For those of you that didn’t know, 90 is the new black. With chic, edgy fashion blogs like Advanced Style showing us older New Yorkers rocking killer style, the kind of personal style that most of us are not even capable of embodying at this stage in our lives, some of us wannabe fashion mavens in the younger set (under 90) are feeling a bit left in the dust.

Iris Apfel, one of today’s most current and unexpected style icons is quite the talk of the town. After the success of her 2005 Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition displaying her vast, eclectic collection of clothing and accessories, Rara Avis (Rare Bird): The Irreverent Iris Apfel, the self proclaimed geriatric starlet’s image and presence has been in high demand.

Since the Met exhibit, Iris has modeled for the 2008 Coach ad campaign, designed a line of jewelry for HSN and for the über-hip Yoox.com, launched a makeup collection for MAC cosmetics, and has been filmed for a documentary by filmmaker Albert Maysles of the critically-acclaimed Grey Gardens.

In addition to those feats, the very busy trendsetter’s presence has been requested as guest of honor for numerous highbrow fashion events in the last year. And although she is retired from her former 9:00–5:00 of co-owning the renowned Old World Weavers textile firm with her husband, she is still constantly on the move, consulting and lecturing across the country on fashion and related topics. We would need a ginseng smoothie and some caffeine pills to keep up with this woman.

Apfel has the kind of personal style that will stop people in the street. She says that her mother “worshipped at the altar of the accessory” and thus she “got the bug.” Iris finds the accessory to be the most important part of her wardrobe—and it would be easy to make this assumption at a quick glance. She is known to often layer chunky, beaded necklaces and stack bangles of all shapes and colors on both arms from wrist to elbow. Her iconic extra-large, round, thick-frame glasses are her signature stamp, making everything she wears that much cooler. Apfel loves ethnic apparel and adornments, and has picked up most of her beloved pieces while traveling across the globe.

A New York native, Iris grew up in Queens, the daughter of two local business owners. Her mother ran a fashion boutique and her father owned a glass and mirror business. Raised in a household with an appreciation for the finer things, Apfel naturally chose a career focused on the arts and design. Studying art and art history in college, her first job out of school was an apprenticeship as a copygirl at Womens Wear Daily for mere $15 a week. She didn’t see much of a chance of moving up the ladder at WWD and found that interior design would be a bit more lucrative. Iris followed in the footsteps of her parents and began her own firm.

After working on several projects, she noticed that she was having a difficult time finding the fabrics she kept imagining for her designs. It was at this point that she and her husband Carl decided to launch the legendary textile firm Old World Weavers. During this time period, she served as the interior decorator for 9 presidents in the White House. (And Carl by the way, is also quite stylish—a couple peas in a pod, these two).

Iris and Carl’s three-bedroom Park Avenue home in Manhattan is a clear reflection of the adventurous, cultured, and elegant life they have built together. Intricate brocade fabrics as well as antique furniture, art and accessories from around the globe fill every square inch of their posh pad. Like all of her garments, every item in her home exudes her personality. As she puts it, “throughout history clothes represented who you were; they are a great vehicle for explaining who you are.” 

It makes us happy to see such an accomplished individual receive so much praise and attention for her looks and style, even so late in her years. As we are currently living in a world that is so youth-obsessed, it’s refreshing to find an inspiration in someone like Iris. We can’t wait to see what this true original does next.

And if you aren’t familiar with Ari Seth Cohen’s Advanced Style blog, we highly recommend you take a look. An Advanced Style documentary is in the works, set to debute this summer, and if features our girl Iris! Please take a momet to watch the trailor below. We are totally digging how whole heartedly Cohen is embracing the fashionable endeavors of New York City’s older set. Enjoy!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWKTfqivbRQ

Katherine Tyznik.HighStreet.New York

Ladies, beware. Soho’s Irregular Choice may be the cutest shoe boutique we have ever set foot in. The large carousel pony in the center of the shop was what tipped us off to how irresistible this place might be. The children’s Japanese cartoon wall decals were also an indicator. But the biggest, girliest, most delightful aspect of this shop was hands down, the shoes.

The London based founder and designer Dan Sullivan says his intentions for the brand were to “make a unique and individual stamp on the footwear world.” He has no doubt accomplished this task — we have never seen shoes like this before.

When you look at the shoe displays lining the walls of the boutique, you see a collage of polka dots, metallic brocades, feathers, and appliques. It’s apparent that Sullivan is not afraid to experiment with contrasting textiles and prints. Bold combinations of color and texture are accented by carefully placed faux flowers, plastic fruits, taffeta bows and cartoon toy charms. We keep having flashbacks to our childhood — a boot inspired by Rainbow Brite. A maryjane that could have been worn to the Mad Tea Party in Alice In Wonderland. We love how Irregular Choice encourages you to be a kid again.

In addition to the incredibly unique shoes, Irregular Choice also offers clothing, accessories, and even fashion for the boys. The mens’ collection is far from being as flamboyant as the girls’ styles. Your style-savvy male pal will likely walk out of the boutique with a pair of loafers with a perfectly placed pop of color or some suede boots with an unexpected hit of embroidery. Just the right amount of flare.

Irregular Choice is an exuberantly playful, charming escape from the sometimes daunting and serious side of the fashion world. We hope you can visit the boutique in Soho next time you are in New York so you can let your Rainbow Brite Shine.

HighStreet.New York

Well things are taking another turn in the male grooming department. Salons for men have popped up, with pool tables, beers, sports channels, and sexy barbers. Razzledazzle in Miami, Capelli’s in Seattle, The Men’s Room in Milwaukee, Y Chrome in Portland, and The Boardroom Salon in Texas are such places that are nice…but they lack a true refined gentlemen’s spirit that we gravitate to.

We have progressed from our childhood excursions with our father to a more refined expectation in our barber and we most certainly don’t want our grooming to take place in a glorified sports-bar. What we want is a proper gentlemen’s barber, one that you might find at the end of Saville Row; a final stop after a fitting session at the haberdashery. A shop filled with hot towels, straight razors, aftershave in real glass bottles, and dare we say…a spot of tea! Well we have found two such places across the pond in the United States and our collective fingers are crossed for more places to emerge.

You might have heard of the Truefitt & Hill brand name of shaving products. Claiming to be the oldest barbershop in the world and the barbers to British royalty, a company shop and barber is actually in Chicago on North Michigan Avenue. Open 7 days a week, this is on our must do list for our next trip to the Windy City.

But our hands down choice as the best gentlemen’s barber in the country that we personally have experienced lies in the Crescent City..New Orleans. A late stroll on Magazine Street one night led us past a window display of antique razors and cuff links. Immediately we knew we had to stop by on the following day and we are so glad we did.

Aidan Gill for Men is the kind a place that we dream about. Greeted by a young man in a bow tie, we were shown the front retail area, full of creams, ointments, smells, razors, and everything else masculine. Immediately we made an appointment to come back for a shave on the following day. The next day we were greeted by another young man in a bow tie. Later while we perused the Aidan Gill website, Mr. Gill sports bow ties as well, so we surmise that this is part of the shop brand. In any event, the shave was an hour of pure heaven. Several rounds of warm shave oil formulated by Aidan Gill and hot towels were applied to our face and meticulous care was used by our barber to give us the closest shave we have ever had.

Mr. Gill is an experienced barber who is quite the men’s grooming historian. Check out the clips below to see some fascinating tidbits of the barber by Mr. Gill. And more importantly, if you are ever in New Orleans, while nursing that Bourbon Street hangover, head over to his two shops and rejuvenate your skin and your soul. In the meantime until we make another trip back to New Orleans, we will give the postal service a workout, by ordering bottle after bottle of Mr. Gill’s shave oil for home delivery.

Mr. Gill is unabashedly proud of his gender who proclaims the salons of today should adopt the phrase “Unisex is a dead word”. He is onto something with this concept that is way overdue.

Michael Spurrier. HighStreet. Cincinnati

We had the pleasure of speaking with the fabulous Marian Kihogo, who in her own words embodies ‘a car crash of 70s luxe bohemian meets unapologetic tailoring meets rock n roll.’ In our humble opinion, may we say, this chick kicks ass. The Ghana born, London based stylist is making an impact on fashion blogs and online magazines with her edgy, yet incredibly sophisticated style. We got her take on fashion inspiration, music, contemporary art, and a little bit of everything in between.

HS: So you are a celebrity stylist, creative consultant, editor, writer, blogger, and art director. What’s your favorite part of what you do?

MK: “I love working with people. Whether it’s styling clients for the Red Carpet, creative consulting for different brands, or tv engagements, the relationship with people is what I find interesting. Interacting and receiving feedback from my audience is what I find most exciting.”

HS: We understand you came from a family of artists and creatives. How did this inspire you to get into this industry?

MK: “I don’t think I had an ‘aha moment.’ I was born into it. I’ve never known anything other than that. Ever since I can remember, my earliest childhood memories at four or five, there was always art around me. My mother traveled a lot and I had a multi-global view on fashion and art from an early age. Maybe that’s inspired me to always push boundaries — some of my contemporaries at fifteen and sixteen would imitate what they saw in magazines — as most teenagers do, often wanting to blend. But for me, my mother inspired me to push boundaries and create my own identity. I had my own philosophies and style. I think some of my friends  find this approach more fascinating — always pushing and interpreting things in my own way.”

HS: We love how you balance the masculine and feminine aesthetic. Are there any male style icons that have influenced your look?

MK: “Yes. Androgyny — I admire the look. Prince and David Bowie have influenced me. Before Lady Gaga, Bowie was known for reinventing himself and I loved how he transformed. Jimi Hendrix’s look also influenced me a lot. His whole 70s luxe thing was quite incredible. Those three: Prince, David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix have been very instrumental for me.”

HS: What are the five pieces in your wardrobe you couldn’t live without?

MK: “Wow this is a hard one as there are so many pieces I adore but if I had to pick I’d say…

* Leather pants — These are like superman’s suit to me. I can do anything in them, be anyone style wise.

* White shaggy faux fur — I am drawn to texture and the possibilities it creates. I have this shaggy faux fur jacket that is a little crazy and mad-hatter but sometimes the messier the better.

* Ana Sekularac Ana Fall Winter 2009–2010 Scarlet Red Cocktail Dress — Forget the little black dress, in my closet it is all about the impact having, Scarlet Red Dress. Ana combines conception, structure and grace with ease. The satin dress is in her signature scarlet red with focal pleat folds that lead into a structural left shoulder. The back and right sleeve (including the insert of the top of the bust) is in black sheer fabric. It is my favorite dress.

* Vintage YSL Rive Gauche dogtooth coat — I like that this embodies two things that I adore; masculine tailoring and print. They just don’t make outerwear like they used to. The tailoring is immaculate.

* Vintage Wim Hemmink couture dress — It is an off the shoulder metallic brocade dress which is no doubt from the 80’s. I took a pair of scissors to it to make it more current.

HS: We’ve noticed you have a penchant for highly conceptual designs. What do you feel is the relationship between conceptual art and conceptual fashion?

MK: “They are symbiotic, aren’t they? Fashion couldn’t exist without the connection between fashion and contemporary art. Fashion is a form of art and I couldn’t exist without art. I love the idea of living, breathing pieces of art. It’s one thing to hang a piece of art, but it’s more fascinating to breathe life into that piece and wear it. Wearing art makes you live it.

Art and fashion are merging more and more. So many new designers are more of artists these days — Dries Van Noten, Comme des Garcons, Ana Sekularac. Ana is a Serbian born, British designer who blends the conceptual with elegance. Her designs transcend trends. I can see myself wearing her pieces for 10 — 20 years.”

HS: So, you have to be tuned into the music industry. Who are your favorite artists?

MK: “If I had to name my look, I would call it a car crash of 70s luxe bohemian meets unapologetic tailoring meets rock n roll. I love rock — I’m a huge fan of the Rolling Stones. But I adore every type of music, from Marianne Faithfull to Billie Holiday to Grace Jones. But Grace is my top pick. I see her in the work of Gaga and the popular artists of the moment.

I need someone I can follow on a journey music-wise. Joni Mitchell is my favorite songwriter. She is just incredible. In every song, I feel like she is speaking to me. She’s probably the artist I listen to the most. Her music is like a lifestyle i believe in… The Church of Joni Mitchell. I even love her artwork. She’s fascinating. In my opinion she’s the greatest songwriter.”

HS: What do you see being the big trends of 2011?

MK: “There are quite a few but I think the one that will have the most impact has to be the 1970’s. Its influence is everywhere; the opulence trend which sees designers like Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton show a decadent spring summer 2011 collection, the resurgence of both the maxi skirt and the wide leg, the palette of  purples, plums, turquoise, mustard and jewel tones etc.”

HS: Is there a part of the world that you cannot get enough of… to visit or just for pure inspiration?

MK:  “Africa. The continent is an incredible source of inspiration for me. There is endless inspiration to be had as each country has many tribes, languages, cultures, traditional dress and so on.

No two countries in Africa are the same be it in terms of landscape, food or way of life. I am inspired by the little things and all the nuances in between, like the hair braiding trends in each country, or the bearing someone might have in their traditional wear, architecture in the different countries, the way people interact with each other, and how they celebrate their milestones.”

Marian Kihogo is a stylist, an online contributing editor at PUSH IT Magazine, and creative consultant. Check out her incredibly influential and entertaining Vogue UK approved blog.

Katherine Tyznik.HighStreet.New York

Love it or hate it, edgy jewelry line Bijules NYC has been stirring up the independent jewelry scene for some time now. The designer behind the brand, Jules Kim started her line six years ago after realizing she could no longer work for anyone but herself. During a DJ gig, Kim was noticed by a Lucky Magazine writer for her the unique jewelry she was wearing, all of which happened to be her own designs. Kim got her break after sending the writer a custom Bijules piece which was then featured in an issue of Lucky Magazine.

Since then, Jules’ designs have been worn by both fashion forward pop stars and underground rockers alike. Beyonce, Gwen Stefani, MF Doom, Santigold, M.I.A., and Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are just some of the artists to don her accessories while performing.

Bijules’ iconic nail rings are featured in Beyonce’s Sweet Dreams music video. The designer was commissioned to create custom $36,000 14K gold ruby and diamond nail rings for the pop diva. Bijules pieces have also been featured in music videos for Rihanna, Drake, Kelly Rowland and Chris Brown to name a few.

Bijules designs are not for the faint of heart; some of the common themes she incorporates into her creations are snakes, bones, teeth and weapons. One of her most recent collections was inspired by Tycho Brahe, a 14th century Danish astronomer and alchemist who lost part of his face in a duel. The nobleman became well known for wearing a gold nose in place of the one he lost… hmmm this makes us wonder… is this where Humpty Hump’s inspiration originated too? After researching Brahe, Jules designed pieces emulating body parts such as lips and fingers, and even designed jewelry for the eyes… 24K contact lenses.

Jules Kim recently debuted a swimwear line with Marc Jacob’s former beau, Lorenzo Martone. Nycked is a swimwear line for the New York City girl, a girl who prefers black and hardware to island sunsets, palm trees and neon hibiscus prints.

We can’t wait to see what this chic does next. Keep on shocking and awing us Jules, we love it.

Bijules x Beyonce from Jules Kim on Vimeo.

Katherine Tyznik.HighStreet.New York

We always knew Vivienne Westwood was a badass. Yes, we always knew, we always liked her, and we always secretly wanted to be her. We were doing a bit of research and found more irresistibly fascinating facts about this 69-year-old fashion rebel turned design world icon. For example, did you know that she married her former student, a handsome young 25-year-old Austrian man when she was 50? Yes 50, that’s twice his senior. And did we mention handsome?

A woman of many titles, the Queen of Punk, three times the British Designer of the Year, and in 2006 Dame by the Prince of Wales, Westwood broke out onto the fashion scene during the birth of punk in early seventies London. Westwood was a critical influence on the punk movement in England as her second husband Malcom McLaren was the Sex Pistols’ first manager. The Sex Pistols wore her edgy designs on stage and shopped in her and her husband’s legendary boutique SEX in London’s Chelsea district (which is to this day still owned by Westwood and now known as World’s End).

In Dame Westwood’s early years as a clothing designer, she took a great deal of inspiration from bikers, fetishists, and prostitutes, creating raw, very punk rock appropriate garments. She and McLaren worked together to cultivate a look that would have a lasting impact on the punk scene. Bondage gear, Scottish tartan fabric, and safety pins are just a few of the elements incorporated into Westwood’s designs that have been embedded into our culture as iconic punk styles.

Pirates was Westwood’s first runway show, as a collaboration with McLaren in 1981. It was at this time you started to see Vivienne’s signature style start to take form. Vivienne looked to the past for inspiration and incorporated 18th century draping and pattern making in the garments. Historical romanticism then became a prominent theme in all of her future collections.

After a few years of  selling her collections in hers and McLaren’s London shop, Westwood got picked up by Armani to launch her own label. Shortly after, she and McLaren broke up. Then on her own, she allowed herself to experiment with new techniques and styles, digging deeper into historical costume for influence. Undergarments and structure become a focus of hers as well, as she pioneered the Underwear As Outerwear movement with corsets and crinolines.

Through the last four decades, Vivienne Westwood has continued to shock and inspire awe in the fashion world with her boundary pushing designs and bold personality. She is not afraid to take risks professionally and doesn’t think twice about speaking her mind. Some of her runway shows have had very clear, and at times, quite controversial political messages, including the debut of her Red Label collection in 2008, where the models held signs with slogans like “Justice for the Prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.”

Vivienne was asked to be a part of the first Sex And The City movie– she designed Carrie’s wedding dress. At the premier,  she left after only ten minutes, claiming “I thought Sex And The City was supposed to be about cutting-edge fashion and there was nothing remotely memorable or interesting about what I saw.” Ouch! We wouldn’t have wanted to be on the receiving end of that comment, however we find her brutal honesty rather refreshing.

Vivienne Westwood is operating four fashion lines under her command: Gold Label (semi-couture), Red Label (ready-to-wear), Westwood Man, and Anglomania (diffusion line). Over the course of her career, she has created an empire of VW branded products, consisting of collaborations with many companies in countless fields. In 2001, she worked with Wedgwood and designed a collection of tea sets. Most recently, she designed limited edition tablecloths for the eco-charity Cool Earth. Other collaborations include rugs and pillows for The Rug Company, wallpaper for Cole and Son, eco friendly shoes for Melissa Shoes, a shoe collection for Nine West, a denim collection for Lee Jeans, and a sofa collection for Molteni & C.

With all of those business partnerships to keep up, designing boundary pushing, trendsetting fashion collections multiple times a year, and keeping up that trademark tangerine hair color, we don’t know how she has the energy to get up and make herself a cup of tea in the morning. To do all of this at 69, we guess it’s true, staying active keeps you young. We just can’t get enough of this chick.

One more irresistibly fascinating fact about the Queen of Punk: When she was titled Dame in 1992 and was awarded her Order from the British Empire at Buckingham Palace, she spun around in her dress for a photographer and flashed him, and she was as they say in England, knickerless.

Katherine Tyznik.HighStreet.New York

Perfectly polished posh men dressed in candy colored three piece designer suits walk the streets in the poverty stricken Congo. Known as the Sapeurs, these men dress from head to toe in designer gear to the tune of Dior, Yamamoto, Fendi, YSL, Versace, Gucci, Cardin, and Prada.

The Sapeurs belong to the exclusive group, Le SAPE, which stands for Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes, or the Society of Tastemakers and Elegant People. Members of this group follow a strict code of conduct which includes dress, behavior, and notions of morality.

Le SAPE is not a gang, they have no history of violence. In fact, the Sapeurs’ motto is “Let’s drop the weapons, let us work and dress elegantly.” Instead, the Sapeurs see themselves as artists, and most live in dingy shacks and work two jobs to afford the pricey threads they dress themselves in daily in the Congo.

This style of dress is not new, it’s actually borrowed from the French and Belgian colonists who took over the Congo in the late nineteenth century. The first famous African dandy in the Congo was pop musician Papa Wemba, who really fueled the Le Saper movement in the 1960’s and 70’s. The trend has spread and gotten more and more popular since.

The bright, playful yet professionally dressed African dandies have become highly infulential to the fashion designers in Europe. Their influence can be seen all over the 2010 runways.

Men taking a little pride in their dress always impresses us. And we love confidence in bold color.

HighStreet.New York

Nathan Jenden’s Spring 2010 show was an exhilarating collection of kaleidoscopic prints, vivid color, and volume. Jenden fearlessly sent his models down the runway in striking fluorescent, sequins, and digitally engineered patterns. So many loud elements at once usually borderlines on a collection looking too garish. However Jenden grounded his collection with elegantly tailored jackets, pencil skirts, and silk blouses in jet black and stark white. We thought it was just enough to make us look at each piece as an independent, wearable garment.

The show had a multi-cultural theme– the models were all black and Asian, each sporting two high pigtail braids. The brightly colored tight mini dresses, frilly skirts and over sized hats had an old school Jamaican dancehall feel to them. Along with the Jamaican vibe Jenden also tapped into Indian culture for inspiration: Indian goddess prints, sari style wraps, and harem pants. Sparkly bangles stacked from wrist to elbow were paired with embellished 80s shades. The look was neon, ethnic glamour.

Nathan’s collection was a bit over the top for most women, but we found the show inspiring and really fun. We would love to pull some pieces from this collection to incorporate into our wardrobes this season. We want something lighthearted and full of energy after the harsh winter that felt like it would never end.

We only just heard of Nathan Jenden, but we like what we see-we know we won’t get bored. The British born designer studied at Central Saint Martens and the Royal College of Art, then going on to apprentice with John Galliano in the nineties. After working for Kenzo and Daryl K, he found himself at Diane von Furstenburg in 2001, where he would be Creative Director until just this past February. Jenden launched his own line in 2006, where he shared with the world his signature style: highly tailored, modern pieces. We are excited to see what he will show us next.

HighStreet.New York.

Alexander McQueen 2010 ad campaign via refinery29.com

Great things come from being under pressure. The dark, elegant beauty that the late Alexander McQueen produced for the fashion world we now understand came from a place of passion, creativity and personal affliction. His work was so inspirational and original. He pushed boundaries and made you think beyond the clothing. We were great fans of his art, thus we found it necessary to acknowledge his genius. A tribute to Lee Alexander McQueen.

Lee Alexander McQueen 1969–2010

McQueen’s shows were legendary; shocking and dramatic. Seats at his fashion shows were highly coveted due to the unexpected theatrics the audience would experience. McQueen liked to push the envelope, try things no one else had attempted before, and often with dark, psychological undertones. Some of his most memorable moments include creating a live human game of chess, sending a model down the runway with a pair of wolves on leashes, and orchestrating a thunder storm complete with rain, soaking the models and their couture garments.

Check out this interview that took place only 18 months ago. McQueen describes his vision behind his shows.

We thought we would leave you with some of our favorite McQueen looks from over the years and a behind the scenes video of his Fall 2008 collection. Also check out this link to a retrospective on his work.

We are sad to see his time come to an end so soon.

Katherine Tyznik.HighStreet.New York

It’s 2010, and denim is everywhere. Ripped, stained, bleached, wrinkled, patched, dyed, and embellished. It seems that the designers are up for trying every new technique they could think of on this staple fabric. Both heavy experimentation and sticking with the untouched classic blue jean are important looks this year.

Denim is becoming more formidable, moving beyond the confines of pop culture.  Today, people are wearing jeans for every occasion. Take Steve Jobs of Apple for example, he is not seen in anything but blue jeans and black turtleneck for every new Apple introduction. The Wall Street Journal took note of this “Power Jeans” trend within high-ranking business and political circles. It has become appropriate to wear jeans in business.

Among the various denims we saw on the runway, the very dark, almost black dyes would transition well into a business look. When we need to look professional but want the functionality and durability of a pair of dungarees, we dress our denim up by throwing on a blazer, a button down, and a pair of boots.

We have been seeing some refreshing and rich new indigo washes on the runway (Gaultier, Marc Jacobs, and Burberry Prorsum). We also saw some interesting greys, and extremely faded, almost white hues (Acne, William Rast, Boy by Band of Outsiders). Some designers went a step further, experimenting with dyes that were Crayola-esque (Louis Vuitton).

With many now on a budget due to the economic climate, focusing on updating a staple wardrobe piece seems to make sense. You can see the designers are having fun playing with this classic textile. Marc Jacobs dyed, bleached, and frayed his looks for Louis Vuitton, and even embossed the LV logo into the fabric. Jean Paul Gaultier tried new silhouettes, overalls and bustiers with Madonna-inspired built-in cone bras, while D&G was all about the ripped, ruffled, and rustic (they introduced an interesting brown wash seen throughout the collection.)

Some designers decided to go denim head to toe: Shirts, dresses, skirts, jackets, bags, even shoes, were spotted in the textile. Some of these ensembles were in matching fabrics, but most were composed of mixed denim colors, often rendered in a sort of a patchwork bohemian look, somewhat reminiscent of the 80’s.  In the 1980’s denim was a legendary muse in the design world.  It was a great source of artistic experimentation and there was little that wasn’t done with the material.  With the explosion of innovation we’ve seen this year with this fabric, well, what can we say?  Looks like it’s coming around again.

Katherine Tyznik. HighStreet. New York