Photography from The Manhattan Inn website

Written by JJ Maxwell

The Manhattan Inn

One of the DDD crew’s favorite places to have a cocktail and blow off some steam has quickly become the Manhattan Inn. Located at 632 Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint, this lounge provides guests with a little bit of everything. The Inn’s biggest appeal though has to be the nightly entertainment that takes place in their main dining room where their stunning white grand piano is located. Each evening the establishment features amazing musicians jamming away on the impressive instrument during the evening hours followed by well known Brooklyn DJ’s taking the dancing patrons into the late night. Some of Manhattan Inn’s acts include Mike Freedom Hart, Richard Bennett, Terry Waldo, Rob Cohen and Dj’s Will and Simon of Amazing Baby.

One of the most popular nights has become Piano Karaoke with Joe McGinty (you know, the guy from Psychedelic Furs) on Tuesday nights from 10pm till’ late. This is a karaoke lovers dream, and for hours people prepare and belt out their favorites for the large crowd, and if anyone can make you sound better then you already do, it is McGinty, who besides the Furs, has professionally worked with musicians such as Nada Surf, Debbie Harry, and Ryan Adams.

Along with the live entertainment The Manhattan Inn also has a killer happy hour, which takes place every day of the week (4pm-7pm on the weekend, and 5pm-7pm on the weekdays) and you have to check out their weekend brunches. My favorite is the Baguette French Toast, it is delicious and an amazing hang over cure on those blurry weekend mornings. And of course the Inn’s brunch comes with live music as well, which in my opinion is the perfect way to start your day.

The Manhattan Inn is a secret gem on the streets of Brooklyn, the dark lit, relaxing venue is a perfect place to have a low key evening or to start your day/night off right, and you probably will see all of us, your beloved DDD’s swaying to the music and drinking the strongly poured cocktails.

For more information on The Manhattan Inn check out their website www.themanhattaninn.com

Follow JJ on twitter at twitter.com/jjfunfactory

The DDD Launch at Milk Studios

Written by JJ Maxwell

Jeremy Scott’s Spring 2011 Collection felt like a direct dedication to the vibrant Meat Packing District in the 1980’s. Scott’s show at Milk Studios this morning took us back to the punk-rock time when the district was the seedy and electric place to be, before it became for the affluent and those who chase them. The collection stayed true to Scott’s in your face aesthetic while giving the audience (which included Kanye West, Kelly Osborne, and The Wonder Girls) the chance to go back to those original days in the district while still providing Scott’s well known punk rock modern twist.

There were dresses resembling slabs of meat, dresses that looked like bodega plastic bags, bold t-shirt slogans, multiple uses of aluminum, and assless chaps on all the ripped male models. Scott closed the show with a straight jacket that he designed into a one of a kind show stopping wedding dress that had everyone in the crowd dying for. Whether or not you are a fan of Scott’s work, he once again designed an extremely unique and cohesive collection that will be very hard to forget. This is why when Scott skipped around the runway in angel wings following the final walk everyone instantly jumped to their feet congratulating the designer on another bold collection.

The DDD Launch!

Whitney Eve Presentation at Industria Studio 6

The reality star/designer has her second showing at Industria, and the press was definitely in full force to catch every minute of the presentation and judging by the numerous cameras there definitely will be a Season 3 of The City. The new designer was overseeing every model and piece during the entire presentation and trying to fit in as many interviews as possible. The collection was actually more mature than expected and had a cohesive look throughout with rich colors that the girl next door and young business women could wear in the office, for after work happy hour, and even through a night on the town. I was impressed with the numerous separates in the collection and loved the billowing well-constructed pants – oh and all the candy fun provided by Sugar Factory!

Patrik Ervell at Milk Studios

Ervell once again demonstrated why he has become a leading menswear designer who is constantly changing how to design and wear a suit. He used beautiful blue and beige tones for his jackets and suits paired with woven cloth belts, and the collection included pieces perfect for business casual environments as well as pieces perfect for the first day on the boat next spring. Ervell had his pretty male models stomp on a runway made of stained newspapers piled about three feet high and the 8th floor of Milk provided a gorgeous background view.

Robert Geller at Exit Art

The best menswear collection I have seen so far this fashion week. Literally, I was watching the show thinking Geller’s collection was made for me. Beautifully cropped loose fitting drawstring pants, layered soft-colored scarves, flowing jackets and sweaters, and oh yes, every model wearing a thin braided roped headband. It is the collection stylish men who never want to look like they tried need in their closet. Great crowd filled the seats including Lynne Yeager and the Vogue crew, Christopher Campbell from Blackbook, and numerous other stylists and fashionistos loving every second of the show.

Concept Korea provides the audience with a unique collaboration of three talented and emerging Korean designers.

Concept Korea held their first group show Thursday night at this year’s already amazing S/S 2011 New York Fashion Week, and the three designers chosen to show off their emerging talents in the theater at Lincoln Center did not disappoint. All three designers, Kwak Hyun Joo, Juyoung Lee, and Lee Jean Young provided an excellent collaboration on what the future is for Korean Fashion, and each had unique collections that were full of surprises while still encompassing futuristic cuts, bright colors, and original styling that Korean collections are known for. Below is my quick recap of each of the designers’ collections:

Pucca by Kwak Hyun Joo – Based on the popular Korean comic cartoon character, the collection was full of exactly what you would expect from such vibrant and fast-paced animation. Joo produced looks full of bright colors, huge beautiful graphics, and multiple layers full of zippers, buttons, and accessories. My favorites were the brightly hooded pieces reminiscent of a funked-out little red riding hood.

Resurrection by Juyoung Lee – Well crafted menswear designer who I think we will be seeing a lot more of in the future. Beautiful use of black, grey and white tones and the collection was almost Helmet Lang meets Givenchy. Lee did a fabulous job combining architecturally hard tops with flowing and beautiful pants and skirts that any fashion forwarding thinking man would live for. Hottie model Ethan James closed the successful collection and my favorite pieces had to be the killer dark leather handbags.

Lee Jean Youn – Hands down my favorite collection thus far for NY Fashion Week. It was a beautifully executed show having the models line-up parallel with one another, and never leaving the stage. The fabulous audience, including Ms. Jay Alexander, Robert Verdi, Mr. Mickey, and The Wonder Girls, all loved the show as much as I did, and the dresses Youn designed were absolutely stunning and original. His final two pieces were modern day Korean inspired wedding gowns that even I would love to put one on and run to the alter!

K2 Friday Nights at The Rubin Museum:
Where Himalayan Art and Culture Meets Cocktails

The Rubin Museum of Art is a hidden gem in the city that dedicates its collections and exhibitions to the documentation, preservation, and presentation of Himalayan Art. Located in Chelsea at 150 W. 17th Street and founded in 1999, The Rubin has quickly become one of the leading international centers for the study and display of Himalayan Art because of its diverse and unique exhibitions.

Currently, The Rubin has a wide range of beautiful and informative collections that will appeal to art lovers and visitors interested in a better understanding of Himalayan Art History. Some of the current exhibits include: The Nepalese Legacy, Photography of Bhutan and Sikkim, Bardo: The Tibetan Art of the Afterlife. And the museum’s first exhibition of contemporary Tibetan Art, Tradition Transformed: Tibetan Artists Respond.

Along with their diverse exhibitions, The Rubin also provides numerous programs and events for museum guests ranging from live music to artist talks. One popular event bringing in a younger night-loving crowd is K2 Friday Nights. This is when The Rubin opens its doors from 6-10pm and admission to the galleries is free.

The museum also provides a film program that starts at 9:30 pm each Friday in their Cabaret Cinema where “martini’s and movies mix.” These screenings of classic films provide guests the perfect chance to grab some culture, a few cocktails, and start their weekend in the city off right. Each film is chosen to explore the world themes that correlate with current museum exhibitions, and the film is introduced by a notable guest. Some past presenters include Brian Cox, Liv Ullmann, and Alan Cumming.

K2 Friday Nights also has musical guests in the K2 Lounge for guests to enjoy. Their music series are titled Naked Soul and the acoustic jazz concert series Harlem in the Himalayas. The music series start at 7:00 pm and price depends on the musical guests of the night. Upcoming performers for The Naked Soul series include John Hammond, Jill Sobule (you know, the singer who originally “kissed a girl”) and Rhett Miller.

So next Friday night when you are sitting around with the crew debating on your first move of the weekend, why not switch it up a bit and check out a film or live music in a place that surrounds you with artwork far classier than the usual bathroom stall graffiti.

For more information on The Rubin Museum of Art and their K2 Friday Night events visit www.rmanyc.org.

To follow JJ’s adventures during NYC Fashion Week as well as other events in the Fun Factory, follow him on twitter at twitter.com/jjfunfactory

Written by JJ Maxwell

Carin Wester Spring/Summer 2011 Collection:
The popular Swedish Designer kills it with her latest collection at Stockholm Fashion Week.

As New York Fashion Week quickly approaches and we begin salivating over the new Spring/Summer 2011 collections, I thought I would share one of my favorite collections thus far. Carin Wester has been designing since 1998 when she graduated from Beckman’s School of Design and is based out of Stockholm. In 2004, Elle Magazine declared her Newcomer of the Year, and she has received numerous other awards and accolades including the prestigious “Guldknappen” Award in 2009 from the Swedish magazine Damernas Värld.

Her collection consists of three lines, the women’s line (Carin Wester), the male line (Wester), and a handmade and limited line (W). On August 20th Wester showed her new Spring/Summer line during Stockholm Fashion Week and the show received rave reviews. Both the Men and Women’s lines contain amazing use of neutral colors, unique fits, and wearable separates that are perfect for spring weather no matter where your location.

Below is the video of the Spring/Summer 2011 show and interviews with attendees of the show including an interview with Carin Wester and her inspiration and ideas for the new collection courtesy of Star Television. The collections are sold in several stores in Sweden, as well as in stores in Denmark, Finland, Norway, England, Germany, France, USA, Canada and Japan.

Carin Wester SS/2011 Runway Show

For more images and information on Carin Wester visit: http://www.carinwester.com.

Follow JJ and his adventures during NY Fashion week on twitter at http://twitter.com/jjfunfactory