Fashion

THE OUTSIDERS

meet fashion week’s stylish rebels.

by faran krentcil

Yesterday, we introduced you to The Freshman. Today, we check out the world of the Fashion Outsiders - a group of designers whose ideas are outside-the-box and whose shows are outside the Tents.

Some will display their clothes at an old warehouse; others show their outfits in a photo exhibit.  But all these labels guarantee one thing: a sneak peek at fashion's indie future.

Here are the contenders:

DOUCETTE DUVALL

In the past, Annabet Duvall and Stephanie Doucette have partied with their models, friends, and champagne kegs at the Chelsea Hotel.  This season, the clothing label - whose animal-print sheaths have been spotted on Scarlett Johansson - moves it on up to the Ritz Carlton, where they'll have a small soiree on February 5.

Expect a mix of Edie Sedgwick and Jackie O, along with Kool-Aid colors and bold prints that bring their ladylike silhouettes up-to-date.

ELISE OVERLAND

The former costume designer for Aerosmith, Elise Overland shows her third collection this Friday at Milk Studios.  A Norwegian native with a crush on metal, leather, and horsehair, the designer makes clothes that look like Lord of the Rings princesses, if they were going to a rock concert.

Elise sews her clothes next to her brother's old record player, and travels between Scandinavia and Asia to source for new materials.  If you can't see her collection in person, stay tuned - Nylon TV will feature a video of all her clothes online!

LIZ McCLEAN

The former stylist for celebrities and socialites dyes all her fabrics by hand - in her kitchen sink! - and makes dresses for modern fairy princesses - lots of drape, lots of length, lots of cling.

On February 6, she'll showcase her collection at the Open House Gallery in Soho, with photographs by Mary Rozzi starring Liz's clothes and her favorite muses, including Maggie Gyllenhaal, Melissa Auf Der Mauer, Kerri Russell, and Leslie Feist.

MOOKA KINNEY

You know a fashion show is weird when the NYLON staffers are starring in it!  On Wednesday, February 4, editors April Long and Fiorella Valdesolo take the catwalk in Mooka Kinney's whimsical dresses, the kind that look like a uniform for riding a unicorn.

Barneys bought the brand's first collection last year; now they have a steady stream of fans like model Lily Donaldson, and - apparently - a crush on the Nylon staff.  Sounds good to us...

THESE THREE THINGS

Last year, Quinn Asteak (from New York) and Zoe Buck (from LA) discovered the ultimate truth of every girl's closet: you only really wear three things anyway.  With that eureka, the stylists started These Three Things, a line of clothes that makes three items only each season. 

This time around, the girls and their muses (celebrity spawn Mamie, Grace, and Louisa Gummer) present a collection of Fall coats at Caravan, the Soho boutique with a celebrity following and a knack for finding new talent.

Doucette Duvall

Elise Overland

Mooka Kinney, photo by Alexandra Gershman

These Three Things