Lola Saab is Paris editor of Lucire.

Chic and the city

Lola Saab gives a glance at her Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York diary from the fall–winter 2014–15 shows

Although New York had its slippery, wintery white, snow-filled season, the fashion week agenda took its course. From suites and events to the fall–winter 2014–15 collections, ranging from Rebecca Taylor’s ever-so brisk ensembles to Custo Dalmau’s classy creations, we have your exclusive full insider’s tour.

HSN Spring Fashion Lounge



Getty Images

Above, from top Colleen López with Christos Garkinos, presenting his Eureka collection. Colleen López and Hal Rubenstein. Beauty experts, Jose Eber and Carmindy.

Fashion revolves around the idea of elegance, style and creativity, three attributes that underline the initiative behind HSN, the Home Shopping Network. This season, for the first time, HSN hosted the Fashion Week Lounge at the Empire Hotel. The event was conveniently located across the street from the tents: it was a perfect getaway, presenting a sneak-peek of new HSN features ready to conquer the fashion world in the upcoming season. The Fashion Edit allows HSN shoppers to find their perfect match, as numerous collections, from renowned style specialists, are revealed. Another new feature ready to launch is The List with Colleen López, where every Thursday night, the host will provide viewers with her personal fashion finds at an affordable price. The programmes for spring 2014, entirely dedicated to fashion, will unveil new looks on a budget.

The lounge was filled with new hot HSN items. Christos Garkinos introduced his affordably luxurious clothing line, Eureka. His tastefully cut jackets brought a European flair to the mix. Garkinos’ exclusive collection for HSN combines quality and appeal.

A familiar name in the fashion industry is Giuliana Rančić (right), a television personality and designer. She provides attractive, sexy pieces with bold materials, including suede and leather, in her line entitled G. Fern Mallis, the former Executive Director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America for ten years as well as the former Senior Vice President of IMG for nine years, brought fashion lovers her own exceptional jewellery line with elegant pieces to match any woman’s ensemble.
Byron by Byron Lars, a true fashion expert with two decades of fashion expertise, presented his interpretation of luxury. Byron’s list of clients includes First Lady Michelle Obama, Kim Kardashian and a number of other A-listers. He brings to the table comfortable pieces to make a woman feel relaxed.

From numerous clothing designers, the lounge also welcomed beauty experts, sharing their tips, including Carmindy, who has a vast make-up line known as Carmindy & Co. From make-up to hair, José Eber, a Beverly Hills-based stylist, certainly knows how to sustain phenomenal hair with his line of products and hair styling tools.

Mercedes-Benz Greenroom


While the tent is vast, there is an escape for VIPs and invited guests, gracefully tucked away in the centre of it all, at the Mercedes-Benz Greenroom. The atmosphere is simply decorated, in a calm fashion. Guests are welcomed to leave their stress behind and reminisce at their own desired pace amongst a handful of people.

StyleCaster and Buddakan

Fashion Week is not always just about fashion. In many cases, it is abou tuniting the fashion community, bringing together those with the similar interests into one space. StyleCaster, a rapidly growing media and advertising company based mainly on beauty, fashion and women’s lifestyle, thought of just the thing. This season, they teamed up with Buddakan, a chic restaurant located in Chelsea serving delectable Asian-influenced dishes. They invited guests to freshen up with various beauty stations surrounded by the restaurant’s immaculate décor. For hungry invitees, they could choose to order a savoury dim-sum meal to accompany fresh cocktails or a pot of hot tea. StyleCaster was founded in 2009 and lives up to its oh-so elegant outlook, keeping clients coming back for more.

New Roots “pop-up” hosted by the International Rescue Committee (IRC)
Celebrity chef David Burke was also part of the fashion festivities as a supporter of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), who introduced their first New Roots “pop-up” at the Empire Hotel. The critically acclaimed and admired chef provided invitees with specially made organic lunches. The IRC represents an organization that reaches out a helping hand to refugees who have no choice but to flee hardship caused by disaster or by a sudden war. Humanitarianism is the committee’s main goal ever since it was founded by its founder, the famous Albert Einstein, in 1933. Decades later, IRC spread throughout more than 40 countries and in 22 cities.

The two-day event took place in an intimate setting, surrounded by organic lemons, which were supplied by Limoneira, matching bright yellow walls. In the upbeat atmosphere, the occasion also reminded guests of the IRC’s real purpose.

As we shy away from the more relaxed atmosphere of Fashion Week, we move with full force into the week’s highlights. This season, designers embraced simplicity, permitting the wearer to feel comfortable yet still portray elegance, allowing the world to be her runway.

Lela Rose


Lela Rose’s collections always express a fresh, clean spirit. The designer reflects simplicity with sophistication. The first looks were casual, with a variety of fluttery short dresses and pant suits; many included a few overcoats for a dab of extra class to match the ensembles. There is a balance between loose tops and jackets, in parallel to the lower construction. Silky smooth materials and layered organza were matched with a range of colours, from sheer purple to whites; she had it all, providing onlookers with their absolute must-haves.



Rebecca Taylor
The talented designer Rebecca Taylor showed a fierce, stylish woman, prepared to conquer the day. She is self-assured with minimalist, ultra-feminine looks from skirts and dresses to wide knee-high pants, as well as vests and cocoon coats. Taylor successfully mixed hues of indigo, blues, whites and blacks, balancing the ideas of clarity and darkness. The colours were inspired by Parisian graffiti artist Philippe Baudelocque, who works with chalk, and they reflect what is left of his art when the rain washes them away. The hair and make-up were simple, allowing the wearer to embrace their natural beauty and act confidently on the runway.