Yes, folks, that guy in the picture to the left is The Shophound's new best friend, silver screen vampire and erstwhile Calvin Klein Underwear model Kellan Lutz —and by "new best friend" we mean movie star who kindly agreed to pose for a picture for us while waiting for the LODEN DAGER show to start on Saturday. We got to hang out with him on Sunday at SIMON SPURR, so we are practically like family now —and by "hang out", we mean exist in the same large, crowded room at the same time.
The folks at Loden Dager once again staged their show at the Hudson Hotel's subterranean Good Units nightclub, a comfortable walking distance form the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week tents. It is a perfect space for a small show, the kind where a triple runway configuration puts 75% of the seats in the front row. Of course, The Shophound would have gotten much better pictures of the show had we remained standing at the end of the runway, but greedy bastard that we are, we had to grab an empty seat anyway. The allure of the front row is not lost on us, even if we should know better. Loden Dager was also thoughtful enough to email out the run of show to attendees in advance, saving a lot of wasted paper. Their signature, colorful mix of classics mixed with innovative materials looked perfectly on-target for next Fall. Click on the thumbnails for some of our favorite looks.
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A year ago, we arrived a little bit late to Simon Spurr's show only to find ourself shut out from a fully packed venue. Not to repeat the same mistake, especially remembering the check-in debacle we had already experienced once this season at Milk Studios, we arrived extra early on Sunday evening to claim our seat, and entertained ourself by watching the room again fill to capacity. Our friend Kellan was joined in an impressive celebrity row by Spurr devoté Joe Jonas, Bravo's Andy Cohen and "The Walking Dead"'s Norman Reedus along with stylist Brad Goreski who we half count because, like the Top Model judges J. Alexander and Nigel Barker, he acts as both a celebrity guest and working fashion industry person and is seen all over the place. Spurr's collection took a turn towards stricter, classic tailoring with unexpected sleek twists like shiny leather panels and a blown-up, wavy houndstooth pattern that made a winter suit recall the patterned sidewalks of Ipanema beach in Rio. It was worth coming early to see, and though our own photos didn't come out too well though the crowd, the designer sent us a complete set of runway shots almost immediately after the show. Click below for our favorites.
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We also tried to get there early for MICHAEL BASTIAN's main collection show yesterday at Exit Art, and found ourselves waiting in line behind Broadway and "30 Rock" star Cheyenne Jackson for the venue to be opened. There are definitely worse places to have to wait (How this person did not get cast as Superman is beyond us). This was the first time we had scored an invitation to his runway show (Thanks again, Eugenia!) which is one of the most popular men's shows in New York. Like his colleague Spurr, Bastian hosted pretty much anyone who is anyone in menswear. While we knew from his Gant presentations, that Bastian has a knack for creating an atmosphere, we were still bowled over his dazzling runway showmanship. We knew we would love the clothes, a unique mix of sport and luxe that he has made his own with rich fabrics and an exclusive collaboration with Stubbs & Wooton for a burgeoning line of colorful slippers and loafers. He titled the collection "The Extra Man", and included in the program nores a reprint of a small 1974 New York Times item called "The Most-Wanted List", which detailed the city's most popular "extra men" according to the prominent society hostesses of the day. The list included names like Bill Blass, Charles Addams, Mario Buatta, Donald Brooks, Norman Mailer and the legendary "walker" Jerry Zipkin. Bastian offered no other commentary, so in terms of inspiration, you can make of that list whatever you will based on what you may or may no know about each person. What surprised and delighted us the most was the evocative set which gave the illusion of a snowy wooded park that the impeccably cast team of models wandered through before hitting the long u-shaped runway. A jazzy mix of music, crystal chandeliers and a custom scent from Aedes de Venustas wafting through the air completed the ambiance so well that we barely wanted to leave once the show was finished.
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