The Nowness

Between fall and spring there is always a convergence, or a card deck shuffle of trends. We can cite two: the urban woodsman of fall and the minimal sophisticate of spring. The urban woodsman, in his (or her) autumnal plaid button down, a variation of a Quoddy boot or Topsider and crisp dark denim was sleek, but rugged and worn. The look hinted at glowing kitchens, gatherings of friends and the boon of nature – fresh air, sun, snow and the like. It will segue easily to spring, with lighter Breton stripes, softer denim and torn khakis. The urban yachtsman, if you will.

Then we have the new minimalism of spring, ushered in most notably by the press’s unequivocal citation of Phoebe Philo at Céline. Refer to Style.com’s review of her Fall/Winter 2010 collection and the comparison to Helmut Lang (the original) and it was a done deal from the start. Minimal is the new everything: the small calf box bag, the paper leather shopper, and camel cashmere. A girl will practically be able to wear subdued silk fatigues to the Met. This gives a year-round feel to things.

Our favorite new accessories collection is perhaps our favorite for the reason that it embodies the quiet versatility of the aforementioned trends. Jackson's unisex flat zip bags are weathered, yet substantial; minimal yet not recessive – Balmain and Vuitton they are not. These will stand the test of time, and carry a value per wear. Rendered in parochial red, jean blue, black, chocolate brown and natural they range in size from portfolio to hand clutch, the latter of which have flown out of the store in multiples. It turns out there is a need for this new anti-“it” bag. They zip around the seam, and are sans handle. They are so perfectly classic that they don’t have the patience for second thoughts – get them while you can.

*Jackson Large ($325) and Small ($225) Clutches

The Large Natural Clutch - $325

*Study in black and grey: the Jackson Small Clutch in Black - $225

 

The Shins

At début we have a tendency to revere show-stoppers – detailed, sculptural and fantastical pieces ranging from the muted, yet fierce, to the vivid and playful. There’s a time though, when our eyes and our wardrobes need a soothing element. This would be where Shin comes in for the Spring/Summer 2010 season.

Shin is a collection constructed to be non t-shirt in presence, but t-shirt in feel. Designer and namesake, Shin, graduated from FIT in 2007, and was promptly honored as a finalist in the Gen Art 2008 Styles competition. She likes to play with the dichotomy of traditional jersey sweats – the material is relaxed and casual, yet malleable and perfectly open to being customized, manipulated and refined based on her references to fine art and architecture.

It’s something we’d wear every day, and we’d feel comfortable, but quietly provocative; hinting at not caring, but also being a bit of a risk taker. This is more than we can express with our jeans and sailor stripes during seasonal wardrobe transition crises.

Lightweight, opaque leggings with small gaping slashes fall like perfectly skinny jeans. The black and white palette allows for a rotation of looks to be formed from a small group of pieces. Shirts that reveal long stretches of bare shoulder, and perfect drapey tank dresses will stand apart from a sea of beach cover-ups that will undoubtedly loom in the coming weeks. We’d prefer an army of Shin-clad women striding our city’s blocks.

To order please email info@debutnewyork.com or call 212.343.217

SHIN Black Exposed Shoulder Top - $165.00 (also available in white)

SHIN Black Slash Leggings - $150.00

SHIN White Pleated Asymmetrical Dress - $350.00

SHIN Black Asymmetrical Drape Dress - $215.00

Return to Grace

Timo Weiland’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection will land in debut this week, inaugurated with a shopping event for the young Manhattan-based duo behind the design, Timo Weiland and Alan Eckstein. The label will also have a home here for the fall season, and its growing legion of fans will have a go-to place for the delicate frocks and sharp separates.

In anticipation, we decided to write a bit about the collection, but realized we don’t want to read into anything too much just yet (plus we still have Fall!). Instead, we procrastinated as usual, whiling away time on Style.com and viewing the film of Alexander McQueen's awe-invoking shows. And then a question arose: what indeed is a great designer made of?

Just skimming the surface here: an unadulterated love for and connection with fashion and the feminine form; designs for women to act as women, plain and simple; a palpable sensibility and drive. 


A few creators have forged this path, setting the benchmark for the authentic blend of passion, fresh perspective and strong construction integral to the formation of new and enduring collections. Timo Weiland has achieved the beginnings of this thread as of late in New York, with the creative energy and strong self-possession to back it up.

Timo and Alan's dialogue seems to naturally and lightly reference their life experiences to date: travel, family roots and Timo's early sewing work under the tutelage of his mother. Their focus on the art of creating beautiful and most importantly, personal garments is, for lack of better verbiage, nice to see in progress as we move forward, and the cycle of fashion continues in good form.

1: "Regal Trench" in camel - approximately $740

2: "Chantreuse Day Dress" in black with slip - approximately $665

and

"Minstrel Blazer" with silk/chiffon sleeves in black/navy - approximately $600

3: "Accordian Day Dress" in cream charmeuse and chiffon - approximately $495

and

"Ascot" scarf in black/white polkadot - approximately $100

Debut New York Celebrates Timo Weiland's Spring/Summer 2010 Collection

New York, Wu York

York Wu is the quintessence of the modern designer: a multi-platform, globally-minded precision artist. He’s set forth with focused, singular creativity in sculpture, interior design, art and creative offshoots, specifically WUYORK’s decadent, delicately crafted army of bowties.

The unisex pieces are nestled in a substantial leather case, adorned with the slippery satin ends of ribbons that affix the bows around the neck, wrist or wherever one can find a place. It feels somehow “off” to refer to these as accessories, so without bringing too lofty references to the interpretation of fashion, I’ll leave it as such: WUYORK’s bowties are little works of drama.

A neat black leather tie has an errant “strand” that drips with glinting silver studs. Another that looks from afar like a smooth cream bow is in fact stiff cotton cording pleated to look like a single piece. An organized chaos of black organza has a blousy, Victorian-meets-Yohji sensibility, and is shown as a pin to the lapel of a jacket. We like it worn over a bright white t-shirt, or perhaps peeking out from beneath a slick tuxedo sans shirt.

There’s a sensuality to each of these perfect pieces that comes from Wu’s intense care for his work, as well as the lightness and duality of the materials. The aim to transfix, transpose and transcend is at work here, and it will not remain unnoticed for long.

She said...

He said...

Cool.

A flash of color from behind a khaki trench is a siren call of spring, of parties, and better things to come. Structured dresses, high hemlines and lightly sculpted fabrics call to mind days of high heels, bare legs and long dinners on porches somewhere not…here.

And thank-you, Julian J. Smith, for reminding us that we can don one of your color-packed frocks any day of the year and feel exuberant.

Smith, a London fashion darling if there ever was one in Debut’s midst has quickly developed a following for his simple, yet structured looks that are all about maximum impact without high concept fuss, in the vein of Pop Art of the 60s.

Color is used strategically, yet unabashedly and woven in clean lines over neutral navy, beige and I suppose, yes, pink can be considered a neutral in Smith’s lexicon. A preppy vibe tugs gently around the edges of spare shift shapes and short-sleeved nip-waisted dresses, but Smith is about the playful factor with undulating folds of silk and hems that reignite the hemline vs. economic state debate.

Pair with the highest heels and go:

Parisii: The Craftsmen

Paris fashion week, arguably the most anticipated of the biannual events, is a time of exclusivity, hedonism and purpose. We are reminded that great creativity exists in the original hotbed of fashion, with all the deserved pomp and circumstance. And so we’ve flown off to see what this character of a city will bring us to distinguish ourselves for Fall 2010.

To comfort our compatriots back home we’ve left one of Paris’s current and future jewels: Calla. In our history, never has a designer generated such natural heat prior to arriving in-store. We’ve had emails from Brazil, calls from California and neighborhood friends stopping by “just to check in” on Calla’s debut collection.

The designer, Calla Haynes, hails from Toronto and attended Parsons in New York and Paris, where it seems she was truly born and raised. For it was with the houses of Rochas and Ricci, and individuals like Olivier Theyskens – arbiters of the lean construction and lightness of hand we attribute to the masters – where Calla honed her craft. She then moved on to develop original prints for designers including Alexander Wang and Erin Fetherston.

The sum of her skills and proclivities is a collection for the modern “coquine” – a woman who needs a new luxury brand that looks as good as it feels to wear. Airy silk organza and buttery cotton layering separates feel enlightened, so perhaps “The City of Light” is a moniker-cum-self-fulfilling prophecy for its young talent.

* The perfect new "twin-set" - a silky cotton cropped top with a draped racerback tank

* PERFECT Black Pants