Its been a couple of years since Shophound fave John Bartlett's last foray into the ever sprawling series of events known as New York Fashion Week, but we knew his break wouldn't be for too long. Bartlett told us a while back that he didn't want to show another collection until he could do it on his own terms using eco-friendly materials and no animal products, but while last night's presentation at Milk Studios fit all of those criteria, the designer smartly didn't hit you over the head with ideology. In a return to top form, he went back to his roots with his signature sexy take on sportswear, and if you look the time to notice, you would see that the motorcycle jacket was made of soft, hi-tech Ultrasuede. Long johns and twisted tartans will please longtime Bartlett fans disappointed by last years closing of his West village boutique. It was all shown on a group of expertly cast models smudged with soot from a day of hard work ...or maybe play? Click the thumbnails below for a look at the entire presentation.
Of course, it wasn't easy to get into the show as Milk Studios decided, in a dazzling feat of boneheadedness, that it would be a good idea to book five, count 'em FIVE events all at the same time. How they thought this would be a good idea after several seasons of Fashion Week participation is beyond The Shophound, but as we arrived at the appointed 9 PM time for Bartlett, we found what is commonly known as a "clusterf#¢k" at the entrance. Milk is always kind of a pain in the ass what with the elevators and multi-levels, but this time we, along with most of the other folks invited to the various shows, found ourselves in a line extending all the way to Tenth Avenue.
And we were. Not. Happy.
Eventually, after a half an hour, as the line inched along, we, and some other showgoers discovered an open side door which we promptly took advantage of like a pack of kids trying to sneak into a nightclub. Even John Bartlett guessed that we were forced to sneak our way in when we finally stumbled our way onto the eighth floor —which is kind of ridiculous since we were legitimately invited. Anyway, once up there we could see the party-like appeal with various events in different rooms and several bars, but the incompetence at the door remains a disservice to the designers who show there, undermining all of their efforts to make a good impression on tired buyers and press after at the end of a full day of shows. Expect the same mess to be repeated on Saturday night as four young designers are once again booked for shows all at the same time at Milk.
Once inside, however, we got a look at Tim Hamilton's Redux line as well as the waning moments of Erickson Beamon's elaborate 1920's speakeasy cabaret. Click the thumbnails below for images.
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