Backstage at Donna Karan

Donna Karan's 30th anniversary collection down on Wall Street for Fall 2014.

New York, New York…

~From the New York Fashion Week Archive~

The city pulsed in every beat at the 30th anniversary Donna Karan show. And why shouldn’t it? New York City has always been the heart of Donna Karan’s work, and this season it serves as the main inspiration. Set in a building along the New York Stock Exchange, the city’s ceaseless motion, glistening lights, and sleek skyline were all captured in the simply luxurious pieces that came down the runway.

These pieces only further served what we all already know – that Donna Karan may be inspired by the city, but she designs for the women in it. “Thirty years later, I see style as an evolution, a unique reflection of who you are, where you’ve been and where you are going,” she said.

In New York City or out of it, we’ll be going with you, Donna…congratulations on 30 wonderful years…

 Donna Karan's 30th anniversary collection down on Wall Street for Fall 2014. Donna Karan's 30th anniversary collection down on Wall Street for Fall 2014. Donna Karan's 30th anniversary collection down on Wall Street for Fall 2014. Continue reading “Backstage at Donna Karan”

Prabal Gurung

My relationship with Prabal Gurung goes back quite a ways now: from the CFDA incubator to the successful fashion name we all look forward to at NYFW. Each season, his show is one to look forward to as more of an experience than a runway of looks, and today was no exception. When the entire collection of girls lined up to start the show behind plastic walls, my entire body had goosebumps. Like a beautifully choreographed fashion ballet, the girls stepped out one by one into our world, just long enough to see the translucent look of the heels, Swarovski crystal beading on the gowns, and the surprising and fascinating cuts Prabal is known for. To me, these women look like modern day Barbie dolls, standing behind the plastic in their cotton candy colors and bright comic book lips…but the kind of Barbie who owns her own flat, negotiates her own deals, and picks up the check because she’s somebody in the world.

  

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Some Kind of Romance

Evening gowns floated down the runway as if they had just emerged from an eighteenth-century painting…and in a way, they did. Francisco de Goya’s painting, “Portrait of Maria Teresa Vallabriga on Horseback” helped inspire the combination of structure and softness that appeared through the entire Marchesa collection.

With awards season just around the corner, it’s clear this kind of romance will make a return to the red carpet…

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Donna Karan

You can only be who you are…

I am a New York woman, embracing the world. Designing clothes that move day to night, Monday to Sunday in any city, every culture. 

My husband Stephan – his art and soul – is a part of me, inspiring and guiding me to sculpt the body with expression. 

This collection is the evolution of seven easy pieces, a system where the body and spirit communicate the sensuality and power of being a woman, with multiple passions, constantly on the go.

– Donna Karan

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Prabal Gurung

Prabal Gurung’s woman is always sexy…and this year, she’s also fierce. Inspired by an article he read about body armor for women, Gurung has taken female empowerment in fashion to a whole new level.

Army green and navy blue were tailored to the female form, emphasizing silhouettes with narrow waisted peplum jackets. Leather straps, epaulets and cargo pockets made fitting details for a woman on the front lines of fashion. Gowns draped off the shoulder with a hint to the saris of his native country and gave an air of power and polish.

Keep an eye out for the Gurung woman…she’s ready to take on the world.

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The PHOTOGRAPHERS

You know, as a photographer I’m always interested watching other photographer’s work, how they work and what their process is. When I come around at NYFW I’m very aware that I’m in the colosseum with these guys (who mostly ignore me since I’m the quiet one in the skirt) and this is their world. For the most part I stay out of their way which has saved my neck in more than one intense backstage moment, for example, one photographer physically threw out the other guys. It’s a cut throat job, everyone has to get the shot. I am, just as my NYFW coverage is, a silent observer of all the players in this world. It’s intense, the equipment is heavy and exhausting, and the schedule is relentless. I cornered one outside Jenny Peckham’s show to get the 411 on just what they are up to and how they shoot those photos we all see mins after the lights of the catwalk dim….

Talking to: Robert Mitra, Conde Nast Photographer, shooting fashion week for 25 years.

What Camera and lens do you use shooting the runway?

Canon Mark IV with a 70-200mm lens, always on a monopod.

What is it like in the pit?

A LOT OF FIGHTING FOR SPOTS. The Italians are always on the right, the french on the left and the middle is a melting pot.

What happens to the images after the show?

You have a runner that comes and takes the camera card to the office. I use no more than an 8GB size card in case the card corrupts and I shoot on JPG, around 1,000 frames.

Why don’t you shoot RAW?

Raw is like print film and you use photoshop, jpg is like slide film ran as it is. No retouching done after delivery.

How do you shoot backstage beauty?

Every guy does it differently, they build their own lighting setups. I use the same lens and also a 24-105mm with a Canon ring light.

What is your shutter and aperature typically set at?

The shutter is usually round 500 and I shoot at 2.8. I shoot shallow so the background is soft focus for the subject to stand out. Also, when you shoot wide open your lens is sharper.

You guys are not using flash on the runway, how do you meter for the ambient light?

You just light meter as the first girl comes down.

Do you just shoot full length?

No, I shoot everything from full length, three-quarters, accessories (handbags, jewelry), and shoes. There are some guys who only shoot accessories and they typically use a 200mm lens for that.

How has it changed since you first started 25 years ago?

When I first started there were 6-7 photogs shooting the shows. Vogue, WWD, NYT, the top publications. Before you had to be with a magazine or newspaper but now it has changed. Photographers from around the world, stock agencies, bloggers, and online media are all here.

The Presentations

I love getting up close to the clothes to see the magical little details that are so fleeting on the runway. Here are 4 presentations I stopped by at NYFW:

Nonoo

This adorable British designer, Misha Nonoo, was inspired by a childhood trip to Havana, Cuba with its crumbling facades and faded colors from the relentless sun.

  

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5 Amazing Moments from NYFW!

What a whirl wind Fashion Week is from the gowns to the front row, there is so much to see and do. I put together 5 amazing NYC Fashion Week moments to share with my friends at MYHABIT‘s blog theFIX before we head off to the weekend (and much needed recovery)!

5… 4… 3… 2… 1…. Come see what I saw on theFIX, from Rebecca Minkoff to Rodarte!

 

Donna Karan

Always with a conscious eye on nature, spirit and energy, Donna Karan once again showed us what it means to be goddess. With a green gown that looked as if it floated down the runway to a collection of dresses in the colors of the sunset, nobody drapes a woman’s body more flattering than Donna Karan and this collection, for me, was one of the most inspired.

Below, the girls getting ready backstage for the show. 

…. And then the show begins

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Prabal Gurung

“There is always an element of love… wanting it, having it, needing it, loosing it… it always starts with that emotion.” — the designer on inspiration

In a steamy abandoned pier on the Hudson River, we watched Prabal’s idea of love march down the runway in ruffles, feathers, beading, silk and studs in a way only he can imagine and we can adore.

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New York Fashion Week- a Retrospective

All my life I’ve dreamed of what it would be like to attend New York Fashion Week.

One camera, one lens, black and white film, and a week of shooting all the players in the world of fashion as they came together in New York City. This is my experience and the dream of fashion caught on film. 

Very special thanks to Julia Allison who made this all possible. You are Stunning. 

Credits: Mercedes-Benz Fashion WeekHonorLNA, Annabelle, LorickCallula Lillibelle, Fashion’s Night Out, Assouline, Mik Cire, Whitney Eve, Tela Design Studio by Philip Pelusi,  Milk Studios, Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta, Naeem Khan