The Faves of New York. So Far...

Day One: Rachel Comey

My editor at Interview thought Rachel's gal took a page out of Faye Dunaway's book, but I kind of think that Rachel designs for our generation's heroine: the kind of girl who heavily layers, loves bunnies and always looks hasphasderdly perfect. I also think that Rachel knows that girl because she invented her. What do you think?

Day Two: Jeremy Laing

If they would have consulted fellow Canuck Jeremy Laing on how to inject some Canadian cool into the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver games, we would have been spared the neck-bearded poet, KD Lang and countless Native cliches. What we have gotten was amazing multi-layered rabbit, beaver, knit and Northern lit geometrics.

Day Three: Alexander Wang

A few things I hate: red velvet, ribbed chenille, odd fitting pinstripes. You'd think that I'd really hate Wing Wang's fall show... but think again my friend.

As if possessed by some otherworldly fashion god, I can't help but be drawn to the designer's naughty meets wall street 90's Le Chateau (shout out Canadians!) look. It really needs to be hanging in my closet like asaaaap.

For more Fashion Week commentary, check out my trend roundups:

http://www.interviewmagazine.com/search/randi+bergman/

Our Take: Rachel Comey's Sunny Spring Offering

Welcome to another season of 'Our Take', where we blab about what we loved and bitch about what we can't afford. And while I sit here all bitter about the fact that I can make no use of my Fashion Week invites, I'm thankful that I can at least get into the spirit online. It's never stopped me from dissecting Balenciaga, so why should it stop me now, right? Anyways, thank goodness for people like Rachel Comey then, who's sunny dispositioned clothes act as a complete antidote to my frowny 'tude.

What I think is Comey's strongest suit is that she knows how to take the edge off. Never too put-together, her looks are always wearably quirky...kind of like what you imagine your ideal self wearing. I love everything about this show, from the frizz hair to the addition of bags, to the always-amazing prints. The prints! My god....if that middle skirt isn't mine by next April I don't know what I'll do!

Can We Hang Out With You, Rachel Comey?

Whenever us Katie Girls discuss the next round of Can We Hang Out With You (which would by now actually only be twice..), we can't help but get all giddy. I'm thinking it's because the interview is like the proverbial yes to our question...right?

We are such nerdy fans of Rachel Comey that when she gave us the proverbial yes, we couldn't help but think, 'wait...really?' With her signature eye for oddball mix n' match and easy breezy sex appeal, Rachel has managed to become the go-to designer for every cute girl this side of 14th Street.

Here's what the lovely Miss Comey had to share with us hopelessly devoted Katie Girls!

What's your line all about? My clothes have always been about the in-between spaces: in between urban and pastoral, simple and ultra-detailed, quiet and loud.

What did you study in school? What did you do before you were a designer? I studied studio art - specifically sculpture. This was good training for me because you learn how to use your hands and brain together. Colors, composition, details, thematic ideas - all these are things that art teaches us.

We saw the piece the feature in Domino (RIP) about your amazing house in Long Island. We refer to it as the Rachel Comey Dream House. Can you tell us a little about it? It's real! It's a former laundry on a sometimes quiet sidestreet of Greenport, Long Island. Before me, it belonged to the artists Rob Pruitt and Jonathan Horowitz who put a lot of TLC into it. I put a lot of cacti into it and a beautiful blue couch. It's a great escape and a fun place to entertain guests. Last summer I hosted the first annual Greenport Cup tennis tournament there. We played round robin doubles on the local high school's courts. It's surely not a Hamptons scene!

You've been involved in so many different art projects, what's your favorite project that you've ever worked on? It's hard to privilege one over the other, but one that sticks in my mind and in my heart was a commission to make a costume for a Swiss avant-garde orchestra conductor for the premier of a new composition. It was directly after September 11th (and my first menswear show), and everyone was raw and emotional. I made a formal jacket with tails and covered it with the dust from the twin towers, so when the conductor waved his baton leading the musicians plumes of dust filled the air like ghosts.

Can you describe your style without using phrases like boho chic,old Hollywood glamour or anything with a twist? Loud Acoustic!

Is being a designer and owning your own business really all it's cracked up to be? When it all comes together and you see your work out there in the world, then YES. When you're all by yourself in a Peruvian factory with a stack of unpaid bills...YES, even then.

It seems like you would ride a bicycle. do you? In Greenport only. I walk faster than most bike riders and I'm not afraid to take a cab.

Name another designer or artist who you think is the bee's knees. Hmmm, I like that new collection, Tao. Its funny and beautiful and full of stories.

We, as well as like everyone else in the universe, are 100% obsessed with your shoes. when and why did you start making them? The shoes started happening around 2004. I've always collected vintage shoes and have a kind of odd-ball eye for unusual footwear but I just wasn't seeing enough interesting stuff. When you have to dress models for the runway, it helps to have your own shoes. Now the men's shoes are really taking off too which is exciting.

ps. we stole these pictures from refinery29 and style.com

Rachel Comey: Our Take

Hopefully gushing about the designer won't turn into a trend, but I can't really help myself from saying nice things about Rachel Comey's person as well as her clothes because I think they are inextricably linked. I had the pleasure of working for Rachel last year and she's always struck me as a 'fly by the seat of your pants' type of gal. Her intentional haphazardness has always been a hit and this season is no different.

Randi's Pick

Rachel told me that she was working on incorporating humour into this collection and I think that really comes through in this number. The overall mix n' match look is fairly pulled together but look a bit closer and mini monkeys are swinging around the jacket!

...and just for a bit of shameless self promotion, check out a recent feature I just wrote on Miss. Comey for Cheek Magazine at the link below!http://cheekmagazine.com/cheek9_pdf/CHEEK_9_Rachel_Comey_web.pdf

ps. we borrowed this picture from style.com