Looks from Goff's collection, as well as the designer herself, far right. CHARLESTON—When twenty-three-year old Savannah, Georgia resident Hannah Goff’s bold collection exploded onto the runway, camera lights went off like mini supernovas of excitement; the young North Carolina State University alumnus easily won Charleston Fashion Week’s Emerging Designer competition. Since 2006, Charleston’s unique Fashion Week has been dedicated to breaking the mold. The event’s creative director, Ayoka Lucas, has taken it on herself to find the next Proenza Schouler or Alexander Wang. Fully aware that the New York route is often expensive and challenging, she states, “It really is a great introduction for them [the designers] into the industry, which is a challenging industry to get into, so I am really proud of the emerging designer component; we are seeing talent from the entire east coast.” In many ways, the competition’s the hinge of the week. Five finalists showcase their collections over as many nights, four showcase their full collections on Saturday night and one is invited back to compete for the coveted Emerging Designer title. Celebrity judges Lindsey Carter, local designer of Troubadour, K. Cooper Ray, designer of Social Primer, Cameron Silver, owner of Decades Boutique, Fern Mallis, Chris Benz, Vanessa Lachey and ELLE’s own Anne Slowey chose Goff from the twenty finalists and 180 applicants. Benz got his wish, expressed earlier in the week, as he looked for bold color down the runway, “I think it is so great that the designers are not afraid to use color.” The crafted textiles and hand-woven garments could not be overlooked, and as Benz said, “that is very difficult to do.” Goff exemplified this, telling a story with her pieces. Deriving her inspiration from the modern woman straddling life as a homemaker and a businesswoman, she created her own prints and enhanced them by manipulating the fabric with careful pleating and tapering. With vibrant colors and shoulders evoking an armor-like masculinity, she was careful to balance them with feminine skirts and fine lines. As Mallis said, “In the bigger [fashion] weeks it is so hard to be noticed, and this is the opportunity to shine.” And shine she did. Looks from Goff's collection, as well as the designer herself, far right. CHARLESTON—When twenty-three-year old Savannah, Georgia resident Hannah Goff’s bold collection exploded onto the runway, camera lights went off like mini supernovas of excitement; the young North Carolina State University alumnus easily won Charleston Fashion Week’s Emerging Designer competition. Since 2006, Charleston’s unique Fashion Week has been dedicated to breaking the mold. The event’s creative director, Ayoka Lucas, has taken it on herself to find the next Proenza Schouler or Alexander Wang. Fully aware that the New York route is often expensive and challenging, she states, “It really is a great introduction for them [the designers] into the industry, which is a challenging industry to get into, so I am really proud of the emerging designer component; we are seeing talent from the entire east coast.” In many ways, the competition’s the hinge of the week. Five finalists showcase their collections over as many nights, four showcase their full collections on Saturday night and one is invited back to compete for the coveted Emerging Designer title. Celebrity judges Lindsey Carter, local designer of Troubadour, K. Cooper Ray, designer of Social Primer, Cameron Silver, owner of Decades Boutique, Fern Mallis, Chris Benz, Vanessa Lachey and ELLE’s own Anne Slowey chose Goff from the twenty finalists and 180 applicants. Benz got his wish, expressed earlier in the week, as he looked for bold color down the runway, “I think it is so great that the designers are not afraid to use color.” The crafted textiles and hand-woven garments could not be overlooked, and as Benz said, “that is very difficult to do.” Goff exemplified this, telling a story with her pieces. Deriving her inspiration from the modern woman straddling life as a homemaker and a businesswoman, she created her own prints and enhanced them by manipulating the fabric with careful pleating and tapering. With vibrant colors and shoulders evoking an armor-like masculinity, she was careful to balance them with feminine skirts and fine lines. As Mallis said, “In the bigger [fashion] weeks it is so hard to be noticed, and this is the opportunity to shine.” And shine she did.
Amber.Stardoll
Elle.Stardoll
Sarah Jessica Parker and Vanessa Paradis in Tokyo for Chanel. Photo: Getty Images So why was Karl Lagerfeld giving a press conference in Tokyo? Because it’s the first stop on Chanel’s Little Black Jacket tour. The book, Lagerfeld’s latest endeavor, features over 100 portraits of women donning one of Chanel’s greatest hits. Though it features celebs like Sarah Jessica Parker and Dakota Fanning interpreting the jacket based on their own style, the designer told Tim Blanks that its his portrait of Hudson Kroenig (the only three-year old on Chanel’s runway this season) that’s his favorite. Lagerfeld wrote the book with Carine Roitfeld, who appears on its cover, and is celebrating with three days worth of festivities. Though it doesn’t come out until later this year, the book’s already spawned a second showing of Chanel’s haute couture collection, a dinner, and an exhibition of the photos in the book, the latter of which will be open in Tokyo through April 15th. After that, it heads to New York before making seven more international stops, each of which will be freshly feted.
