J. Mendel Spring 2013

Sometimes, when one finds herself in a whirlwind also known as a fashion week, the process of choosing the most beautiful collections and not letting any slip through can become a challenging one. Even though I am destined to view everything on my computer screen rather than witness the glory in person, I still find this four-week visual marathon both fascinating and demanding and, at the end, feel guilty of not talking about the clothes that really are worth all the attention and love.

In a way, it can be a good thing as it allows me to dedicate an entire post to a specific collection. On the other hand, I feel deeply embarrassed for being, lets face it, a blind fool and not writing about a brand that was born in Russia (first ever boutique was opened in St Petersburg in 1870 and soon became official furrier to the Romanov family) and speaks to me on some molecular, genetic level.

J.Mendel was, as far as I am concerned, one of the precious diamonds of the New York fashion week. It was opened by Bette Franke whom I adore. Frankly, if it wasn’t for her being the face of the gorgeous Spring/Summer campaign, I’d probably never got back to the collection to have a second look and eventually found myself hiding behind the laptop with an apologetic look in my eyes.

Luckily, Bette appeared in Vogue, I fell in love with the images and found myself on style.com looking at some of the most beautiful and ethereal clothes imaginable. There were yards and yards of shimmering silks, handfuls of tiny organza flower blossoms, lace and leather and leather looking like lace, luxurious furs and jacquard fabrics with their surface resembling a fine powder made of crushed jewels. It was a daywear dream. And honestly, I wish I didn’t have to wake up…

Photo source: fashionising.com