously covered.

Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

Michael Kors Collection

• Noah Johnson
• July 9, 2014

It"s tempting to use the hybrid phrase "normkors," and the designer couldn"t resist doing just that when presenting his Spring 2015 men"s collection. It was fitting, not just because the clothes mixed classic American styles with Michael Kors" vision of global luxury, but because riffs on hybridization ran throughout the collection.

"Amalfi Americano" was the theme and that cultural mash-up found its way into almost every look. A sharply cut three-button suit was punched up by polished denim, sneakers became "snespadrilles" thanks to a rope detail on the sole. Fabrics weren"t what they seemed—a hemp-linen anorak was gessoed for a less rigid waterproof finish. Sharkskin was rendered from cotton and mohair. The ultimate normkors look, a riff on a T-shirt-and-jeans look, was done with 8-ounce denim trousers and a linen T-shirt sweater. If anything, the collection was a bit heavy on the norm and light on the Kors. Subdued plaids failed to pop, and striped knits didn"t stand out from other similar offerings in the mall. But even the most basic pieces, like the double-pleated pants and zip-up blouson, had an undeniable populist appeal.

Sandals and white linen shorts suit notwithstanding, Kors" Spring collection was a mostly seasonless affair. That"s a good business decision—"It"s January when we ship it," Kors remarked—and it affords a glimpse at the kind of smart, consumer-first thinking behind his vision of comfortable luxury. It"s not for nothing that he"s one of fashion"s few designer billionaires.

Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

Michael Kors Collection

• Nicole Phelps
• February 18, 2015

Damn, he"s good. You walked out of Michael Kors" show this morning buzzing, and it wasn"t just Florence + The Machine"s hit "The Dog Days Are Over" producing that sensation. His new Fall lineup landed smack-dab in the middle of his sweet spot: opulent as all get-out, yet true to the all-American, unfussy, and optimistic spirit on which the company was built. Fur has been all over the runways this week, but it"s been a Kors staple for ages. He showed the kids how it"s done with the ombré-striped fox bathrobe Natasha Poly strutted out in to kick things off. A brown mink coat sheared into a damask pattern was significantly less extravagant but still special. Fox turned up as an accent on a lot of other looks, as well, elevating not just the crisp, neatly tailored pieces in menswear checks, but also the chunky knits.

Kors liked the idea of playing opposites off each other this season. So feathers embroidered in the shape of flowers decorated a sheath in humble tweed bouclé; a guncheck wool trench topped a glittering lace dress; and simple, straightforward men"s pajamas were black-tie-ready thanks to the addition of crystal paisley embellishments. Bias-cut dresses in black silk or gold fil coupe with an elegant, 1930s-ish vibe shared the runway with military great coats in slouched-on oversize proportions. One of the show"s strongest looks was an evening dress tailored on top like a double-breasted tuxedo. This was a broad, familiar offering, and Kors was in command of it all.

For Tim Blanks" take on Michael Kors, watch this video.
Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

Michael Kors Collection

• Nicole Phelps
• December 5, 2014

All week long designers have been touting the transitional nature of their Pre-Fall collections. Leave it to Michael Kors Outlet to give the idea a clever name; "from bikinis to boots" was how he described his lineup. True to his word, his clothes spanned seasons: Bare, breezy dresses mingled with a Mongolian lamb-lined patent coat, and hot on the heels of a jaguar mink jacket came a sailor-stripe lace tunic and lace pants. An all-American color palette of red, blue, white, black, and camel gave the collection an appealing crispness; ditto the graphic stripes, polka dots, and bows (a first for the designer). Kors mentioned three different women as muses: Baby Jane Holzer, Winona Ryder, and Taylor Swift. An eclectic list, to be sure, and a nod perhaps to Kors" all-ages clientele. But it gave him an excuse to riff on 1960s shapes like a mod, double-breasted coat and cropped pants, as well as more modern ones, such as his tuxedo-track pant hybrids. "Tabletop dressing" is a concept as old as Holzer, but Kors resurrected the term here to describe a fabulous little black dress with a halter collar. "It"s all about the neckline," he said. Other standouts included a plonge leather jean jacket worn with a stripey knit and a dark denim skirt, and a sequined rugby and deep cuff jeans that would get the Taylor Swift seal of approval.

Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

Michael Kors Collection

• Noah Johnson
• January 28, 2015

"Extreme hybrid" was Michael Kors" mantra for his Fall "15 menswear collection, where the line between dressed up and casual was imperceptible. Gray suiting in wool herringbone was overprinted with monotone camo and shrunken to fit the way guys wear T-shirts and jeans. Cashmere-blend trousers were cinched at the waist with a drawstring and slim enough to fit over pointy-toe Chelsea boots. Even geographic borders were blurred—the "L.A. coat," as Kors called it, was a trim olive fishtail with a snap-off fur hood you can remove when your flight from JFK lands at LAX. Boots came in two flavors, the aforementioned pointy and not pointy, and the expanded range of bags and accessories included a croc-print embossed leather backpack, because, as Kors said, who doesn"t need a hint of luxury? The color palette didn"t stray too far from gray and black, with some olive, camel, navy, and ivory, and it doesn"t take a fashion expert to determine that sticking with what works is one way to achieve massive success, as Kors has.

Today the designer opens his largest store in the world in Soho. The flagship will house the entire men"s collection—the first time it has ever been available at a Michael Kors Outlet store. "It"s a great platform for the company to build upon its already successful men"s business," CEO John D. Idol said in a statement. That"s a pretty hefty cosign for a menswear offering from a publicly traded company, and a reminder that menswear is serious business. As Kors said of his Fall lineup: "No high jinks."

Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

Michael Kors Collection

• Nicole Phelps
• June 2, 2015

After a Fall collection of mostly tonal neutrals and super-tony vibes, Resort found Michael Kors Outlet thinking along much more graphic lines. That much was clear from Look 1, a mink intarsia balmacaan in a repeating hexagon pattern that Kors, tongue firmly planted in cheek, called "your basic winter coat." There was nothing basic about the new lineup, despite its sleek, clean silhouettes. Vivid shades of coral and geranium were color-blocked on a knife-pleat dress. Large checks met small checks on shirt and skirt combos designed to look like a single piece. And even his new favorite neutral, a reddish brown he"s calling caramel, was bright.

Kors cited Art Deco, but we saw mod proportions in the narrow, slightly elongated blazers and cropped, flared pants. The cut of the tailoring felt of-the-moment without going too far out on a limb for his all-American brand. Lisa Taylor with legs akimbo in that famous Helmut Newton shot—"the image is frozen in my mind," Kors said—was the muse for a scarf-print shirt unbuttoned down to there and a matching skirt with a hip-high slit. We can think of scads of girls who will be eager to channel that look. Everybody else will be after the black sequined mesh evenings flares. They echoed the "translucent, not transparent" metallic sequined mesh jumpsuit Gigi Hadid killed it in at the CFDA Awards last night.

Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

Michael Bastian

• Tim Blanks
• September 27, 2006

Five years as men"s fashion director for Bergdorf Goodman would be enough to give anyone invaluable insight into the mind of the male shopper, but Michael Bastian also relies heavily on what he fancies for himself. For Spring, his second collection, that meant a look back at what he called "the perfect American sportswear" of Perry Ellis in the early 1980s, as well as his father"s sporty style in the 1960s. (An old black-and-white photo of Bastian Senior playing basketball inspired the collection"s neutral tones.) Ellis"s effortless combination of casual and formal has also become a Bastian signature, as evidenced by a tailored jacket with beat-up shorts, or a formal shirt with short sleeves. Bastian"s faith in a skinnier fit, meanwhile, was evident in items as varied as slimmed-down cargo pants, a tennis sweater, a suede fisherman"s vest, and a big-zipped windbreaker (the designer called it the "Spielberg" after the director"s on-set attire when he was making Jaws), unified by a sportiness that also looked good in a knit polo in the same mesh as a basketball jersey and a short-sleeved cashmere sweatshirt. Bastian"s experience served him well with the tailoring (he"s definitely feeling the suit for spring), but equally appealing were the funkier pieces in this big collection: frayed cutoff chinos with the boxer shorts built right in, cord low-riders, and a button-free rugby shirt.

Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

Michael Bastian

• Matthew Schneier
• September 12, 2011

Michael Bastian spent last season off the runway, severing ties with hisformer business partners, taking full ownership of his company, and working out new production contracts to reduce the prices of his all-American but formerly exorbitantly priced menswear. (He famously admitted he couldn"t afford it himself.) He"s only been gone a year—during which, by the way, he was crowned the CFDA"s Menswear Designer of the Year—but today"s show at his once and future venue had all the force of a misty homecoming.

For his return, Bastian presented an homage to James Dean, whose squinting, moody visage, picked out in the designer"s logo, was splashed over the backdrop. The first model emerged, a fifties kid in dungarees, penny loafers (with pennies; Bastian is nothing if not detail-oriented), and windbreaker—the rebel without a cause of Roy Schatt"s famous photo. "I"ve been keeping this inspiration in my back pocket," Bastian explained post-show. "I had this idea: What if James Dean came back and picked up where he left off? How would he dress?"

The show included bits that were a kind of biography: outfits inspired by pieces Dean actually wore, like the sweater from Schatt"s iconic "torn sweater" series; a garage jumpsuit inspired by his love of race cars; and a wrestling singlet—a nod to Dean"s days at Fairmount High. (It even read "Fairmount.") But Life of the Saint treatment gave way to an imaginative costuming. Dean died in 1955 at only 24. Who knows what he would have gone on to wear? Bastian offered a wealth of options, playing on his label"s own standards, like running shorts and frayed cutoffs, as well as immaculate tux jackets, suits, and the Stubbs & Wootton slippers he prefers. And just as James Dean can be all people, so too, said Bastian, "everyone can be James Dean for a day." Instead of a parade of blondish, blue-eyed facsimiles, he offered Deans of every size, color, and creed—including a female Dean, played by Missy Rayder.

That"s the canny bit of the Bastian magic: breadth. It"s not a virtue ofDean"s. We tend to forget because of his outsize influence, but his canon is impossibly small: just three films. This paean is just the reverse. And that"s because—and this is a positive thing—even with his love of spectacle, Bastian is a salesman as much as a showman. Backstage, he revealed he"d doubled the collection"s sales. And now it"s priced to move.

Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

Michael Bastian

• Matthew Schneier
• September 9, 2012

Michael Bastian"s Spring show was scheduled for high noon. High tea would"ve been more apropos, but there"s no room to wriggle on the New York calendar. Some designers might"ve blushed to put so much flesh on display before brunch, but not Bastian. There"s always been an erotic undercurrent to his shows, but for Spring he shot it to the fore. "People try to pigeonhole me as preppy," he said backstage after the show. "I don"t feel like I"m preppy at all. There"s a base of that, but there"s a base of that in any American menswear designer. The two poles of American menswear are Ralph Lauren as the superego and Calvin Klein as the id—and I want to start going more toward the id. This felt like a big step in scraping preppy off. You talk about American heritage; one of our biggest heritages is sex. I don"t feel like that"s been out there enough."

Id, he did. Bastian had begun the collection in homage to Helen Frankenthaler, whose watery colors inspired the palette, but the death of Donna Summer, disco queen and gay icon, rerouted his course. Mid-show, one of his thick-thighed avatars was sauntering out to "Love to Love You, Baby" in a glittery Donna Summer "81 ("Summer Is Back!") T-shirt. The scene Bastian had set was a Fire Island pool house, where, he said, "there"s that feeling that you wouldn"t rather be any other place."

The show"s success was that you believed he wouldn"t. This was Bastian reveling in Bastian-ness. These Adonises, unrepentant in their swagger: He loves to love them, baby. To dress them, too. The Bastian codes are well established, and they don"t veer far from season to season. Here as ever were linen suits, vintage-y short shorts, polos, great knits. There"ll be plenty to buy. But the achievement of this show was Bastian"s embrace of his own fantasy without apology. Even in a day when sexuality and equality is an increasingly visible political issue, there"s a reticence to speak openly about it in men"s fashion for fear of spooking "normal" guys, "real" guys. Facing it head on is, in its campy way, brave, even if Bastian dismisses that notion. "The whole conversation, Is it straight? Is it gay? I can"t tell who is what any longer," he said. "I can"t tell what country anyone"s from, I can"t tell anything. People like things that make them feel sexy—that"s the secret. If something makes you feel better about yourself, you"ll pull out your credit card." There"s a utopian vision for you. Fabulous.

Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

Michael Bastian

• Matthew Schneier
• February 13, 2012

So-called "extra men" have a storied history in polite society: they"re natural-born charmers, called upon to make up numbers at the table, dance with undesirables, and escort other men"s wives to functions when the ladies" husbands can"t be bothered.

Michael Bastian called his Fall show The Extra Man. He turned up a New York Times article from 1974 listing the top 30 the city had to offer. They ranged from Charles Addams to Bill Blass to, oddly enough, Norman Mailer, the irascible, six-times-married novelist who famously stabbed one of his wives. "Everybody wanted to sit by them," Bastian said of the extra men. "To me, it feels like this great New York phenomenon. I just love walking around the Upper East Side and seeing those guys who didn"t just take an extra 10 minutes in the morning to get ready, but an extra 40 minutes. This is a kind of valentine to them."

The extra men were a springboard to glamour for Bastian. The designer is famous for unapologetic luxe, and imagining a cast of ideal party guests gave him license to indulge it to the hilt, in cashmere and camel hair, silk and shantung. "Snazzy" was his watchword of the season. His men were unquestionably that, piled with peacock finery observed to the smallest detail.

But it bears repeating that a less-pleasant word for extra men is walkers—as in, they won"t do anything but. (Many extra men were, as they say, confirmed bachelors.) Bastian even threw in a little joke at this expense. When he arrived in New York as a young man, he misunderstood the term. "I would think, wow, these dog walkers get invited to the best parties!" he said, and spun the memory into a series of conversation-piece sweaters knitted with pups. The debonair model Pedro Andrade trotted his dog, Miles, down the runway in a quilted jacket that matched his own.

An extra man is an escort defanged, and there were moments here that were stilted, too. Bastian"s charmers were charming but some lacked the hot-blooded virility he"s marshaled so expertly in seasons past. Case in point: Most of his extra men wore floral boutonnieres. But they were resin replicas of real blooms.

Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

Michael Bastian

• Matthew Schneier
• September 4, 2013

The immanence of the Internet means no reference is farther than a Google search away. Michael Bastian found his on Hulu Plus. "It started with watching The Red Balloon for the first time in twenty years," he said after his show today. "It snowballed into this French-guy thing."

His invitation bore the legend French men always break your heart. But despite the warning, and hot on the heels of Fall"s grim, gothic collection, Spring found Bastian in a bubbly mood. "We want this to feel joyous," he explained, "which is an underused word."

His joy came brightly colored and lavishly printed—with more prints, in fact, than he has ever used before. There was an abundance of leopard. There were pineapples, slingshots, balloons. Even shirts that from afar seemed innocuously patterned revealed paperclips and wineglasses up close. "Print abuse" was his own term for it. Every guy reliably has a print shirt, but print on print on print on print, as the looks were styled here? "That felt fresh."

Fresh or French? Therein lies the question. It"s hard to see the pile-on of pineapples and paperclips as anything other than American brash. The strength of the Bastian look is that it is impervious to any attempts to strip its muscular sportiness and its yen for camp. A Paris-printed cap and a tourist-camera prop didn"t telegraph the American-in-Paris idea as clearly as it might, nor did the live performance by the American R&B chanteuse Alice Smith do much to reinforce the mood. That"s the distraction of Internet-era reach: Like print on print on print, it offers the narcotic lure of more, more, more. But what whiffs of Francophilia distracted from here is just how fully formed Bastian"s own world is unto itself. As if to prove the point, he customizes accessories to match. He doesn"t need to travel. His people—Stubbs & Wootton for shoes, Eugenia Kim for hats, Randolph Engineering for shades, Frank Clegg for bags—come to him.

Read more from: https://www.kalakendra.org/upcoming-events/

Michael Bastian

•  Noah Johnson
• July 21, 2014

"The Southwest is a little bit of a challenge," said Michael Bastian at his studio in New York"s Chelsea neighborhood. "I really wanted to avoid all the clichés—no cowboy, no poncho, no fringes. You know, how real guys in that part of the U.S. would dress, or my dream of how they would dress." For Spring 2015, Bastian took his collection of sportswear to Arizona. "Maybe because I grew up in Rochester, but the desert Southwest to me is exotic," the designer said.

Clichés were mostly avoided, but not entirely. There were embroidered Western shirts, suede outerwear, and bronze feather accessories from the George Frost x Michael Bastian collaboration. The best expression of the theme was in the dusty hues, soft, textured fabrics, and faded denim. As always with Bastian, the tailoring stood head and shoulders above the rest of the collection. Sharp suits in a linen-blend "denim," plaid, herringbone, and windowpane were the highlights. All kinds of trousers were reimagined in typical Bastian fashion. Riding pants and cargos were stripped down; motocross pants were made summery in faded canvas and denim; and slim, tapered sweatpants were done in gray piqué.

Bastian"s vision for guys in the Southwest favored glamour over ruggedness. There was something louche in the mostly unbuttoned shirts, short shorts, and, of course, the quintessential Michael Bastian racer swimsuit. But the ease of the collection was almost too easy. The designer might have successfully avoided clichés, but all of the softening and fading seems to have removed the grit that makes the Southwest special.

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Michael Angel

• Alison Baenen
• September 10, 2010

"How can I do what I do with prints and be a minimalist?" So pondered Michael Angel, the Australian with a gift for graphics who wants a piece of the big-time nineties revival now in full effect. His answer? Make the prints fantastic, and simplify the rest.

Prints, of course, are Angel"s bright, sexy calling card, and as usual, they were a success. The same was true of the simplification—up to a point. The predominant silhouette (a double-layer trompe l"oeil wrap skirt with a revealing front thigh slit) looked fresh, but Angel showed too many subtle variations of it, and not much else. Minimalism shouldn"t mean minimal options.

Angel did use the skirt layers effectively to experiment with texture. Leather paired with silk twill had depth, and a bottom layer encrusted with a frosting of heavy sequins emerged and disappeared as its wearer moved. Up above, he cut a men"s dress shirt off at the breastbone, creating a midriff-exposing collar top that appeared, in one form or another, in almost every look.

Intrigued by the pious modesty he had observed on a recent holiday in Rome, Angel played with the idea of hiding and revealing. He used latex (a naughty rejoinder to the ecclesiastical inspiration) to obscure the salient parts of the female form. Layered over the prints, the opaque latex made for an interesting color play. It was smart to pair the showstopping prints with cleanly tailored separates with an edge. Next time, it would be nice to see a few more choices.

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Maison Margiela

• Nicole Phelps
• September 27, 2013

Fashion"s obsession with the masculine/feminine thing goes back at least as far as the heydays of Yves Saint Laurent and Helmut Newton. And yet it never seems to get old—see any number of runways this season, from Michael Kors Outlet to Nina Ricci. But trust the Maison Martin Margiela team to put their own stamp on it. In the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, windows open to a gorgeous breeze, the Maison show today wasn"t so much boy-meets-girl as it was boy-meets-showgirl. Paris, Nevada, let"s call it. Spangled briefs peeked from the top of low-slung men"s pants, and a pink sequined bustier stood out against the black of a topcoat and trousers.

By rights, this should"ve felt predictable. But if it wasn"t agenda-setting the way Margiela the man"s collections could sometimes be, it didn"t fail to charm anyway. That"s mostly due to the excellent cut of the Maison"s tailoring—an unassailable pair of pinstripe trousers, or a clever gilet that combined structure and flou. It"s hard to make a real-world case for sleeves hacked off at the shoulders and suspended from the neck by grosgrain ribbons; no one wants to work that hard at getting dressed. But lapel-less coats in leather or brushed cashmere? Despite the mad bits of sequins worn underneath, they were utterly desirable. Replica pieces apparently re-created corsets and bustiers lifted from real circuses. They razzle-dazzled you. In the end, though, the masculine side of this story edged out the feminine.

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Kris Van Assche

• Tim Blanks
• January 27, 2006

In a Paris season characterized by arcaneinspirations, Kris van Assche found his in leshommes-fleurs, a tribe of Arabian warriors whounabashedly adorn themselves with flowers. He wasequally turned on by photos of elegant old Van Asschesfrom the Belle Epoque. So the central idea was thatthere are different ways for men to be masculine.

Unfortunately, the show itself didn"t serve thisnotion as well as it might have. Michael Nyman"ssoundtrack for The Cook, the Thief, his Wife andher Lover provided a musical underlay so insistentit would have induced madness had the show lastedanother ten minutes. And a storm of windblown rosepetals midway through proved equally distracting (amannequin made his way through the blizzard with histrench held over his head).

We already know Van Assche is both rigorous andromantic, so the formal lines of the Belle Epoque didin fact agree with him. There was something of thenight in his tailoring: the dark blue suit with asheen, the double-breasted coat with a little halfbelt, even the tweed coat piped in black. His indigojeans were silk, not denim, the kind of dressy touchthat is practically a signature.

But once the hommes-fleurs invaded the catwalk,the tone toughened and the clothes roughened, notnecessarily for the better. A leather blouson waspaired with sweats, a serape was slung round a baretorso. And then, of course, there were those floraladornments. A different way to be masculine? Not thereyet.
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