Dress Me Up in Diamonds

Whilst not technically composed of diamonds, Holly Fulton’s eponymous Perspex, Swarovski crystal and metal jewelry designs stand alone. So strong is the aesthetic impact of each that we liken the effect to the dazzle of a diamond in the proverbial rough.

Winner of the Young Designer of the Year category at the Scottish Fashion Awards, her debut Autumn/Winter 2009 collection synthesized the linear, yet seductive qualities of Art Deco design and paired the unique patterns with clean, monochromatic – yet sing-song bold – colors. The Holly Fulton look, it seems, is one that pops: visually gratifying with a tactile, nearly audible presence.

She abstracted the key elements of her RTW into glam neckwear, which we’ve loaded up on for the season. Each necklace is a relief of Holly’s rendering of Deco on steroids, imagined with glam robotic inflections. We find these have an intrigue of their own (our visitors often wonder just what the pieces are), and wear so well that they’ve invoked the simple and ultimate compliment, “wow,” on more than a few occasions. Holly Fulton jewelry should be paired with anything and everything.

Debut is Having a Party!

Debut's Debutantes

Brittney Major named winner of Debut New York’s inaugural Designer Open Call.

For the past month Debut has combed through designer portfolio submissions from qualified entrants to our first Designer Open Call initiative. Individuals from around the country braved the specters that the processes of competition and scrutiny invoke, and put forth their personal best for our review. We marveled as always at the surge of talent, and while it is indisputably difficult to choose one talent from many, we found ourselves piqued by Brittney Major, a recent graduate from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

Propelled by her passion for the inherent artistry of fashion design, and the relevance of the medium in a modern woman’s wardrobe, Brittney’s foundation is solid. She offers a point of view that feels at once new and easy, and in this sense embodies the idea of “discovery” that is at our core.

We will launch her full collection exclusively this Spring 2010 season – look for more about Brittney and her work from us in the New Year.

Because the difficulty of our choice was absolute, we’ve selected a runner up in Jie Pan. Jie is also an Academy of Art graduate, and displayed a heightened level of stirring, technical wizardry. We will celebrate Jie’s achievement by carrying a selection of looks through February 2010.

Cocktails and Dreams...

Paris-based, Belgian designer Cathy Pill is a designer hyphenate: splashy-yet-sophisticated, stirring-conversational-feminine…we can go on. Highly regarded in the editorial realm from the start, she has been characterized as having “zing”, as well as a “sensitivity and an analytical approach”.

We’ve found that the fashion critics have agreed on a common truth: Cathy Pill has a design lexicon fully stocked with Belgian Art Nouveau references, and an intuition for combining structure, draping and unique colors and patterns. Without appearing overly complicated, the work evokes intrigue in nearly anybody passing by.

Each design has its own specific identity and purpose, resulting from Cathy’s common language. Take for instance our window this week. We’ve noticed a few shoppers stalking a particular dress: a shift with a gently folded asymmetric neckline. The applied pattern is a quiet riot of lava flow orange, and newspaper black and white – an organic, nearly living and breathing work of art.

Begging to be worn under a sharply-tailored blazer is an asymmetric sheer dress, cut on the bias with a high neck and inverted “train” hem. It’s a subdued cousin of our window dress, and a distant, refined relative of the phoenix red, deconstructed “swing dress”, an exaggerated thing that can be manipulated 10+ ways on the body. Beyond the surface aesthetic, Cathy Pill designs are shape-shifters – once on the female form they take on new life, becoming the wearer’s own. This is our second season with the collection, and we’re pleased to be bringing this forward for Spring 2010 – stay tuned.

Springing to life on the runway:

Simple Drama:

Give More...

Happy Holidays from Debut

As our gift to you

Please enjoy 20% off of your purchase of a gift card

 From now until January 1, 2010.

Happy hunting.

- Debut New York

Please inquire directly about specific details pertaining to this special offer.

info@debutnewyork.com

212.343.2717

Equilibrium of Contrasts

To Long-Nam is a young, Paris-based designer who feels elusive in the best possible way, like cherry blossom “season” in Manhattan, or the lone perfect blazer in our size in the recesses of a small boutique. We admit that we feel a bit giddy to have a range from his Autumn/Winter 2009 collection at Debut New York presently. These capture all that is wonderful about discovering a new designer skilled in the creation of classic-yet-not.

Inky wool “suiting” pieces include draped, meticulously seamed and finished blazers with a hint of equestrian tailoring, and faint echoes of the European masters of construction. A hand-pleated organza tuxedo blouse is intensely delicate, but offers a modern compromise with a knitted, adjustable fold over neckline. A perfect sheath in white silk with a night-black inset down the front has a looping seam detail around the right shoulder, which offsets the stark palette without detracting from the simplicity and straight-forward nature of the design.

Structured yet somehow liquid silhouettes exemplify Long-Nam’s use of contrasting elements to create a harmonious design language. We feel this serves as a solid foundation for the essentials that arrive in spurts in this world – Jil Sander and Helmut Lang for instance now both erstwhile from their namesake brands – and Long-Nam, we hope, will be here for the duration.

* This jacket is the most intricate: a "waist coat" blazer in black wool/cashmere 

* A silk shift with seam detail and black contrast inset

* Black wool/silk contoured blazer

* These three are easily the most deceptively simple: the white button down is a classic "perfect" shape; however notice the contoured sleeve; the organza "tuxedo" blouse features a knitted turtleneck with hidden snaps for an adjustable fit; the classic wool crewneck is light weight and its contoured shoulder seams offer a subtle differentiation.

New In...

New in Debut New York: Meredith Wendell clutches...

Please call 212.343.2717 or email info@debutnewyork.com for inquiries.

Heart-Reker

Douglas Reker is akin to the elusive fashion wunderkind we dream of discovering on a daily basis. Like many of the designers we introduce at Debut, Reker is a dyed in the wool creative force with old world technique, which he uses to further the exploration of modern processes.

Reker is a master with prints having forged his hand creating “surface embellishment” at a few illustrious posts following graduation from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Fortunately for the consumer public he returned to the art of complete garment design, and has since rendered three collections (the Autumn/Winter 2009 “Tiny Things” collection currently residing in Debut is his third). His developing signature is a blend of architectural and natural ease with a passing nod at tradition en route to alluring flights of fancy.

Take for instance “Tiny Things” where whimsy and a slightly dark take on glamour are at play: a perfectly weighted jersey is infused with a light as air lace and ivy print. The tactile appearance, smooth hand and partially-obscured mini characters that surface as if from a trick of the eye game offer a teasing, if subtle glimpse at a story. As to what the story is lies between the wearer and her garment. And what garments these are – mini dresses of layered, scalloped jersey and cap-sleeved angular sheaths trimmed in leather that recall Tippi Hedren if she roamed our SoHo streets today.