NY Fashion Week: BCBG channels the beach, Kanye pops in on Brother Vellies

NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Associated Press is all over New York Fashion Week, from the runways to celebrities as eight days of spring previews opened Thursday.

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KANYE POPS IN ON BROTHER VELLIES

The small Brother Vellies got a visit from the big Kanye West.

“I’m just here to support,” he said Thursday before rushing off.

What he left behind was a collection of standout sandals in leather and adorned with beads and fur, and handbags made of materials sourced throughout Africa and created by artisans there, said Aurora James, the company’s founder and creative director.

Bags were created in South Africa using indigenous springbok, water buffalo and hardware made of hand-carved horn. Beadwork for sandals was done in the Kibera district of Kenya by women, some single mothers working from home as they care for their children. Much of the leather was processed at a tannery in Ethiopia.

Women in Burkina Faso and Mali wove fabrics, and other elements from this nearly 3-year-old company were sourced Nigeria and Botswana, James said.

James, for the first time, has partnered with the United Nations Ethical Fashion Initiative, offering support for her effort to boost skills training and job creation in Africa.

While describing her shoes and bags this season as “post-hippy minimalism,” James found inspiration from the musical Lijadu sisters of Nigeria — and women in general.

“On our, women are strong enough to move mountains,” James said. “In numbers, women can collectively change the universe.”

—Leanne Italie

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BCBG MAX AZRIA CHANNELS CALIFORNIA SUN

Husband-wife design team Lubov and Max Azria brought the West Coast sun to a dreary New York day as they kicked off Fashion Week on Thursday with a beachy, casual collection.

“California was our first impulse,” said Azria before the show in midtown Manhattan. “The beach and the sun and the weather, the good weather.”

The bohemian line included flowing floral frocks layered with tie-dye tees and tribal print vests topped by hipster bucket hats. Models looked comfy in loose-fitting palazzo pants, long skirts and moccasin-inspired wedges complete with fringe. There were also cozy pullovers, embroidered ponchos and slouchy leg warmers — just in case the breeze picks up at the beach.

“It’s very (sporty) day wear,” said Azria. “It is more about the fiesta of the fashion.”

—Nicole Evatt

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JESSICA SIMPSON CELEBRATES 10 YEARS IN FASHION

As Fashion Week kicked off, singer and designer Jessica Simpson celebrated the 10th anniversary of her clothing brand in Central Park on Wednesday.

“I am blessed that I am here and that God has given me a talent to succeed,” she said.

Celebrity chef Martha Stewart, who attended the event, praised Simpson’s latest collection, which rolls out this month.

“I think Jessica is on the right track right now,” Stewart said. “It’s more earthy, more girly, more approachable.”

Besides her work in fashion, Simpson said she is about to return to singing.

“I have been having babies for the past couple years, so it’s exciting to get back into the music industry, and I think that it will only make the fashion industry that I am working in even better,” she said.

—Bastien Inzaurralde