RhyDin Fashion Week Notes from RhyDin Wear Daily:

Mercer Park will set the stage for what promises to be a hot and heavy Fashion Week 2010. Who will soar to new designing heights and who will fall flat on their couture backs? More importantly ? who will make a complete fool of themselves at one of the Week?s many after parties?

Highlights of this week?s schedule ? Not to be missed:

Sunday, February 7th

The RhyDin Post and Benson Boulevard Initiative Present the
Fashion Week 2010 Charity Kickoff
9 PM ? The Hope Creative, Benson Boulevard
All Proceeds Benefit the Sanyumato Relief Fund and the Jewell Ravenlock Center for Community Partnership of RhyDin

Monday, February 8th

The Remmington Collection
2 PM ? Main Tent
Head Designer: Vicki Remmington
Featuring: Kell Sands, Two for Teeny, Case 57

Tuesday, February 9th

Highlife Haberdashery Runway Show
4 PM ? Main Tent
Head Designer: Gerard Smith
Featuring: D?Vestavio, Pierce Pianz, 3 Slack

Wednesday, February 10th

Kitchy Kando
1 PM ? Main Tent
Head Designers: Leigh Mayazuki and Cassie Kando

Thursday, February 11th

Millie & Mallie Runway Show
3 PM ? Main Tent
Head Designer: Koyliak VanDuran-Simon
Featuring: Shane Tory, Steel Kisses, Mol Ryan

Friday, February 12th

Gorgeous Harry?s Textile Showroom
12 PM - Promenade

Neese
5 PM ? Main Tent
Head Designer: Nicole Neese

Saturday, February 13th

Jackson Walt
3 PM ? Promenade
Head Designers: Zachary Jackson and Walter Rusk

Lamb Studios Photography Presents
The Year in RhyDin Fashion
5 PM ? Lamb Studios, Benson Boulevard
Head Photographers: Kyle Levy and Oblinn Lyrana

And though we love life inside the tents let us not forget some of the week?s highly anticipated supplemental events closing out the week:

Wednesday, February 10th

How To Dress Like A Man: A Crash Course in Menswear Fashions
3:30 PM ? The Highlife Haberdashery, Benson Boulevard
Presented by Gerard Smith

Thursday, February 11th

Write On! Discussion Panel of RhyDin?s Leading Fashion Writers
12 PM ? Seven & Seven Restaurant, Benson Boulevard
Panelists Include Sonia Williams (founder, Couture Magazine), Jess Vincent (editor, Couture Magazine), Tina Tolly (editor, Paper Dolls), Stone Feldman (fashion columnist, Lush)
Moderated by Amador Sui (editor, RhyDin Wear Daily)

Friday, February 12th

Make-Up Artist Expo
3 PM ? The Blush Brush Warehouse
Sponsored by Local Chapter 52 of the RhyDin Make-Up Artists Union

Designer Duds
All Day Friday
Clothing Drive for Charity
Lexington Square, Benson Boulevard.
Sponsored by RhyDin United and Sisters of the Revolution

Saturday, February 13th

Valentine?s Day Disco Ball
10 PM

((Gladly cross-posted by request))

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj239/Elessaria_Devabriel/Heart%20Notes/heartnotes1.jpg Elessaria sagged wearily against the edge of her work bench and brushed a few stray strands of her golden hair from her eyes. A satisfied smiled graced her pale lips as she stared at the final creation of her limited edition product line that was for the Benson Boulevard Initiative and the foundation in Jewell's memory. In spite of the fact that her gifts were not yet up to full strength, she was proud of her word.

Delicate fingers wrapped the strand of pale blue pearls around the neck of the single bottle of eau de parfum for the line. She had named it "Papillon Eph?m?re" to follow Koy's theme and to emphasize that this was a limited edition product line. The petite elfess had crafted the bottle herself out of elven laen into a hollow crystalline butterfly. The strand of rare pearls could be worn as a necklace if the owner chose to remove it from the collectible bottle.http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj239/Elessaria_Devabriel/Heart%20Notes/5271_WE.jpg The other products she created for the line included an eau de toilette, crushed pearl infused body lotions, body butters, bath gels and oils all decanted into lovely glass bottles created by the Kaiser Brothers.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj239/Elessaria_Devabriel/Heart%20Notes/img-thing.jpg There were also hand crafted soaps in a variety of butterfly shapes and in the imitation of different seashells. The entire line of the ethereal scent would only be available for 45 days after the opening gala.

Papillon Eph?m?re was created by the empath in memory of Jewell and with the desires of the fashionistas who were regular visitors of the various Benson Boulevard shops. It is an elegant scent of watery florals that develops with a subtle warmth and dries down with feminine mystery. Some of the notes included in this singular creation include: sunny citrus, honeysuckle, water hyacinth, aquatic lotus, white linen, Spanish cistus flowers, Jacaranda wood, and pheromones.

While many had purchased tickets to tonight?s event any Fashion Week party came with those clever enough to either talk or sneak their way inside. The Benson Boulevard business owners and other known New Havenites had turned up to support a good (and more importantly to some, fashionable) cause. Besides the donations collected at the door there was an intern from Kitchy Kando?s shop assigned the task of guarding and coercing donations into a sleek box up front. Aside from the various items on sale to benefit the two charities through the Benson Boulevard Initiative?s support there were also swag bags for the various guests. These would include pamphlets on the Benson Boulevard Initiative, The Hope Creative, the Sanyumato Relief Fund and the Jewell Ravenlock Center as well as a brightly colored scarf with a butterfly logo printed on it, a small box of individually wrapped butterfly shaped chocolates, a business card for Delectable Cravings Catering and a special edition of Couture Magazine?s Fashion Week previews.

After the models finished strutting their stuff on the short funky lit catwalk they would continue on to mix and mingle with the rest of the crowd. The music would be lowered after the show ended so that people could hear themselves speak and hear their money when it hit the cashiers? drawers.

http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx21/dfenner_photo/521311356_3ef416f175-1.jpg
Gossip Columnist: Emmet "The It Man" Bane

Fashion Week Charity Kickoff - A Review
February 9, 2010

Maya Angelou talked about butterflies once. Something about how we rarely admit the changes a butterfly has gone through, though we truly delight in its beauty.

Now I?m not a fashion snob? alright. I totally am. But don?t even get me started on some of Koy?s earlier designs. I have to admit that I found last year?s line a little old-fashioned for RhyDin?s contemporary tenor. This place is a technological and economic hotspot, and is constantly being invaded by new races bringing new products and ideas. I personally would have liked to see a little more than Terran influence in some of her older designs. Terran fashion is great; don?t get me wrong. But RhyDin may as well be one big spaceport for the rotating cultures it receives. And some species have truly beautiful fashion.

Take Underdark Drow, for instance. Stay with me here, folks! Yeah, a lot of the Drow we know around here tend to dress on the quirky side. But looking at classic Drow fashion - I?m talking about from three-hundred years ago, ladies and gents - we see a lot of form fitting, matte-like fabrics that are secured with mithril bands. Bold, Rothe hide boots and treated spider silk scarves would actually make for a gorgeous pseudo-gothic look this autumn! Take notes!

But I digress! What I?m trying to say is that a lot of people will often look at a work of art without recognizing the effort it took to get there. News flash, people! Fashion is a tough industry! An eat or be-eaten kind of scenario! I have to give it up to Koy for being able to hang in this long and be popular. Just what is it about her designs that keeps people coming back for more?

This past Sunday, a few of my colleagues had the opportunity to check out the Fashion Week Charity Kickoff, which showcased Koy?s new Chrysalis Collection. What a clich?, precious little name. I kind of feel like the butterfly theme they were going for was a little forced at times, but I get it. It?s supposed to signify change, right? Clever.

The show started off kicking, featuring Wyheree Ravenlock in a gorgeous, ethereal number that reminds me a little bit of elvish design. Long, draping, lacy white fabrics look really spectacular with her complexion and elegant features. A five for Koy on that design, minus a few decimal points from her model for sculpting her own accessory. I think it?s a brilliant idea for Anything-but-Cold Ice Queen Wyh to showcase her abilities, but she might want to brush up on the symbolism of a show before she makes her own contribution. Ice butterfly wings would be cute anywhere else, but ice notoriously stands for permanence, parochialism, and death. Wasn?t the BBI theme supposed to be about change and rebirth? Whoops!

The next few pieces were completely charming, and specialized in the over-emphasis of desirable attributes. Ruffle complimented model Damarco?s busting? er? bust quite nicely, though she probably could have done better with a larger size, or a bolder design. Sources tell me she was this close to having a wardrobe malfunction. Where were the costume techs doing last-minute alterations? That girl is curvy, and those designs are delicate. Besides, she strikes me more as an in-your-face kind of beauty. I?d have liked to have seen her in something striking, and not quite as mute as the hot pink number Koy had her in. Then again, the show is supposed to be about the designer, and not the models, so maybe I?m just letting out hot air for no reason.

One thing I am suuuuuper stoked about is Koy?s feature of Lilliana McClae. She had this curvy, bubbly flower child in a form-flattering silk set. You want to talk about lighting up the runway? That woman stole the show! The white set was an excellent design on Koy?s part, and a superb choice for Flower Child Lilli?s fiery mane. Remind me why she doesn?t model full time?

Following closely on her heels was ?heartbreaker? Jamie Prince, in a piece that I am sad to say was all wrong for the collection. The delicate, flowy, feminine line was completely interrupted by a dauntless, too-revealing one-piece in black that one might find in a more? er? licentious mag, as opposed to a high-end couture catalogue where Koy Fashion is usually found. I have to wonder if she came up with these designs for the sole purpose of pleasing the models, and not using the show to showcase her full creativity.

As if making up for it, Luce Smix modeled a ballerina-inspired lace slip with garters that merited more than one wolf whistle from the audience. There is something incredibly sexy about a truly feminine design that leaves much to the imagination. Granted, the most concealing pieces of clothing these girls were wearing were the occasional navel-covering teddy, but I?ve always believed fantasy is better than reality. This show is no exception!

The show closed out with Tara Ryneiyn in a hot, dark blue number that would have looked superb on just about any other model. The thick, horizontal stripe of lace down the design?s center unfortunately cut the already petite model in half, and reduced her a good two inches in height. An extra pair of stripes under-arm would have added length and slenderness to Tenacious Tara. I must say, though, blue is the perfect choice for a red-haired hottie! Props to the designer for palette choice! Absolutely beautiful!

All in all, the show went off without a hitch, and I hear it earned quite a bit charity-wise to benefit the Sanyumato Relief fund and the JRC. Looking at Koy?s other works, the Chrysalis Collection is undoubtedly massively and beautifully improved, minus a few inconsistencies here and there. But I imagine she spent more of her energy on putting the event together than she did working out her designs, so I?m still willing to give her a 4 out of 5 stars for effort. I know I can?t wait to see what else she has in store for Millie & Mallie?s and the Heavenly Boutique! Keep us posted!

((Copied from Fashion Week Charity Kickoff - A Review))

(Excerpted from RhyDin Wear Daily)

...In the aftermath of last year's mediocre showcase, and with rumors flying around about Highlife Haberdashery head designer Gerard Smith's displeasure with his star pupil, all eyes were on the D'Vestavio portion of Highlife's collection. The tension and anticipation only ratcheted up further after the 3 Slack and Pierce Pianz portions of the showcase proved overly familiar and conservative.

The 3 Slack segment drew heavily from classic ?prep? fashion, with its dependence on crew neck sweaters, pressed khakis, and blazers in safe hues of camel and navy. The familiarity was welcome, but the slavish devotion to the classic interpretation of the style did Slack no favors in standing out among a sea of similarly cautious designers this season.

Pianz, meanwhile, went with an array of gray flannel suits. He trotted out just about every stylistic variation possible: single-breasted, double-breasted, one-button, two-button, four-button, peaked lapels, notched lapels, shawl lapels, vented and unvented. Pianz's single-minded devotion to the gray color appeared to be an attempt to be traditional and cutting edge at once. It came across, however, as a failed attempt for him to have his cake and eat it, too.

With the outfits that Pianz and Slack sent onto the floor, we were expecting something similarly bland and boring from D'Vestavio. We assumed that Smith had sent a memo down to his proteges this season: don't stand out. Then, the first model for D'Vestavio walked out on the floor to the strains of aggressive breakbeat techno, and the gasps could be heard over the squelching synthesizers. The peacock blue suit, exquisitely tailored and combined with a burgundy tie, pinkish-red pocket square, and black lace-ups, was D'Vestavio's shot across the bow. This collection was going to be brash, confrontational, but most of all, colorful.

He cloned the suit into darker blue and black models, before tweaking the design slightly with neon red and canary yellow variations. He had pink seersucker jackets, a dress shirt striped with every nearly every color in the rainbow, and a pale blue chambray shirt with a shawl collar. Even when he marched out casual outfits, the jeans were dyed brightly in pink, red, and yellow as well as blue, and paired with super-tight t-shirts with graffiti inspired butterfly logos on the front or back. His crowning achievement was a series of bluish-black jackets, with the bottom half painted with abstract depictions of flowers. It was a microcosm of everything that made this collection so outstanding: impeccably crafted clothing, a sharp eye for fabrics, attention to the smallest details, and absolute fearlessness in his designs. This is what Smith, and we, have been waiting for since D'Vestavio first stepped through the doors at Highlife...

((Outfits from Locke's show can be seen here))