>> Lyn Devon's goal is to become "the fresh voice in American luxury sportswear." In her SoHo basement studio today, she showed off her latest effort in "reinventing the classics": but instead of sticking to her usual straight, sharp tailoring, she was inspired by images of ballet and dance to give her silhouette a little more movement. Hence, her Fall 2010 "beatnik ballet" collection: Devon suggests countering the newfound looseness of her dresses with a black turtleneck and a belted waist. But when it comes down to it, she's all about catering to her customer — she says her hand knits, leathers, and prints do really well, and this season, she ventured into more eveningwear options, just because her clients asked.
Lyn Devon
Lyn Devon Takes Her Fall 2010 Girl to the "Beatnik Ballet"
Fall 2009 Could Be the Death of More Promising Designers
>> Fall 2009 is "the make or break season" for small designers, according to Eric Wilson of The New York Times. Stores are reducing their orders by 20 percent or more for Fall, and some are already trying to cancel their Spring orders, which puts small businesses, especially those without independent financial backing, in a tenuous position. Basically, Wilson points out, "The more stores that close, the more designers will follow." And in show season, the cost of samples and putting on a show doesn't help with the strain.




Mantaray