Macy's Caprice Willard in town to talk 'Fashion Star'

Nadine Kam photo
Caprice Willard stopped into Macy's Ala Moana on April 19, to see how she can improve the women's apparel mix.

Typical fashion coverage focuses on designers and products, but the success of NBC's "Fashion Star" takes us into the world of the buyer, and Macy's Caprice Willard was in town today to fill us in on some of the thoughts that go into determining the how, why and all-important how much that goes into deciding whether or not to extend a buy offer to a designer.

As the Vice President/Regional Planning Manager for Women's Apparel for Macy's Southwest Region, which includes Hawaii, she was in town simply as a matter of doing her job, checking in on stores to determine whether her team's last buys are working out, and pick up a wish list for Spring 2013.

My interview with Caprice will appear in the paper prior to the "Fashion Star" finale on May 15, during which the series' winner will be revealed.

The reality competition series started with the idea of searching for the next big brand in fashion. The series is giving 14 unknown designers the chance to win a multi-million dollar prize to launch their collections in Macy's, H&M and Saks Fifth Avenue. But to me, the designers on the show—working for the sale rather than to break new ground in fashion—take a back seat to the buyers' work.

I wondered how she could be so assured that the garments she picks will sell, but after 18 years in the business, she said she's learned a lot about what customers want, and she said the show, because of its immediacy—with winning garments offered online for purchase right after the show—has actually given her important feedback. Where she might have been more conservative in the past, the sold-out offerings have shown her that shoppers are more daring than she thought, and she'll be shopping in the future with that in mind.

Notes from an 'international fashion tracker'

Got a nice mention online as an "international fashion tracker" in New York Daily News, in a story that quotes from my blog coverage of designer Zix Guan and Shanghai Fashion Week: nydn.us/JkJ1NB

The story was initially picked up by Agence France Presse (AFP) and distributed to papers and web sites around the world.

My story about Shanghai's place in the fashion universe appears in the paper today, but I'll still be adding a few more pictures and videos over the next few days.

Helen Lee's 'Window' to joy

Nadine Kam photos
One of Helen Lee's models waits back stage prior to the start of the designer's fashion show April 14 during Shanghai Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2012 at Taipingqiao Park in Xintiandi. This was one of many shows in which the models wore the color of the year orange eye shadow.

Designer Helen Lee said several bad things have happened to her, and friends, over the past couple of years, but out of tragedy came "Window," a bouyant, triumphant collection in which the designer has chosen optimism over defeat.

The designer showed her collection on April 14, Day 4 of Shanghai Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2012. Her "Window" show was dedicated to a friend whose leg was lost in an accident. They went to church together to pray for her recovery and while there, the designer was inspired by stained glass windows that offered hope and cheer.

During a post-show interview, the designer said, "I know my collection comes from a sad story, but it's meant to be encouraging and heart-warming. You can see from the colors and the textures shown. I want to tell people, whatever you go through, please be optimistic. I personally went through a lot of sad things in the last two years, but my gift to myself and all my friends is to cherish life. I want my designs to have a positive energy."


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Designer Helen Lee with her models after the show.

Designer Helen Lee, with one of her models, greeted well-wishers after the show.

Models lined up prior to the show.

Cozy sweaters were meant to convey joy and warmth.

Lee's "Window" collection included this sweater dress, with pukas revealing a stained glass-like print dress peeking from beneath.

Note the models' shoes. Helen is working with a Western brand to introduce her own line of shoes.

China Beauty a showcase for scarf dressing

Nadine Kam photos
A model walks the runway for Wang Yufei's China Beauty line of scarves, at Shanghai Fashion Week's Fall/Winter 2012.

Wang Yufei showed what could be done with flowing silk scarves during the China Beauty presentation that took place April 12 at Shanghai Fashion Week, at 800Show, 800 Changde Road.

While her scarf designs are firmly rooted in the concept of Chinese beauty, Yufei utilizes production details of Japan and Korea, and traveled to Italy, France, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia in search of inspiration for integrating Eastern and Western cultures.

While her show comprised a global fusion of scarf dressing, her theatrical finale was Chinese through and through, with all the drama of a Zhang Yimou film.


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The appearance of lantern bearers signaled the finale.

Zix Guan's killer instinct

Nadine Kam photos
Designer Zix Guan, right, with her model Yulia M.

Zix Guan staged a fashion show that appeared to be part vampire family-meets-"The Matrix" during Shanghai Fashion Week on opening day, April 11.

Meeting her for interviews after the show, I was afraid that she, like so many in Shanghai, didn't speak English, but lucky for me she does, so could answer all my questions about her inspiration and background. She said her theme was "Killers," inspired by Angelina Jolie, and her films, including "Wanted," "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" and "Salt."

Typecast as a dangerous woman, me thinks, but Zix would call her powerful. "Maybe she will wear my clothes someday," she said.

Of all people, Angelina Jolie would be one who could pull off Zix's more dramatic designs, inspired by her thinking, "Women in this country need to have power. In China, a lot of girls, women just live for their family, their love, their children; they never live for themselves.

"Women need power, but they still need to be sexy. This collection uses leather to make a woman feel powerful, with lace to make women more sexy."

Zix Guan answers media questions, backed by her vampire clan, Cullen-like models.

Her collection featured a lot of raised, angled and pagoda shoulder details that appeared like armor.

"I think shoulder details can make a woman look more powerful," said the designer, who said she believes she had a sense of her own power as young as 4.

She said her father would punish her to make her apologize for purported bad behavior, but she said, "I didn't want to. I was thinking, 'You hurt me. Maybe you need to say I'm sorry to me."

She noted that because the root of her surname is "Gu," meaning "bamboo," they may both have been somewhat hard-headed and tenacious. Don't worry, they settled their differences long ago, so now her father helps her with her business.

A temporary tattoo design on her back featured bamboo, along with the words "Cold as fire, hot as ice."


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The designer began formal design schooling only three years ago after she said she tried to learn all she could through reading and self-study. This was her second show at Shanghai Fashion Week and she was curious to know whether I had seen her past work. When I said no, she said, "Oh, please don't look at it."

Of course that made me go back and look at it, and let's just say she's come a long way. But that's a good thing for any designer, to recognize one's journey.

The designer is adept at dressing both men and women.