John Varvatos: ‘Streets of Soho’
By Mari Davis
Photos by Javier Mateo

NEW YORK, Feb 12, 2004/ FW/ --- It was a celebrity photographer’s paradise at John Varvatos show yesterday with Hugh Jackman, Jimmy Fallon and Matt Dillon attending the show.

Flashbulbs also followed Kristin Davis of “Sex & The City,” from the Michael Kors show that was held next door.

It was such a madhouse that Anna Wintour left her front row seat to be away from the cameras, and Janine Baker of Canada’s Fashion Television was at the standing room only section. (Both ladies reclaimed their front row seats after the paparazzi frenzy died down.)

It is really too bad because this is the best staged show during the week. The audience almost missed the cobblestone runway, and the streets of Soho as the backdrop, complete with the noise of the city as background music before the start of the show.

It took security almost 10 minutes to clear the runway, and with shows already running late about 30 minutes yesterday, that was an additional delay. With 69 exits in the collection, the show, which normally ran 15 minutes, was also longer.

When the houselights dimmed and the spotlights turned on, there was a certain hush of anticipation in the audience. John Varvatos was presenting his first ever collection of womenswear this season.

Tiiu opened with an espresso vintage check coat over an espresso twill contoured shift dress, immediately garnering applause from the audience. You’ve got to give it to John Varvatos, he knows how to design great clothes, be it for men or women.

Inspired by the streets of Soho and its unique way of life, John Varvatos echoed the colors of the downtown New York, sticking to brown, chartreuse, espresso and black.

“Soho is a melting pot, an amalgamation of people and culture,” John Varvatos told FW backstage before the start of the show. “I want to bring Soho to the world. It is also where we are headquartered, so it is also promoting our home,” the designer added with a smile.

So, when John Varvatos sent his models wearing twill coats with fur collars and shearling jackets, showing simple mini dresses inside when the outerwear was peeled off, it was not surprising. Soho’s unique style has room for both urban sophistication and simplicity.

The menswear is as impeccably cut as ever. With the functional convertible collar coat intermixed with twill coats with fur collars in the line up, John Varvatos has something for the urban-dwelling male, whether he wants something luxurious & refined or something modest & practical.

In the accessories line up, John Varvatos did not miss anything either. Suede and leather boots, leather bags and clutches were great complements to the newly introduced womenswear line.

With his womenswear line still in infancy and still needing a lot of attention, I hope that John Varvatos still finds time for his already successful menswear line.

We already miss him last January during the Milan Menswear season. He started showing there last July 2003.

Backstage, when asked if he will continue to show his menswear line in Milan, he immediately answered, “I hope so. It depends on a lot of things.”

I almost asked him what “a lot of things” mean, but I remembered that Nautica, which owns the John Varvatos label will be merging with VF Corporation in the near future. So yes, it really depends on a lot of things!

John Varvatos

John Varvatos

John Varvatos

John Varvatos

John Varvatos

John Varvatos