The Emmys are Cumming!

As the Primetime Emmy Awards are taking place this coming Sunday, I recall the exciting event four years ago (on Sept. 21, 2008), when talented actor Alan Cumming arrived at the Nokia Theater in LA wearing a look from the RAZ KEREN menswear collection:
5-buttons multicolor plaid sport jacket, citrus cotton shirt and camel twill dress pants.

Photos: Matt Sayles/AP

And here's the look from the RAZ KEREN campaign:

 Photo: Bruno Rand

Far From Heaven

On September 9th 2002 - a decade ago - talented actress Patricia Clarkson wore a Raz Keren dress for the 'Far From Heaven' Premiere Party during 2002 Toronto Film Festival.

For more about Ms. Clarkson, click here!

 Photos: Jeff Vespa

Let the games begin!

Just as the 2012 Summer Olympics are about to start, here's a rare illustration of the genius and extremely talented artist ANTONIO LOPEZ, who is known mainly for his fashion illustrations, from 1984, celebrating the Games of the XXIII Olympiad that took place in Los Angeles, California.

And, the new book: ANTONIO LOPEZ, Fashion, Art, Sex and Disco by Mauricio Padilha and Roger Padilha is coming out September 4th, 2012.

There's no place like (Ralph Lauren) home!

As I return home from my trip to Israel I recall a few projects I created for Ralph Lauren Home in 2003.

The first one is the Tourville canopy bed, for the Ralph Lauren Home showroom, made of yards and yards of washed linen and silk damask to create this luscious and inviting retreat.

The second is a wicker bassinet, for the opening of the Ralph Lauren Baby store on Madison Avenue, dressed with white linen and Swiss dot.

The last is a tall project that required the use of a cherry picker in order to artistically drape countless yards of washed velvet, wool sheers and linen from a 40-feet-high I-beam, for the backdrop of the Ralph Lauren Fall 2003 ready-to-wear collection. Here is the best image I found that shows a glimpse of those enormous curtains from the show that took place in Chelsea, New York on Valentine's day, 2003.

12 inch

Last week, THE queen of disco, Donna Summer passed away and that took me back to my teenage years, listening to her songs, anthems of coming of age. Besides having an amazing voice, the diva was a true pioneer in music and style.

I used to listen to her records (yes, I know - some of you don’t know what that is) and I still remember the excitement of going to the record store, and holding the paper covered double-record. It opened like a book and had many photos and sometimes even lyrics.

The 12 inch was a record that typically carried one track. Originally, it had wider grooves and produced better sound quality. DJs used them to play in discos (clubs) because the visual spacing of the grooves helped them locate the approximate area of the 'breaks' on the disc's surface.

Love to love you, released in 1976, is said to be the second song found on a 12 inch single, with a 17 minutes version of the then controversial ‘moan and groan’ that became a huge success, though some American and European radio stations, including the BBC, refused to play it! I remember how embarrassing and exciting it was to hear her on the radio.

Her song I feel love was probably the beginning of electronic dance, but my absolute favorite Donna Summer track still is MacArthur Park Suite: MacArthur Park/One of a Kind/Heaven Knows/MacArthur Park reprise, the 12 inch version! 

Almost 18 minutes of sheer happiness!!!

Anime II

More beautiful images from the RAZ KEREN Spring-Summer 2008 campaign photographed by the talented Bruno Rand. Grooming by the artist Affan Malik and special thanks to Mr. Orlando Reece, who let us use his gorgeous abode as a backdrop.

photos: Bruno Rand

Anime

Think bespoke construction with a humorist twist. That’s the feeling behind the RAZ KEREN Spring line. Take his classically tailored, rich beige trousers. At first glance, you might just catch a glint of shine from the seams of the leg but when you look closer, you’ll notice the piping is a tan colored rubber. This type of subtle whimsical detail can also be found on the belt loops that are slightly on an angle. It’s these unexpected details that make this season’s offerings so unique, yet so very wearable.

Some other key pieces in the line include a PVC coated black linen blazer that looks lushly wet, cropped pants with pale blue piping detail on the knee for slightly futuristic aesthetic and a saturated brown bamboo short-sleeved shirt with the RAZ KEREN signature horns appliqué on the chest. And of course the mindfulness of fabric choices was no mistake. Incorporating bamboo and sustainable PVC is yet another demonstration of how RAZ KEREN is a forward-thinking brand.

Although all the pieces can strongly stand on their own, they are crafted to pair together to meet any need of their wearer - from a trip to London, the Sahara desert or even Mars. And along with attention to the finest of details, you can always expect the finest fabrics, exceptional tailoring and a rich palette that are the hallmark of RAZ KEREN.

photos: Bruno Rand

Fantasy Island

This might be my favorite: the RAZ KEREN Spring-Summer 1999 collection.

Light natural fabrics in colorful prints bring a faraway island breeze to the urban pirates.

For this collection, yours truly was awarded 'Fresh Face - Menswear Designer of the Year' by GEN ART.

These designs were presented at GEN ART's Styles for the New Millennium on March 31, 1999, which was the first annual fashion presentation and design awards program for top fashion design talent in menswear, womenswear and accessory categories.

Genre Magazine 1993

Before digital recordings of cameras or smart phones and almost two decades later, here's a fashion spread I took part of titled A second Skin, from the Aug-Sep 1993 issue of Genre magazine, styled by Bradley Garlock:

Photo: Bill Emrich

"There is a fascinating relationship between our maleness and what we wear. Gay men, more than any other culture, eroticize ourselves by our clothing, and certainly leather and denim are the most sensual of all our coverings. They impart a feeling of comfort, of familiarity and of security, and no other material fits this this well - like a second skin".

Role Model

Day two at the 'Accessories The Show' at the Javits center, standing at the Adam Scott Design booth, showcasing the many accessory lines created by my esteemed colleague, Adam Scott.  

Recently, I was hired to model for the T-ties catalog.

From the press release:

"Drawing form his menswear background and twenty years of experience as a fashion designer and women’s accessory retailer, Adam Scott brings us new products with innovative and novel designs, creating a new twist on women’s American sportswear accessories. The bright concepts and designs bring a fresh style to the classic accessories, a decidedly modern twist to an old world sense of style. 

The T-Ties collection is a new look for men, or women, with an easy-to-wear, younger and sexy appeal. All the items are made of leather, ultra-suede and beads, are adjustable, and some can be worn as a necklace or a bracelet."

To purchace your Adam Scott design, click here!

Photos: Daniel Belknap

PARSONS benefit 2012

Tuesday evening I had the honor of attending the PARSONS benefit dinner 2012, at Pier Sixty, where some of my students and a selected group of our graduates presented their creations on the runway to the kings and queens of the fashion world. The honorees were Donna Karan (whom I had the pleasure to meet) and Sheila C. Johnson.

For this black tie affair, with the tag-line You Never Leave Parsons, I had to make myself something to wear. So here it is - the off-white silk tuxedo jacket!

And I'm tellin' you - I am not leavin'!

To see the live-feed from the event click here!

Creatures of Light

"The American Museum of Natural History's Creatures of Light: Nature’s Bioluminescence is a new exhibition about the extraordinary organisms that produce light, from the flickering fireflies found in backyards across the Northeast to the deep-sea fishes that illuminate the perpetually dark depths of the oceans"

Last week, my student Erica Fenn presented successfully her menswear thesis collection to a panel of fashion insiders. Inspired by these deep sea creatures, with a beautiful balance of materials, textures, fit and proportions she takes menswear to a much greater depth.

Here are a few images from her collection:

 

photos: Jetro Nicolas

Bollywood redux

Learning about the Pakistani culture, I had the honor of creating some of the many outfits for Asma and Saqqaf's marriage process. For her Mehndi, the Henna ceremony, Asma is wearing a custom-made RAZ KEREN anarkali pajama suit in emerald silk schiffon with gold embroidery.

 

For the Shaadi, when the bride's reception formally takes place, yours truly and Asma's brother Affan are both wearing a RAZ KEREN sherwani,

And for the Walima, the final day of the wedding, held by the couple as they host their first dinner as husband and wife, Saqqaf is wearing a RAZ KEREN three-piece suit.

 

Bollywood's calling

Incredible pictures from Kristin and Jaidev's destination wedding at the Imperial Hotel in New Delhi, India. For the traditional Sikh ceremony, the groom is wearing a custom-made RAZ KEREN sherwani (a long coat-like garment worn in South Asia).

 

photos: Ira Lippke Studios

From The Knot.com:

"After meeting as partners in a yoga breathing class (she fell for his expressive eyes -- and the fact that he kissed her at the end!), both Kristin and Jaidev knew they needed to extend their partnership outside of class. After getting engaged on a romantic trip to Croatia, the couple knew they wanted to wed at the Vasant Vihar gurdwara in New Delhi.

The Bride Kristin Vukovic, 30, freelance writer
The Groom Jaidev Shergill, 38, founder and CEO of Bundle.com
The Date December 27

Because many of Jaidev’s relatives live in India, they were instrumental in making the wedding as authentic to Sikh tradition as possible. The couple incorporated a customary mehendi, or henna, party for the bride before the ceremony and covered their reception area with strings of marigolds, a traditional Indian wedding flower".

-- Justine Lorelle Blanchard

Double-O Keren

The RAZ KEREN Fall-Winter 1998 collection was dedicated to the MOD spies of the 60's, like Simon Templar of the TV show The Saint and the iconic 007 - James Bond (the one and only Sean Connery). The subculture, originated in London, England was said to be 'obsessed' with fashion and tailor-made suits. Amen!

South of the Border

Watching the sassy new television show GCB on ABC, about a former mean-girl that moves back to Dallas 18 years after high school, reminded me of the RAZ KEREN Spring-Summer 1998 collection. There is no need for too many words to describe the South-Western concept.

Footnote: Madonna's MUSIC album, with her cowgirl look, was released in September 2000.

Lunar Colony

Going back in time to go back to the future: here are a few images from the RAZ KEREN Fall-Winter 1997: Lunar Colony collection. The idea was that humans are being sent to the moon to find a new place to live, to start a new colony, after planet Earth has seized to contain us. Utilitarian and futuristic designs, in shades that reflect the moonlight and models without a distinctive race - they are of the HUMAN race!

15 years ago and still current, don't you agree?

Thesis Week 2011

It's that time of the year when my students at Parsons, the New School for Design, complete their Senior Thesis collections and present them to a panel of fashion insiders. Started last September, they realize their visions through several model fittings.

As my current students put the finishing touches on their creations, I'm proudly reminded of three designers from my 2011 class:

Matt Conmy

Amy Conte

Alicia Pang

Matt and Alicia both work at Richard Chai and Amy is at Peter Nappi.

I can't wait to share my new crop of menswear designers!