Sidewalk Catwalk Stunner by Rachel Roy - Not Rachel Ray

Not to be confused with the talk show host Rachel Ray, this installment of Sidewalk Catwalk features the stunning design by Rachel Roy.  From the bold coloring of the mannequin itself, to the thigh-high boots (gotta get me a pair) and spicy fabric combination, this design is a crowd-pleaser.

The fashion designer Rachel Roy was born in California and attended college in Washington DC.  Roy moved to New York City to pursue her love for design and creativity.  She worked as a freelancer, doing the styling for magazine shoots and music videos.

Then Rachael Roy started at Rocawear as an intern, amazingly in the mail room.  Later came the marketing department; finally she moved into the very appropriate area of women's design. Since the company was still fairly new, Rachel was able to quickly make a major impression and contribute greatly to the company's growth.  As a key player she eventually became the Creative Director.  She  oversaw many licensees and ran all of the design departments for Rocawear Juniors and Girls.

 

In Fall 2004, she began her own collection, RACHEL ROY.  Department and specialty stores carried the Spring 2005 line. The innovative styles and silhouettes could be assembled to transit beautifully from day to evening.

RACHEL ROY designs, clothing and shoes, have been seen on such famous people as Michelle Obama, Iman, Eva Mendes, Kate Hudson, Lucy Liu, Sharon Stone and Penelope Cruz.  Oprah Winfrey had Rachel as a guest on the show in January 2007.   Other honors included Roy being inducted into the CFDA as a new member.



 Currently RACHEL ROY
collections are available at Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman (my favorite store), Neiman Marcus (my 3rd favorite store; Selfridges in London is 2nd), Nordstrom and top specialty stores worldwide.  You can even find some of her Rachel Rachel Roy designs via Amazon.

A beauty in her own right, Rachel Roy has a talent for making other women look and feel beautiful as well.  See for yourself her Fall 2010 collection at style.com.

Sidewalk Catwalk - Mannequin Struts in a Maria Cornejo

Our next Sidewalk Catwalk fashion designer to be featured is Maria Cornejo.  THIS is the design that moved me to start taking photographs of the mannequins along Broadway, and to write about their designers.

Maria Cornejo was born in Chile.  During while she was a child her family moved to England.  There is a very well written account of her early life by Sabine Heller, entitled "A Glimpse Of Designer Maria Cornejo: A Michelle Obama Favorite".  Her childhood was not an easy one.  Yet she overcame many hardships to become a stellar designer with her own thriving business.  She now lives in New York City with her husband, Mark Borthwick and their children.

Maria’s varied career spans London, Paris, Milan and Tokyo.  She ultimately developed her own signature “Maria Cornejo” collection, and has worked as a creative consultant for major retailers, including Joseph, Tehen and Jigsaw.

In 1996 she moved to New York City. In 1997 she opened an atelier and store in Nolita; since relocated to 33 Bleeker Street.  In 2006 Maria Cornejo opened a second store in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan, an area that has transformed into a very chic and fashionable location.

In 2006 Maria Cornejo was honored as the winner of the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Award.  She was recently featured in Modern Painters magazine, May 2010 issue; March 25, 2010 issue of Womens Wear Daily (WWD).  My favorite the multiple page article in Surface China that highlights some of her designs (could only enjoy the photographs, since I do not know how to read Chinese, yet).

Maria Cornejo shows her new collections during the New York Fashion Week and also in Paris.

You can check out more of her stunningly sculpted and sleek designs at her website: www.zeromariacornejo.com.  Be sure to return regularly to see her latest collections.  There are at LEAST 5 items in her 2010 winter collection  (see photos of items 4, 15, 21, 38, and 40) and 7 from the resort collection (see photos of items 2, 8, 9, 14, 17, 22, and 24) that I have got to get.  Check out her site soon, to see my favorites, before they rotate to the next season's fashions.

I hope you are thus far enjoying “our” stroll along Broadway, as we admire mannequin interpretations by top fashion designers.  I am certainly learning a lot, as I am inspired by these designs to learn more about the people who create them.  All on display in the Sidewalk Catwalk.