Fetherston’s memories of cherry blossoms fuel feminine collection
By Nadine Kam
Nadine Kam photos
Ladylike sophistication reigned on Erin Fetherston’s runway.
Erin Fetherston presented her runway show at Milk Studios in Chelsea at 6 p.m. Sunday. The photography studio teamed with M.A.C this year to bring the worlds of fashion, photography, art and media together in one space, with 27 designers—ranging from newcomers to established names such as Behnaz Sarafpour, Temperley London, Peter Som and Proenza Schouler—choosing to use the space over the seven days of New York Fashion Week.
The enormous space, with its multiple rooms, was a treat for all, from makeup artists to media. With room to spread out, and without having to push one’s way in for photography or interviews, the atmosphere was very zen. You could feel yourself calmly breathing instead of enduring the normal pre-show jostling and yelling.
The mood was fitting for Fetherston’s collection, “Ladyland,” inspired by the designer’s memories of a childhood visit to Nara, Japan, where she saw forests of pink cherry blossoms. Caramel, khaki twill and cherry blossom chiffon color most of her very adult collection.
Lyndell Mansfield is surrounded by her hair styling team, showing them how the unfussy chignons are achieved. She said she took the classic chignon and “messed it up so you still get a beautiful but relaxed look.” Otherwise, she said, “Hair up can look too contrived, too old lady.”
The aim is to get the hair up to create the illusion of a long, elegant neck, and she compared the look of the bun to that of a meringue created by a master chef. “It’s folded over so once it’s baked it looks so beautifully draped and folded.” This look is created with two bobby pins set an inch behind the ear on either side of the head, with hair on one side of the head pulled over to one side, tucked beneath the hairline at the nape and pinned, and repeated on the other side.
The look for hair and makeup for the show was inspired by the sophistication of Helmut Newton’s photographs. The aim for makeup artist Lucia Pica, for M.A.C, was to create a strong eye, with soft focus all around the face to play up the brown-lined eye, with orange shadow to create a diffused halo effect.
Makeup artist Lucia Pica, center, said faces work with the clothing where “colors are quite soft, but there’s more of a strong graphic shape and soft fabric. So again, strong with a soft focus all around. It’ll make sense when you see it.”
I did have an aha moment looking at all the brown eyes. I’ve been feeling kind of washed out here because the light’ and ambience is very different from Hawaii. The mix of concrete pavement, towering buildings and shadows cast by them all day, requires makeup to be as hard as the city, so I started doing the racoon eye thing with brown shadow, which would be too much at home, but is just right here.
Because there was so much space in separate rooms back stage, the mood level was much more relaxed than usual. One of the models is getting her toe nails polished with a pale pink. The model looks shell-shocked. They’re running from show to show like everyone else.
The show, feminine and ladylike with a lot of hat and mesh and jeweled glove details: If you watch the video, you’ll see the crowd scatter quickly at the end. They always do because time is tight between shows, especially as people are shuttling between shows in Chelsea galleries and the tents about 13 or more blocks away.
Ruffle cape and ruffle short in khaki twill with bow belt and gold-plated heart belt.
Plunging halter dress in khaki twill.
Front and back views of Angelica dress in navy cotton silk over black Cosmic Crystal embellished top. Note the jeweled mesh gloves.
Meryl wrap dress in porcelain blue silk.
Hutton dress in khaki twill over white linen eyelet dress.
Diana wrap dress in cherry blossom chiffon with Bianca blazer in floral cloque.
