TUTORIALS

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Doll's Eye View: NY Spring/Summer 2020 Trends

There was less New York Fashion Week, this season which was probably a good thing. Between the great big, floppy silhouettes, yards and yards of flounces, ruffles and flaps contrasted by many, many terribly ordinary "been-there-worn that" styles..... there was not a lot to love. Right now, there is something called "maximalism" where stylists are mixing the 1970's, 80's and '90's into a single ensemble, I call.....one hot mess. I had to send the girls back to New York a second time just to come up with enough looks for this report. My die-hard fashionistas braved traffic jams and crowded subway trains in search of a few morsels of fashion they thought they could live with..

Lady Sings the Blues
Blue is big, especially when inspired by vintage fashion. Look for light blue denim, indigo, 70's tie dye, batik and dip dye...

Summer Breeze
What caught our attention in particular was the mix of tie-dye and jeans. Katoucha wears her own version of Pam & Gala's look. There really isn't anything fancy about this, just a simple, long sleeve top and matching straight legged pants pushed up to the knee and topped off with a classic jeans jacket with a fluff of feathers on the cuff. 

When you remove all of the over-the-top looks from New York Fashion Week, a lot of what is left looks more autumn than spring. But this group features cut-outs, lace and lattice fringe that we imagined would look like summer itself on a nice, warm, breezy day.

Liu couldn't resist this dress. She loved the almost tissue paper feel to a simple, crisp white dress slashed into ankle grazing strips. The dress itself is made from cotton voile. The pattern is the simple foundation pattern without the dart stitched down. The trim is a double layer of the same cotton voile cut very carefully into 1/8" strips. You can use a little Modge Podge or white craft glue on the edges to keep them from fraying.

Modern day "She-ro"
In the spirit of Marvel superheros comes our female fashionista warriors. I'm not really sure why this is spring/summer, but we were intrigued by the harness and the belts worn over jackets.
For Samantha, we created this in three parts. The long sleeve dress with funnel neck has an asymmetrical hemline ending in garter. I cut this dress out of a thin, navy jersey. Instead of stocking and boots, we simply gave her navy stocking boots (which look less winter). Over it all is a simple, (black) jersey sarong skirt and a black leather criss-cross harness belt which fastens in the back.

Botanical Gardens
Ah....finally....spring is in the air! Me and the girls LOVED these dresses with their oversized floral prints, incorporated bows and bare shoulders. Even when the designer opts for basic white and black.....he tops it with a floral lined maxi-coat! This is how we wished the entire fashion month would resemble!!!

Le Bandeau
 
Le Bandeau.... it's a tiny little bra top....really a big "band-aid" looking bare midriff top paired with trousers or skirts. Hmmmmm..... the problem for me is that the look doesn't look complete. The model is just too....well.....naked. I began with the look on the right. Before I completed this dress, I took a look at dolly's dress and felt there simply wasn't enough "fashion."

Instead, I decided to make the look on the left. The skirt is a better example of a sarong skirt, but the top was just too simple. So for Sofia, I added a "twist" to my bandeau. Still though, the look didn't look complete, so I added a Chinese satin brocade kimono coat to the mix.....

In Stark Contrast
Relax, you're in style! Simple, easy with a graphic slant, the girls like all the black and white (or silver) color blocking that is going on here.
Dorian's version of this Brandon Maxwell ensemble consists of a one shouldered top, a slim skirt and a great, bit sash that wraps around the waist and descends diagonally across the hips into a long train. Again, nothing really extraordinary here, just the ease and elegance of a classic style.

On the Straight and Narrow
Again....nothing to sit up and cheer about, but rather, easy glamour girl column dresses that draw attention to a beautiful body underneath. These are the type of go-anywhere dresses that never goes out of style.

Pampered Princesses
Not every evening look is slim. Full skirts, fit-and-flare.... here is another way to celebrate night time glamour with girly verve. We loved the pleated bandeau top worn over a super-full gathered skirt. But we also thought the cut-out embroidered cotton lace dress in blue made for an interesting play of a classic silhouette.

Pretty in Pink
Ah....another breath of springtime (not to mention Barbie's fave color)! So soft and tender. Think pink! While you can opt for something structured like the little pink pant suit, be sure to take advange of the softer side of things by opting for silky, flowing, airy, body flattering fabrics. If I had the time, I would love to make this entire group.
But I settled on this extraordinary gown by the house of Oscar de la Renta. This is my girl, Stella...a 16" Tonner (Antoinette Spice) doll who had been "sleeping" in the cellar. She came upstairs to get a pair of boots made for her but also reminded how I had promised to make more clothes for her and her friends. The strapless foundation as well as the over-skirt are made of a peachy-pink tulle. I did not have anything I could use for the embroidered flowers. Instead,I cut out floral medallions from a piece of lace and stitched them in strategic spots over the front of the dress.

Next stop: London! We can't promise you a lot. With everything that is going on with Brexit and the like... it is a not an easy time for British fashion. But count on our girls to come up with a few of the more interesting styles that appeared on the catwalks there! See you in a bit!

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10 comments:

  1. I think that my favourite piece is that Audra shirt-dress at the very begining. That's something I could totally wear myself, as well as my dolls. Also, blue is one of my favourite colors and I'm glad to see that it's on trend.

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    1. The fashion reports are always an interesting project for me. At the end of the day, the clothing I chose are things I could see myself wearing...at some point in my life. There was lots more color during NYFW, however, I didn't like how the designers used it. But still...these are spring summer garments, so I try to find things that reflect that season. And yes...blue is very much on trend!

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  2. A lot of the time, I love your interpretations more than the originals. Like in the last one---you added some 'air' to it...and made it more ethereal!

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    1. Thank you for your kind words. Of course, how my interpretations turn out are largely dependent on the fabric I have on hand as well as my own personal sense of fashion. And then when I have a difficult time finding things I like, I then try to do what I can in order to add that special wow-factor! And finally----I have the best models!!!!!

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  3. Well, I like these creations to be truth. Some of them are really intresting. I like your versions a lot. Espesially the white dress of Liu and She-ro outfit. :)

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    1. Thank you Kamelia. I must admit...it has been difficult to find things I like during these fashion weeks. The designers seem to go off the rails these days, with things that make you wonder who would ever wear what they present. So I have to really scour so many shows to find those rare gems. And....the dolls as models make all the difference!!!

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  4. Replies
    1. Thank you. Actually...I love Sophia. She looks good in EVERYTHING!

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  5. Jestem fanką klasyki i bardzo podobają mi się stroje w podstawowych kolorach: biel, czerń, granat. Lubię bardzo ecru i barwę niebieską. Jest tu dużo modeli, które naprawdę zachwycają!
    Koronkowa, ciemno-turkusowa suknia, w duże wzory, jest fascynująca!
    Moc uścisków ♥

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    1. Olla wrote:
      I am a fan of the classics and I really like the outfits in basic colors: white, black, navy blue. I like ecru and blue very much. There are a lot of models here that really delight!
      A lace, dark turquoise dress with large patterns is fascinating!
      Power of hugs ♥

      Thank you Olla. I like the classics as well, so long as they are made well. Most of the styles I show are clothes I would wear myself. For me, elegance trumps a lot of the chaos that is on many runways these days!

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