Fashion Month is upon us again! Every time the new collections come out, it feels like time has flown by. In this post, I’ll be sharing the stories and collections of some notable designers from New York Fashion Week!

ELIE TAHARI

As soon as I started clicking through the designs from Elie Tahari’s show, I knew I had to write about him. Although many fashion shows have a high-fashion, over-the-top feeling to them, I felt like most of his designs were wearable.

Tahari took inspiration from the 70s for this collection, using leopard print, plaid, and snakeskin in some of the pieces. He also used black, deep purples, blues, and greens as the main colors for the show. I honestly loved everything in this collection; go check out all the pieces here!

WHO IS ELIE TAHARI?

Elie Tahari was born into a big family with 4 sisters and 2 brothers in Israel. When his parents divorced, he was sent to an orphanage and went to boarding school. In 1971, he moved to New York after finishing his time in the Israeli army. He had only $100 and slept on benches while working in New York’s Garment District and in the East Village.

While selling dance clothes, he made the tube top popular and created his own label, Tahari, in 1973. He opened a boutique on Madison Avenue and had his first fashion show at Studio 54, a popular nightclub at the time.

FROM DISCO TO SUITS

After the era of disco in the ’70s, Tahari noticed that there was a lack of tailored suits for women who were starting to enter the workforce. After focusing on designing suits that were sexy and feminine, he earned the nickname “king of the suit” in the ’80s.

In 1997, Tahari became the creative director and founding partner with Andrew Rosen to create the brand Theory.

A SLIGHT NAME CHANGE AND GLOBAL EXPANSION

In 2002, Tahari changed the brand’s name from “Tahari” to “Elie Tahari” and purchased 510 Fifth Avenue. He now has boutiques in Soho, Las Vegas, Boston, Atlanta, Newport Beach, Dallas, Washington D.C., and Boca Raton, Florida in the US and has globally expanded to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Tahari has also received awards for being in the fashion industry for over 40 years, and his businesses bring in over $500 million in revenue per year.

CHIARA BONI

There isn’t much information on this Italian designer, but she created an amazing collection for Fall/Winter 2019.

Known for her signature cocktail dresses and for making elegant, timeless, and comfortable designs, Boni ventured into the world of European tailoring. In this collection, she brought a regal and chic feeling to these ensembles.

Boni took inspiration from the aesthetic of the Old Continent and a European Grand Tour to create suits and dresses in materials such as velvet and her eco-friendly jersey fabric that she created herself. She believes in having clothes that are easy to take care of and easy to fold up and travel with.

Boni focused on rich purples, greens, fuschia, and black and accented her designs with gold. She also accessorized the suits with cartwheel hats to complete the looks. There was a focus on plaid and floral prints, a fresh peplum cut, and the juxtaposition between flowy and fitted pieces.  See the rest of the collection here!

BRANDON MAXWELL

Brandon Maxwell is an American designer who has dressed celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Michelle Obama, and Blake Lively. Although he started off with a degree in photo communications, he now has his own label with collections in retail stores around the world.

Maxwell was born in Longview, Texas and spent time with his grandma in a boutique growing up. He moved to New York to study painting at Marymount Manhattan College, but transferred to St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, to earn a Bachelor of Arts in photo communications. Maxwell then moved back to New York to find work.

He started off as a stylist to Deborah Afshani, Edward Enniful, and then to Nicola Formichetti, who was styling Lady Gaga. Maxwell took over as Lady Gaga’s fashion director in 2012. He has also styled many magazines and collaborated with photographers.

In 2015, Maxwell launched his brand, Brandon Maxwell, with the idea of making women feel sophisticated and powerful through timeless designs. He is constantly inspired by the women around him and prefers to drape instead of sketch his designs to create his signature sharp tailoring.

This collection focused on black and white, which was a contrast to his previous colorful spring show. There were also pops of green and pink; most of his designs either had flowy skirts or a form-fitting silhouette that emphasized the waist.

That wraps up part 1 of New York Fashion Week for me! Let me know what you thought in the comments below and what your favorite designers are this season. I’ll see you lovelies soon!